Digital Blog Post #H- Chapter 9

The first topic in this chapter to catch my attention was about using PowerPoint and other presentation tools in the classroom to express creativity. PowerPoint is a multimedia presentation software package that is a standard feature on many of today's computers. It is commonly used among teachers who must continually present students with information. It is vital to these teachers that they know the pros and cons of using this technology in the classroom. PowerPoint revolutionizes the older technology of using transparencies on an overhead projector. The software is much more effective than a projector because of its ease of use, time saving qualities, and ability to use more multimedia, such as pictures, voice recordings, and videos. PowerPoint and similar technologies can be very useful when used productively. Growing up in the emerging digital age, I was able to witness the transition between using chalkboards, to using projectors, and then PowerPoint. Almost all of my teachers have utilized PowerPoint in their classrooms, yet only some of them have been effective. I find that more often than not, PowerPoint is used solely for delivering notes, meaning that slides usually only display bullet points of information and other methods of multimedia are not used. This can easily lead to the majority of students tuning out during a presentation. Some other disadvantages are that PowerPoints cannot take the place of in-depth discussion and analysis and that slides may contain so much information that students become distracted from the main ideas.

The second topic that really interested me was the use of video in the classroom. Videos are often used for classroom instruction because they offer ways to present information while redirecting the method of instruction from teacher to screen for part of the class time. Most teachers will use video segments lasting from around 5 to 10 minutes rather than entire programs or films. Videos are great for student learning because they spark student interest, there is a great abundance of resources, and it can offer very unique learning experiences. But none of these reasons are the reason that I love the idea of using videos for instructional reasons. I am a firm believer in Multiple Intelligences and diverse learning styles. The three learning styles we all know about are kinesthetic, auditory, and visual. Though I am not a visual learner, I know someone who is basically the poster child for visual learning. He uses video resources, such as Khan Academy, to assist him in learning difficult subject matter. It's extremely exciting for me to think that students whose learning style is different from their peers can now be more easily catered to, giving every student the same opportunity to learn.

The last topic I chose to write about ties directly into the previous one. This topic focuses on another learning style, auditory learning. Auditory learners can use a relatively new technology called Podcasts. Podcast, a term that comes from the words iPod and broadcast, is an audio recording distributed online and accessed on computers or portable media player using free software such as iTunes. There are tons of educational podcasts on the Web available for download. Teachers and students can also record their own podcasts and listen to them on their iPods or share them. Students can listen to a teacher and other students discuss important academic material as a way to review and remember what has been presented in class, teachers can listen to themselves as a way to reflect on and improve how information and discussions are presented orally in class, and students and teachers can also develop exciting learning projects together, such as assembling oral history interviews into a podcast-based report or reading the texts of books aloud to produce a collection of audiobooks. The future is bright for students of all learning styles with the help of these advanced technologies that we must utilize in our future classrooms.

Digital Blog Post #G- Chapter 10

     The first topic to catch my attention was multicultural education in 21^st century schools. Multicultural education is defined as the way teachers go about “affirming” the expansive diversity of student interests, needs, and talents present in every school classroom. Multicultural education is based on the idea that all students should have an equal opportunity to learn. The idea is that we must provide majority students with information about people who are different from them, and diverse students with opportunities to locate themselves, their histories, and their cultures in the curriculum. Students tend to be more engaged when they can connect to the subject matter. This begins with creating culturally relevant curriculum and instruction. As an educator, you must find a way to connect the subject matter to student’s experiences. For example, using mathematics to calculate the distance between subway stops. You must also expand teaching methods to include small group learning opportunities rather than just whole-class or large group instruction. Small group learning gives students the opportunity to get to know other students and improve their cross-cultural understanding. Promoting group work among diverse groups of students can expand appreciation and understanding among students. There are also ways we can use technology to make learning easier and more interesting for diverse students. Resources such as online translators and international news and interactive maps can be helpful for those students who are linguistically or racially diverse and also those who are the majority and are eager to learn.

     Another topic I felt was important to address was differentiated instruction and universal design for learning. Differentiated instruction is an instructional approach in which teachers create different educational experiences as ways to meet the learning needs of individual students. To achieve this, you should think of multiple ways to achieve the same end result, then let students choose the way that makes the most sense to them. For example, letting students choose between writing and acting out skits or playing a series of games. A lesser example of this is in mathematics, when there are multiple ways or formulas to solve an equation, you teach all of the methods instead of just one so that if one way doesn’t make sense to a particular student, perhaps another will. This method of instruction allows for multiple learning styles to be addressed in the space of one class period. Universal design for learning is the application of universal design principles to educational settings. This method applies recent advances in understanding how the brain processes information to the design of a curriculum that can accommodate broad student needs. The idea is to create teaching and learning situations that serve the needs of the widest range of students without diminishing or reducing opportunities for anyone. I think that both of these methods are extremely important. It’s a fact that not one student is identical to the next. Everyone has different learning styles and different things that make sense to them, and this cannot be ignored, especially in the classroom. This is the first that I’ve heard about this concept, but I know that I definitely want to include it in my teaching methods when the time comes.

     The last topic I chose to address is assistive technology to reach diverse learners. Assistive technologies apply the concept of technological convergence to the ways that information technologies enable teachers to differentiate instruction and pursue universal design. These tools allow individuals with disabilities to do things they might otherwise not be able to do. Assistive technologies can help students with hearing, sight, mobility, cognitive, or other disabilities/challenges. These assistive technologies are relatively new, and I can only imagine how discouraging it must be to have a disability when trying to learn, but individuals with disabilities are finally getting more attention now and more and more assistive technologies are being produced every day. Some important technologies that may be avidly used in the classroom include speech recognition software, text reading software (or text-to-speech software), and interactive electronic storybooks or storybook applications. Our society is making leaps and bounds in promoting the success of diverse students and I am excited to see what other advances we’ll make and I will be able to utilize in the years to come.

Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.


Morrison, T. (2015, October 18). Student Diversity Word Cloud. Created with Tagxedo http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html

Digital Blog Post #F- Chapter 8

The first topic that interested me was social networking for educators. Also known as educational networking, social networking for educators involves teachers using social networking technologies for educational and professional development rather than social or entertainment purposes. Teachers can use this for discussions about curriculum and instruction with other teachers, book groups and literature circles, linking with educational policy and reform organizations, exchanging educational research information, group editing of projects and writing, and so much more. I think that social networking is an extremely valuable resource for educators everywhere. I know that there are tons of pages on Facebook and other social media platforms exclusively for teachers to post articles having to do with the teaching profession and host open discussions between teachers from all across the globe. As a teacher, I would be very excited to exchange instructional ideas, good books for my students to read, and tips on how to be the best educator I can be. There are also several ways to use electronic communications and social media inside and outside the classroom. Social media can be used in the classroom to engage students, share valuable class information with student's families, build strong learning communities, publish student work, and even energize student writing. The world we live in is ever changing, and teachers especially need to be open and flexible lifelong learners. It's important now more than ever for educators to embrace technology. The second topic I found to be of interest is using email and texting for disseminating information and connecting with students. Teachers can use email for official communication with students, parents, colleagues, and superiors. It also features a built-in record keeping system so that you can always look back on what you said or what was said to you and stay organized. Another neat strategy for using email in the classroom is establishing email connections to libraries, museums, and universities. Students can ask questions and get responses from experts using sites like Ask a Historian or Ask an Earth Scientist. This offers an extremely interactive opportunity for students that is also interesting and fun for them. English teachers have also been using text messaging to help students learn spelling. An example of an assignment that would help students to learn spelling and grammar and also have fun would be for students to pair up in class and have a texting conversation with their partner, each using a different sentence pattern for each text. The students could then take screenshots of the messages and send them via text or email to the teacher for grading. Teachers can also utilize texting with their students so that students may ask urgent questions and receive a faster response. The last topic I chose to speak on was creating your own teaching blog. Blogging is an extremely popular online activity. It's almost like opening someone's journal where routine facts of everyday life are paired with fascinating details, preferences, dreams, and soliloquies. There are many reasons why teachers should have a blog but the most important of them is likely student learning. English teachers have been using blogs to promote literacy learning through writing and the analysis of language. Social studies and science teachers are asking students to access news-related blogs as part of class and homework assignments. Blogs usually have a definite point of view, and students can analyze perspectives on important issues going on in the world. In high school, I had an English teacher who ran a Facebook group for all of his students. On the page he posted homework assignments, upcoming due dates, suggested reading, tips on how to do better in class, and thought-provoking discussion questions for students to answer and debate online. I believe that this strategy helped me and other students to be more engaged and continue learning outside of the classroom. Another reason is student/family communications. We all know how important parent/teacher relations are, and technology just makes it that must easier. When I become a teacher, I would like to run a blog or webpage that would be accessible by both students and parents. The blog would include notes, discussion questions, due dates, grading rubrics, homework and in class assignments, and perhaps a short weekly entry describing what is being taught and how parents can help their children learn. Ideally, teachers like to give students every tool they need to succeed. I believe that a teaching blog would be a very valuable resource for everyone. Resources: Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post #E- Chapter 7

The first topic that interested me was the different types of problem-solving and inquiry-learning software. I know from previous chapters that problem-solving and inquiry-based learning is most effective. What I didn’t know was that there are a copious amount of problem-solving and inquiry-learning software available for educators to take advantage of. Among the most popular of these software is Microsoft Word and Excel. These are two powerful composing and calculating programs found on most computers today. Composing refers to writing, and calculating refers to mathematics. Since writing and mathematics are core parts of every school curriculum and every student is expected to gain increasing levels of proficiency in each area, these programs can be extremely beneficial tools for teaching and learning. Students need a lot of hands-on use of writing technologies as well as many opportunities to critically evaluate the kinds of writing on a computer. Digital writing covers writing for a website, communicating by email or text messaging, contributing to a blog or a wiki, or expressing ones ideas through another technology-based communication outlet. I have found, especially after being in this class, that this method is extremely effective. Writing a blog about content covered in class has really helped me grasp concepts like never before. I’ve always believed that if you can explain something effectively to someone else, then you are thoroughly knowledgeable in that subject. Writing about the content covered in class sort of forces you to learn and know the subject matter completely. This learning technique is one of my favorites and I believe it is one of the most effective. Software also enhances math learning. Spreadsheets, graphing calculators, and geometry visualization software are all programs that can be used to effectively teach and learn mathematics. - - The second topic that caught my attention was about visual-thinking and concept-mapping software. Visual thinking and concept mapping software lets teachers and students organize and outline their ideas visually on a computer. Many students, especially when put in a stressful situation, tend to go blank when staring at a piece of paper and trying to brainstorm. Teachers will usually urge students who feel blocked creatively to begin talking, writing, or drawing whatever comes to mind, without editing, as a way to stimulate their creative imagination. Online visual thinking and brainstorming software can be useful for all students. There is more ease and speed of working in visual images and typed text accompanied by computers. I, personally, have found that I can type much faster than I can write with pen and paper. We all know how fast ideas can come and go through your mind. When typing, I can easily toss out all the ideas that pass through my mind without having to take forever to write one idea and forget all the rest. Kidspiration, Inspiration, and InspireData all from Inspiration Software Inc., are three highly flexible visual thinking programs that can be utilized by both students and adults. - - The third concept is the one that interested me the most- using digital games for learning. Digital games for learning, also known as serious games, are computer and web-based games that have been designed with educational goals rather than entertainment goals in mind. Games tend to be active, challenging, and demanding in focus and concentration to solve problems in innovative ways, whereas school is often passive and uninspiring as students take in information and repeat it back on tests and papers. With all of the technology surrounding us today, students are more likely to tune out teachers who are lecturing or writing on white boards. When students play games, they experience five essential freedoms of learning- the freedom to fail, the freedom to experiment, the freedom to fashion identities, the freedom of effort, and the freedom of interpretation. By playing games, youngsters build new cognitive structures and ideas of substance. Two types of gaming include simulation games and virtual worlds. Both can be beneficial for student learning. When using games with students, we should always minimize the use of games that teach isolated skills, scrutinize games that function solely on points won or lost, discuss games and their content, and most importantly, play games together. I believe that using digital games in the classroom would be an extremely effective way to cultivate student interest and creativity while also promoting problem solving and inquiry based learning attitudes in students. - -

Resources: Loria, D. (2014, September 20). 15 Ways Video Games Make You Smarter And Healthier. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/video-game-health-benefits-2014-9?op=1 - - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.