Chapter 9

Focus Question:

How can teachers integrate podcasts and vodcasts into their teaching?

 Podcasts – online audio recordings that can be accessed by computers or portable media players (iPod).

Vodcasts – they are podcasts that include video and audio.

These tools can easily be used in any topic imaginable making them extremely convenient. Using these tools create new opportunities for students to learn academics outside of the classroom setting. This also allows them to hear or view lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and summaries whenever they want.

 

Tech Tool:

The Tech that jumped-out at me in Chapter 9 was Tech Tool 9.3 – Digital Storytelling and Digital Art Making. A great picture or clip almost always speak louder than words; this tech tool captures those emotions and gives student the opportunity to put them on display through text, audio, video imagery and art. Digital Storytelling is mainly used to tell personal stories about an individual but can also be used for students to explore the history of a specific topic and present what they have learned through a Digital Storyteller instead of writing a paper. Digital Art Making gives students the capability to be creative and make their own pieces of art by using new technologies.  

Summary:

Chapter 8 provided information on how teachers can use multimedia technologies within a classroom setting. I found really cool that teachers can now give students “fun” options when it comes to presenting their work. Using multimedia tools also allow the students today to become more engaged with the material at hand. What I personally found to be interesting are the podcasts/vodcasts. I knew what they were I just did not know how to create one or use, but I do now. The term comes from the words iPod and broadcast – it’s an audio recording distributed online and accessed on computers or portable media players using free software such as iTunes or Bloglines (EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, 2005, June). You need to download the software called podcatcher in order to successfully create a podcast. A vodcast, on the other hand, is basically the same thing, instead one uses video. I really learned a lot in Chapter 9 about how to incorporate multimedia tools like cameras, podcasts, recording devices, digital projectors, and PowerPoint to create a much more stimulating lesson plan.

Photo credit to Nokia

Chapter 8

Focus Question:

How can teachers use email or instant messaging to foster information exchanges with and among students?

Before taking this technology class, I could never imagine new technologies being integrated within the classroom setting; I would have never considered using technologies on a regular basis in the classroom as a norm. Boy was I wrong! Reading this book expanded my knowledge about technology in ways that I could never understand, especially when it comes to this new generation of children. They are always using some sort of technology/gadget: from social networking, to anything that has an Apple logo on it, the Kindle, hand held video games, and the list goes on-and-on.

Children are the largest users of email and IM (instant messaging), so why not use that form of communication with our students as well? Information will get out the students in a quicker manner by using email/IM as well. Teachers can also use this way of communication to reach out to, not only theirs students, but to their colleagues and the students’ families as well.

 

Tech Tool:

My favorite tech tool from this chapter was the Digital Image Scanner. After reading the about the Tech Tool, I still did not understand how I would be able to use it myself, so I decided to do some research; I actually found that the Digital Image Scanner is simply a scanner that scans images. (I guess I let the name of the Tech Tool scare me a little.  J) Anyway, you think I would put two-and-two together when it comes to scanning; I scan documents all of the time but it would have never crossed my mind that I would be able to use the same concepts with pictures. Weird,  right? J These scanners come in all shapes and sizes. The following is a picture of a scanner that would best suit my needs - it costs about $120.00.

 

Photo credit to Mustek

Summary:

 

I was extremely comfortable with the information that Chapter 8 provided - probably because I was familiar with the subject matter. My mother always says that communication is key within every relationship; from personal, to business, but especially with our students. The way we communicate with our students will set the tone for the entire school year and will determine whether one is an effective teacher or not. Utilizing new technologies like: discussion boards, teacher/classroom websites, email, IM, blogs, or cell phones will make the classroom setting a much more enjoyable environment for our students to be in.

Chapter 7

Focus Question:

How can teachers evaluate the effectiveness of educational software?

There are millions of resources out there that teachers can use and do use to further engage their students; but it never crossed my mind to ask if those sites/tools would actually improve their learning. Fortunately for us, there are ways to help reassure that our children are actually learning. Time-and-time again teachers try to find high-quality software to grab our students attention, but do these tool become too difficult for our students. Yes, we must provide the best software that allows them to explore, but we must also make sure that the software doesn't become too complex - this can cause boredom, lack of interest, and frustration.

Tech Tools:

This book has impressed me every single time with all of the neat resources that are provided through the "Tech Tool" sections, but this tool, by far, has been the coolest and most interesting one. At first, the illustration provided in the book looked cool but it was kind of a trun off because it reminded me of this awful computer programming class I had to take my freshman year of college. (Talk about judging a book by it's cover.) I gave it a chance anyway and went on the Scratch page. Take this from someone who was not tech savvy before taking this class, but boy this website made it so much fun to figure out how technology works for myself; and the best part of it all, students learn while playing! (At least they think they're playing.)  I'm an adult and I was having fun with this website, imagine how much fin students would have exploring and learning at the same time!? The following is a tutorial on Scratch :)

Summary:

Chapter 7 basically taught me how to find effective software to support lesson plans. The author also made sure to show us how to ensure that the software were benefiting the students instead of hurting them. There are all sorts of educational software that teachers for all grade levels, including great tutoring systems that that teachers can use as options for instruction. This may be a little bias, but I love how there were tools provided to help tutor students in math.

Chapter 6

Focus Question:

What and where are differnet types of educational websites availlable to teachers on the internet?

An educational website - a source of Internet-based difital content specifically designed to support the learning of K-12 curriculum. I personally feel that every type of teacher can benefit from these sources, if they are used properly and productively.

There are six major types pf educational websites:
1. Lesson plan websites
2. Student-to-expert websites
3. Real-time and recorded data websites
4. Archival and primary source websites
5. Skills/practice websites
6. Exploration and discovery websites

Tech Tool:

All 3 Tech Tools that the author shared with us in Chapter 6 are great resources, however, my favorite tool was the social bookmarking. (I didn't know that that's what they were called; I learned something new!) Anyway, I will be honest and admit that my decision was very bias. :) When Professor Coleman introduced my technology class to Delicious, I fell in love with the tool right away! Before being informed that social bookmarking existed, I was the type to lose and forget where I found useful inforamtion. It was super frustrating. Delisoius, along with other tools that are similar to it, not only help me save my favorite sites, it also helps me organize them. Delicious provides "organizational tabs", as I like to call them, which help categorize your sources by how you name them. I honestly thought that Delicious would be a tool that I would only use un Technolgy class, but but it's become a part of my life.

Summary:

Chapter 6 basically taught me about management. I personally become overwhelmed with the amount of resources that are readily available for the world to use! (Sometime, I don't even know where to begin, but I'm getting better since I started taking this class.) I tend to lose/forget which resource I found first  end up in this tedious cycle of trying to find my starting point. I was taught how bookmarking, socail bookmarking, and information alerts can further help teachers with keeping and organizing valuable information. I was also introduced to WebQuests and virtual fieldtrips; these tools extended our knowledge about how to utilize the web to make our students get into an inquiry about specific topics, instead of just feeding them the information. (They'll go on a quest to find the inforamtion on their own.) All in all, Chapter 6 was fun because I got my feet wet with WebQuests; it looks like something I'll use when I become a teacher.