Blog #1
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Saturday, February 5, 2011 2:56:42 PM EST
Blog #1 (due 2/2): Technobiography - What is the story of your life with
relationship to technology? Drawing on your own experience learning with
technology, briefly discuss a classroom situation in which technology was used to
help you, the student, learn. Describe the classroom situation, the subject being
taught, the other students, the technology/ies (for example, computer/computer
software, weblogs, SmartBoard, etc.) being used, and how the technology was
integrated within the instruction. Based on your results from the technology
surveys, your knowledge, interest, access, and expereince with technology,
reflect on why and how this classroom situation you describe was effective at
helping you to learn
I feel like technology has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
Each year I find it being integrated into the classrooms more and more.
Throughout my years of schooling, the technology I find in the classroom is
becoming increasingly advanced.
One of the most interesting forms of technology I have been exposed to was a
system used in my SAT prep course. I'm not positive what it was called, but each
student had their own remote and when we entered the classroom there was a
multiple choice question on the screen and we each had to punch in our answer
using the remote. This allowed each student to figure out the answer on their
own without the chance of being embarrassed. Another cool feature of this
technology was that it put everyone's answers into chart form, so we were able to
see which answers were most or least common.
I think this was effective for my learning because it gave me the opportunity to
look at the material, take the time to answer the question without fear of being
wrong, and it also presented the data and information in a new and interesting
way. I think this technique was effective for a lot of the students in the class.
Blog #2
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Tuesday, February 8, 2011 10:51:10 PM EST
Blog #2 (due 2/9): Philosophy of Education How do you believe children
learn? What do you believe is the best way to teach? Think about your
philosophy of teaching and write a brief statement that reflects what you believe
and who you are as a teacher. This piece will be very useful for job applications
and interviews. Although it will evolve and be edited over time as you learn more
and get into schools, knowing who you are as a teacher is critical before you
begin to plan for instruction.
I believe in more of a constructivist classroom than a behaviorist classroom. I
think the teacher should be acting as a guide for the students. Learning is about
doing; so rather than lecturing about a topic, the teacher should let the students
explore and figure out how the world works. Kids need to be able to stand up,
walk around, and touch stuff in order to stay engaged, especially since I plan to
teach at about the 3rd grade level.
Of course, the students will need a teacher’s guidance, so it is important that the
teacher be knowledgeable about the content. The teacher should act as a guide,
helping students to build their own knowledge and explore ideas. I don’t want the
teacher to dominate the classroom. I don’t want to become a teacher who simply
teaches to the test. I don’t see how that is beneficial for anyone, the students or
the teacher. Making the content meaningful and relating it to their lives is what
will help children to remember the material for a longer amount of time, rather
than have them forget a week after a test is taken.
It is crucial to realize that all students learn differently. Not all students can
demonstrate their knowledge by taking a test. That is why it’s important to have
various forms of assessment in the classroom. Students can be assessed by
how well they work in groups and things of that sort, as well as what they
contribute to class discussion. Class work, and projects can all be used as
different forms of assessment as well-- not just tests and quizzes!
I hope to teach in a way that incorporates plenty of fun activities, new
technology, and other interesting materials. I would try to relate the content to the
children’s lives as much as I could in order to make it feel real for them. I think
this would help get them engaged in the lessons.
Blog #3
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Monday, February 28, 2011 6:36:40 PM EST
Last Edited:Monday, February 28, 2011 6:37:48 PM EST
Blog #3 (due 2/23): At the core of UDL is the premise that often the curriculum is
disabled (and disabling!). It is not flexible; it often poses barriers, and
consequently prevents rather than supports optimal learning experiences. Do you
agree or disagree with this view? Why or why not? What are the benefits of
analyzing the curriculum for strengths and weaknesses rather than focusing on
the student’s strengths and weaknesses? What are the challenges of this
approach?
I agree that the curriculum tends to be disabling to learning experiences, as well
as creates barriers for many teachers to try to work around. I think many aspects
of today’s curriculum are unrealistic and very hard to follow. I think that using the
UDL checklist to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum is
beneficial because it allows you to review and make changes in areas that you
may have overlooked previously. For example, while examining Jasmine’s lesson
plan during the project, we were able to add much more media and technology
by applying portions of the checklist to the lesson. However, it is still very
important to know your students and examine their strengths and weaknesses as
well. This helps you direct your instruction in a way that is most beneficial to all
students. I don’t think it’s realistic to be able to incorporate all aspects of the
checklist into a single lesson. I think that in trying to do this, you may compromise
the actual content and purpose of the lesson.
Blog #4
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Monday, March 7, 2011 1:14:34 PM EST
Blog #4 (due 3/7): Evaluate several technology tools shared today or found on
your own and add links to your social bookmarking site for ones that you want to
be able to use later. Technology tools change the way students learn and
teachers teach. Discuss your thoughts regarding this statement. How will the
tools you have learned about change the way you teach and learn? : Discuss
how your beliefs and attitudes pertaining to the use of technology in the
classroom are changing as you shift from learners of tools to teachers of content
via these tools.
Of course I agree that technology tools affect the way that students
learn. As technology becomes more prominent in the world, we must make it
more prominent in the classroom as well. Students gain a better understanding of
material through the use of technology. I think the UDL project made it obvious
that incorporating technology into a lesson will most definitely change the way a
teacher teaches as well. Rather than having a boring brainstorming web being
written on a chalkboard for children to copy down, you can use a tool such as
SMART Ideas. Basically this tool allows children to create an interactive web of
their own to collect and organize their ideas. Another idea I found on the origami
site was the use of LiveScribes. These are basically pens that will record what Is
being said as you are taking notes. This tool will be beneficial for students with
learning disabilities. For more information on this you can click this link to my
Diigo: http://www.diigo.com/user/jv11390
My attitude towards using technology is slowly shifting. Originally I
didn’t understand that not everything has to be a computer to be considered a
tool. But now I realize that anything you can use in the classroom to help
students learn is very important to have.
Blog #5
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Wednesday, March 9, 2011 2:08:52 PM EST
Blog #5 (due 3/9): What kind of technology skills that you can use later in your
profession are you learning? Describe how you intend to use those skills in your
future teaching.
I think the lesson we did on Monday was really helpful with PowerPoint. I know
we talk about how PowerPoint shouldn't be relied on as technology in the
classroom, but seeing all the different ways to make it more interactive is
something i would use for my future teaching. Also, all of these graphic
organizing sites that have been mentioned, like SMART Ideas and KidSpiration
are tools i would use in the classroom. I plan on looking into KidSpiration more
because it seems like a really helpful tool that does more than just graphic
organizing. Many of my classmates have mentioned it as a helpful tool, so it's
definitely something i will look into more. I plan on using many of these
organizing tools for myself, but also introducing them to the students so they are
aware of ways to keep themselves organized. I'll also use the technology to
make the class more entertaining and make the lessons more engaging.
Blog #7
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Monday, March 28, 2011 2:24:20 PM EDT
Blog #7 (due 3/28): Copyright & Fair Use: Review the sites below then post 2
copyright and fair use issues that you were familiar with and 2 copyright and fair
use issues that were new to you. Explain and share any surprises, concerns,
past experiences or issues regarding copyright and the TEACH Act. If you can
think of a scenario that you know you do and wonder if it would be copyright
infringement, describe it and we can all weigh in! Copyright is not a black/white
issue, so sometimes it gets interesting.
Teach Act – http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/teachact.htm
Copyright and Fair Use – http://www.umuc.edu/library/copy.shtml
Copyright in the classroom – http://www.cyberbee.com/cb_copyright.swf
2 Issues I was Familiar with:
I was already aware that the amount of material you use effects whether or not it
is fair use. The more material you use, the less likely it will be considered fair
use.
I was also aware that making multiple copies of different works that could
substitute for the purchase of books, publisher's reprints, or periodicals is not
considered fair use and is a violation.
2 Issues I was Unfamiliar with:
I was unaware that permission is required when you want to use a work in its
entirety and it is longer than 2,500 words. I just thought you could never do that.
I was also unaware of how you obtain permission to use various materials. The
Office of Library Services will assist you in obtaining permission for copyright
protected materials for use in UMUC classes. If you want to get permission for
materials outside of the UMUC materials then you must write a letter to get
permission yourself.
My professor for Children’s Literature last semester would sometimes read
children’s books to us using an overhead projector. She had laminates of each
page to the book and she got permission form the publisher to do this. I thought
this was a cool idea to put a book up on the big screen. It’s a good way to
integrate technology into the classroom. I just wonder how difficult it is to get
permission.
Blog #8
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Wednesday, April 6, 2011 12:05:03 PM EDT
Blog #8 (due 4/8, optional...use as a "catch up or extra credit blog)): How
can story telling and music enhance a math classroom?
Many people believe that math is boring or it cannot be integrated with other
subjects, I would have to disagree. In the math class I am taking now, the
teacher displays numerous children's books dealing with mathematics. Literature
that deals with counting or number sense is very prevalent. Yesterday she
showed us "big books" and smaller books that dealt with multiplication, so these
stories can be used for the older grades as well. Using the storytelling technology
is a good way to bring the books to life for the children. They can even create
their own story about math by using these programs. Incorporating music into a
math class is also a great idea. there are many children's songs available that
incorporate math equations, numbers or patterns. Also, many songs contain
patterns within themselves, so it would be fun to investigate the pattern of a
melody with your class as well.
Students become very engaged when you add things like storytelling,
technology, or music to the classroom. It's very important to take a subject like
math (which most kids dread) and make it fun for the kids!
Blog #9
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Wednesday, April 6, 2011 12:14:57 PM EDT
Blog #9 (due 4/13): What can you use PowerPoint for that is not presentation
related?
It's hard to think about what other ways PowerPoint can be used, because we
almost always see it being used for presentations. Making your PowerPoint
interactive can help you vary the use of it. For instance, my learning team
created a lesson for ESL students and incorporated a PowerPoint in which the
students could use to review vocabulary words and hear the correct
pronunciations. In other words, the slide would contain the vocabulary word and
definition, and when the student needed help, they could click on the slide and it
would read it to them. This is a way to use PowerPoint in a different way and also
a way to differenciate instruction. You could also use PowerPoint as a game for
students. We were introduced to various templates such as Jeopardy, Who
Wants to be a Millionaire?, and others. I actually created my own Who Wants to
be a Millionaire PowerPoint and used it for a different class last year. It's
important to change what you are using PowerPoint for at times so it doesn't
become boring for students, because we all know that some PowerPoint
presentations can get very boring.
Blog #10
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Wednesday, April 13, 2011 12:52:22 PM EDT
Blog #10 (due 4/18): Lessons learned from troubleshooting session.
Our group had the "printing issues." It's really important that students know which
printer their document should be sent to. Some ideas we came up with so that
students knew where to print without asking was to have it written large on the
board. Ex: "PRINT TO _________." Also, you could have a piece of tape or
paper slip around the border or next to the monitor of the screen that reads:
"PRINT TO ______." The printer you want children to print to should be set as
the default. Teach children how to change the printer setting.
The sound trouble shooting teaches to always check the cords if the sound isn't
working. Also, check the volume on the speakers. If it still doesn't work, check
that the computer isn't muted.
Logging in: make sure the domain is correct. The user name and password is set
for a specific network. Teach kids about keeping their log-in and password
somethign that they can remember, as well as secure.
Blog #11
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Wednesday, April 20, 2011 2:18:57 PM EDT
Blog #11 (due 4/20): What topics difficult to understand do you remember from
your experiences as a K-12 student? What teaching representations or strategies
for understanding these topics could you use to transform that content into forms
that are pedagogically powerful, integrate technology and employ UDL
principles?
Growing up, I've always had trouble with learning history. It seemed boring to me
and was hard for me to remember specific facts about our history. I think it's
important to not simply "go by the book" when teaching any subject, especially
with history. Textbooks only show one perspective and it's boring for students. If
history was made more interactive and "real" to me then I think I would have had
an easier time learning it. Showing video clips or songs from the past could be a
good strategy. For one of our past projects, we created an interactive simulated
election online. Students were instructed about elections and voting. They were
made aware of an issue on hand and had to vote. This would be fun and helpful
for many students. Using games to test students knowledge, like the Jeopardy
PowerPoint would be another great strategy to make history more interesting.
You could also use children's literature that reads about a history topic that you
are dealing with. Another way to engage and incorporate technology would be to
create an interactive storytelling of the book you choose.
Blog #12
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Wednesday, April 27, 2011 9:35:28 AM EDT
Blog #12 (due 4/27): What can you use Excel for that is not math related? OR
What can be recorded (think FlipCam) that would enhance a science classroom?
EXCEL:
I can think of a bunch of uses for excel not involving math. For science, you could
use Excel as a Weather Log that the students record on each day. You could
also use Excel for students to record their data from various science
experiments. For social studies perhaps you could use Excel to form some sort
of timeline. Excel can help with Language skills, where students can create lists
and have them alphabetize them.
Teachers can use Excel for things too. For example, Excel can be used by a
teacher to keep attendance or organize grades. The teacher can also set up
some sort of behavior chat or rewards chart by using Excel.
Blog #13
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Monday, May 9, 2011 9:36:10 AM EDT
Blog #13 (due 5/4): How can a Venn diagram enhance a social studies
classroom? OR How can timeline software enhance a language arts classroom?
OR What can you use Word for that is not related to writing?
A Venn diagram can be used many ways. There are different types of Venn
diagrams. Most people just think of the Venn diagram with two loops, but a single
loop or even triple loop Venn diagram can be very useful. You can have titles
such as "I have been out of the U.S" or "I have visited more than 3 states in the
U.S." Or, you could use it to see what children understand. Each child can be
assigned a different country on a post-it note, then the single loop Venn diagram
could read "I am located above the equator" and students must put their post it
where they think it belongs. I have also seen a Venn diagram used to compare
like state laws vs. national laws and things like that.
Blog#14
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Friday, May 13, 2011 11:00:25 AM EDT
Blog #14 (due 5/11): "Content and pedagogy influence one another, especially
when I use technology with kids in my classroom." Discuss your thoughts
regarding this statement.
I think of this statement as the content that we teach and the process by which
we teach it greatly influence one another. Then adding technology into the mix
has an even greater influence on the outcome. How we teach something greatly
depends on the content, and how students learn the content greatly depends on
how we teach it to them. Using technology will make it easier for children to
understand the content.
Blog #15
Posted by Jessica Vitolo at Saturday, May 14, 2011 4:03:46 PM EDT
Blog #15 (due 5/19): Final Reflection - What are you taking away from this
course? How has your philosophy of teaching and learning changed? Have you
met your personal goals you set for yourself?
There's loads of information about technology and tools to incorporate in my
classroom, all of which I have either first learned about from this course or
learned about them more in depth. It's been helpful being exposed to the various
tools and talking about ways we can use them in he classroom. Before this
course, I'm not sure if I fully understood how beneficial technology could be. I
thought children could get along just fine without all of these high-tech things
(which could still be done for some with an amazing teacher) but a LOT of
childen, especially those with special needs, can benefit so greatly from even the
slightest bit of technology added to a lesson. Having video and audio helps
students understand concepts more fully. Also, having something like a
SmartBoard or Promethean Board in your classroom is like a gift from the
heavens. I think my goals have been met, in terms of being aware of the different
technologies available to me as a teacher and being able to use them. I am also
aware of the different ways to incorporate these tools into my classroom.