Class Reflection

Wow!  I am feeling a little overwhelmed tonight, but in a good and bad way.  I enjoyed watching the Group Instructional Video Projects on "Fire Safety" and "School Bullying" because they provided positive and negative points to focus on for my group video.  Who knew that coming up with a topic for the group video would be so difficult?  I like how my group really concentrated on various ideas.  I think the class discussion and the sharing of ideas were extremely important tonight.  My classmates provided great feedback.  It was like a literature circle, but the discussion was based on different group topics.  I think most of the class benefited. 

Chapter 7 Reflection

Problem solving and inquiry learning are two important concepts presented throughout the chapter.  One best way to utilize these two concepts from my personal education, teaching experience, and classroom observation is by stealth learning.  Most people learn by doing an activity.  The ideas behind the activity are focused on academics and certain skills that people eventually learn without even knowing it.  I learn my best when I am the one working on a project.  For example, the video trailer.  I learned so much just by doing it myself, yet there were steps that needed to be taken to create a finished product.  I believe the same notion works for our students.  As teachers or educators, we provide the hidden concepts in the lesson for our students to solve and develop thinking skills.  The gaming world offers stealth learning.  Students enter a virtual world where different skills are needed to move further throughout the game.  Students are still learning, but with technology as an enhanced tool.

The virtual worlds and digital games reminded me of when I bought my eight year old cousin a Webkinz (Click Here) in 2008.  She was so excited to receive a plush looking stuffed animal with a specific identification number attached.  I felt like a digital immigrant because I did not understand the significance until she explained it to me.  The identification number attached to the Webkinz was to register the stuffed animal into the virtual world.  Apparently, there were children from all over the country registering Webkinz and interacting with each other.  Six years later, who knew I would be reading about it in my technology class.  My cousin, who is now fourteen, is continuing to socialize and interact with other people using technology in different ways, such as Facebook, Blogs, Chats, etc.  To this day, I am amazed at how many children use virtual worlds and digital games, but do not realize the skills that are being learned, or developed.

Questions:

1.  What are some skills-learning games for English teachers?

2.  How do you feel about video games being implemented in the classroom?  Explain.

3.  Writing is an important skill that is currently evolving in the digital world.  Do you think a course should be offered on digital writing?  Why or Why not?

Class Reflection

I presented the Visual Thesaurus web site on my recent blog, but Dr. Chen prepared a similar site that I enjoyed viewing, called Lexipedia.  Lexipedia is a visual tool to use in the English classroom for vocabulary.  Rebecca also provided a great site for children to go on a virtual tour (Click Here).  Game based learning resources, such as Minecraft is a different way of thinking.  I don't quite understand how the game works in content areas of teaching (English, Math, Science, History).  The class had the pleasure of interviewing a twelve year old boy who also confirmed that the game does not focus on the subject areas.  One important factor that the game enhances is cognitive development.  A child uses certain skills to build, or fight monsters in order to survive and move on.  I guess I need to play the game to understand it better.  If and when I do, I will let you know all about it.  I am curious.

Chapters 4 & 6 Reflection

Technology integration is an educational change for both teachers and students.  As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I learned the most about utilizing technology when I was in the actual field of teaching tenth and twelfth grade.  I searched web sites to create a technology mindset for my lessons and assignments.  One site that I recently learned of is Visual Thesaurus (Click Here), to enhance vocabulary lessons.  It is another way for students to understand words visually.  I continue to question the participation gap of the students who have 24/7 access to computers as opposed to those who do not.  According to a recent blog posted by the Harvard Business Review (Click Here), I started to re-think the participation gap in a professional setting.  Maybe it doesn't really matter if one student has more access than another.  The question remains unanswered.

There are various web sites, search engines and virtual references for teachers and students.  The vast amount of information is overwhelming for me.  Chapter 6 presented multiple techniques for organizing information.  One tool that I continue to use on my MacBook Pro is bookmarking.  It's an easy way to save a web site and access it at a later time.  Web sites and the quality of the content can be difficult to decipher the reliability.  I like applying the Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose (CRAAP) Test in evaluating information from the web.  I will definitely provide the hand-out to my future students because it is easy to use and understand.  The CRAAP Test also promotes digital/information literacy.  Some of the "Top 50 Free Education Apps" that would be useful in my class are Quizlet, Flashcards+, and SparkNotes.  Quizlet is a great App for elementary, middle, or high school students because it ranges from all subjects (Math, History, English, Science).  It is a flexible way for students to learn vocabulary, or subject area terms.  Students can assess their learning by taking quizzes online.  The App provides students with different ways of studying, such as Flashcards or Audios.  The App can also be used for different professional fields (Accounting, Law, Medicine).  Flaschards+ App by Connor Zwick are literally digital flashcards.  Students can use the digital flashcard app to study on the go at anytime.  The SparkNotes App is useful in an English class because students can use the app as a study guide for literature, poetry, short stories, etc.  I love it because it's great for teaching Shakespeare.  I can have modern English translated into standard English at the click of a finger.

Questions:

1.  Do you believe the "participation gap" continues to exist today?  How do you think the "participation gap" will affect students in the professional world?

2.  How do you organize information you find from online sources?

3.  Have you ever used any web sites to organize information?  If so, which ones and are the sites helpful?

Class Reflection

"Digital Citizenship" is a term that I never heard of until tonight.  The world wide web is like a new country.  It is a concept to think about when I am teaching in the classroom.  Teachers and students have rights in the virtual world.  The Digital Citizenship website is important for all people to know.  Are we truly protected in this new country?  Do we actually read the license agreements when we are downloading information?  The answer should be yes.  I think all agreements should be read.  Don't you read formal agreements on paper before signing?  Of course, so why are people changing now?  The digital world will soon change the legal world. 

Class Reflection

I never knew Wikipedia was a virtual community.  I always thought of it as a quick way to search common information not realizing how many people posted/edited.  The ongoing process of knowledge is definitely related to constructivism, as one student had mentioned in class.  John Dewey would be proud to see how far his theory advanced in the world today.  The virtual community in Wikipedia is one example of how information literacy is changing, but the "bytecoin."  The bytecoin creates a new atmosphere with virtual monetary value.  Who knew that a concept my student presented in Science Fiction class would exist today.  A good way to implement information literacy in a future class is having students write personal reflections online rather than in their notebooks.  I am so happy to test out the new apps and post on my next blog.

Chapter 5 Reflection

      "Information Literacy" is vital to our society today.  Students and teachers are constantly on the internet searching for information.  My favorite search engine is the infamous "Google."  I use the word infamous because Google is sly in that it provides an abundance of information in a matter of seconds, but at some cost. How much of the information is credible?  This is a question that I ask myself every time I search a website, which makes it even more difficult for students to find valid information.  In providing research projects, I would apply the techniques from the chapter.  The idea of giving students various websites is good to substantiate credibility.  I also like how students can compare credible websites to those that are not, such as "Wikipedia."  I observed a lesson in a sixth grade class last week where the students were researching a topic on healthy habits and bullying.  Students immediately printed information from Wikipedia.  Unfortunately, students did not understand why Wikipedia was not a credible website.  The next day in class, the teacher had to show the bias within the article to prove her point as to why it was not a valid website for the students' projects.  The internet is a good tool to enhance students' learning, but guidance is always necessary.  As David Jonassen mentioned in his article, "Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking," technology should be a learning tool.  The students develop critical thinking skills from the active learning environments.  For example, "semantic networks."  Students can map the structure of an article or story for constructing their own understanding.  Jonassen also presented "visualization tools" (graphs, charts) and "conversation tools" (chats, emails, blogs).  Both help all students create their own level of thinking, which is student-centered.  Rebecca introduced a great article in her blog last week about a school in Mooresville, North Carolina.  The students used technology to enhance their own skills.  The article presented two different students in the same class who had to present their interpretation of a work.  One student who was outgoing decided to present his interpretation by using a video.  The second student who was more timid presented her interpretation in a blog.  Both students used technology in different ways to display their own thinking.
      Technology is rapidly changing not only within the classroom, but even in a Public Library located in San Antonio, Texas Click Here.  The article presents a BiblioTech Public Library transformed into the digital world.  People of all ages can access 18, 000 books from MacBook Pros and iPads.  The future of technology is constantly unfolding before our very eyes.

Questions:

1.  Computer skills are important within all academic subjects.  Students no longer have technology classes to teach certain skills, such as researching websites or typing a paper.  What are some ways that computer skills can be brought into the school system without taking away time from the academic subjects?

2.  From your days of schooling, do you feel that audio recordings of published books and/or poems are effective to use within the classroom?  Why or Why not?

3.  After reading the article about the Public Library in Texas, would you agree or disagree in implementing the same environment throughout all libraries in the U.S.?  Explain.