Lessons Learned 9/23

   What I took away from class today was how powerful a trailer is. A 30 second video can make such a difference. Also that there is a huge difference between a trailer and a power point. A trailer is telling us something important, a power point is just a slide of various pictures with little to no meaning.
  I also learned how important it is for students to have a helping hand in their learning. Through all the new technologies and apps you have to be able to find what is best for your students. Which they like the most and which they are most comfortable using. The video also made a good point that we want our students to be life long learners. One of my favorite quotes ever is "Everyday you learn something new." I hope to make that true and then some for my students.

Blog 2 Chapter 1 & 2

         What I am taking away from reading chapter 1 and 2 is that society is changing too fast for us educators to keep up with. Us educators grew up with learning straight from our teachers mouths, now in the age of technology there are online classes. Students are learning through podcasts, YouTube videos, textbooks, and any other new technology. We went from looking for information in a library for hours on end, to being able to find it in a matter of minutes through the internet. The new motto is if anyone has a question just Google it.

            The everyday lives of students now are much different than when we were students. Before it was more structured and cut and dry. Before it was only one way or the highway. Now and days everything is so freely done and open. There’s no script on how to teach or even what to really teach.

          I think technology makes it easier to break the ice because there are so many different formats. Students can express themselves in blogs, tweets, status posts, any way imaginable. This is where I want to make a difference as a teacher. I am going to graduate school to become a literacy specialist so I am learning how truly important reading and writing is to a student and their personal growth, let alone as a learner. Students have to be able to open up and express themselves freely and what I am learned is that it is much easier to write things down than to say them.

Questions:

1.     How can I make the learning environment as comfortable as possible?

2.     How can I integrate technology without it being overwhelming?

3.     How can I allow my students to be in a technology rich environment without them forgetting the roots of it? Ex) writing by hand, a solid textbook.

Lessons Learned Sept 16th

What I am taking away from today's discussion and activity is that education has dramatically changed over 100 years. Now with all the new technologies and policy changes it will change even more and at a much faster rate. In the classroom right now computer science is barely a thought in one's mind. Now with the new policy changed happening in 10 years it will be as much as part of the curriculum as math, science, or any of the other subjects.

The role as a teacher is so much more now than it was 100 years ago. Now we are no longer a 2nd or 3rd parent to our student but we are the key to helping them grow and develop in so many different ways. We are the difference in their world.

Blog #1 Personal Learning Goals

Blog #1:

            Technology and I have never been much more than mere acquaintances. I wouldn’t say I’m technologically challenged but I am definitely not technologically savvy. Whenever a device of mine isn’t working properly I try to fix it on my own, usually find myself worse off than I started out and end up calling customer service or technical support. As a teacher, I hope I can extend my students’ technological knowledge such that they won’t have to run to customer support every time they have a small problem or question, like me. I aspire for my students to be able to use the various technologies I will be teaching them and to build off of them. This would allow them think outside the box, using these various technologies as building blocks towards the next thing. I believe technology is a great tool to use for learning but can also cause many problems because people tend to rely greatly on technology but when technology is down they are almost clueless as to what to do now.

Personal Learning Goals:

1.      How to troubleshoot and overall fix basic technical issues on my own (with no help form technical support).

2.      To have an easily accessible online library of various websites and tools my students can use.

3.      To educate my students on the dangers of the internet and how to avoid them by following the various safety tips I will teach them.

4.      Using more hands on learning via videos, games, and apps to support the learning outcomes of the common core standards.

My Questions:

1.      In your ideal classroom, what types of technology would you have?

In my classroom the students would have access to Ipads, laptops, and the internet independently. As a class we would use a smartboard, ELMO, and video camera software.

2.      What are the positives and negatives of being a technology rich society?

The positives of being a technology rich society is that all these various devices instrumentally help the learning process. But the negative side is when technology doesn’t work people are often left nearly helpless, with no idea what to do next.

3.      What is your favorite educational website?

My favorite educational website is http://atozteacherstuff.com/ because they have everything from lessons, to pintables, to leveled books.