15) Final Post

I did my presentation tonight and I think it went very well.  I love Roman architecture and engineering and I'm glad I was able to share that with the class.

As for my final post, I would like to reflect on class a little.  I thought that this class was extremely easy.  I came into this course already extremely familiar and comfortable with most of the technologies we went over in class.  I think this class, at least for me, could have been done as an online course.  However, I do feel as though this class would be beneficial for others who are not familiar with these technologies.  I still would like to say that I had a blast being in class with Prof. Schaff and I am still glad I took this course.

14) First round of presentations -12/2

On Monday in class we watched the first group of students present their lessons.  I thought it was really fun.  To be honest, I was expecting to be bored the entire time, but all of the presenters did an excellent job involving the class in the lesson.  I also find iut very interesting to watch the teaching styles of other educators.  Just like our students, no teacher is the same either, and we can all learn valuable information and methods from one another.  All of the presenters did a good job covering the content, and I could tell they all seemed to put a lot of effort into their presentations.  Overall, I really enjoyed watching the presentations this week and I look forward to seeing others next week.  I just hope my presentation goes well next week too!

13) Thanksgiving break

Over Thanksgiving break I made my non-linear PowerPoint presentation for our final project for class.  I chose to make my presentation on the architecture and engineering of the Ancient Romans.  Hopefully the class will enjoy it when I present next Monday.  This is an actual presentation I plan to use with my students next week as well when we begin to cover the Ancient Romans.  More to come after the presentation!

12) Podcasts

I have used Podcast for a few years now.  I listen to music podcasts through iTunes and I listen to sports podcasts through ESPN all the time.  I think they are a great way of recieving information or listening to music on the go.  I often listen to sports podcasts while doing work.  This allows me to get the information I want while not being distracted by tv.  I hope to incorporate podcasting into my lessons in the future once my freshmen students get accustomed to using our online school technologies.

I have, however, seen podcasting used effectively in classrooms before.  One teacher I worked with last year would commonly sync powerpoint presentations with podcasts on his website so students could complete homework assignments, review lessons, study, or make up missed class notes.  He also often added questions as part of homework assignments.  prompting questions and letting them know when to pause the video to answer.  Another great way he used it was to create lessons for substitutes.  This way, the students still recieved the same lesson and content even though he was not there.

I think podcasts can be a great tool, if used effectively.  If you just talk or read and have the students listen, some cannot learn that way.  You need to use podcasts as a tool with other resources to make them effective.  When done right, they become an excellent classroom tool.

11) Teacher Websites

Every educator needs to build and maintain his or her own teacher/classroom Website. Period.

Efficiency: A teacher Website helps gain more teaching time.  When hyperlinks on that page are connected to high-quality resources, the students quickly become used to getting to the classroom page and moving on to the resources they need.

Resources: By placing hyperlinks relevant resources on the classroom Website, teachers not only speed up access to materials but can also increase all students' access to high-quality curriculum materials that directly support content.  Though placing resources on your Website is no guarantee that students will use them independently, it is definitely a step toward doing all that can be done to support all learners.

Relevance: Students will come to see the Internet as a personally relevant extension of school.  This is because the Internet is already an extension of so much of their personal life, failing to establish a classroom component on the Internet can marginalize the perceived importance of school.

Connection: Students come to see their teachers as connected.  In our culture today, if you're not online, you're not relevant... the Internet is that important.

Access: The teacher is the most valuable resource in the classroom, so we must provide greater access through the inclusion of an email address, a phone number, a contact form, or other communication tools, students and their families gain extended access to their teachers.

Experience: Students will gain experience using digital resources in direct support of which is definitely a needed 21st century life skill, seeing as virtually all professions now use the Internet in some way, shape, or form.

Moral of the story: MAKE A WEBSITE!!!!! NOW!!

10) iPad and Apps in the classroom

Research shows that using technology in the classroom increases student learning and engagement.  iPad's and iPhone's offer classroom apps that can meet the instructional needs for all students.
Almost all of the apps can be considered fun and visually appealing.  One App I wrote about for class was "Human Body".  Apps such as this one are fun to play and keep students actively engaged by awesome graphics and sound effects.  These apps are designed to keep student's interest, while providing educational material.  With enticing graphics and hands-on animated fun, students tend to forget they are even learning.
As we all know, each student is unique and learns in their own way.  Like Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory states, every child has different learning styles.  Effective learning apps appeal to all learners; visual, auditory, tactile, musical,etc.
The great thing about using apps to promote student learning, is that students can work at their own pace.  This will eliminate a lot of the stress that some students have when they see their classmates advancing before them.
The best educational apps are interactive.  These hands-on apps are fun and encourage students to want to learn.  Students can build and develop important skills that are necessary for their education all while they are being entertained.  Providing students with interactive applications to assist in their learning can be a very effective teaching tool.
I am all for using iPads and Apps in the classroom, but just like any other technological tool, they must be used effectively to have a positive outcome on student learning and engagment.

9) Microsoft Excel

What you need to know about Microsoft Excel:

It provides a visual representation of data that makes it easier to analyze.

Excel reduces the difficulty of plotting data and allows students a means for interpreting the data.

Excel can easily convert any chart or data set into a web page, making it very easy to share information among groups.

Excel's ability to dynamically generate charts and graphs in seconds makes it easy to quickly demonstrate relationships between numbers

As a teaching tool, students can see how different types of graphs and charts can be used to represent the same series of data.

One of the best things is that you can use Excel to create timelines and seating charts.  It is not just a tool for numbers.

 

However, many students have little prior Excel experience and for that matter, any application similar to Excel.  It is one of the more difficult Microsoft tools to use and it would be beneficial to include Excel into a K-12 program in such a way that no one grade level/subject area is solely responsible for introducing students to Excel.  It would be good to start using the basic functions of this program with students.

 

The bottom line is there is no doubt that, used proactively and effectively, applications like Microsoft Excel can enhance a learning environment.  It can help students look past crunching numbers and really start to interpret data and organize thier materials.  But just like any other program, once you start using these types of applications in your teaching, don't forget to look back and ask yourself if this is making your teaching better.  Technology is a lot of things, but it shouldn't take the place of well-polished, traditional methods of teaching and learning.  It is meant to enhance teaching and learning, not replace it.