week 11 posting

Week 11 Blog Posting

            Of all the education principles in this chapter, I think the following would be important for education:

Active, Critical Learning Principle

All aspects of the learning environment (including the ways in which the domain is designed and presented) are set up to encourage active and critical, not passive, learning.

            In my opinion, when students are active in analyzing material, they are challenging themselves and raising the level of learning.

Discovery Principle

Overt telling is kept to a well-thought-out minimum, allowing ample opportunity for the learner to experiment and make discoveries.

            Anytime students are involved in hands-on experiments, they stay on task and engaged more, that can only result in a great learning experience.

Practice Principle

Learners get lots and lots of practice in a context where the practice is not boring (i.e., in a virtual world that is compelling to learners on their own terms and where the learners experience ongoing success). They spend lots of time on task.

            The old saying, “practice makes perfect” is right.  If you keep the practice interesting and engaging, students can’t help but learn when they continue to practice and spend lots of time on their work.

I can see how hard a simulation would be to create.  I plan on teaching physical fitness and I can think of things to simulate, but I am not really sure how I would go about it. I would like to simulate a situation where my students created a physical fitness plan for kids in very different physical condition and simulate how long it would take to get to their target fitness level. Students could test this people in different work out simulations, such as running, lifting weights and other activities.

            As I begin my education classes, I can see just how much there is to learn about teaching.  There are so many teaching methods, principles, tools and aids, technology, and differences in students learning styles to consider. Understanding these principles and learning ways to present and teach information with tools like simulations will be great tools to know.

 (David  Jonassen. Meaningful Learning with Technology, 3rd Edition. Allyn & Bacon/CourseSmart, 06/01/2007. 55).

week 4 posting

    

Week 4 Blog Posting

        After reading the assigned pages and using these things, I think that spreadsheet is

definitely a good thing. I mean it doesn’t hurt to use it, so why not use it. Spreadsheet can

definitely be useful in many ways. It makes things much easier than using paper.

            I think teachers use spreadsheets in order to make things easier on their selves.

The advantage of a spreadsheet over a calculator is that spreadsheet does all the work for

you. The book states that spreadsheets have 3 major functions: storing, calculating, and

presenting information, I think that those things come in handy very much. Another thing

I think spreadsheet can be helpful with is organization. I think it can be helpful in keeping

your information nice and neatly organized.

week 6 Blog posting

Week 6 Blog Posting

        Handheld computers are sometimes called “Personal Digital Assistants” because of there organizing functions, such as calendar, task, and memo tools. They can be used for many things like collecting data, cell phone service, WiFi technology for wireless Internett access and Bluetooth technology.  Most have a digital camera, audio recording, USB ports and even Global Positioning Systems (GPS).  Any activity that uses Internet in a classroom can be done on a handheld.  Students can use Bluetooth to send applications and files from one handheld to another.

            Another tool in the classroom is online survey tools Online survey tools give teachers the opportunity to collect data about anything.  The tools range in functionality, ease of use, and cost. While there are perfectly acceptable free online survey Web sites (e.g., Free Online Surveys), people who use them a lot may like the added features that the ones that cost.   Some of the sites are Cool Surveys and Zoomerang. Free survey sites typically limit the number of questions, responses, and/or participants that are allowed. Subscription survey tools are more likely to allow unlimited surveys, customizing options, and data analy- sis tools that filter results to help users find patterns in the data. Other survey tool features can include sharing of results, downloadable files for export to spread- sheets, randomizing the order of answer choices. One third-grade teacher described using a simple online survey to begin a nutrition unit with her students. As students answered questions about their eating habits and knowledge of nutrition, they also learned math skills.  With this information from the surveys she had all types of things to go off of for her lesson, like how many kids chose cookies as their favorite dessert, or the amount of sugar in there diets.

In my opinion in order to write a good survey about something, you need to know what questions to ask. You need to ask the questions that are going to get you the information you need.

            PDA’s and Online Survey Tools are two great ways to add technology to your classroom.

 (David  Jonassen. Meaningful Learning with Technology, 3rd Edition. Allyn & Bacon/CourseSmart, 06/01/2007. 29 - 30).

thanksgiving post

Thanksgiving Week Blog Posting

            Teachers act in a way of designers I think by molding students and teaching students the things we need to know in order to be successful in everyday life.

            Simulators are imitations of some real thing, state of affairs, or process. Simulations are used in all areas of education. Simulations can be used in a classroom for teaching students how to do something or for students practicing how to do something.

             In the first part of digital story telling (preproduction), students plan the story they will be telling. In preproduction, students research, write, and organize information about the structure of their story. It is during this portion of the activity that the majority of the work takes place, providing students with the opportunity to generate their ideas on paper before using the camera. The preproduction portion of the activity allows students to optimize their time when actually using the camcorder. An essential part of preproduction is storyboarding. The storyboard is a document that provides students the opportunity to create a plan for their story from which they can begin filming. Storyboards can take on a number of formats combining verbal and/or graphic descriptions of screen shots. The storyboard includes specific information and the logistics for shooting the footage for the digital story.

        Depending on how you learn the best I think that you can definitely learn from watching
TV instruction. Watching the way something is done can be a lot easier way to learn something for some people rather than reading it or listening to someone teach you about it.

blog posting week 3

Blog posting

Paragraph1:

Inspiration is a software that totally supports visual thinking and visual learning.  Many students are visual learners and when teachers don’t teach to those kids, then we sometimes lose them.  To use it in your class, all students would need a computer – I think – and I know all schools don’t always have that available. I think I would like to learn more about it and maybe use it in my classroom some day – but I think good training would really be necessary. It looked complicated.

Paragraph 2: Since writing is something that is hard for me, I know the importance of using whatever technology sources that are available to try to engage students and get their minds working.  I like the idea of computer-based concept mapping tools. These tools help students understand by seeing a visual of the relationships between their ideas. I know visuals have always helped me when writing assignments were hard.  I like using concept maps or graphic organizers to connect my ideas and get my thoughts in order. I think technology like this could be very beneficial for students who find it hard to write, especially because they just can’t seem to get started. This seems to be a good way to help organize and plan their thoughts

            PowerPoint presentation is a great way to help with writing. It makes it easy and creative to organize thoughts and ideas and compose and edit your text. When creating PowerPoints, sometimes it’s easy to overdo the visuals with excessive use of fonts and lots of moving graphics and animations that distract. I would limit the number of fonts, colors and graphics and make sure the students had their ideas and text clear before they began adding the graphics. One suggestion was to write the text slides first and make sure they are clear, then go back and add the visuals and graphics. 

            I have never taught a class,  but I’ve coached a baseball team and taught the game.  I knew the game inside and out before I taught it and knew it better after I taught it – and better each time I coach a team.  I’m sure that is the same with writing, the more you write, the better you get.

(David  Jonassen. Meaningful Learning with Technology, 3rd Edition. Allyn & Bacon/CourseSmart, 06/01/2007.

Inspiration

Inspiration looks like it is a really amazing software that would allow you to prepare just about any kind of lesson plan that is totally full of technolgy -
I am not sure I fully understand it - but it sure looks like it uses every kind of technology available  -the webcasts looked cool.