Seeing as this is my last reflection in this class, this reflection will be about any type of technology that can be used in the classroom, ranging from WebQuests to email to technology tools. I will answer each question by responding about the best technology tool to use for that question.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students? I believe the best technology tool to use to most effectively communicate with your students is through using email. I think that, by teaching your students to become more comfortable with using email, they will be more prepared for their future when technology will be more necessary. If they become more comfortable using email with their teachers, they may also become more comfortable emailing other students (friends), their parents while they're at work, or anyone else. I think that email allows the students to contact their teacher at any time, and you can assure them that you will check your email every night after you eat dinner by (for example) seven o'clock. That allows the students enough time after seven to complete any assignments that they emailed you with questions about, and it also lets them know that they should look at their work for the next day BEFORE seven so they can email you with any questions. I believe this system would work very well for both the teacher and the students to create a more effective system of helping students with homework.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students' parents? After taking this class, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of communicating. I believe the best way for a teacher to communicate to students' parents (as a whole, not individually) would be through a class website. Parents would be able to go on the class site and see the class schedule, future/current assignments, etc. I will DEFINITELY use a class website with my students' parents. On the site, I will do my best to put as much of the students' work as I can. I think that it is so important for parents to be aware of what their children are doing in school, because it is the place their children spend the majority of their days.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my colleagues? This one's tough for me. I personally would think that email would be the best way to communicate with my colleagues; however, a website may be useful too. First, let me talk about email. Email is wonderful because, not only can you email messages, you can also add attachments. If one of my colleagues wanted to swap lesson plans with me, we could just email them to each other as attachments from our computers and save paper. Also, a website for the school faculty might be helpful. It could have a calendar on it (google calendar) which would list field trips, upcoming meetins, deadlines, etc.
Why are these tools so popular with my students? Kids these days are so into technology. Now, if they were allowed to use technology in school, they would be extra involved and extra interested in what they were learning about! For some older teachers, using technology in the classroom is almost like a taboo. However, if you invite technology into the classroom, the students become engaged in the learning process and will remember information better if they are involved in learning
In which ways might I employ the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far to achieve classroom objectives? I think the best technology tool to use for this one would be for the teacher to make a digital story. When a teacher makes a digital story for the classroom, they are in charge of what the message is that is shown and how that message is shown. This would be the best because the teacher is in complete control of what and how the video comes across.
What are the pros and cons of the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far? One of the pros of technology is that students will love it! Almost any topic you pick, whether it's how paper is made or a biography on Harriet Tubman, the students will more likely than not be involved with any way you present the material if it is through technology. Another pro is that the teacher is in control of the technology and can shape it and mold it to fit the curriculum. A huge con of technology in the classroom is something that I've mentioned several times on this blog. The internet is a dangerous place! All it takes is for one of the students to not be supervised while on the internet, click on a wrong link or type in a website wrong, and BOOM, they're looking at things they shouldn't be looking at.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Last Week of Field Experience
In this reflection, I will talk about Digital Stories. Now that I am done with my field experience, I look back and wish that I had done a digital story for the students. However, the students did not have appropriate computer access to do so. This caused me to reflect on the impact digital stories have on student learning.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students? If you, the teacher, are making the digital story, you are in control of what the content of the digital story is. You are in control of the pace and the message being put forth for the students. A digital story allows the teacher to communicate whatever they want to their students. Also, you are in control the "feel" of the story. For example, if you are doing one on Martin Luther King, Jr., you'd want it to be emotional and powerful through music and images. However, if you are doing one on the making of The Three Stooges, it may use fun music and funny video clips.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students' parents? The parents will be able to view the video from home since it would be online. They would know what their children are learning in school and what method is being used to teach them (i.e. using technology). Parents are very protective of their children and want to know what's going on while they are at school. A lot can be done through the digital story that can be incorporated into the home and family.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my colleagues? Other teachers in my school could use the video to teach about that same topic too. For example, if the grade was doing a unit on recycling, we would have a competition between the classes in the school/grade to see which class can gather the most recyclable items, and whoever wins gets to take a field trip to a recycling plant and bring all of the items from the school and watch them be recycled.
Why are these tools so popular with my students? Students these days are so interested in technology, and any chance they are given in school to use technology, they would love. Also, if the students know that their teacher made it just for them, they may be even more interested because it has that personal touch from their teacher. They may gain more respect for their teacher as well once they know that their teacher has the knowledge of how to make such a video that can be used to teach information.
In which ways might I employ the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far to achieve classroom objectives? Since the teacher is in complete control about what will be delivered to the students, regardless of whether or not it is made by the teacher or picked out from TeacherTube.com, any objective can be taught through digital stories. The stories can be as specific or vague as the teacher wants them to be, and they can be picked out depending on the age group of the audience, which is very important to take into consideration.
What are the pros and cons of the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far? The pros of a digital story are that it takes the students through a process that is either emotional, entertaining, or just outright interesting. That way, the students can see why it is important of that certain topic. Another pro of a digital story is that it won't be geared towards an older audience other than your target audience, so you (the teacher) are in control of the content. This way, the students are more engaged in watching the video. A con of a video is that it can be low quality sometimes and some students may lose interest because it was "home made". Another con of it is that it isn't interactive. The video isn't a lesson in itself, but it has to be used in a lesson to learn more information.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students? If you, the teacher, are making the digital story, you are in control of what the content of the digital story is. You are in control of the pace and the message being put forth for the students. A digital story allows the teacher to communicate whatever they want to their students. Also, you are in control the "feel" of the story. For example, if you are doing one on Martin Luther King, Jr., you'd want it to be emotional and powerful through music and images. However, if you are doing one on the making of The Three Stooges, it may use fun music and funny video clips.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students' parents? The parents will be able to view the video from home since it would be online. They would know what their children are learning in school and what method is being used to teach them (i.e. using technology). Parents are very protective of their children and want to know what's going on while they are at school. A lot can be done through the digital story that can be incorporated into the home and family.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my colleagues? Other teachers in my school could use the video to teach about that same topic too. For example, if the grade was doing a unit on recycling, we would have a competition between the classes in the school/grade to see which class can gather the most recyclable items, and whoever wins gets to take a field trip to a recycling plant and bring all of the items from the school and watch them be recycled.
Why are these tools so popular with my students? Students these days are so interested in technology, and any chance they are given in school to use technology, they would love. Also, if the students know that their teacher made it just for them, they may be even more interested because it has that personal touch from their teacher. They may gain more respect for their teacher as well once they know that their teacher has the knowledge of how to make such a video that can be used to teach information.
In which ways might I employ the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far to achieve classroom objectives? Since the teacher is in complete control about what will be delivered to the students, regardless of whether or not it is made by the teacher or picked out from TeacherTube.com, any objective can be taught through digital stories. The stories can be as specific or vague as the teacher wants them to be, and they can be picked out depending on the age group of the audience, which is very important to take into consideration.
What are the pros and cons of the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far? The pros of a digital story are that it takes the students through a process that is either emotional, entertaining, or just outright interesting. That way, the students can see why it is important of that certain topic. Another pro of a digital story is that it won't be geared towards an older audience other than your target audience, so you (the teacher) are in control of the content. This way, the students are more engaged in watching the video. A con of a video is that it can be low quality sometimes and some students may lose interest because it was "home made". Another con of it is that it isn't interactive. The video isn't a lesson in itself, but it has to be used in a lesson to learn more information.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Week 12: Field Experience
In this reflection, I will talk about online video chats.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students? My students would all have my video chat name, and I would have all of theirs. I could do a small technology unit and have an assignment be for them to create a video chat account through something like Skype, and they would have a week to invite me to chat or something like that. That would get them more involved in technology, and more comfortable using that technology tool. Once my students were comfortable using video chatting, they could Skype me whenever they had a question. Video chatting allows for a quicker response than email, and is more personal than a phone call. I don't think I would feel comfortable giving out my phone number to students (only their parents), but I would feel better about giving out my Skype ID for them to contact me with.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students' parents? The parents of the students would all have my video chat ID as well as the students, and they would be able to contact me whenever they wanted to as well. This is good to use with the parents because it is a very personal way to communicate. Really, it's the next best thing to meeting in person. As I've mentioned before, I think that it is extremely important for teachers to keep a close relationship with the students' parents. This is so the parents will feel comfortable sending their children off to school to spend the day with their teacher, and they will also feel confident that their children are with a good role model. By forming a personable relationship with the parents, they will be more likely to feel this way.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my colleagues? If the principal needs to hold a meeting on a weekend or over a vacation period, all of the coworkers and the principal can engage in a group video chat, where all of them are chatting together and can see the other members of the video chat. This would be the same thing as meeting in person, except the coworkers wouldn't have to travel to the school or a mutual meeting place. All they'd have to do is log on and get in a quiet place. I think this would be very convenient for my colleagues, and the principal, because it can be last minute (as long as everyone has computer access).
Why are these tools so popular with my students? Technology is becoming so popular with children these days, and I think that any kind of opportunity you give them to experiment with it, they would enjoy. I think that most students wouldn't have had much experience with video chatting; I'd assume they would be more familiar with email or instant messaging. By introducing them to something new like this, they would instantly be interested in it and therefore would use it more often once they experimented with it and found out how easy it was to use.
In which ways might I employ the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far to achieve classroom objectives? This can help achieve classroom objectives (this is a stretch...) by helping students completely understand their assignments. How can students understand a unit if they don't even understand their homework/projects? Through video chats, the students have access to their teacher via the internet. If they have any questions about the unit or their assignment from home, they can video chat with their teacher to get more clarification so they can complete the assignment. I can remember plenty of times where I've gone home and had no idea what I was supposed to do for my project or homework, and we didn't have the internet back when I was in elementary school! Now, the students can take advantage of being able to have internet access and can ask their teacher questions to better their understanding.
What are the pros and cons of the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far? A pro of video chatting would be that the students can have a personal conversation with their teacher while they are both at home. Another pro would be that video chats can be used by the students' parents and coworkers for several uses. A con would be that it has be done on the internet, and not every student has access to the internet. Also, another con would be that, again, it is through the internet and the internet can be a dangerous place. Parents should supervise their children while video chatting with their teacher, or they should childproof their internet so nobody has to worry about anything popping up that the students shouldn't see.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students? My students would all have my video chat name, and I would have all of theirs. I could do a small technology unit and have an assignment be for them to create a video chat account through something like Skype, and they would have a week to invite me to chat or something like that. That would get them more involved in technology, and more comfortable using that technology tool. Once my students were comfortable using video chatting, they could Skype me whenever they had a question. Video chatting allows for a quicker response than email, and is more personal than a phone call. I don't think I would feel comfortable giving out my phone number to students (only their parents), but I would feel better about giving out my Skype ID for them to contact me with.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my students' parents? The parents of the students would all have my video chat ID as well as the students, and they would be able to contact me whenever they wanted to as well. This is good to use with the parents because it is a very personal way to communicate. Really, it's the next best thing to meeting in person. As I've mentioned before, I think that it is extremely important for teachers to keep a close relationship with the students' parents. This is so the parents will feel comfortable sending their children off to school to spend the day with their teacher, and they will also feel confident that their children are with a good role model. By forming a personable relationship with the parents, they will be more likely to feel this way.
How will the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far help me communicate with my colleagues? If the principal needs to hold a meeting on a weekend or over a vacation period, all of the coworkers and the principal can engage in a group video chat, where all of them are chatting together and can see the other members of the video chat. This would be the same thing as meeting in person, except the coworkers wouldn't have to travel to the school or a mutual meeting place. All they'd have to do is log on and get in a quiet place. I think this would be very convenient for my colleagues, and the principal, because it can be last minute (as long as everyone has computer access).
Why are these tools so popular with my students? Technology is becoming so popular with children these days, and I think that any kind of opportunity you give them to experiment with it, they would enjoy. I think that most students wouldn't have had much experience with video chatting; I'd assume they would be more familiar with email or instant messaging. By introducing them to something new like this, they would instantly be interested in it and therefore would use it more often once they experimented with it and found out how easy it was to use.
In which ways might I employ the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far to achieve classroom objectives? This can help achieve classroom objectives (this is a stretch...) by helping students completely understand their assignments. How can students understand a unit if they don't even understand their homework/projects? Through video chats, the students have access to their teacher via the internet. If they have any questions about the unit or their assignment from home, they can video chat with their teacher to get more clarification so they can complete the assignment. I can remember plenty of times where I've gone home and had no idea what I was supposed to do for my project or homework, and we didn't have the internet back when I was in elementary school! Now, the students can take advantage of being able to have internet access and can ask their teacher questions to better their understanding.
What are the pros and cons of the communication tools/social networking tools learned so far? A pro of video chatting would be that the students can have a personal conversation with their teacher while they are both at home. Another pro would be that video chats can be used by the students' parents and coworkers for several uses. A con would be that it has be done on the internet, and not every student has access to the internet. Also, another con would be that, again, it is through the internet and the internet can be a dangerous place. Parents should supervise their children while video chatting with their teacher, or they should childproof their internet so nobody has to worry about anything popping up that the students shouldn't see.
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