In-service: Teaching Teachers about Technology

Technology is something that most people need to study in order to use . As computers and other programs and technology are becoming more and more present in the classrooms, teachers need to know how to use it and get the most out of it. In-services and classes designed specifically for teachers are an important step in introducing more technology into the classroom.

Tomorrow, our learning community is going to a local public school to show teachers how we have used technology this semester. I think this is a great way to sum up our semester while helping local teachers feel more comfortable using technology. Each group of students is armed with a poster board, how to hand outs and the specific knowledge on one aspect of technology. Granted, I am a little nervous but very excited to share my knowledge with others.

Tussling with Technology

Nothing can be more wonderful and more frustrating than technology. Just ask any teacher or any student and they will tell you their success as well as their horror stories. As a teacher or future teacher, you must be prepared for the temper tantrum that technology can throw you at any given time and know that sometimes there is nothing you can do to get it to work.

This semester in my learning community our class learned about the various types of technology that can be used in the classroom. This class has been eye opening and showed me that there are other things we can use besides power point and word. These technologies ranged from audio technology and podcasting to assistive technology which includes computers controlled by eye movement and large button key boards. The wonderful thing about these different technologies is that they can really help a student get the most out of their education. If a student has a visual disability, a keyboard with bigger buttons or a program that reads text to them can help them achieve their goals and struggle less in school.

What is frustrating about these technologies is their inability to consistently work. You could be using it perfectly one day and then the next day it won’t even turn on. As a teacher or future teacher you must have a backup plan. If you know a specific technology loses its charge easily, bring a charger or spare batteries with you. Also having the instruction manual nearby could prove useful if there isn’t anyone around from IT. If all else fails, there must be something else you can give to your student to continue the lesson. Just because technology decides not to work doesn’t mean nothing can be accomplished in class that day.

  

IPads in the Classroom

In the article Touch, Type and Transform: Ipads in the Social Studies Classroom the authors, Ilene R. Berson, Michael J. Berson and Meghan McGlinn Manfra discussed the benefits and cautions of using Ipads in the classroom. I agree with many of their points and found this article interesting and helpful to a future teacher.

In this article the readers learned about Ms. Wei’s social studies class. This Florida teacher approached teaching her diverse class in a unique way using new technology, the IPad. There were two Haitian girls in her classroom that often isolated themselves from the other students. By teaching a Caribbean geography lesson and making good use of a few apps Ms. Wei managed to include these girls and make them feel more comfortable in the classroom. I think this is a great use to the IPad. Collaborative work always brings students together and these girls were able to teach their classmates a little bit about their lives in Haiti. As a future social studies teacher, I think I would definitely try this out in my classroom.

The article also went over many advantages the IPad has over other tablets and mobile devices. For example, the screen is bigger than most devices and has a special widescreen display which is great for sharing one tablet in a group. Also the IPad can store textbooks and other documents and videos. It also has a prolonged battery life ideal for taking this device where ever the class goes. There is a small downside however. These computers are expensive and not all schools have them. Also, teachers and staff need to be trained how to use them. I think this is especially important because if a teacher doesn’t know how to use this technology properly, it would be wasted in the class. It is important for a teacher to plan out the lesson in advance and test out all the media and apps that he or she plans to use with the students. This is to ensure that they are appropriate and will help in the learning process.

If these technologies are used correctly, students will enjoy learning much more and get more out of their daily lessons. This device could also help students with special needs communicate. The possibilities are endless and this is an exciting thought for a future teacher.

Observation 3

Now that I have completed my observation hours I can reflect on my overall experience in PS 48 this semester. I think my time at the school was ultimately positive and I have learned so much from my experience there. I have met many dedicated teachers and staff members who I strive to follow.

As the teachers began to get to know me more, they began giving me more responsibility in the classroom. They still allowed me to sit in on planning sessions as well as interact with the students during their lessons. On one of the days that I was there during math, the student’s objective was to review how to multiply double digit numbers. I liked how the teachers reviewed the steps in the process with the entire class then broke them into groups based on their skill level. Each group had a teacher, student teacher or para to give the students more individualized attention. Mrs. Whalen gave me my own group to work with consisting of three boys and one girl. Their task was to complete a 5 question worksheet and my first task was to make sure they stayed focused and to help them if they had questions. I was a little apprehensive because math was always my weakest subject, but I was confident in my multiplication skills and was able to help walk the students through it. It was challenging to keep the boys on task. They kept talking to each other or to their friends in other groups. I kept reminding them to keep working and eventually their worksheets were completed. Once the sheet was finished by all the students in the group it was my job to review it with them breaking each step down on the small dry erase board. To keep the students focused I asked one student to read the question, another to solve the first step and then another to finish the problem. I called on the students in my group randomly and reminded them not to call out. One suggestion I would have for this lesson was the use of the smart board. I think it would be fun for the students to review the worksheet and write the answers on the smart board instead of the teacher writing down the steps on the small dry erase boards.

In this 4^th grade classroom, the teachers use the smart board to project reading passages. I haven’t really seen the smart board used for any other lesson besides reading and writing. I think it would be nice for the students to use it for science or social studies.

            I really enjoyed my time at PS48 and I was sad to leave. In just a few short weeks you really become attached to the students and teachers. I was very lucky to be in such a warm and safe learning environment and I am looking forward to having my own classroom one day.

Reflection on Technology News and Education: Video Games and Student Learning

Today in class, we watched a TED Talk video about the effects of video games on today's children. There have been many concerns by educators and parents alike that video games are ruining today's youth, causing ADD, ADHD and a higher increase in violence. The video addressed these concerns as well demonstrated the good effects games could have. I found this presentation fascinating and think video games can be a good way to supplement classroom learning, but I do feel that the use of games should be monitored and steps should be taken to ensure that the games are educational and used in a correct and appropriate way.

In the presentation, the speaker made a point to show all the benefits of using video games. He stated that students who played video games learned important life skills such as multitasking. In a game such as World of Warcraft the player must challenge him or herself to complete tasks while talking to other players via headset, typing commands and dealing with parental interruptions.  Some argue that games that require this level of multitasking causes children to not focus in the "real world". The reason for this is that the real world seems boring to these kids. While I feel that this is true, I do agree that games like this can be created for classroom use. The speaker noted a study where games were used in a classroom to teach reading and math skills. The students made great progress and advanced to a higher level of reading and math in a span of 18 weeks. Also, these students felt learning was fun. I think that if a game is created specifically to teach reading and math it would be helpful for students. However, I feel that these games should be designed by teachers and other educators and should only be used maybe once or twice a week. There are many benefits from using these games like learning to work together, multitasking and having fun while reinforcing concepts but if they are used daily, students could be losing much more. They could be losing valuable skills such as listening, talking to each other and if they move to another school where games are not used, they could become bored and dislike traditional learning.

Another negative thing I feel that comes from video games and technology in general is the lack of human contact and social skills. People could be locked alone in a room on the web or playing a game for hours without talking to anyone. Because everything entertaining from movies to games to friends is right there at your fingertips there is a decrease in drive to join clubs or organizations to meet people when you could do this online or in a game chat room.

The speaker closed his presentation with saying the kids are alright. This is true only if adults are careful to provide their children with a well balanced education that includes everything from books to educational toys to video games.

Technology Field Trip Reflection

           On March 29^th our class took a field trip to a special needs school. This trip was designed to show us practical applications of technology in the classroom. This was a great experience for me as it showed me the many different ways technology can be implemented in the classroom. I learned so much from this visit and it has given me ideas for using different technologies to accommodate needs in my future classroom.

            The school that we visited was designed specifically for students who had severe disabilities. Each classroom was different and had innovative technology to help each student learn and reach their fullest potential. In the first classroom we went to, the majority of the students were in wheel chairs. The classroom was large so that the students could be moved around easily and could comfortably sit at the table with their peers. The head teacher in the classroom told us a little about working in a special education environment like this school and she began to show us all the technology they used. Something that I found amazing was the computer one boy used to communicate. Because this boy was wheelchair bound and could not speak, the computer would read his eye movements and he could spell out words and sentences by using his eyes. It was fascinating to watch him use this device to talk to us. His teachers even informed us that he wrote raps and songs by using this computer. The only downside was the computer lost its charge quickly and had to be plugged in.

            Another piece of technology that I found interesting was the Dynavox. This is a computer like communication device that helped some of the students communicate. The head teacher showed us how it worked and explained that students selected pictures that would make up sentences to tell their caretakers and teachers what they wanted or needed. A positive thing about this machine was that it was sturdy and could survive a fall. The teacher explained that sometimes the students knocked the boxes off the desk and sometimes teachers even drop them. Accidents do happen, and it is a good thing that these technologies can survive them. These machines are very expensive to purchase but they are worth it if students can use them to communicate. The classroom is also equipped with a few computers and a smart board. When we walked into the class, they were having their art lesson. On the smart board was their assignment. The students were enjoying their lesson and were eager to show us their art work.

These students were so friendly and so eager to talk to us or show us their work and everyone in the classroom was so welcoming. I enjoyed my time at this school and I liked seeing the different technology used. In my future classroom I know that I could use technology like the Dynavox if a student has a speech disability. It is a great idea for education students to go into classrooms and learn about these technologies available. The firsthand experience is so important because we get insight on what works in a classroom and what are the positives and negatives to each piece of equipment.

Webquest Idea for Ed 414

Ms. Tszuska's Slavery Webquest

4th grade social studies

Introduction

You are next years 4th grade social studies teachers. You are now preparing to teach your students about the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Tasks

• Get into groups of 4 based on the color I assigned you(red, blue, purple or orange). Each group must have one of each color.
  •Each group will receive their organizer and review the links.
  •On the organizer each question will be color coded. Each student will answer the color question that matches the color they were assigned in the beginning of Class.
  •The students will then come together to discuss their findings and put together their presentation for teaching next years 4th grade class.

Information Sources

http://www.understandingslavery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=369&Itemid=145

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p277.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h280.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p268.html

Process

Each student should click on the link that relates to their assigned color. Then, answer the questions in your organizer that related to your link.

For the red link answer…

•What is the triangular trade?

•What were the stops on this trade ______ to______ ,

______to_____, and _______to______

For the blue link answer…

•What is the middle passage

After reading the passage, draw a picture of what a slave ship looks like and the conditions the slaves had to face.

For the Purple Link…

•Describe what the ship captain did when a disease spread through his ship.

For the orange link…

•Answer these questions

•What was the punishment for a slave who committed murder?

•What was the punishment for a slave who stole?

What would happen to a slave if he or she associated with white people.

 

Organizer

The organizer will be handed out in class. It is a worksheet with spaces to answer the questions above.

 

Conclusion

After discussing your findings with your group you will present them to the class.This will be done next class to ensure that each group has enough time to present their webquest findings.

My Lesson Plan Podcast

Observation Journal 2

            As of this post, I am a little more than half way through my observations at PS 48. I have had many interesting experiences in Mrs. Whalen’s fourth grade class. I am really enjoying my time at PS 48 and have learned a lot so far.

            The fourth grade class that I am observing in is deep in the throes of test prepping. It is interesting to watch the teachers in the room scramble to cover all the material on the standardized test while trying to teach other subjects. Mrs. Whalen and her student teacher have both explained to me how hard it is to plan all the lessons of the day while trying to focus so much on the reading and math material of the standardized tests. They also invited me to watch and help them prepare the lessons while the students went to gym class. They examined the math quizzes the students took the day before and decided they could move onto other material. According to the quizzes given as an assessment, the students had mastered multiplication and were ready to start division. The next day during that math class, the students were having trouble grasping their new math lesson. As a result, during the next planning session I attended, Mrs. Whalen told me and her student teacher that they were going to have to spend two periods of Math the next day so that the students would all master the skills they were having trouble with. Mrs. Whalen’s flexibility impressed me. Even though she would have to rearrange her day and find different ways to fit in all of the other lessons, she was dedicated to making sure all of her students understood division.

            Another thing that impressed me about this classroom was their use of technology. In the class they had a smart board and a document projector. Many of the student’s lessons are taught using the smart board and projector. For writing workshop, reading workshop and math workshop the students sit on the floor. The teacher then uses the document projector to show the students examples. When the student teacher was teaching a lesson about essay writing, she projected a sample essay on the smart board and went over it step by step with the students. I think that it is helpful for the students to actually see an essay clearly in front of them then go over the steps. I only have one suggestion for the use of technology in this classroom. That is using a blog to publish their work. During one of my observations the students had writing workshop where they were about to “publish” their essays. They had been working for weeks on drafting and editing and finally were getting ready to hand in their essays to Mrs. Whalen. If they actually published their essays I think they would have more fun writing them and then they could share their essays with each other online.

            Something I saw at PS48 one day did not impress me however. One morning, the Science teacher came in for science workshop. She had planned on completing a magnet lab with the students. It seemed like a fun and interesting lab but the teacher had no control over the class and it soon became chaotic. Once the materials were handed out magnets were being stuck to things all over the classroom, ruler fights erupted, paper clips were all over the floor, and one student thought it was a good idea to put masking tape in his hair. Even with all this going on, the science teacher just kept talking over the rowdy students. She kept threatening them with parent teacher conferences that night and she even said once “Today is the day I get my revenge”. Needless to say, not much was accomplished in that science class. They didn’t even review the lab and there was no assessment to see how much the students had learned. Her direct instruction was the explanation of the lab in the beginning of class (which the students didn’t listen to) as well as the directions about each lab experiment. Indirect instruction was the lab that was accomplished by the students.

All of what I have seen so far has been helpful in aiding my learning process. I am happy to be in PS48 and overall my experience thus far is positive.

Observation 1

On Wednesday February 29, 2012 I went to PS 48 to observe for my first time this semester. I was assigned Mrs. Whalen’s Fourth grade classroom and I must admit I was a little nervous. I had never been in a 4^th grade classroom before as I had completed my other observation hours in a High School or Middle School. My fears were quickly lessened as I walked through the doors of the school and began meeting teachers and students in the Halls. Everyone seemed happy to be there and they were quick to say hello, smile or wave.

            My Fourth grade class had gym first period and it was a very interesting experience watching them. Mrs. Frascati was the gym teacher and she had a basketball lesson planned out for the students. It was interesting to note that the students did not have a specific uniform or dress code for gym and many were running their warm up laps in jeans and some even had Ugg boots. After the warm up Mrs. Frascati called the students to the middle of the gym and made sure they all sat around her quietly. She then explained the lesson and made sure they understood how to play the game. After, she divided the students into two teams and assigned each student a number. Once their number was called they would see which student could get a basket the fastest. Whichever team scored first would get a point. Once during the game a few students were saying negative things about their teammates. Mrs. Frascati stopped the game and stressed the importance of teamwork and encouragement. She warned the students that if they said any bad words or started criticizing their friends, the game would end and they would sit in silence the rest of the period. It was also interesting to note that Mrs. Frascati included adding and multiplying into the gym class. Instead of simply calling out one number she would call out an addition problem for the students to solve together and the sum of the two numbers would be the number called. For example two plus three equals 5 so the students who had the number 5 would run to score the basket for their team.

            After gym the students lined up in two lines and headed upstairs to their classroom. Their teacher stopped them half way up the stairs to regain control of the very rowdy class. She managed to get the students to walk the rest of the way in silence. Their next class was English. The students sat in tables seating 4 students each. The classroom was very small and cramped. Mrs Whalen told me that they couldn’t even have a teacher’s desk because there was no extra space to put it. In the classroom there were 10 girls and 18 boys and they all seemed to work well together. There was also a Para for one of the students and currently there is a student teacher as well. The Student teacher in the room called all the students to the reading rug where she would conduct the reading lesson for the day. They were reading and discussing a story called Freedom Summer. The student teacher recapped the lesson from the day before and then had the students work in pairs to show inferences. As an assessment after she went over the group assignment the teacher asked the students to put their hands up if they understood. She counted the number of hands and then asked the students to raise their hands if they were unsure. There were more students who understood then didn’t so they quickly went over it again for the students still confused and then moved on.

            My first few hours in PS 48 were very informative and interesting and I can’t wait to go back next week!

Technology and its Advances

As and assignment for CS322, I created a video about how technology advanced and how it relates to us today. The setting for my video was the Wagner College Information Technology Help Desk. This is a place where I am often found working on campus. I would use this video in my future classroom to promote student learning. It is an interesting video middle schoolers can watch to relate ancient technologies in their curriculum to technologies used today. Also, they can catch a glimpse into the college world as the video was filmed on Wagner College's campus.

What it Means to be Literate - A reflection

“What it Means to be Literate”

            When one hears the word literacy, it is often assumed to mean reading and writing related to Education. However, that is not the only meaning of literacy. According to the articles we have read for CS322, literacy can mean so much more. Students today are immersed in the world of writing and reading and they don’t even know it. To me, after reading these articles, literacy does mean reading and writing in the classroom, but it also means being able to develop socially, and the ability to use technology in the classroom as a teaching and learning tool.     

            I feel it is vital for teachers to be literate in their content area. Literacy in content area not only means understanding what they will be teaching, but being able to present it in many ways that students can understand. Teachers can use media such as power point presentations, pictures and video to reach visual learners. They can also write on the board and have discussions to help students who learn better by hearing and reading the information. Another way teachers are literate in content area is being prepared. Teachers must have lesson plans ready daily and avoid winging a lesson because they are unprepared. For teachers who are teaching a particular subject, they also must have a passion for their subject and the desire to continue learning even though they have a responsibility to impart knowledge to their students.

 I understand that using technology in the classroom can be challenging especially because it is constantly changing. I feel having a basic knowledge of computers and media is important in being literate in today’s society. Even people in other professions need to know how to use computers. Now more than ever, daily tasks such as banking, managing money and shopping are done online. Another form of literacy is internet safety. It is important for adults and children alike to know what is safe to do online and what is dangerous. Identity and credit card theft is a major issue that affects many people today. Everyone should know how to protect their information online. Also, online dating can be appealing however; kids need to know that talking to strangers and potentially meeting them in person without the knowledge of parents can be dangerous and have dire consequences. Take for instance a young boy on Staten Island who agreed to meet an internet “friend” one day in person. That “friend” turned out to be a much older pedophile who left him in his boxer shorts and chained to a tree in the woods. This boy was lucky he was not seriously hurt or killed and was found a few hours later by the police. This occurred when I was a freshman in high school and they actually put my school under lockdown in case the perpetrator was prowling for another victim. Not every child or adult who falls prey to these online predators are as lucky as this boy from Staten Island. Some end up murdered, raped or seriously injured.

Along with internet safety, computer games and blogs can be considered literacy. Students can be unaware that computer games, especially role playing games, can be literate activities. One summer I actually played a role playing game. I never really realized myself how much writing can be involved. I remember carefully creating my character with structured, descriptive paragraphs and interacting with my friends via posting on a website. We even edited each other’s posts for grammatical and spelling errors. Looking back on it now, the posts that my friends and I created could have been collected and made into a book. It was creative and mind stimulating fun. Blogs can also be a creative place for writing and reading. There are thousands of blogs on the internet with many educational topics such as ideas for science fair experiments, book lists, book reviews and even restaurant reviews. Blogs can be a wealth of information and many people can share their opinions freely.

Literacy can be viewed as social and emotional interactions and development. There is an increasing concern with today’s young people and how they use technology. It has been said that kids use technology such as cell phones and computers for communication and don’t know how to hold a conversation in person, lack eye contact and talk on the phone. I agree with this to some extent. A lot of young adults prefer to use their phone for texting and computers for emailing and chatting and some do have that lack of personal conversation skills. However, the majority do not. I feel that because of school and extracurricular activities students receive the human contact necessary to form social bonds and develop socially and emotionally.

Literacy has many meanings. It not only means reading literature and writing essays for school but also means being able to develop socially, and the ability to use technology in the classroom as a teaching and learning tool. Literacy is often regarded as boring and dry, however, in many cases it is not. Blogs, online games and even reading for enjoyment can be examples of fun things you can learn from. It is important to bring these fun learning tools into the classroom and incorporate them into the lesson.

             

Reflection on Technology

As the years go on, technology plays an increasingly important role in the lives of children and adults. Even in Education, technology is everywhere and it is changing the way students are taught. For me, personally, technology has been present in my life from a very young age. As a young child I played educational computer games with my dad. These games helped me learn to read, write, count and recognize colors. As I grew up, I was able to watch technology change and become an even bigger part of my life. Technology is everywhere and has shaped me into the person I am today.

            When I was a child I was unaware of the term “technology”. I was unsure of what it was or how much of an influence it could have on me. I simply knew that if I put a CD into the computer there would be pictures and videos I could watch and play with. Now as I am older I can reflect on how much technology I have encountered in my life time and the helpful effects it had. Computer games, television, and talking on the phone are all parts of technology most people my age used as children. Talking on the phone started to enhance communication skills while computer games and TV shows kept us entertained and engaged. I still remember as a toddler counting with the characters on Sesame Street and learning to sound out words with the computer. Even some of the books I read had an interactive CD or a button in the book I could press that would play a sound recording. I feel that this is helpful to a child. Not only are they learning from their parents, they are having these skills reinforced in forms of entertainment making learning fun.

            Throughout my grammar school years technology changed as I grew older. I remember our school’s computer lab receiving flat screen monitors which replaced bulky and cumbersome ones. Also from the 3^rd grade on we were taught to type and had weekly typing tests. This would help me greatly as I had to type up reports and papers for my teachers. Also, I remember more and more of my classmates and friends receiving cell phones. When I was in Middle School I remember feeling left out because my parents refused to let me have one until I absolutely needed it. I was finally allowed to have one in 8^th grade but was very envious of my friends until then.

            In High School I feel was the time in my life where I increasingly began to rely on technology. Every student in my high school was required to purchase and carry around a laptop. Every class we were encouraged to take notes on word and use the internet to supplement our learning. Our assignments were posted on edline which is similar to Moodle and we were even given progress reports via email. It was in high school (but not during class) I started to watch you tube and use face book. Texting friends became a favorite pastime and calling people on the phone slowly became a thing of the past. I think the fact that everyone is texting now is hurting our generation’s social skills. Also the texting lingo is severely crippling writing skills. Some teenagers and students today feel it is appropriate to add abbreviations like “btw” for by the way, or shortening words like “U” for you and “R” for are. Also in high school I became dependent on a calculator for solving math. I was never very good in math and the calculator both helped me and hurt me. It helped by allowing me to solve problems accurately on a steady basis but it hurt because I would often rely on it for simple math instead of using memorization skills.

            Even though I never personally had a problem with cyber bullying, it is a growing issue today that all current and future teachers should be aware of. The internet gives a bully a sense of detachment. It is easy for someone to say mean things about another classmate from behind a computer screen where no one can see them. Cyber bullying in its extreme has had such an effect on some children that they commit suicide and engage in other negative behavior.  This is something that should be addressed by everyone in the community.

            In college technology is an even bigger part of the learning process. I use the library computers to find and check out books for research and articles can be shared between colleges almost instantly because of the computer. Also I use Moodle to submit homework for classes and wwam to register for classes each semester. In class teachers use projectors and computers to show us videos and pictures about the topics we are learning about and some classes even use the smart board. In my freshman year at Wagner, I applied for a job at the Information Technology Help Desk on campus. I was hired and have been learning on the job ever since. I am not a computer wizard, but I do know basic trouble shooting and I can run virus scans, and install wireless on laptops. I feel it is a great job to have and I learn something new almost every day I am there.

            As I got older, technology began playing a bigger role in my life. In the future I can see myself still using technology from the simple every day quick text message to helping my students learn in the class room. I am excited to learn all about how I can use the technology available to teach in the classroom and make my learning experience fun and exciting. I would like to help solve the problems associated with cyber bullying and even stop it all together. I am hopeful that one day this problem plaguing schools and students will be resolved and technology will only be used for positive learning experiences.