I realize going into teaching that not everyone has enough money to have a computer in every household. I am lucky enough to have had multiple computers growing up. However, there is so much available access to computers in the public (ie. libraries, community centers, etc) that we must not avoid using computers as a teaching and learning tool. Technology is such a powerfull learning tool. We can explore more in one click today then students could 20 years ago in hours of library research.
"When teachers choose not to use technology in the classroom, students are disadvantaged." (Swain, C., Edyburn, D.) The authors hit it on the dot with this quote. Even if some students in your class do not have access to technology, you can not hold the rest of your class back. Not using technology because a few don't have it is a disservice to all. Getting ahold of technology is not difficult
If you ask students, they want to learn and be ready for the future. Holding information such as how to use technology or when to use technology will be holding back information. Our world is becoming more and more technologically advanced each and every day. Every day we don't encourage the use of technology is another day lost for the students.
For most students, "technology is an integral part of their lives." (Greenhow, C.) Most of the time, students want to learn in the classroom things they don't have outside of the classroom. There are some technologies that are classroom technologies and others are personal, or home technologies. They want to learn about those they don't have because they are interesting.
For those students who are not fortunate enough to have the technologies required for out-of-classroom-work, I would tell them of all the places in the area which have free access to computers. There are always community centers, libraries, etc. that have free access to technology. If that doesn't work, I would ask the students to show up early to school or stay afterwards to get the work done. Anything is possible if you look for the answers.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
PowerPoint
During the Power Point presentations, I really enjoyed how Mikey used his own recordings to use as sounds. It added some humor to the presentation. Some others struggled with having too many words on the screen and not enough pictures. I guess it really depends on the topic and grade level.
If I were to redo my own presentation, I would add more sound. I don't think mine was engaging enough and it lulled the class to sleep. A more engaging presentation would have kept the lesson interesting and flowing. I really like the idea of adding funny videos and noises to keep the students curious. I really like using Power Point but I am not as good at using it as others. I could tell who in the class has used Power Point many times because theirs seemed to flow a lot better than mine.
I do like using Power Point as a medium to present lessons. However, it is technology and we have all learned that technology is not trustworthy. It has always seemed like when I wanted to use technology, something goes wrong. I would use it however because it is a very easy and clear way to present the material. It works for the visual learners as well as the auditory learners. It is not as condusive to the tactile-kinesthetic learners but using the Power Point to engage the students can work to involve them.
If I were to redo my own presentation, I would add more sound. I don't think mine was engaging enough and it lulled the class to sleep. A more engaging presentation would have kept the lesson interesting and flowing. I really like the idea of adding funny videos and noises to keep the students curious. I really like using Power Point but I am not as good at using it as others. I could tell who in the class has used Power Point many times because theirs seemed to flow a lot better than mine.
I do like using Power Point as a medium to present lessons. However, it is technology and we have all learned that technology is not trustworthy. It has always seemed like when I wanted to use technology, something goes wrong. I would use it however because it is a very easy and clear way to present the material. It works for the visual learners as well as the auditory learners. It is not as condusive to the tactile-kinesthetic learners but using the Power Point to engage the students can work to involve them.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Cell Phones in the Classroom
I think cell phone use should be banned from the classroom. There is enough technology available in schools and classrooms that using a small electronic device is only going to distract the students away from the teacher. Just as Josh Allen said, "I'm not going to spend the time on the fact that students would most likely use them for the purposes other than education." Having kids pull out and use their cell phones in class is also just another way of one student showing off their money.
The one question I have is in the situation of a student expecting an important call. I know I will have my cell phone on at all time but will not use it until after class is over. I will not answer the phone unless I am expecting a VERY IMPORTANT call so I expect my students to do the same. I understand that sometimes your phone might go off because you forgot to silence it but if it goes off a second time, we will have problems. I just don't believe that as of now, cell phones should be used as an educational tool.
The one question I have is in the situation of a student expecting an important call. I know I will have my cell phone on at all time but will not use it until after class is over. I will not answer the phone unless I am expecting a VERY IMPORTANT call so I expect my students to do the same. I understand that sometimes your phone might go off because you forgot to silence it but if it goes off a second time, we will have problems. I just don't believe that as of now, cell phones should be used as an educational tool.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Cyberbullying
With the increases in access to electronics, students have been able to adapt with the changes in technology. People have been able to find new ways to attack others they don't like through their electronic devices. Cyberbulling has become a huge problem with kids in schools these days. Cyberbullying "involves the use of information and communication technologies to support diliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is interested to harm others." (Bill Besley). It has become a huge problem in schools these days with 42% of children between the ages of 12-17 reporting having dealt with cyberbullying (Lichau). I personally have never dealt with it, that I know of. This kind of supprises me because I have grown up with facebook and facebook seems like it could be an open forum for cyberbullying. Maybe I have dealt with it at some point, but I just don't remember.
Schools today must understand the signs of cyberbullying and how to deal with them. Like I said earlier, we live in a cyber-world. We can either use that fact to our advantage or let it ruin our classrooms. Kids have so much access to the internet and cell phones that cyberbullying is a way for people to bully others. Legally cyberbullying standards are being designed and improved but it can be considered the same as regular bullying. As a teacher, I want to be a person that someone would feel comfortable coming to if they are being cyberbullied. If the cyberbullying is occuring off campus, but a student still comes to me, I think we as teachers need to step in and take action because it will limit the students attention in class. The bullied student will be thinking about the bullying rather than the topic at hand.
When I become a teacher, I hope to proactive rather than reactive to cyberbullying. I will guide people to choose to deal with their problems before bullying becomes an issue. I think if I give the students of extreme examples of cyberbullying then they will be less likely to take part. I will talk to the students about the effects of cyberbullying but I will deal with individuals as it occurs. I would like to involve more than just my classroom but I also realize that is probably a bigger task than I am ready to deal with.
Schools today must understand the signs of cyberbullying and how to deal with them. Like I said earlier, we live in a cyber-world. We can either use that fact to our advantage or let it ruin our classrooms. Kids have so much access to the internet and cell phones that cyberbullying is a way for people to bully others. Legally cyberbullying standards are being designed and improved but it can be considered the same as regular bullying. As a teacher, I want to be a person that someone would feel comfortable coming to if they are being cyberbullied. If the cyberbullying is occuring off campus, but a student still comes to me, I think we as teachers need to step in and take action because it will limit the students attention in class. The bullied student will be thinking about the bullying rather than the topic at hand.
When I become a teacher, I hope to proactive rather than reactive to cyberbullying. I will guide people to choose to deal with their problems before bullying becomes an issue. I think if I give the students of extreme examples of cyberbullying then they will be less likely to take part. I will talk to the students about the effects of cyberbullying but I will deal with individuals as it occurs. I would like to involve more than just my classroom but I also realize that is probably a bigger task than I am ready to deal with.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Me On the Internet
As I searched myself on the internet through both Google.com and Pipl.com, I found exactly what I expected. There was a lot of links to articles about my lacrosse playing days and my current coaching jobs. There really was not anything that I wouldn't want my future students to see. One link I found was my myspace web page which I haven't used since my sophomore year of college so I chose to cancel my profile. I was not embarrassed about anything on the site but more that I just don't use it any more. My facebook might be questionable but it is privatized so only people I accept as friends can see my profile. Even so, my profile doesn't have anything that would be unbecoming of me as a teacher.
I do think teachers should be held to a higher standard than most professions, but not to a level where every aspect of our lives are being critiqued. We must be held to a higher standard because parents entrust us with their kids. And if they don't approve of our behavior, then why should they trust us with their kids. At the same time, we should still be able to live our lives how we want. We need to have a professional life and a personal life. These two need to be separate. This goes for actions and speech. America is great because we have all the freedoms we do. I understand why some of this needs to be censored in the school but outside the school is our place to express ourselves.
From the article, I found the piece about how the teacher uses facebook to reach out to her students to be very interesting. I completely agree with the author that some of the more quiet students use the Internet to let their voice be heard. Not everyone can come up with their thoughts on the spot in class, but given time and a keyboard, their thoughts can be conveyed.
To protect myself in the future, I am going to be careful what I do online and more aware of the consequences to the choices I make. I am not going to change who I am but rather the means by how I do. I have matured since college has ended and I think one can see that by looking at my facebook page. I do not regret how I acted in college because it has made the person I am today
I do think teachers should be held to a higher standard than most professions, but not to a level where every aspect of our lives are being critiqued. We must be held to a higher standard because parents entrust us with their kids. And if they don't approve of our behavior, then why should they trust us with their kids. At the same time, we should still be able to live our lives how we want. We need to have a professional life and a personal life. These two need to be separate. This goes for actions and speech. America is great because we have all the freedoms we do. I understand why some of this needs to be censored in the school but outside the school is our place to express ourselves.
From the article, I found the piece about how the teacher uses facebook to reach out to her students to be very interesting. I completely agree with the author that some of the more quiet students use the Internet to let their voice be heard. Not everyone can come up with their thoughts on the spot in class, but given time and a keyboard, their thoughts can be conveyed.
To protect myself in the future, I am going to be careful what I do online and more aware of the consequences to the choices I make. I am not going to change who I am but rather the means by how I do. I have matured since college has ended and I think one can see that by looking at my facebook page. I do not regret how I acted in college because it has made the person I am today
Monday, July 12, 2010
Digital Native, Digital Immigrants
When I first read the word digital, I think of the Internet. Today, the Internet is a major way students communicate and interact. It is also a way for them to express their thoughts and feelings to a mass audience. Today, it is an essential part of my life. I have a hard time going an entire day without checking email, blogs, websites, or facebook. I can go a day without using the Internet but it is hard. I rely on the Internet as my source of daily information. I go to it rather than reading the newspaper. News is quicker and more up to date, and free as well.
"Our students today are all 'native speakers' of the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet." (Prensky 2001) It does fear me that the students I will teach will know more about the digital world than me. They have grown up in the digital world whereas I feel like I am just getting started. I must keep up to date with their technology knowledge in order to teach to what they know. I am an immigrant of their digital world. "Those of us who are not born into the digital world but have, at some point in our lives, become fascinated and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are, and always will be compared to them, digital immigrants" (Prensky 2001). I consider myself to lie somewhere in between a digital native and a digital immigrant. I know a good deal about technology but not nearly as much as I think my students will. I have had some training in technology but not nearly to the degree that students today have.
In the classroom, I was taught the most about technology in high school. We were taught the basics of how to use the technology available to present ideas and how to research ideas. Then for homework, we were expected to use the learned ideas to research our projects. Once college came along, there was very little teaching of technology. Even the teachers only used the most basic technology. At least the high school teachers used "Smart Boards". The technology used in high school did help me get a grasp of the material better because I could visually see the ideas used.
I do believe that kids these days spend far too much time using technology but I do believe it has helped them explore the world that I could not when I was in their shoes. Being able to use a language they are used to will enable me to relate to on a personal and professional level. I can use their language to create new and interesting lesson plans. "All the students we teach have something in their lives that's really engaging--something that they do and that they are good at, something that has an engaging, creative component to it" (Prensky 2005). There really are so many routes we as teachers can take this and that's what so exciting about this digital revolution. Just using technology to communicate with the students might be the only way to get through to them. Simple things such as previously mentioned might be a way to encorporate technology into the classroom.
"Our students today are all 'native speakers' of the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet." (Prensky 2001) It does fear me that the students I will teach will know more about the digital world than me. They have grown up in the digital world whereas I feel like I am just getting started. I must keep up to date with their technology knowledge in order to teach to what they know. I am an immigrant of their digital world. "Those of us who are not born into the digital world but have, at some point in our lives, become fascinated and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are, and always will be compared to them, digital immigrants" (Prensky 2001). I consider myself to lie somewhere in between a digital native and a digital immigrant. I know a good deal about technology but not nearly as much as I think my students will. I have had some training in technology but not nearly to the degree that students today have.
In the classroom, I was taught the most about technology in high school. We were taught the basics of how to use the technology available to present ideas and how to research ideas. Then for homework, we were expected to use the learned ideas to research our projects. Once college came along, there was very little teaching of technology. Even the teachers only used the most basic technology. At least the high school teachers used "Smart Boards". The technology used in high school did help me get a grasp of the material better because I could visually see the ideas used.
I do believe that kids these days spend far too much time using technology but I do believe it has helped them explore the world that I could not when I was in their shoes. Being able to use a language they are used to will enable me to relate to on a personal and professional level. I can use their language to create new and interesting lesson plans. "All the students we teach have something in their lives that's really engaging--something that they do and that they are good at, something that has an engaging, creative component to it" (Prensky 2005). There really are so many routes we as teachers can take this and that's what so exciting about this digital revolution. Just using technology to communicate with the students might be the only way to get through to them. Simple things such as previously mentioned might be a way to encorporate technology into the classroom.
My First Post
My name is Trevor Tesar. I hope to be a high school Biology teacher or middle school general science teacher. My favorite animal is my parents two yellow labs, Rosie and Karley. I only have a picture of my 9 year old dog Rosie.
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