The Best and Worst of Educational Technology

I absolutely hated doing the movie comparison paper. I felt as if it had nothing to do with current technology except that I need to get it up on this blog. I think it would have been better if we had to do some kind of project instead.

As for the best technology topics, I loved everything else, but the big one for me was learning about Prezi. What a cool site! It takes time to work with, but in the end it definitely became something I can use in the future!

Does Using Technology Make Us Better Teachers?

The answer is yes. Technlogy give teachers the opportunity to engage students in various different ways. This is especially important for kids who struggle in the classroom. I have ADHD. Lecturing me in a classroom isn't going to work. Yet, I love technology. If a teacher engages me with some form of technology, it helps keep me interested both in the subject and the type of technology we're using. This is a world with Ipads, Ipods, and laptops. We need to use those to our advantage. Old school ways work sometimes, but those methods just won't fly with every one.

Improving a Lesson Through Technology

Lecturing isn't the only way to go anymore. Students need stimulation if they are going to succeed in the classroom. Through technology, I believe teachers can keep their children engaged. Personally, I would improve lessons by engaging children through the internet. Like this class required me to have a blog, I'd like my class to do the same. With their blog, I'd want them to post five things they want to know about the subject I'm about to teach and five things they did learn about the subject. That's just one thing I'd do to keep the kids engaged outside of the classroom. In the classroom, I'd make use of the internet through Youtube, history.com, and other sites to help engage the kids.

Learning from Fiction

Is there value in learning from fiction? Absolutely. Many life lessons have been taught using fictional stories in order to make a point. Students are often taught through fiction either in book or movie form. One movie that comes to mind is Ben-Hur, which I watched in my sixth grade social studies class. It taught on everything from culture to forgiveness. So yes, there is value in fiction. It just depends on how the educator responsible for the class presents it to his or her students.

Portfolio Assessment

What value is there in evaluating my portfolio? Well, it’s just like anything else we do. It’s testing our knowledge of what we learned on a project. If I didn’t learn what I needed to learn, then I’ll find out during the assessment. There’s always value in being tested. If we weren’t tested periodically in life, then how would we be sure we have a complete education?

Critiquing myself

To be honest, I hated critiquing myself, but it needed to be done. I think we all need to do it once in awhile or we’ll just end up missing an opportunity to do our jobs better. It’s never east, but I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on what I need to improve on.

Click here to read my assessment: Presentation Strengths and Weaknesses

Video Editing

I’m going to be honest here and say that video editing is nothing more than a means to an end for me. I didn’t enjoy learning it in class, and I’d definitely dread teaching it to my students. However, it is a valuable teaching tool, and I’ll be sure to make myself more comfortable with it.

Incorporating Technology into My Lesson

I did three things with my lesson: I used Prezi, inserted photos from Creative Commons, and used a video on Chernobyl that I found on YouTube. I used Prezi because it’s just cool. I’ll admit it. The program is just more fun to use, and if it’s more fun for me to use, then it’ll be the same for my students. The photos were needed to add color to the presentation, so I put them into the lesson. Finally, I used the video to drive home the tragedy that took place at Chernobyl in 1986. Overall, I thought it went well.

Web Pages in the Classroom

There are only two web pages I would create for my classroom. First, I’d definitely want a blog for my classes to find notes, updates, and specific information important to the class. I like how Mr. Becksfort uses his blog to communicate with his kids and that’s something I want to emulate. If a kid has questions about a project that’s been assigned when I’m not available, there would be a good chance the child will find the answer on the blog.

The second webpage I’d create is a Wiki. I’d love to create a specific one for each unit we go over in class. I’d assign each student to fill in the Wiki with three to five important facts they took from the unit’s lesson per week. That way they’d have ready made notes to study with and open resource with readable information at their finger tips

Creative Manchester United!

This was taken from Wikimedia Commons (with permission). Its hard to really understand copyright laws as they stand now. As far as I'm concerned, as long as I wrote it or took the picture, it's mine. However, I would like more clarification from the U.S. Government on this issue.

The Role of Technology in the Future

Keith Courville’s “Technology and its use in Education: Present Roles and Future Prospects” identifies how technology is and should be used in the classroom. The article was presented at the 2011 Recovery School District Technology Summit in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in an attempt to argue for the continued use of technology in the classroom. The only problem that I find with this article is that it makes a case for a subject already generally agreed upon in academia. Basically, it “speaks to the choir.” 

Courville focuses on two mediums to make his point: distributed learning and electronic databases. He notes throughout the article how these particular subjects are the two trends in Educational Technology that need to be further developed in the classroom for both students and teachers. The abstract is broken down into nine topics that address the overarching issue including distributed learning as a means of professional development and electronic database and their effect on education. Courville concludes that further development and use of educational technology would be a worthy investment for the future of educational achievement.

I agree with his assessment, but as I noted earlier, it seems like he’s getting to the party a bit late. There is already a need for improved technology in the classroom, and most school districts are aware of this and taking advantage of it.

You can read the full journal article here: Technology and its use in Education: Present Roles and Future Prospects

Motivating Students

How do you motivate students to learn if they don't want to?

I wish I had a great answer. I believe that you have to engage your students. You know...find ways to get them involved. If they don't want to learn, they you have to convince them. However, you have to do it in such a way that they don't realize it. I believe it comes from engaging with students. It comes from challenging them, and it comes from BELIEVING in them. I was a poor student in high school, but all it took was one teacher who met me at my level and believed in me. It's a process, I know that, but we can do it.

Presentations....

What makes a good presentation? Well, I think it comes down to a few things.

A. The presenter needs to speak up. Don't mumble or speak lightly. Be loud...at least a little bit.
B. Take your time. People (I'm one of them) often talk too fast in front of crowds. Slow down....be cool.
C. Keep your audience on their toes. Don't just talk or point at the presentation. Engage them. Ask questions. Provide visual aids or little things to lighten up the mood. Basically, don't be afraid to throw you audience a curveball.
D. Be excited about the subject. This isn't Ferris Bueller's Day Off...or it shouldn't be.
E. Be yourself....always.

The Blogger

Yes that's me...I'm the blogger. Well, I've been been blogging for the past couple years, and now I also use this platform as a way to promote my freelance sports writing. I also have a personal blog, which is in dire need of an update. I might be alone here, but I have to admit that blogging seems to be getting old. I don't see as many people doing it anymore, but it's a way for me to refresh my thoughts.

As for this blog, well this is part for my class, EDMS 350/550, though I'll probably turn this site into something else later. Why not?

Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur

Here is the link to the legal brief.

Copy of Cleveland Board of Education vs LaFleur (1974) on Prezi