Week Eight

Earlier in this course, we discussed the use of online communication tools in the area of education. There are numerous benefits to using online resources for communication among students and teachers. There are many online communication tools, including email and chat, which provide platforms for rich discussion among students. Also, they are beneficial because they allow teachers to implement collaborative projects and assignments, as well as foster peer review and encourage greater communication not only among students, but also teachers and parents. Using online communication tools in the classroom provides great opportunities for students to understand the use of technology in education and in their future careers.

This week is the last week of our Educational Technology class, and the focus of the lesson was on Ethical and Social issues in the use of technology. In particular, we took a look at areas of concern with security and ways to prevent malicious software and/or hackers. This has been a major problem with the use of technology in school systems around the world. Technological gurus have found new and creative ways to access private information and spread viruses to other computers.

As a teacher myself, I use a computer every day for work and for personal use. In my classroom, I only have one computer that I use, but we have several computer labs where students frequent on a daily basis. In the past, I have interacted with computer labs with my students working on assignments. There are different types of security that can be put in place to ensure that the students are safe on the Internet, and that their personal information is kept confidential. Every computer in the school has an anti-virus protection installed, as well as a firewall, and prevention for many other types of malicious software. One of the main concerns we see in public schools is the use of social networking. Therefore, our school has blocked students and teachers alike from being able to access Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. on any school computer. Another concern that schools have with computer use is the viewing of pornography. Most sites are blocked from the domain, but sometimes I have seen students gain access to inappropriate material through a search engine that directs them to another page. These are the main areas of concern in the school setting for malicious software and breeches of security. That is why all schools have some type of security in place, so that students and staff can be safe while using the computers.

Week Seven

The focus of Week Seven was software and the management of files. We explored different types of educational software, including drill-and-practice, problem solving, creative/critical thinking, tutorial, simulation, image editing, and draw/paint software. Each type of software can be used for a different purpose in the classroom.

This week I was challenged to choose one piece of software to use with my students and reflect on the experience. In my Algebra Two classes, we are learning how to solve systems of linear equations, which can be a difficult concept for many students. Many students do not know how they can utilize a graphing calculator to help them solve complex problems, so I focused this assignment on teaching my students how to perform specific tasks on the TI-84 graphing calculator. My instructional objective was to teach them how to solve a system of linear equations graphically. They had to understand the concept that solving a system of linear equations means that you are trying to find where they two lines intersect when you graph them. By utilizing the TI-84 SmartView software, I was able to display the graphing calculator on a large screen so that they entire class could follow along on their own calculator. They were able to see how to input each equation into the calculator, graph each line, and use a list of procedures to determine where the two lines intersect.

Using the software had its advantages and disadvantages. Besides being able to display the calculator on a large screen, one advantage of using the software was the fact that I was able to split the screen to show my students the procedures on the calculator, and at the same time show them the history of the keys pressed in case some students were falling a little behind the rest of the class. One of the challenges I faced while using the software with my class was that many students had individual questions that had to be addressed because they were on a different step than the rest of the class. Some students were behind, and other students tried to work ahead unsuccessfully. Overall, the TI-SmartView software was very beneficial in my instruction of graphing systems of linear equations. If I were to use this software again when teaching this lesson, I will make sure to keep each student on the same step by not moving to the next step until everyone was on the same page.

Week Six

The focus of this week’s lesson was online communication tools. In particular, we focused on the use of a WebQuest as an online inquiry-oriented model. Many educators today use WebQuests to break a learning activity into different sections and challenge their students to research and dig for solutions to complex questions.

As part of this week’s assignments, I created my own WebQuest for students in my classroom. I spent a lot of time and energy on this assignment because I definitely see the benefits of using this sort of tool in my lesson plans. Creating a WebQuest is not the easiest thing to do, and it was very time-consuming. The benefits of the activity, however, outweigh the struggles of making the WebQuest. Since a WebQuest contains several different pages of information, it takes a lot of preparation and forethought to organize the activity as a whole.

I began creating the WebQuest with the idea in mind of using it in the current unit I am teaching in my Algebra 2 class. Therefore, I made sure to make it relevant and rigorous for my students. The first thing I had to do was figure out what kind of conclusion I wanted my students to come to by completing the WebQuest. Since I just began a unit on Systems of Linear Equations, I wanted to create a challenging WebQuest for my students to do as a summary of the unit. As a Kentuckian, most of my students are University of Kentucky Wildcats fans, so the theme of my WebQuest was UK Basketball. WebQuests are structured to include different sections: Introduction, Task, Processes, Evaluation, Conclusion, and Teacher Page. While creating my own WebQuest, the most challenging part was deciding what the task should be in order for me to get my students to the intended conclusion. Instead of giving my students all of the information they needed to solve the problem at hand, I directed them to the resources so that they could research the information themselves. This way, the students can develop research and computer skills while also solving a complex algebra problem. On each page of the WebQuest, I included pictures to make the activity more aesthetically pleasing and interesting to the students. I enjoyed this assignment and plan to create more WebQuests to use in my teaching career. As a math teacher, it is sometimes difficult to incorporate technology into the classroom, other than calculators, but now that I understand the purpose of a WebQuest I will use them more in my teaching.

Here is a link to the WebQuest I created:

http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=126421

Week Five

The focus of this week’s lesson was online communication tools. The Internet provides a vast array of opportunities for communicating and collaborating with others. Students and teachers can discuss educational topics outside of the classroom, which is a great benefit especially for those needing extra assistance. Through the reading this week, I learned about several different online communication tools that can be utilized by educators to enhance the learning experience, including email, chat, blogs, wikis, VoIPs, microblogs, and virtual worlds. All of these online communication tools have widened the range of educational technology that is available to both students and teachers.

As a high school teacher, I have witnessed firsthand the unique benefits of technology both inside and outside of the classroom. I use online communication tools with my students often, especially through my teacher website and Edmodo. Edmodo is set up like Facebook in that it appears graphically like Facebook, which is appealing to students. I have been able to post assignments, syllabi, handouts, and other documents as well as graphics and videos on both my teacher website and Edmodo. In addition, I keep a collection of online resources in an online “Library” that allows me to easily access my favorite websites anywhere there is Internet access. In the classroom, specifically, I have used Edmodo to post assignments, and students can upload their work directly to the assignment box online. I also use Edmodo to post discussion boards that I want my students to respond to. This is great for students who fear speaking publicly in class, so they can use the discussion board online to ask questions or post comments.

Another online communication tool that I could use in the classroom is a wiki. Many teachers use wikis to post information and allow their students to view and change information. This is great for a class project over certain topics. Each student or group of students could have something different to add to the wiki. For example, if we were covering a unit on Solving Systems of Linear Equations in Algebra 2, each group of students could contribute work on a different method of solving the systems, including graphing, substitution, elimination, and matrices. This would also be beneficial for presentations and future classes.

There are numerous ways to use online communication tools in the classroom. Each student and each educator has different preferences, but when we are all using technology to enhance the learning process, we can accomplish great things!

Week Four

This week’s module focused on the use of presentation programs for teaching and learning, including PowerPoint, Prezi, and Lotus Freelance Graphics. These programs provide digital support for oral presentations. As a teacher, these presentation programs are an essential supplement to the traditional methods of teaching. By using programs that contain videos, graphics, audio, and text, teachers can present information in a much more engaging way to their students. Because of the many different learning styles that students possess, incorporating a multi-media presentation can benefit students in a variety of ways. In the readings this week, I learned how presentation programs allow educators to effectively communicate information to the different learners in their classroom. Not only do presentations help reach students in ways that appeal to their learning styles, but they also help make learning more memorable. One tidbit that stood out to me in the reading this week was the statement, “One can become engrossed with the graphics, animation, and music, but the content must always come first.” This is crucial in the classroom where students already have many distractions. Another interesting thing I learned was to avoid the color combination of red and green when creating a presentation, since approximately 8% of males and 4% of females are color blind, and this is the most difficult color combination for these students to decipher.

In regards to using PowerPoint presentations in the classroom, I have personal experience in this area. I use PowerPoint presentations at least once a week in my high school Algebra classroom. I have found that students are more receptive to the information if it is presented through the use of technology. This past week I created a presentation about graphing linear inequalities. The presentation was for my high school Algebra 2 courses, and included not only text, but also graphics, animations, multiple colors, and a video clip. I began the presentation with a definition of the topic and a short video clip of how the math topic is used in real life. This caught the students’ attention and allowed me to continue with the presentation of notes for them to take. In the presentation, I am most proud of the fact that I was able to successfully use animations for transitioning from slide to slide. The graphics were also helpful for the students to see how to graph the inequalities. If I were to re-create this presentation, I would include another video at the end as a conclusion that proposed a challenge to my students. Not only were my students engaged in the learning experience, but they were also impressed with the fact that I printed the notes for them to follow along with me!

Week Three

Module three covered the use of Word Processing and Desktop Publishing in the classroom. Teachers and students alike use these programs to enhance the learning experience. Word processors are used for creating documents with text, and teachers can use word processors to create material for classroom instruction. Desktop publishing programs can be used to create flyers, greeting cards, brochures, and many other items for publication. Desktop publishing programs can also enhance student learning and engagement.

This past week I handed out many different documents in my classroom, not only for instructional use, but also for information and news. I gave my students a calendar for the unit we are beginning so they can keep up with due dates and assignments that they must be working on. This also lets them know when they have exams and quizzes so they can prepare themselves in advance. Moreover, I often create an outline for my students to take notes. At first, I made the outlines by hand and made a copy for each student. I eventually realized they were bored with this note-taking method, so I spruced it up for them by creating it on the computer, complete with pictures, different fonts and sizes, and borders for better organization of material. This was much more visually appealing to my students as they seemed re-interested in taking notes.

I have also used desktop publishing for personal projects. For example, I took two different mission trips, one to Malaysia and one to Turkey. For each trip, I created a prayer card to send out with a letter to each person who supported me financially on the trips. I used desktop publishing to create the prayer card, which was the size of a postcard. The background was a picture of Turkey’s flag, and the foreground had a picture of me with text around it. The prayer card that I created is featured below:

Word processing and desktop publishing programs can be effectively used in a variety of ways in the classroom. Not only do they make teaching less complicated, but they also make learning more entertaining for the students. Students are drawn to creative-looking documents that are appealing to the senses. There are a diversity of learning styles that teachers must take into consideration when preparing a lesson, and desktop publishing makes the task of appealing to all senses a much less daunting task. By incorporating graphics, sounds, different fonts and sizes students are more likely to be interested in the subject matter that is being taught.

Week Two

This week’s module covered the use of spreadsheets and databases in the classroom setting. Educators are using both of these tools in a variety of ways in their classrooms. Here are two websites that discuss the educational use of spreadsheets and/or databases in the classroom:

http://www.classroomtech.org/integration/50ways.htm

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/mathchat/mathchat025.shtml

I was surprised to discover that students in elementary grades are using spreadsheets, including grades 3-5. They are expected to become familiar with technological tools such as dynamic geometry software and spreadsheets and should learn to set up a simple spreadsheet to pose and solve problems, examine data, and investigate patterns. This was surprising to me because many higher-level students cannot even perform this difficult of a task, much less an elementary student. It is easier to understand how spreadsheets can be utilized in a high school mathematics classroom to model functions, use utilities for symbol manipulation, graphing, and curve fitting. However, many elementary teachers are already introducing their students to the use of computer software, including spreadsheets and databases.

Personally, I have used spreadsheets and databases in the past for several things. Microsoft Excel has enabled me to set up a personal financial budget, where I can input my paycheck information and calculate how much money I have to spend in different categories before the next paycheck. I have used Microsoft Access to keep up with contacts and create a database of addresses to mail out mass amounts of letters. The databases are also useful for organizing documents and files. As a first-year teacher, I have not had much opportunity to utilize spreadsheets or databases in the classroom. I have used a spreadsheet to merely track grades and attendance, but I have never used a database for classroom use. I intend to integrate more technology in my classroom, including spreadsheets and databases, not only for personal use, but for student use as well. As an Algebra teacher, there are many ways I can enhance the learning process for my students by incorporating tables, charts, and diagrams in a spreadsheet. Microsoft Excel has various tools for mathematics that will be beneficial to a math teacher when instructing students on the relationship between different functions and graphs. There are a diversity of ways that spreadsheets and databases can be used in any classroom setting, especially in a mathematics classroom.

Week One

Welcome to my Educational Technology blog! Each week I will reflect on my learning for each module covered in my EDOL 533 course. The blog will discuss several things, including how I will implement what I have learned for use in my own classroom, as well as the challenges I will face when using these things in my classroom and how I will overcome the challenge(s).

The first module of the class focused on standards and the value of integrated technology. This module opened my eyes to the expanding world of technology. My mind had already formulated a definition of technology and how it can be utilized in the classroom, but after completing this week’s assignments, I now realize that technology is much more than I knew. One reading for this week emphasized the fact that humans have always used various forms of technology to solve problems. Education has been revolutionized by the addition of new technological resources, as it can be used for instructional purposes alongside the teacher, textbook, and blackboard. Technology allows students to move beyond focusing on basic skills such as computation and memorization and move toward applying knowledge, testing results, and synthesizing information. I also learned about the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for both teachers and students. The standards provide a guide for teachers to use when planning lessons that utilize technology. The lack of technological literacy profoundly affects everyone in every facet of life.

After seeing how many different ways technology can be utilized in the classroom, I plan to immediately use what I have learned in my own math classes. My goal is to utilize new types of technology successfully in my instruction as well as organization of grades and filing. Implementing what I have learned this week in my classroom will be a challenge because the module focused more on the value of technology. Understanding the value of technology is key to understanding how students can benefit from the use of it. The information I learned this week will be beneficial more for myself as a teacher than for my students. I will attempt to stress the importance of using technology in the classroom to my students so that they can develop a deeper appreciation for mathematics in a real-world setting. The main challenge I will face trying to implement this new knowledge is the time constraints I have in the classroom. With so much to accomplish in regards to curriculum and state standards, there is very little time to introduce new approaches to teaching. It will take time outside the classroom on my part to learn how to implement the new technology and instructional strategies so that things will run more smoothly in the classroom.