Essential Question: Week 7

Essential Question: How can technology enhance learning when students aren’t the ones accessing it?
Technology is a great thing that can be very useful to students and to teachers as well.  If students are not the ones with access the teacher is the one using the technology to enhance the students learning.  They can use it by finding resources on line, the way in which they use visual aids , the different methods of assessment and the variey ways in which they present the curriculum. 

I found an interesting statement on line which I find true-

Before you roll that TV into the classroom…remember that technology is just the delivery tool for a specific teaching method or strategy. In order to enhance learning, you need to make sure it is part of a larger design process. Here’s one approach to deciding what technology will reap the best benefits:

Ask yourself:

1. What are my goals and objectives for this lesson, unit, etc?
2. What teaching methods will best help me reach these goals and objectives? Typical methods are presentation, demonstration, discovery, and problem solving, but there are many more.
3. What activities or delivery tools will match this teaching method best? Typical activities are lecture, lab experiments and case studies. Typical delivery tools include all sorts of instructional media and technology from chalkboards to newer media like computers and the Internet.

Some teachers think that just because you use a powerpoint or a video learning is enhanced.  Not true.  They need to see the big picture.

Week 6 Essential Question

Essential Question: How does teacher experience change how they view technology
integration?
I feel that the more experience a teacher has the easier teachers will find it to integrate technology into their curriculum.   First if you are new to the profession you are worried about the curriculum itself and getting it to the students. You are also worried about classroom management and everything that goes along with being new to something.

Once you get comfortable with something.  It becomes easier.  Once a teacher is comfortable with the daily activities of their classroom, it will allow them to try new things like technology and other things with their students.   Technology can enhance a teachers curriculum, make their students more engaged, so a person who is not experience may not see this when their focus is on all the other things going on. 

Essential Questions Week 5

Essential Question: How can tools be used to increase understanding?

Technology tools are a great way to increase the understanding of any subject matter.  They can be used in very different ways and can be used for a variety of different learning styles.  Technology tools can be used to enhance an assignment with a visual piece; it can be used to take a project from pen and paper to multimedia.  Technology can be used to add just that additional bit of information that a student needs to see how something works, or runs or is used.  If in math or Social studies or any other subject a teacher can use these tools to work along with the students simultaneously to do an assignment step by step.

   Why can digital storytelling be an authentic assessment? Could digital storytelling be used in your classroom as an assessment? Should students publish their work? 

Digital storytelling allows the student to express what they learned visually.  If a student can show that they have  comprehended the knowledge of a topic and are able to use it in a visual format, such as digital storytelling, I do think that that can be used as an assessment and an authentic assessment.  More people than not tend to comprehend and express themselves better visually than not. 

As far as publishing their work.  I think that should be left up to the student.  It is nice that the student who does good work can get to showcase their efforts.  But that should be left for them to decide.

Week 4 Essential Question

Essential Question:  Week 4

How can you engage all students?

Technology is a real motivator to students.  My students like and are generally more motivated and engaged in the assignment if we use technology.  I like to vary the technology I use.  I have taken things like prezi, glogster, wordle and used them in classes to keep these kids engaged.  I feel that giving them this new tool or allowing them to try something or use the internet to search something, helps keep them engaged. Using things like word and powerpoint gets a little boring, so throwing different types of things like we are learning keeps them more interested.

 What is your ideal technology "set up" in your classroom?

My ideal classroom technology “set-up” would be having all the computers with their own computer station.  This gives the student more room to work.  I would also like to have the computers face me.  Now I have them face the wall and the backs of students are towards me.  I would like them to be able to follow my instructions on the computer and look at the screen at the same time.  I would like to have a remote form LCD so I can walk around during lecture and see what students are doing.  Are they understanding what I am saying or am I just talking to myself.   The only other thing I would like is access to other software that may make teaching my topic a little easier.

How would technology impact student achievement and engagement in your classroom?

I think that technology does impact engagement.   As I stated earlier my student like to use technology.  It moves them from a regular desk to a different type of activity.  It could be taking digital photos, creating a video or just doing a web quest on the computer.   I can’t say how it would impact achievement.  I am not really sure it does.  I am someone who came from a non- technology age and we did fine.  I guess in my class technology gives the students more opportunity to use a variety of tools to do something a little better or different (like a digital poster versus a regular one).  I am really not sure how to answer this.