Interactive Whiteboards

I chose to read, Improving Instruction with Interactive Whiteboards (on the Cheap) by Dian Schaffhauser. In this article I was reminded by how much education has changed over the years. In my teaching elementary math class, we spent weeks learning how angles were centered around the circle, yet in this article, this was revolutionary to the teacher at the seminar. It seemed like a double learning opportunity for the teacher; reformed math and interactive whiteboards. The article made me anxious to hear how the boards did affect the schools test scores. I wish it had been a two part article: the first impressions of the teachers when learning the board, and then the effects on student learning. Also, the title made me think the article was going to give some hints as to how to get interactive boards cheap, or some way of sharing the boards to lessen costs, however, there was no mention of any of these things. Just that the technology director has had to squeeze out the money.

Assignment #1

I think technology in education hold tremendous value. If you look at our current society, and compare it to ten years ago, or even five years ago, it becomes pretty obvious that we are moving more and more towards a techy world. If education is to remain relevant to society, if elementary schools are going to do their job of guiding successful children into adulthood, it's imperative that education keeps up with the societal trends. If education remains stagnant it becomes irrelevant and kids will tune out while in school. As a future teacher, I want to learn all the technology I can so that I can hopefully be that much better at relating learning material to children.

In an article by S. Michael Putman, I learned about using technology to assess reading at a fourth grade level. In this article Mr. Putman researched not only the effects of using technology for teaching reading, but also the impact it had on student's motivation to learn. He did a study on a group of 68 fourth graders to determine how a student's level of self-efficacy either worked together or against a computer based reading program, Accelerated Reader (AR). He divided all 68 students into three groups of varying reading levels and levels self motivation based on a Reading Survey portion of the MRP. It was found that students who accumulated the most number of AR points, also had an increase in self-efficacy but a lowered view of the importance of reading, while those students who accumulated an average amount of AR points had a decrease both in self-efficacy and a lesser view of reading. The final group, which was made up of students who displayed a lower reading level and lower self-efficacy, hardly participated in the computer reading program. Putnam's conclusion was that because AR teaches reading based on the number of points earned through taking quizzes, it became extrinsic to students. Learning to read was no longer about the enjoyment of reading, but accumulating the most points.

S Michael Putman. "Computer-based Reading Technology in the Classroom: The Affective Influence of Performance Contingent Point Accumulation on 4th Grade Students. " Reading Research and Instruction 45.1 (2005): 19-38. Research Library. ProQuest. Hurst Library, Kirkland, WA. 23 Sep. 2008 http://www.proquest.com/

Through Putman's article, I learned that a teacher must be careful about the kind of technology used in classroom. I learned that a teacher should examine learning programs which involve technology closely before assuming they are wonderful and will work for every student. I think it's also important to remember, though, that no style of teaching is going to work for every single child in every single classroom. As teachers, I think we need to use a balanced method of teaching involving technology, outdoor activities, worksheets, graphs, etc. In this way, we can hopefully reach the maximum level of learning.

NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) are important for both students and teachers because it serves as a benchmark. For teachers, it's important to know the standards because we are responsible for helping students reach those benchmarks. If we don't know and understand where our students should be by the end of the year, we have no hope of helping them reach that goal. For students, NETS is important because it helps prepare them for life. The standards and goals NETS represents are all life-skill related goals that will help children become successful adults who can easily navigate their way through our ever changing technological world.

The Not-so-Intimidating HTML

For whatever reason, I've always imagined HTML to be super confusing, tedious, and something only geeks knew. After this last class, however, I've had a change of heart. HTML is fun! I still think it's slightly tedious, copiously copying all the carrots, backslashes, numbers, and letters, but it's so worth it. I had so much fun creating my web page:

http://sites.google.com/site/theteachingship

It's still a work in progress, and is slightly overwhelming, but I think I'll get the hang of it. I think that Google sites would be a whole lot easier if there was just a template and I could fill everything in, but then I wouldn't be learning as much, so I guess it's a good thing there is no template :-)

Rift Valley Academy

I spent all four years of high school at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya. Those four years were pretty much the best of my life, so whenever I take the time to peruse their website, it's always a bittersweet moment. The website is very well done in terms of being as aesthetically pleasing, however, when I think back on all the memories the school holds, the site doesn't do the school justice. My memories aside, if I were to pretend to be looking at the site as an outsider who had never seen the sun set over Mt. Longonot, I would find the site to be very informative. The page gives the history of the school, the purpose statement, information on how to support the school, a whole set of links useful for alumni, how to apply to either attend or become a staff member, and lots of helpful hints for parents sending their kids to boarding school. I think my favorite part of the site would be the school gift from the 2005 class; the Longonot web cam. It's live feed updated every minute, and positioned off Kiambogo (the school's admin building) to overlook Mr. Longonot. Because of the unique nature of the school, another favorite aspect of the site is the page with all the alumni links. Every alumni can use this page to post life updates, contact information, etc. This is very useful for connecting with old friends. Overall, I think the website is very well done, easy to navigate, and very informative. If you would like to look at the page, you can go to http://rva.org/

What I Want to Learn

I sincerely hope that this semester I have visible technological growth. Specifically, during this semester I want to become comfortable with the current technological lingo. I want to be comfortable using words like wiki, blog, delicious, etc But not just the lingo. I also want to become proficient with these applications. Right now I'll admit that it all kind of seems overwhelming. There is so much to learn, and for every little bit that I think I've mastered, ten more newer and better things have been invented. I realize that as a digital immigrant, I will never function on the same level as my students, however, I hope to learn just enough to be able to fake it. I want to be able to relate to my students, and I feel that being fluent in the technological lingo of the day would help me relate to my students in a new and exciting way.

Today's Educational Dilemma

After reading Marc Prensky's, "Engage Me or Enrage Me, What Today's Learners Demand" I feel as though today's education is at an impasse. Certainly educators need to meet the student at his or her particular level, but will it ever be good enough? I also can't help but look at the kids' futures. Right now their social lives certainly revolve around what's new and knowing how to work the newest games, etc, so what will happen if their academic lives suddenly become a part of this virtual world? Yes, it will help them become more engaged. Yes, depending on the quality of virtual curriculum, they could be learning far more than we dream of. Yes, it would create excitement and enthusiasm in school. These are all positives for the here and now, but what happens when they're 30 and have a family and realize they have to get a job that requires sitting in an office, or calculating percentages for a large corporation? Will they be able to handle the mundane? Will they have learned that sometimes you just have to buck up and do what needs to be done, or will they still demand to be entertained in order to perform?

Aside from all these questions the article evoked, I do believe that it is the teacher's responsibility to engage children in active learning. A teacher should be willing to work hard at keeping the information relevant and applicable to the child's life. On the flip side, I also think that a teacher should be prepared for how far they might need to go in order to accomplish this daunting task, and also the repercussions.

Make Me a Teacher

It took me quite awhile to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I pretty much wanted to do everything. I went from being a marine biologist to a secretary to a even dreaming of being a pastor's wife. There was only one profession I just knew I would never, ever do...teach. I was so sure I would be a horrible teacher because, well, I had a whole long list of reasons that I won't get in to. Anyway, as a senior in high school I was asked to be a teacher's aid in a fourth grade classroom. I loved it! It was pretty much the best part of my senior year. However, graduation came and went and I still wasn't convinced that teaching was for me. I randomly chose a state to move to, Oregon, and what do you know? The only job I could find was in a private Christian school. After working there a year, I was finally convinced...I was meant to be a teacher. So here I am, pursuing my dream, and having a blast.