Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Reflection on Presentations 4/18
Friday, April 13, 2007
Reflection for Presentations on 4/4
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Reflection for Presentations on 4/4/07
Monday, April 9, 2007
Reflection on Presentations
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Our Team's Map
Lesson Ideas
--Students could pick a location and find the quickest route to get there.
--Students could use the Pythagorean theorem to find the shortest distance between two locations.
--Teachers could give students a particular radius or diameter around a given location, and students could list all the places they could go within that radius or diameter.
--Students could estimate distances using a scale.
--Students could locate the midpoints between two locations.
--This can be connected to latitude and longitude lines.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Technology Lesson Plan Ideas
Target Audience: Algebra II Class
Big Idea: The big idea of this lesson is to introduce graphing technology and/or improve student ability with graphing technology
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to test the advantages and limits of using graphing technology with functions.
Standards: A1.4.1 - Graph a linear equation.
A1.8.1 - Graph quadratic, cubic, and radical equations.
A2.1.4 - Graph relations and functions with and without graphing technology.
Possible Resources: Algebra II Textbook, Graphing Calculator
Lesson Plan Idea #2
Target Audience: Geometry Class
Big Idea: The big idea of this lesson is to let students know how fun Geometer’s Sketchpad makes geometry.
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to introduce Geometer’s Sketchpad while transferring students’ knowledge of circumscribed angles and inscribed angles from paper to software.
Standards: G.6.4 – Construct tangents to circles and circumscribe and inscribe circles.
Possible Resources: Geometry Textbook, Geometer’s Sketchpad Software
Lesson Plan Idea #3
Target Audience: Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry Class
Big Idea: The big idea of this lesson is to let students have fun and communicate their ideas about trigonometric functions.
Goal: Goals of this lesson include: analyzing and examining appropriate methods of solution for trigonometric functions, practice manipulating trigonometric functions, and working in small groups to encourage peer discussion.
Standards: PC.3.1 Solve word problems involving right and oblique triangles.
PC.3.2 Apply the laws of sines and cosines to solving problems.
PC.4.1 Define sine and cosine using the unit circle.
PC.5.1 Know the basic trigonometric identity cos2x + sin2x = 1 and prove that it is equivalent to the Pythagorean Theorem.
PC.5.2 Use basic trigonometric identities to verify other identities and simplify expressions.
Possible Resources: Textbook, Handouts, Calculators, Transparencies http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L383
Technology Lesson Plan Ideas
Lesson Plan Idea #1
Target Audience: 7th grade math students
Big Idea: I am going to utilize CPS to help students review for a quiz. A jeopardy type game can be used so every student gets to practice their skills while still having the element of competition.
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to help students to review the material for their exam and to know what they still need to study for their exam.
Possible Resources:
- Textbook
- Internet
Lesson Plan Idea #2
Target Audience: Pre-algebra students (8th graders)
Big Idea: The students are learning about relations in class. Relations can be represented as ordered pairs, on a graph or in a table. To have students check their graphing skills, graphing calculators are a perfect way for the students to see on a standard axis how the relation should appear.
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to have students represent relations in the three different forms and to utilize the graphing calculator to check their graphs.
Possible Resources:
- Textbook
- Internet
Lesson Plan Idea #3
Target Audience: Geometry students (high school)
Big Idea: Students will combine their knowledge of geometry and sketchpad to make an animated Ferris wheel. Students will practice their skills while doing something out of the ordinary. Let’s face it, geometry can get pretty boring so anything teachers can do to make it more interesting will help the students be more engaged in the lesson.
Goal: The goal of this lesson is for the students to have fun with sketchpad while practicing their geometry skills and applying their knowledge of sketchpad.
Possible Resources:
- Textbook
- http://mathforum.org/dynamic/jrk/ferris_dir/
- Geometer’s Sketchpad
Reflection #7
Target Audience: 10th and 11th grade Algebra II students
Big Idea: To use graphing calculator technology to teach experimental probability and make connections with geometry and algebra.
Goal: The students will learn a different use of a graphing calculator other than to just graph and do arithmetic.
Standards:
A2.1.1 Recognize and graph various types of functions, including polynomial, rational, and algebraic functions.
A2.1.4 Graph relations and functions with and without graphing technology.
A2.4.1 Write the equations of conic sections (circle, ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola).
A2.4.2 Graph conic sections.
Resources: Graphing calculators for class.
Lesson 2: Geometer’s Sketchpad
Target Audience: 9th and 10th grade Geometry students
Big Idea: Use Geometer’s Sketchpad to determine properties of quadrilaterals.
Goal: The students will visualize quadrilaterals in an engaging activity, and make conjectures about specific kinds of quadrilaterals and their properties.
Standards:
G.2.2 Find measures of interior and exterior angles of polygons, justifying the method used.
G.3.1 Describe, classify, and understand relationships among the quadrilaterals square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid, and kite.
G.3.2 Use properties of congruent and similar quadrilaterals to solve problems involving lengths and areas.
G.3.3 Find and use measures of sides, perimeters, and areas of quadrilaterals. Relate these measures to each other using formulas.
G.3.4 Use coordinate geometry to prove properties of quadrilaterals, such as regularity, congruence, and similarity.
G.8.3 Make conjectures about geometric ideas. Distinguish between information that supports a conjecture and the proof of a conjecture.
Resources: Geometer’s Sketchpad
Lesson 3: Exploring Linear Data
Target Audience: 8th and 9th grade Algebra I students
Big Idea: Use either a graphing calculator or the Illuminations website to construct a scatter plot and estimate/find the lines of best fit.
Goal: Students will be able to create meaningful data and use the data to describe a possible relationship between points in a scatter plot.
Standards:
A1.3.1 Sketch a reasonable graph for a given relationship.
A1.3.2 Interpret a graph representing a given situation.
Resources: Graphing calculators or Internet access to the Illuminations website
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Reflection 7: Lesson Plan Ideas
Target Audience -- Middle School Students
Big Idea and Goals -- To familiarize students with adding polynomials using a "Gizmo" (an interactive simulation that makes concepts easier to understand and fun to learn) on the Learning Center Website. The students will be able to explore exponents on their own and work in small groups in order to research the main concepts through the use of this internet software.
Resources -- http://www.explorelearning.com/
Lesson Idea 2:
Target Audience -- Higher Level Calculus Students
Big Idea and Goals -- Students will explore the topic of Extreme Values on their graphing calculator. They will be given a functions and their intervals to graph. They will then need to sketch their findings, compare the graphs' maximum and minimum values, and then use F '(x) in order to compare the functions' extreme value. The students will need to present their calculations in order to get credit for showing their work.
Resources -- Texas Instruments Graphing Calculators
Lesson Idea 3:
Target Audience -- High School Geometry Students
Big Idea and Goals -- Students will use Geometer's Sketchpad to guide them while exploring, identifying, describing, and comparing triangles. They will get acquainted with the shapes on paper and then will be working in collaborative groups in order to come up with a tangible idea of the different triangles that can be constructed.
Resources -- Geometer's Sketchpad
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Reflection 6 (ISTE Standards)
In this reflection I am going to show similarities within the ISTE Standards and Blogging.
Students need basic technology skills to work on the internet, so blogging would be a great way to develop or improve their basic skills on computers. Blogging can start discussions between students educational topics, not just students and teachers, so their social skills in learning are being developed and improved. Blogs are obviously used as a communication tool in the classroom, as I mentioned in the development of social skills. It serves as a tool to share ideas that are readily available to the class at any time. As a newcomer to blogs, their main purpose seems to be to communicate ideas between peers.
Reflection 5 (Hotlinks)
This website defines what a blog is for those who don't know, show how easy it is to use, and give teachers some ideas on how to integrate technology within the classroom and what purpose it would serve.
http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=4992
This is a resource for teachers who want to start their own classroom blog. It addresses the issue of enhancing communication and collaboration by using internet blogs.
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/
This link provides links to blogging sites and some educational values of internet blogging. It gives teachers some ideas on how to get started and apply their blogs in their classroom.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Reflection #6 Hotlinks
http://awd.cl.uh.edu/blog/
This website is a good resource for teachers who want to figure out how to use blogs in their classroom. The website is broken down into purposes/uses for blogs, articles about blogging, examples of blogs, blog writing tools, aggregators, and tools for advanced blogging. The purpose of this website should be for reference both for new and advanced blogers.
Free Blogs for Education Profession
http://edublogs.org/
This website is a place where anyone in the education field can sigh up for a free blog. Both students and educators can utilize this site. They even have seperate links for K - 12 students, university students and english language students. Further exporation lead to the discovery of a discussion forum. This is a place where blog subscribers
Cool Tools: Blogging
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec570/cooltools/blogging.html
This website is a lesson on blogs. It teaches teachers about blogs and why they would be useful to use in the classroom. This website also gives links to examples and links to keep exploring the subject of blogs
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The story of Movies
http://www.edutopia.org/video/movie.php?reset=cookie&keyword=037&id=Art_1671
The video I just watched was entitled “The Story of Movies”. Martin Scorsese has put together a program for schools to use that utilizes movies in various classroom settings. Ultimately, the goal is to cause students to think critically about movies. The history of movies is taught to the students in history class. Science class focuses on the different elements used in the movies. But English class is where the majority of the lessons are taught. Students put together in their English class everything they have learned in their other classes to analyze movies. The whole course lasts four weeks but by the end of it, the students have not only developed tools to analyze movies, but they have enhanced their critical thinking skills.
The actual video only showed the English setting where the only form of technology used was the videos, but I am sure there were other types of technologies used, especially in the science classroom. The teaching in the English classroom was both teacher and student centered. The teacher utilized the technology to ask questions and the students needed to utilize the same technology in order to respond to the questions.
This unit on movies is one I wish I would have had in high school. It is a wonderful unit that is done throughout all of the students’ classes. I always was most engaged in lessons and units that utilized technology and this is obviously one of them. Without the use of technology, this unit would take on a totally different feel. It would basically be lessons in separate classes, not linked by the common theme of movie analysis.
If I were to teach a lesson like this, I would need to do a serious amount of homework. I do not know the least bit about movies so this would take a lot of homework on my part. For the team of teachers to get this done, a lot of planning will be involved. The teachers will have to time their lessons just right so the entire unit will flow together. The English teacher should not analyze lighting until the students have learned about light in their science class. It is possible to pull this unit off but the teachers are going to have to do a lot of planning and communicating in order for it to be as successful as possible.
Teachers also have to realize that technology doesn’t always cooperate so they must plan accordingly. All lessons dealing with technology should have a back up plan and this unit is no exception. If technology fails, it is important that teacher do not give up on the lesson all together. They should keep the lesson going or possibly postpone it because the students are probably going to respond well to it.
Reflection 6: Hotlinks
http://awd.cl.uh.edu/blog/
This site is to help teachers get started if they have an interest in blogging with their students. The site gives some articles on blogging, sample blogs, and some blog writing tools. The site also offers some insight as to why teachers and students should blog, as well as instructional tools for students who are just getting started on their blog. One thing that is special about this site is that it gives students examples of blogs that are specified to a particular subject. This will allow students to view blogging as an educational resource.
(Standards: Basic Operations and Concepts, Technology Productivity Tools, and Technology Research Tools)
Site 2
http://www.actionmath.com/blog/MathPlayground.html
This site is an actual blog spot but it is geered towards simple problem-solving tasks that are posed on the blog. This will come in handy for students who are interested in posing tasks through on their blog. This site gives examples of how tasks can be worded so that a more productive response is given.
(Standards: Technology Communication Tools and Technology Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Tools)
Site 3
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techtorial/techtorial037print.shtml
This site is set up like a blogging tutorial for the students. It gives them an overview of what blogging is and how it can be useful to their education. The site also offers example blogs that students can refer to, as well as things students should watch out for while creating and editing their blogs. I liked this website because it gives students a view of how blogging can increase their communication in the classroom with their teachers and peers.
(Standards: Technology Productivity Tools and Technology Communications Tools)
Reflection 5: Video Case Analysis
The used of the handhelds produced a student-centered learning because the students had control over their individual Palm. The students utilized their handhelds by organizing their own data, submitting their recordings to the teacher, and downloading quality research from sources that they read. The teacher did have some control over the assignments because he/she could change the format of a handout and then “beam” it to the students, and he/she could collect the assignments from the students as they were submitted. I still feel that the technology made for student-centered learning because the teacher and the students had use of the Palms and the students were judging how the handhelds could best fit their learning.
A particular assignment that the video addressed was a biology assignment where the students were asked to calculate their ecological footprints – or in other words “the number of hectors needed to sustain a human being.” The teacher integrated the technology into the assignment by having the students research various terms and ideas on the topic through their Palm, save their research, and then use it to collect data at home. The students then used their handhelds to record their data (food intake, weight of clothing, exercise, etc.), submit it to the teacher, and keep their project organized in their own Palm. The teacher commented on the use of the handhelds in the assignment by saying that the Palms helped the students stay organized because they did not have to mess with a folder, and the Palms also allowed the students to work on their projects inside and outside of class by saving their work. She also said that the handhelds produced more accurate research as well. The teacher made it very clear that she believes that real world learning heavily impacts the classroom and that a big part of education is keeping up with what is going on in the world.
I feel that this technology was a great addition to the classrooms of Carl Sandberg High. Although the video did not address ways to assess the students’ performance, I feel that it would be an easy thing to do. The teachers could always collect the handhelds and go through a quick check to see how well it was organized, or the teacher could also ask the students to print off a progress report from their Palm to monitor how their project is coming along. The teachers could also ask for things to be “beamed” to them so they could get the students work on their own handheld. As with anything, there could be some downfalls in using this technology. For one, if the student forgets his/her Palm then they would not have their information to work ahead on the project, and for two, the risk is always there of students losing/breaking the handhelds. Also, the Palms could bring along distractions such as various internet sites and chatting among students. However, I do feel that the positives of using the Palms outweigh the disadvantages. The advantages of using this technology would definitely be its ability to be small and compact so the students could pick up where they left off once they leave the classroom, and I feel that it offers a great way to stay organized. The Palms also allow the students to access resources to gain quality research which plays a vital role in the students’ learning.
Reflection 5 (Video Case Analysis)
Geometry in the Real World: Students as Architects, is a ten minute video about application within Eeva Reeder’s high school Geometry class. The last five weeks of her class are based around teams of two to three students who create a model of a high school in the year 2050. Included in the students’ projects are costs of the building, an architectural sketch, a 3-D model of one classroom within the school, and a final presentation of the complete project. The significance of this specific project is that Eeva had two professional architects come to the school to mentor the students throughout their learning and to evaluate their final projects. Eeva has been doing this project with her students for a few years, and has continued to actively engage her students and impress her colleagues.
There were a few technologies within the video that I recognized, but there was one that I am not familiar with. Students used Microsoft Powerpoint for a part of their presentation, and used an architectural program to create buildings. Within these buildings, students could create layouts of rooms including staircases, windows, tables, chairs, etc. It was nice to see the students smiling and enjoying this project because it was applicable to what some of them might do after their education. All the students produced their own projects using the technologies mentioned with the help of Eeva’s Geometry lessons and the assistance of the two professional architects. Each group had to learn to talk to each other and work toward a compromise in their project, which is a valuable lesson to be allowing them to do early on.
Eeva mentioned that her colleagues ask her how she can allow these students to do a five week project when there are other lessons to be covered. She said that within this project lie the lessons that the students need, and their active engagement in the projects are helping them learn and understand through practical use and discussion. Before Eeva could have begun this project, she would have had to consider what technologies were available to her students, and would those technologies contain the necessary provisions to help the students learn and complete their projects. From a pedagogical standpoint, Eeva would have to consider what cognitive activities that the students would elicit from participating in this project. She would have to ask herself how project-based learning can benefit her students. She probably knew that by giving her students something practical like this and letting them figure it out for themselves, they would become involved in it to a higher degree than normal.
In the video, assessment was based on architectural design, reasoning behind the work, and the presentation itself. Eeva had a rubric for each part of the assessment, so it was noticeable that she had been doing this for a few years and was comfortable with the process. As a teacher in Eeva’s situation, I would not sway from the way that she does it. I am not familiar with the architectural programs that she uses, so I could not compare it with other architectural programs. I might have students take a field trip early on to take pictures of modern architecture or browse the internet to look for modern architecture that could influence students’ ideas. Overall, allowing students to use technology at all is a step in the right direction, as this generation thrives on technology.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Reflection #5 -- Hotlinks
Edublogs.org -- Blog creation site for educators and students
This site allows you to set up your own blog for your classroom (if you're a teacher) or as a student. As some of its features it has spam protection and you can add multiple pages to your website, or upgrade to Premium for even more. The best part of this site is that it was built by educators for educators and have committed themselves to helping other teachers at all levels integrate blogging into their classrooms.
http://edublogs.org/
This site is a compilation of blogs created by educators or people dedicated to research in education and technology. They even have blogs interating subject areas, including a math one! Woo-hoo! :-)
http://www.teachers.answers.com/main/teachers_weblogs.jsp
Weblogg-ed.com -- The read/write web in the classroom
This site has a long list of sample blogs and articles on how you can integrate blogging and other technology into your classroom. All these can be found in the right-hand column under "Categories."
http://weblogg-ed.com/
Reflection #5
The video I watched was called "Highschool.com." It discussed the many different public and private schools that are now offering classes through the Internet. The schools provide classes for students in grades 7-12 and in a variety of subjects, from random electives to AP classes. In the case of Virtual High School (or VHS), a group of public schools came together to create the school. Each school has at least one teacher that has committed to teaching an online course. Of the teachers interviewed, the majority of them liked having a virtual classroom. They said that they have a much more interactive classroom, and are able to meet with more students one-on-one if they need extra help. One teacher even said she feels that she can evaluate students' strengths and weaknesses more quickly in the virtual classroom than a real one. However, even the professionals agree that a student's high school experience should not be limited to only Internet classes; the school social environment has too much of an impact on students lives to be dismissed. In the end, though, it is the students that are in charge of their own education since having online courses, students have to ve self-motivated to keep up with course work. However, with a 90% course completion rate and AP students showing a 10% higher achievement on exames, these Internet classes must be doing something right!
The majority of the technology used in this video includes personal computers, laptops, and the Internet. Students also use other technology such as calculators and conference call systems for certain classes. Nearly all the technology used was student and teacher-centered; both students and teachers had to use the same technology, namely computers and the Internet, for educational success. Using this technology, I believe, does make the lessons more engaging for students. Using a computer is much more interactive than sitting in a classroom where the teacher may or may not be engaging the students. Using computers and the Internet requires students to be attentive and engaged in the what is going on during the lesson. Also, many times students can begin their lessons at a time that is convenient for them. This enables them to choose what time they "go to school" and will most likely be a time when they are more able to concentrate.
From a teacher's point of view, a great deal of planning must go into each lesson taught in a virtual classroom. One educator pointed out that one's tone of voice cannot be used in text form, so he has to be especially careful with how he words instructions and lessons. Also, teachers must take the time to develop their course website and any tools they wish to implement on that site, such as activities, discussion forums, downloads, etc. It is also important for teachers to remember that since not all their students attend the school in which they teach, the instructors must be willing to spend extra time outside of school on the phone (or using other means of communication) with students who need extra help. However, this allows for individualized time with students, as well as a great way to get to know students and develop a relationship with them. Assessment using virtual classrooms can be done any number of ways, including standard tests and quizzes. However, one could also use online activities that track students' achievement and pin-point students' strengths and weaknesses.
Overall, I saw many advantages to using a virtual classroom for a few courses during a student's high school career. Internet classes require that students be self-motivated to complete the course. Students are likely to be more engaged, and teachers can help more students one-on-one using a virtual classroom. However, I believe this only goes so far; a student who does not have a chance to interact face-to-face with their teacher loses the chance to get to know their instructor on an even deeper level. Also, it takes initiative for a student to call a teacher they have never seen or met before. If I were to ever teach a virtual course I almost feel that calling each student before class begins would be at least a good starting point to take the first step and introduce myself.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Reflection 4
As far as the E-portfolio goes, I am excited to be using this as a professional resource now and in the future as a teacher. I look forward to the completion of it in the future, because then I will see how far I have come in four years, what I have learned and gained from personal experiences, etc.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Reflection #4
Thus far, this class has helped me to find a new site to blog and how to use it. I'm interested in learning about how to post other things besides pictures, though. I'd also like to know if there was any way to build in a chat-room or discussion forum for students to talk to each other, instead of just leaving comments on my own posts.
Reflection #3
The video shown in class two weeks ago included many of my "top five" technological innovations. These include the smart boards, blogs, podcasts, video/audio conferencing, and websites. In my own classroom, I would use blogs and podcasts to keep my students and their families updated on what is going on in my class, as well as giving and receiving feedback. This I think would also be good to post interesting things for student access. The main thing I learned from that class period is that technology is not limited to chalk boards and computers with power point. It is always evolving and there will always be new things to integrate into one's classroom.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Reflection #4
I have not learned much about blogs from this class because I have used this website before. Its a neat site that initiataly took me a while to learn how to do all of this stuff. I do not see this being useful in high school settings besides for reflections on experiences outside of the classroom that apply to a particular topic but beyond that, I only see blogs being useful for personal use at this point in time.
On the other hand, I cannot get enough of the ePortfolio. I see this project as being a very useful tool in getting a job. I see it as an online resume that can constantly be updated and modified to keep with my doings in my life. I find myself thinking of things to add to it and I will play around with the lay out as I watch TV. Yes I am a big dork but who cares!
Reflection #3
Not to sound too confident but technology has never been a problem for me. I think it is because I am not scared to push buttons or mess something up. Trust me, I have messed things up many times, but by doing this, I have learned a lot about technology. I think I can relay too much on it at times, but I am not scared to use it. Part of this knowledge was because of the technology in my highschool. I live in a very wealthy school district and the technology reflects that. The teachers were never scared to use it and encouraged us to use it in our own assignments as well.
I want to integrate technology into my class as much as possible because when I was in highschool, the lessons taught with technology were the most interesting and engaging. I know that this will be tough because Math does not easily lead itself to using technology, although I know it is possible. I see this as a challange to myself to integrate technology as much as possible into my lessons but to also remember that mathematics need to be learned both by hand as well as with the use of modern technologies.
My top five technology innovations list is as follows:
- Interactive White Board
- Tablet PCs
- Blogs
- Podcasting
- Syncron Eyes
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Reflection # 4
I have had no experience in blogging so it was a little new to me at first. I never really thought it was hard or anything but I can sometimes forget where to go once I actually get on the blog site. Also, sometimes things can be a little fast-pace in class but I understand that there is a lot on the agenda. It has just taken me a little while to get used to the pace of the class and to get aquainted with the new technologies that we are using.
In W201 we made a webpage but we used a different template and I honestly did not remember much about it. For our e-portfolio I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on things but I can definitely be intimidated by my fear of permenately messing something up on the computer. My luck has strayed me down that path before so I have been a little hesitant while working on my webpage. Hopefully I can get used to using Frontpage and to editing my webpage and my blogspot.
I don't really have any questions about blogging or about the e-portfolio other than just a comment that I really appreciate and find useful the Oncourse messages you send to us. I like the reminders of what is due and when, and I also like the summary of class and your reflections on how it went.
Reflection # 3
Reflection 1 -- In all three levels of schooling I have experienced that students and teachers use technologies such as telephones, computers, electronic games, calculators, overhead projectors, televisions, and digital scales in science and chemistry.
One of the best technology integrations that I experienced in high school was when we had to re-make one of Shakespears plays using anything we wanted (including technology). My group made a movie, and one of my friends, who was in radio/tv, edited the video so it turned out to look really sophisticated. It was pretty cool to see all of the ideas that the different groups in the class could come up with.
Hopefully by the end of this course I will have a more in depth understanding about making a webpage, blogging, and using programs on the computer such as Microsoft Excel and Frontpage. I would also like to think more about integrating technology into my classroom and gain a sense of confidence towards keeping up with the new technology advances.
Reflection 2 -- My top five technology innovations are as follows:
1) Tablets
2) Blogging
3) Webcams
4) Intellegent Agents
5) Podcasting
I have thought of some examples of some ways in which I can integrate my top two technologies into my classroom. By using tablets I can have students do example problems in class and then I can get an idea, right away, of where students seem to be struggling. I can also use them for games of teams to see who can solve the equation the fastest or to do a quick homework check by having the students put a problem on their tablet. By using blogs my students can ask me questions at home or if they are absent then they can get missed assignments through the blog. Blogging also allows parents a chance to keep up with the class and make suggestions as well.
Overall, I learned that there are various technologies out there -- more than I realized. I also learned that if you don't try the technologies or if you don't know enough about them then you will never know if they suit your classroom better than something you might already be using.
Reflection 3
I have used basic Microsoft Office Programs since high school, including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. I have used these programs outside of high school and college to train other people on the capabilities of these programs. The technologies listed in Reflection 1 that I could benefit from learning about are: YouTube, Blogs, Podcast, and Wikipedia. I hope to get help from other classmates in these areas, and I will be able to share my knowledge. I chose a few of these as my top five technology innovations because I am eager to see what they can offer me in a classroom setting. Since we have been working with Blogs, which was my first choice, I have seen that they are a great way to communicate. Since the new generation is heading toward technology (i.e. cellphones, computer games, chatting, etc.), all the technologies that have been and are being introduced into classrooms today are engaging students more in their learning and understanding.
Creating these team blogs was extremely confusing to me at first, partially because we were going somewhat fast in class. I still have some kinks to work out, but I will soon feel comfortable with Blogs and will be able to develop a way to incorporate them in my class someday. By creating team blogs, I was able to rely on my team members to help me out with problems I ran in to.