Thanksgiving Week .........HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!

     Teachers are designers all the time. When creating lessons to engage their students they are designing what they are going to do and how students learn. Sometimes the teacher has to create on the spot when what he or she planned doesn’t work for the students. The teacher will have to have another way of teaching the material that way the student can learn. As a future science teacher I try to find labs that I can use to engage my students in science. Since many students aren’t excited about Science I have to find ways to make them see that science is fun.

       For me I would use the Trebuchet Simulator in my classroom. As a future science teacher I can see this being use during lesson like force and physics. So many students struggle in that area and they need something like Trebuchet Simulator to learn too.  Trebuchet Simulator is software that simulates a throwing device and the students have to manipulate it. (Jonassen, 2008) I think I would put my students into groups and each group will have certain distances and height to keep everyone’s data individual.

 

       Digital Storytelling is a software or program that put more focus on the activity than the technology. (Jonassen, 2008)  The students think up a story and put it together, it is work that is done by collaborating and team work. I would use this when the lesson is going over the time line of the earth and have to kids you facts and their imagination to do the activity.

      The tinkering with data sets that would be fun way to manipulate what we do in labs. I think this one I would use would be good. We could take the data that we did in lab on force or chemistry and change variables. By changing the variables the students can see how accurate they need to be in lab and how one thing can change everything.

     I think it is possible because people do it all the time. People watch the cooking shows, do it yourself shows and they learn the information. They try to do it and sometimes they are successful or they either have a fire in the kitchen or in their backyard. I don’t suggest that everything should be by learning on TV but some things need to stay in books or classrooms. I think TV and other things are going overboard and students should know both ways to learn whether in a classroom or on the computer.

Jonasse D., Howland J., Marra R. M., & Crismond D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Chapter 3

   One of the mains principles that are important is discovery. Many kids can't say focused if just learning a lecture. The average student spends at least 2 or more hours on a video game. On average the video game changes every 3 to 4 seconds. Its no wonder students focus so much on video games it keeps their attention. The discovery principle is the same. By having the students work on hands-on on a project your able to keep their attention and they are able to learn those problems solving skills need to succeed in future. The second one is Active, critical learning; students that are active in what they learn or accomplish is great for student to have. If they can feel great about what they are doing in the classroom while learning those skills need for the workforce and college. The last principle that I believe is important is committed learning principle. A student should never stop learning. As a future teacher i believe that learning is always important and never stops. There is no limit to learning and i believe that students need to learn everything can. There can never be enough knowledge in a child's brain.

I would have several simulations for each topic or most. For example I would give a student a simulation of the human body and whatever organ or system we where covering that week they would have to figure out the cause or think of a solutions. Or if the lesson for the week was habits then it would be working on how to keep a habit thriving the balances they need. It would be my job to manipulate the simulation to the best of my ability so that my students get what they need out of it.

The discovery principles and simulations go together. The both incorporate making the student work hands on to fix a problem or maintain something. with out the teacher influencing or helping the student realize what is going on; that give the students opportunities to think outside the box and make they're own discoveries.


Jonasse D., Howland J., Marra R. M., & Crismond D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Power Points

   I like using the writing activities with technology. I really like the map concept. Having the students working on the computer getting ideas for their research project will get them excited about it. It would be nice to have my students use the smart board for their research paper; but that would take up too much class time. I could also have my class use the smart board to give comments on anonymous papers. By using the clickers with the smart board we could read a paper aloud and have the students give anonymous feedback on the paper.

   The one thing that power points do is distract people. When students make their power point they put too much animation, or non-relevant information that the audience stops listening and reading to the presentation. I do believe I can follow the pitfalls and I have done some of these things. But now I know what can do to better my power point presentation.

   Power points are a great way of getting your point across and informing your audience of a topic. They are fun to do and create. Out of all the Microsoft programs power points are the best thing that they created. I think my students will have fun doing power points presentations.

Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose M., Crismond, David. (2008). Supporting
Writing With Technology, Meaningful Learning With Technology, pp. 62-79, Columbus,
OH: Pearson Prentice Hall

Week 6

Personal digital assistants (PDA) are small computers that fit in your hand. PDA’s can store numbers, email address, access the internet, keep dates and so on. I have seen PDA’s used in classrooms and planetariums; it was very interesting to see the range of these small computers. I was amazed in the planetarium; my teacher was accessing everything for the show right in front of us. There was a delay issue but still very effective. I would use the PDA in the classroom if I was doing different PowerPoint’s or videos. PDA’s allow you to wonder around the classroom and monitor your students while teaching in an effective manner.

We use online surveys to collect data on a subject or area. I have taken many surveys for my friends in master programs. They are pretty fun and interesting. I think surveys would be good in the classroom. I think I would use the surveys after I do a lab. Some students may not like the lab that I have chosen for that week, learning should benefit both the teacher, and the student and these surveys can help. I think the best 2 rules to follow is not to be bias and avoid long questions. If I were giving these surveys to the students, they wouldn’t want to finish it if it was too long.

            This technology in the classroom is a great way to show the students that the teacher know about the up and coming gadgets and online activities. I can see myself using these tools all the time. Students today have a hard time paying attention to what is going on around them. PDA’s and Online Surveys are ways of finding out what they are interested in and keeping up with ever changing technology.

Jonassen, D. Howland, J. Marra, R. M. Crismond, D. (2008). Maeningful Learning With Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Merrill Prentice Hill.

Excel

I like how we used the excel spreadsheets. I had fun doing the different spreadsheets in class. Practice like this will help teachers with the program. Many beginning teachers don’t like excel so they tend avoid it. Excel can be difficult and confusing but showing your students that your willing to work with a program that you have issues with; will show them that working with difficult subjects can be hard but without trying you can’t win.

 I have never been confident in excel unless I was using it all the time. I believe that excel spreadsheet are important and useful for educators to use. If I can master excel I will use it in the classroom. I would make worksheets, graphing charts, and keep a separate grade sheet just in case the schools program breaks down. I can also use the spreadsheet on my smart board to do interactive activities with my class.

Spreadsheets are used to organize information. I think spreadsheets are better than calculators are because you can see what you are doing and label everything. Calculators just use numbers and functions, spreadsheet incorporate everything. The 3 primary functions of spreadsheet are the ones I think of when I work on excel. I would like to add worksheets, study guides, and matching charts to those lists.

Jonassen, D. Howland, J. Marra, R. M. Crismond, D. (2008). Maeningful Learning With Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Merrill Prentice Hill.

Inspiration Program

   I really like this inspiration program. I think investing in this program for a classroom will be great and maybe even having a smart board that way students can get interactive with it. I like that is looks easy to use and this technology would be great to have in the classroom. I would say it is better than Microsoft’s PowerPoint program. But our students should be able to work both programs. This program can be beneficial to students and teachers. As a future science teacher, I can see myself using this for food webs, the animal kingdom, body systems, just anything. This program can be great for study guides for the students.


   I think the web action on the inspiration program is the best way of writing and organizing thoughts. The web will help the students get visual look at what they doing and how much information they have on the topic. Having a limited teaching time, I would have two writing projects. One due during the middle of the first half and then at the end that way the student will have time to revise the paper many times. During the semester, I can revise and comment on the student’s paper through Microsoft word with comment boxes on where they can improve or change things. When teaching a new skill or topic, I like to pick one that I don’t know about. That way the I know which parts of the skill can be difficult to understand. The students and I are learning something new and I can experience the process with them.


   Writing is something that we will always have to do. Technology has made it more efficient and easy for students to organize their thoughts and find information. I know my future students will benefit from this. By the time I graduate there will probably be something newer to help students with writing. These programs are beneficial to students and when I think about when students didn’t have this technology writing was a lot harder.



Jonassen, D. Howland, J. Marra, R. M. Crismond, D. (2008). Maeningful Learning With Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Merrill Prentice Hill.


Inspiration Software. (2010). Inspiration Videos and Webcasts for Using Visual Learning In Your Classroom. http://www.inspiration.com/videos/Inspiration

Week 2 BLOG

     This is my first time using a blog, and I really don’t have an opinion about them. I’ve never really read anyone’s blog. Now that I have this one it will probably be the only time that I use it. I believe blogs are great for people that have a voice and want to share their beliefs. I do think some people use blogs for the wrong reasons especially students. Some students use blogs for cyber bullying and other things. I do believe that internet things like blogs etc. need two be monitored.
     For me personally I plan on using technology in the classroom but I don’t think blogs would be my first choice to use. If I had no choice then I would use it. I would use the blog for the first 10 min of class, something to get the students thinking a quote, journal topic, or brain teaser. I could use it right before class ends and leave my students with a positive quote or saying to brighten they’re day. Another way I can use the blog is by emailing the parents the blog website and keep them updated on homework, classroom behavior, and important things they should be aware about.
    I understand some people could think that blogs are a waste of time. Blogs can be time consuming for the teacher. Teachers already have so much on their plate regarding teaching, tests, grading and other stuff, now they have to write blogs everyday about their class or something of that nature. I could see some teachers not doing it or not putting enough effort into it. Plus to this day not all families have computers or internet access so a blog wouldn’t be beneficial for them.
     As a teacher I would want my students to be creative in everything that they do. I would like to use the wiki’s as a weekly journal. I’d have a page and a journal topic for that week and each student will comment of the wiki page. I personally don’t use wikipeadea as a source and I don’t want my students to use it because anyone can go on there and change the information on the website.






      Jonasse D., Howland J., Marra R. M., & Crismond D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.