Amanda Wallace's Blogspot

Blogs in the Classroom

2005-05-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have had so much fun over this past semester posting blogs onto the internet for everyone to see. I believe that blogs fit into the curriculum of my ISTC301 class so well, but they can also be used in other classes. As a future teacher I am always looking for ways to make my class more interesting for the students and to get them involved. Blogspots are the perfect way of doing this. Not only will it give my students a chance to get on the computer and create blogs, but it keeps their writings organized and saved. The students will never have to worry about misplacing their journal entries, or whatever else it is they have posted. Another pro of posting blogs is that all the students in the class can easily access everyone else's entries. This can lead to great class discussions and a more interesting classroom. Blogs can also be used as a way to turn in homework or out of class assignments. I believe that this program, that started off as an online journal has so many great uses for education both inside and outside the classroom.

Teaching with Technology Reflection

2005-04-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today I taught a 5th grade language arts lesson on creating cluster maps and outlines using Inspiration® software. The following questions and answers are a reflection of how my lesson went.

Question: Would you have been able to accomplish the lesson without technology?
Answer: Yes, I would have been able to accomplish the lesson without technology, but not to the full extent. The cluster map could be created by hand, but would be less organized. There is a special function in Inspiration® that automatically turns the cluster map into an organized outline, and without the software the students would have had to write out the outline by hand using the cluster map. It still would have been organized and useful, but would have been very time consuming. Without the technology, the students' would not have been able to alter their cluster maps with images and colors, therefore making them less original. Without the overhead projection of the computer screen, the students might have had a harder time staying on task with the teacher The purpose of the lesson, which was to prepare for an essay using different techniques, still could have been accomplished, but the use of technology made the students more engaged and the lesson flow smooth.

Question: Were all students participating with the technology and benefiting from it?
Answer: The fact that every student had a computer infront of them with the software on it allowed for each and every one of them to participate with the lesson. Each student created their own original cluster map and outline that was based off of my model. I asked for the students help in picking the topics and subtopics which also allowed them to participate. I think that every student benefited from the technology. One of the last questions that I asked my class today was if they thought this technique was useful and if they would use it to prepare for their next essay and thier answers were all yes. They told me that the part that they liked best was that they didn't have to write out their outline because the software did it for them.

Question: Were the students focused on learning, not the technology?
Answer: I would say that the focus was split evenly between learning and technology. Usually I would not want my students' attention taken away by the technology, but part of the goal of the lesson was to teach them how to use this software for later uses. The students were still able to learn the other half of the lesson which was proper essay preperation techniques, but using the technology made it more interesting for them. When using technology in your classroom you have to take the risk of losing your students focus. I kept them on task and allowed them some extra free time to play around with the software after the lesson was done, which I believed stopped them from distraction while I was teaching the lesson.

Question: Can you easily describe how the technology contributed to the lesson?
Answer: The technology made the class work as a whole and allowed the students to perform tasks that they wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. They each created their own organized cluster map. With the technology they were able to turn it into an outline in one second which saved a lot of time. The overhead projection of the computer screen let the students be confident in their work and know that they were doing everything correctly. The technology made the lesson flow more smoothly and made it more interesting for the students.

Instructional Activities and Software Tools

2005-03-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

There are so many different software tools out there that can be integrated into the classroom to enhance learning, but before I list the ways they can be used I believe that it is very important for you to understand exactly what software tools are. A software tools is a program on your computer that can aid in organizing and presenting data. The three most popular software tools used are the word processor, databases, and spreadsheets. There are many other software tools out there like material generators, data collection and analysis tools, graphics tools, planning and organizing tools, research and reference tools, and tools to support specific content areas, but there are not among the most popular. Although, all of these software tools can be used in the classroom to aid both the teacher and student in learning and teaching in many different ways.
The word processor has so many different uses in the classroom. My favorite feature that the word processor offers is the spell check (hence why I will be teaching math and not english). A teacher can use the word processor to create well organized documents like letters home, posters of announcements or class rules, lesson plans, newsletters, worksheets and handouts. All of these can be produced in a time efficient manner and can be saved for later uses. The word processor is also helpful for the students because it increases their keyboard skills. They can create their own newsletters, business cards, use it to type reports, and even organize their notes. Overall this program is a great time savor and should be present in every classroom.
Spreadsheets are like the word processor of numbers. I can predict that I will be using this program a lot when I become a teacher. You can use it to organize your grade book, students' personal information, attendance, make worksheets, maintain budgets, and create charts and graphs. I believe that the students can find this software very useful for worksheets because it is so clear and well organized, which makes it easier for the teacher to grade the assignments also. They can use this for problem solving, statistical analysis, hypothesizing, and so many other things. Personally my favorite feature about spreadsheets is that it shows visual feedback of the calculations.
The last most popular software tool is the database. Databases can record and manipulate both text and numerical data. Teachers and students can use databases to search and record data in an useful and organized way. They help in motivating the students and can teach them research, study, and organizational skills.
I believe that it is very important for every teacher to integrate software tools into their classroom. It makes the learning environment more organized and interesting. I know that when I have a classroom of my own, software tools will be used all the time because I believe that they will enhance both my students' learning and my teaching.

Information taken from: M.D. Roblyer: Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (2004)

Relative Advantage

2005-02-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

Relative advantage is the term used to the degree in which the new method or resource has advantages over the old one. In our case, we would be determining the relative advantage of using new technology in the classroom compared to the old technology. Since I am studying to be a secondary math education teacher, relative advantage is very important to me. It will one day help in determining the best way to teach my students mathematics, and hopefully in a way that will make them better understand the sometimes confusing concepts.
One good example of relative advantage that I can relate to was present in my freshman year high school math class. My teacher had an overhead projector hooked up to a graphing calculator. He then proceeded in teaching the class how to use this calculator and all the different functions that it offers. This lesson was great because it allowed all the students to be interactive at the same time as the teacher. The lesson was very clear because the students were able to see the exact steps that they were to do, and do it at the same time on their own calculator. If this same lesson were to be taught without the overhead, a lot of time would be wasted in repeating steps to students multiple times. With this new technology, there was also a lesser chance that students would fall behind and become lost in the lesson.
So to sum up the total relative advantages that the overhead had over the traditional lecture lesson:
Better lesson clarity
Allowed students to be interactive
Less chance of students falling behind
Allowed teacher to use time more productively
Kept students engaged in the lesson
As you can tell, relative advantage is a great way to analyze new technologies. I have listed just one example, but it can be used with any type of instructional technology. Usually the results are that the newer technology is the more adequate technique for teaching and learning. This is why it is so important for new teachers to learn the importance of incorporating technology into their lesson plans.

Welcome

2005-02-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Amanda Wallace's Blogspot!