Reflection #9: The History of Technology in Education

http://edudemic.com/2011/04/classroom-technology/

This is a really fascinating article on the history of tech in education dating all the way back to 1650 and the Horn Book.

Everyone should read this as it will give an insight into where we have been and the leaps and bounds that education has journeyed through in order to get where we are at today.

This would also be a really interesting thing to show children as they try to grasp "the olden days."

JoDee

Reflection 8: Keeping up with the Jones'

In the early part of the 21st century there was a ton a research saying that PDA's was the trend of the future with technology.  This just proves how fast technology changes.  What are schools to do in regards to keeping up with technology while keeping up with shrinking budgets?

For those schools who adapted PDA's into their programs, they essentially wasted their money as the hardware quickly got passed up with newer gadets and technology. 

I am not sure really how to answer my own question, as I can barely keep up with my kids likes and dislikes as they change so fast.

Currenlty my daughter has a DSi, a Nook Color, an iPod, and a Laptop.  All of these were purchased within the last 18 months - costing a lot of money - and all are out of date.  If I am fighting to keep up with just one kids tech, how can a school district keep up with financially supporting thousands of kids as the technology changes in a blink of an eye.


JoDee

Future of Education and Technology

The following article states that "One thing is clear: the time has come for educators comfortable living with the Flintstones to accept the inevitable and "meet George Jetson!"

http://www.wiu.edu/thecenter/articles/thefuture.html

This is very true.  Our children and students are going to pass us up.  They have a natural connection to technology that we do not.  They have access to so much more information and tools, that we couldn't even have fathemed in our school days.

The time is here, we need to not only realize it, accept it, but imbrace it!

JoDee

Word, Excel & PowerPoint

Features that I use(d):
- Excel: budgeting, graphing, contacts database
- Word: share document as blog, make brochures, merging with other programs
- PowerPoint: presentations, video/photo editing, applying artistic effects

Student Projects:
- Excel: Analyze M&M Colors (count candy's and enter data onto spreadsheat and have them create a graph displaying their research) http://learntech.ties.k12.mn.us/Excel_Classroom_Projects

- Word: create a "how to" manual on a specific topic.  They will need to not only add words, and pictures, but links to other resources

- PowerPoint: students make their own story books and record them reading the stories as the pages turn


JoDee

NU Educators Panel

Questions I would ask:

1. What is your plan for integrating technology into the classes as the younger generations come into the school in order to captivate their learningn styles and the formats that they are familiar with?

2. What are your goals for expanding the education program here at NU?

3. How can we as students have an active voice in the processes within the Ed Program here at NU?

JoDee

Educational Blog

I found a really cool blog for special education teachers and using assistive technology.
http://nolimitstolearning.blogspot.com/2011/08/back-to-school-at-integration-projects.html
I commented on the idea of using the Wii and/or Kinect in the classroom, escpecially as an OT tool. 
This is a really cool way of bringing something that the students are fascinated about into the educational realm.  I know that my daughter would sure like going to OT more if she could play "video games" there.

JoDee

Bloom's Digital Taxonomy

Going through the revised Bloom's Taxomony that includes technology is very interesting.  I am glad that they did this as it is a step forward in progress.  As "the older generation" we need to keep up with the youngers in order to remain viable in their world.

Teachers need to be able to relate with their students, in order to do this they themselves need to be able to not only speak the language, but teach within the language as well.

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom's+Digital+Taxonomy

"Caught on Video"

I love this concept of video taping students as they go through the year.
As I was reading it all I could really think of was the video's that my six year old is currently addicted to making of his Lego creations and the story lines that go along with it.  I will cherish these forever and look forward to watching as they progress.

As a teacher this would be a fabulous tool in communicating with parents and keeping them abreast of their students progress and abilities.  In addition, this provides for a visual tool with non-English speaking parents in order to keep them up to date on how their child is performing.

JoDee

I am making a wiki

Check it out....  https://teacherjodee.wikispaces.com/   

Reflection 7: Pic Lits - Check this out

It is really an amizingly moving way to teach about the various forms of english language




What? Pic Lits used to help teach the different parts of language, vocabulary, etc.
So What?   This could be an amazing and new way of integrating technology into the standard English lessons
Now What?  I look forward to using this as it provides for a visual representation of words.  I am a visual learner and this would have totally helped me to learn the various parts of speech.