Post #12

As I was a student in the elementary level all the way through college, technology was a part of my education. That is not to say that I knew everything, nor do I now. I feel that I have an advantage over some of the veteran teachers though, because I am more comfortable with using and infusing technology into my own education and those of my students.

Even after halfway through this Spring ’15 semester of ETE 665, I have already seen an increase in knowledge of technology for myself. I have learned more these past few months, than I did when I first started teaching three years ago. Because of this, I feel that I am, and will become, a much better teacher for my tech-generation students. I may have been aware of the technology resources before, but now know HOW to use them effectively in my instruction. I not only can use this knowledge in the classroom, but also in my own professional career. I can communicate and collaborate professionally much better now that I have seen what it can do for my students in the real world application. 

Post #11

It is difficult to rank these standards, as I find that they are all important and you must have one in order for the others to be successful; however, this is my list:

1.  The number one standard for my 7^th grade ELA students is the standard of “Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making” is one of the most important pillars of education. ALL students should be able to complete a task using this standard. I actually did an activity in class on Friday that has to do with moral decision making. As we read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I had to make a connection between the decision Tom and Huck of either helping Muff Potter, but risk their own safety; or allow Muff Potter to take the blame, but stay safe themselves. I gave 4 scenarios that would force a student to make a difficult decision. They had to use reasoning for both sides and come to a consensus about their decision. This was challenging because of the differing personalities and backgrounds of each student. What I could have done is then asked students to create a visual representation of the path they did choose, and the path they did not choose. What were there obstacles, and their overall outcome?
2. I find that the requirement of “Creativity and Innovation” is becoming more and more prevalent in the classroom and real world. Part of the Common Core ELA standards is learning to read instructions/directions correctly and therefore create something from those directions. What I would ask my students to do is read a set of directions to a game they have never seen before, play the game, and make a list of difficulties. I would then ask that the students create their own game. The challenge is creating directions that are easy enough to follow, while the game is not so easy that the player becomes bored too easily.
3. "Communication and Collaboration" is a standard that is applied weekly. However, it is not always via technology. When I do incorporate this standard using a technology tool, I usually use Edmodo, or on one occasion have used Google slides. The assignment was a presentation about the change in fashion in the 1940’s. Each group member was assigned a different aspect, did their research and collaborated through Google slides. Over the weekend they were able to communicate via Google slides and create a presentation without actually having to speak face to face.
4. "Digital Citizenship" is something that most students are unaware of. We can tell someone a million times how to act and the “dos and don’ts” of technology use, but until they either experience it themselves or at least get a good visual representation, it is difficult to teach. I would create a technology based scenario for my students and ask them to solve the problem that “they” have just created. Make the scenario real world enough so that it may seem that it could actually happen to them. The point is to show students what could potentially happen and how difficult it is to solve, or how impossible it is to recover from. Then ask students to come up with preventative solutions to the problem. These scenarios could be social media related-i.e. blogging, facebook, twitter, etc. or it could be something such as how to save a document or downloading from a link online that was seen as a “pop-up”.
5.  We cannot assume that our students (especially my middle school students) know how to operate all technology, therefore we need the standard "Technology Operations and Concepts". Although it may seem like they know everything about an iPad, or a desktop/laptop computer or even the SMARTboard itself… that is not the case. An example of what we did at our school, to ensure students could operate and navigate the PARCC program/platform, is we created a scavenger hunt, then had a pilot “dry run” of the test itself. Each class was required to take time for the scavenger hunt about everything from logging on, to how to scroll down in the story, to how to find the compass. It would seem that this was an easy task, but you would be amazed at how many questions we had to answer when it came time for the pilot “dry-run”. When introducing a new piece of technology into the classroom, allowing time for students to explore is crucial.
6. The standards of “Research and information fluency” becomes more in depth, but just as important in the middle school classroom, just as it is in the elementary and high school classrooms. This is a skill that will follow students for the rest of their lives. Not only being able to research a topic, but finding the correct information, and gathering the most important information, to create a separate piece to share with their peers is vital. Again with the 1940’s, I would have students choose a topic that interests them that is clearly debatable, such as “Should war be broadcast on television?”. Students would need to locate information, organize it, analyze, evaluate and synthesize the information, and finally report on the topic, while forming their own opinion as well. 

Post #10

     As we look at “who is online” we can see a pattern that most users are teenagers and young adults. We have heard many times before that the reason this is true is because this younger generation has grown up with the technology has never known anything different. I did make an observation though that the older generations still increase, but never surpass the younger, in technology usage. I feel that this is true because this generation feels the need to stay up-to-date and not fall behind. We use technology every day. Whether it is in our personal lives or for our job/career…it is everywhere. If people do not assimilate and grow with the times, they will fall behind and not be as successful or lose touch.

     Technology and the internet is a double-edged sword. It can be great to use, if applied correctly, or it could be disastrous. Because students are expecting it in the classroom, why not give them want they want? This is one of the most effective ways to keep a student engaged. Give them what they want! As I said, if done correctly students will be more successful and teachers will have a better experience as well.  

Post #9

The current group of internet users ranges from 18 years old to 65+. Those who use it most however are the people within the 18-29 age range, 95% to be exact. Where only 42% of those 65+ use it. One of the biggest advantages of using the internet is the vast amount of knowledge that can be gained. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what can be discovered while surfing the web. Because of this, those who have the internet, or can access it regularly, will have an advantage over those who do not. But this is only true if the student is a responsible user and is productive with his or her time while using the internet. If the time is spent completing homework or school related activities, it is an advantage. However, if the internet is more of a distraction than a tool for academic productivity, then it could become a hindrance.  I believe the more students become familiar with internet usage and its endless, positive possibilities, the more productive we can be in the classroom when we introduce technology into our lessons.

Post #8

I think it is fairly obvious that the younger generation is MUCH more familiar with and more frequent users of technology. This being said, that does not mean that the older generation is unfamiliar or nonusers of technology. The Millenials have grown up with technology their whole lives, they/we have never known anything different. We have been able to learn as we go, whereas the older generation has to learn a NEW way of performing tasks. This should definitely be taken into consideration when it comes to careers in the professional world and learning in the education world. I think that technology is expected to be used in all aspects of life from the Millenials, while Generation X to the Silents, either do not expect it, or prefer a balance, if not a heavier reliance on the “old school” ways. We live in an ever-changing world, so we must grow and progress with the times and adapt to our surroundings. However, we must keep in mind the way things used to be and how to find a balance between the two. We cannot forget our past; we survived and even thrived depending on the “old ways”. We must now consider the effect technology has on society, professions, and education and adapt accordingly. We now have more diversity, more males, and especially females going to college. What can we teach these “youngsters” that will carry them through their entire life, whether technology continues or becomes insignificant in the future? What is relevant? Is technology? Does it really matter if we are ‘tech-savvy’? After all, the Silents have made it this far and are successful. 

Post #7

        The role of technology in the classroom is essential, that much we have determined. Now the question remains, what is the best way to accomplish a successful, engaging classroom with this technology? Video games, and other technology like it, are one way to grab student’s attention and create an effective classroom environment. I have experienced this engagement first hand when I piloted a new app from Glass Labs. It was called Mars Generation One: Argubot Academy. The objective was to walk around the space station collecting evidence and reasons to support your claim. The student would then choose the best combination and battle the opposing team’s argubot. Whoever had the stronger argument, would be victorious. This was in fact engaging for the students and reinforced the lesson of finding and using the best evidence and reasoning. This is a fantastic example of how gaming can be used in the classroom for an effective lesson.

        Students are naturally curious and competitive, so why not feed that curiosity and competitive nature with a fun, academic game? Students can be exposed to multiple experiences where their curiosity enhances their problem-solving skills. This skill is vital to be successful in the real world. The skills learned through gaming, such as problem-solving, or even quick decision making can be translated from the virtual to real world. Some may say that this is a negative effect of gaming, the fact that children may confuse the two. However, as with anything, teachers and parents need to be proactive and teach appropriate behavior and understanding of the purpose of technology. It is to enhance our learning for our future real world experience, not replace it.  “Technology is powerful and complicated.” That is why a combination, or balance, between technology and traditional form of learning should be used. Technology can be used to “express themselves, find other people, and remake the world on their own terms.” So, let’s let them fly.