I have had to use Microsoft word all throughout high school to do essays or projects. I can remember using it in middle school for history fair and science fair as well. (My partner and I went to the next stage of competition with our project in seventh grade, Whoop Whoop). I use Microsoft word just about every single day now. I've used it in the past to make lesson plans for VBS and I use the notebooks layout to take notes everyday in my lecture style classes. I was involved in a program at my high school called Business Entrepreneurs and my teacher had us complete little assignments using Microsoft word as well. I know my teachers use it to make their lesson plans as well.
I haven't really had much experience with copyright and fair use of materials so far. I've always known that you have to cite your sources in a bibliography or 'works cited' page but that is about it. I just learned more about the copyright laws in my introduction to education class last year. I know it is very important to give credit where credit is due. So, as a teacher I know it is my responsibility to follow these fair use rules and set a good example for my students. Plagiarism as we know is a huge deal and should not be taken lightly. Even accidental plagiarism can be very bad so it is best we learn how to cite properly. Textbooks and videos are copyrighted but if I obtain a license, I can use them. As teachers, we should go ahead and assume that everything has a copyright, just to be safe.
Twitter really is an incredible outlet we can use to reach out and stay connected with people in the world. Most college aged people have a twitter to keep up with what is going on in their friends' social lives and to post funny content hoping to get a few likes or retweets. But twitter really is so much more than that. The hashtag (#) was born on twitter and it was helps connect conversations. When a big world event happens it is a way for people to come together and share their voice, opinion or support. For example when Paris was attacked just a few short months ago, the hashtag #PrayforParis gained so much momentum from victims, families, and celebrities. Twitter can also be powerful tool if you are trying to reach a powerful audience. If a certain tweet directed to a local official or governor gets 10,000 retweets and is basically seen by 10,000 then eventually this person can see it and hopefully listen to what the people are trying to say. The good thing about twitter is that you can follow and be notified about the certain things you want. It is very easy to block people, anti is very easy to find out information. Following accounts that have to do with education can help with questions you have or provide valuable insight.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Post #1 1.19.16
With the way that technology is so quickly advancing, it is important as teachers to have the necessary understanding of technology to be able to prepare the next generation. The International Society for Technology in Education (ITSE) provides the standards to which both educators and students should meet. ITSE started a project called the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) to further ensure what exact standards should be met. A few years ago the question was raised, Should technology even be allowed in the classroom? And if so to what extent? Today, that question has become minuscule. It is no longer a question of if, but how much. It is essential that students are prepared for a 21st century world. Meaning, that if students are not familiar with technology and how to use the most popular, every day programs, they are already at a disadvantage. Most states today have adopted the Common Core Standards and technology was included in these standards. Florida itself has not adopted common core but something very similar to it. Things like the Partnership for the 21st Century and the Teacher Preparation Accreditation have also been included in the common core standards.
I think computers are vital to the education experience because it is ensuring that students have all of the necessary components they need to thrive in the real world. If students are educated in their k-12 experience then it can really help them when they go onto college or their career. The more comfortable they are with technology the easier it will be for them to learn a new program or adapt to their job. Technology can be a very helpful resource in a student's education as well. The internet helps them interact with their fellow classmates and teachers when they need help with something. If a student has a question about an assignment (like me who usually has 5) then they can just shoot their teacher and email or text one of their friends and get a speedy response. If all else fails, there is google to answer virtually your every need. Technology can also provide new experiences for students. Like viewing news live from around the world, or watching education videos, or creating a website of their own. Being computer literal can also help with lesson preparation. You can stand at a podium and lecture for an hour with no sort of visual and chances are the audience will not retain much of what you are saying because they will lose interest and become distracted. But, knowing how to make a cool graphic, or powerpoint, or some sort of interactive component can help the lesson be better received.
Once concern regarding technology is that teachers cannot teach something that has not been invented yet. Last semester I did a report on this very issue. When computers first came out there way no such thing as twitter or gmail. We simply cannot plan for things that have yet to be invented. Another concern is that we don't want to make students 100% dependent on the internet and technology. If something were to ever happen where we could no longer use technology, they still need to have the basic skills needed to function in society without relying on a computer.
I am a fan of the ISTE standards that are listed for teachers. One standard that I like in particular is the Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. It talks about incorporating digital tools to help promote creativity and student learning. If students can see that technology is wonderful outlet that can help them express themselves and be a contributing member of society, it is only going to help them! If teachers can convey technology in a way that excites students it will make them more eager to learn and participate and come up with new ideas of their own. One standard that seems currently out of my skill set is to demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. As I have said before, I am not super up to date with all of the latest programs. This worries me a bit because I feel like if you are lacking in even just one particular area or program then you cannot fully understand what's going on or how to teach it.
I do believe that today's youth are "digital natives". A digital native can be defined as someone how has grown up knowing technology and using technology. A digital immigrant is someone who is "new" to technology, meaning that it was not available to them growing up. I've had teachers in the past who had no idea what twitter or Instagram or Netflix was but it was always fun to show them. My friends and I created a Instagram for my Law Studies teacher and it's just a long on going joke now. The lessons could run slower if I had a teacher who didn't know much about the technology in the classroom. Often times, the teacher would ask the student for help and that wasn't the best situation. I feel that I will be pretty well prepared to teach my students adequately with the technology that I know, but then again in 10 years there will be brand new technology to learn that has not be invented yet.
I think computers are vital to the education experience because it is ensuring that students have all of the necessary components they need to thrive in the real world. If students are educated in their k-12 experience then it can really help them when they go onto college or their career. The more comfortable they are with technology the easier it will be for them to learn a new program or adapt to their job. Technology can be a very helpful resource in a student's education as well. The internet helps them interact with their fellow classmates and teachers when they need help with something. If a student has a question about an assignment (like me who usually has 5) then they can just shoot their teacher and email or text one of their friends and get a speedy response. If all else fails, there is google to answer virtually your every need. Technology can also provide new experiences for students. Like viewing news live from around the world, or watching education videos, or creating a website of their own. Being computer literal can also help with lesson preparation. You can stand at a podium and lecture for an hour with no sort of visual and chances are the audience will not retain much of what you are saying because they will lose interest and become distracted. But, knowing how to make a cool graphic, or powerpoint, or some sort of interactive component can help the lesson be better received.
Once concern regarding technology is that teachers cannot teach something that has not been invented yet. Last semester I did a report on this very issue. When computers first came out there way no such thing as twitter or gmail. We simply cannot plan for things that have yet to be invented. Another concern is that we don't want to make students 100% dependent on the internet and technology. If something were to ever happen where we could no longer use technology, they still need to have the basic skills needed to function in society without relying on a computer.
I am a fan of the ISTE standards that are listed for teachers. One standard that I like in particular is the Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. It talks about incorporating digital tools to help promote creativity and student learning. If students can see that technology is wonderful outlet that can help them express themselves and be a contributing member of society, it is only going to help them! If teachers can convey technology in a way that excites students it will make them more eager to learn and participate and come up with new ideas of their own. One standard that seems currently out of my skill set is to demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. As I have said before, I am not super up to date with all of the latest programs. This worries me a bit because I feel like if you are lacking in even just one particular area or program then you cannot fully understand what's going on or how to teach it.
I do believe that today's youth are "digital natives". A digital native can be defined as someone how has grown up knowing technology and using technology. A digital immigrant is someone who is "new" to technology, meaning that it was not available to them growing up. I've had teachers in the past who had no idea what twitter or Instagram or Netflix was but it was always fun to show them. My friends and I created a Instagram for my Law Studies teacher and it's just a long on going joke now. The lessons could run slower if I had a teacher who didn't know much about the technology in the classroom. Often times, the teacher would ask the student for help and that wasn't the best situation. I feel that I will be pretty well prepared to teach my students adequately with the technology that I know, but then again in 10 years there will be brand new technology to learn that has not be invented yet.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Post #0 11.12.16
I will be the very first one to admit that I am embarrassingly super bad with technology. I just recently got a MacBook in July and I am still trying to figure out how to use everything. This is my very first laptop of my own so it's both exciting and challenging trying to figure everything out. I mainly use my phone or laptop to do most things. I just recently learned about websites like Prezi. I am slowly but surely catching up to everyone else.
I hope to learn how to do the basics like PowerPoint, excel, etc to help prepare me for the real world. I know it is extremely important to be a computer literate teacher today. I hope to become "fluent" in all things computer and not have to google or YouTube every single question that I have when using my laptop. I also want to learn "all things" computer so I can help my future students and my peers. I believe knowing how to navigate your way around the computer can only help your career.
I learned that I am pretty well balanced in all three categories. Based on these results I am both an active and a reflective learner. Every new topic or concept that I learn I approach differently. Usually I need something explained to me as I go, rather than hear all the information and then proceed. But in other cases I have to sit back and take a few minutes to process everything I just heard, gather my thoughts, plan out what I am going to do, and then do it. Pretty much every situation is different though. I personally think I am more of a "Let's try it out and see if it works" person but that doesn't always have the best outcome for me. Strictly taking notes on something with no sort of application is difficult for me. Again I am equally balanced between sensing and intuitive learning. This is part of the reason I want to become a teacher. I understand that everyone learns differently and I want to be accommodating to that as best as I can. In certain areas I like straightforward facts and methods but in other areas information won't click naturally for me so I will have to adjust and find ways that I learn best. Once I understand a conception or a process though, I usually pretty fast at executing. I take tests faster than most people. Whether I know the information like the back of my hand or I am not confident in the material, I still finish test rather quickly. This is where the intuitive learning styles come in. Before I took this quiz, I considered myself to be a complete visual learner, hands down. But again, I am evenly balanced between visual and verbal learning. In every class that I take I have to go back in my notes and rewrite them into something visual. I am always scared if I miss one thing then that is the one thing that the teacher will put on the test for sure, so I always write down pretty much every single word the teacher says. Thankfully, now that I take my laptop to class it is easier for me to get everything down. I try my best to listen to everything that is said and attempt to process it but usually I have to go back bad through my notes and make a "cheat sheet" of all the important concepts. Oddly enough, I learn better when my handwriting looks "cute" or neat and I am even more inclined to learn because I like how it looks. I know weird. Also, anytime I am studying for a test, I get a blank sheet of copy paper and write down everything in colorful pens. I would also say I am more of a sequential leaner. When steps are laid out to me and explained in a manner I can relate to I usually pick things up quickly.
I hope to learn how to do the basics like PowerPoint, excel, etc to help prepare me for the real world. I know it is extremely important to be a computer literate teacher today. I hope to become "fluent" in all things computer and not have to google or YouTube every single question that I have when using my laptop. I also want to learn "all things" computer so I can help my future students and my peers. I believe knowing how to navigate your way around the computer can only help your career.
I learned that I am pretty well balanced in all three categories. Based on these results I am both an active and a reflective learner. Every new topic or concept that I learn I approach differently. Usually I need something explained to me as I go, rather than hear all the information and then proceed. But in other cases I have to sit back and take a few minutes to process everything I just heard, gather my thoughts, plan out what I am going to do, and then do it. Pretty much every situation is different though. I personally think I am more of a "Let's try it out and see if it works" person but that doesn't always have the best outcome for me. Strictly taking notes on something with no sort of application is difficult for me. Again I am equally balanced between sensing and intuitive learning. This is part of the reason I want to become a teacher. I understand that everyone learns differently and I want to be accommodating to that as best as I can. In certain areas I like straightforward facts and methods but in other areas information won't click naturally for me so I will have to adjust and find ways that I learn best. Once I understand a conception or a process though, I usually pretty fast at executing. I take tests faster than most people. Whether I know the information like the back of my hand or I am not confident in the material, I still finish test rather quickly. This is where the intuitive learning styles come in. Before I took this quiz, I considered myself to be a complete visual learner, hands down. But again, I am evenly balanced between visual and verbal learning. In every class that I take I have to go back in my notes and rewrite them into something visual. I am always scared if I miss one thing then that is the one thing that the teacher will put on the test for sure, so I always write down pretty much every single word the teacher says. Thankfully, now that I take my laptop to class it is easier for me to get everything down. I try my best to listen to everything that is said and attempt to process it but usually I have to go back bad through my notes and make a "cheat sheet" of all the important concepts. Oddly enough, I learn better when my handwriting looks "cute" or neat and I am even more inclined to learn because I like how it looks. I know weird. Also, anytime I am studying for a test, I get a blank sheet of copy paper and write down everything in colorful pens. I would also say I am more of a sequential leaner. When steps are laid out to me and explained in a manner I can relate to I usually pick things up quickly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)