One-to-one Tsunami
By: Pamela Livingston
from Technology and Learning
It talked about making laptops and computers one-to-one in each school for each student. There have been major waves of more and more schools committing to this every year. It helps in cutting time that would normally be spent gathering and organizing data, but the computers can do the same thing in much less time. There needs to be high-quality security standards so that no students are accessing Internet websites that are not appropriate or that are off-limits. I don't know how great the need is for one-to-one computers. I still think it is a luxury rather than a necessity.
Blogs are not the Enemy
By: Jeff Utecht
from Technology and Learning
This article talks about the benefits of blogging in the classroom and how it is different from simply writing a journal out on paper. As long as teachers bring back what is being said in the blogs into the classroom, then they are enhancing learning and a deeper understanding of others around us and how they live and think. The difference between blogging and writing in a journal is that other students are allowed to comment on their peers' writings. This causes more interaction to take place and emotional involvement in order to make deeper connections.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Website Reflections
Joan Steinkuhler
I liked how on all of her web pages, she labeled each button specifically as to what that button would lead to. She had good backgrounds and design schemes. I thought it was a good idea to include her management plan and her philosophy so that everyone will know what she will be like in the classroom.
Kiley Olds
I like the background on the home page, but it makes the words kind of difficult to discern since they use some of the same colors and it blends together at some points. Same thing with the second page, the background is cool yet it makes it hard to read the words at times.
Roger Hays
I liked how easy it was to maneuver around the website and everything was simple to find and read. The alphabet book may have a little too much information for smaller students to remember or to know.
Kayla Juenemann
Her website was extremely organized and was separated into specific categories. This made it easy to find anything that you needed. Good backgrounds and schemes.
Kerrie Olson
Nice scrapbooking pages and cute designs. They all tie together well. I would like if the links were more clearly organized and specified on the buttons as to which websites they will offer or get you to.
Nikki Moody
Good design scheme throughout the pages of the website. I liked the quote on the home page and the title of the page at the top. Nice graphics on the frames also.
I liked how on all of her web pages, she labeled each button specifically as to what that button would lead to. She had good backgrounds and design schemes. I thought it was a good idea to include her management plan and her philosophy so that everyone will know what she will be like in the classroom.
Kiley Olds
I like the background on the home page, but it makes the words kind of difficult to discern since they use some of the same colors and it blends together at some points. Same thing with the second page, the background is cool yet it makes it hard to read the words at times.
Roger Hays
I liked how easy it was to maneuver around the website and everything was simple to find and read. The alphabet book may have a little too much information for smaller students to remember or to know.
Kayla Juenemann
Her website was extremely organized and was separated into specific categories. This made it easy to find anything that you needed. Good backgrounds and schemes.
Kerrie Olson
Nice scrapbooking pages and cute designs. They all tie together well. I would like if the links were more clearly organized and specified on the buttons as to which websites they will offer or get you to.
Nikki Moody
Good design scheme throughout the pages of the website. I liked the quote on the home page and the title of the page at the top. Nice graphics on the frames also.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
More Reflections
Video helps overhaul district's curriculum
By: Laura DeVaney, eSchool News
Baltimore County's schools are proud of their efforts in utilizing advanced technology to benefit their students. They are using video-on-demand in order to help those visual learners in their classrooms. Many other schools are doing the same thing, but Baltimore County has formed a team of teachers so that they may decide the best way to use this technology across the curriculum and all subject matter. I think that it is a great way to try and reach the visual learners, as most 21st century students are, because of the technology that we have grown up with all of our lives. We are used to technical gadgets and devices and can adapt our use of them very quickly.
If wired right, computers do belong in classrooms
By: Bob Sipchen, latimes.com
This article was very interesting and insightful. It talked about many different viewpoints of the importance of technology in today's classrooms. Some software seems to be effective in helping some students learn. I don't think there will be a way to engage all students at the same time in the way that they want to learn. Some are visual, some are kinesthetic and have to actually have hands-on experience in order to understand something. The kinesthetic learners probably do not prefer using computers. I know that it is beneficial for students to know and understand how to use computers and other technological devices, yet I am not sure that it should take over how we introduce all subject matter to the students. I still want my students to be able to look up words in a dictionary, instead of searching Google. I'm afraid that, someday, our society will lose our ingenuity and resourcefulness in the technology era. We might forget how we came to those conclusions and how we invented the new technology gadgets. Our intelligence might actually decrease because of overwhelming lack of use of our brains and relying on computers to tell us what to think and what is right. This is something that society needs to be aware of and caution against in the future.
By: Laura DeVaney, eSchool News
Baltimore County's schools are proud of their efforts in utilizing advanced technology to benefit their students. They are using video-on-demand in order to help those visual learners in their classrooms. Many other schools are doing the same thing, but Baltimore County has formed a team of teachers so that they may decide the best way to use this technology across the curriculum and all subject matter. I think that it is a great way to try and reach the visual learners, as most 21st century students are, because of the technology that we have grown up with all of our lives. We are used to technical gadgets and devices and can adapt our use of them very quickly.
If wired right, computers do belong in classrooms
By: Bob Sipchen, latimes.com
This article was very interesting and insightful. It talked about many different viewpoints of the importance of technology in today's classrooms. Some software seems to be effective in helping some students learn. I don't think there will be a way to engage all students at the same time in the way that they want to learn. Some are visual, some are kinesthetic and have to actually have hands-on experience in order to understand something. The kinesthetic learners probably do not prefer using computers. I know that it is beneficial for students to know and understand how to use computers and other technological devices, yet I am not sure that it should take over how we introduce all subject matter to the students. I still want my students to be able to look up words in a dictionary, instead of searching Google. I'm afraid that, someday, our society will lose our ingenuity and resourcefulness in the technology era. We might forget how we came to those conclusions and how we invented the new technology gadgets. Our intelligence might actually decrease because of overwhelming lack of use of our brains and relying on computers to tell us what to think and what is right. This is something that society needs to be aware of and caution against in the future.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Article Reflections
U.S.-born don't learn the language easily
By: Marcela Sanchez
seattlepi.com
This article talks about how students of today are not becoming proficient in the English language, regardless if they were born in the United States or not. Many students claim English as their second language since there are quite a number of recent immigrants in the schools. Some of these ethnic groups have difficulty in gaining proficiency in this language. The surprising fact is that there is also a high number of United States citizens from birth that are struggling in this subject. Even after several years in our educational systems, they are having trouble becoming proficient. Something needs to change in the system and adapt to the children's needs if the current ways are not helping them to progress.
Creating rap lyrics helps inspires young history students
The Boston Globe
By: Angie Green
A middle school history teacher decided to shake things up in his classes by letting students create rap lyrics so that they could remember their material easier. They rapped about famous people who stood up for what was right and justice such as Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson, and Gandhi. The students said that they had a lot of fun doing this assignment and it was much more interesting than sitting and reading about it in their textbook. I think it is a great way to get the students involved in their learning process and music is an awesome venue for helping people to remember words, facts, and ideas better.
Parents, teachers, kids speak up on ed tech
Communication, access are important to students; most parents believe technology is underused in schools
By: Justin Appel
eSchool News
A survey was done showing that students and parents are more for technology in the classroom and teachers are more hesitant, especially with the use of cell phones in school. Students feel the need to constantly be connected to an assortment of resources. They have grown up with technology and do not know any different, they expect technology to work and work fast with accuracy. This may be a disadvantage when it comes to other types of creativity or thinking for themselves when they know a computer can do it ten times faster and better. I can understand why teachers would not want cell phones in their classrooms as they would be a major distraction, especially with text messaging. However, it would be good for the student to be able to contact a parent or guardian in the event of an emergency so there has to be some middle ground found on that issue.
More students getting laptops instead of textbooks
Louisiana high school becomes latest to switch to an all-digital curriculum
eSchool News staff
This high school is dumping all textbooks and most use of paper and reverting to the total use of laptop computers. They will get to take these computers home and do any and almost all assignments on these high-tech devices. The school received grants and were able to get computers from Apple for the students to utilize. I have always liked working on computers and think that it does take some time off of something that might have taken a lot longer, yet I would not want them to replace the form of actual books and papers. If our students sit at a computer all day and at night to finish homework also, I wonder if this would effect their eyesight at all? I know that I can only stare at a computer screen for so long before my eyes get tired and stressed and I need to take a break. If the computers are all the students use, will the next generation all need to also depend on eye technology to fix their skewed vision? I have always loved to read and would miss reading an actual book over reading from the Internet. There are some advantages to this new technology as it will prepare the students for future jobs and important basic knowledge about it they will need to know, yet there are also many disadvantages that we cannot disregard and must take into account.
By: Marcela Sanchez
seattlepi.com
This article talks about how students of today are not becoming proficient in the English language, regardless if they were born in the United States or not. Many students claim English as their second language since there are quite a number of recent immigrants in the schools. Some of these ethnic groups have difficulty in gaining proficiency in this language. The surprising fact is that there is also a high number of United States citizens from birth that are struggling in this subject. Even after several years in our educational systems, they are having trouble becoming proficient. Something needs to change in the system and adapt to the children's needs if the current ways are not helping them to progress.
Creating rap lyrics helps inspires young history students
The Boston Globe
By: Angie Green
A middle school history teacher decided to shake things up in his classes by letting students create rap lyrics so that they could remember their material easier. They rapped about famous people who stood up for what was right and justice such as Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson, and Gandhi. The students said that they had a lot of fun doing this assignment and it was much more interesting than sitting and reading about it in their textbook. I think it is a great way to get the students involved in their learning process and music is an awesome venue for helping people to remember words, facts, and ideas better.
Parents, teachers, kids speak up on ed tech
Communication, access are important to students; most parents believe technology is underused in schools
By: Justin Appel
eSchool News
A survey was done showing that students and parents are more for technology in the classroom and teachers are more hesitant, especially with the use of cell phones in school. Students feel the need to constantly be connected to an assortment of resources. They have grown up with technology and do not know any different, they expect technology to work and work fast with accuracy. This may be a disadvantage when it comes to other types of creativity or thinking for themselves when they know a computer can do it ten times faster and better. I can understand why teachers would not want cell phones in their classrooms as they would be a major distraction, especially with text messaging. However, it would be good for the student to be able to contact a parent or guardian in the event of an emergency so there has to be some middle ground found on that issue.
More students getting laptops instead of textbooks
Louisiana high school becomes latest to switch to an all-digital curriculum
eSchool News staff
This high school is dumping all textbooks and most use of paper and reverting to the total use of laptop computers. They will get to take these computers home and do any and almost all assignments on these high-tech devices. The school received grants and were able to get computers from Apple for the students to utilize. I have always liked working on computers and think that it does take some time off of something that might have taken a lot longer, yet I would not want them to replace the form of actual books and papers. If our students sit at a computer all day and at night to finish homework also, I wonder if this would effect their eyesight at all? I know that I can only stare at a computer screen for so long before my eyes get tired and stressed and I need to take a break. If the computers are all the students use, will the next generation all need to also depend on eye technology to fix their skewed vision? I have always loved to read and would miss reading an actual book over reading from the Internet. There are some advantages to this new technology as it will prepare the students for future jobs and important basic knowledge about it they will need to know, yet there are also many disadvantages that we cannot disregard and must take into account.
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