Reaction to Digital Booktalk

All of these technology related projects we are doing are both scaring and shocking me. Scaring in a bad way of course and shocking in a good way. I get so scared because the assignment descriptions ask us to do things that I am totally not used to doing. I become afraid to approach the assignents and start them because I am not used to trying new technology, I just stick to the basics. When we were challanged to use a different tool from the autobiography I hesitated once again because I didnt want to be taken from my comfort zone but I was glad that he set that challange before us. If we werent challanged I would have resulted back to the same tool because I knew it and I was used to is but I was able to test a few more tools and find out that some were not so user friendly and that some are. I like that I am more comfortable with more than one tool now and that its something I can share with my students. When I was told that we would no longer be using Powerpoint I felt like Jeff had clipped my feet from under me but with all of these new tools I feel like I can fly.
*B.C.*

What I Learned Today

The new thing that I learned today that stood out to me was the clicker. I was so excited to use the tool and I would really like to use it in my class. It made me want to answer the question. If I felt like that about using the tool, being a college students, I can just imagine how my students would feel. I would like to try using it in one of my presentations.
*B.C.*

Reaction to Meaningful Learning with Technology

When reading the preface of this book I got really excited because its intentions seem to fulfill all the things I hope to get out of this class. The book “Meaningful Learning with Technology” states that it intends to engage and support the learning processes using technology. When I entered this class and after watching the video I wanted to do so much with technology in my classroom. The video got me thinking “well, if this is what is grabbing the students attention then why shouldn’t we use it in the classroom.” Things like Ipods, computers, and many other hand-held electronic devices seem to take up a lot of students time and attention. It seems that some students can type a paper better than they can write one, but send a text message before they can type. They barely hold conversations because their ears are plugged with ear phones blasting their music; and they are hardly outside playing because their eyes are glued to the computers to see their friends newest updates on MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter. It seems apparent that students aren’t “letting up” on these devices any time soon so I say we channel them to work to our advantage, turn them into positive and meaningful learning tools. I also appreciate the fact that they will offer specific software to use in order to carry out tasks with the students. I have also come to the understanding that students take notes and construct learning from what their teachers know and teach them. This means that I have to learn and have a good understanding of technology too. I learned from the book that I shouldn’t be learning to become an expert but rather learning in order to coach the learning of the students. In some aspects the students and I should be learning the technology together. Since students are “technology natives” and I am a “technology foreigner” then they may already know more about the technology than I do. Also instead of telling students what to know, how to learn it, and how to use it students must allow students to construct their own learning and help students discover what the larger community of scholars regards as meaningful concepts. In the chapter about “What is Meaningful Learning” it tells how schools today teach students to “take a test”. Students are tested from k-12 on things or in a way that is not relative to real life situations. It stresses that in order to foster meaningful learning students must be taught in an active, constructive, intentional, authentic, cooperative way. In order to learn actively students must interact with and manipulate the objects in the environment they are learning in. This how people have learned to learn for hundreds of years and should continue to do so. It also goes on to give an example of how students learn to play baseball by just going out and trying it, not lecturing and testing. For the constructive portion of learning students must be able to reflect on and articulate what it is they have been learning. Without reflection students may never stop to think about why something actually worked, what made it work, how it connected to other things, and how vital their role was in the whole process. In the area on intentional learning the text mentions how technologies have traditionally been used to support teachers’ goals but not those of the learners. We need to create a learning environment that encourages technology goals related to learners. Allow them to have goals that are in great relation to technology. For authentic learning, most lessons learned in schools focus on general principles or theories that may be used to explain phenomena that we experience.Often times those general principles are not mentioned when they are being taught so students don’t know what they relate back to. Instead of taking away those general principles and putting learning into basic formulas; why not learn them in relation to real world like learning physics through actual sports. Cooperative, be sure that students are apart of their learning and can cooperate with other learners to help construct their learning. In real world they interact with others while learning, so why shouldn’t they do so in school?When students collaborate without permission they are accused of cheating but isn’t school supposed to teach students about the real world? We should start constructing the classroom to prepare the students for more real world situations.
*B.C.*

Reaction to Growing Up Online Video

This video and the notes that accompanied it spoke so many truths. Internet and technology have become a vital part of the lives that children are living right now. I remember reading on FRONTLINE that even if children aren't apart of Myspace or don't have one, their lives still revolve around it or are related to it because thats what happening at school. I also agree with the point of all parents knowing how to navigate to and around sites that are popular for children or just the internet in general. There are so many things going on on the internet that parents dont know about and may never know about. Even one of the students in the video said that she knew if some parents knew what their kids were doing on the internet they would probably cry. Children have the opportunity to become totally different people on the internet which can lead to so much more, and parents really need to be aware of this. Something else that the postings mentioned was children who give wrong advice about things like dieting, etc. I never thought about it but if children are living in a world where they feel like no one understands them and that once person on the internet that does listen to them gives them advice, then they are more than likely to follow it. Parents can slowly start to lose their children if they haven't already and they need to get ''hip to technology'' before it becomes to late. Reality of the situation is that technology is basically built into the lives of the kids of this generation. Alot of parents don't know alot about technology, which is how their kids get away with alot of what they do. Some grandparents are raising kids, and they really may not know much about technology. So to me, my reaction to this video would be to think of ways to present technology to students and use those times to give them internet safety or technology safety tips just in case their parent or guardians can't.
*B.C.*

Reflection on Video Autobiography

I just completed my video autobiography and it was the first time I ever tried it. It was a fun tool to use and one that I don't think I would have tried on my own. I was just going to put the pictures into the slides and explain them after I got into class. Once I stopped and remembered that there was an option to record yourself and attach it to your creation I decided that I should go for it. Usually, I don't do "optional" technological things, which is why I don't have much experience with technology, so I decided to step out of the box. It ended up working well and it was no where near as hard as I though...however hard that may have been. This assignment made me realize that I should take this class to experiment on all new technological things I may come in contact with this semester. I figure that this is the best time to do it since I have guidance and someone that may show me more than I may have found out on my own. It didn't take very long to do but I did put quiet a bit of effort into because after I started I became excited about the finished product. I wouldn't say it was hard work but I did put time into putting the pictures together. Completing this task also made me take a quick glimpse over how far I have come because I'm often to busy to do that. Overall I think it was a great assignment, especially as a first assignment.
*B.C.*

What New Thinking Did I Take Away From Class Today?

The new thinking that I took away from class today was to be more open minded to the connection of the way technology is used inside and outside of class. I want to use those "cool tools" that the students use in every day life as a part of my lesson in order to have my students full attention and maybe become the "cool teacher". I think that it would be very beneficial to me because it will give me a chance to learn from my students since they may have more experience with these tools than I do. It also gives them a chance to be the expert and helps them get the maximum experience from their education. Im really excited about finding out how to add technology into as many of my lessons as possible.
*B.C.*

What is the role of technology in Teaching and Learning?

I feel that technologies role is to catch students attention and to introduce the new forms of technology that we experience daily. Also I feel that technologies keep students interest because that is slowly what the world is becoming controlled by; and if education does not keep up with how students are experiencing life then we will not be able to keep up with them. It gives students a chance to be more hands on than the older models of teaching which
were books and boards.
*B.C.*