03/30/10 Exit Slip

Todays class was really cool, quick but cool. The contemporary issue about testing on a computer for FCAT was very eye brow raising. It was something that I had never heard of but especially since I am working to be apart of the Education Field I am glad it has been brought to my attention. I was glad to see the resources from this chapter because I think they will be rather useful in my delicious account.
*B.C.*

Chapter 7: Communicating With Technology

Chapter seven was a rather interesting chapter that had alot of very cool ways to incorporate things like video conferencing. Communicating with technology is a really helpful tool to use that can be beneficial to teacher, students, and even parents. Both synchronous and asynchronous have their advantages and disadvantages and can and should be used interchangeably. The asynchronous communication can be used if both parties are not present at a computer at the same time. I learned how I use asynschornous communication without even knowing through things like Moodle and Black Board. If there is something a little more urgent, interactive, and both parties are available to use a computer with internet access then the synchronous usage would probably be best. I love that we got a chance to learn about these different types of communications through technology because they are becoming more widely and commonly used in todays society. I am also glad that we had been instructed to create a podcast here in the EME class because I not know so many ways I can incorporate them in the classroom and how they can be helpful for so many different things. I learned that there are quiet a few ways you can benefit from having a computer conference as oppose to a regular face to face conversation. Computer conferencing can support discussions, debates, and collaborative efforts among students that may be distant from one another. It also enables learners to reflect on their ideas or responses before making them. One that may even be a little more important is the different kinds of things that can be scaffold in computer conferences. Gradually I can see students becoming more common users of communicating through technology and gaining more out of their conversations.
*B.C.*

End of Class March 23rd, 2010

I thought that todays class was extremely interesting. I was excited about the way the presenters presented Chapter 7. The idea of using video conferencing for absent students or absent teachers seemed very eye catching. I also thought about parents being able to chime in and see how their child is behaving. The presentation was great. After the examples we were given I am once again excited about working on my Scratch project. The contemporary issues section raised ideas that I had never really thought about. For the cool tools I got some really cool sites to add to my delicious account. Todays class was very giving of information.

Chapter 8: Designing With Technologies

I like the way designing takes problem solving to the next level. Instead of just selecting the solution students get to plan and make a solution. With design I see students getting the opportunity to carry out their solutions in a concrete form. Also, the chapter states how students get to process multiple solutions instead of just a single right answer. I felt that this was rather effective because there are so many learning opportunities in trial and error. It is also stated that design problems often require the designer to make judgments and defend the problem or express personal belief or opinion about it. I agree with this because in order to develop personal beliefs or opinions students must have good understanding of the problem they are solving.
I like the thought of being able to use this across different discipline like mathematics and media art. The mention of things like the FIRST Robotic and Lego design competitions reminds me of ways to get students to see things they are good at in life besides the conventional math, science, or social studies. There aren’t many opportunities within the everyday classroom for students to learn that they may want to be an electrician or engineer. Students starting out early with Computer-Aided Design Programs can be developed into students that may go on to build technological software for computers, electronically developed blue prints for structures, or even a whole new computing software all together. If students start out with little activities or software like “Architectural Design with Sketch-Up” from the school age just imagine where they may be at the college or young adult level. Also, so many students get to college and may spend about a year or more on exploration before deciding where they really want to be but if they have programs like these, students get an earlier change to explores those options or more time to learn about what may become their future career. I see these CAD’s as early job practice opportunities and I hope that I get firsthand experience in today’s presentation.
*B.C.*

Ending Class For March 16th

Today's class presented alot of new sites that I could add on to my delicious account. The chapter presentation taught me about some really cool sites to visit for the professional community environment. Teacher talk was very interesting and I think that it will be a really cool site that I may plan to use in my classroom. The topic of cyber bashing was very eye opening and although I have seen videos of school fights I never realized how detrimental it was becoming to students. The cool tools we visited today were okay but only one really caught my attention which was dweeber.com. This is another site that I can actually see myself using in the classroom.
*B.C.*

Chapter 6: Community Building with Technologies

When I saw that the title of the chapter was “Community Building with Technologies” it sounded like an oxymoron to me because I feel that people become more distant when technology is being used. As I began reading I realized that I had never considered the option of building communities between different communities. I never realized that there were so many ways for people to stay in touch across the world. When I was younger remember there were pen pals that you wrote to across the waters and would take weeks before you received an answer. By the time I was old enough to have a pen pal we were able to e-mail each other and have a more rapid response. The students of this day and age have things like wiggio, wikis, blogs, and even videoconferencing or webcams. All of these are things that I couldn’t have even dreamed of using with my pen pal. I think that this opens doors to exploring better cultural awareness and appreciation, encourages students to want to travel, and just gets students inquisitive overall.
This chapter also informed me that not only do students like participating in education through technologies but they actually expect to. What this says to me is that I have to be ready to implement many avenues of technology into my classroom. After changing my specialization to Education Technology this is definitely something I hope to be able to do. Technology and the internet allows room for students to produce their own knowledge database in their own knowledge based community. This means that they are building their own knowledge, rules, boundaries, etc. In order for this to happen students must be active learners and thinkers so the act of doing this alone teaches the students something new. I feel that the technology world will continue to develop and support more critical thinkers and I am excited to see what all it can do for the world of education.
*B.C.*

End of Class @ March 2nd, 2010

I feel that todays class raised alot of interesting questions and topics. The topic of technology and obesity opened my eyes a little about how correlation doesn't equal causation. Today I finished my podcast and I was really excited about how well it went over. Also, after the discussion I am excited about going in to get started on my Scratch!
*B.C.*