Wednesday, March 20, 2013

chapter 9. Journal

                1)      FOCUS QUESTION:  How can teachers use video resources in their teaching?

Videos are easy tools to be found in a school environment. They can be set on TV monitors and be ready for use in classrooms. Videos can come from different sources such as a school library, TV programs, Public libraries, websites, museums, educational organizations. They can even be created by teachers and students.  How to use as
Resources to promote teaching and learning?
Television has always been present in the life of the youth, and they are already inclined to accept it instead of any printed material or lecture form teachers. Teachers can take advantage of that natural attraction and incorporate videos to engage students.  Consequently, some techniques are developed to use videos effectively.
·         The features of pause, rewind, and stop allow the educator to control the information given to the students, and also engage them in an interactive open discussion that will promote critical thinking.
·         The previous features facilitate note taking, and better viewing. These two elements play together to enhance students' involvement.
·         Teachers can opt to show a small amount of a video to keep students’ interest. Long viewing periods risk loosing their attention and opportunities to interact and learn from it.
·         The video experience can be modified by turning the sound off, giving the students a chance to come up with their understanding of the visual input only. This one could be eliminated instead, and students could try to imagine the scenes using only the sound of it.
            The most important aspect about videos is that educators can use them to enhance the
            students’ learning experience, enriching a lesson, and providing an auditive and visual
             feature to serve students with different learning styles.


2)      TECH TOOL: Film, Video, and Streaming Video Resources For Teachers.

            I believe that items that have the potential to stimulate learning, should be among the
            teachers’ priorities tools. Based on the fact that students are more enthusiast to learn
            when a visual input is used, I would take advantage, as an educator, of the following
             resources which are easily accessible, and able of engaging learners.

·         PBS: “Public Broadcasting Station”.
PBS stations provide many varieties of television programs that can be used as resources to enhance lessons on different topics. Also, many programs comes with websites that provide lesson plans, interactive timelines, additional resource materials, etc. TV for Teachers is part of the PBS TeacherSource (www.pbs.org/teachersources) that provide more than 3,000 lesson plans for all school courses and grade levels. PBS also gives  information on research about technologies used in K-12. It allows as well bloggers to exchange information and ideas about the influence of technology and internet on teaching and learning in school, etc.

·         NTTI: “National Teacher Training Institute”.
The National Teacher Training Institute (NTTI) is a video resource for teacher that contain several lesson plans written by teachers.The site offers also strategies for integrating video in teaching.

·         TeacherTube/Teachers.tv:
TeacherTube is similar to the popular YouTube video site, but it has educational content. Teachers.tv is the version created by the British. Both sites provide resources that can be used in classrooms. They are well organized, and up to date.

·         The Futures Channel:
It offers a collection of video clips on careers, jobs, and future opportunities. They show students various application of class content in real life situations. It includes also an extensive variety of lessons plans and other teaching resources.

·         Annenberg Media Learner.Org:
It is a website that provides streaming videos (simultaneous transfer of video, voice, and data from one computer to another) with educational content in several subject areas.



3)      SUMMARY:

Chapter 9 explains how educators can instill learning by using presentation tools such as PowerPoint software, videos and DVDs, digital camera, movie-making software, and podcasts/vodcasts.
A term such as multimedia is introduced as “the presentation of material using both words and pictures” (Mayer 2001 p.2). Multimodal learning is described as happening when teachers combine lecture with visuals or text with audio. The advantages for teachers to incorporate multiple interactive media into instruction are expressed, as well as the benefits of having a multimedia classroom. Usefulness, critique, and strategies of using PowerPoint are debated. Also, video, photo taking and movie making, digital videos, and tactic for using cameras, are outlined as tools for teaching. Even lesson plan utilizes technology (digital cameras, digital videos cameras, or camera phones with video capabilities) to inspire students of different grade level.
The focus of chapter 9 is on using multimedia technologies interactively with students to stimulate enthusiasm for learning, actively engage them, and also conjointly with them or not to create and to deliver information.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Chapter 5 Journal

What are search engines and how do they work?

Search engines are software programs that use networks of computers to acquire and assess information about a topic from its databases. We often use search engines because we want to receive information about a specific topic on the internet. Search engines are brilliant, because by typing a single word or phrase you can receive millions of webpages regarding your topic within milliseconds. For example, there are sites that I utilize on a daily basis like Google and Bing. These sites allow you to search specific topics and often will populate frequently searched topics as you begin typing in what you're looking for. Search engines are also available for educational resources which provide more options for school-related topics and offer more scholarly resources.


This video was provided YouTube user socialmediadd

Tech Tool 5.1 Photo and Audio Resources on the Web 

Tech tool 5.1 demonstrates Flickr which is a photo managing and sharing tool on the web. Many educators use this locate and organize their photos. Although Im not real big on photo sharing and screaming online this tool is neat because not only can you put your own photos on there, you could use the photos that people have shared if you're looking for something specific. Tech Tool 5.1 also shows LibriVox which offers free audio recording of published books and other random material. I would definitely utilize this site for my students and myself. I could either use it in class reading or for students that have difficulty reading on their own.

Chapter 5 Summary Researching and Evaluating Internet Information

Chapter 5 basically states how to make the internet a useful source by eliminating all the garbage. ICT Literacy means to be able to use digital information, communication tools, and networks appropriately to correct and solve information problems.Therefore, educators take this serious and they teach their student how to be IT Fluent. For example, the goal of an educator is to make sure the student knows how to approach and use the internet as if they were an expert. Search engines like Google have become a popular resource where student and other go to get information but if the student understands how it works and how to navigate it they are able to use as if they were experts, which is the ultimate goal. Chapter 5 also explains the differences between a free-text search, keyword/exact match search, and a Boolean search.It provides strategies on engaging the students and showing the student how to use these resources as well. When using the variety of searches you might come across different problems and receive different responses like misinformation and useless information. It also talks about Wikipedia and how it compares to a paper encyclopedia.

Journal Post 6

What are WebQuests and virtual field trips? 

WebQuests and virtual field trip are online tools designed to get the student more involved and interested in learning. WebQuests are designed by students, students make their inquiries and then teachers guide them. In a WebQuest, students navigate through a web resource to gather and learn information on a topic. Once they've learned about a topic, they will then assess what they find or prepare a presentation based on their findings. There are many sites and resources teacher can use in order to create a successful WebQuest. In comparison to WebQuest, virtual field trips work in a similar way but differ because these are designed to take a student on a field trip anywhere in the world without ever having to leave their schools. Multiple computers are required for virtual field trips because students can explore museums and historical places anywhere. Virtual field trips are still new therefore, a lot of research is still being done but student so far have shown higher reading comprehension skills in a recent study done.

Video provided by feythdemacedo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ieVPUFpIw

This tech tool is all about online field trips. This site takes you right to the source while adding the interesting facts and history behind the cave paintings. It also enhances the site by showing some amazing pictures. The idea is to take students on a field trip without the "field" aspect of it. A great idea when used on rainy days or at times where every students wouldn't be able to physically make the trip. The only downside would be that every aspect of the tool depends on technology working. 

Chapter 6 Summary Teaching with Educational Websites and Other Online Resources 

This chapter introduces online resources, book marking, social book marking, and information alerts used for organizing. It provides information for managing information electronically and gathering the information to make your lesson fun and interesting. It provides bookmarking tools and provides education on how to use them appropriately like on Portaportal. It also gives the information needed on how to use social book marking as well.

The standard connector simplifies and stores state standards which helps keep teachers organized and calm. Being a teacher can get a little chaotic at times and having a tool such as this helps keeps things calm and organized.


Next, it talks about WebQuest and virtual field trips. Also, it provides information on educational websites as teaching resources and how to utilize them. Using educational websites interactively to engage a student is extremely important because you want to be able to keep your students interested and you want them to absorb the information your teaching as an educator. This chapter explains how to do this in an effective manner.

Finally, it show educators how to use technology transformation on their lesson plans. A

Chapter 7 Journal Post

How can teachers evaluate the effectiveness of educational software?

 Teachers can evaluate the effectiveness of educational software in many ways, but first they must be able to identify the things that make up poor software. Poor software usually lets the students control the activity oppose to a good one were the software controls the activity. Finally, the software must provide critical thinking. This day in age a student must be able to critically think not only about problems and answers but about the part taken to get that point. Once the teachers have identified these basics on a software they will be able to determine if it is an effective educational software.

Tech Tool 7.2 A Math Learning Game- Zoombinis Logical Journey 

Tech Tool 7.1 is a great math learning game. I found that it was extremely easy to understand, especially being that math can sometimes be overwhelming. The level of  interaction was simple enough for a small child to understand and remain entertained. The simplicity of the tool will keep students engaged, it also plays as a game more than a learning tech tool which will encourage younger students to participate.

Chapter 7 Summary Problem Solving and Inquiry Learning with Software and Web Tools 

Chapter 7 does an overview on how educational software supports and promotes problem solving and inquiry learning from students in all elementary, middle, and high school levels.It approaches the areas educators have most difficulties with in computers and software and how to find out their effectiveness. It explains the two types of software. First, there is system software, system software is responsible for the overall functioning and control of a computer and includes an operating system, database managing, and TP monitor. The second type of software is application software that performs specific functions in specialized ways to produce different services. These services include word processing, spreadsheets, slides, etc. Next, it talks about open sources software is available to the public at little or no cost. 

With all the types of software available, chapter 7 discusses how to evaluate different software and gives a general criteria to determine whether they are valuable or a wasteful source for learning. It also provides online software resources for teachers and how to use educational software for problem solving and inquiry learning in order to meet educational goals. Also, Chapter 7 gives information to the educator on how to build, invent and create software. 

Chapter 7 gives information on educational games as a learning resource. For example, tech tool 7.2 provided a great, fun, and interactive learning game for student and this is just one of many ways to show a student a fun and interactive way of learning through educational games. Even though there has been many debates on games and gaming, I feel like educational games are a great way to get a student involve, especially for those who have a hard time paying attention in class or even those students with ADD because in involves the student in many more ways then one. I love the fact that this chapter also provides the strategies on how to include games in their curriculum because we live in a technology 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dp_Q53Z4UM

VIDEO PROVIDED BY

world therefore, students must know how to approach technology properly. 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Journal Post 8 - Article Crituqe

I just read an intersting article from Kathy Schrock. The article was in regards to a new serviceable document camera for the ipad. The equipment would allow the user to  stream the images from any Ipevo document camera wirelessly to your iPad or computer with their WS-01 Wireless Station. The article carried video demonstrations and other resources. My biggest issue with the post was the language and un deserved credit that Ms. Schrock gave to the reader. Being that I myself am not tech savy and that my nacular may not be up to par with some computer and program users, I will admit that I often got lost reading the short article. I think that a simpler or more depth article would safice not only to previous readers but also to the new readers as well. All the less the article was very informative in regards to the ipevo software that can be used with the ipad.