What?
In class, we learned about Podcasts and Vidcasts. In past experiences I've never liked podcasts; just the thought of them make/made me cringe. They way that Doc Waters taught us though was pretty fun. I think that I'm slowly starting to like them because it's a much easier way than what I've learned in the past. We also learned, well talked about, some of the ways that we can incorporate Podcasts into our teaching; something that I never would have thought of.
So What?
I think that incorporating podcasts into my teaching will help me reach my students in an all new way. Students nowadays have grown up in a digital world. They are constantly playing around on the internet, cellphones, video games, ect... When you take them away from this and then put them into a classroom that's mainly lecture after lecture then they aren't going to give you their full attention. In reality, who would give you their full attention when they are thinking about doing something else? Incorporating podcasts into my teaching will help show the students that there are fun ways of learning and that can include technology.
Now What?
I would definately try to incorporate podcasts and vidcasts into my teaching, although I don't want to just teach that way because the students may get used to that way of teaching and then they will "zone" out whenever you start teaching another way. The only problem with podcasts is that I will have to get an ipod that has the attachment that makes recording easy. I also have no idea how to put the podcast onto my computer and send it out. I know how to download it once I've recieved it, but I don't know how to place it somewhere. For example, I have no idea how to make it work correctly on my google sites page. So I still have a lot of information to get down before I can incorporate using podcasts in my teaching.
Video Blog:
I watched the video on the podcasts and vidcasts webpage a few weeks ago so I chose to watch the video "Pay Attention". This video was all about engaging your students and how the most recent technology can help incorporate that. There was a part of the video that was about using their cellphones in helping them learn. Something, again, that I never would have thought about. They said that you may be able to use the cellphone in helping with writing, reading, ect... it was very interesting to me.
Something that really shocked me, at first anways, was that it said that only about 28% of 12th grade students thought that homework was meaningful. That really suprised me because I was thinking that it would be more than that, just because of the students wanting to go to college and further their education.
The last little thing that it showed on the video was "Transforming teaching through technology". I really like that becuase it is so true. We need to transform teaching through technology, it's not that we are totally changing certain ways of teaching but we are just using modern day things to better enhance how we teach.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Reflection #7 and video #7
What?
This week we had to have the "skeleton" of the WebQuest and then finish it up or have it finished by next time. I was thinking that we were almost done with our presentation but we still had a lot more to do. We had starting doing some things and decided that that wasn't going to work or that we needed more/less information. It seems to be very time consuming, I thought that it was going to take some time but it's taking longer than I expected.
So what?
This project uses a lot of team cooperation. Sometimes I wonder if it would've been easier to do by myself because I do like to take control (it helps me know that it's getting done). This activity has definately shown me that I don't always have to take control to get things done and to have faith in my group members. It will also be fun to see the finished product instead of just the parts that I've done.
Now What?
I really enjoy doing this project. It's something new and exciting and you can use this for a new way to present a lesson. It would also be a very good way to assess your students; you could teach the lesson one way and instead of just verbally asking them questions or giving them a test you could show them a WebQuest and incorporate some assessment questions into that and your students would know that they are anwering questions but it would be in a more fun way than the traditional assessments. You could also use this to present a lesson too...
Video Blog:
This week we watched the School House Rock video of Nouns-a person, place, or thing. This would be a very good thing to show a class that's learning about nouns. It's a very simple video but kids seem to like this type of thing so it would/could be a very useful tool when you're teaching about it. I would reccomend showing most of the School House Rock videos as an extra tool in your teaching. They are easily accessible now with technology and they explain things very well and they aren't so long that students would lose interest in them.
This week we had to have the "skeleton" of the WebQuest and then finish it up or have it finished by next time. I was thinking that we were almost done with our presentation but we still had a lot more to do. We had starting doing some things and decided that that wasn't going to work or that we needed more/less information. It seems to be very time consuming, I thought that it was going to take some time but it's taking longer than I expected.
So what?
This project uses a lot of team cooperation. Sometimes I wonder if it would've been easier to do by myself because I do like to take control (it helps me know that it's getting done). This activity has definately shown me that I don't always have to take control to get things done and to have faith in my group members. It will also be fun to see the finished product instead of just the parts that I've done.
Now What?
I really enjoy doing this project. It's something new and exciting and you can use this for a new way to present a lesson. It would also be a very good way to assess your students; you could teach the lesson one way and instead of just verbally asking them questions or giving them a test you could show them a WebQuest and incorporate some assessment questions into that and your students would know that they are anwering questions but it would be in a more fun way than the traditional assessments. You could also use this to present a lesson too...
Video Blog:
This week we watched the School House Rock video of Nouns-a person, place, or thing. This would be a very good thing to show a class that's learning about nouns. It's a very simple video but kids seem to like this type of thing so it would/could be a very useful tool when you're teaching about it. I would reccomend showing most of the School House Rock videos as an extra tool in your teaching. They are easily accessible now with technology and they explain things very well and they aren't so long that students would lose interest in them.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Reflection #6 and Video #6
What?
In class, we learned about WebQuests and how they are made and shared. We got into our groups and chose what we were going to do a WebQuest on that was appropriate for the grade that our group was. My group was 4th grade and at first our group was talking about doing our WebQuest on fossils. Then we changed it to indians and we chose 2 specific native american groups to incorporate into the lesson/activity that we'll be doing our WebQuest on. We decided to have each student read about certain things of that group like art, traditions, housing, ect... After they research about the two groups, they'll get into groups of their own and using the information that they researched they'll make up their own "group".
So What?
I think that this would be a fun way to do a lesson plan. It would be something that was a little different; it would be using the same material as just writing up the lesson plan but you would be teaching it in a different way. It would be incorporating technology with your lesson plan and give the students a chance to experience something new. They would not only be learning about the lesson information but also about how to use the computers(technology). I think that this would be a fun thing do to with the class.
Now What?
Well I kind of explained how I would apply this in the above paragraph. I think that in learning/using WebQuest, you have an endless opportunity to make learning fun and let your studets experience many different things.
I'm not sure of what I need to work on. I am sure that this is a much more fun way of doing a lesson and the research is time-consuming but fun and worth it.
Video Reflection:
I watched the video on the coffee table that's also a multi-touch computer thing. It was pretty cool how you can use it to send, resize, and many more things to pictures. It was also very interesting that it uses infared lights to detect what was being put on it.
The most interesting thing that it talked about was the fact that you could take a picture with the camera, set the camera on the table and the picture would download itself to the table. Then, you can set your phone on the table and drag the picture to the phone and it would upload right to the phone. That was very very interesting to me, it's so crazy how technology just keeps changing.
In class, we learned about WebQuests and how they are made and shared. We got into our groups and chose what we were going to do a WebQuest on that was appropriate for the grade that our group was. My group was 4th grade and at first our group was talking about doing our WebQuest on fossils. Then we changed it to indians and we chose 2 specific native american groups to incorporate into the lesson/activity that we'll be doing our WebQuest on. We decided to have each student read about certain things of that group like art, traditions, housing, ect... After they research about the two groups, they'll get into groups of their own and using the information that they researched they'll make up their own "group".
So What?
I think that this would be a fun way to do a lesson plan. It would be something that was a little different; it would be using the same material as just writing up the lesson plan but you would be teaching it in a different way. It would be incorporating technology with your lesson plan and give the students a chance to experience something new. They would not only be learning about the lesson information but also about how to use the computers(technology). I think that this would be a fun thing do to with the class.
Now What?
Well I kind of explained how I would apply this in the above paragraph. I think that in learning/using WebQuest, you have an endless opportunity to make learning fun and let your studets experience many different things.
I'm not sure of what I need to work on. I am sure that this is a much more fun way of doing a lesson and the research is time-consuming but fun and worth it.
Video Reflection:
I watched the video on the coffee table that's also a multi-touch computer thing. It was pretty cool how you can use it to send, resize, and many more things to pictures. It was also very interesting that it uses infared lights to detect what was being put on it.
The most interesting thing that it talked about was the fact that you could take a picture with the camera, set the camera on the table and the picture would download itself to the table. Then, you can set your phone on the table and drag the picture to the phone and it would upload right to the phone. That was very very interesting to me, it's so crazy how technology just keeps changing.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Reflection #5 and video #5
So what?
Well we didn't have class this week so I'm going to reflect on my other classes. This week I've chosen to blog about Psychology class. We learned about Erik Erikson and his 8 stages. We also learned how to do the "peg" system which I've never heard about before but it was kind of fun.
So What?
I really like most of the 8 stages of Erikson...and also really liked his ideas. The stage of Intamacy vs. Isolation would be one of the stages that would reflect on what stage most of the students would be coming into during elementary school years. I could use this in implementing a lot of praise and critical thinking in my classroom. I think that that would really help students like you because they wouldn't be scared of you and you would be showing that they really can come to you and trust you.
Now What?
During an activity or even just after a lesson you can walk around the class while the students are working and you can tell them good job and show them how to do things without doing it for them. You can also give them something that requires them to do some critical thinking, something that's more difficult for them but not impossible for them to do it.
I'm really not sure what I still need to work on... Maybe implementing other things into my teaching style like dance and drama. Some drama is easy to implement into teaching, but dance is a little more difficult.
Video:
I watched the video on why to let your students blog. This was very interesting to be because some of the things that it said it would allow students to do or feel surprised me. I was thinking that by letting students learn would give them a chance to go back and reflect on what they've learned in class...but it mentioned that and other things like collaboration, empowerment, motivation, participation, excitement, creativity, extend, give them a voice, and to give them other skills that they can use in the future. It would give them a better understanding of how computers/technology works and they'll be able to use that information in the future. I as a future teacher would really consider letting my students do this, I think that they would become very excited about learning how to do something new and to incorporate the information they may already know into what they would be learning. They could also set it up and somewhat decorate it in any way that they would like, so they would also be using their own creativity.
Well we didn't have class this week so I'm going to reflect on my other classes. This week I've chosen to blog about Psychology class. We learned about Erik Erikson and his 8 stages. We also learned how to do the "peg" system which I've never heard about before but it was kind of fun.
So What?
I really like most of the 8 stages of Erikson...and also really liked his ideas. The stage of Intamacy vs. Isolation would be one of the stages that would reflect on what stage most of the students would be coming into during elementary school years. I could use this in implementing a lot of praise and critical thinking in my classroom. I think that that would really help students like you because they wouldn't be scared of you and you would be showing that they really can come to you and trust you.
Now What?
During an activity or even just after a lesson you can walk around the class while the students are working and you can tell them good job and show them how to do things without doing it for them. You can also give them something that requires them to do some critical thinking, something that's more difficult for them but not impossible for them to do it.
I'm really not sure what I still need to work on... Maybe implementing other things into my teaching style like dance and drama. Some drama is easy to implement into teaching, but dance is a little more difficult.
Video:
I watched the video on why to let your students blog. This was very interesting to be because some of the things that it said it would allow students to do or feel surprised me. I was thinking that by letting students learn would give them a chance to go back and reflect on what they've learned in class...but it mentioned that and other things like collaboration, empowerment, motivation, participation, excitement, creativity, extend, give them a voice, and to give them other skills that they can use in the future. It would give them a better understanding of how computers/technology works and they'll be able to use that information in the future. I as a future teacher would really consider letting my students do this, I think that they would become very excited about learning how to do something new and to incorporate the information they may already know into what they would be learning. They could also set it up and somewhat decorate it in any way that they would like, so they would also be using their own creativity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
