I feel that integrating the technologies that are available to us as teachers is the obvious and right way to go. Using technology can help our students grasp the learning and get them excited. Using tools that they use and see in the world outside of school can help them to see connections with their lives beyond school and feel like what they are learning has value beyond their grades. I think its important that I do everything I can to help my students succeed.
Evaluating myself on the NET standards and UNI surveys has given me insight into what and where I can improve. There are lots of areas and I am glad that there are also lots of resources out there that can help me bridge the gap from my current skills to where I would like to be. I am now able to set goals for my learning, and I think this is important because if I don't know what is available I won't have a chance to know where I am deficient.
The videos and articles I read will benefit not only me but I believe my students. I think that they will connect with the situations presented and be glad that people are understanding where they are coming from. When students realize that their teachers are actively trying to create the best curriculum and environment for their learning, they hopefully will also realize the value that their learning has. We, as teachers, need to present information that the students can relate to and utilizing technology in the classroom can facilitate this task.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 19 - PDP "Lessons Learned"
The material for this exercise was very informative. I have to say that the statistics are somewhat overwhelming. It makes me wonder whether education can cut through the bureaucracy enough to really integrate the technologies that are available. The article "The New WWW" gave me a lot of insight into the gap between where schools are in general and what the students are surrounded by and interact with every day. Using the technologies they use could help students to better respond to instruction.
The video "Did You Know?" was amazing. It really brought home to me how small the world haws become and that it is in large part due to the technologies that are available to so many. In order to help our students compete we as teachers need to help them utilize the technology that will help them keep up and succeed. If we don't then we are doing a huge disservice to the world of tomorrow.
I have been wishing that there could have been a content area class that addressed the uses of technology in the classroom. I really think that this more specific instruction could help teachers to more quickly integrate by sharing ideas and things that have worked. I also realize that just like the information pointed out, these technologies haven't been around long enough and are continually changing so that my professors would not have used them in their classrooms. This helped me to commit to keeping abreast of current technologies and not to be complacent with what I know.
The video "Did You Know?" was amazing. It really brought home to me how small the world haws become and that it is in large part due to the technologies that are available to so many. In order to help our students compete we as teachers need to help them utilize the technology that will help them keep up and succeed. If we don't then we are doing a huge disservice to the world of tomorrow.
I have been wishing that there could have been a content area class that addressed the uses of technology in the classroom. I really think that this more specific instruction could help teachers to more quickly integrate by sharing ideas and things that have worked. I also realize that just like the information pointed out, these technologies haven't been around long enough and are continually changing so that my professors would not have used them in their classrooms. This helped me to commit to keeping abreast of current technologies and not to be complacent with what I know.
April 19 - PDP "Strengths & Weaknesses"
As I went through the NET standards, I saw many areas that I will need to make improvement in. Improvement in most of these areas will depend on gaining experience. As I plan lessons, teach curriculum, and assess my students I will, through incorporating technology, measure up to the standards. The UNI surveys gave me more specific areas to consider. Through the first survey I considered myself at an apprentice level, as I took the second half of the survey I slipped into more of a novice category because of my lack of experience in spreadsheets, databases, and graphic organizers.
As a beginning teacher, I want to address my lack of experience in creating lesson, teaching curriculum, and assessing using technology by making it a goal to incorporate technology into my daily lesson plans. This can be done by using multimedia presentations to illustrate the works of literature we are studying, using the Internet to search for resources and information, and using web pages or blogs as an option for completing assignments. In regards to my weaknesses regarding the use of spreadsheets, databases, and graphic organizers, I will make it a goal to make keeping track of grades easier by using spreadsheets. The use of databases and graphic organizers can be worked into my lesson plans as tools for learning.
There are two resources I have identified that will help me to accomplish my goals. These are the eTech newsletter and the High Tech Learning course spoken about in this assignment. The eTech newsletter will keep me apprised of how technology is being used in classrooms and give me an opportunity to find ways to incorporate this information into my teaching. The High Tech class will expand my knowledge base and experience by acquainting me with many of the varied technological tools that exist to help me better teach my students. This is an in depth course that will help me progress faster than I could on my own.
As a beginning teacher, I want to address my lack of experience in creating lesson, teaching curriculum, and assessing using technology by making it a goal to incorporate technology into my daily lesson plans. This can be done by using multimedia presentations to illustrate the works of literature we are studying, using the Internet to search for resources and information, and using web pages or blogs as an option for completing assignments. In regards to my weaknesses regarding the use of spreadsheets, databases, and graphic organizers, I will make it a goal to make keeping track of grades easier by using spreadsheets. The use of databases and graphic organizers can be worked into my lesson plans as tools for learning.
There are two resources I have identified that will help me to accomplish my goals. These are the eTech newsletter and the High Tech Learning course spoken about in this assignment. The eTech newsletter will keep me apprised of how technology is being used in classrooms and give me an opportunity to find ways to incorporate this information into my teaching. The High Tech class will expand my knowledge base and experience by acquainting me with many of the varied technological tools that exist to help me better teach my students. This is an in depth course that will help me progress faster than I could on my own.
Monday, April 4, 2011
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