Friday, August 30, 2013

Chapter 3 Journal Blog

Developing Lessons with Technology
1. How can teachers evaluate and assess their students?
Teachers can assess and evaluate their students by using online tools that can overlook what your students are doing. There is no need for using grading with a red pen anymore, now a days it is best and easier to use online grading and even taking test online.It gives teachers the chance to monitor each students progress and with it being able to modify a lesson to fit the students academic needs. Many teachers can even monitor what their students are doing in class. Assessing students has becoming much easier throughout the years. 

2. Tech Tools 3.3 - Online Rubrics and Quizzes 
Teachers can come to find making Rubrics and Quizzes online difficult, but in many ways it can help them save time. These two templates allow teachers to access what they need in a matter of seconds. The RubiStar as said in the book is an, "online tool for creating rubrics electronically", it ranks students in either a number form or a category form. To me, this can help the students see where they stand on their own. QuizStar helps teachers to create multiple choice and short response quizzes so that students and study off of them. An opportunity like this saves so much time and is also an easy way to grade considering that the computer does it for you. I would personally love to use either one of these applications later on in my career. I want to get as much involved in the technology as possible to better my teaching skills.
3. Summary
Developing lessons using technology becomes ten times easier for teachers and also for students. Learning how to develop a lesson online is so convenient and less time consuming. This chapter teaches you how focusing more on the information and skills students are going to be able to use can boost their education. By using the internet and applications like; QuizStar and RubicStar, teachers can asses their students in a new and easy way.Having a template ready to be filled in, is great for teachers because it gives them extra time to elaborate on what the lesson will consist of. I find it very useful and smart to use all these different teaching skills in a everyday to day bases. 
photo credit to Denise Krebs on Flickr

Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
 

Chapter 2 Journal Blog

Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology
1. How can students express their creativity using technology?
Students are able to be creative through so many different types of technology. For instance, a variety of websites influence how they construct whatever it is they are creating. By using photo websites students can pull literally anything they could possibly think of and use it. Even having to research information has become so easy for students, this empowers them to learn even more. The internet itself gives students their own "voice" so to speak. They automatically absorb whatever it is they are seeing when they use technology.

2. Tech Tool 2.5 - Web Resources For Creativity
There is a vast variety of websites that allow students to be creative online. Not only do they get to be creative but they also can compete against one another. In my perspective, having these amazing websites that let students have a place where they feel they can express themselves to everyone is great. They zone into every aspect of subjects, such as; designing, poetry, and, storytelling. Any student can find at least one website that they feel like they could connect to and possibly join in on the fun. 

3. Summary
Using technology can make a classrooms energy change. The learning experiences of students start to become unique and powerful if teachers infuse technology in their everyday teaching. Visual learning, accessing and assessing information, student engagement and collaboration, feedback, and creativity, as said in the book are five powerful, unique, and trans formative learning experiences. Visually, in my eyes, technology impacts students the most. The internet, Google, etc. give students a limited amount of information. Now a days, both teachers and students can even communicate over time. Personally, being able to use any tool possible in technology really does support students creative actions.
Photo Credit To YoungDoo Moon on Flickr


Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Chapter One Journal Blog

1. How do new technologies create new opportunities for teaching and learning? 
In many ways, technology creates various new opportunities and advantages for teaching and learning. It gains the quality of a class discussion allowing the students to become much more involved. Teaching will not be limited to book work or lectures, having hand-on assignments using technology expands the focus of a lesson in a different way. The amount of engagement from students increases and it impacts on their learning. 

2. Tech Tool 1.1 - Ultra-portable Laptop Computers
Coming from a teachers perspective, the concept of a portable laptop seems to be the most convenient thing around. Like it was said in the passage, "Teachers do not so much carry their lessons in their heads", this is true, we don't have the ability to store so much within us, having to carry around our actual lessons is a hassle. Now a days, computers make it so simple to store anything you can possibly think of. I myself come to think that having a machine that is practically weightless, has a great battery life, and carries an eminence amount of memory is ideal.

3. Chapter Summary
This chapter discusses how becoming involved into the "technology world" can help and evolve teaching. Using technology to teach and spread education gives the students a way of engaging and interacting in the classroom way more. You will also learn in this chapter that you, as a beginner in using technology have to be open into using it. Being confident in using all these skills can help you, as a successful teacher to enhance not only yourself, but also your students.   

  • Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.