Chapter 6 Journal Blog

Teaching with Educational Websites and Other Online Resources

1.       How are information management technologies such as booking marking, social book marking, and information alerts useful to teachers?

All three of these information management technologies are useful to teachers overall because they are what enable educators and students to build their own information electronically. Book marking, is when you have all your” favorite” websites linked at the top of your internet page, so that it becomes easy to access. This technique is definitely a great tool for teachers because they can categorize favorite links depending on the specific topics, to make it easier to find when it is time to teach lessons. When it comes to doing group actives, Social book marking is very beneficial for teachers because they can use it in groups to exchange and when organizing and sharing information with the whole classroom. It also lets not only teacher, but also the students to share resources that they are particularly working on. As for information alert, I personally think it is extremely useful when teachers are planning a particular lesson or subject. Due to the fact that it notifies you when there are newfound materials that can be used based on the lessons topic.

2.       Tech Tool 6.2 - Social Book Marking

I personally really enjoy this social bookmarking tool. The concept of becoming a part of an online community and gaining from everyone’s information is a great advantage. When I first learned about Delicious I was excited and felt that it’s a great tool for people to sort, organize, and gather together important  as well as useful information all in one place. This web-based social bookmarking tool can be used to view other teachers accounts and also helps you note certain websites you have looked at. Being able to use “tags”, is a whole new idea for me, but as I read about Delicious and how to use tags, I am becoming more open to becoming a part of it. These tags can help us teachers go back to specific pages that we have saved in a new and easy way. Everything you have on your delicious account can be sent to friends and other teachers who would like to share your ideas to their students! In my everyday life at work, Delicious would help remind me where certain ideas and web-pages are based on my lesson plans with just a click of a button.

 

                                                                         3.       Summary

This chapter discussed the importance of information management and how teachers can incorporate all the important and valuable sources with their students. It elaborates in detail about how book marking, social book marking and information alerts are great and useful tool to help enhance a lesson plan. Which to me, is something that all teachers should look deeply into, these certain tips can make our teaching stress-free. Along with book marking, social book marking and information alerts, this chapter also discusses web guest and virtual field trips. It showed me how great it is to be able to travel around the world without leaving the classrooms through online audio, videos and pictures. Information management is not a choice; it is an obligation to have in a class in order to have well functioning student and teacher engagement. By considering these sources, you could be organized and feel more comfortable with technologies new tools.

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

 

Chapter 5 Journal Blog

Researching and Evaluating Internet Information

1.      How can teachers respond to problems of plagiarism when students use online resources?

Plagiarism is sadly something that becomes inevitable to students in this “technology era” we are living in. Directly copying or quoting someone else’s exact words without permission is a crime, teachers can be very cautious when it comes to plagiarism and their students. The number one contributor to plagiarism is hands down The Internet. The Internet gives students a variety of opportunities to directly copy texts off online books, reports, etc. Just because it happens to be placed on the web, does not mean that it’s free to use. As a teacher, they are options such as websites that can track down what exactly is plagiarized and not plagiarized in assignments, examples of these websites are; www.turnitin.com, www.ithenticate.com, and www.cenexus.com. Not only do these resources force students to come up with their own information but it also gives students the push they need to expand in education. Another way to prevent plagiarism is to have teachers assign tasks that obligate students to write addresses of each issue they used in their assignments, that way they have proof of using the material. Educators can put an end to plagiarism by primarily using their authority and perseverance towards their students.  

2.      Tech Tool 5.1: Photo and Audio Resourced on the Web

My primary way of teaching is that of a visual and hands-on aspect. I believe that student’s best learn and connect with education when they can interact and think into depth about the subject matter. Images and audio are two valuable ways of reeling in students, to engage them and make them more involved in the classroom. It becomes a different way of learning other than just listening to a teacher’s voice. Pictures make students have a special connection with a subject or topic and audio helps students remember concepts in an easy but fun way. As a teacher myself and also working with ESE students considering that when teaching certain of them I have to be very hands-on, I find that using images and audio in all my lessons and activities help my students little by little get stronger in their learning abilities. Not only does it catch their eyes and ears, but they connect two and two together and fascinatingly understand more. Shown in this Tech Tool, Flickr is one site that can help and enable teachers to use pictures and audio sources straight from the web in an easy way. Flickr is an online photo generator and sharing tool, to teachers this can be super helpful and stress-free. Now that I am personally learning how to use and infuse images and audio from Flickr, I have come to incorporate them into my everyday lessons at school with my students. By using Flickr, I can directly search any theme I am teaching and quickly find perfect images and videos to use on my everyday basis to teach! This gives not only my students something to visually look forward to, but it also gives me as the teacher an exciting and easy new way to approach my students to make their learning experience different.  

                                                                     3.  Summary

The basic learning goal of this chapter comes down to teaching both teachers and students how to assess their responsibilities and how to use the vast information that is in the Internet. To students now a days, when they have to research an assignment they go directly to the Internet as their primary use. The crime of the Internet is that not ALL that is put up is true, you have to be assertive when it comes to knowing what you will use is actually correct, this chapter also gives you ways of knowing how your information is valid (Information Literacy). In the chapter, it goes through Plagiarism and the different ways teachers can prevent it. Being surrounded in the constant technology, students are tempted to copy and quote the exact words they see online in their schoolwork. Teachers can quickly stop this problem by using  sites that detect Plagiarism and also obligating students to use crediting of their sites. I’ve learned how to be more alert while I use the internet for anything, they’re so many things put out on the web that are not even true. Being that I’m just beginning learning how to use the Internet, I’ve had to take in Information Literacy into consideration and keep it in mind to assess all that I come by on the web. When it comes to dealing with Plagiarism, taking courses at Edison I’ve too learned how to make sure that I am not copying nor quoting any texts that I’ve gotten on any sites. Researching and evaluating internet information is essential in the cyber world, you have to learn and apply these certain tools while your online.

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

Chapter 4 Journal Blog

photo credit to Marsmettnn Tallahassee on Flickr 

Intergrating Technology and Creating Change

1. How does technology promote educational change?

Technology promotes educational change in numberous of ways. For students, it changes their perspective on how they look at learning. No longer will school be a drag, having to work and interact using technology gives students something fun to look foward to. All this change comes from the teacher primeraly, in order to even teach these new assesments and abilities they will need to become experts in using technology in the classroom. Creating change is a collaboration between a confident teacher and confident, eager students.   

2. Tech Tool 4.1 - Online Technology Intergration Resources

After this Tech Tool, it helped me gain knowledge on where to go for additional assistance, being that I am new to using techonology in my classroom. I found it very informative, not knowing about any of these fantastic resources avaliable online. Going through technology intergration can be stressfull when you become a teacher, you already have responsibilities and worrys to handle. The thought of "Technology Intergration" can make it even more stressfull. The three technology resources given in this Tech Tool are used to make teachers lifes easier. Edutopia, National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, and NCTE, are all made to inhance the use of technology in a classroom.

3.Summary

In chapter 4, Technology Intergration and the will to change education encourages change in a classroom aswell as in the world. It's based on how teachers approach using technology to students in a new and fresh way. This chapter is making you aware of how important it is to interwine technology to education, the "digital inequality" is a major role in way we, as teachers need to change for the better. In a personal perspective, I myself feel that interacting to change my classroom into the technology era is a obligation. Students will learn how to use new skills and apply them to the "real world."

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