Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Rating My Technology Tools
Rating my technology tools has forced me to take a good look at the different ways I have used these tools, and the purpose they served. But before I even began to rate them, I created a rubric with three simple categories: user friendly, navigation, and application variety with a score of 3 being the highest, and 1 being the lowest. And as I reflected on the specific purpose I used them for, the rating became easier, although there were one or two that I had to take another look at, because I had either not used it enough, or not at all.
The best thing I enjoyed about this assignment was that it reinforced what I already knew about myself and technological knowledge and application. And this is that I need to, as Dr. Cyrus puts it "step out of your comfort zone". And this is something I can attest to because I came into this class feeling I already knew enough technology to survive as a teacher. This was definitely not true as I found out on the first week of class.
Opening a delcious account and bookmarking, using Google applications creating spreadsheets and other documents, and the greatest thing- creating my very first website. This was truly amazing to me, and although I now know how to use these tools, I am now not as hesitant to try other new tools. In fact I feel that with plenty of practice and exploration, I will gradually become a more technologically competent secondary teacher.
In completing this assignment I feel it reflects the NETS*T 2c standard which generally states that teachers will provide student learning activities “using digital tools”(2008 International Society for Technology in Education). As an example, in my ASSURE lesson plan (ASSURE Model)I incorporated a requirement for the creation of a spreadsheet and graph by student groups, in which the students would be previously taught how to create. And the technology tools I used in creating the lesson plan were found at google documents and images, which were then formatted and submitted through my website.
References:
2008 International Society for Technology in Education (Retrieved on 6/21/10)
https://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS
_T_Standards_Final.pdf
The ASSURE Model (Retrieved on 6/21/10)
http://www2.unca.edu/education/edtech/techcourse/assure.htm
The best thing I enjoyed about this assignment was that it reinforced what I already knew about myself and technological knowledge and application. And this is that I need to, as Dr. Cyrus puts it "step out of your comfort zone". And this is something I can attest to because I came into this class feeling I already knew enough technology to survive as a teacher. This was definitely not true as I found out on the first week of class.
Opening a delcious account and bookmarking, using Google applications creating spreadsheets and other documents, and the greatest thing- creating my very first website. This was truly amazing to me, and although I now know how to use these tools, I am now not as hesitant to try other new tools. In fact I feel that with plenty of practice and exploration, I will gradually become a more technologically competent secondary teacher.
In completing this assignment I feel it reflects the NETS*T 2c standard which generally states that teachers will provide student learning activities “using digital tools”(2008 International Society for Technology in Education). As an example, in my ASSURE lesson plan (ASSURE Model)I incorporated a requirement for the creation of a spreadsheet and graph by student groups, in which the students would be previously taught how to create. And the technology tools I used in creating the lesson plan were found at google documents and images, which were then formatted and submitted through my website.
References:
2008 International Society for Technology in Education (Retrieved on 6/21/10)
https://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS
_T_Standards_Final.pdf
The ASSURE Model (Retrieved on 6/21/10)
http://www2.unca.edu/education/edtech/techcourse/assure.htm
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Technology Assessment #2
In addressing this assignment, which was to assess 8 technology tools, I first had to create a rubric that each of the 8 was to be rated on. The rubric I created included three categories: user friendly, navigation, and variety of application. The scoring was as follows: 3 being the highest, 2 being the midpoint, and 1 being the lowest. As for the final total score, 8 - 9 would rate the highest, 6 - 7 mid range, and 5 below would be the lowest. The following paragraphs will present how I rated the 8 tech tools.
Firefox was not as user friendly as I thought it was when I explored it, even at its home. And although there were all sorts of features and icons, there was just too much text. I, as a user, would want to be able to just point and click on an icon instead of reading a whole bunch of info and instructions that would be too time consuming as well as uninteresting. As for a variety of applications, icons would have been nice on the first page, but there were none. I rated Firefox a total of 6 points which is good enough, although I really do not see myself in utilizing it very often.
The second tool I rated was the Moodle site. This is fine for the way the university uses it for certain classes, but it really would not be as useful for anything else. As for being user friendly, it rates a 2 with me because there are really no directions on how to use the site and an instructor's key is actually the only way (at least that I know of) to go in and view the classes or anything else. And navigation is awarded a 2 because although the navigation is simple to use, there really is not much to navigate to except what an instructor puts into their class pages. The category of variety of applications is very limited and so I gave it a 1. And it is for this reason that I won't use this tool very often and so the final score I gave it was a 5.
As for the Delicious tool, I rated it a 3 for being very user friendly. For navigation I gave it a 2 because although easy navigation is possible, there really is not a whole lot of different things to navigate to. But with this said, I have to say that this is a very good site in terms of research, especially because there are other peoples' bookmarks that can be added to one's own bookmarks. And this is crucial because there are tags and notes that others have already attached which saves time and effort in research. As far as applications, there are few but as I mentioned, they mainly involve adding resources and people, so I rated the tool a 6.
The Google applications have so far met my needs and automatically rate a 3 for all three categories. I have been introduced to many of these applications through my technology class with Dr. Cyrus. And although the applications were right there all the time I would never have known they existed, nor explored. Learning to use these tools has been a wonderful experience for me and of course will come in handy for future educational purposes, as a student and also as a secondary teacher.
Yahoo is another tool that I rated. And although I use it as my primary email, it is the only actual reason I use yahoo. Yes, it is user friendly and easy to navigate, and so it rates a 3 for both categories, but there are just so many ads. For applications I gave it a 2 because it did not have as many or as varied as google applications, as least that I could see. All in all, the final score for Yahoo is an 8, right after Google applications.
Slideshare is another technology tool that I and my group had the chance to experiment with for our game presentation. This tech tool made putting together a movie, a short video clip and a Microsoft word document, fairly easy. Adding audio is also an option but one that we could not figure out in the short time allotted. And now for rating the tool, I rated it a 2 for user friendly and a 3 for navigation. And lastly for application, I rated it a 2 for a total of 7 points. This is definitely a tool I could use for educational and/or personal purposes.
Apple applications is similar to google applications as far as variety, but specifically for Mac users. As I perused the apple.com page I came across the text to speech segment which my classmates and I were introduced to and practiced using. Also on this page were other assistive technology devices that would provide accessibility to students and persons, in general, with disabilities. I rated this tool a total of 7 points only because of the limitation for Mac users.
Tokbox was the next technological tool I rated. I gave it a 3 for the categories of user friendly and navigation. And for application variety I rated it a 1 because there was very limited applications available. But in terms of it being a great medium for students and teachers to introduce themselves, its great. With this tool the students can introduce themselves to their instructors and be comfortable without all the eyes of the classroom watching. And for the teachers, it is a great way to learn students' names and link a name with a face. This tool seemed pretty easy to use all around.
After rating these 8 technological tools in terms of user friendly, navigation, and variety of applications, Google applications rated the highest. Now that I have tried some of the other google applications such as google docs and spreadsheets, I know that I still have many other tools to add to my teacher toolbox. I also liked the other tools I rated but found that I would probably use them for certain things.
References:
Apple Applications
http://developer.apple.com/appleapplications/
http://developer.apple.com/appleapplications/
Delicious
http://delicious.com/
http://delicious.com/
Firefox
Moodle
Slideshare
http://www.slideshare.net/
http://www.slideshare.net/
Tokbox
http://www.tokbox.com/
http://www.tokbox.com/
Yahoo
Friday, June 11, 2010
Technonlogy Assessment #1 - Enabling Dreams
Catherine Techaira
ED609
Although there are many important parts of a revised lesson plan, the most crucial is determining a suitable modification for a student with disabilities. And upon revision of the lesson plan pertaining to this particular student, his/her capabilities may be enhanced through the use of assistive technology. Examples of these assistive technological devices are presented in the video "Enabling Dreams". From the complexity of a certain technologically advanced gadget to sound off notes on a horn, to a simple shift in an eyebrow. Learning opportunities to promote independence by way of research, exploration, and creativity must be afforded to all students. And so Assistive Technology helps to encourage and promote such opportunities, which otherwise would not have been possible.
In regards to the comparison of this revised lesson plan to the previous, the previous lesson plan did not involve assistive technology. In other words, no revisions or accommodations in regards to the use of assistive technology were incorporated into the lesson plan. And in trying to address the inclusion of assistive technology in the lesson plan, I would include an auditory and speech modification that could be easily accessed through programs already in a computer's software.
As for creating an activity for the inclusion of disabled students, I would assess their capabilities and their specific ways of communicating. By detemining these two factors, I could elicit a more accurate sense of the assistive technological devices or programs that would best accommodate their needs. These accommodations would also include opportunities to foster independence and promote student learning and participation. And the measure I would use to gauge the appropriateness of the assistive technology utilized would be the students' full participation in the activity.
References:
Enabling Dreams http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video
ED609
Although there are many important parts of a revised lesson plan, the most crucial is determining a suitable modification for a student with disabilities. And upon revision of the lesson plan pertaining to this particular student, his/her capabilities may be enhanced through the use of assistive technology. Examples of these assistive technological devices are presented in the video "Enabling Dreams". From the complexity of a certain technologically advanced gadget to sound off notes on a horn, to a simple shift in an eyebrow. Learning opportunities to promote independence by way of research, exploration, and creativity must be afforded to all students. And so Assistive Technology helps to encourage and promote such opportunities, which otherwise would not have been possible.
In regards to the comparison of this revised lesson plan to the previous, the previous lesson plan did not involve assistive technology. In other words, no revisions or accommodations in regards to the use of assistive technology were incorporated into the lesson plan. And in trying to address the inclusion of assistive technology in the lesson plan, I would include an auditory and speech modification that could be easily accessed through programs already in a computer's software.
As for creating an activity for the inclusion of disabled students, I would assess their capabilities and their specific ways of communicating. By detemining these two factors, I could elicit a more accurate sense of the assistive technological devices or programs that would best accommodate their needs. These accommodations would also include opportunities to foster independence and promote student learning and participation. And the measure I would use to gauge the appropriateness of the assistive technology utilized would be the students' full participation in the activity.
References:
Enabling Dreams http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video
Learning New Technological Skills
Catherine Techaira
ED609
Although I had thought I knew enough technology to be able to incorporate various types of technology into the classroom, I was very much mistaken. These past two weeks in ED609 with Dr. Cyrus has shown me various forms of technology that are available to educators but are either unaware of them or have not been taught to use them. And in conveying this, I myself, fall into this category and have just recently taught middle school Special Education Math, this past school year and barely even used current technology within my lesson plans.
ED609
Although I had thought I knew enough technology to be able to incorporate various types of technology into the classroom, I was very much mistaken. These past two weeks in ED609 with Dr. Cyrus has shown me various forms of technology that are available to educators but are either unaware of them or have not been taught to use them. And in conveying this, I myself, fall into this category and have just recently taught middle school Special Education Math, this past school year and barely even used current technology within my lesson plans.
In creating my ASSURE lesson plan assignment (ASSURE Model.UNCA), I had to design it whereas the content had to include a lesson (s) that required counting (the use of numbers) that would employ the use of an electronic Excel Spreadsheet. The requirement of the spreadsheet in the lesson plan fell within the NETS*T 1 which states "Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity" (2008 International Society for Technology in Education), which I feel would really enthrall the students' curiosity and perpetuate full student engagement, in a real classroom. And in addition to the spreadsheet, I also included the requirement for the use of a graph. Of course I made certain to mention that the students were introduced, taught, and practiced in previous lessons, how to create an Excel spreadsheet and graph- with discussions on interpreting the results and what they could be used for.
As far as addressing things learned from this lesson plan assignment, I would have to say that just the introduction and the use of the ASSURE model to create the lesson plan. I had never heard of this model in any of my previous classes which I think would be greatly beneficial for teachers to use. Of course, while there are so many lesson plan formats floating around, using this particular format would ensure clarity as to the purpose of the lesson all the way down to the evaluation of the lesson. And with the use of this lesson, I genuinely think that even a substitute teacher could follow it through with ease.
In regards to the technological tools I employed for this assignment, I already mentioned the incorporation of the spreadsheet and graph earlier, which is actually the second tool I used. And for the first tool I used, it was the creation of my own website. I had to create my website before I could actually begin the work on the lesson plan. The creation of my website and the posting of my lesson plan within the site is creativity as a future teacher, which I want to further enhance. This is what NETS for teachers is all about, learning and using technology to inspire and encourage student engagement and creativity . And through the use and employment of current technology, coupled with staying abreast with newly developed and currently available technology, I will be able to translate this into meaningful and exciting lesson plans for my future students.
And as for my feelings on what I disliked about this assignment, I would have to say the limited time I had to work on the actual assignment, which was only after I had first created my website. Just the process of first selecting a website to use was time consuming in that it required time to visit each site creator, and then deciding on which one to use for this class. Creating the site was fun but at the same time a bit frustrating because although it was free for thirty days, any kind of upgrade like inserting a video or audio background required some kind of monetary transaction. So, I did the best I could and have plans to spruce it up a bit when I have a chance. The main thing was that my lesson plan was done and that I submitted my URL for the assignment. Now, for what I liked best about this assignment- the two choices we were given in submiting the assignment. Submission was either through our blog or a website, and as mentioned before, I chose the website. Learning to create a website was one thing that would have been the furthest from my mind. But I did it through following the steps which were pretty simple and self explanatory. I truly enjoyed it but as I said, I just wish I had more time to fiddle around and explore the icons.
All in all, despite my rough beginnings with this assignment, I have to admit, I have already learned many things to add to my teaching toolbox, not to mention the countless sites. And through encouragement by Dr. Cyrus "to step outside of your comfort zone" and student engagement through group participation, I am on my way to becoming more proficient in the use of technology.
References:
ASSURE Model,UNCA
2008 International Society for Technology in Education
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Fun time in ED609
This is going to be fun...learning all these wonderful things.
This is going to be fun...learning all these wonderful things.
This is going to be fun...learning all these wonderful things.
This is going to be fun...learning all these wonderful things.
This is going to be fun...learning all these wonderful things.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)