“Web 2.0 Today’s Technologies, Tomorrow’s Learning” by Jennifer Groff and Jason Hass
This article focuses on social networking sites, digital games, and simulations, and how they have become so popular among the under 18 crowd. With that said a group of people for MIT’s Education Arcade have come together to figure out how these tools can be incorporated in the classroom. One program called Ning, offers the option to create a social networking space for a classroom. Students can extend their classroom discussions into the space and also provide resources that compliment class lessons. Simulations can offer a close to real life experience without even leaving the classroom. One teacher claims that his students are able to explore the components of a forest fire or the process of evolution, where they cannot normally get a true sense of it in the real world. In a digital game students are able to create lives in which they have to pay for bills, manage their time and money and get a sense of what it feel like to be an adult. There are many recourses available to us it is up to us to manipulate them to fit a lesson in our own classrooms.
Are their disadvantages to these programs and this type of technology?
With many new technologies there is typically a cost that is associated with it. Money is scarce for everyone and especially in schools. New programs cost money and sometimes new faster computers are required to run them. Writing for grants and donations is likely necessary to get the materials needed.
How can we bring these kind of technologies into our classroom?
We first need to take the time as teachers to explore these technologies on our own and get a feel for how we can use them in our classrooms. Another aspect that may be helpful is to look outside for direction. It may be beneficial for another teacher to commit as well, or people may know of ideas and ways to make things go more smoothly.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Journal #7
“All Aboard” by David and Margaret Carpenter
This article describes the process in which teachers, administrators and learning specialists come together to develop new and innovative ways to incorporate technology into the curriculum. Teachers from every grade level were brought in to provide their own input and be as active as possible in this campaign for change. There were many tasks at hand including, figuring out the best way to instruct students of the 21st century in standard based schools, improve curriculum overall, discuss differentiation for gifted and struggling students, integrate technology and information literacy skills, and above all collaborate. They came up with lessons that incorporated games, a class wiki, WebQuest, podcasts, mindmaps and Inspiration. Teachers learned new technology as well, so that they could update their own knowledge within their classrooms.
Will I have access to meetings like this when I become a teacher?
I hope that there will be meetings at least once a year that can address new findings in technology that are classroom friendly. If not I could meet with the other teachers in my grade level and share ides. I could also meet with the computer lab specialist or librarian to get new feedback and see what the school has available that the students can use.
Are any of these above mentioned activities something that I would like to use?
I have mentioned before in my blog, that I like the idea of having a class blog, and after we have used the Inspiration I would like to incorporate that as well, in any of my lessons. I would also be curious to read more about podcasts and how those could be incorporated.
This article describes the process in which teachers, administrators and learning specialists come together to develop new and innovative ways to incorporate technology into the curriculum. Teachers from every grade level were brought in to provide their own input and be as active as possible in this campaign for change. There were many tasks at hand including, figuring out the best way to instruct students of the 21st century in standard based schools, improve curriculum overall, discuss differentiation for gifted and struggling students, integrate technology and information literacy skills, and above all collaborate. They came up with lessons that incorporated games, a class wiki, WebQuest, podcasts, mindmaps and Inspiration. Teachers learned new technology as well, so that they could update their own knowledge within their classrooms.
Will I have access to meetings like this when I become a teacher?
I hope that there will be meetings at least once a year that can address new findings in technology that are classroom friendly. If not I could meet with the other teachers in my grade level and share ides. I could also meet with the computer lab specialist or librarian to get new feedback and see what the school has available that the students can use.
Are any of these above mentioned activities something that I would like to use?
I have mentioned before in my blog, that I like the idea of having a class blog, and after we have used the Inspiration I would like to incorporate that as well, in any of my lessons. I would also be curious to read more about podcasts and how those could be incorporated.
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