Lesson 8

This week we discussed computer viruses, computer security, and netiquette.  One item our class reading discussed was communicating through text and how it is very important to be clear because the intended audience can’t rely on your body language or tone of voice to understand your communication.  I communicate through email on a daily basis with colleagues in Central America.  It is very important for me to state my objectives clearly and avoid idioms that do not translate in text form.  This same issue is relevant in the classroom as well.  I also found the “How Viruses Work” article helpful.  After reading it I better understand viruses, how they work, and how to protect my computer.  I also found our lesson reading material very relevant to NETS-T 4A, by advocating, modeling, and teaching safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology.  Our reading explained how it was important for teachers to model appropriate technology use, because students will see the teachers’ use as acceptable, and follow their example.  This fact reminds me to always be aware of how the students perceive my actions.

I am not currently teaching so I decided to evaluate the last computer lab I was exposed to at college.  I always thought our labs were very secure and had several lines of defense in place to fight potential threats.  All the computers in the lab had firewall and auto-update antivirus software.  The labs also had filters in place to block access to certain harmful sights.  These were the best ways to setup the computers to self monitor threats.  Another feature to safeguard the network against viruses was a login lock required to gain entry to the system so any activity would be logged under your name.  The lab was also setup in a way so that the instructor could either take control of your computer or monitor your activity.  This along with a clear AUP should help minimize inappropriate use that could lead to the infection of a computer.

I do have a few concerns with the security system in this lab.   First, students are allowed to connect their personal devices wirelessly and I do not know what restrictions are placed on the student in that situation.  This would be a topic that should be covered in the school’s AUP so the students are aware of the guidelines.  Also, as our reading pointed out, new viruses are created daily and no matter how frequently you update your antivirus software you can’t completely protect your system.  Although this evaluation is of a college computer lab it would be similar to most K-12 labs.  I thought this lesson was very helpful because my knowledge on computer viruses was limited, but I do need to familiarize myself with computer security as a future teacher.

Lesson 7

This week we learned about different educational software that could be used in the classroom.  I was excited to see the different types of software that was available to teachers.  There is most likely a software program available to meet your needs in the classroom if you have the resources to implement the program.  One article we read this week was “Video Games: Can They be Educational?”  I thought the increased test scores (University of Central Florida study) for the students who did use educational video games over the control group of students who did not were interesting. An increase of 8.07 point is impressive, but I also liked that the article stressed that not all video games are educational.  I have always thought that educational games are a great way to enhance the learning experience if utilized properly.

Clue Finders 3rd Grade Adventure by The Learning Company is the educational software I would like to use in my classroom.  This software combines the excitement of the gaming experience while using the drill and practice technique for core subject learning.  In this software, students get clues by completing tasks that deal with math, science, language arts, logic, and geography.  Once they get their clues, they must solve them to advance to the next level to eventually complete the adventure.  I think this software would be exciting for the students and it also offers several teacher tools as well.  Teachers can print out additional activities for students to complete.  The software also uses ADAPT technology which chooses questions based on the students learning level, determined from previous answers.  This technology will allow all students to do the same assignment, but the instruction will be geared towards their level of understanding.  The software also allows teachers to monitor the students’ progress and receive grades on the embedded assignments.  This software would meet the criteria for the 21^st Century Core Subject standard, because it uses the drill and practice technique to help students memorize content from several subject areas.

I am not currently teaching, so I could not implement this software in my classroom, but I was able to identify potential issues that could arise.  First, I would have to ensure that students had access to computers, and that those computers met the software requirements.  This would have to be planned ahead to install the software on the correct computers and to have a schedule of when each student would use the computers.  The students could also have trouble navigating through the program, so I thought a good idea would be to have older students, who have previously used the software, act as mentors for the first couple of sessions.  I am sure that this could be worked out with another teacher, because it would be beneficial to both the younger students and the mentor students.

I am very excited to use educational software in my classroom, but I am aware that I must use caution when choosing my software.

Lesson 6

This week we concentrated on WebQuests and we also read about the internet in our textbook.  I found that the information in our book was mostly a review of the internet, but there were a couple of items that stuck out to me pertaining to education.  The first one was a "You Decide" discussion on page 244.  It questioned the use of chat rooms in the classroom, and I thought a good point was made when it stated that inappropriate comments can be said just as easily as they can be typed.  I think the point here is to stress to the students that the same rules apply online as in the classroom.  I also found the website evaluation rubric to be a good tool when evaluating educational websites.  I was excited to see that a downloadable rubric was available at the “My Education Kit” website, so I can use it in the classroom.

Our main project this week was creating a WebQuest.  I had never done one of these before, so our online reading articles this week came in very handy.  I also looked at several sample WebQuests to get ideas, and discussed one of these on our discussion board.  After much research I decided to do my WebQuest on recycling for a fourth grade classroom.  I gave my students the role of environmental scientists and assigned them the task of creating a school wide recycling program based on their research.  My WebQuest required students to individually research a recyclable product and write a short paper on it.  They would then rejoin their team to share their findings and complete two short activities.  Finally, the students collaborated to create a PowerPoint detailing their team’s recycling plan for the school.  This WebQuest fulfilled many standards that I outlined on the teacher page of the WebQuest.  One of the standards was the Kentucky Practical Living Standard PL-04-3.1.4 which states that students will identify and describe consumer actions (reusing, reducing, and recycling) that impact the environment.  Students also improved the 21^st Century Skill of environmental literacy by taking individual and collective action towards addressing environmental challenges.

Creating this WebQuest has been one of the most time consuming tasks since starting at University of the Cumberlands.  One problem I had with my WebQuest was that I created it using word, which was fine, except I ended up with minor formatting issues and I also had to download all of my graphics since they will not copy into the WebQuest.  I also found it a little difficult to navigate at first, but once I played with it for a little while, I actually found the setup quite user friendly.  Completing this WebQuest fulfilled NETS-T 2 A, because I was able to design a learning experience that incorporated digital tools.  When I create my next WebQuest I hope to improve on the basic skills that I acquired in this task.  I am very excited that I can add this tool to my skill set, because I think with WebQuest there are endless possibilities for students to learn while having fun.  Below I have attached a link to my Recycle WebQuest.

http://questgarden.com/115/18/0/101128222040/

Lesson 5

This week our lesson focused on online communication tools, and our books also discussed software programs in the classroom.  Learning about the available types of software for the classroom was very helpful, because I am not teaching and I have little information about useful programs.  I was also excited to see games I played in school such as Oregon Trail and Carmen San Diego have been updated and are still being used today.  I always enjoyed playing these games in school, and after reading this chapter I see how they can be incorporated in the classroom.  We also researched both asynchronous and synchronous online communication tools.  Although I was familiar with many of these tools, such as email, blogs, instant messaging, and video conferencing, I only knew their benefit in the corporate world and not in education.  I enjoyed learning about how these tools could be successfully implemented in the classroom.

I have not used online communication tools in the classroom, because I am not currently teaching.  After researching communication tools, I decided the easiest and most beneficial tool to incorporate in the classroom would be a blog.  I would like to setup a teacher blog and also have the students create their own blogs.  I would use my blog to communicate information such as homework assignments, class updates, and calendars with students and parents.  I would also use it to correspond with other teachers, so we could discuss and share ideas to improve our classrooms.  Setting up a teacher blog would fulfill NETS-T 5 a, because I would be improving my skills as a teacher through participating in online communities to collaborate on new ways to incorporate technology in the classroom.  I would have students use their blogs to publish their work, join forces with other students, and communicate with students from other areas of the country and the world.  Working with online blogs will give students the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with other students fulfilling NETS-S 2 a, b, and c.  Students will interact with peers using different forms of media, they will communicate ideas to multiple audiences, and they will develop cultural understanding by engaging with learners from different cultures.

I would introduce my students to blogs through showing them my blog and allowing them time to explore it on their own.  Then I would create or use an online tutorial to walk the students through the steps of creating their own blog.  This part of the preparation process could be used in conjunction with an electronic blackboard or projector so the students could see a large computer screen while they are working on their own computers.  I would also provide additional help for students struggling with the blog either through one on one instruction with me or having them work with other students who have mastered the skill.  As with any technology it is important for the instructor to be familiar with the tool being used and how it can best be used in the classroom.  Online communication requires extra care for student safety and the school districts AUP should be consulted before any blogs or other communication tools are setup.

Lesson 4

This week we learned about presentation programs.  I have always enjoyed creating presentations, so I was eager to learn about their use in education.  I liked the idea of using PowerPoint in the classroom for situations other than basic instructional presentations.  Quizzes, review games, vocabulary reviews, and displaying students' work are a few new ideas I read about in our lesson.  A teacher could also utilize a PowerPoint presentation to provide instruction to diverse learners.  For a language diverse learner, a PowerPoint could be adapted to incorporate key terminology and concepts in their dominant language through premade audios.  This idea would fulfill NETS-T 4B by addressing the diverse needs of learners through digital learning.  I also learned not to put too much text on each slide.  This is something I am guilty of, so I must be aware of this in future PowerPoint creations.

I am not currently teaching, but will teach elementary students so I made a PowerPoint presentation for my Sunday school class of first, second, and third graders.  We are going to sponsor a child through Compassion International, so I created a presentation that would allow the kids to become familiar with children that we could potentially sponsor from around the world.  After the presentation, the students voted on which child the class would sponsor, we chose a girl from Ghana.  Even though this presentation was not for the classroom, it still fulfilled a 21st Century Skill, because the students increased their global awareness by addressing the global issue of poverty and they increased their understanding of different nations and cultures. 

 One item in my presentation that I was particularly fond of was my title page.  It showed a world map with the countries we were going to look at highlighted in different colors.  It also had the country names written out for the older students who could read.  The map served as a topic page whenever we discussed a new country.  The country on the map would enlarge when we switched locations and I think the students really enjoyed this animation.  One item that I wish I would have included was audio.  I think it would have been beneficial to have music from each country to tap into another learning intelligence.  I have a special needs learner in my class and I know she would have benefited from the music, since she may not understand everything I am saying about the different locations.  The students were very receptive to the presentation and were very excited to choose a child to sponsor.  They were eager to learn more about her culture and suggested we take a trip to Ghana to learn more.  Since I can’t take the students to Ghana I plan to bring more of Ghana to them through our child's story and PowerPoint presentations.

Lesson 3

This week we learned about different computer software and hardware that can be used in the classroom.  Chapters four and six of our textbook discussed different programs and how they could be used for diverse learners in the classroom.  Although I was familiar with many of the available products I enjoyed seeing how they could be incorporated in the classroom.  One tool I was not familiar with was electronic whiteboards.  I really enjoyed the “Assistive Technology for the Hearing Impaired” video.  I was excited to see the electronic whiteboard technology used in the classroom to help students communicate.  I also like the idea of the students writing on the board with their finger or a stylus as opposed to a marker. This technology would be useful to all learners in the classroom, and I really think its possibilities are endless.  I think this technology is a great example of the 21^st Century skill of learning and innovation skills.  Using this unique technology will allow the students to be creative and share their ideas with other students more effectively.

We also discussed the use of word processing and desktop publishing heavily.  Although I am not teaching, I do utilize these programs often for church related events.  After reading our websites and book and watching videos, I am more aware of potential issues in the items I create.  I know they need to be visually appealing, but they also need to be easy to read.  Multiple fonts, different size text, and different color text can all make the easy comprehension of your document difficult.  Too many graphics can detract from your message along with multiple columns in different areas of the page.  I think the best thing to remember is keep it simple.  You want your message to be received by either by the parents or students effectively. 

I have uploaded a sample of a program I did for a children’s Christmas program.  This was a basic program that was only being used to let the parents and other guest know the order of events.   We wanted to keep it straightforward so everyone could follow along easily.  I used simple graphics at the top and bottom of the sheet to keep viewers’ eyes focused on the words between the graphics that acted as borders.  I also used one font type to keep it uniform throughout.  I did use two font colors to make the program festive, but I stuck with dark colors that would show up against a white background.  Overall I think the flyer is successful, but as I become more familiar with DTP, I hope to create more extensive documents in my classroom. 

Lesson Two

Our second lesson covered chapters three and seven in our textbook.  These chapters focused on designing and planning technology enhanced lessons and using administrative software.  Chapter three discussed technology and ways to incorporate this technology in the classroom.  The steps in the Dynamic Instructional Design Model provided the framework to create lessons that will integrate technology as a valuable tool.  Chapter three also went into how to implement the DID model in your teaching through providing examples.  Chapter seven focused on administrative software.  It went into different software and their application in the classroom.  For the remainder of this blog I will focus more on my online research into how to enhance learning with spreadsheets and databases.

One website I visited when doing my research was www.alicechristie.org/edtech.  Dr. Alice Christie speaks on her website about how technology can enhance teaching and learning.  This website offered several examples for different ways spreadsheets could be utilized in the classroom.  Once use for spreadsheets I found interesting was creating pictographs.  In this example students would collect data and insert it into a spreadsheet.  They would also download pictures on the internet or upload pictures they had taken in the classroom to use for the pictures in the graph.  I thought this idea was great, because I am in elementary education and I think the added element of pictures would get the students more interested.

As an educator I would use spreadsheets in the classroom through tabulating grades and also creating charts that could be used to better organize information, such as seating charts.  I plan to create an activity for my students using spreadsheets.  The activity I created is entering data in a spreadsheet based on the data groups collect.  I will have students roll a dice twenty five times and record the results.  After the results have been entered, the students will create graphs to visually display their results.  After the students have their own results, they will work together to compile the results for the entire class.  This activity would fulfill the 21^st Century skill of learning and innovation by having students communicate and collaborate on the entire group’s results.  They would also improve their literacy in technology by using spreadsheets, fulfilling the information, media, and technology skill.  This assignment will cover NETS-T 2-A by incorporating digital tools to promote student learning and creativity.  While developing this assignment I will have the students use spreadsheets, the internet, and artistic skills to make their graphs visually appealing.   This assignment will also fulfill NETS-S 6-A by allowing the students to work with spreadsheets they will improve their understanding of technology concepts and operations.

This lesson has increased my awareness of spreadsheets and databases in the classroom.  Using this technology will help my students not only in my classroom but in future classrooms as well.