Educator Preparation and Development

I believe preparing future and veteran teachers to teach children in the 21st century is very important. In this “Information Age” or “Net Generation” students should be equipped with the tools necessary to succeed. Ready for it or not, technology impacts the way students acquire and retain information. Technology affects the whole classroom, from management and teaching styles to integration and collaboration within the curriculum.

Included in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology document is a section focused specifically on this area. It contains useful information for all teachers. Parts of the document were new to me and some I have actually used in other classes. For example, every new school year, teachers are required to attend staff development sessions. I’ve have several different experiences with staff development, some being helpful and informative and others have been a waste of time. As a career and technology teacher, my classes are “hands-on.” Many staff development sessions don’t provide time for teachers to experiment with the technology available on their campuses. Working with teachers to show them how to use technology to enhance their instruction is needed.

My school district has two wonderful technology facilitators who frequent the campus and are ready to help teachers use technology in their classrooms. Just a few weeks ago, several teachers presented to the rest of the staff members ways that they use technology in their classroom. This was a demonstration session for teachers to see first hand what other teachers are doing. Now to follow up with the presentations, there needs to be a staff development session designed for teachers to actively use the technology presented.

Eleni as "The Cat in the Hat"

We sent her to school today dressed as a character from a Dr. Suess book for a party. She was so excited!

Brainstorming/Concept Mapping Tools

I am a very visual person. I love scrapbooking and so I’ll play with the page layout several times before finally piecing it all together. Digital scrapbooking is very popular now among scrapbookers, and so I’ve drawn a connection between brainstorming/concept mapping tools and scrapbooking. Isn’t this what we want our students to do; create connections and use prior knowledge??

For another ETEC class, I used Inspiration (which is an example of this type of academic software) to create a visual representation of what my understanding of diffusion of innovations looked liked. Inspiration was fun and easy to use. I teach at the secondary level so we don’t have this software available to us for student use. Inspiration reminded me of old concept map handouts copied from books or made by teachers. In this age of technology, we can put the computer to use in how we make connections, relationships, and organize our thinking through graphics and text.

I hadn’t thought of using Inspiration for cooperative learning like the book mentions. I really like this idea. Brainstorming is an important tool when generating ideas together in a group. Even Word, Excel, and PowerPoint have visual diagrams and clip art that can be inserted similar to commands/options in Inspiration.

Desktop Publishing Software

This type of academic software is becoming more popular in the classroom today. Desktop publishing is combining text, graphics, and artwork on a page to create an effective publication. Microsoft Publisher is commonly used in the classroom by teachers and students alike.

This academic software is very relevant to me because as a BCIS teacher, I spend an entire six weeks teaching my students about Publisher. As a teacher, I have created several publications using DTP software. For example, my BCIS syllabus was created using a design set from a newsletter template. I have also used Publisher for creating extra credit coupons, restroom passes, and certificates with the same design set for a consistent look.

Every year, my students look forward to our unit on Publisher. This allows some the chance to “shine” and show off their creativity skills for designing publications. Some projects my students complete in Publisher include: flyers, advertisements, calendars, brochures, and newsletters. A very special project is when my students use a greeting card template to create a “Note of Encouragement” during TAKS time to give to other students who are taking the test.

When using DTP software, I think it is important to know who your audience will be before creating a publication. I share with my students examples of things that have been created using DTP software. We look closely at what type of graphics were used, the type of font, and the page layout. I have them ask questions as to “why” they think the creator of a publication used a certain font or graphic. We also compare different publications and rate them on their effectiveness.

Publisher is a software that you can really explore over and over and still find something new. I encourage you to “explore” Microsoft Publisher if you haven’t already to see what it can do for you! I know it will become one of your favorite type of academic software!

Blog #5

Online learning is very new to me. I will be taking my first online course in the fall. I enjoyed ETEC 524 (a web enhanced class) because of the face to face interaction with the professor so I'm not quite sure what to expect with this online course. I currently teach with the traditional classroom setting. After reading Chapter 5 from the textbook, I concluded that based on the research conducted, the impact distance education has for learning in an online environment is remarkable. I'm very excited about embarking on this new adventure for several reasons. First, I learn and work best independently. My preference is that of completing assignments by myself rather than with a group. With online learning you are surrounded by a virtual group of students each working independently, but they can easily add feedback and comments. Second, I prefer the time to think and process assignments, especially a writing task. I produce better work when given the assignment and expectations, then following a self-paced schedule for completing them. I enjoy working at home with email just a click away if I have any questions. Online learning will empower me through my motivation of wanting to succeed using this new venue available.

Online learning is a very popular trend in education due to the amount of technology available today. When searching for articles to include in my e-portfolio, I discovered numerous articles discussing online learning. As mentioned in the textbook, the articles cover every aspect from the changing roles of students and teachers to the advantages and disadvantages of learning online. I even found an article written in part by Dr. Wickersham titled, "Teaching Online: Three Perspectives, Three Approaches."

My first experience with eCollege has been through the ETEC 524 class. I am really impressed with all the capabilities it brings for online class enhancement. It was easy to access course information, notes, links, and assignments. This course management systems allows for many resources for the college professors with the ability of the dropbox, shared folders, gradebook and webliography. I look forward to other classes that use this format.

Blog #4

The information in Chapter 4 of the textbook was very interesting. I had never heard of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) especially a website, for example, http://www.archives.gov/index.html devoted to primary source material. I will add this website to my list of online resources. It provides a virtual field trip for students needing to research archives without having to visit Washington, D.C.

I agree with the textbook on the subject of teaching the skills needed for students to access primary sources. It starts with the teacher in providing structure and direction while using the internet. I get frustrated at times when I can't find what I am looking for. Students need help in determining what questions to ask so that they can make good search decisions to find the needed information. When searching the NAIL archives, it is important for students to understand bias and subtleties. Students today want information to be handed to them with little thought required. The example from the textbook (searching for trail of tears instead of Indian removal) proves this point. It would be beneficial for teachers to give examples of how primary sources work.

Even with primary sources, students should evaluate the information found. The textbook suggests encouraging students to examine other sources, analyze their data, and access experts. By conversing with an expert, students gain a current base of information and can gain a better understanding of what they are learning. When students are interested, their learning becomes more meaningful.

How can I utilize primary sources to align with my educational technology philosophy? In my philosophy, I discuss the importance of a student centered learning environment. Accessing primary sources supports this learning theory. Once expectations are established, students take on the responsibility of gaining access to the information they are seeking. It also requires students to use higher order thinking skills when assessing the research. The teacher now takes on the role of facilitator.

Blog #3

Technology Implementation and Integration

WORST FEARS

• not using the technology enough to remember how to use it


• managing/arranging time to incorporate into my curriculum


• other colleagues embracing new resources and technology
  

BEST HOPES

• excitement/motivation of students when presented with new technology


• student learning will be more meaningful and hands-on


• increased communication with parents/community

I am so excited about starting this coming school year. With all the wonderful technology tools that I have learned, I can't wait to start implementing them in my classroom. My worst fear is remembering from this class all the tools learned. My e-portfolio will help me to overcome this fear because it will be a continuous learning tool for me as I document examples/research and reflect on what I have learned. This class has sparked my interest to want to know more and stay up-to-date with emerging technologies. Another fear is analyzing my lesson plans to incorporate technology into my curriculum. I am already working on overcoming this fear because I now understand how technology is changing from what I thought technology in the classroom was and that I need to change with it. When students come into my classroom on the first day of school and see it's a computer lab, they automatically think, "It's internet surfing time." Won't they be surprised when the internet is used as a technology tool to aid in learning the objectives. The technology already available in my classroom is not just for me to use in teaching, but to share with my students to empower them to learn.

Information overload is the best way to describe what has been going on the past few weeks as far as the skills learned in class about technology. I never realized how much I did not know about technology. It's unbelievable and my hope is to use technology to communicate better with my students, parents, teachers, and the community. While reflecting on this past week, this question jumped out at me: How can someone expect to be informed of new technology if they are not taking the steps to acquire new information? That someone was me. I have discovered that I was falling into the traditional role of waiting for the information to come to me just like the example from the book where Alan November stated that the students were waiting for him to give them a problem. I relied on staff development from our Career and Technology department to inform me about technology. I can share with other teachers what I have learned and the impact it has had on me.

I like the topic from Chapter 3 in the textbook which describes creating a problem solving situation for the students to solve giving them responsibility for their learning. This shifting of control will work great in my classroom. For example, in my subject area there are many ways to complete a task in Microsoft Word: using the toolbars, menus, or keyboard shortcuts to name a few. I explain this to my students so that they can decide what way works best for them. A change I can make is letting the students demonstrate for the class the way they complete a task. This also falls under mentoring and Dr. Wickersham modeled this by having some of us teach a skill to the rest of the class and allowing time for questions and collaboration among peers. I believe everyone has something valuable to contribute.