Monday, December 10, 2007
Blog #13: Technology in the Classroom
Since being in this class, I have learned a few ways to incorporate technology in my classroom. I still believe technology has its place in the early childhood classroom. I think that computers incorporate many different learning styles and this can be important when teaching children with disabilities. Children with disabilities have many more options due to technology developments that they would not have otherwise. This also allows them to be able to do many of the projects and assignments that their peers do. I now realize that computers are not the only form of technology used in the classroom. There are many other things that can help with classroom management and activities. I began this class thinking technology was important in the classroom and I still believe this today, except I now know different ways of using it and how to incorporate it into regular lesson plans.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Blog #11: Non-Computer-based technology
I think that one of the most important technologies developed for education is the overhead projector. It has been used for several years and is much easier to use than slides. The teacher can either used typed sheets or they can use a marker and write on the sheet which is very helpful as a visual aide in the classroom. I think that this is an important technology because tt projects images onto the screen, which enlarges them for children who have difficulty seeing what is written on the board.
Along with the overhead projector are the new projectors that do not require a transparent sheet, but you can use regular paper and it will display through a projection system. This means that a teacher does not even have to make a transparent copy, but can instead use a regular sheet of paper. However, it does have its downsides. It is not as easy to erase on a sheet of paper as it is a transparency. I do, however, think that this is an interesting invention and it will be a handy tool in the classroom.
Along with the overhead projector are the new projectors that do not require a transparent sheet, but you can use regular paper and it will display through a projection system. This means that a teacher does not even have to make a transparent copy, but can instead use a regular sheet of paper. However, it does have its downsides. It is not as easy to erase on a sheet of paper as it is a transparency. I do, however, think that this is an interesting invention and it will be a handy tool in the classroom.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Blog #10: ERIC Project Reflection
After watching a few of the presentations, I am now more knowledgeable about how technology can be used in the curriculum. I really liked hearing about how to use it in science and found the Quest Atlantis program to be interesting and it sounds like it would be a fun simulation. I think it would have been nice to learn about how to incorporate other subjects as well, but science is a subject that is often difficult for children to have hands on experience with because it is dangerous to mix chemicals or take children to the ocean when learning about the oceans and the sea animals. Providing such simulations allows the students to have the experience. I look forward to being able to use simulations and other programs in my classroom.
I also found the statistics found for the use of technology between men and women to be interesting. When I heard that men tended to use the computer more for programming and data analysis I began to think. My mom is an engineer and her primary job is to analyze data; I have never thought of her being in a male dominated field, but when I began to think about it, she really is! The statistics also say that women tend to use the computer for word processing, finances and communication. I will agree that my primary use for the computer is for communication through e-mails and instant messaging as well as preparing word documents for school. As a teacher, I will not use these statistics as a driving force for my teaching. I will expect all of the students to be able to look at data and see a correlation and to use a program to create a word document.
Even though this topic has not yet been discussed in our presentations, while doing my research, I found the positive and negative uses for technology in the classroom to be interesting. Teachers must really be careful as to not allow the computer and programs to do the teaching; they have to use the computer to aide in the teaching. This will be one of my primary concerns for using computers in my classroom. I have to be careful to not say “They will understand it better after they use the computer to play the math game.” I should be able to teach and clarify the information and then use the computer to help the children practice what they have learned.
I also found the statistics found for the use of technology between men and women to be interesting. When I heard that men tended to use the computer more for programming and data analysis I began to think. My mom is an engineer and her primary job is to analyze data; I have never thought of her being in a male dominated field, but when I began to think about it, she really is! The statistics also say that women tend to use the computer for word processing, finances and communication. I will agree that my primary use for the computer is for communication through e-mails and instant messaging as well as preparing word documents for school. As a teacher, I will not use these statistics as a driving force for my teaching. I will expect all of the students to be able to look at data and see a correlation and to use a program to create a word document.
Even though this topic has not yet been discussed in our presentations, while doing my research, I found the positive and negative uses for technology in the classroom to be interesting. Teachers must really be careful as to not allow the computer and programs to do the teaching; they have to use the computer to aide in the teaching. This will be one of my primary concerns for using computers in my classroom. I have to be careful to not say “They will understand it better after they use the computer to play the math game.” I should be able to teach and clarify the information and then use the computer to help the children practice what they have learned.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Blog #9: Online Article
Title of Article: The Role of Technology in Early Childhood Programs
Summary
This article notes that many people today believe that computers and technology will solve all of our problems. However, what is being found is that computers are not usually developmentally appropriate for children under the age of three. This, however, does not affect the use of computers in a kindergarten through third grade classroom. The article then mentions several theorists and finding whether or not computers are developmentally appropriate for these young learners. In Piaget’s theory, it mentions that the children are in the preoperational stage, meaning that they want to explore, they are concrete learners and they are active. In Howard Gardner’s theory, it notes that children have several different types of learning styles. Through both of these theories, computers and computer programs can satisfy the needs of young learners, so, if used correctly, the computer is developmentally appropriate for this age group. There is a concern that computers will only be used to meet the standards of the curriculum and not the intellectual needs of the students. This means that less emphasis could be placed on social skills and moral values as well as experiencing learning through a variety of ways.
There are several ways listed that are positive ways of including computers and technology into the classroom, but it is warned to make sure you are not integrating it just to integrate technology; it must be there to help the learner. In order for integrating computers into the classroom successfully, several steps must be taken: Have people who understand the use of computers to aide, select appropriate software and websites, make sure the computers you have can run the selected software, and make sure that the staff using the computers know who to use them and the software selected (provide training periodically and adequately). When integrating computers into the classroom, make sure there is a good student to computer ratio (around seven children to one computer). Finally, make sure using the computer is not replacing the instruction!
My thoughts:
I think this article is what we, as future teachers, are being taught to do. If you are going to integrate computers, make sure you do so in a logical manner and make sure the software is relevant to the material being covered. It gives ways to select appropriate software (almost exactly as what has been listed in our chapter readings) and provides several ways in which to incorporate it.
I found it interesting that it mentioned computers being developmentally appropriate for the age we wish to teach using two theories of major early childhood theorists. Being developmentally appropriate and using appropriate software is a concern when using computers with this age group. One has to make sure the software is providing challenging material, however does not make the student frustrated; it has to be fun, yet educational. There was also mention of making sure the computers are not replacing concrete materials such as play, art, and interaction. I think that those are very important aspects of going to school and a teacher needs to make sure that play and interaction is not being replaced with computer technology.
While reading, I found the “Do’s and Don’ts of Using Computers in Early Childhood Programs” to be rather interesting, so check it out if you get a chance!
Summary
This article notes that many people today believe that computers and technology will solve all of our problems. However, what is being found is that computers are not usually developmentally appropriate for children under the age of three. This, however, does not affect the use of computers in a kindergarten through third grade classroom. The article then mentions several theorists and finding whether or not computers are developmentally appropriate for these young learners. In Piaget’s theory, it mentions that the children are in the preoperational stage, meaning that they want to explore, they are concrete learners and they are active. In Howard Gardner’s theory, it notes that children have several different types of learning styles. Through both of these theories, computers and computer programs can satisfy the needs of young learners, so, if used correctly, the computer is developmentally appropriate for this age group. There is a concern that computers will only be used to meet the standards of the curriculum and not the intellectual needs of the students. This means that less emphasis could be placed on social skills and moral values as well as experiencing learning through a variety of ways.
There are several ways listed that are positive ways of including computers and technology into the classroom, but it is warned to make sure you are not integrating it just to integrate technology; it must be there to help the learner. In order for integrating computers into the classroom successfully, several steps must be taken: Have people who understand the use of computers to aide, select appropriate software and websites, make sure the computers you have can run the selected software, and make sure that the staff using the computers know who to use them and the software selected (provide training periodically and adequately). When integrating computers into the classroom, make sure there is a good student to computer ratio (around seven children to one computer). Finally, make sure using the computer is not replacing the instruction!
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=302
My thoughts:
I think this article is what we, as future teachers, are being taught to do. If you are going to integrate computers, make sure you do so in a logical manner and make sure the software is relevant to the material being covered. It gives ways to select appropriate software (almost exactly as what has been listed in our chapter readings) and provides several ways in which to incorporate it.
I found it interesting that it mentioned computers being developmentally appropriate for the age we wish to teach using two theories of major early childhood theorists. Being developmentally appropriate and using appropriate software is a concern when using computers with this age group. One has to make sure the software is providing challenging material, however does not make the student frustrated; it has to be fun, yet educational. There was also mention of making sure the computers are not replacing concrete materials such as play, art, and interaction. I think that those are very important aspects of going to school and a teacher needs to make sure that play and interaction is not being replaced with computer technology.
While reading, I found the “Do’s and Don’ts of Using Computers in Early Childhood Programs” to be rather interesting, so check it out if you get a chance!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
#7: Half-Way Reflection
So far, I have had a busy semester and have been somewhat overwhelmed (and it is not just this class). I guess I never really realized the amount of technology that can be used in the early elementary classrooms! I think that using computers is a good idea; it gets students acquainted with the technology so that they can use it in their future years. My favorite concept so far is working with Excel. I love using it and it still amazes me that a computer program can do what this program does (equations can be dragged down a column instead of copied and pasted!). Other than Excel, I think that learning to use a program that can create videos is good. As much as I despised putting that video together (I like using the MovieMaker program much more than I liked iMovie), I think that I may find that experience beneficial when I become a teacher. Even though I do not think that I will use that program as a teacher now, I may in the future.
#6: Internet use in Elementary Classroom
I think that the internet is not a necessity when working with children in the early education classroom. Children, at this age, are not doing web searches to find information to work on a report, so the internet is there for games and interaction. I have witnessed the use of the internet in a first grade classroom, however. The teacher had them working on their math facts while using a website that provided math related games. This allowed the teacher to have an interactive game for the students without having to purchase a product.
While the internet is a great place for free material, it does have its downfalls. The internet sometimes has periods in which it does not function properly; the webpage is down, cables are disconnected, or the internet is just not working. Along with the internet, comes safety. When children are working on the internet, teachers must make sure that the sites that they are visiting are safe and secure so that the students are not able to find things that are not related to the topic. If I were to have students working on the internet, I would make sure that the site was safe and provided what I wanted the students to see before I let them take control of the mouse.
The internet is a wonderful place to find great educational games and lessons. One of my favorite sites to use is Discovery Learning. This site provides links to other educational sites, free clip art, an abundance of lesson plans for every subject, and, my favorite, an online puzzle maker. This site also provides, what they call, “brain boosters,” which are little quizzes that help work on categorization, logic, lateral reason, and spatial awareness. I know I have fun with the quizzes, so I am sure that the students will as well!
While the internet is a great place for free material, it does have its downfalls. The internet sometimes has periods in which it does not function properly; the webpage is down, cables are disconnected, or the internet is just not working. Along with the internet, comes safety. When children are working on the internet, teachers must make sure that the sites that they are visiting are safe and secure so that the students are not able to find things that are not related to the topic. If I were to have students working on the internet, I would make sure that the site was safe and provided what I wanted the students to see before I let them take control of the mouse.
The internet is a wonderful place to find great educational games and lessons. One of my favorite sites to use is Discovery Learning. This site provides links to other educational sites, free clip art, an abundance of lesson plans for every subject, and, my favorite, an online puzzle maker. This site also provides, what they call, “brain boosters,” which are little quizzes that help work on categorization, logic, lateral reason, and spatial awareness. I know I have fun with the quizzes, so I am sure that the students will as well!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Blog #5: State Standards of Kindergarten
I think it is a good idea to have a list of what kindergarteners should know by the time they leave to the first grade. It allows all teachers to know what needs to be taught. Having broad goals does not ensure that every student is learning what they should be. While this idea is not a sure way to ensure learning, it does provide a benchmark for teachers to follow and will increase the likelihood of that happening. Many of the standards seem reasonable, like being able to say, spell, and write their name. Some of them seem rather difficult for the kindergarten level, such as distinguishing the number of syllables in words by using rhythmic clapping, snapping or counting; I noticed this occurring in a first grade classroom. Some argue that these standards may be restrictive. This may be true, but having “benchmarks” does not mean that a teacher cannot go beyond what is laid out as a standard; a teacher can always go farther than what is required.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Blog #4: Digital Camera Lesson Plan
There are many lessons that could go along with a digital camera. One of my favorites was used in one of the first grade classrooms I observed in. The children were learning to identify trees by their leaves. As we all know, leaves tend to crumble when they become dry, so the teacher instructed them to go outside and find leaves and then they took pictures of the leaves. After printing the pictures off, they would write the name of the tree that the leaf came from. They then used the pictures to help practice the identification process. For the test, the teacher copied the students’ pictures for the test!
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Blog #3: Philosophy Summary
These are a few words that summarize my teaching philosophy:
- Cooperation
- Devotion
- Student-Centered
- Motivation
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Blog #2: Gardner, Bloom, and Dale
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory divides intelligence into eight different intelligences because he believes that IQ testing is too limited. He divided these eight intelligences into linguistic (words), musical, logical-mathematical (reasoning and numbers), spatial (pictures), bodily-kinesthetic (body), intrapersonal (working with others), interpersonal (self), and naturalist (nature) intelligences. Gardner believed that too much emphasis was put onto linguistic and logical-mathematical skills in the classroom and this did not allow students who had musical and artistic talents. He believed that students are more likely to succeed when more than one of these methods is put into place. This theory supports the use of technology. It allows the students to learn by methods other than lecturing and writing assignments. Students can use computer programs to work on there speaking, mathematical, and spatial skills and then can choose to work alone or with partners to use their interpersonal or intrapersonal skills. By using computer programs, the Type II use of technology because the computer is replacing the teacher.
Website source: http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm
Benjamin Bloom’s theory of taxonomy is the idea that there are six hierarchical levels to the mastery of information. Each level is used to build up to the next level. The bottom of the pyramid is knowledge, then comprehension, followed application, then analysis, comprehension and finally, the last step being evaluation. In order for students to get to the comprehension level, they must have mastered the knowledge and comprehension level first. This theory detracts the use of technology and places more emphasis on the teacher and his/her lesson plans. It is up to the teacher to decide how to teach information to the students and make sure they demonstrate knowledge through the evaluation of the material. This theory uses Type I technology because it is up to the teacher to implement or aid in his/her lesson plans.
Website sources: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/guides/bloom1.html
Dale’s cone of experience is a system designed to “categorize media according to realism.” The media ranges from concrete to abstract and requires concrete examples and experience to help students understand. There are different levels to the cone (text, pictures and audio only, audio-visual/media, dramatization/live experiences, simulations/role playing, direct purposeful experiences) and each level provides more experiences and a greater likelihood that the student will remember the information. Technology is supported from this theory; examples from the text book include multimedia interaction, audio broadcasting, and videos. This requires the use of computers, television, audio players, the internet, and a form of video player, as well as many other forms of technology. This theory uses Type III technology because it requires the teacher to provide concrete examples and experiences for the child before they can relate to the material being presented. While the videos and audios can help the teacher with the lessons, the teacher must provide the real life experiences in order for the greatest likelihood of the child remembering the material covered.
Websites used: http://www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/spring05/whelan_it_history.html
http://web.utk.edu/~mccay/apdm/selusing/selusing_d.htm
Website source: http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm
Benjamin Bloom’s theory of taxonomy is the idea that there are six hierarchical levels to the mastery of information. Each level is used to build up to the next level. The bottom of the pyramid is knowledge, then comprehension, followed application, then analysis, comprehension and finally, the last step being evaluation. In order for students to get to the comprehension level, they must have mastered the knowledge and comprehension level first. This theory detracts the use of technology and places more emphasis on the teacher and his/her lesson plans. It is up to the teacher to decide how to teach information to the students and make sure they demonstrate knowledge through the evaluation of the material. This theory uses Type I technology because it is up to the teacher to implement or aid in his/her lesson plans.
Website sources: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/guides/bloom1.html
Dale’s cone of experience is a system designed to “categorize media according to realism.” The media ranges from concrete to abstract and requires concrete examples and experience to help students understand. There are different levels to the cone (text, pictures and audio only, audio-visual/media, dramatization/live experiences, simulations/role playing, direct purposeful experiences) and each level provides more experiences and a greater likelihood that the student will remember the information. Technology is supported from this theory; examples from the text book include multimedia interaction, audio broadcasting, and videos. This requires the use of computers, television, audio players, the internet, and a form of video player, as well as many other forms of technology. This theory uses Type III technology because it requires the teacher to provide concrete examples and experiences for the child before they can relate to the material being presented. While the videos and audios can help the teacher with the lessons, the teacher must provide the real life experiences in order for the greatest likelihood of the child remembering the material covered.
Websites used: http://www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/spring05/whelan_it_history.html
http://web.utk.edu/~mccay/apdm/selusing/selusing_d.htm
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Blog Post #1: About ME!!
My name is Jennifer, but feel free to call me Jenn if you would like. I live just outside of Bowling Green and have lived there my entire life (and I really don't get out too much). I live with my family and drive into Bowling Green almost everyday for classes. On my free time, I watch NASCAR races and cheer for my favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. I also love going shopping with my friends and we go whenever we get the chance. However, since I have very little free time because of school and work, this is a rarity.
I am here for several reasons. The most important reason I am in this course is to learn how to use the computer to help me in my classroom. I would also like to become more knowledgeable when using different applications, such as excel and access.
I believe that teaching children at a young age to use the computer is important. Teaching them to type and use different applications will help them in their future school years as well as in their careers later in life. There are also many wonderful computer programs and games available for the children to use that will help them learn. I love many of the math games that are available. This not only provides a fun and easy way for a child to practice their math facts, but it assures the teacher that the students are practicing their skills outside of math class. I do, however, have a few concerns about students using the computer. The children should be able to learn to print and write; the computer should not be used as the primary tool to create their work.
I am here for several reasons. The most important reason I am in this course is to learn how to use the computer to help me in my classroom. I would also like to become more knowledgeable when using different applications, such as excel and access.
I believe that teaching children at a young age to use the computer is important. Teaching them to type and use different applications will help them in their future school years as well as in their careers later in life. There are also many wonderful computer programs and games available for the children to use that will help them learn. I love many of the math games that are available. This not only provides a fun and easy way for a child to practice their math facts, but it assures the teacher that the students are practicing their skills outside of math class. I do, however, have a few concerns about students using the computer. The children should be able to learn to print and write; the computer should not be used as the primary tool to create their work.
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