Trick or Tip

Post one tip or trick dealing with technology that you have used in your classroom, read about, or seen in use. Be sure to include your name with the post!

Think of the productivity tools discussed in class and ways you have used them. (Word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation software, concept mapping, and free productivity tools) How have productivity tools helped you be more productive? More organized? More productive? How can you incorporate the learner center principles into your approaches to using these tools?

A teacher you work with has asked for your help in designing technology-related activities capitalizing on the wide variety of technology resources available in the room (assume the kind of technology you choose will be in the room).

How would you design the initiating activity(s)? How many would there be? How would you choose to integrate technology into your teaching, students’ learning, and the assessments? What technology would you choose?

How would you assist the teacher in understanding how the technology you use in the initiating activities could be used again in the guided learning and culminating performance – for instruction, learning, and assessment? What resources would you direct him/her towards?

Locate a state standard(s) for the grade you are teaching. Identify a standard that can be addressed through a short unit (one to five days).
Now visit the ISTE NETS standards to see whether one or more of those is appropriate for helping you meet the content standard(s) you have selected.
If so, identify the tools, such as software or websites that you will be using or have used in a past lesson. Now that you have the standards in mind and have selected your technology, think about how you might assess or did assess whether your students have met the standard(s).
Will you use quizzes? Tests?
A performance-based task?
Next, think about the learning activities. How will each activity address the standard(s) you have selected? How will the activities help your students succeed on the assessment?

Online Excercise 5

Think about your classroom. In your mind, where do you see the technology in that room? (Think of all the possible technologies—computers, LCD projectors, handhelds, laptop carts, and more.) How will you set up the classroom to support students in working both with technology and with each other? Ask yourself the following questions:
Will the kinds of technologies you have envisioned support all of your students regardless of their learning strengths and weaknesses?
Will these technologies support your students in working together?
Will students have enough access to technologies to meet their learning needs?
Now think about teaching in that classroom:
How will you know students are learning what you intend them to learn?
How will you identify their preferred learning style and differentiate instruction in the classroom for them?
If they are not learning what you intend, how will you address that?

Welcome to Class!

I have just started my final class to complete my EDS degree! Amen!! It is the first day and we are creating our first blog! Welcome to the experience!!