November 21th, 2011

This class introduced us to the many options of assitive technology that is available to students. I didn't normally think about how dificult it could be for students with disabilities to access technology but after seeing the tools that they use, I now know what options I have as a teacher, to help include them in lessons. There are instruments that could use to drastically increase font size for people with vision problems. There is also a sip/puff insturment that can enable students with limited motor abilities to type things onto the computer. I think these tools should be considered when creating lesson plans and I think it is important to make sure that the activities in the lesson can be completed by all students.

October 24th,2011

Students use websites for various reasons related to schools. Just because you can Google it, doesn't mean the information is reliable. Anyone can make a website and include information which they feel is relevant but sometimes it isn't. When choosing a website, whether it's to share with students or to get information to help plan a lesson, a teacher should pay attention to things like who made the site, when the last time the site was updated, and if the owners of the website can be reached for questions. Prior to this class I did know that not all websites should be used but I wasn't sure what characteristics a trusted site should have. I usually just judge websites by their look. My outlook is that if the site looks like something I can make, it isn't reliable.

October 17th, 2011

The desktop publishing assignment was introduced. Although I use Microsoft Word often, I have never created a newsletter. The class was instructed to chose a template from Word and begin to create a newsletter. I began my newsletter and titled it "Hey Parents" which is supposed to be a classroom newsletter which keeps the parents informed about what's happening in their child's high school English class.

October 10th, 2011

The International Society for technology in Education has what is referred to as NET standards for learning in a digital age. There are standards for Administrators, Educators, and Students. The standards assist teachers with lesson planning because they can help the teacher think about ways to include technology. The standards don't tell a person exactly what they should be doing but they tell the person what purpose technology should serve in conjunction with curriculum. As a future educator the standards tell me what I should be doing to ensure my students will always be current with the curriculum and technology in my classroom.

October 3rd, 2011

This class introduced ways to assess students learning. Assessments are classified as formative and summative. SATs would be considered an summative assessment as it measures what a students knows. Formative assessments are given throughout the semester and can be an indicator of how well students are understanding the information being taught. Formative assessments can be helpful to a teacher as they are planning lessons. If students aren't performing well on them, the teacher can re-teach the information to better prepare students for more serious (summative) assessments.There was a powerpoint on standards. Curriculum is based off of the standards that the Dept of Education set.

September 19th, 2011

This class included the introduction of the upcoming Spreadsheet assignment which is a grade book using Microsoft Excel. During this class was the first time I was introduced to the rules behind fair use, which is associated with copywritten material, and to test our understanding there was a quiz to take about the topic. I learned that there are strict copywritten rules behind images found on the Internet but many places can make exceptions when it comes to educational use.

Monday's Class (Septemeber 12th, 2011)

21^st Century Skills was the most interesting article of the night for me. The skills that students are expected to acquire from school seem very demanding. When I was growing up, and I consider myself to be fairly young, technology didn’t dominate the classroom as it does/will in the 21^st century. “Google” was never an option when it came time for my sixth grade research project on HIV. enGuage feels that in order for students the thrive in this 21^st century digital age, they must embody certain technological skills, or Digital-Age Literacies. Some skills among others include multicultural and informational literacy, along with global awareness. Informational literacy is one that I would normally expect students to take from their learning. I do agree that students should be able to use technology to better organize and synthesize information.  I am not used to seeing multicultural literacy and global awareness in the same setting.  Multicultural awareness in schools is important. With many people migrating around the world each year, it is important or students to have access to information that would allow them to research other groups and cultures, which will enable them to improve communication. Also in the article are enhancing effective communication through interactive communication and the ability to use real world tools both of which require a technologically literate individual.

                Marc Prensky’s Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants classified society into two categories. A Digital Native is someone born into a time where the internet was a readily available; basically those born in the 90’s. I had my first experience with the internet around age 11. In seventh grade I had a required class that gave touch-typing instruction and my household had 2 computers in it. Although it may seem like I am a digital native (although I wasn’t born in the 90’s), I feel that I am a digital immigrant. I knew how to navigate through a library and find a book prior to that information being accessible through the computer. As the technology improved, I learned how to use computerize resources. Digital Immigrants are individuals who grew up in a time where computers didn’t exist, and as they became popular, the individual learned how to use the technology.  I don’t like either of the titles. I feel like Digital Immigrant has a negative connotation. Hopefully people don’t start asking whether or not you are a digital native or immigrant on employment applications.

                “Who Are the Students Today” (YouTube video) showed who the students are in today’s classrooms and lecture halls. The video seemed to be a reality to check, but I’m not sure whom it was for. It’s important to know and see who the student’s are and what they think about the process that they are going through. It’s a shame to know that some students waste money on education by not showing up to class, but it’s also sad that students feel they will be fixing problems that they did not create.  It seems like the students have no motivation. Today’s students are over worked and do not have enough time in a 24 hour period to enjoy themselves and get the recommended 8 hours of sleep.  When they finish college, they’ll be in debt, which makes their situation worse.