Must I use a inquiry-based learning approach to use computers in my classroom?
Inquiry based learning is a great way to use computers in the classroom. This approach starts with a question and then engages the students with problem solving activities. The teacher is the facilitator and the provider of information. However this is not the only way to use computers in the classroom.
There is also Problem Based learning (PBL) that encourages the students understanding and skills with computers through exploration and experimentation. The teacher is a facilitator but does not provide information about the problem.
Project based learning gives the students a problem and they solve it by using well structured specific instructions for the end project. The teacher is the coach who provides feedback while the students work on the project.
In my class for High School Social Studies in the future, I would use a combination of all these types of learning for different lessons. Each way provides ways that the students can use the computer to learn and solve problems.
Can I still use tutorials and drill-and-practice software?
Although this type of learning on the computer is very basic and old school, I'm sure in my History classroom it might be useful for getting ready for tests doing practice multiple choice questions or different memorizing drills for dates and such.
Won't I have to spend a great deal of time to develop these units of instruction?
Initially I thing it will take time to develop units in the first couple of years that I teach. But once I create some units to teach Social Studies and test them out to make sure it works for the students and I, I think it will just take some adjusting and tweaking every year to teach these units.
Won't every student need a computer to use it as a tool?
Ideally it would be great if every student had their own computer in my classroom. However, due to budgeting in the school systems this won't always be possible. Using the different problem solving based learning I think that there are ways to split the class up into groups and teams for them to work together to get the lessons and projects done. Everyone can take turns using the computer within the group.
Chapter 2
How do I plan an integrated lesson that will work with my students?
In my class room I would use the NTeQ model for creating lesson plans. This model consists of 10 steps.
- Specify Objectives
- Computer Functions
- Specify Problem
- Research and Analysis
- Results Presentation
- Activities During Computer use
- Activities Before Computer use
- Activities After Computer use
- Supporting Activities
- Assessment
As I gain experience in making lesson plans, I do not need to do these steps in this order. Also, for each step I would not use just the computer, I would also use other resources like books, newspapers, magazines and journals.
Why do I need objectives to help with my planning and lesson development?
Objectives are needed to plan out the entire lesson, not just computer work. You have to figure out what kind of lesson you are doing and weather it is going to cross disciplines in your class or with other classrooms for team teaching. It is like a recipe, if you don't have objectives you cannot end the lesson completely.
How can I encourage my students to engage in the processing of information?
Students can be encouraged to engage in the process of information by having them help specify the problem. The students can help figure out what resources to use to solve the problems. They can also figure out what they already know about the problem.
Do I have to use a different lesson plan when I want my students to use computers?
You will have to adjust the lesson plan when you don't have enough computers for each student to complete the project. So - paper and pencil reports with database spread sheet charts and graphics added to it will work as every student will not have a computer to do word processing.
What is the relationship between objectives and computer functions?
When you are working on objectives you need to consider several issues. The length of the lesson depends on how hard the problem is. Also the attention span of your students is a major factor. You cannot expect to teach all the objectives using just the computer. The students use books, newspapers, magazines and journals. The computer is only a tool not a teach all device.
Chapter 6
Now that I have access to the Web, how can I use it effectively?
Using the web effectively does not include mindlessly surfing the web for anything and everything. To be productive on the web you need to use it wisely and for different facets of what you are trying to do. For teachers, the Web is an excellent tool for their students to access information.
- Creativity and Innovation
- Research and Information
- Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making.
- Technology Operations and Concepts
How do I manage students' use of the Web in my class?
Each school has guidelines for the students and filters for what they can do on the Web and what they cannot access. Overall the students should use the Web:
An Information Source
Sharing Documents
Communication
E-mail
Skype
Online Meetings
Which features of the Web do I use?
Depending on what you are doing dictates what features of the Web you will use. For teaching purposes I will use the Web for my students to access information and teach them how to use it wisely in order to find reputable sites to gather their information and get their projects done.
Unit 2 Blog
Chapter 3
1.) Why is it important to learn about different technology tools when they are constantly changing?
The
fact that technology is constantly changing is exactly why I as a
teacher should learn about all the technology that is out there today.
In order for the students to be prepared for the 21st century, they
need to use the technology that is the most current today. There are so
many ways that the technology that is out there today can be used to
enhance teaching that it is imperative that teachers know which
technology to use in which teaching situation.
I
thought that I had a good grasp of what my kids were doing in school,
but when I asked my daughter Brooke who is in 5th grade what devices she
was using in her school, I was blown away. Just reading chapter three
and asking her which different digital tools she was using or had used
was astounding. It was really neat to hear her tell me what they used
and for what project or purpose they were using it for.
2.) Most desktop computers do the same things as mobile devices, so why do teachers need to use both?
Well
- mobile devices are just that - mobile. With a classroom full of
students it will be very beneficial to have devices that can be moved
around the room and used for different things. Each mobile device has
their own specific use and specialty and I can see using all of them for
different projects in my Social Studies classes.
On
that same note. It would be important to have one main computer in the
classroom as kind of a base camp, where students could come to get
basic information they would need for the class and all have access to
the same information.
3.) How can the cost of digital devices be justified when the functions they perform are often limited in number and scope.
The
cost of digital devices is justified in many ways. They enhance
learning by using different for different projects and subjects of
study. In doing this, the students are being trained for technology in
the 21st century. There are many ways that school systems can cover the
cost of new technology through grants and fundraisers, so the cost to
the school system should no be that significant.
Chapter 4
1.) There are so many types of software; how do I know which ones to include in my lesson plan?
When you make a lesson plan, you can decide what type of software to use that will best
fit what you are trying to get across to the students. If I was teaching about immigration in America, I would totally love to use The Ellis Island Experience. It seems like the perfect match to a unit on that. I can imagine that today, there are many software programs that I could use to enhance a Social Studies Class and it would be a blast play them and find out which ones the students would get the most out of.
2.) I understand why students should use educational software and the Internet, but why should my fourth-grade students learn to use spreadsheet, database, or video editing software.
Why not? In this day and age, Anyway the students can learn how to use different types of software is beneficial. Why not teach them how to spreadsheets, use or create a database, and use video to create and edit a project? They will be using all this in many ways when they get older as students and when they go into the workforce.
3.) How can students use of different types of software help improve scores on state tests.
Students can use many different types of software to increase scores on state tests. There are drill and practice software programs that have been around for many years, but they are still use full in reinforcing basic skills and giving them instant feedback to see where they are.
Time4Writing is a program on the Time for learning NC EOG Test PrepWebPage. It offers a coarse with a certified teacher and it helps with grades elementary through high school by building writing skills through one-on-one interaction.
Unit 3
Chapter 9
1.) How can my students use multimedia for their projects?
The students can incorporate text, graphics, pictures and photos, video, sound, hyperlinks and amimation.
2.) What applications are available for creating a multimedia presentation?
Digital Movies: The students can use Internet ones or make their own. There are a couple of different types of digital movies - imovie or windows movie maker.
Step 1 - Title and Credits
Step 2 - Video Segments - drag drop
Step 3 - edit
.
Presentations: Mulitmedia - Graphics, sound, animation, video and text.
**Make sure that the bells and whitles don't take over what is written in the project. The project must have good content.
- The students must have a clear assignment.
- Plan content
- Create Storyboard
- who is the audience?
- what is presentation topic?
- what information will presentation share?
- purpose or goal
Power Point:
- Outline in Word
- Outline view in PP - then edit later
- Add media - pictures, sound, music and digital video
- Animated objects and slide transitions
- add hyperlinks
3.) Should I place limits on how my students use multimedia?
I don't think there should be any limits put on using multimedia in my classroom. As long as the works content is therre and the meat of the project has valid information, that it is not all bells and whistles, then any form of multimedia to get to that end will work.
Chapter 10
1.) How do you know that students understand a concept?
When you have the students use a graphics organizer - In order to get the final result, the student has to visualize, organize and depict relationships between what you are trying to teach. As long as the graphic organizer is used as a learning tool and not just for "bells and whistles" as with other multimedia projects, it enhances learning immensely.
Also, when students use graphic organizers, four NETS for Students are covered.
- Creativity and Innovation
- Research and Information Fluency
- Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Technology Operations and concepts
2.) How can you depict student misconceptions of key information?
When you do a problem based lesson, as a teacher you can see through the graphics organizer how the student came to their conclusion to the problem. At the end of the project, the students should add a brief written explanation or recording of how they got to their conclusion. This will show any holes in their learning and how they got there.
3.) How can students capture and transfer brainstorming ideas into written thoughts?
Before the students even get on the computer to start their project using the graphics organizer, they need to do a lot of prep work. As a class or individually, the students need to just brainstorm ideas and thoughts. This can be done using their thinking, researching in books, watching videos and using the Internet. This is what is so great about graphics organizers because all this information that the students compile can be organized easily once they start incorporating it into the easy software of graphics organizers.
Here is a great example of a graphics organizer for a history class:
http://www.google.com/imgres?start=172&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1024&bih=656&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=E5JKACGdXh8nEM:&imgrefurl=http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/index.php/Unit_Three-_Utilizing_Graphic_Organizers_in_the_Classroom&docid=LyYjHYS2DjiHtM&imgurl=http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/images/9/99/Rivalry_small.gif&w=476&h=315&ei=plBMT9OjAYXLtgedpvAk&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=174&sig=118385238692107021473&page=10&tbnh=124&tbnw=187&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:172&tx=117&ty=47
Unit 4
Chapter 7
1.) Doesn't word processing make the writing process too easy?
No - the students still need to outline their writings and make a rough draft before they begin to put their work to word processing. If anything, it makes it harder but more challenging. There are so many tools to use in word processing to enhance the document such as tables, graphics and hyperlinks. It is not just pen and paper and making your writing neat and your spelling and grammar correct. When the students use word processors they are expected to have it neat and have correct grammar and spelling but so much more.
2.) How can students word processing be used to engage students in higher level thinking?
When Students use a word processor they are forced to outline their ideas and plan ahead even before they start typing. This allows the students to have a better understanding of what they are writing. Also, using graphics organizers, tables, images, graphics, and hyperlinks pushes them to organize and showcase the information in their document to a higher level.
3.) In what ways are the individual needs of students met when their work is completed with a word processor?
Each student has to work at their own pace and find the information in their own way. They put their own "stamp" on their document when they choose the fonts, graphics and links to include in their work. All the tools that come with word processing can be used to make the students paper, document, project the best it can be. In the end, when the students work is turned it and all the students have completed their work in a word processor - They can all be viewed equally knowing that all the students were given the same tools to complete their work.
Chapter 8
1.) Can you identify two types of data your students could collect as part of a lesson?
One set of data I could use for a Social Studies Class would be the number of immigrants that came to America for certain dates.
Another set of data my students could put on a spreadsheet would have to do with WWII and manufacturing.
2.) For the immigration data, the students The data to look at could be the year they came to America, what country the immigrant came from and where they ended up living in the USA.
For the manufacturing datia for WWII, The students could input the different areas of manufacturing and how much was being made before the war and then look at during and after the war if the manufacturing increased, decreased, or stayed the same for different areas of manufacturing.
3.) A line graph would show how many immigrants in each year came to 11 America. The students could see if the amounts increased or deceased as the years went by.
A bar graph could be used to show manufacturing amounts for a givin product during WWII. The students would see how the war affected production in the war years.
A pie chart could be used to show from what country immigrants came from in a givin year.
4.) Yes - simply by creating a graph with the values you put into a spreadsheet makes it interactive. For example: In a math class the students can manipulate a number in an equation to see how it changes the slope of a line.
Chapter 11
1.) What are the benefits of using problem solving or educational software.
The benefits of well designed games and simulations are that the game players portray skills that match thinking, planning, learning and technological skills that potential employers look for. When students use educational games or software - they want to win the game and learn while doing that. They don't learn just to pass a test. Games use decision-action-feedback and reflection. This is the basis for all learning.
This is a little off the subject, but I read an article about the games today, not necessarily educational games or software, but online games such as World of Warcraft, Star Wars, and other MMORPG games. It stated that kids that play these games aren't just wasting time and staring at the computer. These games, if you want to progress, require very important leadership skills to get there. http://news.softpedia.com/news/IBM-Thinks-World-of-Warcraft-Players-Make-Good-Employees-102139.shtml.
Simulations help students as well. The students can control certain parts of the simulated environment. This environment helps to engage students to think. Not just like watching a filmstrip - if classrooms even have those any more!
2.) How do I choolse the right software?
To see if an educational software program is good to use in your classroom, it needs to meet certain criteria.
These are:
1. Content Accuracy
2. Research-based instructional strategies.
a. Lerner control of program features (sound, pace, sequence, etx.)
b. variety of appropriate feedback
c. motivational and interesting.
3. Effectively meets instructional objectives.
a. content alligned with objectives
b. Practice and feedback are alligned to objective.
4. Assessment of learning (student attainment of objective is assessed.
5. Ease of use
a. Technical quality
b. precise and consistent directions
c. Appropriate reading level for target audiance.
