Philosophy of Technology in Education

The final required blog post of the quarter is my Philosophy of Technology in Education, which is based off of the question below:

How will you use technology to enhance student learning?

    I believe that technology can be a great asset to teaching and learning in the classroom, and I plan to incorporate digital tools and learning devices into my future classroom to support the diverse learning needs of all my students, and enhance the overall learning environment for all involved.  Technology has become an integral part of our society in recent years, and if I want to prepare my students as best I can for the future I will need to make technology an essential part of our classroom community.  I used to be somewhat skeptical of using technology in an early childhood or primary classroom, but through my exploration of different tools I have come to realize that there is a multitude of digital tools that can be incorporated into a Kindergarten or pre-school classroom, as well as a 5th or 6th grade classroom.  Tools such as a SmartBoard, videos, animations, podcasts, virtual field trips and flashcards can all be used effectively in pre-K to college-level classrooms to make connections to students’ lives, and support a deeper understanding of the material being presented.  

    I believe that technology can be used most effectively when it allows students to develop an understanding of the material at hand, and be able to apply it in a real-world setting.  Using technological tools to make meaningful connections to students’ prior knowledge and experiences is an important way to increase understanding.  “Multimedia tends to have long term effects on understanding and retention” (CARET ) which benefits students at any level.  Multimedia such as videos, Podcasts, and interactive kiosks are just a few of the tools that teachers can use in the classroom to build connections and introduce new information.  There is also an overwhelming number of websites and software that teachers can use to develop interactive lessons and activities, assessments, and collaborative work stations to enhance student learning.  Online tools like Wiki, Blogger, and Quizlet.com give students the ability to collaborate on projects, and share information and their ideas in a community space.  A Wiki or blog can also act as an assessment tool if students are asked to submit work to a class Wiki or blog where the teacher can view their submissions. 

    While there are many advantages to using technology in the classroom, there are also some downfalls that teachers must take into consideration when deciding which digital tools to use.  Online resources can be very beneficial to students if used correctly, however, the internet is full of misleading, incorrect, and inappropriate information that students can easily come across in their research.  It won’t always be possible for teachers to monitor each of their students’ computer use, so it is important to provide scaffolding and support for students by giving them appropriate and good quality tools to start with.  One example might be to use WebQuests, which give students a balance of technology, and hands-on activities—these are useful because the majority of them are good quality and user-friendly.  Another disadvantage to technology can be the distraction that often comes along with digital tools, for example, advertisements that appear on websites may be inappropriate or lead to a distracting website that steers students away from the task they are supposed to be completing.  Although there are disadvantages to technology in the classroom, I believe that if used correctly and effectively, the advantages can far outweigh the disadvantages.  

    In my future classroom I plan to incorporate instructional technology and other digital tools to create a more interactive learning community.  I think that a SmartBoard could be the most useful piece of technology for a teacher because it allows you to display images using a variety of sources, such as an overhead, the internet, or a Word document.  The SmartBoard can be used to display many of the other digital tools I want to use in my classroom—Skype is one tool that would be very effective in any classroom because it allows users to video chat with anyone else in the world (that has Skype).  The idea of a virtual fieldtrip using Skype was introduced to me this quarter and it is one that I plan to use frequently in my classroom—virtual fieldtrips would allow students to travel to places and learn things they might not otherwise have the opportunity to, without leaving the classroom.   Instructional technology can also be a very effective way to provide access to the curriculum for students with specific and diverse learning needs.  For students who struggle with reading VoiceThreads, Podcasts, and Powerpoints with images and symbols, may be helpful ways to provide information in a way that is easier for the student to understand.  There is also a plethora of Assitive Technology devices available to teachers that are tailored to meet the specific needs of a variety of diverse learners. I hope that the toolkit of technology that I’ve gathered this year will help me in providing the most effective learning and educational support for each of my students.   

Self-Chosen Project Interactive Kiosk Thoughts & Reflections

Wow! There are so many fantastic pieces of technology that people discovered through this project and I can see pretty much all of them being used in a classroom somewhere. (Maybe even mine!)

Some of my favorite technology from today:

• Voice Thread - this website lets you create voice threads online, kind of like a Podcast. Voice Thread, however, allows other users to comment on your voice thread using a telephone, webcam, computer microphone, and more.  These can be listened to and commented on around the world, which would be great in the classroom for global learning. Teacher-friendly point: teacher's can monitor the comments that students are allowed to see! You can also add pictures to your Voice Thread that you can manipulate (draw on, etc) while you're talking.  One example of classroom use that I really liked was using it to create a Voice Thread picture book--kind of like a book on tape, but with pictures! (Also, it's FREE!)
• Skype - Skype is one that I have used previously, but it continues to amaze me.  Skype allows you to make phone calls to other users, and even regular phone numbers, using your computer.  This is a great tool for teachers to bring guest speakers from all over the world into the classroom with the click of a button.  One super awesome use for Skype that I learned about was virtual fieldtrips!! WHOA! You can take your kids anywhere in the world without leaving the classroom/school! (It's FREE too! And we all love free!)
• Google Docs - this extension of Google.com acts as an online word-processing application that mimics Microsoft Office formatting so if you're comfortable with Office, you'll find Google Docs very easy to use.  This application is a great alternative to using Office because it is available from any computer at any time and it allows students to participate and interact with each other from their homes, and at any hour.  This also gives students a new way to submit work--paperless! And...it's FREE! 
• Easy Grade Pro - This is a software (not free :( ) that has to be downloaded onto your computer--BUT it makes organizing your grade book super easy and it keeps all of your info in one place. It does take some time to get used to this piece of technology, but I think once you've put in a little time it will make grading much easier than before.  You can also make seating charts! 

There was a lot of other great technology explored for this project, but these are the ones I can see myself using the most.  Some others we looked at are: ToonDoo (online cartoon/comic strip maker), Animoto (online movie maker, like iMovie but easier), XTimeline (online timeline creator, lets you add pics, videos, etc).

I did my SCP on Quizlet.com - a website that allows users to create their own flashcards, and use flashcards that have already been made by other users.  The cards can be shared in groups too -- great for classroom use!!

There is so much technology and so little time that I find myself getting overwhelmed just thinking about it--I'm glad we got a chance to explore one piece of technology in-depth, and then be able to get an introduction to a variety of technologies that can be used in the classroom.

Happy learning :)

Franklin Spelling Ace

 
•What category of AT for literacy does the Franklin Spelling Ace fit into? 
Writing: Spelling
Writing: Word Choice
Reading: Vocabulary
•How does it work? The Franklin Spelling Ace is a hand-held English-language spelling corrector with thesaurus; it also has a calculator, phone-list databank, and word games. With this device the user types in any English-language word that they are unsure of, using a ‘confusables’ key (the “?” key for single letters, the “*” key for a series of letters) to hold the place of missing or unknown letters, and the Franklin Spelling Ace generates a list of possible words, synonyms and antonyms. The user can also type in a word the way it sounds and the Franklin Spelling Ace will generate a correction list using Phonetic Spell Correction. Students can practice spelling with a Personal Word List to improve word study performance and vocabulary skills.
•Which of the Universal Design for Learning principles might be facilitated by this technology and how? The Representation of Information and Expression of Knowledge principles could both be facilitated by the Franklin Spelling Ace because it provides access to unknown words making content available and comprehensible, and by building vocabulary skills it offers options for effective expressions of knowledge, and demonstrations of learning. By improving spelling and vocabulary skills this device opens up pathways in every other area of learning.
•What types or groups of students might benefit from the use of this technology? All students could benefit from using the Franklin Spelling Ace in a number of ways. Students can use this device to improve spelling and vocabulary skills which is helpful to learners at any level. Students who are learning English as a second language could greatly benefit from this device by using it to learn new vocabulary words, and improve their spelling of the words they already know. The word games offer a fun way to learn and practice vocabulary, which may motivate students who do not enjoy literacy.
•For what learning goals might it be most effective? The Franklin Spelling Ace would be most effective for goals involving word recognition, spelling, and vocabulary skills for all learners.
•Do you have any concerns or reservations about this technology? The biggest concern I would have is students only playing the games instead of fully utilizing the device; I would also be concerned about students using it on spelling or vocabulary tests because it would change the objective of the assessments.
•What suggestions would you have for a teacher contemplating the use of this assistive technology? I think that this piece of technology could be useful in the classroom for students who have trouble with spelling especially because it allows them to spell the word phonetically and generate a list to find the correct spelling—which is much easier than attempting to find it in the dictionary or online. This could also save the teacher time by directing the questions about spelling and vocabulary to the device rather than the teacher during instruction time.

Teaching Technology

For our first "official" blog post this quarter we were asked to consider three prompts/questions regarding the use of technology in elementary classrooms: 
1.First, explain how (or whether) you think technology might contribute to teaching and learning at a particular grade/age level. If you have any concerns about the use of technology, discuss those issues also.
To me, technology is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to using it in a classroom setting.  The enormous technological advance our society has made in recent years has opened up the doors to a seemingly-infinite slew of images and information.  I think that if the access to this information is used appropriately to support curriculum standards, technology can contribute to the success of student learning.  However, now that computers are becoming pocket-sized it is more difficult to distinguish whether they are being used for productivity or play.  I think it’s important for teachers (current and future) to teach their students the most effective ways to use technology, especially at a young age, because we are so saturated by it in our everyday lives.  My concern is that kids have too much free time and not enough supervision or know-how to really use the technology they are given to its full potential. I also worry about how to introduce and incorporate technology in a kindergarten classroom—not because I don’t think they are capable of using technology at five and six-years-old, but because I worry they will be so oversaturated with new school experiences that the technology will become more of a distraction than an aid.  I think that a way around this would be to use a SmartBoard as the primary instructional technology—this wonderful piece of work allows teachers to display websites, documents, and other computer programs like Microsoft Word and Excel to the entire class.  The best part about the SmartBoard is the interactive use—students and teachers can interact with the information displayed in a variety of ways (i.e. drawing the bars on a bar graph).

2. Now consider what technology skills and knowledge the National Educational Technology Standards say your students will need to have. Besides looking carefully at the overall standards, please also examine the Student Profiles for a grade you hope to teach to see what students are expected to be able to do at that level. Do you consider these targeted outcomes to be appropriate and achievable?

After reading through the National Educational Tech Standards my initial reaction was that the standards seemed appropriate, very broad, but still achievable.  It makes sense to me that the overall standards would be the broadest because they have to be able to reach all learners.  The overall standards for teachers are: “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity; Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments; Model Digital-Age Work and Learning; Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility; and Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.”  Of these standards, I think I would feel most comfortable Facilitating and Inspiring Student Learning and Creativity, Designing and Developing Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments and Promoting and Modeling Digital Citizenship and Responsibility.  To me, these three are the most important standards because they encourage using technology to mold well-rounded learners and world citizens.  However, these standards are so broad that it’s difficult to say whether they are achievable at the level I want to teach.  Looking through the Student Profiles for PK-2 (ages 4-8) I found that the standards seem fairly appropriate—as long as the students have the necessary skills to carry them out.  I say this because I want to teach kindergarten, and in order to meet these standards learners need the basic motor skills, and language and reading skills that most kids are just learning in their first year of school. I do think that these standards could be achievable by second grade. When I interned in a kindergarten classroom the only technology that the students used were a couple of computers that they could play a few educational games on, other than that they didn’t have much use for them.  I think that it is more important for teachers to use technology to support their lessons with media, websites, etc. in kindergarten, rather than having students use technology all the time.

3. What kinds of learning activities might you plan for your classroom to help your students achieve the kinds of competencies identified in the NETS for students?

This question was the most difficult for me because the only kind of technology-based activities that I can remember from my elementary school days are the “typing tests” that we were given weekly; aside from learning to type, there was very little technology incorporated into my early schooling.  I think the first thing that I would do in my classroom to help students achieve the competencies identified in the NETS for students is simply introduce the appropriate ways to use technology, not only in the classroom but outside at well.  I would love to have an interactive SmartBoard in my classroom; I think this is the most useful and effective piece of technology that a teacher can have in their classroom.  The SmartBoard would allow me to display images (websites, Word documents, charts, etc) from my desktop computer large enough for the entire class to see, the Board can also be used as a projection screen to display images from the document camera.  The SmartBoard also provides an interactive element for learners—by using the SmartBoard Pen students and teachers can manipulate Word documents, graphs, charts, and whatever else you can think to display.  Since I want to teach kindergarten, I think the most important thing to focus on is teaching students how to appropriately and effectively use technology to support their learning. 

Welcome to my IT 442 blog!

Hi there!

This is my blog for IT 442 for Spring quarter 2010. I'm a junior at Western Washington University and I am also in my second quarter of the Elementary Education program through Woodring College of Ed.
Hopefully I'll have some interesting things to post here!

Enjoy!