"Think Tank"

This LINK comes from researching the technology in education resource center which is a site the U.S. Department of Education funded as a nationwide initiative called the Regional Technology in Education Consortia (R*TEC). website. It is just to give an example of what some of the U.S. Dept of Education's recommendations are for good sites for teachers. It links to all sorts of valuable information on how to use technology in education, specific grades, and new advances. The link I provide above is a cute system to teach elementary students how to organize a report. To see the RTEC web site click here.

More Evidence of the Importance of Technology in the Classroom

This is a great article evidencing the importance of technology in educaction. It is careful to point out that it may be possible to fall into the old school use of drill an practice if not used properly. however it mainly points out research that shows computers help students learn.
The article states, " Several organizations like Edutopia, the North Central Educational Lab (NCREL) and the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET) are documenting research studies that link technology to increases in academic achievement." It also mentions the importance of educating teachers on the best way to use technnology in the classroom.
I chose this article becasue it is excellent proof that technology is taking over classrooms and as future teachers we need to be educated on it. To view click here.

The Importance of Technology in Education

In this article, written by Gilbert Valdez, Ph.D, the importance of technology in education is stressed. It especially stresse the importance of using computers in science and math. The internet is an important tool in both of these subjects and can be used often for getting the most valuable research information.
The article also addresses some of the issues teachers face with incorporating technology into the classroom. For example, "we are living in an age of information overload with the expectation that students will learn high-level skills such as how to access, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize vast quantities of information. At the same time, teachers are evaluated by their ability to have students pass tests that often give no value to these abilities." The article goes on to say that technology can actually assist with some of these expectations and make teachers—and their students—more successful.
This is a valuable article for all potential teachers. It can prepare you for some of the issues you will be facing in regards to teaching with technology. It will also propose several possible solutions to those issues. To view click here.

Computer games for kids!!

Here is another great website for lesson plans. It is for k-2 and has games that match letters, word recognition, letter sound knowledge, and songwriting skills links. It is worth checking out if you are interested in learning what the different curriculums might be like for these grades. It also gives good ideas for lesson games that you can do on or off the computer.

Web Quests

This is an article that discussses how one college teacher struggled with finding a way to get her students to interact with elementary students using web quests. As technology becomes more available in classrooms, it is increasingly important that new teachers be comfortable with new uses of that technology. This article tracks the evolution of “The WebQuest Connection,” a cooperative effort between children and teachers in a local school district and university students enrolled in a secondary reading methods course. The project, which could be replicated in virtually any teacher education program, allows preservice teachers to become comfortable with some aspects of technology use within the context of their preparation for entering the education profession. I like this article because it show the up and downside to the porgram that the professor was developing. I t is good to see the whole process and know that some projects take a little trial and error to get the kinks worked out. To view click here.

E Storybooks

I found this activity to be one of the best we did this semester in class. I can really see using these in the classroom one day. Whether it is just to tell a story or to help students create stories of their own. Either way I look forward to using most of the technology we have learned in this class. Even though I was already somewhat familiar with power point I learned far more that I ever knew before!

What Your Child Should be Learning in Kindergarten

This is an article that discusses what types of computer activities are best for students at the kindergarten level. I found it especially interesting becuase this is a grade I want to teach. It discusses what students should be learning and how. For instance, "your kindergartner may use word-processing, draw and paint software, and presentation software (such as PowerPoint) to complete activities in a range of subject areas, including language arts, science, social studies, mathematics and art. These activities, which integrate computers into the classroom, are the first steps to technological literacy: the use of tools to solve problems. The teacher should offer guidance and monitor the amount of time students spend at the computer."
I liked this article because it is written for parents and advises them as to what types of activities are beneficial for students. Therefore, it gives teachers and future teachers some insight as to what parents are reading and will be expecting from you. To view go here.

Cool Website

I came upon this website while searching for articles but found it to be a good one for people looking for lesson plans for different greades, health tips for kids, links to weather sites, and interactive story books, and games.
It is a good one that you can see a huge variety of activities for kids of all elementary grade levels. This is the link to the kindergarten page, but from there you can go to just about every grade and different activity for each. Enjoy!

Early Connections

The website www.netc.org is a valuable resource for both current and future teachers. It is a website that discusses the different types of technology that can be used and how it can be used in elementary education. With links ranging from Learning & Development, Technology & Curriculum, Software Selection, and learning and technology, it is vast source of knowledge for anyone looking to how they can incorporate technology into education.
The Technology and Curriculum link provides information on language development and emerging literacy and emerging math skills. It advises you as to what types of programs you can use to teach as well as to what you should be teaching at certain grade levels.
Anyone who is currently teaching, or education students doing research could benefit from viewing this site.

Kindergarten Technology

This article is an excellent example of how technology can be used even in Kindergarten. It was written by a teacher who has been educating this grade level for 30 years. So it shows how great the changes have been in education with the advancement of technology.
This was a very educational article for me because I have always wondered what the capabilities for learning with technology Kindergarteners would have other that just playing games.
She teaches them to use patterns, draw different shapes, write letters of the alphabet, and different colors. The students love the amount of freedom ti gives them and the teacher loves the variety she can incorporate into here lessons.
this just goes to shwo you how technology will just continue to get more and more important in education as time goes on. It is exciting to thnk about how advanced it will be by the time we become teachers. We will be able to use waht we have learned in this class as well as all that is new out there. To view click here.

Smart Boards for Smart Kids!

Technology has really changed the way students are learning. With computers now incorproated into almost every classroom, learning has become a much more interactive and visual experience for all. Smart boards are just one way that this interactive learning is occurring. This article in the Star Tribune documents how computers have changed the classes in schools in the Minneapolis area.
Smart boards allow the teacher to put on the overhead exact areas that students are studying. In one case they were studying the pyramids and the teacher was able to put one on the smart board and the students coud actually view it from many different angles, as opposed to a pucture in a book which would be one dimensional.
Technology has made students more excited about learning. It gives them an opportunity to see things they otherwise may not. The more excited they are about learning the more they will actully learn. This is a win-win situation for all! To view this article click here.

Technology is Changing Education

This is an excellent article that discusses just how important technology has become in education. It is highly relevent to those of us in this class because it emphasizes the importantce of the technolgy we are learing and how we will apply it once we teach. The article elaborates on how versatile computer are. Students can use them to write a paper but they can also use them to talk to other students around the world. Computers provide the most current information for reasearch. They also provide creative methods for teaching, not unlike what we are procticing in this class. This is an excellent article for anyone who is interested in learing how they can effectivley use computers in the classroom. Click here to view this article.

5th Graders Using Computers not Paper in the Classroom

An article in the Miami Herald discusses an elementary school in Miami which is using computers instead of books and paper for most of thier lessons. Students each have their own computer at their desks and are able to look up what the lesson is about on the internet rather than relying on what could be an outdated text book. They do power presentations instead of writing papers. I think this is the wave of the future. Before long, most books and paper assignments will be a thing of the past. It is an excellent preparation for what business life will be for the students. Another interesting item in the aritcle is that there are 40 schools offering after school programs, sponsered by Dell, where children learn to build computers. At the end of the 40 hours students get to keep the computer. This is an amazing program. Not only are they teaching studetns all about making computers, they are providing a means for which they can obtain them. I chose this article because it is so relevant to what the future for education holds. To view this article click here.

Classroom Observations

I continue to be amazed at how much elementary schools have changed since I was last there. The classrooms are set up completely different using groups instead of the "old fashioned" straight rows. The greatest improvement is the implementation of computers into the classroom. Students are so proficient in many programs it is encouraging to see what the future generations will become.
Last week I was doing an observation at Lake Park Elementary in Naples and had the opportunity to help some of the students with their assignment. The lesson was on black history. The "puzzle" had the names of several prominant black figures throughout history. The students needed to match the name of the person with their greatest accomplishment. In order to find what that person's greatest accomplishment the students had to use the internet for research. They would use a search engine such as, Google or Wikipedia, and read about each person. I thought this was such a great way of teaching. It was increasing their technology and research skills, as well as teaching them a great lesson on black history. Because they had to research each person they were able to learn more than just one accomplishment about that person. They had to read all about them in order to find what exactly they were looking for. It was fun to be able to get involved in the project with the students. I learned a lot about block history, much I was not aware of. It also gave me the opportunity to interact with the students which was much more interesting than just sitting in a lesson and watching.
I am finding the observations to be really interesting. You are able to gain insight as to what goes on in classrooms and in many cases the teachers are more than willing to answer any questions you might have about you future profession.

Digitized Documents in the Classroom

This is an article relating to research. Every classroom I have done observations in has had at least 5 computers. Therefore much of the research students are doing is done on the computers instead of what was once done in the library. This article addresses digitized documents which come from the Library of Congress and other sources previously not as readily available.
What computers have done for research is phenominal. Students at any age are using the technology. Last week I was in a 5th grade classroom and the students were using the internet to research the answers to a puzzle on black history.
Using digitized documents also allows one to manipulate the data to suit one's needs. For instance if the font needs to be larger that can be changed. One could adjust the contrast to enhance photos.
Digitized docs have changed the way research is done. It has made it much more accesable for all. With the intigration fo the computers into all classrooms it is technolgy that can be widely used, allowing many students to benefit from it.
To view this article click here.

Technology for K-5

This article discusses how a program called Max's sandbox has made microsoft more "kid friendly". Max's sandbox has made the icons simpler and more easy to understand, and limited the choices to just the basic ones that students at these grade levesl are more likey to use. It allows students to learn how to create word documents, power points, and excels. It basically gets them started at the ground level so that they are not as overwhlemed as they would be using regualr Microsoft Office. Because many schools already have Office, adding Max's Sandbox for around $45 will allow younger studetns get a jump start at familiarizing themselves with more advinced programs they will use down the road. It is extremely important to start them young as the use of technology is increasing everywhere. Not only in our schools but in our daily lives. To view this article click here.

Rustle the Leaf

This ia a brief article which addresses the qusetion how technology helps to teach in early chilhood education. www.rusltetheleaf.com is an educational website geared toward young students. It is an environmental website, though it boasts that it is not "preachy" or trying to recruit kids. It is basically just there to teach them about what is going on in the great outdoors. this is beneficial to students in multiple ways. It teaches them first that the computer can be used for eduactional purposes, more thatn just games. It also gives them the knowledge of how to use the computer. And finally the lesson at hand is learning about the outdoors. It provokes investigative questions and gets the children to appreciate the outdoors more. One issue Rustle addresses is soil testing. It makes the students, who at this age probably know little about what soil testing is, ask multiple questoins about the environment. To view this article click here.

Thanks for the Invite Nicki. See you in Class!

Promethean Activboards Increasing Technology in Schools

This article partially addresses one of my question about how technology and activity games can best be used in kindergarten classroom to enhance the learning experience. While it does address technology in the classrooms, it does not discuss kindergarten classes as those at this school have not yet begun using Promethean boards. However, the reason I chose it is because the article is an excellent example of how technology increases the learning experience by engaging students in a much more active way.
To begin the article describes the Premethean Activboard as an interactive white board. It is 68in. wide and four feet tall. Teachers and students change the display as they respond to questions. Students each have their own mouse and use it to respond to teachers questions. Students can even respond anonymously if they are too shy to answer, or worried that their answer is incorrect. This helps the teacher to assist those who may need extra attention.
The Promethean boards have greatly increased the active learning experience in the classroom at this school. Teachers describe that with the activboards all eyes are focused on the material because they are all intrigued by the board.
the cost is about $9000.00 per classroom so it is not something that all schools will be able to implement into their curriculum. However, from the results of this study it seems to be paying off.
Click here to view this article.

Welcome Message

Welcome to my blog! This space was created as a space to learn about and discuss technology in education. Please feel free to comment on any information that I have posted. Any information on the profession of education can be posted and read here.
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