Math Video

This video is a demonstration of factoring by grouping and would be posted on my teacher webpage as a resource for my students.

Technology in the Classroom Part 2

     Technology will play a vital part in my classroom.  There are just too many positive aspects of technology to leave it out of my classroom.  Technology is a great way to interest students in a topic, whether that be by using scavenger hunt or a webquest,  or by taking a virtual field trip or talking to an expert through a distance learning activity, technology is way more interesting than a chalkboard.  
     Technology will also allow me to differentiate my lesson plans much easier.  I could have pre-differentiated lessons using podcasts or a wiki or any number of other things to allow students to work at their own pace and on different material during a lesson.
    This class has definitely added to my repertoire of tech skills.  I am now proficient in many skills including creating scavenger hunts and webquests, podcasts, curriculum pages, wikis, movies, and many others.  These will all be very useful to me in the classroom.  Perhaps the most important thing I will take away from this class, however, is the knowledge of how to improve my skills.  Technology is changing so quickly that many of these skills will be obsolete in a few years.  There are many free ways to keep up with the latest technology including attending FREE online sessions and searching for the latest trends in technology.

Podcasting

     Podcasting is distributing audio (or  video) clips to individuals that have subscribed to your feed.  This can be through iTunes or many other web-based things.

     In my classroom I could use podcasts when I will not be in the class.  I could record the lesson the day before and my students could still hear me give a lesson.  I could also have my students create podcasts as a review of material or as an assessment. Another use of podcasts could be differentiation for my classroom.  I could record variations of a lesson for different groups of students.

     Podcasts have many benefits in the classroom and would be a break from the ordinary for my students.  I could even teach when I am not in the classroom.

     Podcasts can be, like many things, time consuming.  If you are willing to put the time in up front, however, podcasting will become second-nature.

Ethics

     Computer ethics is defined as, " moral guidelines that govern the use of computers, networks, and information systems," in the book Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom by Shelly, Cashman, Gunter, and Gunter.  These moral guidelines copyright laws, privacy laws, objectionable material, acceptable use policies, and many other items.  
     As a teacher it will be very important for me to observe ethics.  When dealing with my students I will need to be aware of my district's policies and actively protect my students' privacy, especially when posting things online.  I will also need to protect my students from inappropriate material, again, on the web.  When dealing with my colleagues, I will need to make sure that I am not using their materials without permission.  
     Ethics are a must.  Positives of observing ethics include safety for you and your students from inappropriate material and from laws.  Ethics also promote an atmosphere of cooperation and trust between individuals.
     The only negative to observing ethics could be that ethics can be tedious.  There are many laws and policies that you must be familiar with.  Many of them are common sense though.

Virtual Field Trips

     A virtual field trip is the idea of going on a field trip without ever leaving your classroom!  When we think of a virtual tour we tend to think of a videogame-like atmosphere where we can walk around a 3-dimensional version of the place that we are "visiting".  This is not always the case, however.  Much of the time, especially with subjects like math, we are provided with a website that gives us insight into a certain topic with different ways to explore that topic.
    In my classroom, virtual field trips can be used to explore topics more in-depth than we normally would.  There are not very many physical locations that would benefit a math class to visit.  Exploring a topic would be more beneficial.
     It is not practical to use a virtual field trip on every topic but this can be used to deepen understanding and as a break in the normal routine.  Virtual field trips allow students to add a visual component to what they are learning.
     One negative of virtual field trips is that they take time and students may not always benefit from them.  I know when I heard that we were going on a field trip in school all I thought was, "Day off!"

Teacher Webpages

     A teacher webpage is a webpage where a teacher can post class information, limited personal information, and any other information that would be beneficial to parents and students.  In my classroom I will use my teacher webpage to provide my students with useful resources.  I will try to provide them with extra resources to use for each unit that I teach.  This way, if they do not understand what I teach in class, they will know where they can access extra or alternative resources.  I will also use my webpage to post a weekly outline and assignments.  This will allow students to always have access to what we are doing in class.  My teacher webpage will also include a small amount of personal information, including how to contact me, so that my students can get to know who I am.  I will also include the syllabus for each class that I am teaching and expectations for each class.
     There are many positives to maintaining a teacher webpage.  One positive is that students will have access to all of the class information they need at any given time.  a student can never give the excuse of, "I didn't know we had an assignment."  Students and parents also have access to many additional resources that will aid those who are struggling and those that are interested in exploring a topic further.
     One of the negatives of maintaining a teacher webpage is that it can be time consuming, especially if you fall behind for a period.  If you are dedicated to maintaining a teacher webpage it will be very important to set aside some each day or each week to update the page.

Webquests

     According to Discovery Education, a webquest is "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that students interact with comes from the internet."  That definition can be expounded upon somewhat to include the idea that a webquest promotes a constructivist environment and allows students to explore a topic more than they normally would through a textbook.
    In my high school math classroom, webquests could be used to make many dull topics more interesting.  Most students find math boring and irrelevant but with a webquest and a little creativity, math can become exciting.  For example, I have created a webquest that covers linear equations.  In this exercise, a terrorist group has devised a plan to blow up the moon and the only way the students can save the moon is to deepen their understanding of linear equations so they can fire a rocket on a linear path to counter the terrorists' rocket.
     One of the positives of webquests is that they are a break from the ordinary.  Most of the time students enjoy something different from boring classroom lectures.  Another positive aspect of webquests is that they involve some degree of freedom for the students.  This allows them to use their creativity and allows them to feel as though they have control over the project.  This also allows students to operate in their comfort zone.  Young people live in a digital world and spend much of their time on the computer so this allows them to feel comfortable in what they are doing.
     One of the negatives of using webquests in the classroom would be the amount of time.  An in-depth webquest could take as much as several weeks to complete.  Another negative aspect of using webquests could be the total dependence on the computer.  If the internet connection is down or you do not have access to enough computers for each student or group of students, there may be a problem.

One-to-one Laptop Programs

     I believe that one-to-one laptop programs are very beneficial.  I recently had the privilege of working with a program like this.  The technology department that I work with developed a charter school in which each student was given a MacBook.  I was very impressed with the projects that the students were able to create and the options that the teachers had in assessing students.  I believe that computer literacy is a very important skill in today's world and a one-to-one program is a great way to accomplish this.  This can also benefit families that may not have access to computers.  If their child is given a computer to take home, computer literacy would increase across the community, not just within the school.  Funding a huge factor here. I believe this is great idea but if a school does not have the funding to make this happen, it is obviously unreasonable.  Many schools in Ohio are struggling with finances and cannot afford a program like this.  If finances are not an issue, this is a great idea.

Online Conference Review

     I watched a presentation called The Classroom Teacher As a 21st Century Instructional Leader given by Dr. Tim Tyson.  This presentation was intended to encourage a grassroots movement led by American teachers.  Tyson claimed that the problem with American education is much deeper than just the classroom.  American students do not see the connection between what they are doing in the classroom today and having a better life tomorrow.  To correct this, teachers need to become leaders, not just in the classroom, but in the community as well.  Teachers need to lead by emphasizing to students what is important about life in this country, not just about school subjects.  It is also important for teachers to hold the media and politicians accountable and provide relevant information to the public if none is being given.  Many of the ideas given by Tyson were modeled after the Finnish education system.  Finland has skyrocketed to top two in the world in math and science after being in the middle of the pack a short time ago. It is up to teachers to change American culture and convince everyone that the future is worth investing in.

My Personal Learning Network

Podcast

Greg's phlog.pcast

Chapter One Reflection

I hope to be able to integrate technology into every single class period that I teach.  Today's students are very media-centered and almost require some sort of digital interaction to learn effectively.  Students communicate using many different forms of media so why not bring education into these areas? By bringing education into the student's world instead of forcing students to come into the world of education, we become much more effective teachers.  Hopefully my classroom will have some sort of interactive system, like a SmartBoard, that I can use to interest my students. If not, I will just be forced to find another creative way to interest my students.

Technology in Education

     I believe that technology is very far from what it could be.  The school that I attended did a very good job of providing technology but not always implementing it.  I worked for the tech department over the summer, so I was aware of all of the possible applications of the products in the classrooms.  I, along with a few other students set up most of the machines in all of the buildings in the district.  While I was in school, teachers always had access to computer labs and there were several desktop computers in each classroom. It was frustrating to see teachers only use the basic abilities of computers in the classroom when I knew that there was so much more.  Many teachers were not properly trained in what computers could do for them and for their class.  Everyone needs to be well-versed in technology to succeed in this ever-changing world and it is the responsibility of the school to teach students what technology can do for them.  As a student I always expected my teachers to be as up-to-date with technology as I was, but that was rarely the case.  As a teacher, I will hold myself responsible for staying up-to-date with the latest technology so that I can better interest my students and also communicate with them more effectively.
     The access to technology across districts is also very uneven.  There are still districts in Ohio that can not afford adequate technology services and its students suffer.  On the other side, some districts have so much money that they are overflowing with technology.  This issue raises the bigger issue of school funding however, and is another topic for another day.
     Access to and instruction in technology are necessary for students growing up in this digital age.  Technology has many practical applications in the classroom. However, I believe that the most important aspect of technology in the classroom is simply the exposure that students are given.  It gives them a base to further their tech skills and succeed in the very competitive job market.
     Technology in the classroom does provide a distraction that is difficult to monitor.  I know that when I was in school, I would regularly get on a computer just to check facebook or read an article on ESPN.  In a class of 25 students, these distractions are very difficult to monitor.  Computers also give students access to inappropriate material.  Much of this can be filtered, but filtering too much can also but a damper on educational opportunities. One of the biggest issues that my school district struggled with was whether or not to block youtube.  While youtube can be a very big distraction and has inappropriate material, it also has many educational benefits.