Final Thoughts

One of the objectives for this course s to get you thinking and reflecting upon various aspects of technology in teaching and your classroom. As a former social studies teacher, my preference would be to have classes once every week or two in a real clssroom and sit down to discuss many of these issues. However, the reality of the course and the amount of computer work that is involved means that we simply don't have the time to spare for this activity.

In this past I have tried written reflections as a part of each project/assignment. I have also tried the use of the discussion forums in WebCT. This semester, I have tried the blogs. This has meant that you have not had a guide to use from previous semesters to let you know what I have expected, but overall I think that what you have written has been well thought out and the type of reflection that I have been looking for.

For the last four days of the class, for your final blog entry, I would like you to answer the following five questions:

1. Which blog prompt was the one that you were most interested in?
2. Which blog prompt was the one that you were least interested in?
3. If I were to drop one to two blog prompts, which one(s) would they be?
4. If you were to advise me on one to two blog prompts that I should never drop, which one(s) would they be?
5. Are there any topics dealing with teaching in the classroom that you would have liked to have discussed?

For each of these questions, please do not just write the name of the blog prompt, but include two to three sentences on why you selected that prompt.

Rubrics

For much of the semester, your projects have been evaluated using open-ended rubrics. These rubrics give you a general sense of the types of things that I was looking for and how much each of those components were worth.

With this past project, you were evaluated using a more structured rubric, where you had a detailed list of what was to be included, the level that each item should achieve, and how much you would receive for each achievement level within each component.

What are you thoughts about each of these types of rubrics? Is there one that you prefer over the other? Why? How would you use each in your own teaching?

Blogging

With only a few weeks left in the semester, let's tke a look at what we have been doing in here for the past thirteen-fourteen weeks. Web logging or blogging is a way that you have been able to communicate your own ideas with each other, comment on each other's ideas, and (essentially) publish your work to the world.

There are a number of teachers that use blogs, some who even use it with their students. For example, BionicTeacher, Mr Mackenty, Blog Write, Getting Heard, Mrs. McCullers' Top Dog Blog, Teacher Cadets, and Grade 4 Homework Board - Mr. Redknap's Grade 4 Class Blog, Oshawa are all using blogs with and/or for their students.

What are two to three ways that you can use blogging when you start teaching?

In addition to your own entry, you must reply to at least one other students in our section and one student from my other section by Sunday, November 20.

Evaluating software

Your task for this week's blog entry is to evaluate a piece of educational software. If you do not have access to any, you may borrow some from me or you can go to the Curriculum Materials Center and check out one of their pieces of software.

As you are previewing the software, you should take notes for yourself using the one of the review/evaluation forms listed below. After having completed this, use these forms to write a review of 200-250 words for your software.

Evaluating software is not a simple task. It is necessary for every educator to develop sufficient software literacy. To begin the process of gaining this software literacy, students should start the process by reading the items below.

• What is appropriate software for the classroom?
• Seven Steps to Responsible Software Selection

What criteria do you use to judge what is good and what isn't? As you write your reviews, use the hand-outs, the readings above, and the following examples to help guide you.

• Teacher Review Form
• Student Review Form
• Evaluation form #1
• Evaluation form #2
• Evaluation form #3
• Evaluation form #4
• Evaluation form #5
• Evaluation form #6

What would your instructional game look like?

Read the following article.

Gee, J.P. (2005). What would a state of the art instructional video game look like? Innovate, 1(6). Retrieved on August 7, 2005 from http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=80.

Note that you may have to create a free account and then login to access this article (also available in our WebCT Readings area).

After you have read the article, think about your own experience with playing games (video games, board games, card games, and any other games) and your own experiences as a student in school...

If you had unlimited money and access to experts in whatever field you need, describe a state of the article instructional game that you would design for your students. In your description, make sure to include the grade level and the subject area(s) that you game is targetted to.

In addition to your own entry, you must reply to at least two other students in our section and one student from my other section by Sunday, November 6.

What do you think about video games?

There has been much discussion in the research world about the use of games, and particularly video games, in schooling (see "Can Grand Theft Auto Inspire Professors?" - also available in our WebCT Readings area).

The argument of these researchers is that video games -- which can immerse players in new worlds and make them rely on problem-solving skills -- can teach things that traditional "skill and drill" curriculums can't. One the other side of that coin, there are many who would argue that video games are a waste of time and one of the main contributors to the fact that the United States is quickly being a nation of obesity.

Think back to your own schooling experience and the two classes that we spent playing Powerpoint Games. Based upon those experiences and the readigs that you have completed, what is your opinion about the value of games, and particularly video games, in education?

In addition to your own entry, you must reply to at least one other student in either class.

What do you think about project-based learning?

While a number of the projects that we have completed this semester have been based upon project-based learning, the iMovie Project was probably the best example of one of these because by its nature, different students had to undertake different parts of the task.

Using your expriences this semester with the individual and group assignments, how do you think that you will be able to incorporate project-based learning in your classroom? Make sure to use at least one specific example.

In addition to your own entry, you must reply to at least one other student in your section and one other student in Michael's other section of EDIT2000.

Mabry Online

Over the next week (i.e., from Monday, 26 September to Sunday, 02 October), I want you to visit and explore the Mabry Middle School's new technology project entitled Mabry Global Learning Collaborative. On Monday, 03 October I want you to begin posting your reflections.

Your reflective entry should address this issue:

The mission of the Mabry Global Learning Collaborative is to leverage global connectivity to enhance student academic achievement through world-wide peer review using a variety of digital formats. In your opinion, what should Mabry Global Learning Collaborative look like to best achieve this mission?

In addition to your own entry, please reply to at least one other student in your section and one other student in Michael's other section of EDIT2000. Your replies should be more than simply telling that student that you agree or disagree with them. Your replies should either substantially build upon what the other person has already said or refute what they have said using evidence of you own.

Technology Integration

Now that we are close to completing our Productivity Tools Assignment and you have read the three items from last week, consider the following questions

• How do you plan to use productivity tools to help improve student learning?
• What productivity tools are most applicable to your grade level and/or content area? Give specific examples.
• What Georgia Technology Integration QCC objectives for your grade level address productivity tools?

In your responses, please do not define or explain what productivity tools are. Please do not talk about how great technology is in general. Make sure to use examples that are actually productivity tools (i.e., don't talk about Inspiration for example).

Note that you do not have to respond to another students post for this entry. However, I expect a detailed response for this week's reflection.

Classroom Environments

On her blog, Joanne Jacobs has posted an entry titled "Students Bored... Teachers Stunned". In that entry, she describes a little bit about the issue of students feeling safe and secure in their schools.

Based upon this entry, along with the articles we have read and the videos that we have watched in class, how will you structure your classroom to make it a safe and secure learning environment? What will your classroom be like so that students do not feel "alienated and unloved"?

In addition to your own post, please reply to at least one other student. You reply should be more than simply telling that student that you agree or disagree with them. Your reply should either substantially build upon what the other person has already said or refute what they have said using evidence of you own.

Getting started...

This class is going to be about integrating technology into your teaching. We hope that once you are finished with this class that you will leave with all sorts of wonderful ideas on how technology (not just the computer but technology) can be used as another tool in your classroom, both by yourself and by your students.

Given that the piece of technology that we will be focusing on the most in this class is the computer, we should learn a little more about some of the dangers to your own computers.

Read the article "Your PC May Be Less Secure Than You Think." Discuss one thing that you learned from the article and one thing that surprised you. Note that discuss means "to examine or consider (a subject) in speech or writing," and not simply to list or state.

In addition to your own post, please reply to at least one other student. You reply should be more than simply telling that student that you agree or disagree with them. Your reply should either substantially build upon what the other person has already said or refute what they have said using evidence of you own.

If you come across a blog where someone has already responded to the person's initial post, try someone else's. This way we don't end up with 5 or 6 responses to one person's blog and no responses of 3 or 4 students' blogs at all.

Introduce yourself

Now that you have created your blog, your first entry should be used to introduce yourself.

Make sure to include any personal facts that you want people to know about you, such as your education and career goals, your involvement in different activities or organizations, your interests, your family and pets, etc..

These are just ideas and by no means should you feel obligated to write about all of the things I have listed, only those in which you are comfortable talking about and feel free to include other things that I have failed to mention.