In so many settings, I have seen technology make our lives easier. For example, at the summer camp that I work at, we have computers in the main lodge. Originally, I couldn't see the purpose of having computers for campers to use. Couldn't they unplug themselves for their week's stay at camp? However, eventually I found these computers to be very helpful, especially when I had homesick campers, toward the end of each week. If they were worried that their parents wouldn't get the letter that they had written before camp was over, I could suggest that they emailed their parents. In addition, we would get an almost instantaneous response from their parents, instead of having to wait a few days for the mail to arrive. This was often much more comforting to the children, and also made my job a lot easier. Another example of useful technology is exemplified through my cell phone. I love getting emails on my phone because it saves me from having to log onto the internet several times a day in order to check my mail. In addition, it also allows me to respond to my friends, coworkers, and classmates very quickly.
However, on the flip side of the coin, we have become so accustomed to depending upon technology that when it doesn't work it is very frustrating and often debilitating. For example, most of my classes are set up so that all of our homework is on angel. Therefore, when angel is down, it is nearly impossible for me to get any homework done. This is not only frustrating, but it causes me to easily fall behind on my homework. In another instance, I rely on video chat on my computer to communicate with my classmates in Maui and Guam for a project for my Deaf Education class. When we logged online last night and couldn't locate eachother, none of us knew what to do. By the end, we were all frustrated because we had spent an hour trying to find one another and worked on very little of the actual project itself. Therefore, although technology makes our lives a lot easier, we have come to rely upon it so heavily that when it doesn't work, it can also make our lives much more hectic.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Teach Science For All Blog
I found the "Science for All" blog to be very interesting. The link for this blog is http://teachscience4all.wordpress.com/, incase you wanted to view it. Science, in itself, is very interactive in nature because so much of science is based on our own observations about the world around us and our experiences. However, this blog shows teachers how they can make even the bookwork and memorization part of science interesting. It includes science themed rap songs, which I think is an excellent idea for upper grade students. Everyone can recite the lyrics to their favorite song, but not everyone can tell you how far the earth is away from the sun. However, by putting information that students need to know to a catchy beat, these students are more likely to remember and retain what they are leaning in school.
You can also view a really interesting video about a retired astronaut who now works with children on understanding science, and making it interesting and relevant to them. One way that he does this is by working at a space themed miniature golf course, where each hole contains a mini lesson about space. Before you putt each hole, you learn about escape velocity, anti-gravity, etc., and how well you address these concepts determines how successful you will be at putting the ball in the hole. This is a really cool way to make learning fun for students. It combines a recreational activity that we already know that students like to do, with a learning experience. The only concern with this tactic that I forsee is that there would need to be a facilitator there all the time, because otherwise students may skim over all of the information at each hole and simply play the game like regular miniature golf.
You can also view a really interesting video about a retired astronaut who now works with children on understanding science, and making it interesting and relevant to them. One way that he does this is by working at a space themed miniature golf course, where each hole contains a mini lesson about space. Before you putt each hole, you learn about escape velocity, anti-gravity, etc., and how well you address these concepts determines how successful you will be at putting the ball in the hole. This is a really cool way to make learning fun for students. It combines a recreational activity that we already know that students like to do, with a learning experience. The only concern with this tactic that I forsee is that there would need to be a facilitator there all the time, because otherwise students may skim over all of the information at each hole and simply play the game like regular miniature golf.
Response to New York Times Article
I read a really interesting New York Times article today. If you would like to take a look at it, you can find it at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/education/05charter.html?_r=1&em. Essentially, the article was talking about a new experimental teaching philosophy. A school was opened up in New York where eight teachers who have been selected through a strict interview and observation process will teach. These teachers are considered to be the best of the best. The school is based on the idea that innovative teachers, not technology or small classroom sizes are the key to student success.
As a reward for good teaching, these educators will be paid two and a half times as much as the average teacher. The school will be using public money for everthing except for the lease for the school building. However, because of the large salaries allocated to teachers, there will be cutbacks in other areas. For example, there will be no assistant principle, and teachers will have responsibilities that will extend beyond that of the traditional classroom teacher. For example, there will be no substitute teachers, except for when teachers take extended leaves of absence. Teacher coaches will not exist, and these teachers will not only have to work longer days, but also will work more days throughout the year. In addition, class sizes at this school will be large, averaging about 30 students per class.
I was wondering what you thought about the theory of education at this school. I feel like with all the extra strain put on these teachers, there might be a higer burn out rate at this type of school. Also, although I too believe that the most important factor in student success is the quality of the teacher, I think that classroom size and availability of technology will have an impact in every teacher's classroom. Even the best teachers are only one person and thus can only handle so many children on their own. Do you think that paying teachers more and making them go through a stringent screening process is the best way to attract qualified teachers? Do you think that public funds should pay for these teachers inflated salaries, when other items and positions within the school (such as technology, administrators, coaches, and substitute teachers) are being eliminated?
As a reward for good teaching, these educators will be paid two and a half times as much as the average teacher. The school will be using public money for everthing except for the lease for the school building. However, because of the large salaries allocated to teachers, there will be cutbacks in other areas. For example, there will be no assistant principle, and teachers will have responsibilities that will extend beyond that of the traditional classroom teacher. For example, there will be no substitute teachers, except for when teachers take extended leaves of absence. Teacher coaches will not exist, and these teachers will not only have to work longer days, but also will work more days throughout the year. In addition, class sizes at this school will be large, averaging about 30 students per class.
I was wondering what you thought about the theory of education at this school. I feel like with all the extra strain put on these teachers, there might be a higer burn out rate at this type of school. Also, although I too believe that the most important factor in student success is the quality of the teacher, I think that classroom size and availability of technology will have an impact in every teacher's classroom. Even the best teachers are only one person and thus can only handle so many children on their own. Do you think that paying teachers more and making them go through a stringent screening process is the best way to attract qualified teachers? Do you think that public funds should pay for these teachers inflated salaries, when other items and positions within the school (such as technology, administrators, coaches, and substitute teachers) are being eliminated?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Assigned Blog Week 3
I have seen technology be very helpful in many of my college classes. For example, in TE 401 this week, we took a field trip to the MSU Children's gardens, and I was amazed at how much technology was integrated into that experience. When children come to visit these gardens on field trips, each of them are given a camera to take pictures of all of their favorite parts of the garden. What our guide told us was that there is no point in taking pictures if you are never going to do anything with them. Therefore, he uploads all of these pictures online so that the kids can view them, show their family and friends, and even print them off if they choose to.
It is also extremely important to the staff at the children's gardens to make the children feel connected, even in between their visits there. Therefore, every class that goes to the gardens has their own website called the "Wonderwall" where they can post science related questions, and expect answers to their questions to be posted within 24 hours. The children can also draw pictures to place on the wonderwall, and when there is more than one person in class on the wonderwall at once, the students can crash their lightning shaped cursors together in order to create thunder. Combining all of these elements makes this a fun program for the children, that they will want to come back to again and again. However, before the children are allowed to use this site, their teachers have to talk to them about the site being a privlidge. If any of the students post anything inappropriate, then their whole class will lose the privlige of using the website within about five minutes of the post being submitted, and their teacher will recieve a phone call about the student's inappropriate behavior.
There are two things that struck me about the technology that the children's garden is employing. The first was that they are very trusting of children. They gave the kids digital cameras to play with and allowed them to poste whatever they want on the wonderwall, trusting that the children would act responsibly. What I have observed is that when they give children these responsibilities, the students do not take them lightly. No elementary student has ever broken one of the digital cameras at the 4-H Children's Gardens, and there have only ever been two incidences of inappropriate posts on the wonderwall, both from students of the same class. The second thing that struck me was how much time the children's gardens were willing to put into developing technology that will be an effective way of reaching out to students. It takes someone a lot of time to make sure that all of the children's questions get answered within 24 hours, but it is important for children to know that it is good to wonder about the world and thatthere is a place that they can go in order to get their questions answered.
The final thing that the MSU Children's Gardens employ technology for is the creation of their website. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, you should do so. The link is http://4hgarden.msu.edu/kidstour/tour.html. When you follow that link, you will see an interactive map of the gardens with yellow dots that you can click on. When you click on a dot, it takes you to a specific place in the garden, and there are educational games that you can play at each particular spot. This is another fun way for children to feel connected with the gardens even after they have left.
My lesson design and instruction in deaf education course also utilizes technology in order to allow students in Hawaii and Guam to take our course as well. The professor's lecture is videotaped and viewed by these students. Since some of them are, themselves deaf, there are interpreters in my classroom who sign in front of a camera which is then broadcast to the students in Guam and Hawaii. This not only helps these students, out of state, but also helps me because I can go back an listen to parts of the lecture that I didn't really understand the first time. I can also improve my receptive ASL skills by watching the lecture in sign language. Finally, I am having my first experience with i-chat later tonight when I will be meeting the members for my group project who live in Guam and Hawaii. However, because of the time difference between these two places, it was very difficult to set up a meeting time. However, I believe that it is very beneficial to use technology to enable us to form groups with other students outside of our class; they will no doubt have different experiences with deaf children because the environment where they live is very different than my home environment. By comparing our experiences with their classroom experiences, we can broaden our perspectives on deaf education.
It is also extremely important to the staff at the children's gardens to make the children feel connected, even in between their visits there. Therefore, every class that goes to the gardens has their own website called the "Wonderwall" where they can post science related questions, and expect answers to their questions to be posted within 24 hours. The children can also draw pictures to place on the wonderwall, and when there is more than one person in class on the wonderwall at once, the students can crash their lightning shaped cursors together in order to create thunder. Combining all of these elements makes this a fun program for the children, that they will want to come back to again and again. However, before the children are allowed to use this site, their teachers have to talk to them about the site being a privlidge. If any of the students post anything inappropriate, then their whole class will lose the privlige of using the website within about five minutes of the post being submitted, and their teacher will recieve a phone call about the student's inappropriate behavior.
There are two things that struck me about the technology that the children's garden is employing. The first was that they are very trusting of children. They gave the kids digital cameras to play with and allowed them to poste whatever they want on the wonderwall, trusting that the children would act responsibly. What I have observed is that when they give children these responsibilities, the students do not take them lightly. No elementary student has ever broken one of the digital cameras at the 4-H Children's Gardens, and there have only ever been two incidences of inappropriate posts on the wonderwall, both from students of the same class. The second thing that struck me was how much time the children's gardens were willing to put into developing technology that will be an effective way of reaching out to students. It takes someone a lot of time to make sure that all of the children's questions get answered within 24 hours, but it is important for children to know that it is good to wonder about the world and thatthere is a place that they can go in order to get their questions answered.
The final thing that the MSU Children's Gardens employ technology for is the creation of their website. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, you should do so. The link is http://4hgarden.msu.edu/kidstour/tour.html. When you follow that link, you will see an interactive map of the gardens with yellow dots that you can click on. When you click on a dot, it takes you to a specific place in the garden, and there are educational games that you can play at each particular spot. This is another fun way for children to feel connected with the gardens even after they have left.
My lesson design and instruction in deaf education course also utilizes technology in order to allow students in Hawaii and Guam to take our course as well. The professor's lecture is videotaped and viewed by these students. Since some of them are, themselves deaf, there are interpreters in my classroom who sign in front of a camera which is then broadcast to the students in Guam and Hawaii. This not only helps these students, out of state, but also helps me because I can go back an listen to parts of the lecture that I didn't really understand the first time. I can also improve my receptive ASL skills by watching the lecture in sign language. Finally, I am having my first experience with i-chat later tonight when I will be meeting the members for my group project who live in Guam and Hawaii. However, because of the time difference between these two places, it was very difficult to set up a meeting time. However, I believe that it is very beneficial to use technology to enable us to form groups with other students outside of our class; they will no doubt have different experiences with deaf children because the environment where they live is very different than my home environment. By comparing our experiences with their classroom experiences, we can broaden our perspectives on deaf education.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Reflection on Week 2 Assignments
I am finding the new types of technology that we are using in this class to be very interesting. Most of the sites that I was asked to go to for week two of this class are things that I have never heard of before. My favorite site that I was asked to go to is the delicious bookmarking site. Usually, I end up digging through old emails to find the URL for the Wikis that I use in my deaf education classes, but now all of the sites that I frequently visit are bookmarked and neatly organized for quick accessability.
I am also really enjoying looking at the blogs that other students have created for this course. I have never really thought of blogs or twitter as professional development tools, but I am quickly learning that they can be. It is refreshing to hear others ideas about teaching and technology, and the videos that my classmates posted really caught my attention. I previously thought that because this class was online, I was going to be much more isolated than if I had taken it in a classroom. However, I feel like I have the opportunity to talk to all of my classmates and see what they are thinking a great deal more than in many of my other classes, especially my large lectures.
I also am a fan of the rss reader that I have created because it sends all of the information from my collegues' blogs to one central location. It is so much easier when I can visit one page and click on different names to see the blogs that I haven't read yet.
Another thing that I have discovered is that it is easier for me to comment on other's blog posts than to write my own. I think that this is because other people's posts often spark an idea in my head or get me thinking, and it is simple to have a dialog back and forth with them about how their ideas relate to mine. However, if I am writing my own blog posts, I need to come up with an idea from scratch and that is sometimes more difficult.
There is one last thing that is still proving to be difficult. Learning how to work with technology easily becomes very time consuming because I need a lot of extra time to play around with the different forms of technology that we are using in this class before I can fully understand them. The labs that had video tutorials, however, really helped out this week because I could visually see how the different technologies worked before I attempted to create my own.
I am also really enjoying looking at the blogs that other students have created for this course. I have never really thought of blogs or twitter as professional development tools, but I am quickly learning that they can be. It is refreshing to hear others ideas about teaching and technology, and the videos that my classmates posted really caught my attention. I previously thought that because this class was online, I was going to be much more isolated than if I had taken it in a classroom. However, I feel like I have the opportunity to talk to all of my classmates and see what they are thinking a great deal more than in many of my other classes, especially my large lectures.
I also am a fan of the rss reader that I have created because it sends all of the information from my collegues' blogs to one central location. It is so much easier when I can visit one page and click on different names to see the blogs that I haven't read yet.
Another thing that I have discovered is that it is easier for me to comment on other's blog posts than to write my own. I think that this is because other people's posts often spark an idea in my head or get me thinking, and it is simple to have a dialog back and forth with them about how their ideas relate to mine. However, if I am writing my own blog posts, I need to come up with an idea from scratch and that is sometimes more difficult.
There is one last thing that is still proving to be difficult. Learning how to work with technology easily becomes very time consuming because I need a lot of extra time to play around with the different forms of technology that we are using in this class before I can fully understand them. The labs that had video tutorials, however, really helped out this week because I could visually see how the different technologies worked before I attempted to create my own.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
My Technology Background:
I am really excited to take this course because I am not very adept with technology, at this point in my life. I am just now learning how to load pictures from my camera onto my computer, and most of the time I need to ask my sister for help whenever I get a new phone or need to do something new on the internet. I think that it will be great to learn more about technology so that it can be a resourse that I use frequently in my classroom instead of something that I shy away from. Also, as a teacher of deaf children, I am going to be constantly relying upon technology in order to adapt my lessons to better fit the needs of the children in my classroom. Right now I have a facebook page. I also have a myspace, but mostly because I never figured out how to delete the one that I made in middle school. I couldn't tell you the last time that I used it. I just recently created a twitter for this class, which I can't believe, because I always thought that I would never be interested in twitter, but I guess there's a first time for everything. I do wish, however, that I would have been blogging earlier, because it would have been a great way to keep my friends and family updated during my study abroad in Ireland this past summer. I am currently learning how to use the Wiki pages, as they are required for both of my Deaf Education classes this semester. As I use a PC, I am not very familiar with apple computers, and it takes me a lot longer to do things on a Mac than on a PC. I can competantly use the technologies that are familiar to most people of my generation (i.e. texting, email, google, powerpoint, and microsoft word) Overall, I think that this class is going to be a little bit challenging because I struggle with learning new technology. Therefore, it is going to take me some time to go through and really learn how to use all of the technologies that are being presented within this class. This is my first online course, and I think that it may be a little bit of a struggle for me to figure out how to use these technologies without someone physically showing me the step by step instructions on how to set up and run different forms of technology. Therefore, I have a limited background in technology, but I am looking foreward to broadening that background so that I can utilize technology within my future classroom and within my life.
About Me:
I am a senior majoring in Deaf Education. As such, I am currently learning ASL and I am a member of Signing Spartans. In addition, I am involved in a few other on-campus groups this year including, Kappa Delta Pi, where I hold the position of publicity chair. I am also the Multicultural Director on the University Activities Board, where I work with a committee on events for Global Festival and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We also plan other events that reach out to a diverse crowd, in addition to planning three late night events each semester. Our first late night event is the Dating Game on Friday September 18, which will be similar to the late 60's, early 70's game show by the same name, and I couldn't be more excited about it! For the past seven years, I have spent my summers as a summer camp counselor, where I have worked with a lot of phenominal children. At Lions Bear Lake Camp, I worked with children who were deaf, blind, and had juvenile arthritis. I have also worked for several summers atCamp Lu Lay Lea, and Camp Timbers, which is a YMCA camp. This past summer, I spent six weeks studying abroad in Ireland. During my time there, I traveled all over the country, making it to Cork, Blarney, the Cliffs of Moher, Sligo, Galway, Dublin, Belfast, Giant's Causeway, Derry, Wicklow Mountains National Park, the Aran Islands, and Dun Laougahaire. I would highly recommend study abroad to anyone who is looking into it. In my free time, I like to swim, run, waterski, snow ski, and read. I love watching Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, and Friday Night Lights during the week. I also enjoy going to the MSU football games on Saturdays, although I was a little bit dissappointed with the outcome of the MSU vs. CMU game yesterday.
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