I don't remember how to use this thing.

Digital Technology Reflection Questions

1. Discuss the impact your use of a resource like the TeacherWeb could have on your teaching style and on student learning. What are the strengths and weaknesses of using a resources like TeacherWeb?

Resources such as TeacherWeb can act as a supplement that enhances my teaching style by providing an additional medium for me to reach my students. This format can be more appealing to students who prefer a more technology-based learning style.

Strengths of implementing a TeacherWeb for use with my classroom:

• It could help increase parent involvement in student learning since parents can have access to the site.
• If students are absent they can see what they could have missed (assuming that the teacher updates the information daily).
• It's another method to reach students.
• It can help keep the teacher organized since he/she would need to update it often.

Weaknesses of implementing a Teacherweb for use with my classroom:

• Some students might not have Internet access.
• The only Internet access a student may have is while at school (assuming school has access to Internet and computers), so if assignment instructions are solely posted on the site, the teacher must provide an opportunity for students to access this information.
• Teacher must keep it updated which can be time consuming.
  

2. Discuss the development of your Wiki and WebQuest in terms of how you see a wiki, and your WebQuest, impacting student learning. Compare your work spent on the development of your wiki to the perceived benefits students might get out of completing lesson via your wiki WebQuest rather than a traditional class session.

A Wiki/WebQuest is convenient because all lesson information is organized for the student and teacher (as long as the teacher provides this information) in a central location. With this in mind, we do not risk to the misplacement of homework or papers that were handed out in class, instead, they are accessible through the website. Teachers can also still have contact with students through chat sessions; however, the teacher must be vigilant in updating the site to keep it updated with the most current resources and must also be aware of the need of scheduling chat times if students need help. I feel that it was fairly quick and easy to adapt a written lesson plan into the format of a Wiki/WebQuest, so I feel that its benefits are worth the time it takes to create the page.

Despite the many benefits of the Wiki/WebQuest, I still prefer the traditional class session as a means to deliver lessons. When taking into consideration the age range of the students I will be teaching, they may need the setting and environment of a classroom atmosphere to help provide support and resources to help them in their learning. I feel that WebQuest lesson plans might be more suitable for higher elementary, middle school, and high school-aged students.

3. What would be one or two changes you would make to this project that would make it more engaging, meaningful, or more practical for your future classroom use?

I feel that it would be beneficial for us to have more classroom experience to see how technology can be implemented into the classrooms we will be working in. Otherwise, I felt that this project was helpful in introducing me to the potential that these resources have to offer in student learning and my teaching style.

Emerging Technologies in the Classroom

The three emerging technologies that I chose to explore are the i-clicker, Skype, and virtual tours. Here are links to view more on these technologies:

• i-clicker: http://www.iclicker.com/
• Skype: http://www.skype.com/
• virtual tours: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/climb/summit.html, www.travelape.com/tape/360.html, http://www.virtualgettysburg.com/vg/panoramas/multi_node.html, http://mars.sgi.com/vrml/vrml.html

The i-clicker is a response system that can be used in classrooms for formative assessment. It is basically a handheld device that each student (or group of students) uses to answer multiple-choice type questions. Students' responses are then collected once they are entered by the students and then a graph reflecting the collective responses can be generated for the instructor to gauge student learning. Individual student responses are also collected, so the teacher also can associate each answer with its corresponding student who gave that answer. I-clickers are used to reflect students' understanding of what is being presented or taught. A tally of student responses can be shown and based on this data the instructor can determine if he/she needs to go over a concept once more or move on to the next topic because the students understand the material.

Skype is a software that enables people to make phone calls over the Internet; not just in the United States, but even across the world! Skype can also be used to video conference, call mobile phones, call landlines, instant message, and transfer files. Essentially, a person's computer is their "telephone" to connect to the other person that they are seeking to converse with. As long as both parties have Skype, then the call is free.

Virtual tours offer a panoramic window for the user to navigate all around a stationary standpoint. Some tours even offer sound effects to help one learn more about the specific site that one is “touring.”

This technology has already had an impact on my preparation for teaching as I have explored them each with the intention of possibly using them within my future classroom. The i-clicker can be used as a fun means for me to gather formative assessment of my students. I have researched pricing and the uses of the i-clicker and feel that, if resources provide, I can easily integrate it into lessons. Skype can be used for students to communicate with others around the world, both to broaden their perspectives and to provide a new medium to learn about other countries. I plan to use Skype to communicate with my relatives overseas, as currently I rarely get a chance to talk to them over the telephone; perhaps with Skype I will have more success. Virtual tours would help me in my teaching because students can use virtual touring as a way to explore attractions and sites that are otherwise difficult to travel to. There are so many virtual touring sites, so the possibilities of places to see are bountiful (Mars, Mt. Everest, London, etc).

These new and emerging technologies can impact the students in positive ways by providing a different means of learning that is not what they are used to (it's not a textbook, worksheet, lecture). They also help students become more technologically savvy in this ever-changing technology world. Students can demonstrate that they have met the objectives of lessons through the assessments gathered by the i-clicker. Objectives can be met in a unit on different countries as students gain greater perspectives on a country through the use of Skype. Students can show that they have met the objectives of other lessons through their experiences through virtual tours. Ultimately, technology can give students a new way of learning that might even be more beneficial to some than the traditional methods of learning.

Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities

1. Identify 3-5 innovative ways you could use concept mapping activities within your classroom and describe how these 3-5 ideas would be integrated within your teaching.

Concept mapping activities' usage in classrooms:

1. Enables students to show relationships among concepts.
2. Students are provided a visual representation of how the concepts relate; and the action
of drafting a concept map helps to reiterate the learning.
3. Can be used to help students generate goals and map out potential results of goals.
4. Helps students exercise their thinking skills as they think about how things relate to one
another.
5. Students can formulate concept maps across subjects.

As briefly outlined above, one can see what a helpful tool concept maps can be in fostering thinking and learning in students. With its benefits in mind, it is motivating to adopt its use within my classroom.

I have seen where concept maps have been used for students to "introduce" themselves by mapping out what is important to them such as their hobbies, values, goals, and other aspects that make them who they are. This can be a great beginning activity to introduce concept mapping to students since writing about yourself is a topic that a person should be pretty knowledgeable about.

Using concept maps to provide a visual organizer can be useful in the elementary grades where students can include pictures to coincide with their concept map. This can be beneficial when students learn about the different seasons, weather patterns, etc. By presenting these topics initially through a concept map, I (as a teacher) can use it as a primary outline to show the students what they will be learning and how each topic ties in to "a bigger picture."

Concept maps can also appeal to the more artistically-inclined students. The idea of including pictures to supplement a concept map can provide a great means for students to exercise their creativity in their designs. Also, the more analytical students can include many "branches" to showcase their intricate learning of the relationships between the concepts being analyzed.

Concept maps can be applied throughout topics. I can see its application in science (showing relationships among ecosystems maybe), in writing (mapping out writing ideas and potential avenues to strengthen writing), and in math (providing students with a visual for learning multiplication and the methods behind it- 4 x 4 means adding four groups of four together). Concept maps can be integrated into my teaching through the above mentioned methods.

2. Discuss how your use of these concept mapping activities would impact student learning within your classroom?

I see its benefit in providing students with another method to organize their thoughts and increase their learning potential. Having students map out concepts can provide a road map to organize their thoughts. Also, the process of creating this road map of conceptual relationships helps develop students' thinking skills and the act of writing/drawing out the concept map enables the teaching to be reiterated through a different medium.

3. Discuss how you would go about learning this type of concept mapping software to the point where you would feel comfortable integrating it in your classroom. Do you think it would be worth your time?

First, I would thoroughly explore the concept mapping software website (http://www.kidspiration.com/productinfo/inspiration/index.cfm). Downloading the free trial would also be beneficial. I would feel more comfortable integrating its use in the classroom as I learned more about the product and looked at how other educators have incorporated it into their curriculum. However, I do not feel that I would need to know EVERYTHING about the software before I introduced it to my students; I would be fine being a "co-learner" with my students. I would just need to know enough so that I could facilitate its use.

Any means to help students learn better is worth my time, so yes, I feel that me taking the time to familiarize myself with the software is worth my time, too.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

1. Identify which of the multiple intelligences you have strengths in and then discuss some of the core characteristics of that (or those) intelligences. Discuss which of the core characteristics best describe you and your learning style.

According to my results after participating in Dr. Guy Westhoff's Multiple Intelligences Excel Inventory, I hold preferences in both the Existential and Intrapersonal categories. My lowest preference was in the Logical category. (You may view my Multiple Intelligence results in its entirety below).

Those who hold preference in the Existential category have characteristics where they tend to see how aspects relate to the "big picture." They hold collective classical western values encompassing truth, goodness, and beauty. They also hold an ability to break down details into a broader understanding. I agree with these core characteristics in the sense that I do feel I fit this category. I often set mini-goals that will help lead me toward a larger goal (a bigger picture).

People who hold preference in the Intrapersonal category are in touch with their own feelings, outlook, and attitudes. They are aware of their morals and what they stand for and are careful in monitoring their actions and behavior. I feel that these core characteristics stand true for myself as well. I am aware of my feelings and attitudes and I strive to monitor them so that I am open-minded to others' ideas, even if they class with my own.

The category which I hold the lowest preference was the Logical category. Core characteristics comprising this group are a greater ability in linear, concrete, and abstract reasoning. I agree with the findings that I do not hold strength in this category. In the subject of math in particular, I feel that I must work very hard to understand relationships and the reasoning behind them.




2. Discuss what students with this type of intelligence enjoy, are like, or tend to do within classroom settings.


Students holding strong existential intelligence types enjoy learning that is meaningful to them. Instruction must allow them to draw connections with its application to other subject areas. In alignment with their core characteristics, existential students synthesize ideas as they learn and draw from the literature and customs of other cultures, but also develop a strong identity with their own neighborhood or town.

Students with strong intrapersonal intelligence hold comfort within themselves. They are aware of their likes and dislikes and communicate these feelings. They are confident in their abilities and set goals that are realistic. They hold and express justice and fairness in their thoughts and actions.

Students with strong logical intelligence (which I do not hold), seek order and scientifically reason. Completing puzzles, testing theories, and analyzing abstract ideas are among some of the things these students enjoy.





3. Discuss how you could support this type of intelligence within your classroom and what technologies stimulate this type of intelligence.

To support students with strong existential intelligence, I can foster their learning environment by relating what is being taught to global themes, concepts, and multiple points of view. We can discuss how the topics will help them in the classroom, school, and community. Students can also apply their learning if I provide them multiple contexts to exercise their understanding.

Technologies to help existential intelligence students include the use of a planetarium, virtual communities, classic literature and philosophy, simulations, etc.

For students with strong intrapersonal intelligence, I can support this intelligence by using differentiated instruction, allowing students to set goals, and incorporating daily journal writing. Their classrooms must provide opportunities for students to express their thoughts on topics, whether it be through journals, student self-assessments, or questionnaires.

Technologies to help intrapersonal intelligence students include using journals, online surveys and forms, class discussions, and digital portfolios.

Students possessing strong logical intelligence will need classrooms that have intrinsic and extrinsic order. These students need structure so providing the criteria would be a good introduction for each activity. The incorporation of puzzles in their classrooms and promoting experiments to test hypotheses also provide support for these students.

Technologies to help students with strong logical intelligence include the use of unifix cubes, tangrams, measuring cups and scales, and spreadsheets.

4. And finally, discuss how including various types of intelligence in your instructional approaches could impact student learning within your classroom. Give some examples.

Taking time to accommodate students' various intelligences can result in benefits for these students. Since students hold strengths in differing intelligence areas, providing a differentiated instruction to allow students to exercise these strengths can be rewarding to their learning. To allocate for students' multiple intelligence strengths, I can assign several formats for completing a common goal. For example, if students are assigned to complete a book report; I can offer various criteria for how this book report can be submitted. For the strong musical intelligent student, he or she could choose to submit their book report in the form of composing a song outlining key points in the book. For the strong existential intelligent student, he or she could indicate how their book relates to current themes in society. Encourages each student to share their method of presenting their book report with the class can be beneficial in the sense that all students can be exposed to the differing learning styles of others and learn from them.

Ultimately, I feel that it would be beneficial for students to adjust teaching to maximize their learning through differentiated instruction that allows classrooms to exercise students' multiple intelligences.

My personal multiple intelligences outcome:

Naturalist 50
Musical 60
Logical 20
Existential 80
Interpersonal 50
Kinesthetic 60
Verbal 40
Intrapersonal 80
Visual 60


Acknowledgements:
Howard Gardner for deriving his Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
Walter McKenzie and his site: http://surfaquarium.com/MI (Accessed July 09, 2008)
Dr. Guy Westhoff for creating the Multiple Intelligences Excel Inventory (Accessed July 09, 2008)

Technology 517

Hi. This is my first blog for this class. K, bye.