Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Letter to mr. larson
I have been exposed to some methods of technology intergration in the classroom. There are very simple techniques that a teacher can use in any subject; but I will focus on your history class. History is a visual science. Students tend to need to be able to relate somehow to the past because if they have no relation to the past, it is just that, the past. So one easy method to help students relate to the past is by using videos. In my high school classes my teachers had us watch a lot of historical videos. While this is not such a bad idea, I would like to introduce 21st century technology into the classroom. I would make use of short video clips of the day's subject. These type of clips can be found on YouTube.com. But be careful, you have to do a little searching outside of the classroom before you put any of these videos on the screen in the classroom. But YouTube is now home to thousands of relavent videos that can greatly enhance your subject.
Another method of integration for social studies would simply be using the internet for web quests. Most webquests are designed for younger children; but there are some difficult quests out there that give high school students a challenge. PodCasts are also great. Many podcasts are from people that have actually witnessed history. But you have to know when to press stop. Students can begin to dose off with just audio.
But there are many options availible for you. Most are going to be reliant on the computer...as they should be. The issue is, do you have the resources in your school to use any of these techniques? If you don't, there are other cheaper uses of technology to enhance your history class. These include basic televisions, recorders, and any form of media. Take your class to the public library and let them explore the internet there...of course under supervision. But the reality is, whatever topic you have for the day, there are simple technologies out there to allow you to enhance your lesson. All you have to do is be exposed to the technology. Search google.com for ideas that have been used in other school in your subject area. There are many out there.
Good luck,
-Phill
Links: Lesson
Radiation Buildup Pictures:
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/395118/page/0
Google Earth:
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/395118/page/0
Monday, April 30, 2007
Reflection
Another thing about this class, and please forgive me for this everyone, but all the crying about the work. The workload in this class was not that much. Now I know I did not get everything turned in on time or at all; but I take the responsibility that I could not or did not do it. So Anne, don't lessen the load of work if you teach this again and don't do it for W310. This is an addition to your license and everyone is treating this as any other lame class. I signed up for W310 for next fall, bearing that IU doesn't fail me out because of a registrar issue with another class, and I am expecting it to be in-depth, interesting, and hard. I think its going to be just me and Andrew....pleanty of one on one teaching there so please kick our ass with work.
So back to this class again: Anne I always heard you during the classes say something like "I dont want to hear any other clicks during this presentation" referring to us looking at the web. I was thinking about that and I think that maybe if the lab lights were all the way on except during the overhead time (which was a lot of time) would maybe make us pay more attention. Darkness just instigates lazyness. Another thing I would have liked is maybe a little more exposure to technology. We talked about that during class where we use one new item each week. Thats not such a bad idea.
Anne you might hate me on this one but I think the lesson plan templates were bad. I think that we should have been required to make our own templates. If we get a template and fill in the blanks, that lessens the quality our of creativity. We need to expand our own ideas using technology and creating our own lessons from scratch could have broadened our boundaries. This is just how I felt about the templates. When a plan was due, I would judt download the template and be like "well, looks like I can spend maybe 10 mins on this because its all right there for me: what is my plan, what resources, how much time?". I just simply mean that we needed to make our own stuff. And if people complain about doing that, tell them that as a first year or even 2nd or 3rd, new teachers are typically required to submit weekly lesson plans to the principal for approval. So get used to it!
Being that the lab that we were in was in the School of Ed, someone with influence needs to submit to the tech crews there to install educational programs that we need to be introduced to. They do that for the school of music and b-school and they have all kinds of math programs on all the systems at IU....but the school of ed is a forgotten product of past tax dollars. It is like IU does not pride itself in anything but the 3 Rs....typical of a lousy public school. So thats another thing that could have enhanced our learning experience in this class. Nothing you can do about that right now though. IU would rather buy brand new White Chevy Subarbans than spend the money to properly prepare all of us Ed majors.
I am sorry that I did miss a lot of this class. I wish I didn't have this problem with my damn kidneys because life would be a lot easier......and I would be freakin done with college.
So overall, I think this class was useful. Even though I think it was easier than my other classes, it did further expose me to new technology that I had heard of, but never used. I hope that this reflection serves you well in the future.
Thanks!
-Phill
Summit Elementary
See ya
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Little 500
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Pool
Ben Philips and Templeton
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Boy Im tired
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Lesson Plan
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Templeton Elementary Observation 02/28/2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Templeton Elementary Observation: Digital Story Telling 02/26/2007
However, today the kids did seem to participate quite well. They seemed to be very interested in the powerpoint presentation and especilly the Rosa Parks video. I do see the potential of programs like Powerpoint in the classroom even at such a young age. Most of the kids seemed very interested in the pictures and they loved Anne's story about her dog. I do think that they will be excited to create their own movies.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Case Study
Primary issues: time, lack of systems, students’ lack of remembering their user names, booking, and demand for use of the lab
These problems would be very problematic because of course you need time to teach young children the basics of using a computer. Other teachers booking the lab and the projectors and other resources also takes always from your students. However it is not fair for you as one teacher to routinely use all the equipment while the other teachers wait.
One solution, however difficult to accomplish, would be to simply buy more equipment. But I actually feel indifferent to her entire situation. A good teacher would make the best of the situation whether he or she had technology or not. If you fret about having to book for the lab or other teachers taking your projector, you are doing a disservice to the students by worrying too much about that. Find another way. Teachers are not here just to teach, we are also there to improvise new ideas by using resourceful.
I also am baffled by the fact that the kids continue to forget their user names. In a school such as this I do not think that user names are necessary. Assign a seating chart and that solves it. The network administration will know information such as IP addresses for each computer. So get rid of the user names and passwords and make a seating chart.
I also see that the teacher got a laptop from the state from a grant. My mother works in a title-one school presently. She has to write grants all the time for simple art supplies. Maybe this teacher needs to write another grant for another projector. The students fight over the one computer because the tech guys don’t want to help fix the machines. They told her that they don’t want to help her at all. Seems to me that this teacher needs to tell them its their job to fix them, regardless of how old they are.