Project

Learning Environment

Reflection

Technology for teachers is a course that has provided me with alternative ways of teaching in the classroom. I think that this class has helped me to help my students understand that the computer can be used for more than just e-mail and games. Initially, I didn’t know what to expect from this course. But this class has shown me great fun ways to making learning more interactive for my students.

I feel very prepared for integrating technology into my daily lessons. This class has provided me great programs such as Inspiration, Power Point, Excel, Access, and Netscape. These programs also help teaching to become much more interactive for the students. It’s a great tool that can step in and provide additional help for a student that may be struggling in a subject. Technology is a great tool for teachers in assisting them with teaching. I think that all of the assignments that we have completed in this course are a great way to help me put it to use once I am in the classroom.

Unfortunately, not all schools have the same level of technology I their schools. I think that after taking this course, the level of technology resources will have an impact one me. I have learned that technology greatly improves learning. No matter what situation I am in, I know that I can adjust. I just think that it would be a disappointment not to have access to great technology.

I think that technology should be used in every classroom throughout every grade level. Our world has fast become a technology world. And I think in order to keep up with the times you have to become knowledgeable about computers and technology. What a better way to do so by teaching them young. Technology is also a great way to teach different material in the classroom. It provides an alternative way of teaching students. It can help the student interact with the lesson being taught. As teachers, it should be a part of our job description to keep up to date with new technology. I world is fast becoming dependent on it.

Blog Reflection

Before this course I knew nothing about blogs. But know I have learned that blogging is becoming a big deal. I hear about it all the time.
I enjoyed blogging much more than WebCT. When you blog, we were able to view others work as well as give feedback to fellow students.
My evaluation of this program is great. It should definitely be used in future courses.

kikiandjon

kikiandjon
Originally uploaded by Laquimah.

The Digital Divide Network

I read the article, "Real-World Research: How do Low-Income Parents Support Their Children’s Educational Development?" by Kallen Tsikalas and Elisabeth Stock. I thought this article was great. It shows how technology can benefit low-income children and their parents by getting both parties more involved with school.
Computers for Youth is a organization that works with middle schools to help place computers in low-income homes. They have helped nearly 5,000 families own computers. Their program has helped increase parent involvement and improved teaching practices. They also provide the families with computer learning classes to further their learning.
The article was great because it sited examples of how Computers for Youth has helped so many families. One mother told her stepson that instead of playing games, she wanted him to use the computer. By doing that he became interested in research and began gather information about China. He stated that he learned things about China that he didn't know.

Bloom

Knowledge: List all seven continents.
Comprehension: There are alot of countires, states, and cities in the world. Discuss how people from different parts of the world can still experience some of the same things in everyday life.
Application: Classify the different regions of South America.
Analysis: Whne reading about the history of India, I found that different numerous
Synthesis:
Evaluation:

Microsoft Publisher

Project Name:
Traveling to India!

Description of Learning Goals and Standards:
Grade Level: 5-12. The students will learn how to present information for visiting a particular country by producing a newsletter using Microsoft Publisher. Students will learn how to arrange valuable information about the country that will help someone that is traveling to that country. Students will use technology to produce a newsletter that presents their findings.
QCC’S:
8. Topic: Productivity
Standard: Uses multimedia tools to express ideas.
13. Topic: Research
Standard: Uses basic research techniques with teacher guidance.
17. Topic: Physical Characteristics
Standard: Identifies the physical characteristics of a place. (Land forms, climates)
33. Topic: Cultural Characteristics
Standard: Identifies the cultural characteristics of a region (e.g., South Asia: diversity of languages, Hinduism, Buddhism, the "Indianization of South Asia," Islam, European imperialism, nationalism, partition of India, ethnic conflict, and developing countries).

Rationale for Technology: Technology plays an immense role in this activity. Students will get most of their research from the internet, and will use multimedia tools to complete their newsletter. The technology in this lesson helps the student’s finished product have a nice presentation. Using Microsoft Publisher to create their newsletter allows them to format and design their final product. The advantage of using technology in the lesson is the wide range of information that the students can gather about their country and the program that they use to put the information together. I don’t see this goal as a disadvantage because it will help the students learn more about using technology to their advantage.

Description of Lesson Implementation: The lesson would start off with the teacher teaching the basic skills needed for using Microsoft Publisher. This will take about two or three lesson for the students to have a basic understanding of the program. Continuing the students learning about geography and different countries, the students will choose a state, country, region or continent to focus on. They will need to research their place and gather such information as, the history, culture, and the environment, where to stay, and some travel facts. The students will condense their findings and create a newsletter that someone can read. The newsletter should provide important information that someone could use if they are visiting that country in the future. Once completed, the students will make an extra copy of their newsletter. In class, the students will swap newsletter with a partner. Once that partner is done reading the newsletter, they must write a review of the newsletter. The review will state whether or not they thought it provided enough information, what sounds exciting to them about the place they read about, and if they would like to visit that place based on the newsletter they read. The teacher could then publish those critics into a class newsletter and pass it out to the students.

Assessment: In order to measure the students learning of the project, they must make a newsletter that contains three to four pages, at least three pictures, and have articles that contain the history, culture, where to stay, and the environment, and travel facts about their place. The students will also be evaluated on the critic they wrote about a classmate. The critic must answer the questions that were given, and written in a friendly way as no to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Other Places to Use this Solution: The teacher could pair up with another teacher in the same grade level, and have both their classes create newsletters. One teacher could have her class focus on a particular region and its country and the other teacher can focus on the opposite region so that more than one student doesn’t do the same country. Once completed, they can switch newsletter with each other and critic someone’s newsletter from a different class.

References/Resources Used:
A Traveler’s History of India
By: Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda
3rd Edition Copyright 2003

Lonely Planet World Guide
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/indian_subcontinent/india/