![]() What Have I Learned? Where do I start? I have learned so much throughout my time in this course. Firstly, I never knew there were so many ways to integrate technology into the classroom. From podcasts to blogs, the options are endless! The Google group project helped me to become more familiar with Google and all that it has to offer. I learned how to use many of the Google software programs, which I have never really been comfortable utilizing in the past. I also learned about several helpful websites, such as Rubistar and Vocaroo, that will be extremely beneficial to me in the future when I have my own classroom. My Strengths and Weaknesses I feel like writing is my area of strength. Because of this, completing the weekly blog posts was not difficult for me. I also enjoyed commenting on my group members’ posts each week. I would consider the Google group project to be my area of weakness. In the past, I was never comfortable using Google software. I had always found it difficult to utilize. However, with the help of my group members, I now understand it much more. I was also able to successfully complete the project. Interaction with my Peers and Instructor At first, I was hesitant about being grouped with peers in an online class. However, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. Working with and getting to know the members of my group has been one of the best parts of this class! I have learned so much from them throughout this process. Dr. Wang has also been extremely helpful. I always received prompt responses whenever I e-mailed her with a question or concern. The online conferences were helpful as well. Communication Tools The communication tools most used during this course were our blogs and e-mail. We also occasionally used the Conference feature within Canvas. I really like the Canvas Conference feature. I have taken mostly online courses throughout my college career and have never utilized anything like this until this semester. It allows for an experience similar to if you were sitting in a traditional college course on campus. I also really enjoyed creating and utilizing my blog. Through it, I was able to communicate with my group members. I was also able to read their posts, which contained helpful information pertaining to technology in the classroom. Blogfolio Experience Creating my blogfolio was a great experience! This is something I have always wanted to do but never knew how. Weebly is great! Not only is it user-friendly, but free as well. Some aspects I enjoyed most were communicating with my group members. I enjoyed reading their thoughts and views each week and responding to their posts. One aspect that I found difficult was linking projects and other things within our blogs. However, with the help of my group members, I was ultimately able to figure it all out.
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![]() Effective Ways to Integrate Technology into ELA Instruction There are many ways to integrate technology into all aspects of English and Language Arts instruction. Several websites offer online practice in matching letters and their sounds and words with their meanings. There are also online tools that assist students in learning vocabulary. Some great online websites we use in our classroom are PBS Kids and BrainPop. These websites allow students to learn while also having fun. Another great website that is educational and also fun for students is ABCya! It offers tons of ELA activities and games for students, and they are organized by grade level. Currently, our students are learning how to put words in alphabetical order. In order to practice this skill, students enjoy playing the "Alphabetize It!" game on ABCya! Issues of Integrating Technology into Special Education One of the current issues affecting the acquisition and use of technology in special education is the inclusion requirements. However, assistive technology advocates are advocating for inclusive technologies. These would support the access and engagement of diverse learners in the general education classroom. Assistive technology devices are defined as any item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401 (1)) When a student with a disability has trouble completing a task in the classroom, assistive technology can help the student do so. Some examples of assistive technology are one-handed typing, highlighters, stair lifts, and wheelchairs. ![]() Chapter 8: Web-Based Curriculum Chapter eight discusses online course development in depth. It first discusses both the interactive and noninteractive online models. In the interactive model, students interact with an instructor and/or other students. Activities usually include small group or whole group discussions. Students and teachers can interact through the use of cameras and other online tools. Unlike the interactive model, the noninteractive model involves no interaction with an instructor or other students. Students who participate in these types of courses may only read documents, view videos, and take assessments. The course site we are creating would be considered a noninteractive model, as there will be no communication between students and the teacher. Another topic discussed in this chapter is the list of procedures, which are the steps involved in creating an online course. These range from selecting the online model to determining the course logistics and requirements. Because our website will be noninteractive, step 7 in the procedures (create small group activities) will not be necessary. Other topics in this chapter include virtual schools, virtual environments, and the elements involved in teaching online courses. When teaching an online course, it is important to be knowledgeable in managing group work and grading assignments. Rubrics are a great tool for assessing students in online courses. During these past two weeks, I really enjoyed creating my class website! In the future, I will have a teacher website, so this was great practice. Although some aspects were a little difficult and/or confusing, overall, it was a great learning experience. Please feel free to view my class website by clicking the link below! My Class Website ![]() Web Tools: Creating a Test, Answer Key, and Rubric I enjoyed this assignment and felt it was relevant to what I will be doing in my future career as a teacher. I didn't encounter much difficulty with the creation of my test, answer key, or rubric. The RubiStar and Easy TestMaker websites made it extremely easy! However, the directions in the 'Assignments' tab were a bit confusing on some things. . Creating the test, answer key, and rubric went along with what is discussed in the previous chapter I read. In chapter seven, it discusses many ways to integrate technology into classroom curriculum. These websites are great for this! I really like that RubiStar already has many pre-created rubric templates, as well as scoring categories. Easy TestMaker makes creating a test effortless! It gives you a variety of questioning choices/types and allows you to make an answer key as well. Overall, I found this project very useful. I am glad I had the experience to "play around" with these websites, as I feel they will be very helpful to me in my future. ![]()
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Chapter 7- Integrating the Internet into Curriculum
Chapter seven discusses several ways to integrate the internet into classroom curriculum. One of those ways is through podcasts. These are audio recordings that can be posted online for others to listen to. Vodcasts, like podcasts, can also be posted online but are video recordings. These can be viewed on online forums such as YouTube. In today's classrooms, students are able to do various activities through the use of the internet. They can take virtual field trips or complete enrichment activities such as webquests. Students can also learn through recorded lectures and/or demonstrations that are available online. My Podcast Lesson: Insects and Arachnids Initially, I was worried that recording myself teaching a lesson would be difficult. However, this wasn't the case. Vocaroo is a user-friendly online platform that allows you create a recording and convert it to an MP3 afterwards. I chose to record myself teaching a lesson about the differences in arachnids and insects. The only part of this project that I experienced trouble with was the time limit. I found it difficult to keep the recording under five minutes. I ended up having to cut the lesson short upon noticing that my time was about to reach the limit. Aside from this aspect, I enjoyed learning how to create a podcast. In the future, I think this will be a very neat and useful tool to utilize in the classroom for both teachers and students. ![]()
![]() My Digital Story Video/Reflection I experienced a lot of difficulty when creating my digital story. I chose to create my digital story using iMovie. In the past, I have tried to use this platform for editing a video and found it very confusing. Perhaps one of the other suggested programs would have been easier and more user-friendly. However, I am glad I successfully completed this project and had the chance to "play around" with iMovie a bit more. Once I learn how to use this program and others like it, it will be beneficial to me in my future career as a teacher. This program could be used for various things, such as creating an end-of-the year video of important and memorable class events. It could also be utilized for digital storytelling. Chapter 6- Online Tools and Web-Based Development
Chapter six is an overview of online tools and web-based development. It discusses the rules and guidelines of online safety and explains the potential dangers of the online environment. In my opinion, this is so very important to discuss with children. Children need to know that they should never give out personal information online. Also mentioned in chapter six are communication options. These include things like email, videoconferencing, and instant messaging. These options are mostly for one-on-one communication, whereas social networking is used to communicate with many people. I like that this chapter discusses the steps to successfully creating a website. As a future teacher, I will most likely be expected to set up a teacher website. Having never done this before, I believe the information I read in this chapter will be extremely helpful. ![]() I will admit that, at first, I wasn't very enthusiastic at the thought of a group project in an online class. However, I feel I have both learned some things and made some new friends in the process. I really enjoyed working with the ladies in my group! I also feel that, for the most part, we worked well together and communicated well with one another. I experienced some difficulty with setting up the Google Group discussion. Creating the Google survey form was also somewhat confusing. I researched online for some tips and also got some helpful advice from my group members and, ultimately, figured it all out. I think all of these elements in Google could be helpful in the classroom. The surveys could be used for collecting student information and/or thoughts/preferences. The spreadsheet could be used for calculating money collected or creating some type of log for data. The presentation could be used for creating some type of interactive test study guide. The documents element could be used as Microsoft Word is, although it allows for live editing. I actually think allowing students to do something similar to what we did with the story would be very fun and creative for them. Overall, I really enjoyed this group project. I learned a lot and met some very nice people. In the future, I will probably feel more comfortable about completing a group project in an online class. Thank you, Dr. Wang, for this opportunity! My Google Group Google Group E-mail: [email protected] My Story My Presentation My Gradebook My Survey Chapter 3- The Definition of Instructional Software According to its Categories and their Usages in the Classroom ![]() Instructional software refers to computer programs that were designed to deliver instruction or assist with the delivery of instruction on a topic. There are many types of instructional software used in the educational setting nowadays. One type of instructional software is referred to as drill-and-practice. This type of instructional software is any program that provides exercises in which students work example items (usually one at a time) and receive feedback on their accuracy. Another type of instructional software is tutorial. Tutorial software are programs that provide an entire instructional sequence on a topic (similar to a teacher's classroom instruction). A few other types of instructional software are simulation, instructional games, problem-solving, and personalized learning systems. The school district in which I am currently employed utilizes several types of instructional software. Out of these, one of the most used is iReady. This software provides students with personalized instruction targeted to their areas of need. It also measures student growth and achievement. Our students love iReady, and it seems to make learning fun for them! Chapter 4- Features and Capabilities of Word Processing, Spreadsheet, and Presentation Software Tool Program and Suggestions for How to Use Them in the Classroom Word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation programs are all vital software tools in, essentially, any workplace or educational setting. They are beneficial in more ways than one. They improve aspects such as productivity, appearance, and accuracy. They also provide support for interaction and collaboration amongst yourself and others (classmates, colleagues, etc.). Word processing is a software tool that allows people to create typed documents on a computer. Utilizing word processing software saves time, improves the appearance of documents, and also allows for the easy exchange of work. Spreadsheets are software tools that were designed to organize and manipulate numerical data. Spreadsheets allow you to save time, and they can organize a vast amount of information. Lastly, presentation programs are software tools that were designed to display information, including text, images, audio, and video. This is done in the format of a slideshow. Programs, such as these, help to organize thinking and enhance the impact of spoken information. In our classroom, we utilize software tools such as these on a daily basis. We use spreadsheets to organize student data. Word processing software is used to type parent letters and countless other types of documents. The teacher I work with uses presentation software to create slideshows which contain important upcoming test material. These slideshows assist students in learning the material and preparing them for the test. Chapter 5- Tools that can be Used to Support Teaching/Learning Tasks for Teachers/Students There are countless software tools that have been created in order to serve both teachers and students. These software support tools offer many benefits. A few of these include improved efficiency/productivity, improved appearance of a product, better accuracy and timeliness of information, and more support for interaction and sharing.
Software tools are organized into seven categories. These categories are: materials generators, data collection/analysis tools, testing/grading tools, graphics tools, planning/organizing tools, research/reference tools, and content-area tools. Although they each serve their own distinct purposes, they are all extremely beneficial in the educational setting. In our classroom, both the students and teachers have access to multiple software tools. We utilize worksheet and puzzle generators quite often. An example of this is when we create our weekly spelling words activities. We also use our Promethean board, which is an interactive whiteboard, on a daily basis during whole group and small group instruction. We are able to conveniently access a lot of these helpful software tools through the use of iPads, Chromebooks, and other devices. ![]() Chapter 1- Educational Technology: What is It? What are the Drawbacks? Today, most teachers think of educational technology as just devices and equipment. This includes computers, cell phones, tablets, etc. However, educational technology has been around for a while and isn’t limited to just these devices. The term educational technology is known to have been used as early as 1948 by W. W. Charters, a radio instruction pioneer. Educational technology in that era was defined as both “the media born of the communication revolution which can be used for instructional purposes” (p. 6) and a “systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching” (p. 6). Since this time, educational technology has progressed tremendously. Currently, this term’s meaning consists of both the study and practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, utilizing, and managing various technological processes and resources. As educators, we use various methods of educational technology on a day-to-day basis. It is a vital tool for both ourselves and our students. At the school I am employed at, we utilize Promethean Boards, laptops, Apple TV, Elmo projectors, and many other useful types of technology every day. Many innovative instructional software applications and tools are becoming widely accessible to students, as well. Not only are the students able to access these applications at school, but at home as well. Because of this, student learning is being taken to a new level. It allows us to, essentially, access the world at our fingertips. While technology has the ability to vastly improve today’s educational settings, it also comes with several downsides, as well. For one, it is constantly changing and evolving and is sometimes difficult to keep up with. Also, with the over-abundance of technological resources available, it is quite easy to become too reliant upon it. These are just a few of the negatives that come with the present-day technology-filled school atmospheres. Although technology plays a key role in educating today’s youth, it will never and should never be a panacea for education. Chapter 2- Learning Theories of Technology Integration and TIP In Chapter 2, two perspectives on technology integration are overviewed. These perspectives include directed instruction and inquiry-based learning. While many agree that today’s educational methods require some changes in order to solve modern challenges, not all agree on which strategy will be most effective. Directed instruction consists of educators delivering a predefined set of information to students through teacher-organized activities, whereas inquiry-based learning suggests students should generate their own knowledge through hands-on learning and experience, while teachers serve only as facilitators. These differing perspectives on how learning should take place are based on the statements and views of theorists. Based on my own knowledge and experience, I believe both of these perspectives play an important role in today’s classrooms. Students, in my opinion, benefit in various ways from each. Students need guidance and instruction, but also need to be able to apply what they have learned through the implementation of hands-on activities. Another important concept discussed in this chapter is the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) Model. This is a three-phased model that specifies the analysis of teaching, learning needs, and objectives. It also specifies planning tasks and post-instruction analysis and revisions. It is a vital tool for teachers-especially those who are not accustomed to utilizing technology. The TIP Model will assist educators in gaining a better understanding of how to integrate technology into their classrooms and daily teaching practices. Hello! My name is Audra Bosarge, and my major is Elementary Education with an endorsement in English. I reside in Pascagoula and am currently a second grade assistant teacher at a local elementary school. This is my tenth year as an assistant teacher, and I feel my experience will greatly benefit me in my future career as a teacher. Having worked in various grade levels previously, I can say that second grade is a perfect fit for me!
I have one son, Jaylan, who is 12 years old. He is a great kid, and I feel blessed to be his mom. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my son and playing with makeup. I actually have my cosmetology license but decided a career in this field just wasn't for me. However, I do a bit of freelance makeup for friends and family, when requested. While parenting, working a full time job, and going to school full time is extremely tough at times, I know all of the time and sacrifice will be worth it once I have my own classroom one day. |
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