Thursday, September 27, 2012

Journal 5 - Chapter 5: Researching and Evaluating Internet Information

Chapter 5:  Researching and Evaluating Internet Information

 Image Source: Danard Vicente on Flickr


Focus Question: What are search engines and how do they work?

Search engines retrieve information from the Internet. They are a very fast way to access a variety of information. The way they work is by searching through millions of Web pages to locate topic-related websites. Some examples of a few well-known search engines are Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Tech Tool: LibriVox

LibriVox is a free website that has audio recordings of books. I can think of many ways this would be helpful for teachers and students. This could be beneficial as an assistive/adaptive technology for blind students or for students that are audio learners. Visual learners could follow with the text and audio learners could listen.


Summary & Connection

 This chapter discusses how teachers and students can locate information online. It also goes over the very prevalent issue of plagiarism and explains how to evaluate sources for bias. The internet is full of information, but many people will use someone's  information - plagiarism- and not even realize it. I think it is important to teach students early on the meaning of plagiarism and its consequences.   

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Introduction Biography

Just the Tip of the Iceberg

      Image Credits to Natalie Lucier on  Flickr

        Hello classmates and people from all over the world, my name is Marla Fisher. Notice it is not Maria, I get called that name by mistake very often. I am 20 years old and am new to the Naples area but have lived in SWFL most of my life. I was born in Oregon but moved here as a baby. To begin with, I was adopted when I was in 8th grade and  I am the middle child of five girls. I love my family to death. Also, .I would love to travel one day, 2 places off the top of my head are Ireland and Australia.
        I have always wanted to be a teacher since I was little. I would really like to teach 2nd grade. I am hoping to get my AA from Edison and transfer to FGCU for my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education or  even possibly my Master's Degree.The most technology I use is just your basic internet and social network usage - add me on Facebook or Twitter. I do have a certification in Microsoft PowerPoint and I took a web design class in high school.
       I love children. I help out at my church in the nursery and other programs although I don't have much teaching experience, yet. I don't have a teaching philosophy but I think teachers are able to give students a great gift which is knowledge. I, like Professor Coleman, think that class shouldn't be just lecture. It should be interactive. Students remember lessons more that they can relate to and enjoy.
       On a side note: I believe that everyone has their own story and you don't know who they. There is a whole lot more underneath, just like the tip of an iceberg.


Sunday, September 9, 2012

Journal 4: Chapter 4 - Integrating Technology and Creating Change

Journal Blog Post 4

 Image source:http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/11/21/eds-new-partner-in-teacher-recruitment-microsoft/98+

Focus Question:  How can teachers integrate technology into their work as educators?

Teachers can integrate technology into their work as educators by the three following ways mentioned in our textbook ( Maloy) : classroom instruction,outside-the-classroom activities, and inside- and outside-the-classroom learning activities for the student. Also, in our last class Ms.Coleman showed us that teachers can have online quizzes that could also be taken on a smart phone using an app.

Tech Tool: Edutopia

I really like this tech tool. It has a variety of information and helpful links. From classroom management to teaching high tech with a low cost tool. People can comment on any of these articles which is also helpful coming from actual teachers. I think this is a helpful site to any educators, whether they are familiar with technology or not.

Summary & Connection

This chapter has a main focus on strategies that teachers can use to bring technology in their classrooms to increase learning. There are so many ways that technology can be used for educating; the possibilities are endless. The key is knowing when and how to use if for effective teaching. I really enjoyed the quiz we did in our last class on a website called socrative. The teacher was able to get the results emailed to her and each student took the quiz on their computer. It was a fun and different way to take a quiz.

References:
Maloy, Robert W. Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2011. Web.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Journal 3 - Chapter 3: Developing Lessons with Technology

Journal Blog Post 3

Focus Question: What is "lesson development using technology"?

Lesson development involves  three interrelated elements: what to teach, how to teach, and how to know what students have learned.  By using a variety of technology such as  threaded discussions and online surveys in each element you have lesson development using tecgnology.

Tech Tool: Gliffy

Gliffy is free or you can pay to get more features. With this site you can create create fllor plans, flow charts and more. I played around on the site a little and it seems like a good tool for teachers. Check it out for yourself at http://www.gliffy.com/.

Summary & Connection

This chapter focuses on technology-based lesson planning and assessments. It talks about how teachers develop and evaluate learning experiences for their students. I am very interested in lesson planning. I feel like it is the backbone to teaching and I have so much I need to learn in order to do one. I am excited about our collaborative lesson plan assignment for this class :)


Journal 2 - Chapter 2 : Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology

Journal Blog Post 2

Focus Question: How do students use technology for learning visually?

With technology comes the ease of visual learning, along with many other assets. Students can see videos and pictures on the internet, video chat, as well as watch multimedia presentations from their teachers.Students can read interactive books on tablets. In addition, students  are able learn visually as a result of technology with graphing calculators and also software programs.

 

Interactive Book for iPad 2.

My mom uses her iPad to read books to my niece and she loves it. 

Tech Tools: Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus

I did not enjoy this Tech Tool very much. It lets you try briefly for free but eventually requires a subscription. When you enter the site you may type a word to look up or click random word. I chose random word and it generated the word "full". I clicked "look it up" and it shows a word map with the chosen word in the center and synonyms around it moving slightly ( Click here & type in a word).  I was not very impressed especially since it was not a free site. All in all, I would rather use thesaurus.com.

Summary & Connection

This chapter explores ways that teaching and learning can be changed using technology. As teachers, we want our students to get the most out of a lesson. I think technology is a benefit for not only teachers but the students. It makes learning more fun and easier to understand.