Category: ED 245: Intro Computers and Education
Video Assignment Project Planning
Project Planning Sheet
Shelbi Burnett
Video Assignment
Goals:
Through this movie project we are attempting to tie together various ideas and topics from ED 245 into something relevant to our professional growth, teaching, and/or the students we will educate. This assignment will help us expand our knowledge of this particular media tool (iMovie or Windows Movie Maker) in addition to demonstrating its effectiveness in the classroom setting. With our movie we are demonstrating the importance of fair use and its relevance to students and education today. During our time in ED 245 and through discussions, we have realized we were not knowledgeable about the topic of fair use. This video could be an effective tool for representing the general lack of awareness around this topic as well as educating students about fair use in general.
What Will You Do With Your Million Dollars?
So, if you had a million dollars what would you do? Would you invest in developing skills? Would you research? Would you fix what you have? Or would you do nothing: give it all away?
The articles from this week are proposing an interesting question and it is up to all of us future teachers to decide what new frontiers we will break into during our future in education. Throughout this semester we have repeatedly identified that technology is an invaluable resource in the classroom (like having access to a million dollars). We have clarified there are infinite ways of incorporating it into curriculum and pedagogy, and it is clearly possible for all these things to take place: but will it happen? Continue reading 'What Will You Do With Your Million Dollars?'»
Computers as a Distraction?
My best friend’s mother was the technology director at our high school. She was a lovely lady responsible for web design as well as blocking all the sites deemed inappropriate by the administration. Not unlike many high schools and districts around the nation, we had a whole host of blocked sites. Most often these were social networking sites, image collection sites, and sites involving lewd material.
The idea of blocking content is a controversial idea close to the heart of many media moguls and technology directors. There is something to be said for protecting children from the copious amounts of material available on the World Wide Web. But at what point does this become a detriment to learning. Certainly children need to learn to fend for themselves, after all, once students reach the collegiate level, they have unsolicited access to the internet. Continue reading 'Computers as a Distraction?'»
Digital Divide
Prompt:
In general, the digital divide refers to the unequal access by some members of society to information and communications technology, and the unequal acquisition of related skills. Does the digital divide exist in today’s schools? Where does mobile use fit into this equation? Special needs? The first three news articles speak to these areas of the divide.
We tend to think about the divide in terms of access – does a student/school have networked computers? Wireless or mobile access? On the other hand, there is another definition of the divide which focuses on the instructional and pedagogical uses of technology with students. In other words: Once we have it, how do we ask students to understand and recognize its potential? Teachers? The last article speaks to this perspective of the divide.
What are your thoughts?
Fair Use?
Prompt:
You created a short photo montage that incorporated unauthorized, copyrighted material. Is this illegal or fair use? In this week’s discussion, you will demonstrate that you can correctly apply fair use principles.
Write a short defense of why the copyrighted material you used is fair use, according to the “Best Practices” articles in the Week 9 folder (you’ll notice overlap among the articles). You should be able to cite which category or categories of fair use your video falls under, and how you determined that your use transformed the material and was only as long as it needed to be. This can be in ordinary language, your own thoughts, and without “legal mumbo jumbo.” Please add any additional arguments that you think strengthen your case for your photo montage correctly using fair use.
Self Evaluation of Participation
I feel that my participation in this class is above average. I participate and contribute better than most students, but not quite at the optimum level that I could. At the same time, the amount of time I spend preparing for this course is appropriate for the amount of hours a week as well as its relevance to my major. I consider myself someone who participates in lectures. Although not quite necessarily the first person to volunteer, I share my opinions and try to lend a unique perspective to the class. This is also something I try to bring to the online discussion forum, although I don’t know that it translates quite as well.
Photo Montage Project Planning
Project Planning Sheet
Photo Montage
Goals:
The objectives of this lesson include becoming familiarized with a Photo publishing or movie making program to create a finished product that informs a group of peers or parents about what is happening in my classroom, or a little biography of my teaching experiences. A video making program such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker would be a fun tool for communicating both with parents and school administrators to provide a concise look at what is happening in my classroom. I have discussed communication is vital to the success of education and this assignment would encourage open lines of communication as parents of the students in my classroom would become more aware of the activities we are doing as well as staying up to date on the material we are covering. As a biology teacher this video is a neat construct of the fun incorporated into my classroom.
Skeptical about Storytelling
Prompt:
We are focusing on our two media projects (photo and video montages) and expanding previous topics to now include the use of digital images and video. As such, consider how student use of digital images and video can allow them to meet learning goals and curriculum standards. What are the advantages of using video in the classroom? How can subjects, Math or your specialty area, best be learned using more visual technologies in concert with other digital technologies? What are the advantages to students producing their own “Digital Stories?” Which type of video project (according to Garetty and Schmidt) might your students be producing?
Constructivism
This was a group assignment that both modeled and explained constructivism in the classroom. In addition to our PowerPoint presentation, we provided an activity for the class to demonstrate a constructive activity in the classroom.
Mindtools
Prompt:
Reflect on the use of technology as learning tools for students. Use the materials above to discuss how word processors, databases, and spreadsheets have typically been used in schools (by teachers and students). How does thinking about these common applications as “mindtools” dramatically change the way teachers use them in the classroom? What are the general characteristics of tool activities that increase the probability of meaningful learning? Explain how Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy helps to put into practice what is meant by scaffolding?
Effect of Technology on Learning
Prompt:
Comment on the first two articles and how they relate. What effect does technology have on student learning? What implications are there for educational techology leaders? Continue reading 'Effect of Technology on Learning'»
DTP Project planning and reflection
Project Planning Sheet
Shelbi Burnett
Desktop Publishing Assignment
Goals:
The objectives of this lesson include becoming familiarized with a desktop publishing program to create a finished product that informs a group of peers about my teaching philosophy as well as the environment I promote in the classroom. This would be a critical tool for communication both with parents and school administrators to provide concise look at what is happening in my classroom and how it is structured. It has been identified that communication is vital to the success of education and this assignment would encourage open lines of communication as parents of the students in my classroom would become more aware of the environment in which their children are learning. As a biology teacher this flyer serves to emulate the creativity and wonder I promote in my classroom. The flyer itself attempts to promote the ideas that are essential to my particular teaching philosophy.
DTP Assignment
We integrated our Learning environment assignment into a Desktop Publishing piece to better learn how to use the media.
Learning Environment
A Suburban Experience
“To develop knowledgeable, confident and responsible citizens
by providing an extensive learning experience relevant to the interests and capabilities of every student, in partnership with the home and community.” –Center Grove High School Mission
Computers in the classroom
Prompt:
“We often speak about computers in the classroom as if we and our audience have a common view of what they are and what function they serve. But the character of computers and their functionality have been very different at different points in time and…remain quite different for teachers of different subjects, teachers who teach students of different ages and backgrounds, and teachers who have characteristically different pedagogies” (Becker 2).
Becker’s research is one of the few large scale surveys that investigated what teachers are really doing with computers in the classroom. How does it compare with the data we discussed in class? How does the second research article (Addressing the NETS for students through constructivist technology use in K-12 classrooms) relate to Becker’s study? What factors/forces led teachers to use resources like computer technology to different extents and in different ways? Do you think teachers’ philosophies of education play a role in determining whether/how they will use computers?
National Education Technology Plan
Prompt:
Post your reactions to the action steps and recommendations outlined in the National Education Technology Plan. How parallel are the major stories from 2009 and the federal government’s position on the future of technology in schools?
Looking to the future, the 2010 Horizon Report identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative inquiry within the next five years. How does it compare with the NETP?