Networked Students Video

Here is a Video I made using Movie Maker Pro about networked students;

Podcast via ipadio II

Here is my attempt at using the ipadio podcast tool via my iphone.


http://ipad.io/SRP      

podcast via ipadio

Here is my attempt at a podcast using ipadio

http://ipad.io/SRK

Using technology to help in the classroom!!!

Well its been months since we started this journey in technology in education and I have to say I've learned a LOT!  Despite growing up without any of this technology I've always felt fairly competent in my use of technology.  What I didn't consider is what I didn't know.  I now understand blogging -which although I knew the word had never considered actually blogging myself, now I think I'll do it as part of my instruction.  The big tools for me will be Teacher Web pages, Wiki's and Podcasts as these tools are just to perfect for education not to use.  The other tools I learned about will be incorporated as I experiment with being a teacher and reaching out to students.  Strategically I've changed from considering technology as something to use to help in education to viewing technology as more of a partnership in education as the tools needed to teach in today's high tech world!

Podcasting II

Podcasts -pre-recorded audio lessons /comments/commentary which are posted to websites and for downloading (like on an iphone or ipod) are the next web tool or technology tool available to teachers today.  This is an excellent way to present a lecture without having to devote class time to the lecture freeing up time for higher level learning through discussion or other teaching method.  Also by using asynchronous teaching students can learn when it's best for them;  late at night, early in the morning or whenever timing is just right!  This is a true pro in the pro/con weighting of lessons. This is also a great tool  for students to produce content for alternative assessment.  some of the negatives or "cons" would be technology can't always be counted on to work 24/7 or it CAN be counted on to break when you need it most :)

Also I don't know how useful to highly visual learners this method of instruction would be...

but all things considered here is one more tool that can definitely help in instruction of students.

Looking at Ethics

Our book defines Ethics as moral guidelines that govern the use of computers networks, and information systems...  For me the word has always been a little bit more. Genesis 1:27 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them...  So for me ethics is of course far bigger than our computer use but for class the definition works and it is a natural extension to my own ethics that I've been given as a Christian human being trying to be as Christ like as I can (and of course always falling short).

Virtual Tours

A virtual tour is another web tool to help students or anyone who wishes to learn about a topic or subject.  Done visually through sequenced pictures / video(s) this is a visual tool perfect for learning. Definitely a great way to learn complex content.  I didn't have this available as a formal student back in the day but today as a student of life (and teacher candidate) I've used a form of virtual tour to learn weird stuff.  Consider a broken washing machine, you buy the part (to save a little money) and using the owners manual attempt to fix the machine yourself. Impossible for most but a quick visit to youtube and a virtual tour of the repair and suddenly you are an expert on that small particular piece of knowledge and your washing machine is fixed for the price of an $18 dollar part!!!! 


As with any web tool the teacher must preview the site prior to having students using it to confirm content and make sure it is appropriate for the age group.


So, go visit youtube and check out a video on something like changing your oil! or adding memory to your laptop.  Not quite the academic topics I'll be using in class but cool stuff none the less.

Teacher Web Pages

A Teacher Web Page is an excellent tool that teachers post on the web for their students.  With the 24/7 access that the internet affords teachers can have a page(s) on the Web that allows information about class, homework, teacher information, links, webquests and just about anything that can enhanse the actual classroom experience for the student.  who hasn't forgotten a homework assignment?  Now the student can just login and check what they need to do.   Parents, can also use the Teacher web page to be more involved with their students learning.  I did not have this tool available to me as a student and can think of many times where if the technology had been available I could have benefited greatly.  It will be important to maintain it though.  I can think of little that would be more frustrating for a student or parent than going to a Teacher Web page to pull down homework and not be able to find it because the site isn't current!!

Webquests

I just learned about a great tool for teachers, it's called a webquest.  It can be considered a sort of scavenger hunt and it's done entirely online.  I think its used mostly by teachers to present topics /subjects/content to students about a particular lesson plan.  Students look through the websites for the answers to the quest and this format should be quite fun and different for the student.   I will use webquests whenever I need /want to introduce subject matter in a fun way.  As with any internet time students will need to be monitored to make sure they are participating in the assignment and not just surfing the web although some ancillary information can and should be found by the students as they are performing their quest.

K12 Online Conference 2010

Well I just spent 18 minutes learning more about CC -Creative Commons and Digital Citizenship and Technology and then  another 45 minutes trying to tell you about it in this Blog!!!! 

I can't wait till I am more technologically savvy specifically as it relates to BLOG's , WIKI's and probably how I log into the whole world wide web and Internet in general.  I think I now have a few Gmail accounts (which I now see is not just an email account), one yahoo account -which I thought was just an email account (but again I know better now),  a personal hotmail email account, a Malone student email account as well has old work email accounts -who knows if any of those are still active!!!

Anyway I digress, the K12 Online Conference 2010 is very teacher friendly.  I just "attended" the presentation;  License to Cull presented by Karen Blumberg a technology integrator -and just what is that, with the school at Columbia University in NYC.  I learned a great deal more about my digital citizenship and how to use and prepare electronic media.  Especially a cool tool called EasyBib.  Check it out at; 

easybib



-phila

Using Cell Phones in the Classroom to Podcast

Today I learned about ipadio -a free podcast tool in which one simply uses their cell phone to publish a Podcast

what do I think about the use of technology in Education?

Well let me tell you first: I am a fan of technology.  In my home my 3 children have lots of electronic toys -educational and the pure entertaining kind.  My oldest daughter has her own Ipod, DS and computer in her room with internet access and a printer.  My Wife and I are discussing getting her a Cell Phone and for the most part I believe she needs these technologies to function in the modern world.  My next two children 9 and 5 years old don't quite have all the electronic devices that my oldest has yet but will probably follow her.  In my home we have  a laptop, a desktop, VCR, DVD, Dish TV, Internet Phone, smart cell phones, GPS and Ipods.  -So even if I don't always understand the technology I try to embrace it.

Now having said all that I am not so sure I know how to use technology enough to make it effective in the classroom and as a teaching tool.  I am 40+ years old and when I went through school, technology was films and VHS tapes -the big ones.  In college Computers started to show up but I never had one in my dorm room...

So what do I think about the use of technology in education????   Well if the teacher is properly educated then absolutely there are so many wonderful things available we have to use them!  The education on how to incorporate the technology is critical though  (I'm thinking back to whenever a teacher couldn't get the projector to work).  if the teacher can't make the technology work then that runs the risk of boring the children and losing the time that could have been used in a more traditional teaching method.  With all that we have to cover in content now time is critical!!