Week 4- Teaching and Learning with Technology (chapter 5)

1.     What was the presentation about and to whom did you present it?

a.    I did a presentation on The Use of Horses in the Roman Empire. I presented it to a group of middle school kids that live down the street from me. The kids were from grade 6 to grade 9. They also were from two different types of schools. Two of them attend public schools while the other four attends an Independent school.

2.    Of which item in your presentation are you the most proud?

a.    The part of my presentation that I was more proud of is the amount of information I was able to put into each part without putting too much stuff on it. I was also proud of the different pictures I was able to find to include in the presentation. Some animation was in the presentation, it needed more to make it go more smoothly. The one part that I was the most pleased with was the fact that they kids learnt something and they enjoyed doing so. I would like to share this with my own class someday.

3.    What might you do differently if you could create the presentation again?

a.    If was to create the presentation again I would use a different template for the background to make it fit in with the theme. I would also try to find more video clips and media instruments. The children said they would have liked to see more media. I would have like to have been able to add sound to the slides but I could not locate a sound to fit the presentation. I would also group together some of my information to shorten the amount of slides used. I think this would also help to maintain the audience’s attention.

4.    How did your students respond to the presentation?

a.    They all enjoyed it. At the end I ask if they had learnt anything, every one of them had something they didn’t know before. They ask me to add more media. I showed them a clip off of you tube and they really enjoyed it. One of them suggested that I use a different background so that it all went together.  Over all I think they enjoyed it. I know that I learnt some new things about horses in the Roman Empire that I didn’t know prior to making the presentation.

Week 3 Teaching and Learning with Technology (Chapters 4 & 6)

1.    What makes the item visually appealing?  What distracts from the message you are trying to communicate?

a.   The different fonts and the picture make this flyer appealing. A lot of people like that the font color makes the font stand off from the rest of the page. It also includes several pictures so it attracts interest. All of the information needed is included such as the date, time, location, and cost.  This flyer is very simple but yet professional looking. It is attractive to both children and adults alike. The color of the font would make it easy to see the flyer if put up on tinted class. The pictures give visual cues to what the flyer is about and attract anyone interested in basketball. The fact that Lady Eagle is in big letters will attract girls who are interested in basketball.

b.   The part that distracts from the message of the flyer is the several pictures used and the font is hard to see from a distance because of the light color and background color. The font of the message is on the smaller side making it hard to see unless you are up close to it. There really wasn’t much heart and creativity put into the flyer, it looks like it may have been done by a younger child. It needs to be more professional looking. The main message should be the focus point on the flyer. In this flyer the pictures are too large in number and size. This should be shortened to only one or two small pictures.

This is a picture of what it looked like before:

           

This is a picture of what it looked like after I redid it:

Week 2- Teaching and Learning with Technology (chapters 3 & 7)

1. Provide a URL of one Web site that discusses spreadsheet and/or database use in the classroom.
1. http://futureofmath.misterteacher.com/spreadsheets.html

2. Describe something you found that surprised you about how databases or spreadsheets can be utilized in the classroom.
1. The one thing that really surprised me about how spreadsheets were used in the classroom was the use of spreadsheets to teach mathematics. Call me old fashion but I didn’t realize how much easier it is to teach a child math on a computer using a program such as Microsoft excel than it would be with some of the older counting techniques. As I teacher I think I would teach math with the examples on the board after they mastered it that way I would then take them to the computer lab and show them how to do the same thing using a spreadsheet. I don’t want them to lose anything by showing them the easier way which would be on the computer. I want them to be able to show their skills with or without the use of technology. As an educator I have seen so many students who are dependent on the use of technology such as the calculator to do simple math. I believe that it is a shame that students in high school cannot count without using a machine. I think that sometimes students take the easy way out when it comes to learning that’s the reason why I want to ensure that my students can do anything I teach with or without the use of technology.

3. Discuss how you have used spreadsheets and databases in the past. Include ways you have used them with your students or ways you have used them as an educator.
1. As an educator I have used spreadsheets to show many different lessons, I have never used one in the mathematical setting but I would like to. The most recent one I have done was showing a group of students in a computer class how to go back and enter a spreadsheet document into a word document for a presentation they were doing.  In the past I have had to use spreadsheets and databases at work when I worked for a business office this was to record credits to accounts and to show when the customers had paid their bills. I also have used spreadsheets to show how much money was made and spend during the month in a financial planning class. 

Week 1- Teaching and Learning with Technology (chapters 1&2)

Welcome to my blog. This is my first blog entry ever so bare with me until I get the hang of things. - Kelli

• What did you learn this week that you will use immediately in your classroom?
• From this reading I have learnt that technology needs to be incorporated at a very early age in every classroom. As a teacher I will use as much technology as possible to help my students learn what they can. I also have to make sure that I am completely up to date on all of the technologies which I will be using in my classroom and the ones which I will require my students to use. I have to allow myself extra time to learn or refresh with any program which is new or I haven’t used in a while. I have the responsibility to my students to stay on top of things.

• What steps will you take to implement this in your classroom?
• To do this I will require each student to use the computer to work on a program which deals with the subjects I teach. If I teach the higher grades such as 3-6^th grades then I will require them to use technologies such as a digital camera, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft word to do presentations and projects for the class.

• What challenge(s) will you face when using this in your classroom?
• One of the main challenges that I will face is the fact that not all students will have access to the technology needed at home. Another problem I will face is the pace in which the students learn to use the equipment and how fast they catch on and are able to move without someone’s assistance all the time.

• What will you do to overcome the challenge(s)?
• I will have to allow time in class for students who need the extra time with the equipment to finish the assignment. I might have to assign the assignment in parts to make sure that all the students stay together and that some don’t leave the rest of the class. I could assign each piece of equipment as a unit that way in order to go to the next you would have to complete the previous one. For the ones who learn at a slower pace then I will have to allow extra time for me or an aide to work with them until they get the hang of things. I could possibly if the number is low put them in a group together so I could show them all at the same time what they need to do and how to get going. That way I could help the others too. Another option I have is to pair them with buddies which know how to work with the equipment. This would give them a chance to not only learn what I am teaching but to learn from each other as well.