Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning?
By Dave Nagel
This article focuses on the importance of incorporating technology in the classroom. Nagel explains how many teachers have the desire to use more technology in their classroom, but either do not have the knowledge or skill to incorporate it or want more direction as to how to use it with certain parameters. “Among middle and high school students, 40 percent indicated that teachers are limiting their use of technology in schools…..” (Nagel)
Many students now have relied and adapted to technology use for both personal and educational purposes. Nagel mentions how in today’s society that many students have surpassed teachers and parents in their sophistication of their use in technology. Which, is why it is significant for our nation to maintain the usage of technology in our educational system. Social networking is a tool that can be powerful in educational technology, in which students can have a way to collaborate with others and communicate.
Gaming, “a training technique in which the student is presented situations involving choice and risks. The choices and the consequences resemble real life situations, and the players are reinforced for various decisions. Gaming is typically an enjoyable learning method for the student”, has become extremely popular with kids today. According to surveys taken, the majority of middle and high school students feel that utilizing games as a way to learn makes it a lot easier to understand. Surprisingly, teachers were also very receptive to the idea. They felt that educational gaming” would be an effective tool for students with different learning styles and would help to engage the students in their coursework”.
Along with gaming, teachers and students felt that it would be effective if mobile technologies, such as, laptops, cell phones, digital media players, and other devices, were included in learning. The reason why they think this would be effective is because not only can they use these devices in the classroom, but they can also use them when they go home. For instance, if they have a project that is unfinished, they can take it home and finish it at home.
Questions
Why is it so important to incorporate technology in education today?
The importance of incorporating technology in education today is so that students can have the ability, skill, and knowledge, of how to utilize technological advances with anything that they do. Technology is becoming such a huge part of society today, that it would be a disservice to them if they were not taught it.
What is your feeling on gaming?
I think that using gaming to learn sounds like a great idea! I feel that when teaching it is important to keep the kids attention and interest and what better way to do it than this.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Journal # 8
Making Field Trips Podtastic!
By: Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuiness
This article shares a new perspective of learning that involves the use of handheld wireless technology to help guide students on fieldtrips to such places like museums and exhibits. The idea that the authors are focusing on is using podcasting to help guide the students through their exploratory visit to different places. Podcasting can be very beneficial for students in a learning environment. Some of the advantages are that they can take digital photos and videos, record audio interviews of other museum staff and visitors, record notes in a variety of text and audio formats, and access additional information via the Internet on topics of their choosing. This idea works great because it can get students very engaged in what they are learning and observing. Not only does podcasting help the students with their learning experience, but it also satisfies the National Education Technology Standards and the temporary skills of digital literacy, inventive thinking, and effective communication.
A couple downfalls to using podcasting during fieldtrips is that there is not as much human interaction going. I feel that while it is a great idea to use podcasting while on these interactive field trips, it also does not make sense that there would be less interaction going on because each student would be so consumed in doing his or her own thing. Another downfall that may occur is that the teacher may be creating more work by having to create each podcast.
Podcasting seems to be something that will become more familiar in education. It is an exceptional tool to not only use to teach the students but, also to keep them up on their technological skills and knowledge!
Questions
What do you think is a downfall to podcasting during fieldtrips?
I feel that a huge downfall to this is not enough human interaction. I think that fieldtrips are meant to not only learn something, but also fun! I think that many children look forward to getting out of the same setting they face everyday, and when they go on a fieldtrip, they get to have a bit of fun. Using these podcasts, make the trip more individual rather than interactive.
Would you use podcasting during fieldtrips in your class?
I am not sure if I would use podcasting for fieldtrip because I would want the interaction with my students. If there was a way to incorporate podcasting for part of the trip and also have interactive activities for the other part, I would probably use it.
By: Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuiness
This article shares a new perspective of learning that involves the use of handheld wireless technology to help guide students on fieldtrips to such places like museums and exhibits. The idea that the authors are focusing on is using podcasting to help guide the students through their exploratory visit to different places. Podcasting can be very beneficial for students in a learning environment. Some of the advantages are that they can take digital photos and videos, record audio interviews of other museum staff and visitors, record notes in a variety of text and audio formats, and access additional information via the Internet on topics of their choosing. This idea works great because it can get students very engaged in what they are learning and observing. Not only does podcasting help the students with their learning experience, but it also satisfies the National Education Technology Standards and the temporary skills of digital literacy, inventive thinking, and effective communication.
A couple downfalls to using podcasting during fieldtrips is that there is not as much human interaction going. I feel that while it is a great idea to use podcasting while on these interactive field trips, it also does not make sense that there would be less interaction going on because each student would be so consumed in doing his or her own thing. Another downfall that may occur is that the teacher may be creating more work by having to create each podcast.
Podcasting seems to be something that will become more familiar in education. It is an exceptional tool to not only use to teach the students but, also to keep them up on their technological skills and knowledge!
Questions
What do you think is a downfall to podcasting during fieldtrips?
I feel that a huge downfall to this is not enough human interaction. I think that fieldtrips are meant to not only learn something, but also fun! I think that many children look forward to getting out of the same setting they face everyday, and when they go on a fieldtrip, they get to have a bit of fun. Using these podcasts, make the trip more individual rather than interactive.
Would you use podcasting during fieldtrips in your class?
I am not sure if I would use podcasting for fieldtrip because I would want the interaction with my students. If there was a way to incorporate podcasting for part of the trip and also have interactive activities for the other part, I would probably use it.
Journal # 7
Creating with Technology
By David Saygers & Savilla Banister
This article is about how the Toledo School of Arts grades 6-12 use digital technology to maintain their curriculum in both academics and the arts. The reason why this particular school was singled out is because it was rated “Excellent” in 2006 and 2007 by the Ohio Department of Education. This school puts a lot of emphasis on integrating the arts, academics, and technology, which are all important subjects in school and in the learning process.
Because this is a charter school, they have the benefit of having a lot more freedom in their learning and teaching techniques. Many charter schools cater to children individually rather then just relying on what the rules and regulation are. For instance, Toledo School of Arts music department offers a lot more to students than public schools. They provide two specialty labs to help them out with keyboards and recording. In the Keyboarding class the students learn how to understand the written language of music and in the recording studio they are learning how to take their compositions and translate them into acoustic or electronic performances. As a result of this, the sixth graders can learn how to create and produce an audio CD and by the time they are seniors in high school they are capable of becoming more professional producers.
I think that this is a great idea because it helps students to use technological advances with their studies. Along with this benefit it also gives the students something to look forward to when they graduate. When they are through with school they will have this amazing project that they have been working on for quite some time that will reflect their talents and technological skills. Some of the skills that these students will encompass while producing this CD will be their knowledge of visual graphics for CD covers, printing, and burning. I am extremely impressed with the ability and skills of these students in this program and hope that one day this is something that public schools could consider, especially since education has become very technological.
Questions
Do you agree with what this school does with their technology?
I think that integrating the arts, academic, and technology are a great idea. I feel that this is an amazing way for students to learn different techniques and skills with technology. I feel that if anything this is an asset for a student to have, especially when they go out into the real world.
Do you wish that your school had a program like this when you were growing up?
Yes, I feel that having a program like this in my school would have made me a bit more familiar with technology today. I feel that if the school embeds these types of skills early on than students would be more prepared to take on more corporate jobs after they graduate.
By David Saygers & Savilla Banister
This article is about how the Toledo School of Arts grades 6-12 use digital technology to maintain their curriculum in both academics and the arts. The reason why this particular school was singled out is because it was rated “Excellent” in 2006 and 2007 by the Ohio Department of Education. This school puts a lot of emphasis on integrating the arts, academics, and technology, which are all important subjects in school and in the learning process.
Because this is a charter school, they have the benefit of having a lot more freedom in their learning and teaching techniques. Many charter schools cater to children individually rather then just relying on what the rules and regulation are. For instance, Toledo School of Arts music department offers a lot more to students than public schools. They provide two specialty labs to help them out with keyboards and recording. In the Keyboarding class the students learn how to understand the written language of music and in the recording studio they are learning how to take their compositions and translate them into acoustic or electronic performances. As a result of this, the sixth graders can learn how to create and produce an audio CD and by the time they are seniors in high school they are capable of becoming more professional producers.
I think that this is a great idea because it helps students to use technological advances with their studies. Along with this benefit it also gives the students something to look forward to when they graduate. When they are through with school they will have this amazing project that they have been working on for quite some time that will reflect their talents and technological skills. Some of the skills that these students will encompass while producing this CD will be their knowledge of visual graphics for CD covers, printing, and burning. I am extremely impressed with the ability and skills of these students in this program and hope that one day this is something that public schools could consider, especially since education has become very technological.
Questions
Do you agree with what this school does with their technology?
I think that integrating the arts, academic, and technology are a great idea. I feel that this is an amazing way for students to learn different techniques and skills with technology. I feel that if anything this is an asset for a student to have, especially when they go out into the real world.
Do you wish that your school had a program like this when you were growing up?
Yes, I feel that having a program like this in my school would have made me a bit more familiar with technology today. I feel that if the school embeds these types of skills early on than students would be more prepared to take on more corporate jobs after they graduate.
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