Module 4 Blog

Advantages of Integrating Technology

            One of the advantages of integrating technology in English and Language Arts is the ability to hear the words said aloud to the students who need to hear words they do not understand.  Students who are having a problem with reading can really be helped by this application. According to Robyler, “Reading writing, speaking, listening, and critically analyzing written and oral language are considered fundamental skills for a literate person, and technologies have much to offer teachers as they help their students develop these skills.” (pg. 263) As teachers develop there skills in technology use for their classroom, they must find ways to develop new ways of teaching their students. “These literacies call upon teachers to develop new instructional and learning strategies to assist students in findings, understanding, critiquing, and contributing to multimodal, global digital information using social learning practices.” (pg. 262)

This video is perfect at describing advantages of integrating technology into a Language Arts classroom.  In fact, this video gives us 10 reasons!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzi2RIt8_nk

Disadvantages of Integrating Technology

One of the biggest disadvantages of integrating technology into the classroom is that not all teachers are as familiar with technology as others.  Teachers who struggle with technology might not be able to help students as proficiently as others.  Knowing how to successfully use the Internet is key when helping students using technology in the classroom. “According to the American Library Association (ALA), information literacy requires people to recognize when they need information, to know how to locate and evaluate it, and to be able to use it effectively.” (pg. 262)  Teachers need to feel confidant in the information they are providing to students to be able to incorporate technology use properly in the classroom.

Some of the disadvantages of integrating technology into a Language Arts classroom are outlined in this Ted Talk video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZpJVbWfOts

Specific Activities, Programs, Etc.

Diigo

Pinterest (My Favorite!)

Blogs

FlipBoard

PBS Kids

Brainpop

Visual Thesaurus

GoogleDocs

Dragon Dictation

Wordle

Endless Alphabet

Endless Reader

Resources:

Robylyer, M.D. (2016) Integrating educational technology into teaching (7th Edition).  [Yuzu]
 

Module 3 Blog

Module 3 Blog

Materials Generators

1. Grammarly – https://www.grammarly.com/

This tool can be used anywhere on the Internet that you search.  Not only does the program spellcheck for you, it also checks for plagiarism.  This can be a very useful tool for teachers to quickly and easily check a student’s work for authenticity.

2. EDpuzzle – https://edpuzzle.com/

This website gives teachers a lot of freedom with videos they are using for lessons.

Teachers can use their own video and add explanations and questions throughout the video.

Testing and Grading Tools

1. GradeProof – https://gradeproof.com/

The GradeProof app automatically corrects things that you write after you type.  This program is similar to autocorrect in Microsoft Word as it inspects your writing for grammatical mistakes.  It also watches your writing for how you phrase sentences and helps you improve the quality of work that you produce.

2. QuickGrade - http://quickgra.de/

This free resource for teachers makes grading easy and simple.  Teachers can plug in grades for students, and with the click of a button, grades are generated.  Teachers can preset how many questions are on a test or how many grades are to be calculated into a progress or final grade.

Graphics Tools

1. Gliffy Diagrams – https://www.gliffy.com/

This program allows users to create diagrams while using Google Docs.  You can create all kids of diagrams including charts, graphs and much more. “software tools simplify the activity of making highly graphic materials.” (pg. 148)

2. Scholastic Teacher Tools - http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/

This resource focuses on books and writing and has plenty to offer for teachers.  The website has everything from book discussion board ideas to Venn Diagram starters and label creators for flash cards and more.

Planning and Organizing Tools

1. Google Drive - https://drive.google.com/drive

Google drive was recently brought to my knowledge and it has been an incredible tool that I have been able to use for school.  The wide range of programs built into Google Drive and applications it provides should be used by every teacher in their classroom.

2. Parent Teacher Conference Scheduler – http://www.ptcfast.com/

“Several kinds of tools have been designed to help teachers organize their time and plan their activities.” (pg 161) These tools allow teachers and parents to schedule conferences without meeting face to face to do so.  Parents can view the information at home and make appointments with teachers.

Research and Reference Tools

1. Encyclopedia Britannica - https://www.britannica.com/

Britannica is one of the most widely accepted resources for information on the planet.  It provides hundreds of thousands of articles that can be convenient for students and teachers for writing or just for useful information.  Britannica shares links to creditable websites, videos and biographies for just about every subject imaginable.

2. Thesaurus – http://www.thesaurus.com/

One of my favorite resources is Thesaurus.  According to their website, “Thesaurus.com is the world’s largest and most trusted free online thesaurus.”  This website is all thanks to Dictionary.com.

Resources:

Robyler, M.D. (2016) Intergrating educational technology into teacher (7th Edition).

Module 2 Blog

Search Engines:

Search engines and proper web navigation are both incredibly important to understand and be able to use in the world today.  Teachers and students can use these resources for their benefit in and out of school.  Teachers these days should use their knowledge of the web to support students and to model the appropriate use of them in order to stay safe and to get the most out of them.  “Search engines can be used in several different ways, depending on how you want to narrow the search” (Page 183). By using this, teachers can show students how to narrow searches using key words to find only the most useful resources.

Website Evaluation Video:

 This video on evaluating websites shows students how to use the 5 W’s in order to know if the website they found is a good resource to use. The 5 W’s are Who, Where, What, When, and Why. WHO is the author of the website? WHERE can you find more information about the author? WHAT information does the website give? WHEN was the website created? WHERE did the author get the information shown? WHY should I use this website? WHY is this information useful? These are important to students so that they are knowledgeable when evaluating a website to know if it is someone’s opinion or a valuable resource.

 

 

Favorite Websites:

www.abcmouse.com     This website has become an incredible educational resource for teachers and parents over the past few yeas. ABC mouse helps kids learn to read through phonics, and teaches many other subjects such as math, social studies, art, music, and many more.  While this website is geared towards kids aged 2-8, the website is continually expanding and is said to be currently working on higher elementary school ages.

www.scholastic.com     Scholastic is a literary resource that has been around for over 90 years.  It provides educational materials and books to schools and homes worldwide. The mission of Scholastic is “To encourage the intellectual and personal growth of all children, beginning with literacy.”

Online Safety and Security:
I think it is one of the most important practices for teachers to teach students about online safety.  In today's world of technology it has become absolutely necessary for students to be aware of online safety and security. "The internet has materials that parents and teachers may not want students to see, either because they are inappropriate for an age level or because they contain information or images that some consider objectionable." (page 174) One of the things that I feel parents and teachers should be adamant about teaching children is stated in our text. "Students should be instructed never to provide their complete names, addresses, or telephone numbers to any stranger they "meet" on the internet" (page 175).  I believe it is the responsibility of adults in children's lives to teach them the importance behind this.

Robylyer, M.D. (2016) Integrating educational technology into teaching (7th Edition). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2016. Print.

Module 1 Blog

Chapter 4: Technology Tools for 21^st Century Teaching

Word Processing

I think that word processing software is one of the most useful tools in a classroom for teachers.  There are so many different uses that teachers can greatly benefit from.  “Since it’s value as an aid to teaching and learning is universally acknowledged, word processing has become the most commonly used software in education (p.114).” I think that there could be a few issues that could arise from using word processing.  One in particular would be that not every student has the same computer skills.  If a teacher was trying to use computers in the classroom, it might be hard to keep all the students on the same track.

                               

Spreadsheet Software

Spreadsheet software could be particularly useful for a teacher when keeping track of student progress throughout the school year.  With the ability to enter number into a spreadsheet “entries also can be changed, added, or deleted quickly, with formulas that automatically recalculate final grades (p.121)” Spreadsheets can be utilized to help save valuable time in the classroom as well.  Instead of using a calculator, spreadsheets can be easily set up to calculate numbers or grades.

Presentation Software

Presentation software would be very helpful in a classroom to give a visual of the material being taught.  It allows the teacher to layout an outline of what is going to be discussed to keep the class on track and make good use of time as well.  There are however downfalls to using presentation software.  “Tufte (2003) famously said that “Power corrupts; PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.”  He is among those who feel that presentation software makes people focus on the slides, rather then the message, saying that “rather than supplementing a presentation, PowerPoint has become a substitute for it (p.129).”

Classroom Use--Chosen Software

I think that the software I am most likely to use would be PowerPoint.  I think that it would be a great tool to be able to show students a picture of what is being discussed so that they are learning from two different styles at once, instead of just listening to me talk.  The video that I decided to use is a really neat instructional video on tips for how to use PowerPoint and avoid falling into the category of “death by PowerPoint”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwpi1Lm6dFo

Works Cited

Phillips, David. (April 2014). How to avoid death by PowerPoint . [Video file].
Retrieved From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwpi1Lm6dFo.

Robylyer, M.D. (2016) Integrating educational technology into teaching (7th Edition). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2016. Print.

Hello everyone!

My name is Alli Minor, as all of you know. I am a senior at Montevallo,
studying Elementary Education.

My hopes is that when I graduate, I will have the opportunity to travel with my boyfriend and teach children in different countries for a few years before coming back to the states. We will see what the future holds when it gets here!

I believe it is incredibly important for all children to receive a proper education. They are our future, and without educating the children who will one day take our place, we are not preparing the future for success. I want to be a teacher so that I can proudly know that I am making a difference in children's lives and bettering their future. I can't wait to be able to experience that first hand.

Something interesting about me, which most people know, is that I am vegan. This past New Years i celebrated being completely vegan for 2 years. Something most people don't know is the reason behind my transition from vegetarian for 14 years to full vegan. I have had migraines since the beginning of high school and doctors just could not pinpoint why. I eventually had an allergy test that revealed I am allergic to dairy products.  A two week no-dairy test confirmed it. At that stage in my life I did not have the will power to cut out dairy. Now, I can proudly say that I no longer have migraines from food and feel much better every day!

My favorite moment right now has to be New Years day, sitting on the beach watching the sun rise with Luke in Mui Ne, Vietnam.