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emrodriguez

Tips for Teachers Who Wish to Use YouTube in Classroom - EdTechReview™ (ETR) - 9 views

edtechreview.in/...-teachers-youtube-in-classroom

Technology education classroom web2.0 computer youtube

shared by emrodriguez on 09 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • YouTube for Schools:
  • YouTube Edu:
  • It plays a significant role in the educational field as many students, educators and institutions discover and share excellent educational content here. There are  thousands of channels on YouTube specially for education. From basic concepts to complex experiments, YouTube enables Students and Educators to discover anything they want to learn as a part of their academic, curricular and extracurricular activities.
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  • About the AuthorAuthor: Santosh Bhaskar KWebsite: http://www.twitter.com/SantoshBhaskarKDevotee of Dr. Abdul Kalam. Following his path of Creating Creative Education in India. Contributing my works in "India Vision 2020". Former EdTech Blogger/Researcher at ETR India Administrators Educational Videos Teachers/Educators Tips for Teachers/Educators // // AdvertisementWhy this Ad? AdvertisementWhy this Ad? // AdvertisementWhy this Ad? [Infographic] Microsoft in Education: Adding Value to Experiences both Inside and Outside of the Classroom Why and How Should Educators and Administrators Use Google Apps Tips for Choosing and Using Educational Videos in Your Classroom // The EdTech Tweets E
  • About the AuthorAuthor: Santosh Bhaskar KWebsite: http://www.twitter.com/SantoshBhaskarKDevotee of Dr. Abdul Kalam. Following his path of Creating Creative Education in India. Contributing my works in "India Vision 2020". Former EdTech Blogger/Researcher at ETR India Administrators Educational Videos Teachers/Educators Tips for Teachers/Educators // // AdvertisementWhy this Ad? AdvertisementWhy this Ad? // AdvertisementWhy this Ad? [Infographic] Microsoft in Education: Adding Value to Experiences both Inside and Outside of the Classroom Why and How Should Educators and Administrators Use Google Apps Tips for Choosing and Using Educational Videos in Your Classroom // The EdTech Tweets E
  • Educators can share a YouTube video in many ways. Mailing the video URL, sharing it on social networking platforms and embedding it in your blog, website, Wiki, etc., are the numerous ways of sharing a YouTube video
    • emrodriguez
      emrodriguez on 09 Feb 15
       
      For those who are educators, have you used YouTube in your classroom to supplement your instruction? If not, please state the reason why whether it be the site being blocked at your campus, not aware of the informational videos on the site, etc.
    • emrodriguez
      emrodriguez on 09 Feb 15
       
      I think that sharing videos with your students is an effective way to supplement your instruction because the student may not be able to grasp the entire lecture during the time they have with you at school. Sharing a video can be done via email, on a social networking site such as twitter, or your personal blog. What benefits and drawbacks can you see to implementing this tactic in the educational setting?
    • emrodriguez
      emrodriguez on 09 Feb 15
       
      Were you aware that a part of YouTube is specifically made to offer educational videos to its viewers? YouTube education offers a variety of educational videos posted by universities, private organizations dedicated to education, and companies such as PBS, National Geographic, and NASA. YouTube for Schools is a section made available to educators who can register using their school email address. These educators will then have have access to only educational videos and never have to worry about showing their students inappropriate material. It's even customizable to the educators likes and dislikes as to what they want to present to their students. Knowing that YouTube offers videos specific to the classroom, would you now be more likely to use this technology in your own classroom?
  • emrodriguez on 11 Feb 15
     
    What do you all think about the use of YouTube in the educational setting? Do you believe it can be beneficial to instruction?
  • ...6 more comments...
  • emrodriguez on 15 Feb 15
     
    Any comments on the article about YouTube being used in the classroom?
  • emrodriguez on 15 Feb 15
     
    When I worked for Brownsville ISD, YouTube was a blocked website. Therefore, no teachers used the site. I think that blocking off the website is detrimental to instruction when there is so much information available and nothing can be done with it. Fortunately, there are ways around this. Videos could be downloaded at home and shown in class. Of course, one should take the time to review the video to make sure it is appropriate and of course beneficial to learning.
  • emrodriguez on 15 Feb 15
     
    I think sharing videos with students can be beneficial to them by having supplemental instruction in case they didn't understand the material during class. The link could be emailed to students via email or by setting up a YouTube channel specifically for your class. I think a good way to implement this would be to have administration give you the okay and of course, inform parents of what you are trying to do and get their consent. Once everything is good to, videos can be shared with your class. More time could be spent learning a concept, videos could provide more in depth information, and so much more.
  • emrodriguez on 15 Feb 15
     
    Before I started my masters, I wasn't aware that YouTube had channels specifically made for education. They offer a great amount of information that can benefit all persons whether it be children or the elderly. These channels are a great source because the videos have already been filtered to make sure that you are only showing students appropriate and relevant material.
  • emrodriguez on 15 Feb 15
     
    What does everyone else think about this article and the specific questions mentioned?
  • tvisco on 17 Feb 15
     
    I've only ever encountered youtube videos used in graduate classes so aren't facing the issues of the other commenters. I think it makes a huge difference in attention. Being able to hear the words straight from the horse's mouth in a TedTalk or hear an author speak...etc. changes everything. The conversations inspired from a video talk were better than I think from articles.
  • emrodriguez on 18 Feb 15
     
    @ tvisco. Yeah, I too have only encountered YouTube videos in my graduate education as well. As for the comments, videos can ban comments or approve them if they have those video settings set up. I do agree with you that hearing information straight from the expert is a big plus to these videos. Regardless, I believe that the videos can truly supplement instruction.
  • emrodriguez on 22 Feb 15
     
    Does anyone else have anything they'd like to share regarding their thoughts/views on YouTube in the classroom?
stacey perkins

Voicethread in the classroom - 10 views

njea.org/...voicethread

web2.0 Technology classroom differentiation

shared by stacey perkins on 18 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • collaborative projects
    • stacey perkins
      stacey perkins on 18 Sep 14
       
      Voicethread works as an asynchronous discussion board, so students could work collaboratively in different class periods or locations.
    • Elizabeth Rodriguez
      Elizabeth Rodriguez on 18 Sep 14
       
      Stacey, I've not heard about Voicethread but I am excited to look into it and come back and comment more in depth on this web 2.0 tool. It's amazing just how much technology is out there for use in the classroom! I love it because I am always looking for innovative technology tools for our faculty to use in their courses!!
    • Gena Jean
      Gena Jean on 20 Sep 14
       
      This app was new to me as well, but I could definitely see where it could boost communication among students. As a design instructor I could definitely see how it could be used by students to help them in sharing their work and providing constructive criticism to one another's works.
    • Karla Fabiola Garcia
      Karla Fabiola Garcia on 20 Sep 14
       
      This tool is also new to me. I love what I have read so far and the different ways it can be incorporated into the classroom. I am defenitily sharing this with my colleagues and brainstorming on diffrent ways we can incorporate, as some of us don't have many computers in our classroom.
    • Maricela Gonzalez
      Maricela Gonzalez on 30 Sep 14
       
      My initial response to Stacey Perkins Article Post- As was stated in your link, it makes sense that "text alone can't deliver the subtlety and expression required for meaningful connections (http://njea.org/news-and-publications/njea-review/march-2011/voicethread)." Students need a place to be able to communicate and learn from each other. Not just via text, or typing forums- but also through real life asynchronous discussion boards. This allows students the ability to work together and collaborate to come up with some real solutions to problems. What I noticed about this particular medium, was that as an educator I would have the ability to use a webcam, and reach all types of students in that manner. It appears to be a good way for students to learn from each other, and really get into the lessons that are being taught.
    • Maricela Gonzalez
      Maricela Gonzalez on 30 Sep 14
       
      My 2nd reply- @Gena Jean- I agree with you that this application can help students communicate and thus collaborate with each other- in efforts to gain knowledge. It is important in today's world that our students are as tech savvy as possible, and so the incorporation of asynchronous technology such as this has so much value in today's educational realm. The students of today are living within the technology revolution. They grew up with smart phones, and my daughter who is only 1 year old…screams when I take away my phone because she in some way understands apps like "Candy Crush." She literally knows what to do to manipulate and thus communicate with the technology. It's truly amazing in that same regard, how Voice Thread can help even the shyest students come out of their shells. As educators we need to speak our students language and that is making sure that we learn as many technology driven programs as possible- such as Voice Thread and so on.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
      Pedro Rodriguez on 04 Dec 14
       
      @stacey perkins I have heard of voice thread but have not seen its potential in the classroom. I am glad you shared it with us. I a begin to start integrating discussion into lessons, I can see how voicethread is a good tool for students. This tool changes things up a bit, instead writing, one can record their voice. I also like the integration to LMSs.
  • You can look at examples of how other educators are using VoiceThread on its digital library or browse Ideas for using VoiceThread, a collection of 143 examples from the library
    • stacey perkins
      stacey perkins on 18 Sep 14
       
      If you aren't sure how you might incorporate Voicethread into your classroom/curriculum, check out how these teachers are using it.
    • sharonmahabir
      sharonmahabir on 24 Sep 14
       
      Thank you for the link. I have never used Voicethread in my classroom. I wanted to implement a new technology this year and I think Voicethread is a great tool that my PreK students will be able to use. I particularly liked the Brown Bear example. We do a Brown Bear unit at the beginning of the year and this would be a great way for students to represent their learning.
    • stacey perkins
      stacey perkins on 27 Sep 14
       
      Sharon, I have taught in the elementary grades for years, and have struggled to find tech tools that were user-friendly to my students. Their frustration threshold is low! But I think Voicethread would require minimal training.
    • Maricela Gonzalez
      Maricela Gonzalez on 30 Sep 14
       
      My 1st reply- @ Elizabeth Rodriguez- just like you I had never heard of Voice Thread. I think that it is definitely something that I can use in my classroom. Right now I'm really trying to use as much technology within my curriculum, but I really need to figure out which Web 2.0 technology is going to be the most effective for the amount of time that I have with my students. I will need to research a little more about this particular software, and I hope that I can find some online You Tube tutorials to help me figure out an easier way to use this platform.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
      Pedro Rodriguez on 04 Dec 14
       
      Wow, there are many examples one can use. I know sometimes the hardest part of web tools is learning how to integrate them into the curriculum. I can see the examples are also grouped together by subject. Best part is that educators can contribute to the examples.
  • Examples of classroom VoiceThreads
    • stacey perkins
      stacey perkins on 18 Sep 14
       
      Examples of some finished products...
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  • A single educator license is free and class and district memberships are reasonable
    • Pedro Rodriguez
      Pedro Rodriguez on 04 Dec 14
       
      Trying out the product at no cost is a great idea. By creating voicethreads, you can showcase your work and it becomes easier for the school of school district to see how it works. This can convince administration to purchase voicethread for the whole school or district.
  • rather than using text to talk about text (which doesn't jive when you're teaching art history)
    • stacey perkins
      stacey perkins on 18 Sep 14
       
      Since virtually all of my students are struggling readers (I'm a dyslexia teacher), I think they would be more engaged with--and more willing to respond to--pictures or videos than a written prompt.
  • stacey perkins on 18 Sep 14
     
    How could Voicethread be used in the classroom to differentiate instruction?
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Elizabeth Rodriguez on 21 Sep 14
     
    VoiceThread seems to be a great tool to have students interact with each other. I have found in my own experience that sometimes students have a difficult time sharing in person, in front of a classroom. VoiceThread would give students the ability to share their thoughts with the classroom on different assignments. I think its a great collaboration tool!! I would not hesitate to use it in my classroom!
  • mariavictoria1 on 18 Oct 14
     
    Hi Stacey! I have never heard of Voicethread but after reading the article you shared it seems like a very intriguing tool to use. What I loved the most about Voicethread is that it allows those with hearing impairments to collaborate through webcam commenting by using sign language. Thank you for sharing.
  • robertogarcia24 on 07 Dec 14
     
    It's very nice to hear about the voice threads. I've never actually used them before, but I've seen students present information using them. It looks like something I'll be looking into for my future classes. Thank you so much for sharing.
Brenda Wohlfeil

Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Nicholas Carr - The Atlantic - 8 views

www.theatlantic.com/...306868

google technology reading

shared by Brenda Wohlfeil on 17 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      The first question this article raises in my mind is...are other people feeling like this? that books and long articles are becoming too difficult to read?
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 18 Mar 14
       
      When I am sent off to training and I know I will have limited connectivity, my laptop stays in my bag. I use this time to read articles which I print out or just simply read a book. If I have connectivity, my concentration to simply read articles or a textbook would be lost because I want to get to other class assignments or simply surf the net. To me its just a mind over matter.
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 22 Mar 14
       
      After reading/working on the computer for long periods of time, I noticed I get jittery.  I was concerned about it, so I searched the internet for answers.  I came across Linda Stone's video and website.  She has studied attention, health and technology.  In the video she talks about continuous partial attention, which is a form of multi-tasking.  Ms. Stone's research has shown that we have become hyper alert to scan for every possible input and opportunity.  In another words, we don't want to miss anything.  And this puts us in an artificial state of constant crisis.  Amongst many physical changes from this artificial state, including jitteriness, our minds find it hard to focus. (Linda Stone-May I Have Your Attention Please?, http://internoobs.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/linda-stone-may-have-your-attention-please-0128197/) So I have to wonder, is it that we just don't have the patience for reading long books, or are we in an artificial state of constant crisis that makes it impossible for us to focus?
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 24 Mar 14
       
      I actually have a student this year who cannot use the computer at all because it causes seizures for her! Scary!
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      This particular quote reminds me of an Aristotle quote: "We are what we constantly do, excellence isn't an act then, but a habit." It seems that Mr Carr is mistaking habits for permanent brain changes.
  • And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      I really like this analogy of finding information online. I often feel like this and in my library, I see students seraching so rapidly that I wonder if their research is effective.
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 17 Mar 14
       
      I know that I am guilty of telling my children to "Google It" when I don't know something right away. It is quick way of getting answers to what we are not sure about. But how else would students get their information. Unless they have a set of encyclopedias, it would prove difficult to search. Long articles are more tedious to read than difficult I think. Its a matter of time that doesn't allow for reading so they are just being glanced at rather than being fully understood.
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 18 Mar 14
       
      The analogy provides an excellent mental picture of what searching online looks like in the 21st century. This analogy also reminds me of times in my library, while locating a book for a student, by the time I have tracked down the book a student can't absolutely live without they have already changed their minds on what they are interested in. Amazes me on how fast students can "switch gears," which is what (among other things) the Internet searching is creating in our student population.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Mar 14
       
      I've got mixed feelings on this. It seems counterintuitive that we should take advantage of the resources we have at hand, be it Google or some mobile device, and that we should teach our kids to do the same. How many technologies and advances in the past have changed the way we find, process, and share information? Each was met with resistance and criticism and also a bit of excitement, but eventually, they came to be seen as valuable tools for learning. While I think the same can be said of modern technologies, I do have some reservations about the concentration and scale of control companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook and the like have over society's day to day interactions. "Big data" and the way it's being used should give everyone pause, as they really boil down to refining the manipulation process. If we spent as much time teaching digital literacy and critical thinking (helping young to old be more aware of forms of manipulation, propaganda, and logical fallacies), I would be more likely to say (with some checks and balances and oversight), it's ok for these companies to provide us with goods and services specific to our needs and wants. The problem is we are witnessing both the growth of big data and the growth of technology dependence at the same time. Is technology becoming the modern day "opiate of the masses?" It just may be... More and more parents are using technology to babysit their children, enough so that pediatricians are pointing out the writing on the wall: this overuse of technology is excacerbating ADD, ADHD, childhood obeisity, and more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/10-reasons-why-handheld-devices-should-be-banned_b_4899218.html Personally, I have my kids complete a technology challenge every day before they're able to get on technology for gaming and entertainment (which we are now limiting to 1 hour). Most of these technology challenges involve them using technology as a creation tool, and I've got to say, it's working!
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
       
      The Net does chip away at your capacity for concentration, contemplation, and criticial thinking because we let it. The information on the Net is only that; you still have to decide if what you are reading can how water. I think it is important to approach search engines, like Google, by learning to structure a query followed by what storehouses of data we know to have veracity.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 25 Mar 14
       
      It may well be that the problems we are seeing as being created by the internet and the accessibility of information are actually caused by us as instructors and not by the medium itself. As instructors it is our job to find appropriate resources and appropriate uses for the information that is so readily available today. Through the use of Web 2.0 Technologies we need to find ways to create depth of information by inspiring our students to dig deeper and helping them in the development of their critical thinking skills.
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      While I love Mr. Carr's use of metaphor (scuba vs jet ski) this kind of argument via analogy is fallacious at best. You know what else challenges concentration and contemplation? Sports. They are just the same kind of rapid-fire informational experiences as "surfing the net" can be. No one would challenge the value of sports to a child's mind (or an adults for that matter) because it brings it's own skills and rewards. I think we confuse the situation when we try to compare un-like things.
  • It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      I wonder if reading habits are changing and if this is good or bad...how will it affect students and educators?
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 17 Mar 14
       
      In the article, it mentions how texting has made it more important about being efficient and immediate which then weakens our capacity for reading. This stood out to me because this past weekend I went to help my mother send a text message. My mother does not text, she believes in the old fashion ways of speaking with people. So my 10 year old said he would help her create the text. Of course my mother wants to put capital letters, punctuation, and proper grammar. He was telling her, you don't have to do that, just put in "u" for "you". She was so shocked that he was telling her that, she was like no I have to have my name with a capital letter.
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 18 Mar 14
       
      In my experience, many students are obtaining just enough information to get by and not digging deeper into a subject where it could be meaningful. The internet provides the perfect forum for this. The "grab and go" mentality. Some would argue the amount of time placed on educators is a determining factor for teachers to "power browse" information. I believe there is some truth to that but above all, the internet has significantly changed the way we search, think, communicate, teach, plan and recall information.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Mar 14
       
      I see power browsing and recreational reading as two different activities...when I want to relax, I read (digital or print makes no difference as long as the device is light and I can adjust the brightness). When I want to stay on the cutting edge of my chosen profession, I power browse and experiement.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 21 Mar 14
       
      It seems to me that the real problem may be related to something deeper. We have been told for so long by so many that we need to be good "multitaskers" that we have spent a great deal of time and energy on trying to do just that. Recent studies show that humans don't really multitask on any effective level and that when we do try to multitask our work and thought processes suffer for it. Here is a good article from Time Magazine about multitasking and its negative effects: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174696-1,00.html
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 21 Mar 14
       
      That is a great article,Don! I am glad to see that what I am yelling at my teens all the time is backed up by research! "When people try to perform two or more related tasks either at the same time or alternating rapidly between them, errors go way up, and it takes far longer--often double the time or more--to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially, says David E. Meyer, director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan: "The toll in terms of slowdown is extremely large--amazingly so." I worry about the multitasking all the time...has anyone seen the tv show "Brain Games"? I think that really illustrates the hazards of multitasking....
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
       
      I now have better understanding of the long view of cognition and how technology impacts it. Socrates opposition to the printed word was no different than a parent restricting internet access for their children; the capacity to properly learn the learning tool, left to its own device, is largely lost.
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 22 Mar 14
       
      I find myself mostly power browsing on the Internet, but I find it is difficult to do much more because of the back lighting.  The back lighting easily tires my eyes. For long articles that I need to digest, I prefer printing them out to read.   Here is an article on computer vision syndrome: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/computer-vision-syndrome Possibly future screen technology might alleviate eye fatigue. Eizo is a company that is already working on creating screens to help with eye fatigue.  Here is their latest product: http://www.eizo.com/global/library/basics/eyestrain/
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      Brenda, thank you for sharing this! Eye strain and visual fatigue are really big problems for me and other persons with dyslexia.
  • eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
     
    Here is an article that discusses the use of current technology and how it may affect the brain.
  • ...5 more comments...
  • eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
     
    I hope that everyone had a great Spring Break! Here is the article that I would like to discuss in Diigo that week. :) EE
  • lbanuelos on 17 Mar 14
     
    The article makes several points. Technology has changed how we think and measure our abilities. For example, as a computer technician, I always tell clients that I can solve their issues even if I haven't the slightest idea how to do. I just hope that someone else around the world has posted the solution on the internet. Thank you Google. So if the internet wasn't available I don't think I would feel as confident doing my job everyday.
  • Araceli Gracia on 20 Mar 14
     
    Luis, I have used You Tube so many times when trying to learn how to do something. I have even used it for this course when I need that extra tutorial. For example, if Stephen had not been kind enough to post a video on how to install Java on Screenr, I would have struggled so much more. Technology comes with the good and the bad. My older son learned to play the piano from the internet while my other son just wants to watch videos. So like everything in my life, there has to be a happy medium.
  • Don Martin on 21 Mar 14
     
    I'm inclined to believe that the problem is not with the technology but with how we adapt to it. In the past the rate of technology development has given us time to assimilate it, analyze it, and employ it. The problem with computers, the internet and all the associated electronic technology is that by the time we figure out what it is and what it is good for it's already changed. Given time we will figure out how to deal with the speed of change but in the meantime it means some struggle on our part as humans and as instructors in determining what is of value and what is not, what that value is, and how do I use it to my benefit and the benefit of my students?
  • Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
     
    Here is an article that discusses the use of current technology and how it may affect the brain.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Mar 14
     
    Araceli, I too use YouTube for learning how to do stuff. Just last week, I needed how to embed videos into a webpage for another project. Sure enough there was a video posted on how to do that. I believe that technology affects both the learner and the teacher. Instructors expect that students use these tools and have the ability to learn how to implement.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Mar 14
     
    Google puts tremendous amounts of data at our fingertips. This data needs to be interpreted. This is a important skill that must me taught to students. Not everything posted on the net is correct. I think this teaches students to be more critical of they read.
Fred Kaplan

Google Features That Make Teachers' Lives Easier Part 2 - Wonder Wheel and Timeline | M... - 0 views

mrssmoke.onsugar.com/3568634

google search

shared by Fred Kaplan on 27 Jul 09 - Cached
  • Fred Kaplan on 27 Jul 09
     
    In a world of text-based searches, this page has a demo of a more spatially-oriented (Gardner-esque) method of searching Google for specific topics.
morgantucker

A Computational Knowledge Engine- What is that Anyways? - 5 views

www.wolframalpha.com

education technology classroom teaching web2.0

shared by morgantucker on 25 Jul 14 - Cached
  • morgantucker on 25 Jul 14
     
    If you thought that a search engine could be helpful to learning, just wait until you give Wolfram Alpha a try. Look at the examples and then put it to the test. How do you see this being beneficial in education?
  • dbrookpark on 27 Jul 14
     
    This search engine is awesome and I could see it being used in hs and college classes or just by learners looking to learn. I found the Examples by Topic page to be helpful on how to use the search engine. http://www.wolframalpha.com/examples/ The one thing that I worry a bit about is that students could use it to solve problems without ever knowing how the problems were solved. Brook
  • morgantucker on 30 Jul 14
     
    Yes- Brook. You are not the only one with this concern. There is a place in learning for showing basic problems and learning the basics of a new concept (in which this could be used to solve) but I am also a strong believer that on a regular basis, we need to be giving our students problems where the answers cannot be easy searched. Such as tweeting a picture of a popcorn container before the movie starts and asking them to create an equation involving volume. This checks for understanding at a higher level, forces them to generalize the knowledge and then provides them the opportunity to teach.
bradlampton

If you can Google it, why teach it? | eSchool News | eSchool News - 3 views

www.eschoolnews.com/...google-why-teach-581

shared by bradlampton on 18 Jul 15 - No Cached
Gladys Suarez and myraguz liked it
  • bradlampton on 18 Jul 15
     
    Are any of us better than Google as an instructor? Is there anything value-added vis-à-vis your classroom teaching? Might one contribute a unique understanding, or presentation, of content? Is offering a professional, high-quality, filtering of fluff and misinformation your unique contribution? Or, is there high-quality feedback that deepens and furthers learning - something arguably Google still does not do?
  • ...2 more comments...
  • asuarez1 on 19 Jul 15
     
    I think that there is definitely a need for an instructor and many of them. With the amazing collaborative tools we have, the ability to bring experts and amazing examples into the classroom (even virtual classes) is endless. The trick here is to teach the students how to use what they Google and how to use it safely. Application is the key. Googling something does not mean you get quality information. We still need the experts to create and curate the information. Many of the students would not push themselves to learn what they are taught in a classroom. Who would conjugate the verbs and use them appropriately in a story? Although the methods of teaching have changed, the material is vast and still needs to reach the students. Google does not do that!
  • myraguz on 19 Jul 15
     
    We might not be better than google as instructors that know it all and students can just ask any question and we can immediately provide it, but we are better instructors than google because we can teach the students how to use google in different ways of teaching. All students learn differently and some students need an actual person to guide them step by step and repeat if needed. As instructors we can use hands on teaching something that google can not do. A high quality feedback is and will always be best provided by an actual person rather than a machine or web tool.
  • summerloeffler on 19 Jul 15
     
    That's so true... and I remember struggling when I wanted to ask a live person (not necessarily a teacher) about how to do certain things, and they would often reply: "Google It!" Even though they know the answer or can instruct me, they just don't. I'm not sure if it's confidence (feeling maybe the internet has better answers) or just being lazy or not in the mood to explain. That's sad because we become less and less dependent on eachother for building our skills and find our answers on the web. I agree with @bradlampton about human teachers providing "high-quality feedback that deepends and furthers learning" and I want to add... I personally think that students, especially the younger ones, would become motivated to learn if it was a human (part of the psychological development, connection-trust-attraction). Yeah?
  • juanrubenromero on 20 Jul 15
     
    Google is a tool that instructors can use, so I don't think that Google will ever be better than an instructor. Like Myra says in her comment, we may not have all the information that Google can search but as educators we need to be able to teach our students how to access that information and filter out reliable sources. I know that I have had classroom discussions in my science classes and when a student asks me something that I don't know or am not sure of, we Google It. I project my screen and I model how I use the search engine and search for a reliable source. I think its important for them to see the process because a lot of the times they don't know how to correctly research. When students ask me several times the same question that has been covered in lecture, labs, practice, and instructions, I tell them to Google It. I do this with information that has already been covered, to help them learn how to use the resources available to them. I always come back to check if they found their answer. Google is a tool, and just like any other tool, as instructors, it is our duty to provide students with the knowledge to correctly use these tools.
Stephen Simon

Dipity - Find, Create, and Embed Interactive Timelines - 6 views

www.dipity.com

share Web2.0 timeline education visualization history collaboration

shared by Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14 - Cached
  • Dipity is a free digital timeline website. Our mission is to organize the web's content by date and time.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 13 Feb 14
       
      Timeglider is another nice timeline application. There are actually a lot of great timeline resources. Timelines are a great tool that allows you to create linear content with embedded learning objects like pop-up text boxes, videos, pictures, sound files, and more. I've used timelines in my courses in the past and have even embedded them in presentations.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 13 Feb 14
       
      This is a neat, free tool! I searched WWII and the Holocaust because I know that my 8th grade AP English teachers are about to start a project on this that will involve a timeline. I will share this immediately with those teachers! We will experiment with the students adding information to one timeline. I looked at the sources listed on one of the Holocaust timelines and that information was not very detailed so I will be looking closely at sources as I play! Thanks for the link, Stephen!
    • Joe Pedraza
      Joe Pedraza on 17 Feb 14
       
      This tool can be integrated into the classroom, workplace or at home. Timelines are a great way for students to visualize what they are learning and engage in the lesson. Dipity would be great for history teachers. They can use the power of multimedia, social media content with trends like timestamps, geolocations and real time updates to bring the lesson to a life-like experience.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 19 Feb 14
       
      Dipity can be a very useful tool for those students who have a difficult time being creative with school projects. As Joe P. mentioned, the use of social media will facilitate the need for students to think "outside the box".
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 23 Feb 14
       
      This timeline tool is wonderful and can be integrated into the library as well. Each year our campus celebrates the author, Theodor Seuss Geisel's (aka Dr. Seuss'), birthday with book readings, book trivia, etc. I searched Dr. Seuss and found many interesting facts about the beloved children's author. What a great way to conduct an in depth study about him while incorporating history and literature.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 24 Feb 14
       
      Did you all see this post from Tech & Learning? Top 20 Sites and Apps for Creating Timelines (Feb. 21st) http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&entryid=7150
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 02 Mar 14
       
      Thank you for posting the Tech & Learning link. Being fairly new to the technology of timelines I found this top 20 list very inspiring. As I sifted through the list of apps thinking about how I could implement such a great tool in the library I found the app TIMELINE. It's FREE :) and is practically effortless to navigate through. One can simply tap on the timeline at the location where you want to add an event including label, description and image. Projects can be saved in a file within the app and can also be sent out to others. I like the idea of my students conducting research on authors and creating a timeline of books published by the author.
  • Dipity allows users to create free timelines online.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      Drag the timeline around; there is some interesting content here but it looks largely aggregated. Have you tried integrating a timeline in your classroom with any success?
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 15 Feb 14
       
      Although I did not have the internet as a resource, I have had my students create mini-timelines using PowerPoint.  Each slide portrayed a different event and were in chronological order with dates.  My favorite was a timeline on the the battles and events of the American Revolution. Students were responsible for creating slides for different battles including sound and animation.  The slides were imported together into a class PPT. I don't think it will be something the students will forget.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 18 Feb 14
       
      I have used timelines in my courses to teach the history of the Surgical Technology Profession and show the development of various technological innovations as well as surgical specialties. The interactivity of the timelines and the addition of a visual component to the information makes the timeline effective. Add in the fact that you can embed learning objects such as videos and links to other information and timelines can be very flexible and effective as a tool to help reach an objective.
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 18 Feb 14
       
      I know it is horrible to admit, but I had no idea what a meme was so I had to look it up. If I am correct it is an idea that gets replicated and then evolves from sensations like famous people, videos, or certain phrases. http://thedailymeme.com/what-is-a-meme/
  • ...2 more annotations...
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      Internet Memes Timeline can provoke an interesting discussion on memes, how they get started, and what fuels their expansion. Is it possible to create a meme within a school?
    • Joe Pedraza
      Joe Pedraza on 17 Feb 14
       
      A meme is an idea that is spread from person to person quickly. The internet has become the home for the modern memes. The use of email, instant messaging, social media allows for the spread of memes. Humor is a great way to create a new meme. I think it is very possible to create a meme within a school. It's easy to pass along a meme to your colleagues by email. I have included a link to the top internet memes. (http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/weirdwebculture/tp/The-Best-Internet-Memes.htm)
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 19 Feb 14
       
      Timeline Maker claims to have the interactive capabilitites of Dipity but with the ability to integrate your timeline into Power Point and other MS programs. It is $125 however...this is a one-time cost and not a yearly subscription. http://www.timelinemaker.com/
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      This is an example of a broken-link and is usually a sign that the site is not maintained regularly. I consider it a red flag. It is just one more thing that can make you nuts. We all have our pet peeves; what is yours?
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Feb 14
       
      I agree with Brenda that timelines are a must in history classes; however, I think they are just as valuable in researching biographies in all subjects and as tool for building relationships with students. When elementary children create personal timelines, they see the connections between all their lives and what common stories and events they share.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Feb 14
       
      Yes timelines are the most applicable to history and perspective. Great app!
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 24 Feb 14
       
      Life is really about turning points, and so is history. What better way to make them come alive than through the creation of interactive timelines! Araceli Gracia nailed it: what a perfect storm of events that must fall into place for an indvidual to become a US president...what better way to highlight these turning points than Dipity!
  • Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
     
    Timelines are an excellent tool to get the "big picture" of an event, or events. I have always liked using it in projects that participants can study and formulate time-based concepts.
  • ...4 more comments...
  • Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
     
    I find this tool similar to VoiceThread. See what you think.
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 15 Feb 14
     
    I firmly believe visual timelines are a must in history classes. From my own experience, it was not until I taught my own children history using a timeline did I really understand history. For me, it was just events and a bunch of dates until I created one with my daughters. We built a timeline around our schoolroom of all the historical events that we were studying. Each time we studied and added another event, we were able to see it in the context of the world's history. I helped me see history in context for the first time. As Simon said, the "big picture." Dipity and other timelines like it, should be one of the pillar of tools used in today's history classes.
  • Araceli Gracia on 17 Feb 14
     
    I recently had students do a project for President's Day but this would be a great way to incorporate this project even more. They would be able to understand the person they have chosen and the events that went on during their time and like you mentioned Stephen get the "big picture." Awesome.
  • lbanuelos on 17 Feb 14
     
    Its easy to see how this technology could be used in the educational setting. It allows the instructor to set the background for a lesson on a particular event. It can be used to teach history but other topics as well. For example, in literature it can be used to list situations leading to a climax in play such as Romeo and Juliet. I was most surprised to see it being used in journalism. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvCyLrY9rDs http://www.dipity.com/alexvoa/Timeline-Chile-Miners-Ordeal/
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 23 Feb 14
     
    Besides Presidents, timelines can be used to deepen our understanding about any person. Seeing a person within a specific era, can help up better understand the thinking process of that person. Furthermore, it can help us really appreciate the uniqueness of people who think outside of the common thinking of that time.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Feb 14
     
    Dipity can be power tool in the classroom. Integrating pictures and video in a timeline can enhance retention. Dipity add multimedia to instruction. Both visual and audible learners will benefit. I remember one of my teacher in middle school discussing how bills become laws by showing us a "School House Rock" video. To this day, I can still sing some of the lyrics to the songs in the video.
Charles Rich

Welcome to the Gateway to 21st Century Skills and GEM. - Gateway to 21st Century Skills - 0 views

www.thegateway.org

shared by Charles Rich on 18 Jun 09 - Cached
  • Charles Rich on 18 Jun 09
     
    Provides a search of educational research and lots of good information about education initiatives, and quite a few interesting discussions. There seem to be a few gaps, but it looks like this site fills a need.
Don Martin

Collaborative Problem Based Learning in a VLE - 4 views

www.youtube.com/watch

education technology classroom teaching computer Web2.0

shared by Don Martin on 27 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • Don Martin on 27 Mar 14
     
    Critical thinking skills are among the most important and most difficult skills to develop for student success. Here's an example of how Web 2.0, VLE and PBL come together in a singularity. How could this use of technology benefit your students?
  • ...4 more comments...
  • eeverett3 on 30 Mar 14
     
    The main advantage to this virtual learning experience seems to.be the ability to collaborate! As the author states, access and records are also advantages...but for grade school students, access can still be very limited!
  • Don Martin on 31 Mar 14
     
    I agree that access for grade school students can be limited and probably should be limited. But consider the possibilities if we use this technology in the classroom in collaborative efforts where we connect with other classes studying the same information. What might happen if we were able to connect students from one classroom with students in another classroom in different part of the country or even another country? We could potentially create VLE experiences where the access was limited to those participating in the learning experience and incorporate problem based learning across the internet. What would a class like that look like? What could we expect for outcomes? Is it possible that we might be surprised by the results?
  • Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
     
    Don, I think that classroom would look like what most teachers dream that their classroom COULD be. However, the courses that need it most: core classes, especially STEM classes, already have overloaded curriculums due to state testing. Until some of those extensive requirements let up, I don't see many teachers (except maybe honors and AP level) being willing to give class time to these kinds of learning experiences, which are often time consuming and unrelated (at least directly anyway) to testing. Sigh...
  • Merrill Redfern on 06 Apr 14
     
    I think a limited version of a VLE could be an effective tool for grade level GT students. GT students regularly search for new ways to gain more knowledge and in addition, teachers are searching for effective ways to keep those students engaged. VLE would be a positive solution for this. I can image the knowledge they could gain from other students around the country. Students could use their new found knowledge in their required projects and presentations.
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 06 Apr 14
     
    With all that I am learning in my UTB classes this year, I assigned a PrBL lesson to my students and had them collaborate in class, Edmodo and Google Docs. I presented a Three Acts math problem from Dan Meyer (http://blog.mrmeyer.com) to the students in class. I also posted it to Edmodo. Then I allowed the students class time to work on the problem. I also added information that they requested on Edmodo. The students then used Edmodo and Google presentation to further collaborate on their work and presentation. Finally, each group presented their presentation to the class. This was a great solution to a problem we have been having at school - absenteeism. Student who were absent, were still able to participate in the group project from home. I think blended classes are a must for the future. However, until all students have adequate internet access at home, it will be a slow process.
  • lbanuelos on 07 Apr 14
     
    I agree Don that using VLE and web 2.0 technologies as tools for collaboration among geographically separated learning environments is an exciting idea. Giving learners the opportunity to collaborate with other students from around the world provides a richer learning experience than the typical brick and mortar classroom.
ferrari78

Study: Emerging Technology Has Positive Impact in Classroom - US News - 5 views

www.usnews.com/...s-positive-impact-in-classroom

technology classroom study education impact integration computer

shared by ferrari78 on 08 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • Login Welcome, {{name}} Logout Rankings & Advice Education Health Money Travel Cars Law Firms News U.S. News Home education Facebook Twitter Education Rankings & Advice Home Colleges Grad Schools High Schools National Rankings State Rankings High School Notes Blog (function ($) { "use strict"; $(function () { var $metaCurrentState = $('meta[name=current_state_abbreviation]'), $headerSearch = $('#headerSearch-highSchools'), $headerState = $('select[name=bhs-school-state]', $headerSearch), $headerStates = $('option', $headerStates), currentStateAbbreviation = ''; if ($metaCurrentState.length > 0) { currentStateAbbreviation = $metaCurrentState.attr('content'); $headerStates.each(function () { var $state = $(this), text = $state.text(), value = $state.val(); if (text === currentStateAbbreviation) { $headerState.val(value); } }); } }); }(jQuery)); in
  • To meet the needs of her students, Roshan made radical changes to her lesson plans. Using Camtasia Studio, a screen recording and video editing program, Roshan uploaded her lectures to iTunes and assigned them as homework. "We've kind of reversed the whole dynamic of the class," she says. "Instead of lecturing in class, I lecture to them when they're at home, and we work problems together [in the classroom]. I liken it to an English classroom where the kids go home and do the reading and then they come into class and have this lively, engaging discussion."
    • ferrari78
      ferrari78 on 08 Feb 15
       
      Using the Camstasia Studio program is a great and fun way for students to learn from lectures. Here is a link to where you can try it out for free. http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html
  • Taught with the video lectures, Roshan's students in the 2010-11 school year scored an average of 4.11 on the AP calculus test, compared to the 3.59 average among her students who took the test and were taught in the traditional classroom setting the year before. And a third of the class—a 10 percent increase from the previous year—scored a 5, the highest score a student can achieve on an AP test.
    • ferrari78
      ferrari78 on 08 Feb 15
       
      Teacher's change in the classroom had a significant positive impact on her student's AP test scores.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The report, IT Opportunities in the Education Market, revealed that 78 percent of K-12 teachers and administrators believe technology has positively impacted the classroom and the productivity of students. Roughly 65 percent of educators surveyed also believe that students are more productive today than they were three years ago due to the increased reliance on technology in the classroom.
  • Login Welcome, {{name}} Logout Rankings & Advice Education Health Money Travel Cars Law Firms News U.S. News Home education Facebook Twitter Education Rankings & Advice Home Colleges Grad Schools High Schools National Rankings State Rankings High School Notes Blog (function ($) { "use strict"; $(function () { var $metaCurrentState = $('meta[name=current_state_abbreviation]'), $headerSearch = $('#headerSearch-highSchools'), $headerState = $('select[name=bhs-school-state]', $headerSearch), $headerStates = $('option', $headerStates), currentStateAbbreviation = ''; if ($metaCurrentState.length > 0) { currentStateAbbreviation = $metaCurrentState.attr('content'); $headerStates.each(function () { var $state = $(this), text = $state.text(), value = $state.val(); if (text === currentStateAbbreviation) { $headerState.val(value); } }); } }); }(jQuery)); in
  • Jim Tracy, headmaster at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., sees the "process of technology coming into the classroom as inevitable."
    • ferrari78
      ferrari78 on 08 Feb 15
       
      Technology in the classroom is here to stay and students need to learn the necessary tools to not stay behind. Check this video out on how a teacher is using iPads in his math classroom. http://www.jamfsoftware.com/resources/hopkins-public-schools-advancing-technology-in-the-classroom/
  • ferrari78 on 08 Feb 15
     
    This is an article about how a calculus teacher used technology in the classroom to help her students AP calculus test scores increase. I currently teach 2nd grade and I use the digital lessons for math, science, and reading to make the lesson more fun and get more participation from students and it works great. My question to you is, how would you use technology to impact your students learning and productivity in the classroom in a positive way?
  • ...3 more comments...
  • ferrari78 on 08 Feb 15
     
    Everyone that wants to integrate technology in the classroom should watch this.
  • tvisco on 08 Feb 15
     
    Interesting examples. It's weird how if you record a video of yourself teaching, students pay attention but if you stand in front of the classroom, you're boring and invisible. But I accept it because I've watched myself do the exact same thing: a presenter shows a film of themselves and it's immediately engaging even though she's right there on stage in person! I've read some recent criticism of the Khan flipped learning video approach that says students are still learning passively, they're just doing it at home rather than at school. I disagree. As with the videos in our own class, I can watch them as many times as I need to understand what's going on. I like that. I don't think it's "passive" at all. The key seems to be having some work connected to it which is the piece I think some of these critics are missing. We're not watching a video for entertainment - there's always a task connected to it.
  • emrodriguez on 08 Feb 15
     
    I believe that the article you selected is very interesting. I like how the article describes one particular math teacher implementing technology to improve her students' scores. It also gave another side stating that some districts simply don't have the funds to buy technology or that the budget should not be used to throw gadgets to fix certain problems. That teachers in certain areas would be better off getting better training. As with everything else, there are two sides to everything, but I do believe that technology has an effective role in the classroom. When I was a teacher aide for a special education unit, the teacher had me set up a SmartBoard, which proved to be beneficial to the students. A huge task for myself and the teacher was to keep the students on task and not let their disabilities hinder teaching. So after I set up the SmartBoard, the teacher used it during the students' social skills time. During this period in the day, students would learn how to act appropriately with others and the good behavior that was expected of them. By playing educational games against each other, students learned about what the teacher was explaining through a game and how to act accordingly with their peers. It proved to be an effective technology.
  • ferrari78 on 09 Feb 15
     
    Tammy I completely agree with you how if we lecture to students, we're boring and invisible and their attention levels drop. I also remember when I was taking undergraduate courses, I had several instructors that were monotone and they made the class boring. Now, a few times I recorded the lectures and would later listen to them at home and I would get more from listening to the lecture at home than when I sat in class because I am not listening to it for entertainment, but rather to learn for my class. This class is a perfect example. I have to listen to the youtube tutorials on everything we've been learning over and over until I get it.
  • ferrari78 on 09 Feb 15
     
    You're so right, school districts shouldn't throw money to try to fix certain things, but rather use the funds to better train teachers to prepare them for the classroom. My article states that school districts budgets range from $5 million to over $100 million so some districts are able to throw money at new gadgets and technology more than others. Gadgets should be purchased, but only if they are going to be properly used in the classroom to improve student's academic success. As for Smartboard, I'm going to look it up and see if maybe I can use it in my classroom. Good post Emmanuel.
Stephen Simon

Lawmakers: Terrorists May Tap Same Web 2.0 Tools as Military - Scientific American - 4 views

www.scientificamerican.com/...virtual-reality-military

shared by Stephen Simon on 17 Feb 14 - No Cached
  • The Congressional Research Service (CSR) recently released a report warning that enemies may be using the same Web-based, collaborative technology to prepare for future strikes that the U.S. uses to train soldiers and gather intelligence.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 17 Feb 14
       
      In 2009, over 7,000 terrorist sites were active. Terrorist also have used social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to target prospective recruits.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 21 Feb 14
       
      I believe we have to assume that worldwide, people are learning to use and adapt technology for their own purposes. The military is correct to be looking at how to protect American assets from hacking. Recent events (i.e. the Black Friday incident) show that our credit card purchases are certainly not safe!
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 25 Feb 14
       
      The Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab has used Twitter to recruit U.S. youths especially in the state of Minnesota.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 25 Feb 14
       
      That our enemies use the same tools as we do should come no more a surprise than the new Chinese jet fighter looks almost identical to our F-35. A foundational premise of the US cyber-command recognizes that the next battlefield is digital. It is there we will meet some faction of the enemy.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 26 Feb 14
       
      Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites can be a very effective tool for communication as well as a channel for harm. We have used Facebook as a base for a discussion community for the students and faculty in the our allied health programs here at El Centro as well as the surgical technology program I headed at Collin College. It gives the students an opportunity to communicate with each other and their instructors in an orderly asynchronous manner (much better than e-mail. Unfortunately it requires that someone be responsible to monitor the chatter. Sometimes information is conveyed that is inappropriate or it is communicated in an inappropriate manner.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 27 Feb 14
       
      You are right in regards to Twitter and Facebook as effective tools of communication but many times we have seen everything from students, teachers, parents, etc. who upload inappropriate pictures or comments and then face the negative consequences.
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 01 Mar 14
       
      Seems to me like this is to be expected and even advantageous. I mean a) terrorists are usually only effective if they are smart and it would be stupid for them to not take advantage of all forms of communication and recruitment available to them, and b) since these site are often not well secured and are well know by our own intelligence community it actually helps all peace-loving governments if terrorists DO use them as it makes their plans and colleagues more vulnerable to observation and counterintelligence. I find sites like Facebook and Twitter to be the low hanging fruit of communication and we should be lucky that terrorists aren't using more sophisticated methods more often.
  • The CRS reports that the U.S. military plans to build a virtual world called Sentient Worldwide Simulation that would include highly detailed digital renderings of different real-life cities worldwide, much the same way the Second Life virtual world is filled with banks, stores and other landmarks that give a more realistic feel.
  • The goal is to use it, among other things, to help train medics and National Guard members to respond during emergencies.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 17 Feb 14
       
      Three years ago the Department of Defense decided to establish 10 Homeland Response Force Units known as HRFs in order to focus on Chemical, Biological, Radiological,Nuclear and High Explosive (CBRNE) incidents due to natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 21 Feb 14
       
      As I am reading this, I am thinking about how advanced VR simulations have become and how can we use this in education? The obvious cost savings on teachers, materials, etc would be phenominal if we had a virtual chemistry lab, physics lab, etc. Then I searched virtual chemistry lab and found several websites with just that!
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 03 Mar 14
       
      I see VR contributing to the ability of technology to blur the line between digital and real, but I don't believe VR will have to have the "V" in it for very much longer. Let me explain. There are many tools that blend digital and real. In the last two weeks I've read stories on two of them: this one highlights how smartphones can be controlled by human gestures (http://goo.gl/zzexlT), and this one, the capability of some modern game systems to be also controlled by gestures (http://goo.gl/C0viR8). In both cases our physical reality is helping shape and form a digital reality. Then consider Aurasma (www.aurasma.com/), a site that enables users to associate digital "overlays" over real life images, or "triggers." This technology enables us to bring the digital into reali life. We cannot know what will happen, but my guess is that digital immersion via VR is less likely to take off as quickly as digital integration into real life. When they come up with a VR machine that can replicate smells, tastes and micro sensations like the wind or water against my skin, I may have to reconsider this prediction!
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • For the past three years the Pentagon has also been testing the potential of virtual reality in treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. In essence, therapists immerse victims in a virtual world complete with visual and sound effects that recreate the source of their fears and flashbacks from Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones, according to Defense Update, an online site that covers military issues.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 24 Feb 14
       
      PTSD is such an interesting application for virtual reality.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 25 Feb 14
       
      Us VR as a tool for exposure therapy is an excellent application of the technology. It is interesting that researcher combines smells with the tool.
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 01 Mar 14
       
      Exposure therapy has changed many peoples' lives. Never before has the concept of "facing your fear" seemed more possible as virtual realty allows individuals to work through deeply rooted and even quite rational psychological responses in a safe and controlled environment. If people can overcome a fear of flying using VR, (http://www.vrphobia.com/Clinical/Fears/flying.htm) why not veterans using the same simulations uses to train new soldiers before entering the battle field? In fact, I would be interesting to see a study that investigated if soldiers who have had extensive VR simulation training BEFORE going to war zones experienced more or less (or the same) instances of PTSD.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 17 Feb 14
       
      The goal is to help veterans with PTSD in reducing their anxiety and fear. Virtual reality can be programmed to help combat veterans confront feared situations.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 19 Feb 14
       
      http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20131110/NEWS/131119944 The above link details how Virtual Reality is offered at the University of Central Florida for veterans who suffer with PTSD. The Department of Defense awarded UCF a $5.1 million grant to offer the treatment.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 19 Feb 14
       
      Jose this is an interesting application of virtual reality technology. I see real value in using it as a form of therapy for PTSD (and there's certainmly a need!), but any virtual world based on the real world used for military applications makes me a bit uneasy. I guess this is a lot like those Germans throwing the Google Street View van out of their neighborhood a few years back...sometimes there is TMI with technology. Honestly, I'm not sure that I trust either the military or Google with anything approaching real-time satellite feeds (which is what we're approaching) for "training purposes." It approaches the surveillence state I hope we never have to face as a society.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 20 Feb 14
       
      With the recent scandal of Eric Snowden's leak of classified information about the global surveillance by the NSA, I understand the concern when the military or any other agency wants to use Virtual Reality but there are good benefits. For example, some units use the virtual reality system EST 2000 where soldiers are able to work on markmanship skills, collective squad level training and judgmental use of force scenarios.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 26 Feb 14
       
      The potential for education applications for VR are staggering. We are already beginning to use VR in the health sciences, nursing and medical education settings. There are a number of VR simulations for surgery that can be used by medical students, interns and residents as well as for nursing and surgical technology students. In the area of robotics surgery VR is often used to train surgeons how to use the system before they attempt it for the real. VR is also being used to explore procedures and treatment options to map out approaches and to anticipate patient reactions to various treatments. Unfortunately the technology is still very cumbersome, expensive and sometimes wrong in very surprising ways.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Feb 14
     
    Unfortunately this is the sad reality of today's technology. There will always be those that find ways to twist new technologies created for the good of humanity into weapons. I can see how web 2.0 and virtual worlds could be used by terrorists. For example, people could theoretically communicate on collaboration networks, meet on Second Life, and ultimately finance an operation using internet currency such as bitcoins.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • lbanuelos on 24 Feb 14
     
    When I first read this article, I was skeptical as to how effective Virtual Realty would be in treating PTSD. I just don't understand how reliving a traumatizing experience over and over makes it less bearable. Well according to an article I found, it seems to work. According to the Journal Cybertherapy and Rehabilitation, virtual reality exposure therapy has shown a 66 to 90 success rate. That is impressive. My only question would be what are the side effects of exposure to this type of therapy. http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-hero-project/articles/2013/09/26/virtual-reality-video-games-may-be-the-best-treatment-for-ptsd.html
  • Jeff Blackman on 24 Feb 14
     
    I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Of course, all these tools that we use for education are certainly out there and available to others who can use it in other ways.
  • Stephen Simon on 25 Feb 14
     
    One of many ways terrorists are using to plan attacks.
  • Araceli Gracia on 26 Feb 14
     
    It is scary to think that Web 2.0 tools that are supposed to be safe and helpful are being used by terrorists. After the Target hack during Black Friday, I have been very scared to use my card there. I got a new bank card and changed my pin, even though I wasn't one that was "affected" , because it made me feel a little more secure. Apparently it can happen everywhere. As far as the virtual reality therapy, I found an article that mentions several ways how it helps and the first one is how it helps with PTSD. Even though this type of therapy may not work for everyone, it certainly is a step in the right direction. http://io9.com/5288859/7-virtual-reality-technologies-that-actually-work http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-virtual-reality-therapy-fo/
  • lbanuelos on 28 Feb 14
     
    This article lists how terrorists can use the web to wage war. It's good to see that people are also using the internet to fight back. This article is from the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. http://www.unodc.org/documents/frontpage/Use_of_Internet_for_Terrorist_Purposes.pdf This video discusses how terrorists are using twitter while attacking a mall. http://usat.ly/1fbIP8D
Stephen Simon

Grades are in: Digital learning gets more state attention | District Administration Mag... - 9 views

www.districtadministration.com/...ning-gets-more-state-attention

shared by Stephen Simon on 20 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • Texas
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 01 May 14
       
      Well we are finally improving and making progress. Now if we could just get healthcare to the rest of the uninsured children in our great state.
  • Eric Folks on 20 Apr 14
     
    Grades Are In: Digital Learning Gets More State Attention Does Texas deserve a "B" when it comes to enabling the 10 Elements of High-Quality Digital Learning?
  • ...10 more comments...
  • Eric Folks on 25 Apr 14
     
    How far is your district from enabling customized learning? I interpret this as true differentiation, and for most teachers, without technology integration it remains an elusive goal beyond modified assessments for those with IEPs. A basic prerequisitie of customized learning I believe, is that there are multiple ways the teacher provides for learning the same content...this way if students don't get it the first time, they can go to another explanation that might be more likely "to click."
  • Eric Folks on 25 Apr 14
     
    10 Elements of High-Quality Digital Learning 1. Student eligibility: All students are digital learners. 2. Student access: All students have access to high-quality digital content and online courses. 3. Personalized learning: All students can customize their education using digital content through an approved provider. 4. Advancement: Students progress based on demonstrated competency. 5. Quality content: Digital content, instructional materials, and online and blended learning courses are high quality. 6. Quality instruction: Digital instruction is high quality. 7. Quality choices: All students have access to multiple high-quality providers. 8. Assessment and accountability: Student learning is the metric for evaluating the quality of content and instruction. 9. Funding: Funding creates incentives for performance, options and innovation. 10. Delivery: Infrastructure supports digital learning.
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 25 Apr 14
     
    Interesting that many of the states' grades went up because of state regulation changes. It is no surprise to me that Utah is a front runner. I have always admired and appreciate their education website. The resources for teachers and parents, in my opinion, is the best, bar none. Utah Education Network: http://www.uen.org
  • Don Martin on 26 Apr 14
     
    I was at a conference with a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) yesterday and we talked about technology in the classroom. He is the head of the classroom technology development group at THECB and he is not convinced that we are using technology appropriately and that there might be a rush to use technology either to be the first to introduce something or just to ride the wave. I've said this before about other topics, the problem is not the technology, the problem is we don't know what to do with it yet or what we can do with it. There is always a learning curve for anything new, however, the learning curve for educational technology may be the steepest curve we have ever met as human beings. In fact if the curve gets any steeper it will be a vertical line rocketing towards the heavens! It is very difficult to climb a vertical face. So what do we do about it? I think we as instructors have to determine what our needs are in the classroom, investigate tools that can address those needs and finally focus on mastering those tools and not worry about all the other things going on around us. That is not to say that we should become static or satisfied with our approach, in fact we need to be lifetime learners. In any endeavor it is possible to become overwhelmed with information. We have all seen at one time or another the student with the deer in the headlights look because they have become overwhelmed and lost in the content. I think that many of our peers are in the same position with education technology. As a result it becomes necessary for us to help them sort through the web of Web 2.0 If we help them find 2 or 3 tools they can effectively use for collaboration and they can master that is enough in the beginning. Let's then help them identify 2 or 3 tools that can help them make better and more engaging presentations, once they have mastered those we can move on. Human's are extraordinarily adaptable but we also are easily overwhelmed
  • Araceli Gracia on 26 Apr 14
     
    Our school is a large open campus that the biggest problem is having enough bandwidth. We only have so many ports which makes our internet slow at times. The issue of cost is the reason that they will not invest in any more throughout our campus. Not sure about the price of this investment but if they want technology to be used in the classroom this has to be taken care of first. Don, When I first started this class, I have to say I was one of those deer in headlights type of student. I am not going for my MTT like most of the students in this course, so it was an eye opener to know that I really did not know much about technology as I thought. Although I have learned so much in this class, I think that introducing teachers to a few Web 2.0 tools at a time, and letting teachers explore there potential in the classroom is something that inexperienced users would appreciate.
  • Eric Folks on 28 Apr 14
     
    Araceli, We too have been tackling the issue of ports and infrastructure in general. Fortunately, we have a very supportive superintendent and school board, and they have been very frugal leading up to this point...much of the investment dollars driving our infrastructure improvements have come from our fund balance. We're at the point where we're piloting class sets for Biology next year and a 5th grade 1:1 at one campus using IMA funds, but honestly we're all holding our breath, wondering if we have the infrastructure necessary for these efforts to be successful, at least on the technology side. This summer technology will be making lots of changes to our network, and that always makes us nervous. Last August they moved us from roaming profiles to folder redirect, and come August staff development (and Sept for that matter) we had lots of improvising to do as most users would only see partial profile loads due to the network configuration at the time. This meant users could sometimes see their drives but not access them (permission errors are so frustrating!), or they couldn't see their network drives at all. As it turned out, this really helped drive teacher and student adoption of Google Drive for file management, so in that respect it worked out. I agree with you and Don and many others, teachers need to be eased into new technology tools one or two at a time, and we as instructional (technology?) leaders need to make a compelling case for why the advantages outweigh the time investment for learning new tools.
  • lbanuelos on 28 Apr 14
     
    Our school districts are just beginning to implement newer forms of technology aimed at providing students a richer learning experience. I am certain that bandwidth will be a concern since currently we use the internet for email and submitting paperwork. Do I agree that to do for the say of doing is not the right approach with new technology. Our approach must be strategic and well thought out.
  • eeverett3 on 28 Apr 14
     
    Nice to see that Texas is as high as the "B" category...and another mention of the texas VLE that allows students to take/make up high school credits online!
  • Jose Escobedo on 29 Apr 14
     
    Is funding a major factor why some school districts don't rush in implementing new technology in schools? I am amazed how some Asian countries had no technology in schools 20 years ago and now it is a different world.
  • Stephen Simon on 01 May 14
     
    I think that it will be a slow process to bring personalized, adaptive learning to the classroom. The article is intriguing in that it brings to light the deficiencies in the public schools of America. This is a sad commentary on the institutional legacy tempered by political decisiveness impacting every individual in the country who has received an American education. Rather than investing in the future knowledgebase of our young minds, we waste our precious resources on the military industrial machine. I ponder the thought of what will happen next when we have the entire nation wired with high-speed internet access. I consider it a given that every child today has a cell phone or access to one. It is but a small transition from there to a smartphone with complete access to social media, search engines, email, and instant messaging; in short, a completely connected computer. How will the upcoming generation use this technology?
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 01 May 14
     
    I can't agree more with all of you that stated the infrastructure as being a big problem. My school bought 50 iPads only to have the infrastructure support no more than 10 at a time. What a waste! I have met with other private schools, and in every case, lack of a good infrastructure was the major obstacle. Jose, here is a link to an article on technology education in South Korea. One of the things that stuck out for me was the access that students have after school hours. http://edutechassociates.net/2012/05/14/what-can-we-learn-from-south-korea/
  • Merrill Redfern on 05 May 14
     
    Our school is also going through some technology updates/changes this summer. Currently we have several classrooms that are either having trouble keeping a connection or not making a connection at all. I always see a first grade class sitting in the hallway working with their Ipads because the connection in their classroom is non-existent. From what I understand, we have plenty of bandwidth but not enough ports to support it. We have recently bought 25 Ipads. I am eager to know if our infrastructure will support them all plus the ones we currently have. http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/
noramedrano

Best content in technology in education PK-20 | Diigo - Groups - 11 views

www.edutopia.org/...nternet-research-cathy-knutson

education technology classroom teaching computer google

shared by noramedrano on 11 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • Preventing Summer Slide: Why Not Try Internet Research?
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      How can you use the internet to avoid pitfalls for students during summer?
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 11 Jun 14
       
      This is difficult to answer as a teacher. Unless a student is in a program that requires them to do certain projects over the summer, we can encourage, we can show them the way, but ultimately the student or the parents are in charge once students leave for the summer. As the article mentioned, research is a good way to avoid pitfalls. In the summer, it is up to the student to be self motivated or up to the parent to motivate them in some way. I like the idea of research during the summer because not only are they answering questions they may have had, but they are also reading. Children really need to keep reading during the summer. I love the idea of having students create the map. I realize that this lesson is about the internet, but I would strongly suggest having the student map the trip on both Google Maps and a real map. What if the internet goes down? You never know. Both skills are good skills.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 13 Jun 14
       
      Hillary, I agree. We should always have plan B, and allowing the child to use both ways to map a trip will not hurt them. I believe that parents like you say are the ones to motivate the student once they leave school. In the district that I work at, we are having a summer slide program. It is a little different because instead of researching they read book and test (AR). They are using the Internet to test because they are able to do it form home. I like this idea of summer slide programs.
  • Does this website answer my specific question? How do a variety of websites answer the same question? (We are comparing and contrasting without the Venn diagram!) Are all web resources equal and accurate, and if not, how can I tell?
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      The highlighted area is important because when we research anything on the web it is important to follow these search results.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 11 Jun 14
       
      I agree. These questions as well as others such as, "When was the last time this website was updated?" help a person know whether the site is real or not. This makes me think of the first time I came across a story by the site, The Onion. I kept thinking how it looked legitimate, but did not sound legitimate. This probably makes me sound pretty unintelligent, but many students believe whatever they read on the internet. There needs to be a thought process that students go through that helps them compare and contrast the different aspects of the site to a real site, and these questions help them do that. It is great learning experience, and would be an excellent activity for the summer.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Nora, This reminds me of the AllState commerical with the girl waiting outside for a guy who she met on the Internet. She tells the AllState guy about some other insuracne company and adds, It is on the Interneet so it must be true." Her date walks up and is very very unappealing and definitely not a French model. Our students believe if it is on TV or the Internet then it is the truth. That is why commericals has such a huge impact on our students. As for the Internet, ther should be a much needed simply way for students to really check the creditability of a source. Wow sounds like a new apps to me.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 13 Jun 14
       
      Hillary, YES!!!! (caps because I agree 100%) Students at times are gullible and they will believe anything they read online and what people say. It is important to teach children that another importance or safety of online researching is how reliable the source is. That is a great idea that I had not thought about.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 13 Jun 14
       
      Lucretia, I have seen this commercial and it is funny. Commercials are powerful because they make a child want the product and ask their parents. The greatness of commercials. are we on to something here?
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • How to Engage Children in Research at Home
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      The following are some examples on how parents can engage students via internet usage. 
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      When I was researching trying to find an article for this discussion, I ran across an article that had 7 apps for summer adventures for kids. The article had apps from birding guides to how to tie knots and some pretty cool stuff inbetween. Check out the website http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ipad-apps-for-outdoor-adventures-monica-burns
  • The ability for children to ask and answer their own questions is one of the most fundamental learning objectives for life. This informal research, with children seeking to answer their own questions, is engaging, motivating and empowering. A cyclic pattern of research is established -- curiosity leading to research and back again to curiosity and follow-up questions.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      Children are not always engaged and are usually only interested in what they are curious about. Why not allow that curiosity to turn into research. Allowing the students to use the internet is fun and they will be learning at the same time. 
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 11 Jun 14
       
      Children are definitely curious. I find that my own children ask me so many questions that I do not know the answer to. I am constantly saying, "Google it." At first, they were scared to use the computer to Google anything. However, once they realized that you type it in and it will give you answer. Sometimes the answer is what you are looking for and sometimes it is not, they were ok. It is funny when they are looking something up and I hear, "Mom, this doesn't make any sense for what I am asking." It is a learning moment that maybe you cannot type it into the computer exactly how you would speak it. I agree that allowing students to use the computer is fun and they are learning. Students are empowered when they can answer their own questions and contribute to conversations. Last year, I had one student that had listened to countless Ted Talks. As a result, he could discuss topics that many other students had never heard of.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Nora, It is true that the Internet brings information right to us in a flash. The hard part about that is getting our students to take that information and apply it to the particular problem they are trying to solve or simply retaining the information they have Goggled. That is where good teachers come in. For most of our students using the computer, Smartphone or tablet is as second nature as walking, but to getting them to incorporate that tool into critcal thinking, solving problems and engagement has to be done by well trained and dedicted teachers.
  • noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
     
    This article will allow parents to be aware of activities to engage students during summer time in order not to fall into pitfalls.
Lucretia Human

5 Tips to Help Teachers Who Struggle with Technology | Edutopia - 17 views

www.edutopia.org/...ling-with-technology-josh-work

technology classroom struggle teachers

shared by Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14 - No Cached
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14
       
      As the gap formed by the use of technology and those resistant to its use widens, so does the feelings of separation, loneliness, frustration and sometimes superiority among faculty. What has been your experience dealing with faculty, who has undergone these types of emotions when confronted with the use of technology in the classroom?
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 10 Jun 14
       
      First, I will say I am the Business teacher, so I have no responsibilities to any teachers in my district regarding technology. Second, I will say that I love helping people, so if I know how to help someone, I will! My perception on this is going to be really skewed. I will give you some background, and I will try to keep it short. In Oct. 2012, our entire server for the entire school crashed. It had not been backed up since May 2012. Many people lost everything; many people lost a lot of things. It was bad. The IT Coordinator (we only have one) for our district pretty much did nothing all of the 2012-2013 school year. They fired him in July 2013. In August 2013 (one week before school started), my classroom was in shambles (the high school computer lab) as a result of a remodel and they hired a new IT Coordinator. 2013-2014 has been better. However, we still have multiple teachers without teacher computers or student computers in their classrooms. That is the short story. So, teachers come to me with all types of emotions. Although I have nothing to do with IT, I am the computer teacher. Until December 2013, our internet worked about 60% of the time. Frustration about technology was an understatement. No one wants to learn new technology, they just want to be able to take roll. It is getting better though. If I were to imagine what it would be like if everything would have been normal with bumps in the road rather than catastrophes over the last two years, this is what I would say. Mr./Mrs./Miss Teacher, I would be glad to come in early or stay late to work with you to help you with that new technology that you would like to learn. Or, if I were in charge of instructional technology, I would like to have built in times to do PD. There is a larger, neighboring district that has students go in one hour late once a week so teachers can do PD. I think this would work nicely.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      I am a reading teacher, and like Hillary, I have no responsibilities teaching teachers about technology. All teachers in my campus know how to use a computer, add attachments, send emails, schedule meeting through outlook email since we are assigned a computer at the beginning of the year. Teachers throughout the school year send, receive emails and attachments. Now we do use Google Docs (per grade level) to keep information on one centralized location, yet not trained on it. I am willing to help, and have helped many teachers that had never been exposed to Google Docs. I give them a quick run through and make sure they understand how to create, add, edit, and view data on a Google Doc. Teachers are very thankful when I assist them with this because they feel frustrated that they need to use the Google Doc but have not been taught or given a PD on it.
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      I am in a 1:1 school and despite this, there are several teachers who do not regularly use all the tools available to them. I don't know of any who refuse to use any technology, but some refuse to use the tablet they were issued; others refuse to use our LMS (Moodle); and still others refuse to use any Web 2.0 tools. I know of one who would not since she was so close to retiring, she didn't want to invest in re-learning what she already did. In her particular case, the LMS and the Web 2.0 tools were presented as nothing more than fancy pencils. As they were presented (I know since they were presented to me the exact same way) they did not deepen the learning or provide a way to authenticate the learning. Why should she change when the students didn't benefit (as far as she was taught). So what I see is that the education of the teacher can NOT be secondary or tertiary. It must be the primary goal of the Instructional Tech. Dept. to guide all teachers to the greatest benefit of the kiddos, which means that in must make the learning deeper and more relevant to their actual lives.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Hillary, First sorry to hear about your year 2012-2013. I think that most schools and districts do not realize the importance of having many IT available. I know if my any of the technology at school goes down, we are pretty much up a creek without a paddle. Fortunately, I teach in higher ed and there a many people that keep our campus technology updated and running smoothly. If it happens to goes down for some reason, they spring into action, as if they were the Justice League out to crash the bad guy. However with all the great IT people on campus, we till have so many instructors who do not come to PD dealing with the use of technology in the classroom.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Ben, I understand that the one teacher close to retiring did not want to re-learn what she already did, however she should have looked at as an opportunity to grow personally. We do not retire to die! We retire to feel less pressure, to do something else, and to not get up at 5:30 in the morning (however most older people still do), but we do not retire to stop learning. I agree wholeheartedly that it is the main job of the IT Dept of any school to make sure that the teachers know what the heck they are doing with technology because only the students suffer in the end.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Nora, You are right it is not your job to train the teachers how to use Google Docs. It is very sweet of you to do that because you understand the value of doing it for the students. I would be very frustrated and angry if they school I taught at expected me to use technology or programs that I was not familiar with without offering training! I can really see why some teachers are resistant. Like Ben pointed out if the tools are presented as "fancy pencils" and not shown how they can change students lives for the better, then teacher actually have a right to frustrated.
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 14 Jun 14
       
      Lu, I hear you. But there is so much more in the world than Technology... just saying. I know this teacher is going off to learn about more tangible things (Art, travel...). Anyway, that was an aside. I was writing from that teacher's perspective, which was that the new information did not add anything to what she was already doing. The pencil accomplished just as much as the Web 2.0 tool. It wasn't the fault of the tool, but how it was presented to her (this I know since I was presented the same thing the same way). Anyway, my point, ultimately, is that technology should be used for the sake of using it, but to provide more in a way that pencil and paper can not. There is a teacher in my school who uses Aurasma in many of her lessons. Aurasma provides a perspective the students cannot get from a book so it deepens the lesson.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 17 Jun 14
       
      For all of you out there that might not be familiar with Aurasma, like me, check out this demo video. http://youtu.be/GBKy-hSedg8
    • crystallee530
      crystallee530 on 23 Jun 14
       
      Over half of the staff at my school have been working there for over 15 years. With the recent change in administration there came a new demand for technology integration. There were teachers that were on board with this change and were willing to try to adapt and then there were a few that were not willing to adapt and complained along the way. Some of the technology challenged teachers had frustration written all over their faces anytime technology was mentioned. The best method for easing their concerns was a private tutorial lesson.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14
       
      How would answer this question, if faced with it from one of your faculty?
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 10 Jun 14
       
      I think I would say, "Try it, you may find that it is more efficient. If you decide after a week/two weeks/etc. that it does not work for you, then go back to the old way. You might find that it is good for the students, so you will find that it is also rewarding to you."
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      Everything deserves a try. Don't stay with the what if???? Technology is overwhelming and could be intimidating but there is not thing you cannot over come. Give technology a try, if you have any questions I would be glad to help you.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14
       
      These are really great questions. We have all struggled at times with technology and we have all help others who were struggling. Provide some other tips that this article did not mention that you have used either when being helped or helping others.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 10 Jun 14
       
      When I have to learn a new technology, I think that online sources are my best friend. As a Business teacher, I am constantly needing to teach new software. There is no way that I could have learned every software I would have ever needed to teach in college! New software is constantly coming out on the market. So, I sit down with the software and Google, and I figure it out. Of course, most specifically YouTube can be a great source. Also, you can use LinkedIn. Look to see who has been endorsed for the technology you need to learn, and contact them to see if they will help you! More than likely they will.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      Google is my best friend!!! Anytime I have questions I seek Google's help. I try the tips or suggestions given through Google's search, if they work great, but if they don't work, I try to visit the software or item's website to find out more information. I also tend to visit youtube since I am a visual person, I like to see step-by-step on how it is done, worked, or put together. This has really helped me up to now in both aspects, while being helped by others and helping others.
    • vasquezgonzalezv
      vasquezgonzalezv on 12 Jun 14
       
      Exactly:  Google and YouTube.  In fact, I was having some issues with Diigo (Diigolet, I'm on a Mac) and googled my problem.  A couple of clicks later, problem solved, and now I have the experience with this particular issue added to my tech knowledge for the future.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • As schools around the globe begin to embed the use of technology in their learning environments, these teachers can be left feeling frustrated and marginalized by the new tools they are required to use but do not understand.
  • "Why would I try this when I've been doing just fine without it all these years?"
  • Are there any tips that you have for helping teachers in your school who struggle with technology? If you're a teacher still trying to master technology, how have others helped you?
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      This is interesting and I am trying to figure out why this was their initial focus. Mind mapping is, of course, essential to students mvoing the random bit of info from the biological computer to something more tangible, like an essay. But it seems an odd place to start for teachers who can't "create a powerpoint". The general point of this bullet is a great place to start, tech team, but it seems such a weird place to set their focus. Not sure where I would start, if I were in their shoes, but I wish they had explained that point more.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Ben, Excellent observation! I don't know why they would start there either. I would probably start with the basics and make sure everyone knew how they work and then start branching out to Mind maps and other such tools. Thanks for catching that.
  • While I'm talking about PD, all educators know that extra time for PD is scarce throughout the day. I've had amazing administrators that carved out dedicated time for tech PD
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      This cannot be over looked, though it seems it is the first of the "changes" tossed out. "We can't change the schedule". "We can't sacrifice XYZ". My school has 1 advisory period a day, no study hall and only 6 minutes between bells. They advocate bell to bell instruction (work time included). All this leaves no real time for PLC or PD within school hours. What do your schools do and how did they accomplish it?
    • vasquezgonzalezv
      vasquezgonzalezv on 12 Jun 14
       
      My district uses early release days for PD.  (Students get early release; teachers get a catered lunch and a relaxed environment training.  I have to say, I really enjoy it, and if I were making the decisions about how to do this, it's probably what I'd do.  They also offer after school trainings on technology, but they are having a difficult time getting teachers to participate.  
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Food always works to draw people into almost everything. Do you have to go longer in the school year to accommodate for the early releases?
  • We focused primarily on mind mapping ideas and helping teachers slowly introduce technology into their classes.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Ben, Like I said before I teach in Higher Ed so our policies are somewhat different, but mainly here is how it goes: if it is not mandatory instructors are not going. When it is mandatory it is done when students are not in school, the day before they come back, the day after they leave etc..
  • Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14
     
    Tips to help us as Ed Techs help those not so tech savvy teachers
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14
     
    Great ideas to help teachers use technology in their classrooms!
  • kdauphiney on 22 Jun 14
     
    Many veteran teachers that have been in the classroom long before widespread technology are slow to embrace a method of teaching that they were never taught in their preparation as teachers. I think because the archaic way of instruction relied heavily on effort from the learner to "sit and get" rather than effort from the teacher to "flex and adapt" to the learner. Once they see education as a ever changing spectrum that has no definite end, only then can they embraced that teacher training does not start and stop with the college classes that comprise one's degree and certificate.
  • rcepeda610 on 06 Jul 14
     
    In my very recent experiences, technology is fun, quick but not so easy at first. I must say it is very time consuming and a bit overwhelming when the gremlins, like Dr. Butler likes to call them, are up to no good. It can be very frustrating if you can't upload, download, convert a file, etc. I am very excited to all the exposure I have had in the past few weeks. The tools we have seen in the course are pretty cool and most importantly I think once I am able to navigate through them with ease, the students will be excited to see and use them in the classroom.
asuarez1

Online Test-Takers Feel Anti-Cheating Software's Uneasy Glare - The New York Times - 11 views

www.nytimes.com/...ng-softwares-uneasy-glare.html

shared by asuarez1 on 16 Jul 15 - No Cached
Gladys Suarez liked it
    • asuarez1
      asuarez1 on 16 Jul 15
       
      What do you think of the use of web-based services like 'Proctortrack' to monitor remote students during tests? Is there a better way to discourage (or minimize) cheating in online courses? Can using this kind of software be justified?
  • raised questions about where to draw the line, and whether the new systems are fair and accurate.
  • I felt it was sort of excessive,
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • a new anti-cheating technology.
  • t requires students to sit upright and remain directly in front of their webcams at all times,
  • Changes in lighting can flag your test for a violation,” the guidelines say.
  • You don’t know what new norms are going to be established for what privacy is.”
  • bhanak on 16 Jul 15
     
    I think this particular tool Proctortrack is excessive. I understand that an online program limits the ability to watch students but I think the program that rates your integrity based on looks, lighting and body moves is too much. I could see the stress of this effecting the outcome of a test. Through the article there were other systems that were discussed that seem to be a bit more fair to both the student and the instructor. As an online student I would be comfortable with the accountability piece but with some limits. I do think as a university they have the right and decision to make on if they put something in place to prevent cheating and what that could be. I know with an increase in online learning that there does need to be something in place to keep students honest.
  • ...11 more comments...
  • juanrubenromero on 17 Jul 15
     
    I think that some sort of monitoring is needed, however, Proctortrack seems a bit excessive. I personally have never had to use a service like this. I do have colleagues that have been monitored during online testing through a webcam, they had to show the room was empty by moving the webcam, and their eyes couldn't stray from the screen. That was just over webcam, no monitoring software was used like Proctortrack. I also think it depends on the course and the professor. I definitely see the need to monitor what someone is looking at and accessing during an online exam, and feel that it is necessary to monitor. I don't know if their is another fair way to monitor online testing. Any one taking an online test without monitoring can easily have access to the internet to search for answers, notes, or even have someone else taking the exam for them. I think a software is needed to monitor otherwise how would you hold a person accountable? We can rely on the persons word, but not everyone is truthful. It is definitely justifiable. Online programs are trying to maintain the integrity of the course and program. By monitoring cheating they are discouraging it and catching any that are cheating. Just like in person testing, we are monitoring students taking the test to ensure they do not cheat. In person, we the teachers are the software monitoring student activity, online test also need a monitor.
  • asuarez1 on 17 Jul 15
     
    bhanak> I agree. Some modifications are fine, but it is excessive. Showing the entire room before the test does not mean that someone can not walk it. Nothing is guaranteed 100% and overdoing it doesn't make it better. It would make me very nervous to not be able to move or I would get "flagged." Then, as the teacher of the course, I would worry that the results of the test would get negative effect! I get nervous during tests without all of that, so imagine what would happen with that camera on?
  • asuarez1 on 17 Jul 15
     
    Juan> I agree with you! How did your colleague feel about being monitored?
  • asuarez1 on 17 Jul 15
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQLdprp2P0Q The link above is a news report about these Anti-cheating software programs. How do you think our program at UT is avoiding this issue all together? What can your online program do to verify student learning and not have to worry about students cheating on a test?
  • juancalvarez on 17 Jul 15
     
    It is very controversial, because universities want to ensure that their graduates do have what it is needed for the job market in order to have a better reputation. In the other hand, having someone view the inside of your home could be a security problem, especially if they have your address. In addition, some test take hours, and you need to go to the bathroom, scratch your foot, or stretch. All test centers are aware that the people taking test do this without cheating. My solutions would be to have test centers. A place where you can pay to go and use one of their computers to do the test. Of course, how many students want to pay extra fees or services? One way to ensure that the person taking the test doesn't cheat (at some degree) is by using the software they mentioned that it won't allow the person to open browsers or applications while during the test, but I would add that at any moment the person taking the test could receive a verification code in their phone. This way, you verify that the person is at the place they are saying they are. This would work because in online courses, usually you don't have classmates living close by.
  • Marie Evans on 18 Jul 15
     
    Online learning is driving the need for project based learning rather than testing as an assessment. If it is important to assess skills such as math, perhaps thinking about using a tool such as collaborate to interact with students and having students produce work in session (like going up to the chalkboard and working out a problem) may provide a better solution than a boxed quiz requiring supervision!
  • Lauren Simpson on 18 Jul 15
     
    I have taken courses online where I had to be "watched" by someone, and felt extremely nervous because someone I did not know was in a sense spying on me. I know that online programs are trying to ensure that their programs are remaining rigorous and that students are being held accountable for the material, but I also don't think that this has to be done with exams. In our program most of the course have a PBL model, like Mrs. Evans has discussed, and I find that to be much more realistic for how you will function in the workplace. I think this is a fundamental question of how educators assess students. Does a quiz/exam really assess a student's knowledge accurately?
  • asuarez1 on 18 Jul 15
     
    Juan, it is my opinion that test centers defeat the purpose of online learning. I believe that the degree I am getting proves what I have learned more through the products! It is direct proof of my learning to show that I am capable to think critically and create a product that proves my knowledge. There is no way to cheat on that and it is reliable. I remember clearly in high school that students who had a great memory to retrieve information would do fantastic on tests but this did not mean that they learned, could analyze, and apply the material they learned. As teachers, it is this critical thinking that we want our learners to leave with and I think we need to start moving away from "teaching to the test." What do you think?
  • bradlampton on 18 Jul 15
     
    Personally I feel that this is a great idea even though it goes in to the privacy life of the test takers. As a fully integrated multi factor bio-metrics behavioral application, Proctor-track provides automated remote proctoring for distance learners taking tests online. This combined solution fulfills the Department of Education's federal mandated standards for identity verification and authentication requirements for distributing Title IV funds. Proctor-track replicates the security of traditional testing centers, while giving students the flexibility to take proctored tests online, anytime, anywhere on demand, with the ease of automation and complete scale ability.
  • asuarez1 on 18 Jul 15
     
    Lauren, as you said, PBL and models like it take the learning and apply it. What could be better than that. Besides, isn't that what we want from our learners? I do not think that a quiz or test adequately proves that a student has learned. Here is a great article about "teaching to the test." It talks about test taking skills not being bad independently, however it talks about the importance of alignment. How do you think PBL aligns with the standards we teach and how can it be better than a test? http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/teaching-to-the-test/
  • jfaguilar on 19 Jul 15
     
    I believe now with so much digital technology around us, it has made it easier to retrieve answers for those tests or questions. If students rely on this technology, they essentially "cheat" themselves out of their own education. I do strongly believe that students need to understand the consequences of their actions. As educators, we are responsible to engage them in their learning to understand what they are learning and that cheating is never an alternative.
  • myraguz on 19 Jul 15
     
    I believe the use of this web-based service to be invading privacy and unreliable. Schools that offer online courses cannot always rely on technology to asses if a student is cheating. Just as Mr. Carlton stated, if you are going to offer online learning, you need to find ways to ensure the integrity of the course including test taking. There are other web-based services that offer checking for plagiarism. There are definitely other ways to discourage cheating in online courses. All my online instructors have been doing a great job in informing of the consequences for cheating. The use of that type of software cannot be justified specially when the student feels uncomfortable.
  • Joanna Villarreal on 19 Jul 15
     
    Hi Ana, very interesting article. Being new to online courses, I have to say this is the first I hear of such software or services. I see how it may be justified, but to a certain degree. This particular software is quite excessive I must say. Ms. Choa (first student mentioned in the article) was given the option paying for the software, which she was against (and I would be too if I found myself in that situation) or paying proctor fees. I see how Juan's suggestion of having a testing center available would be another solution for that particular case. You asked if there is a better way to discourage (or minimize) cheating in online courses? It was also stated in the article how other software are being used to prevent students from opening apps or browsers during online exams. I think that would be a better method of monitoring/preventing cheating rather than having Proctotrack labeling/flagging me as a cheater for my poor posture.
juancalvarez

A Web 2.0 Class: Students Learn 21st Century Skills, Collaboration, and Digital Citizen... - 9 views

www.edutopia.org/...laboration-digital-citizenship

web2.0 collaboration digital_citizenship technology education

shared by juancalvarez on 16 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • The students in all three of these classes have never met in person; however, they have all connected via Skype and their class blogs. They have also had many professionals come and speak to them via Skype.
    • juancalvarez
      juancalvarez on 16 Jul 15
       
      Using Skype to bring professionals to the classroom allows for important connections and knowledge. Do you think that companies would allow their employees to Skype and give speeches about their field?
  • "You have to adapt to the world around you or progress can never happen. That is the ultimate goal of education, right? Progress. Continuous progress."
    • juancalvarez
      juancalvarez on 16 Jul 15
       
      Adaptation is what humans have done since inventing the first tool, since inventing the wheel. We pass that knowledge to the next generation who in time develop better ways to adapt to their environment.
  • Principal Patrick Larkin comments, "I am amazed at how little the students actually know about connecting with others for educational purposes. They use social networking solely for socializing. It has been great to see the lightbulb start to go on in regards to them seeing these tools as a resource."
    • juancalvarez
      juancalvarez on 16 Jul 15
       
      It is a fact that most students use communication tools just for social interaction and not for educational purposes. Most students, even 4 year olds, will know how to turn on the phone, tablet or iPad and go through the steps to play the games they like or type something to someone, but that doesn't mean that the media is being used for education or that the user is tech savvy. What do you think?
  • asuarez1 on 16 Jul 15
     
    I agree that because a student knows how to play games on a tablet, does not mean that he/she knows how to use it at a learning tool. Using Skype or other tools to integrate technology into the learning process is taking it to another level. It is great that students are learning how to collaborate with others for something more than socializing. Safety is such a big issue for me, but in the classroom, we can use these connectivity capabilities in order to expand the learning. Although many teachers fear this, it is great when one person is not the entire knowledge base in the classroom. Lets show our students how to search safely, and how to integrate the knowledge into their lives and give it purpose!
  • ...9 more comments...
  • bhanak on 16 Jul 15
     
    I think that providing a "flat classroom" gives the learners of the 21st century a better outlook of what the internet and "connecting" looks like outside of social purposes. This helps set the students up for more success as the move into higher education and into their careers. Having these skills will be extremely beneficial for the students in the future. Skype for learn purposes has come a long way in the past years. Similar to virtual field trips, a presenter through Skype is bringing opportunities to students that is cost effective and influential for students. I think companies are more willing to allow their employee to visit through Skype than in person. It also allows the ability to meet with others that are not in the immediate area to connect.
  • juancalvarez on 16 Jul 15
     
    Ana Suarez: You are totally right, safety is the most important. In fact, at the beginning of the year what I say to my new students' parents is, before learning, safety first. I thought that the best way to ensure that students stay on task is for them to record their Skype educational interactions. Skype doesn't have a tool to record, but there are software like SuperTintin Skype Recorder that is used by many people. Download.com is a rating website I have known for almost 20 years, and they rate it with 4 stars. http://download.cnet.com/SuperTintin-Skype-Recorder/3000-2150_4-10656468.html This is the direct link to it http://www.supertintin.com/ It is true that teachers fear not being the knowledge center, but I think this is because students value more a teacher when they see him/her as someone they can look for explanations, solutions, and knowledge. Still, we have to evolve and let the students interact and discover the world too.
  • juancalvarez on 16 Jul 15
     
    Brandy Hanak: You are right, these tools will be very important for the students' to identify and learn that they can be used for professional purposes and not just for socializing. You mention a very important point. Skype allows students to connect with people that are far and could be impossible for them to come. The cost for a face to face presentation is so high that most companies do not invest in it. Being able to present at a distant opens doors to benefit everyone.
  • summerloeffler on 17 Jul 15
     
    I was thinking about all the various uses of video web 2.0 technologies that is used for e-learning. While I recognize that Skype is an excellent way for students to "interact" and learn together- I am aware that Skype doesn't allow more than 10 students to meet at once. I recognize that this article was written in 2010 and I know that there is a great improvement and more video web 2.0 tech/apps out there that allows for virtual collaborative learning beyond a one-to-one interaction. We have Blackboard Collaborate, Fuze Meeting, appear.in, Google HangOut, and many more that does give more of a "classroom" feel. Incidental learning is also very important (students to get more than just one opinion, but comments, backgrounds, reactions from rest of their peers.) Hmm. just my thoughts :)
  • juanrubenromero on 17 Jul 15
     
    Skype would definitely be a great way to get professionals to "come" and talk to students. I don't see why employers would have a problem with this, they already allow employees to attend the in person career days. This would be a great idea for those employers that are not in the area. I can see this being a great tool for science and technology, to get professionals from the fields to give workshops to students. This is one of things I tell my students. They may know how to use their devices for socializing or gaming, but they have no idea how to use them for educational purposes. With how technologically advanced we are, you'd think students would know how to use their resources. The biggest downfall of students not knowing how to use their technology as an educational resource, tells me that they do now know how to use it to problem solve. I think this is where our focus needs to be with our students. Ensuring that the technology we use in our classroom is not something just for fun, but a tool that we are going to teach to them to use to problem solve. And problem solving can mean finding answers, collaborating, communicating, etc. I like what they talk about at the end of the article about digital citizenship. It is obvious that students are not aware of how to behave and the consequences of their posts on social media. I tell them once you post it on the net it is out there forever. Not only that but with the rise of Snapchat, teachers are becoming targets of video capture and without notice a video of them is up on social media. Students definitely need a course in high school relating to digital citizenship. Great article!
  • juancalvarez on 17 Jul 15
     
    Summer, I think you right, there are other collaborative learning applications that have been developed but we also have to consider that we don't always need the capabilities of a BB and sometimes teams just need to talk. Skype is a technology that can be used in any electronic device with not to many computer resources. Students' home computers or phone does not always have the applications to run some programs or the internet connection. I have found Skype to be really easy and most people know it. It is just one more application to consider. Plus, we need media specialist that can show and teach the new resources.
  • juancalvarez on 17 Jul 15
     
    Juan, as you say, we have to teach our students to use technology to find solutions, collaborate and have better communication. Students need to learn to use technology to become better at what they like to do.
  • candacejames07 on 17 Jul 15
     
    When I read the through comments you posted Juan about this article I was reminded of this article from Dr. Corbeil's blog. http://edtc.blogspot.com/2015/06/does-not-compute-millennials-arent-tech.html. The article talks about how students use technology all the time, but lack problem solving skills and completing educational based task using technology. Skype is great tool and can be used to reach people that specialist in many different fields including writers, scientist, and business people. We have to embrace technology and learn how to help our students use the social networking to benefit their education and develop problem solving skills.
  • Marie Evans on 18 Jul 15
     
    With today's technology this is a great instructional opportunity! Research shows and teachers know that students learn best from each other! Getting another perspective from a different area of the country/world provides extended learning opportunities that are boundless!
  • bradlampton on 18 Jul 15
     
    This makes perfect sense. This is how students communicate. This is how global multinationals communicate albeit with a business platform like Share point. Learning is supposed to be relevant and authentic. One way to achieve this is by giving students real world tools to accomplish learning objectives and promote collaboration. Share point provides Web 2.0 tools for wikis, blogs, and discussion threads.
  • Joanna Villarreal on 19 Jul 15
     
    Juan, great article. Just because a student, or anyone for that matter, is able to turn on devices doesn't make him/her "tech savy." I agree with Ms. Evans on how students learn best from each other. Take for instance this weeks Diggo assignment. We have to read and comment on classmates posts. Well, I admit sometimes the article it makes even more sense after reading the feedback in the comment section of the article or my classmates comments here on Diggo.
Joanna Villarreal

Technology In Education Review of Apps for 2 to 3 Year Olds - 1 views

technologyineducation.com.au/w-of-apps-for-2-to-3-year-olds

technology childhood apps early education

shared by Joanna Villarreal on 19 Jul 15 - No Cached
Gladys Suarez and myraguz liked it
  • we need to ensure that the applications in early childhood education must compensate our toddlers learning needs
  • mportant in their development process.
  • Are the applications that you are about to purchase suitable or appropriate for your child? Do the applications that we give to our two to three year old child provide them with learning and development along the way?
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • beneficial educational system so that they will become good learners in the future
  • balance the technology in education as well as quality time with our children
  • we can properly integrate technology in their educational learning journey
  • good model
  • provide the direction to ensure they are safe
  • Joanna Villarreal on 19 Jul 15
     
    Are we creating Digital Addicts at an early age? Reminder to parents: Must balance technology education with quality time. :) The questions below were included in the article and intended to further guide parents in this matter. -Are the applications that you are about to purchase suitable or appropriate for your child? -Do the applications that we give our two to three year old child provide them with learning and development along the way?
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Joanna Villarreal on 19 Jul 15
     
    This video talks about technology at an early age. https://youtu.be/z2CveFF3npA
  • asuarez1 on 20 Jul 15
     
    It is very important to focus on a toddler's developmental needs. For example, if we look at Maslow's Higherarchy of Needs, one stage can not be started until the one below it is achieved. Where does technology fit into all of this? If we are creating technology addicts, then these students' needs are not being fulfilled. We need to provide good models and teach good digital citizenship so that these 21 century learners have proper development as they grow. How can we do this? We need to monitor what they do on the devices that are accessible to them. Teachers need to select quality websites for students to search on. It is up to the experts to act like it, and parents to monitor and guide their children with electronic devices in the same way they do for other lessons.
  • myraguz on 20 Jul 15
     
    As a parent of a two year old. This article is of great interest to me. My two year old is allowed to use her device for a certain time during the day.I have downloaded several apps but she keeps going into you-tube to view nursery songs. I always check for app ratings when downloading and I agree that quality time is very important during this stage. Though my toddler is also learning a lot by viewing nursery and preschool videos.
  • Joanna Villarreal on 21 Jul 15
     
    Ana and Myra, thank you for replying. Ana, I couldn't agree more on the importance for a teacher to model and teach good digital citizenship. It is a must and essential in this digital age. Both parents and teachers should teach children about ethical use too. Mayra, I am not a parent, but I applaud you for introducing your child to technology at such a young age. I would definitely do the same and make it "quality time" with my child. My take on this whole balancing both technology and quality time is for parents not to disconnect from their child. I've seen how parents hand over a phone or tablet to their child to "keep the entertained" or because it calms them down for hours.
Pedro Rodriguez

PBS LearningMedia - 2 views

www.pbslearningmedia.org

shared by Pedro Rodriguez on 10 Nov 14 - No Cached
    • Pedro Rodriguez
      Pedro Rodriguez on 10 Nov 14
       
      Standards include Common Core State and National standards. Why is it important to use follow such standards?
  • Browse by Grade & Subject
    • Pedro Rodriguez
      Pedro Rodriguez on 10 Nov 14
       
      Easy to use. Educators can easily browse by grade level and subject.
  • Register Today for Full Access To search, save, and share your favorite resources, remember to create a FREE account today!
    • Pedro Rodriguez
      Pedro Rodriguez on 10 Nov 14
       
      Free access to many resources. This is great to try out before a school or school districts buys it. Educators can still use PBS learning media as a source for digital resources.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Featuring Trusted Educational Media Producers
    • Pedro Rodriguez
      Pedro Rodriguez on 10 Nov 14
       
      Media producers include some of the well known in the industry such as NOVA and Nature.
  • Pedro Rodriguez on 10 Nov 14
     
    PBS learning media is a little known resource that provides thousands of classroom-ready, curriculum-targeted digital resources.It includes lesson for k-13+ grades. PBS learning media is free of charge but for a small yearly free, educators get extra options such as common core state standards, analytics, and much more. Another great option is the ability to upload you own lesson for other educators can use. Schools districts can also create their own portal to house their digital resources. I used to be a representative for PBS learning media when it first launched and got to see it evolve over time. Unfortunately I no longer work at the PBS affiliates, but this is a great free resource for any educator.
  • robertogarcia24 on 07 Dec 14
     
    When presenting information like this to educators who are not technology friendly, all they need to hear is "Easy to use", just like you stated. It's music to their ears and they will be willing to give it a shot. Thank you so much for sharing! Great tool!
tvisco

Gamification in Education - 3 views

www.edutopia.org/...ation-in-education-vicki-davis

shared by tvisco on 22 Feb 15 - No Cached
    • tvisco
      tvisco on 22 Feb 15
       
      This quiz identifies the role you like to play in games as killer, socializer, explorer, or adventurer.
    • tvisco
      tvisco on 22 Feb 15
       
      Jane McGonigal wrote "Reality is Broken," a book that proposes that we aren't utilizing the power of games to the fullest such as solving world problems like oil crisis or water shortages. She's definitely entertaining. Her TED Talk on this page is worth checking out. www.janemcgonigal.com
  • Gamifi-ED project
  • ...10 more annotations...
    • tvisco
      tvisco on 22 Feb 15
       
      http://gamifi-ed.wikispaces.com/ This site collects "serious games" tested by students an educators. Their goal is games that really teach something but use the motivating power of games.
  • Game mechanics
    • tvisco
      tvisco on 22 Feb 15
       
      This site lists all the ways that games get people interested in playing them. It's meant for game designers but it's interesting in it's own right and taps into motivational behavior. http://badgeville.com/wiki/Game_Mechanics
  • higher ed
    • tvisco
      tvisco on 22 Feb 15
       
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeexDmpWeOQ A video on why to use games in higher education.
  • elementary ed,
    • tvisco
      tvisco on 22 Feb 15
       
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvHdjGjfjI A video on why to use games in elementary education.
    • tvisco
      tvisco on 22 Feb 15
       
      The question I have is how to integrate the games out there into the curriculum. I think it's hard to do because with limited teaching time, taking time to play a game without having a good basis in content feels frivolous. And yet by the time students understand the content, there may not be time for games. The games out there might not match the content being taught very well.
  • Bartle's Gamer Profile Quiz
  • Jane McGonigal mentioned it in her Gaming Can Make a Better World TED Talk
  • tvisco on 22 Feb 15
     
    This article discusses the need to harness the motivational and addictive power of games in teaching. However, my question is how to integrate games into curriculum. Many games don't involve the curriculum being taught or only cover it superficially. How do you use games in the classroom? If you don't, why not?
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Rosalyn Martinez on 04 Mar 15
     
    Great article! At our school, we have several online reading & math games that we allow students to play. I'm all for gamification. I didn't realize there was a name for it, LOL. To answer your question, we use Everyday Math as our math curriculum. They have a wonderful website that is just a GREAT resource to teachers & students. For instance, it offers interactive teacher lessons. I use them daily & my students and I LOVE them! More importantly, it offers Everdaymath Online games. These are games that go along with our math lessons. Teachers can also assign games as homework. The website keeps track of how often students are playing the games and how they are progressing, or not, with a certain skill. From my experience, there are many ways to integrate games into curriculum but administrators must research that prior to choosing a particular curriculum. No matter what the situation, all it takes is a little research & comparison. The technology & games are out there....on the world wide web. Thanks for sharing!
  • tvisco on 15 Mar 15
     
    There's a real need for technology experts at schools to do more than reboot stalled operating systems and hook up new mice. Finding viable programs in the sea of options out there is one of them. One of my teacher friends seems to just use whatever sites, games, applications she can find willy nilly. She's happy to try anything. Her students do well but I wonder how random it is. It'd be nice to plan something that had progression to it and made more connections. I know she doesn't have time or money to spend on finding truly great programs and believes that trying them out and discarding them if need be is good enough.
  • ruthreyes on 22 Mar 15
     
    This type of interaction gets me excited because I have my students play CoolMath games on computer when they are done assignments but I am always finding games and tech 2.0 tools to incorporate for their learning. I love searching and attending workshops to help update my portfolio of tech tools. One tool that my students have found extremely engaging and they love to use is KAHOOT! This is a fun program to use for tests/assessments because it gives you the amount of correct answers and it saves you time, paper, and is a great tool to use for a test grade. https://getkahoot.com/
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