Take away 2/24

I believe these lesson trailers did a very good job introducing their topics to the children. The pictures, music, interviews, and short blurbs help inspire the children to want to learn more. With these videos i think it took a very serious and historical topic, but i also believe a lesson trailer can be done on a different note. something that will make the children laugh and take them on an adventure using technology. That is something i am going to try and do with my video trailer and webquest. Make the students learn about a topic in an interesting and exciting adventure.

Chapter 2 and 3

Within Chapter 2 there is a lot of important information provided. I think it portrays a lot of methods a teacher can use to incorporate technology into their lessons without it being a problem. One main focus of the chapter is educational experiences that " promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness." when it comes to incorporating technology for the students uses. I love that they are trying to create experiences that will be creative and interesting for the students. I believe there are multiple ways to incorporate technology into teachers lessons, but one way the textbook shows for us is to use technology alongside with visual learners. Students who learn best visually would benefit from technology in the classroom an extreme amount. The students will be able to see and visualize what the are learning or reading about.

Chapter 3 talks about developing lessons with technology. Recently being a student teacher located in an elementary school, we have to teach lessons and get observed. My professor made sure that each lesson had incorporated technology in it. So for me lessons with technology almost come naturally to me. I think that also being something who is fairly good with technology it was easy for me to learn and connect to my lessons.

Questions:

As someone who is familiar with technology creating lesson plans with technology is easy, how is it for people on the other side. Do you feel like because you are not familiar with technology its harder for you?

I love the idea of creative lesson plans, what are some ways that you make your lessons creative and different with using technology?

Topic For Webquest

Topic: Rainforest

For my Webquest project i am going to have a 5th grade class research about the Rainforest. Within this project their teacher is going to receive a phone call from the long island children museum. there research team is lost on there last trip and need class 505 to go to the rainforest to collect information for the museums new rainforest exhibit. she will display this information to the class with a video explaining what information is needed.

Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

Standard # 2: Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate

technologies.

Standard # 3: Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories

pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the

historical development of ideas in science.

Take away message 2/10

From tonight's class my thoughts on technology being integratds into the classroom has changed drastically. At first i thought that it wasn't important for teachers and now i understand that having students work with technology opens up extreme opportunities for them and their future. Seeing today that apps can be used within the classroom makes me realize that there are more resources than just a smart board for a teacher to use. Pinterest allows teachers to see ideas for lessons and units, twitter allows students to collaborate with each other, instagram allows students to see other students projects and input their opinions. One new app i learned about today was educreations. this app allows teachers to create video lessons that the students can go home and watch. i feel like this app can create so many ways to help the students connect and understand the information they are learning.

Chapter 1 Reaction

I love the idea of incorporating technology into today's lessons and classroom, but my opinion on technology hasn't always been positive. i use to think that teachers used technology as an escape route when they didn't want to teach. i believe that i thought those things because i had teachers in the past that didn't know how to use the resources they had to their fullest and i believe that this is one of the main problems teachers are having with incorporating technology into the classroom. my whole life i grew up with technology and knowing how to use it so i see incorporating technology into my lessons easy but for teachers who didn't grow up with all of these resources they are having a hard time simply because they don't know how to use the technology given to them. Chapter one has showed me six key issues i should take into account when I'm incorporating technology into my lessons. i think always keeping these issues in mind will help make not only my lessons that are incorporating technology but all teachers lessons on the right track to including technology in their everyday teaching.

Two Questions:

1. How can we help teachers feel more comfortable with using technology in their everyday teaching instead of having them feel like its something they "have to" do?

2. To me I see technology go hand and hand with math and social studies  lessons, but how could technology resources be incorporated into a reading or writing lesson without it feeling forced or unnecessary?