Reflections

Two Years Later, Two Years Wiser!

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:16:00 -0700

As I come to the end of my Masters program, I reflect on my goals from nearly two years prior. Just two years ago, I was a mother of one fun loving two-year-old boy. I was happy staying at home, but always yearned to get back into the classroom. So I decided to get my Master’s degree, with the hope that having the degree would give me an edge in the tough teaching job market of Michigan.

Now, two years later, and two years wiser, my family has evolved, as have my professional goals. My family has gone from a party of three to a party of four. Another fun loving and energetic young man joined the family last August, smack dab in the thick of my even higher education. It was a challenge having new born and taking classes, but some how I made it through.

Professionally things have evolved as well. I always wanted to be in the educational trenches, on the front lines, in the classroom. After almost completing my degree, I now want to be a Technology Coordinator or a Technology Integration Specialist for a school district. I am excited to show teachers and students all the incredible technology that can be integrated into the everyday classroom.

I have seen more and more of these positions out there and I am eager to find a position that makes the most of what I have learned. These last two years have given me a new passion and a new drive in the world of education. I can not wait to see what is ahead of me professionally and personally!

Facebook Status Explination

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Thu, 9 Dec 2010 10:09:00 -0800

The Great Learning Theorists and Their Facebook Status

B.F. Skinner’s Status
Since many of B.F. Skinner’s research was done with pigeons, I decided to make his status update a work related one. I also decided that instead of having him post via iphone he would post his updates via messenger pigeon. It only seemed appropriate! I assume that B.F. Skinner and Pavlov would be friends on facebook, and of course Pavlov would like this status, so would his drooling dogs.
Plato and Locke on the other hand would not see agree with Skinner. They believe that learning is a passive process. Specifically, Plato’s theory is that knowledge is innate. As he states, learning is helping the mind remember what it already knows. Locke’s theory was slightly similar with different variations. He believed that we are all born as “blank slates”, and we learn through experiencing our surroundings through our five senses.
For Skinner both Plato and Locke, while great philosophers, would be missing a very big component of learning. He strongly believed in the positive effects of operant conditioning. With random positive reinforcement a student can be conditioned to learn a topic. He also gave five principles for effective teaching. His principles are give feedback, break task into small steps, repeat directions often, move from simple to more complex tasks, and give positive reinforcement. I believe that Skinner would have made a push for operative conditioning in his conversation with Plato and Locke, however in the end he would just have “agreed to disagree”.

Jean Piaget’s Status
While I was looking for pictures of Jean Piaget to use for his profile I came along this one.

He looks like such a fun loving man, so I thought I would have a little fun with his status. I know how much he studied his children, so I went with an update about his son Laurent. A child at three years of age might ask a question like “why is the sun following us?” The next comment by Bill Cosby? What, Bill Cosby?!?!? I knew Bill Cosby was the host of a t.v. show called “Kids Say the Darndest Things”, so I figured that is what he would say to a facebook update like Piagets’. Next Vygotsky gets in the conversation with a smile. I believe that he would have been happy that his son asked this kind of question, even though he challenged Piaget’s cognitive developmental stages. He would then have inquired about Laurent’s ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development). Vyotsky was more intrigued by the learners potential than by what could be learned independently by a student. Since Vygotsky made a comment, I thought that John Dewey would get in the mix as well, since he too is a social learning theorist. He would have suggested to Piaget, that getting Laurents’ friends involved in this line of thinking would be most helpful to his development as a learner. Dewey was a big believer that students were active inquirers of knowledge and as such should participate in an open and social dialogue. Piaget would love what all his facebook friends had to say. Since a previous assignment had us create a webpage for Piaget, I thought Piaget would have put in a plug for his website learning_easy_as_1234.com.

John Dewey’s Status

I don’t believe that John Dewey was egotistical, but I would like to think that if I had my own stamp, that I would publicize that kind of information. Of, course the Liberty Bell, a symbol of another famous U.S stamp, would approve. I wanted to get another social learning theorist involved in this conversation, so Vygotsky asks if this stamp was achieved through Dewey’s work in social constructivism. To this both Plato and Locke would be confused and appalled that someone would suggest that learning was anything other than an independent passive event. Lev Vygotsky would come back with the fact that learning can be best accomplished through collaboration. He would also have pointed out that facebook, while done on your own, is a social medium, and is a great forum for collaboration. I wanted somewhere in my facebook conversations to use a famous online abbreviation, lol, so I thought perhaps Dewey would use this expression. I also think that Dewey and Vygotsky would have debated their theories with each other often, hence the fact the Dewey will talk soon, or maybe they will even Skype!

I like to think that facebook would have been a place where all these thinkers might have gone to debate all their beliefs. Facebook would have been a contradiction for some, Plato and Locke. These sort of social networks could have benefited some of these great thinkers.

The Great Learning Theorists and Their Facebook Status

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Thu, 9 Dec 2010 10:06:00 -0800

Communism Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:27:00 -0700

In my interview with Jeremy, a 32 year old father of two, I was able to see some common misconceptions on communism. Jeremy easily identified that the U.S. is opposed to communist governments. However, it was difficult for him to pinpoint why. How can a government who makes everyone equal not be ideal? Communism although ideal on paper is not an ideal government. It is a one party system that oppresses people's "inalienable rights". Our form of government, capitalism, is the complete opposite. The U.S. thrives on competition, whether it is in the government or the private sector. This interview has allowed me the opportunity to see communism through another persons eyes. I am a social studies teacher and know the answers to the questions I asked, but how are these questions answered by someone who might have only learned about communism once in a classroom setting?

This interview was both eye opening and reaffirming. I appreciate Jeremy and his honest answers. He was nervous about doing the interview and drew a blank in the beginning. He was always open and honest about his answers. I hope this interview may have given him something to think about as well.

Reflection 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Mon, 8 Mar 2010 16:24:00 -0800

Throughout my experience in the Michigan State University Educational Technology Certificate program I have found new and exciting ways to incorporate technology into my classroom. There are many ways to effectively utilize technology. Cooperative learning/collaboration is a key element to working with technology. I have always been a big believer in cooperative learning and believe that when using technology it is important to share ideas and knowledge. Student learning is more enhanced when students are able to discover knowledge on their own or in groups. When information is gathered by the student instead of given by the teacher learning is deeper and more meaningful.

Web based technologies enhance learning in the classroom. Collaboration, real life connections, and study skills are all results of web based instruction. The techquest projects we have done, have proven that web based technologies increase student achievement. I hope more teachers use web based technologies in their classrooms.

I have learned a great deal about technology integration. I wanted to gain student interest in the classroom by integrating technology. I believe that this program has given me many tools to use in a classroom and I look forward to the day when I can use them in my classroom. I am excited to continue on in the Masters program and learning more ways to integrate technology. I hope to one day soon be in a classroom where I can use all my new knowledge to create lifelong learners.

Techquest: Project Evaluation

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Fri, 5 Mar 2010 12:15:00 -0800

Throughout this techquest project, I have been searching for ways to connect classroom material to the real world. I have found many great resources that I plan to use in my future classrooms. I wasn't able to implement this project, but if I had I believe my students would have benefited from the experience. Making connections with other cultures, places, and people is a priority in the social studies classroom. Using a site like epals.com, can create a classroom community in which students have more respect for other people. This in turn creates teachable moments and turns students into lifelong learners. I hope to be able to utilize these tools in my classroom.

A project like this one gives students a deeper look into the world. As a student who has had extraordinary teachers, I remember those special lessons and I strongly believe that students in my classroom who experience this lesson would remember it for a very long time. Once I am able to implement this lesson or one like it, I will be able to see where modifications and adjustments need to be made. For now I can say that a project like this one is a lesson in life. A project like this one is what I had in mind when I began my research. I can't wait to have a classroom of my own where students can connect with other students from around the world.

TechQuest: Project Implementaion

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:39:00 -0800

Here is the link to my podcast. Below the podcast is a transcript of what is said in the audio portion.

http://web.me.com/learend/Site/Podcast/Entries/2010/2/18_TechQuest__Project_Implementation.html

EPALS Video

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:28:00 -0800

TechQuest: Internet Research

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:49:00 -0800

I have researched this project extensively on the Internet. I used the google search engine and mel.org. On mel.org I used ERIC as my primary database for articles related to using the Internet to connect the real world to a social studies classroom.

Internet Tools for the Classroom

http://earth.google.com/: A fantastic resource to use in the classroom. Google earth can take you anywhere in the world without leaving the classroom. This site takes field trips to a whole new level. You can see 3D images of buildings (historic and modern), there a pictures, and street views. This is a fantastic resource for the classroom.

http://www.epals.com : This site it "the largest global community of connected classrooms". You can connect with students from 200 countries and territories. It is free and safe to use. Please watch video in the post above for more information on epals.com.

http://www.howthemarketworks.com/: This site provides a free Internet stock market game. This is great for an economics classroom. There is even a place where teachers can set up private classroom stock market contests. They also include the teachers guide.

Related Articles

An article I found on ERIC directly relates to the how the market works site. It is called "MainXchange in the Classroom: The New Internet Stock Market Game. Teachers Guide and Student Activities". This guide wasn't by anyone author but by many contributors. This is very useful if you are to use the stock exchange game in your classroom. It was written in 1998 so there may have been some updates since then.

Another article I found was:
Maskin, Melvin R. ""Infotectives" on the "Infobahn": Designing Internet-Aided Projects for the Social Studies Classroom." NASSP Bulletin. 80.582 (1996): 59-70.
Unfortunately this was only an abstract and not the full article. It is a little dated, as it was published in 1996.

When doing an ordinary google search I found a site for a middle school in Hawaii where they are using technology to enhance learning. http://www.edutopia.org/nuuanu. They are using technology to enhance both learning and teachable moments.

Overall I found a lot of great material. I was unable to find more recent articles but was happy with the resources I found for the classroom. I look forward to being able to use these sites in a future classroom.

TechQuest: Project Description

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Sat, 6 Feb 2010 11:42:00 -0800

In a social studies classroom it is always important to find ways to connect the students with content material. Social studies has long been considered by many a subject of memorization, who, what, when, and where. However, the most important question to ask ourselves is why. Why did these events occur? Having a better understanding in social studies can foster future positive contributors to our society. So how can we make real world connection from the material to our students? In the past we have accomplished these feats through newspapers, CNN, and field trips. While some of these solutions are still very viable others have become daunting. Field trips is a great way to make real world connections, however, these can be both time consuming and expensive. Both CNN and newspapers are wonderful resources, but they can become boring and over used in the classroom. Technology has increasingly become more mainstream. Most schools have a computer in every classroom and a computer lab. According to Bransford, Brown, and Cocking's 1999 book, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, "An important use of technology is its capacity to create new opportunities for curriculum and instruction by bringing real-world problems into the classroom for students to explore and solve" (Chapter 9, pg 195).

Since teachers are able to access technology in the classroom it should be utilized to the fullest. Lets take real world applications to the classroom. Using the Internet, for interactive activities, in the classroom is has more impact on student learning than watching CNN or reading a current event in the newspaper. Using technology that we already have in the classroom is far less expensive than taking 180 students on a field trip. If implemented correctly in the classroom, technology will give students the opportunity to see, hear, and understand what is happening in the world around them. Some schools have already attempted to make these connections with their students. The Nuuanu Elementary School in Hawaii (http://www.edutopia.org/nuuanu) has used technology to "learn and to learn how to solve problems". There are many ways to use the Internet in the classroom. Such sights like google earth (http://earth.google.com/) make it possible to see places that a textbook just can't show. Two wonderful features of google earth are historical imagery from around the globe and ocean floor and surface data from marine experts (useful in a science classroom).

Proper implementation in the classroom is important. I am not currently in the classroom, however, I plan to implement an active lesson plan which is based on curriculum standards and which uses technology to enhance learning. After the implementation of the lesson I hope to use similar lessons in my future classrooms. This project will address the four common places of education, teacher, student, subject matter, and environment. Each will be addressed with proper research. I will look into websites that can be used in the classroom for practical real world connections. Also, I plan to research articles on the benefits of using technology in the classroom and look forward in finding similar areas of research from other teaching professionals.

TechQuest: Educational Oppportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:20:00 -0800

Social studies is a subject that comes with a stigma. People believe that all social studies is, is the memorization of facts. Memorizing people's names, dates, places, and outcomes. I strongly disagree with this belief. Social studies isn't about memorizing facts, it is about learning why something in our past happened and how it affects us today. For most students lessons learned in a social studies classroom are so abstract and often say, "Why do we have to know this". The key to making social studies a subject of importance is connecting key concepts to the "real" world, in other words making these concepts more concrete.

Social studies consists of four subjects; economics, political science, geography, and history. All of these subjects need real world applications in order to make a significant impact in learning. I'm not suggesting that every lesson every day needs a connection to the present, however, connecting key concepts would give more of an impact to those everyday lessons. For example, students in high school learn about the Great Depression. If there were a way to connect that concept with today's economic crisis, students could have a better understanding of what it might have meant to be unemployed in the 1920's. In civics students learn about U.S. foreign policy. This can be a very difficult concept for students to understand. However, if we could connect this classroom lesson to what is happening now in Haiti, students might have a better comprehension of this very difficult subject.

People might suggest looking at newspapers, journals, and news stations for making connections. These resources are all great for information but they aren't student engaging. Students generally don't want to read articles or watch CNN; they would prefer an activity in which they can interact. Activities that can grab their interest and create a learning environment would be better suited for the classroom. Now we have to explore our options. What can be done? I will attempt to discover new and engaging ways to make connections from the world to the classroom.

Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:32:00 -0800

Throughout the last eight weeks, I have learned a great deal about integrating technology into the classroom. I have been simultaneously taking CEP 810 and 811. These two courses have helped me gain a better understanding of how to effectively integrate technology into my classroom.

When integrating technology in the classroom it is important to have effective teaching strategies to accompany online learning. One teaching strategy I believe would be most effective is constructivism. This gives students the opportunity to discover on their own. This strategy encourages students to participate in an active dialogue. The teacher is a facilitator and not the source of the information.

Web based technologies can be very important in the learning process. Throughout the semester I have been able to share and view different tips and tricks. I will definitely be using some of those sites for my class. One site that I was interested in using is Rubistar. This site assists the teacher is creating a customized rubric for any assignment.

As I go forward through the masters program my will keep evolving. I have set some new goals for my self and the future. I would like to learn more about new technologies and get even better at using the technologies that know. Sometime in the future, when technology is more readily available to my classroom, I would like to make my classroom completely wireless. I would like to use technology everyday in my classroom. Technology is a great way to engage students in their learning. When my students enjoy what I am teaching then I enjoy my job.

Online Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Fri, 4 Dec 2009 08:34:00 -0800

There are many on line learning technologies that I could use in my classroom. Webquests, and RSS Feeds are the two that I would use most often in my classroom. When using a webquest in my classroom students are able to gain more in depth content knowledge. In Social Studies there are many websites which provide great additional detail for lessons. When using a webqust students are more involved in gathering the information needed to produce an end product. Students feel more accomplished and involved when using a webquest.

An RSS Feed in a social studies classroom is very useful. Students are able to keep up with blogs, current events, and articles. These feeds would be greatly beneficial to my students. In a social studies classroom we are constantly keeping up with current affairs. By using an RSS feed keeping up with these reports is a whole lot easier.

When using web based instruction like a an RSS feed, constructivism becomes the instructional design. Students are able to discover information on their own, and are involved in active dialogues. Another instructional design that is used when using webquests is project based learning. Students perform research, develop solutions, and "defend" their solutions, as well as consider other solutions.

As with anything else pedagogical strategies are used when implementing both technologies. You can use Scaffolding when setting up a webquest. You can set up supports for the learner and then take those supports away once learning becomes more independent. Another strategy is simulation and problem solving. When using an RSS feed students interact with content they are to learn. They are to gather the information on their own or as a class.

There are however some technologies in which I would not use regularly in my classroom. Excel (spreadsheets) is not a technology that I see using on a regular basis. Spreadsheets more often than not are used for mathematical reasons. There are very few situations in a social studies classroom in which I would use Excel. Some situations in which I would use Excel are for population comparison or to teach economical situations like a family budget.

Technology will continue to grow and it is my job as an educator to introduce as much technology into my classroom as possible. Once students leave my classroom and continue on to higher education or enter the real world technology is something they will have to be versed.

Zoho Show

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:57:00 -0800

Zoho Show is a free web 2.0 technology in which an educator or student can create a slide show. This application is very similar to Microsoft Power Point. As you enter the sight you are given multiple options for the theme of your show. They have jazzy, funky, fantasy, perspective, abstract, and plain backgrounds. After your theme has been selected you can then create your slide show. As you can see there are many tools you can utilize when working with this site. There are shapes you can insert as well as over a hundred clip art images.

With zoho show you can also share and collaborate. You can share your presentation with groups or publish your show to the web. You can also use zoho chat to collaborate on a project with a group. You can hold live chats with the participants who are viewing your presentation. You are able to share your computer's desktop and present live demos.

There were a few things I was unable to do with this application. For example there are no animations. You cannot have a title animate onto the screen. I did see a presentation however that described what updates are coming soon to zoho show. One of the new features is going to be animation support. You will also be able to export your presentation to Microsoft Power Point.

In order to take advantage of this application educators will have to make sure their students are familiar with the use of power point applications. Once you are experienced in a power point application, zoho show should not be hard to use. This application would be a great resource in a social studies classroom. Students could collaborate and share there work. You could have groups work on one project together in this application. Zoho show would also be useful for a teacher to use during a daily lesson. Using an application like zoho show would enhance any lesson if properly utilized. Educators would also be able to collaborate with colleagues from around the country.

In order to use this in the classroom teachers have to be very organized. The teacher has to be a facilitator and make sure this application is being used appropriately. Any time you work with new technologies you have to be aware of how your students are using the applications. You should always closely monitor the work of the students in your classroom. Overall zoho show is a great application that would be a great asset in any classroom.

Instrctuional Strategies

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:20:00 -0800

If implemented correctly blogs could be a very useful resource in the classroom. The constructivism model is the instructional strategy that would fit well with using blogs in the classroom. According to the constructivism model, as a teacher, you are encouraging students to discover knowledge on their own, and engaging students in an active dialogue. Within the constructivism model the Project Based Learning approach fits the best when using a blog. The students begin with a problem and then research to develop solutions to the problem. Students could research blogs to discover a solution and then they could use their own blog to defend their own solutions.

Blogging has many benefits to students. It allows students the opportunity to be experts on a subject matter. It also helps increase the students' interest in learning. Students are able to have their ideas heard which can provide much confidence.

The Didactic approach to teaching would not be a good strategy when using blogs. This is a more direct approach to teaching. The teacher is providing all the information through direct lessons. There usually is no time to for students to discover information on their own.

In a social studies classroom there are lots of opportunities to use blogs. You could have student research and answer a weekly question. For example, why are the "Bill of Rights" so important? Why are they needed? and Without them what would happen? There are many more possibilities. But, I would love to use it as a weekly assignment, if my classes were able to have access to computers at school or at home.

Web 2.0 technologies are usually very adaptive in a social studies classroom. I am having a difficult time thinking of a Web 2.0 technology that would not usually be used in a social studies classroom. Blogging, Wiki, and RSS feeders would all great tools to use. There is so much information on the web that is just waiting to be uncovered.

Wikipedia

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:39:00 -0800

The Air Zoo is an Aviation Museum in Kalamazoo Michigan. My son and I visit this museum regularly. Currently admission is free until the end of the year. If you get a chance I highly recommend visiting. This is the link to the Air Zoo. On their wiki site there was no mention on admission so here is what I added.

I also just started my very own Wiki page
(Mrs Arend). I currently am not in a teaching position so there is very little on there. I will add more pages as a mock site so that when I am teaching I will be able to make use of the site. Feel free to view and comment as you like.

Computer Based Instruction

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Sun, 1 Nov 2009 09:38:00 -0800

Computer based instruction is a useful tool to enhance a lesson in the classroom. There are many different kinds of computer-based instruction. There are many different kinds of computer-based instruction. There are web quests, web pages, and StAIR projects. However, if you want to implement these tools outside the classroom there can be problems to overcome. In the school district in which I worked and live many of the families do not have access to a computer outside of school. Another problem is the computer literacy of your students or "digital immigrants" (Mark Prensky).
In order to get past some of these obstacles one has to make sure the computer based instruction is available or made available to all students. One also has to make sure that the instructional activities are appropriate to the learner. I am a secondary education teacher in History and Social Studies; here are a few webquests which I might use in my classroom.

Look Who's Footing the Bill
This webquest would be used in a Civics or Government classroom. The layout of the webquest is very appealing. There are links to each task in the webquest so as not to overwhelm a student with to much text. Now a student can take each step slowly.

Nicaragua
This webquest is very well written. The educational goals are clearly stated. Every step of the webquest is detailed and easy to comprehend. The draw back to this particular webquest is the amount of time it takes to complete. In school it may be difficult to get your classes into a computer lab to finish this webquest. Another draw back is a few of the link don't work, which makes me think that this webquest was not kept up to date.

There are lots of great computer based instructional activities out there just waiting to be used.

Web Pages vs. Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Lea) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:00:00 -0700

Web pages and blogs both are forums where an individual or group can express themselves in the virtual world. There are however differences between the two. A web page can display the who, what, where, why and when. It is a first impression of a person, company, or school. It is also an avenue to contact a person via email. A blog is a setting where people can have on going conversations on any given subject at any given time. You can go into more depth and expand on more thoroughly in a blog. There is less of a formality when it comes to blogging. Both blogs and web pages provide great insight into people and places. When it comes to blogging or creating a web page it is a place where you can represent yourself to the fullest.