This week you read Chapter Three: "Using Technology for Professional Productivity"
This chapter might get you excited about: creating your own blog,
homepage and social bookmarking site. These are all things that you
will accomplish before the end of the quarter!
Chapter 3 focuses on one of the stages teachers go through as they progress towards using technology in their professional lives, as well as the classroom. Before a teacher can safely and knowledgeably introduce such a powerful tool, he or she must first learn to harness that power within their school day. Johnson (2012) states, teachers can use technology to become more effective communicators to other staff, students, parents, and the community (p.49). Technology has made it easier than ever for teachers to reach out to others in more than one way. Teachers can use email, modern telephone systems, social networking tools, face-to-face communication, and school websites to connect outside their classroom. We truly live in a new age; I remember hand written notes being the go to form of communication for my hardworking parents who were never available. Now I feel that there is no excuse when it comes to making contact when we have so many resources that it makes it possible to express our questions, concerns, or praise to our families.
ReplyDeleteThe required reading also mentioned three types of systems that teachers must be familiar with as they are very important. One of them being the Student Information System that allows teachers access to find and report class schedules, grade books, attendance, grades, progress updates, demographics and assessment data (Johnson, 2012, p. 52). The second database is the Curriculum Management System, a curriculum guide that allow for teachers to handle the school’s curriculum. This system helps teachers track student progress towards standards and describe outcomes and content on the school’s curriculum. The third system, Course Management System supplements traditional classes or design classes that are online. Thanks to this system, I am able to get my degree here at Kendall due to the flexibility online classes are able to provide with my work schedule.
Johnson lists briefly the possibilities that one can do when it comes to creating a class page or using a school website. There are many benefits in using such resources as they provide an easy way to share useful information and can be accessible to families and the community. Such a tool can inform families of general things such as teacher email, the school’s calendar, supply list, student work, school rules, and so much more. I feel like the time of printing papers is close to an end. Everything can be accessed through the phone or a computer so there is no need to print it out. Need the supply list while at the store? Look it up on the school’s website!
To end his chapter, Johnson moves on to discussing basic productivity and online tools. Basic productivity tools are tools that we are all somewhat familiar with and they include email, word processor, search engines, web browsers, graphics/digital editing tools, spreadsheets, and presentation software (PowerPoint or Keynote). I feel like I am comfortable with all these tools, but I know I could do better to reach my full potential of being an expert on using them. Basic online tools include Google Docs, Zoho, Microsoft 365, and Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is a tool that allows for one to interact with the web by being able to comment and not just read. Google Docs I am more familiar than the other online tools that I have mentioned, but like I mentioned before, I have yet to see what they can really do for me. I hope to learn as much as I can and so far this textbook is doing a great job in informing me to becoming a technology savvy teacher.
Reference:
Johnson, D. (2012). The classroom teacher’s technology survival guide. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Jennifer, this chapter was extremely enlightening when it came to how educators can use technology in the classroom. Technology is important to have in the classroom it offers educators opportunities to reach out to their parents in a variety of ways. Some parents do not have the time to always make it to the schools or centers so offering other ways to effectively communicate is helpful and needed. Today’s technology allows educators to be flexible in planning out communication methods for the classroom: E-mails, text, Class DoJo’s, and newsletters. Also, how the school administration uses technology for registrations, attendance and testing. Thanks for sharing your post and thoughts, Crystal.
DeleteHey Jennifer,
DeleteI love the idea of technology in the classroom It actually makes things a little more easier and less hectic. Yeah technology is a easier way to keep in touch with parents, but how would you handle a parent that doesn't pay any mind to technology? For example, at my center we use an app called brightwheel. It's where we can document each child's day. Such as feedings, diapering, activities we did for the day, pictures, naps, etc. Parents download the app on their phone so they get notifications and updates on their child throughout the day. I have a few parents that never check the app, so when I put a group note in that we have water day Thursday they won't see it. And sometimes drop offs and pick ups get hectic and we may not always remember to mention it to them. How do you handle that?
Jennifer,
DeleteBefore we can start using technology the reason why it is used is important. Also giving one on one help or instructions will help the teachers. Communication is key with technology through email, calls, or websites. Technology use is more for parents to have access, not just for teachers. I enjoyed that you shared the three systems. Student information is to inform numbers about how the child is doing and who is in the room. Curriculum management is to make sure learning is occurring. Course management is like online classes. Many systems can be used to help a classroom excel.
I found chapter three informative on several ways to use technology to make teaching easier. Like you said with modern technology it makes it very easy to be in contact with parents. I think I would like to create a classroom webpage once I become a teacher! I use several things mentioned in this chapter at our school district but I also feel like I could learn more and expand on what I already know. I think teachers can have a good mix of technology and books to keep students’ interest.
DeleteJennifer,
DeleteI agree that technology has made it easier in the classroom. A lot of classrooms today now have phone systems installed. No longer do you have to leave the classroom to receive phone calls from parents or to parents. This is really great and makes its easier on the teacher not to have to leave her students. Technology also helps teacher to stay organized and to be able to e-mail parents as a quicker way of communicating.
Thank you all for the replies, I think we can all agree on how great technology integration is in the classroom. To answer Jessica B.'s question on what would I do with parents who do not respond to communication through technology, I would have to say to simply ask them their preferred method of communication. You could also remind them of how important communication is about their child.
DeleteHi Jennifer,
DeleteIt funny how I can truly relate to receiving hand written notes from my children's teachers because I could not have personal phone calls at work. And present day, I text message my students families at their request to share important information with them because they are very busy and sometimes simply need a little reminder. How do you feel about text messages with students families? I have heard mixed reviews about it. Some say it is too personal.
Great post.
Justina
After reading chapter three of Dough Johnson’s book, The Classroom Teacher’s Survival Guide, I felt that I gained new ideas for using technology to collaborate with families, teachers, and students. One of the topics that stuck out to me was that teachers should use the technology they are familiar with when they teacher students. I couldn’t agree with this more. In my experience, students often want to play a computer game that they have played at home. I don’t let the children in my classroom do this, because usually it isn’t educational, and I have no idea what may come up when we enter the name of this website. It is important for teachers to be on their toes when it comes to using new websites in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI also felt that the idea of using Gmail to collaborate is a wonderful idea! My program is currently using this method of communicating attendance, meal counts, and calendar events. We just fully implemented this method last year, and I would have to say that it makes things way easier. However, it hasn’t always worked. Last year, I was in a classroom that lost connection to the Internet all of the time. Therefore, it was hard to stay on top of everything. There was a lot of writing things down and going back later to input information. This meant double the work usually. If programs can work out the kinks to using Gmail, it is a great tool to save time and make sure information is saved.
Along with internal communication, technology has been wonderful for communicating with families. The families in my classroom are usually young or English Language Learners. Therefore, when I have needed to tell them something, it has to be handled in different ways for every family. For example, the young parents usually don’t want to talk to me. They come in on their phones, and they rarely read things that are posted on the parent board. However, being young myself, I don’t know if I would think to frequently check the parent board either. When I communicate with young parents I have to make sure something gets their attention. I think they would respond so much more if they saw a clip art picture, received a text, or saw something on Facebook. I think technology is a great way to communicate with families. My only concern is that I hate to see the face-to-face communication, between teachers and families, disappear anymore than it already has.
References
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide. San Fancisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hi Kaylie,
DeleteI completely agree with you about losing face-to-face communication, but that’s the way things are now. I feel like technology has completely taken over, its here to make thing easier for us but in a way its also disconnecting us from the real world. This type of communication is becoming extinct; the only way to interact is through social media, an email, or a text. But if you ask me, even that sometimes doesn’t work and things get lost. I think it has to deal with not having enough time in the day. The teacher that I work with adopted many ways to interact and communicate with families, and still we had students who missed bring your favorite toy day or bring a sack lunch for park day. What else are we to do when we have tried it all? We shall see what new ways she comes up with because it’s the children that lose out.
Hi Kaylie,
DeleteYou make a great point about face to face communication with the parents. However, with the schedules that parents keep those face to face are harder to have. This is where technology helps us to reach those parents. Majority of parents have smartphones, so interacting with them on this levels works out. Now if a situation is drastic then a face to face is a must. Really good point and post. Thanks for sharing, Crystal.
I agree face to face is very important. I think working at a daycare center it is a little easier to talk face to face with parents because they have to stop by to drop off their kids, but with schools it can be more challenging because kids ride the bus or are in before or after school care. As sad as it is some parents don't even come to parent teacher conferences which is why I think so many people have gone to online communication.
DeleteKaylie,
DeleteAs you stated when using technology we want to proceed with using technology that students have already been taught. Right at the moment my center is learning to use the App Himama. This app explains to the parent digitally everything they would like to know. Such as diapers, nap, food, and activities they have done for the day. our number one problem is getting the teachers familiar because it is hands on and confusing. So my number one key and concern is providing enough time to communicate and sho teachers how to use any technology.
Kaylie,
DeleteI agree with you that teachers should use technology and websites they are familiar with in the classroom. I can admit that children will put in different websites of things they do at home and can be totally inappropriate . Especially when you are dealing with older children. They love websites that promote violence. So it not only important to know the websites they are using but to monitor them while they are using the computer.
Kaylie, I also felt that I gained new ideas and new information to bring into the classroom. There are many parents who may seem not as supportive in their child's education as we'd like them to be, but we have to remember if we have student's in our classroom who come from another Language being their first Language this might have something to do with it. Maybe we can provide things in their language? What are some things you have done in your classroom to help your parents?
DeleteThis week I read Chapter Three, which was called Using Technology for Professional Productivity. According to Doug Johnson, “This chapter will describe a natural progression of technology used by teachers: using technology for professional productivity, to enhance traditional teaching practices, and to teach 21st- century skills” (page 47). As the years have passed most teaching guidelines have been improved by being done electronically, so that it is easier for the parents and the teachers.
ReplyDeleteDoug Johnson taught me that in order to use technology so that as a teacher you are being productive and making the information that you need available for whomever and wherever you need it. Having different places to hold all of your appointments for your job and personal life will be better organized if it was managed digitally. It also is very helpful when have the parent’s information and email to keep in contact with them at any time of the day. The number one way that parents like to be contacted or communicated with is by email because it is a quick and easy way to send a thoughtful message. Another way that communication can be shown is through the school website. Having this as a back up so you do not have to bother the parents by shooting them an email and having the parents look for the information they are interested in.
There are three different ways that teachers can help manage the classroom technologically. The first is a student information system, where, “the parents can check on the students progress, such as assignments turned in, quiz and test scores, and project grades, in real time rather than waiting for parent teacher conferences and report cards or having to contact you individually” (Doug, p. 52). The Student Information System gives the parents a way to check on their child’s work progress throughout the year and learn the strengths and weaknesses of each child. The second way is curriculum management system, having the teachers establish what the child is going to learn and the outcome of each lesson being taught. Third is the course management system, which I am able to use in this classroom due to Blackboard. The teacher presents the information is lectures, quizzes, or discussion boards for the course.
As a teacher using technology for professional productivity does not have to be difficult, there are some basic tools that can be used. The tools can be word processors, e-mail, websites, graphics, spreadsheets, and presentation software. The basic tools that are used can create a classroom environment with a planned curriculum, communication among parents and teachers, creating a visual learning environment, sharing ideas with teachers, as well as making activities or quizzes for the students. With a little guidance from administration technology will create a more interactive and modern wave to the education system.
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide. Jossey-Bass: CA.
Hi Stephanie!
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post, and it sounds like your communication with families and your classroom is very organized. I agree that many parents really like being able to communicate over email or through access to a school website. However, I think this may be different for parents of preschool aged children. In my experience, many parents of preschool children want to have a conversation about what happened with their children, and how their children are doing, every day. Not all parents care this much, but I think most still appreciate the individualization at the preschool age. I believe it is because this is usually the first time their children have been away from them, and many parents don't take preschool as seriously as elementary education.
Hi Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it crazy that despite all the good technology can do for us there are still those teachers who are resistant? After reading this week’s required chapter and learning about the three different systems, I am amazed at how organized things are and easier to access than before. I love the idea of being able to input grades and track their progress because it gives the parents and I a chance to intervene when a student is falling behind rather than waiting for parent teacher conferences. And without the course management system, I wouldn’t have been able to continue my education. It’s a love/hate relationship with technology and I, but mostly love. I hate that it’s the form of communication rather than speaking to another human, but the benefits are greater.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter three of our textbook touches on how teachers can use technology in their professional growth as teachers. (Johnson, 2012), gives us three points to the natural progression in technology use for teachers: “.Using technology for professional productivity. Using technology to enhance traditional teaching practices. Using technology to teach 21st-century skills”, (P.47). Today’s technology is everywhere and makes it easy for the teacher to use in the classrooms, for their students and families. However, there are times as teachers we are unsure which technology tools are good for the classroom. “Use only the technologies that personally empower you with you students”, (P.47). Our classrooms are our homes away from home. Just like we have the essentials at homes for our families. We also have to ensure that our classroom home is a safe learning environment for our students. Also, that the classroom is welcoming for their families.
Learning to stay organized in our classroom is helpful too in our teaching skills. Today’s technology is helpful in how we can stay organized. Using calendars, “An electronic calendar can be used to schedule single appointments and the day's events as well as repeating appointments, and it gives a visual or auditory alert prior to scheduled meeting,” (P.48). Also, using address book for phone numbers, and emails and mailing information are helpful in our organizational skills. Having a weekly “To-Do-List” is always a good ideal for teachers and how smartphones and tablets are set up that your calendars, emails, and the list can come right to your devices.
Not every classroom can have a landline telephone in the classroom, so having a cellphone is useful when an emergency happens. In the ECE classroom a cellphone is a distracting device, so installing classroom application on the iPad (Class DoJo is a good classroom app) that help parents and guardians keep track of what is going on in the classroom, is helpful and more prudent. Emailing parents to keep the lines of communication open is also helpful for teachers and parents. “Sending e-mail using electronic mailing lists is an effective way to disburse information to groups of people”, (P.49).
As educators learning to be flexible when integrating technology is important and helpful to have in our teaching toolbox. Our textbook touches on how creating classroom blogs, and using Google Docs for parents can make classroom life easy and more manageable. ”Google Docs and other programs like Microsoft Office 365 and Zoho offer a full set of productivity tools that are online rather than installed on your computer hard drive”, (P.70).
I am still learning how to use technology in my classroom, As an ECE teacher, I have to be careful what I allow the student to use and what I use. Technology for 3 to 5-year-olds has to be carefully introduced
Reference:
Johnson, D. (2012). The classroom teacher’s technology survival guide. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Hi Crystal!
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post, and I especially agree that having a phone, or form of communication, in the classroom is very important. I am a preschool teacher, so I can't leave the children in my classroom a lone. If something happens when I'm the only one in the room, I need to have a phone to call for help. Aside from emergency purposes, phones are also very important for communication. I know that landlines are ideal for some classroom, but I personally like to use a cellphone. I have found that having a cellphone allows me to check texts when I have time and on the go. This allows parents to communicate with me, but it doesn't cause me to stop everything to answer the phone. However, the parents are also aware that they can call if it is an emergency.
I agree with you on the subject of using technology to organize. Electronic calender's and address books can be good, but from my experience I am not so quick to use them.I had a tablet that I purchased with a well known brand name. I filed contact numbers and addresses into the tablet. I had the tablet for 1 year and lost all of my numbers and contact information; the tablet never started again. I previously had written all of that information in a address book. Also teachers should have more than one way to contact parents, it can be by texting or e-mails.
DeleteI must admit that I like how Johnson started with keeping professionally organized. He mentions a calendar, which most classes that I have been in do a calendar on a smart board and it is interactive and can be done to include so many different things for the kids depending on the class. I also like how he mentioned a to-do list. I am horrible about making a list and then forgetting said list when I go home to work on lessons or go to the store to buy things for the lesson at work, and then I end up forgetting half of what I needed. Having a to-do list stored on an app or a shared document online makes things so much easier for trying to get things done and making sure you have everything.
ReplyDeleteHe also takes about communication, and lets be real most communication is done through text or email now. He mentioned a school Web site and how there could be information on that. The school that my children go to has a school email address, however they also a parent link or parent page, and this can be connected directly to your child’s teacher and it makes communication so much easier. The link will allow teachers to do mass emails, individual emails, surveys, and even a supply list for parties or the classroom that allows the teacher and other parents to see what is needed, and when somebody says they will bring something in that particular item is taken off the list, and it will send a reminder to the parents to make sure they remember to bring in the items. This same link also has a section where parents can see the child’s grades. You do have to log in to the page/link because of confidentiality but it is nice to be able to see how your child is doing and what the class is up to.
Johnson also mentions the curriculum and I think this is important. A lot of things are done on the computer so that it is easier to share with other people. I know that IEPs and goals for the IEPs are documented online. I also know that different curriculums use an app for the teachers to document everything and it saves everything to an online program that can be accessed and shared by the teacher.
Johnson mentions different tools that can be used, such as spreadsheets and word processing, and the different benefits to using these programs. I feel that as far as those go I have used a lot of different programs and I completely understand the benefits to these programs. He mentions different sites that teachers can use to share and store things and so much more to help teachers. He mentions some good apps for teachers as well as some that aren’t good for the classroom.
Amanada,
DeleteAwesome post! Your sharing of your own experiences as a teacher and parent using technology inside and outside of the classroom shows that it can be resourceful tool. It is great that a parent can get access to their child's school to connect and communicate with staff members, view grades, and important documents. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Amanda,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post this week. I think you did a great job of summarizing the chapter. Before working with a school for fieldwork assignments, I wasnt aware that schools and teachers used personal web pages to keep in contact and communicate. I think this is a great idea and so easy for teachers to use, because as you mentioned most communication is done through text and email nowadays.
Final Reflection:
ReplyDeleteThis week's assignments were a little tougher than imagined. The internet workshop was okay since I did ask for help in a certain area but I was having trouble with the assessment of Copyright Kids! I found myself second guessing my evaluation each time I answered a section. I feel like I'm torn even now, but if I had to go one way it would be to not consider it appropriate for my students. I hope to get better as time goes on as I want to be able to provide appropriate resources to my classroom.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to use technology for professional productivity is good and has many advantages. We live in a world where you can communicate in so many different ways. You just don’t have to pick up a phone to call someone up to talk to them anymore to inform them about different events or to give them important messages .Technology has given people many ways to communicate messages, events and special occasions. You don’t even have to mail out invitations anymore you can do everything electronically.
In reading the text it stated “Teachers can use technology to become more effective communicators improving the flow of information to and from other staff members, students, parents, and the community” (pg. 49). Technology has made things more convenience and easier to communicate with others. Teachers can now send e-mails to reach multiple parents at one time. Teacher can send parents up-dates and weekly newsletters to inform them of what going on in the classroom. This is easier than calling each parent up one by one. Parents can response to e-mails and teachers don’t have to worry about the hassle of not being able to reach a parent. Technology has broaden the way we can communicate and be more effective with updating staff, parents and our community about what happening in our school system.
Communicating using technology really interested me while reading chapter 3. The reason why is because communication is the key especially when it comes to being a teacher. Every school needs to be able to communicate effectively that everyone knows what’s going on and what is expected from them. Having phones systems in the classroom is a plus this way you can reach parents and they can reach you without you leaving the classroom. E-mails are great because parents can always go back to read them if they forgot any information they need concerning their child and a quicker way to get a message across. Communicating to the community by using cable television’s networks that have informative bulletins , programs and activities keep the entire community aware about what happening in the schools.
Developing a school website is another way to communicate. As stated in the text “Basic contact information, calendars of events, staff directories, hot lunch menus, school policy documents curriculum guides, and links to departments and buildings in the district are useful to parents” (pg. 50). This helps keeps parents inform and it answers many questions that parents might want to know about the school. Though there are so many ways to communicate through technology as teachers we cannot neglect the fact that one on one in person is always best when building a relationship with staff, parents and the community. I do understand that it can be hard to reach and communicate with everybody so using technology helps everyone stay informed with just a punch of a button.
Reference: Johnson, D. (2012). The classroom teacher’s technology survival guide. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hey Natasha,
DeleteI love the idea of using phone systems in the classroom. We have phones in each class at work. We are able to intercom each classroom in case we need anything. We are also able to call parents if we need to. If you are currently in a classroom do you use any of the tools that were discussed in chapter three?
Hi Natasha!
DeleteYou are so spot on! Communication is key for effective teachers. If we area able to communicate with everyone who plays a role in our classroom we will be successful. I'm not sure if you remember reading a section in the book "Personal Aside" where there wasnt any communication between a parent and the teacher, without that communication the parent was unable to be notified that her son was not doing well in the classroom until 10 weeks after the school year had started. The parent said that if the curriculum had been available for her to see online that she would be able to better help her son do well before it was 10 weeks into the course of the school year. The parent wanted to be involved but needed some more guidance from the teacher. I have personally seen teachers use email as their main form of communication in relation to talking to parents, updating them on how their child is doing in class and even as far as sending out the newsletters that way.
Chapter Three ‘Using Technology for Professional Productivity’ This chapter talks about the natural progression of technology used by teachers. It talks about using technology for professional productivity, to enhance traditional teaching practices, and to teach 21st- century skills. Most teaching guidelines have been improved by being done electronically, meaning it is easier for parents and the teachers. Using technology is a great way to stay organized and clutter free. It is also a great way to keep connected with parents. Being able to send a quick email to a parent about a child’s day and how they are doing is great. In my experience parents like to be contacted by email because it is quick and can be received almost immediately. Another way technology can be used to communicate with parents would be through the school website. A lot of the times parents forget when an event is coming up or things like that and going back through hundreds of emails is a pain in the butt, so being able to go on a school website to look up those things is a great. It is also a great way to keep parents engaged in their child’s learning.
ReplyDeleteChapter three also talks about the three different ways that teachers can help manage the classroom technologically. Number one is a student information system, where, “the parents can check on the students’ progress, such as assignments turned in, quiz and test scores, and project grades, in real time rather than waiting for parent teacher conferences and report cards or having to contact you individually” (Johnson, p.52). The Student Information System gives the parents a way to check on their child’s work progress throughout the year and learn the strengths and weaknesses of each child. Number two is curriculum management system, having the teachers establish what the child is going to learn and the outcome of each lesson being taught. In my nieces second grade class they used this method. The teacher would send home a lesson plan for each day and it stated what the child was going to learn, how they were going to learn it and how they were going to take what they learned and use it in everyday life. It was a great way for my sister to see just what and how my niece was learning and it helped the teacher see how each and every student learned. Number three is the course management system, which are “online tools that can help you either design classes that are taught completely online or design, organize, and make available resources and activities that supplement face-to-face classes, creating what are commonly known as ‘hybrid’ or ‘blended’ classes.” (Johnson, pg.53). The teacher presents the information in lectures, quizzes, and or discussion boards. This is a great way for people who are seeking to further their education, but don’t have the time to physically sit in a classroom.
Not everyone is tech savvy and using technology doesn’t have to be mind boggling and difficult. There are some tools and software that teachers can use. There are word processors, e-mail, websites, graphics, spreadsheets, and presentation software. This is where teachers can create lesson plans, flyers, create assessments and progress reports. Emails allow teachers to keep in touch with parents and co-workers. Teachers can make PowerPoint presentations and such. Being a teacher can be stressful and very hectic, so technology can help teachers keep things more organized and less hectic.
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide. Jossey-Bass: CA.
Thank you for sharing, the major points and keys the important point of using technology. When validating the ways of the use of technology time and patients is so needed. I will get through this course.
DeleteHi Jessica!
DeleteThanks for sharing your summary this week! I think all that we read in Chapter 3 is beneficial to us educators, having these tools on hand, if used correctly, can make the classroom that much easier to handle. I have personally seen teachers use email as their main form of communication in relation to talking to parents, updating them on how their child is doing in class and even as far as sending out the newsletter that way. The teacher that I observed doing this also had a facebook group for her classroom, many parents used it and she wanted to be able to communicate in a way that she felt would be most effective. She is a prime example of the benefits of using technology in the classroom looks like!
This chapter has given me better insight on how using technology for professional productivity can be applied in the classroom. Chapter 3 gives a detailed breakdown on the different systems that are used to empower teachers as they learn to empower their students. When teachers are skillful in the usage of technology they can have better communication with parents and students. New communication strategies must be used to communicate with students and younger parents. (Johnson 2012). It is very important to reach people where they are at. Many people only communicate through technology; and communicating skills become more productive and efficient as teachers use technology to communicate with parents. There are different social medias that are available such as Facebook, blogs, texting and twitter; these are a few ways that teachers can communicate with parents. (p.51).
ReplyDeleteEmpowering students with technology can help them develop skills that they can master as they learn to use technology and navigate the computer. Teachers can provide and give new skills to students through the many programs that are used to create curriculum. When teaching these skills teachers can make learning fun and enjoyable. I have more understanding about the role technology has in the classroom. There are many tools to help teachers perform the many different task and duties that are expected from them. Teachers have great responsibilities in the classroom; they need to know how to use and operate the many different systems on a computer.
When reading this chapter, I still have questions about RSS Feeds and Readers; how do I simply mark a book site and organize it.? I generally will use the bookmark and mark it with a star. In the past when I tried to learn about different sites I accidently changed settings and it took hours for me to reset to default. I am learning but still have some trepidation about clicking and going to new programs.
I am getting more comfortable but I am struggling with changing home pages. Is there an easy way to change them? I will try some of the online tools such as Zoho, iGoolge, PBworks and Wikispaces. This information will be good for me, in the past I have gone onto sites that were misleading. I now know I have some control on how to access and navigate the computer more efficiently. I don’t have to be at the mercy of the web, I can have some control.
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher’s Survival Guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
I agree children should feel empowered with technology. It is also important for the teachers to know how to use technology so that they can use it and teach the children how to use it. I agree about the RSS Feeders and Readers.I am struggling to figure those out as well.
DeleteHi Caprice,
DeleteHow do you feel about social media for communication with families? I only share with families my social media when we have built a special relationship, otherwise I do not and I try to wait until the end of the school year. I am willing to receive communication via text messages because many of my families do not have land-line phones and text messages are free in some case? I am working on better understanding of the RSS Feeders as well. I enjoy reading your post.
Justina
This week I really enjoyed reading Johnson’s chapter on “Using Technology for professional productivity”. I like how he started the chapter off with being organized. When it comes to keeping track of names, grades, attendance, schedules, etc. for a whole classroom of students that can be overwhelming. But on top of that too also keep track of your own calendar, to-do-lists, and addresses can add even more stress. Being able to use technology tools to help you stay organized and managing all of this information portably by synchronizing them with your smartphones can be very helpful for teachers throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic I enjoyed reading about in this chapter is communicating using technology. As a teacher, communication with parents and other staff in the school is so important. “Teachers can use technology to become more effective communicator, improving the flow of information to and from other staff members, students, parents, and the community.” (Johnson, 2012, p.49). In classrooms today, I have observed teachers using telephones, email, class/school websites, blogs, texting, and so much more to stay in communication with those they need. I have notices that many schools use school/class web pages to communicate and keep families and staff informed on what is going on in the students’ day. These sites allow the school and teachers to share class information, unit information, curriculum, early release and school closures, and student progress information. I think it’s very important for teachers to use these sites, and for parents to take advantage and appreciate the fact that the teachers and school are providing them with this information.
Johnson, D. (2012). The classroom teacher’s technology survival guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Final Reflection
ReplyDeleteWhile completing this week’s assignments, I found myself feeling more comfortable using a computer and navigating through websites. I was surprised at how well I was able to explain how to get to the website and articles. I hope that my wording wasn’t too confusing. I haven’t had a lot of experience working with children older than the preschool age, so I always worry that I have unreal expectations for children who are older.
During the task two of the assignment, I found myself being surprised by different things. At first I thought the Copy Right Kids website was very user friendly. The only original red flag, I saw, was that there were no real or related pictures. As I continued to do the assignment, I realized that there wasn’t any contact information for the organization that was supposed to be publishing the site. There was only an email address for a single person, who didn’t seem to be affiliated with the organization. After I realized this, I started to see that there were many more red flags. The website was trying to persuade users to copyright. The website was also not interactive. Everything was pretty much just listed. I was very surprised at how trusting I was because the website was fast and formatted well. I won’t be as trusting next time.
Chapter 3 has given me understanding of using technology, but having the actual hands experience can be a bit confusing. I have gotten frustrated plenty of time using technology and just don't feel like continuing gaining the knowledge needed to learn what needed. When it comes to using technology in the classroom or home can be beneficial in some ways and in others it's not beneficial.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is and great way to communicate, make it easy to use less paper, teaching children with disabilities, navigation, music, and physical uses. There are other ways technology can be beneficial for the the growth and development of an individual when learning the basics. The disadvantages of Technology is being on site that are inappropriate and that aren't children friendly.
Technology in the classroom is a good way to implement lessons to the children when the educator can't reach the needs of the children, when the children need that extra push or when they are ready to move forward to next level for advancement.
Technology in the classroom will help can help with lessons during small groups, large groups and individual lessons when differentiation must take place. Me, myself personally have trouble when it comes to technology. According to my reading of Chapter 3 the lay out and the explanation of each bullet is well explained to enhance the smallest frustrating moments that may occur, while becoming familiar with Technology and the usage.
Final Reflection
ReplyDeleteDuring the reading of Chapter 3, communicating with the Professor and reading the post above of my peers. Technology don't have to be as hard as I make it. Technology can be simple, a cool breeze and not to rushed through to understand. Using technology and having an understanding of how to manuver through the steps and process to gain knowledge of the accurate use of all technical devices.
Reading chapter 3 Using Technology for Professional Productivity, gave me knew ideas that can be used within the classroom. Johnson does a good job of describing ways to use technology to make teaching easier and how to use our time more efficiently. He also stated to use only the technology that personally empowers us and our students. If we do not know how to use an e-mail account, how can we expect our students to know how to use it. Our school district using several of the uses of technology that was discussed in chapter three. We use emails, SIS, newsletters, calendars, and voicemail. All of our phone systems connect to each other. We have three schools and the unit office. I work at the elementary school but if I need to talk to someone at the middle school, I can simply pick up the phone and dial the extension number. This makes communication between teachers easier. We also have voicemails set up so that parents can leave messages with teachers. The teacher in my classroom does weekly classroom newsletters that indicate what goals we are trying to achieve, important dates to remember, and pictures of the students. I do not know of any teachers at the elementary school that have a blog or classroom web page. Some of the middle school or high school teachers may have blogs since they have more knowledge, time, and awareness of the technology. Students only have computers a limited amount at the elementary school so unless they have computer access at home, some assignments that have to be completed using a computer may be a challenge. In our classroom, we also use a calendar online to keep track of the snacks. We have to show state officials our records of what the students are given during snack time. This is an easy way to keep track and we can print it off or email it as needed. I have also taught a cooking class at an afterschool program. I had another lady help me. We created a calendar in google sheets that we both had access to and could edit as needed. On here we put the days we taught and then we could add what we were making and list of ingredients that we needed. We both worked at different places so this made it easy for both of us to input recipes and plan ideas. I also use a calendar for my use that I input my work appointments, my daughter’s appointments, birthdays/anniversaries, church events, and family events. Our lives are pretty busy so this helps me keep everything in order! I enjoyed reading this chapter as it gave me some good ideas to use in my own classroom. I am still not familiar with Wiki and RSS Feeds so hopefully I can learn more about those as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteJohnson (2012) states, teachers can use technology to become more effective communicators to other staff, students, parents, and the community (p.49). Using email, telephones, video chat and web connection of programs that imply instant messages like Class Dojo. These forms of technology are most important if you know how to use them but you will need to learn how they may work in not over use them. Before a teacher can safely and knowledgeably introduce such a powerful tool, he or she must first learn to harness that power within their school day. Teaching with technology can deepen student learning by supporting instructional objectives. However, it can be challenging to select the “best” tech tools while not losing sight of your goals for student learning.
ReplyDeleteAnd also, a great part of technology in the area of parent-teacher interactions co0mes from a portal. This portal has student’s grades, important messages, and is utilized even for assignments to be done. Moreover, rather than wait a quarter or mid –quarter for progress reports students grades and other important information can be shared with parents. Such information can be sent to parents as and when required so that any follow-up discussions are more relevant and appointments to set for further discussion. Many schools already use student management. It is considered a useful tool to utilize for both the teacher in parents to access.
However, the reading also implemented that there are three types of systems that teachers must come accustomed to before using. Filling the void with learning how all three of the systems work. One of them being the database of a Curriculum Management System. This is a guide that employs teachers to handle the school’s core values and defines the base curriculum used. This system is utilized for the helping hand of teachers to compose all student’s progress towards the composure of the schools standards. The outcomes of the students’ progress describes all of the outcomes and content on the school’s curriculum of how the teacher adjusted and implemented different strategies to meet student’s needs. The second system is the Student Information System. This allows teachers access to find and report class schedules, grade books, attendance, grades, progress updates, demographics and assessment data (Johnson, 2012, p. 52). The last system which is Course Management System. It acts as if a supplement for the use of students to engage through the traditional classes utilized but instead online. Johnson lists briefly the possibilities that one can do when it comes to creating a class page or using a school website. Moreover, using this system Kendall has helped me be more flexible and engage myself in online classes in working along with taking care of my family. Using different technology is just not a benefit but a plus for those that need flexible learning.
Reference:
Johnson, D. (2012). The classroom teacher’s technology survival guide. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
I use several things mentioned in chapter three for personal reasons. Things like email, calendars, and to do list make my life a lot more organized. Our school district uses email to keep in contact with teachers and supervisors as well as parent contact. I think this is useful like you said so if there is a problem it can be addressed before the quarter ends. The teachers also have access to the child’s record both personal and educational. They enter all grades and progress reports online so it is helpful to know how to navigate the systems. What does your place of employment use?
DeleteThe Curriculum Management System is a good idea to use. That way teachers will know exactly what skills they need to apply to help students learn. It is also good to use for records. A teacher is able to keep track of students progress with this system. Technology has it good points when it comes to helping teachers stay on task; it is also good for collecting data and keeping grades.
DeleteBlog -SOE380
ReplyDeleteSummary: Chapter 3
After this weeks required readings Johnson, D. (2012) discuses using technology for professional productivity, using technology to enhance traditional teaching practices, and using technology to teach 21st-century skills. (pg. 47-82). Furthermore, he explains that because of the powerful benefit technology has and how we once we relied on humans is no longer needed. Sadly, everything has become technology in this century. Teachers now have multiple ways of being professionally organized and communicating using technology. Everything a teacher needs access to, can be electronically done from calendars, address books, to-do list, and print outs of important information. I know for me; my phone is my life when it comes to being organized. I have access to everything on my phone, such as: emails, notes, calendars, screenshots, photos, school, work, etc.
Johnson, D. (2012). Explains all the professional ways a teacher can using technology to communicate effectively with staff, parents, and students. He mentions modern telephone systems, E-mails as a first preferable method, face-to -face, programs, school websites, and social networking. There are many ways teachers communicate daily where somehow or another technology is involved. This is where I agree, because I see all the time how no people no longer have direct eye contact anymore. Society has become controlled by robots all over. Take for example, when we go to a grocery store. We scan our items and the robot talks to us, letting us know the price of each item, and telling us our total. Same thing as communicating through emails and texts. We don’t physically see nor hear the person we are having the conversation with.
Teachers are required to use a certain data base for student information such as attendance, assessments, grades, demographics, and class schedules. (p.52) All of these things tie into the use of technology. There is a student information system, curriculum management system, and course management system, that Johnson explains are used to store and manage information in education. (pg. 52-53).
Some of the basic productivity tools Johnson (2012) mention are word processor which he explains is a program used to “input and manipulate text.” E-mails, a tool to communicate through messages to colleagues, business related, obtain information, and create activities. Web browsers gives us access to the world wide web and allows a user to input any web address. (pg. 62). There are many ways to communicate using technology that I think this chapter does a great job explaining for us.
Reference
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hi Jessica,
DeleteHow do you feel about communicating via text messages and emails? For me, with families I see daily because of pick-up and drop off, I use technology less because building a relationship with my families, I believe takes personal interaction. However, I have many students who ride a bus and I do not see the families and here is where I try to use technology to keep communication open.
Great post.
Justina
This assignment was very focused on how to find information on a website and where. So a child with no knowledge on technology would be able to do the assignment. I led the students to the link, but also asked them for specific information they would most likely find on the page. Glimpsing at a website and breaking it down you notice what it has and needs. For All About Seeds needs author and examples of seeds would have been helpful for the students. If I had the ability to create my own webpage I would step by step see what is needed especially links and an author.
ReplyDeleteEvaluating the website Welcome to Copyright Kids was helpful.The website did not even catch my attention and I honestly had zero idea if it was reliable enough. There were a lot of words but not a lot of pictures. For children it would have been kid friendly to have pictures on each page. Also the facts sounded like they came straight from a quote, with no cites and it is a website for copyright. As a website that is kid friendly facts are great, but interaction even such as games will keep the child's attention so he or she is able to learn.
Using technology for professional productivity in the classroom is acquired in stages by teachers as they continue to practice the uses. A teacher needs to be equipped with the knowledge of technology before attempting to teach the use and function of technology to students. A reference was made in the text that you can’t teach a language you don’t know; you shouldn’t share a book you don’t like; and you can’t teach in a way in which you are not a successful learner. It’s the same with technology ((Johnson, 2012, p. 47, para 4). Technology can be an essential tool for a teacher as it provides different functional benefits that promote organization, productive communication, and helpful resources.
ReplyDeleteA teacher can communicate with colleagues and parents through technology such as emails since meeting in person is sometime limited. Face-to-face communication can still occur through PowerPoint and videos. These tools can also be used as visuals for teaching different subjects, enhancing the perception of the lessons by the students. For instance, historical sites can be recorded for the student to see.
Word processor is commonly used by teachers in communicating to their audience through things such as newsletters, but should remember to make them interesting so that it will catch the eye of the reader. I have noticed that some students have taken typed letters home for the parent to read and it will be in their backpacks weeks later. A teacher has to be careful in using social media even though they are a great way to communicate with parents and others. The teacher that becomes productive has to be mindful of how he or she puts the student’s information on the Web so not to have too much for others to get access to.
After reading this chapter I realize that is very important that technology can be a great advantage in the classroom is used correctly, therefore learning and gaining knowledge about how to incorporate and use it in the classroom can ease some of the stress of handwritten and repetitive documents.
Web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Explorer allows us to use search engines to obtain information about topics, use tools, or resources to advance teaching capabilities for educational purposes. Google is the biggest and most popular search engine now.
I have taken computer courses, but The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide is helping me to understand more about applying it in the classroom. In sharing and reading I will become more proficient and ready for technology use in the classroom.
Reference:
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher's Technology Survival Guide. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.
This week in Johnsons book we read about using technology for professional productivity. As Johnson (2012) describes it, "a natural progression of technology use by teachers: using technology for professional productivity, using technology to enhance traditional teaching practices, and using technology to teach 21st century skills." (P.47)
ReplyDeleteIt is critical to our teaching that we are only using the technologies that empower us as educators. Using technology in the classroom will not only benefit us but also our students by teaching them how to utilize tools that are widely used in our everyday lives.
There are a number of things that technology does for us as teachers, it allows us to keep organized, communicate with not only one another but our students and their families, manage our curriculums and course management, create lessons, and use resources that we may not have had available otherwise. Technology is our friend!
In chapter 3, Johnson goes over basic online tools that we must know to effectively use technology. He also goes over a list things that a competent user, in different areas, is able to do. After reading his list and taking myself and what I already know into account I would confidently say that by Johnsons standards I am competent in blogs, online productivity suites, excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft word and many others that he mentions. In my workplace, as one of the few people who are pretty well rounded in the basics of technology, I am really excited to be able to incorporate this into my classroom. Our technological world is changing so quickly and in order to teach effectively and efficiently we must learn to ride the horse now!
Johnson, D. (2012). The classroom teacher’s technology survival guide. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Nicole,
DeleteIt is important that educators be aware of and competent in their use of technology as it is a part of our today's society and school's environment. Technology within the classroom can be an advantage for the educator as it does help with the number of things that you mentioned in your post such as organization and communication. It is great that you are compentent in your skills of using technology. Great post!
Reflection:
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 offered a lot of information for teachers about what they can do to include in the classroom and how to motivate and encourage their use of technology. He also listed different apps and things o use in the classroom and things that teachers should try to avoid. It is nice having an idea on things that should be used and things to avoid instead of having to do trial an error. It is also nice that he provided many different programs and things for teachers to try to use for themselves and why it can be so useful.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteThis week’s assignments were not too difficult. I think an internet workshop would be fun to do with maybe second or third graders. Workshops could be done by themes such as community workers, farm animals, planets, presidents, or plant life cycles, etc. It would be great experience for them to learn how to navigate a website and help develop higher level thinking skills. If I let them work in groups, this project would help develop communication skills and how to work together. A internet workshop would allow opportunity to have a great class discussion. The second task I found to be more difficult. I watch the video of Howard Rheingold discussing how to detect creditable sources. He stated to find out who the author is, what are the sources, what is the agenda, and to think like a detective. I am torn because this is time consuming but at the same time I as a teacher to not want my students to be misinformed. I think this is something we could discuss together and walk through together as a class. But it may be hard for second or third graders to understand. The copyright website that we used was hard to navigate and was not very visually appealing. I would not recommend using it to other teachers.
Final Reflection: Week 3
ReplyDeleteThis week’s assignment was very interesting. The Community Workers assignment was a task that challenged me. I learned it is very important to have clear, direct information when accessing sites. When giving instructions to students they need very detailed clear directions; as a teacher, you must know technology and have the computer skills to be able to teach students. In this assignment, I had to make sure I gave clear, precise directions, I had to go over and rethink my directions a few times to make sure they were clear. I also had to be sure instructions were easy and clear for students to follow. As a student, it is very frustrating when teachers do not give clear instructions, I know how younger students may feel after this assignment.
The Evaluation Check list was an eye-opener. When I first opened the site, I thought it was a site for educational purposes. After I finished the checklist I was amazed that it did not have the proper content for Teacher’s to build curriculum on for learning assignments. I have accessed sites that were misleading, but this was a good example of what is needed as you search and do research on the internet.
I see myself using this lesson in every area of life, not just professionally. When students are given the right tools and skills they will be more prepared to excel in technology. They will also be more equipped to do research online. Students will also learn to comprehend much better as they begin to understand what is expected of them as they do their assignments that involve the usage of technology.
Refection 3
ReplyDeleteAs we are moving through the 21st century, we as educators are learning that technology in our classrooms is an important and vital teaching tools. Also, it helps to keep us organized and in touch with our families in more productive way. “Teachers are expected to use the giant database known as the student information system (SIS),” (P.52). This database helps us with easy access to our student’s personal information if an emergency were to arise. We use the database for keep attendance current. Technology has transformed how we run our day to day classroom. Developing our technologic knowledge and skills helps us as educators to work more efficiently in our classroom. Although technology is important we are the teachers and it is our jobs to ensure that our student no matter their ages are working on safe sites. Doing our due diligent before we assign homework or site up iPads or tablets for young children.
Reference
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
While reflecting on this week assignments, I have to admit it took me awhile to understand how to put my internet workshop together. After reading over the materials that were given along with the assignment I am hoping that I have done it correctly. I never thought about having a worksheet to go only with an internet website for children. I would have thought that the questions they had to answered in the reading on the website would have been enough for this assignment. But now I see how beneficial it is to have them to take notes on what they have learned. This was a very good experience and enjoyed putting my workshop together. Now as for the second task is concern with looking at a website that didn’t state the author clearly or was the annotations done correctly? This site had a lot of information that seem to be very informative. What bother me the most about the site is that it has not been up-dated since 2007 when it was copyrighted. So this let me know that this information that is given might not be valid for me to use today. I also noticed there were no photographs of the author or the organization that invented this website. Neither did you get any information on the background or professionalism of the website. Some questions I was unsure about but I hope I did well.
ReplyDeleteUsing Technology for Professional Productivity
ReplyDeleteI have experience to benefits of using technology for professional productivity with having classroom websites that include important information for families and students. I was using the website of my granddaughter school to gain information about important fundraiser dates and on the school website I have many links to valuable information that I can use for my granddaughter to help support the school and my granddaughters learning. I am excited to learn how to build my own web page because I know in our professional futures this kind of technology will be imperative to our productivity in our careers.
“As teachers have always had responsibility for their own calendars, address books, and to-do list that have keep teacher professionally organized” (Johnson, 2012, p. 48). It is interesting to me, how much I depend on technology to keep myself organized. I will admit, I still walk around with a calendar organizer. However, I find myself writing in it less often. I use my mobile device most, my tablet second most often, and my personal computer not as often with the new development of all that mobile phones and tablets can do through applications. I have many applications I use on my devices that as I think about it I could not do without as this information is available anytime.
Today communication through mobile devices and tablets are most often used with my families. I had experience trying to communicate with my parents through telephone calls and often found numbers not working and or accepting calls. I then would try using emails but while this worked for a few of my families who knew how to use this technology there were many families who will not familiar with this use of technology. What I have recently experienced was text messaging was best and most wanted form of communication with my parents and families. I had reservations about if this form of communication was perhaps unprofessional because as I was learning about technology it seems too personal to have this kind of open any time communication with families.
I have personally used the student information system through my place of employment and we were given professional workshop training to teach us to how to use their database. The program we used was COPA and I believe it to be easy to navigate and enter student information.
In our reading this week, I found very informative the “A Letter to Teachers About Google Apps for Education and Inappropriate Google Apps for Education Usage Procedure” (Johnson, 2012, pp. 72 -73). After reading this, I look to ask our granddaughter school how much freedom do the students have within the classroom on the internet? The school administrator stated the children have limited access to the internet with strict restrictions.
I also found the RSS Feed Aggregators and readers very interesting because for me it is an area of technology knowledge that is new to me. I learned about how RRS feeds allow a person to create a single site. And with this knowledge, I can learn this and have a web site of my very own for my students and families. I am looking forward to learning how to create RSS feed aggregator account, add a feed to a blog, read a blog entry with a aggregator (this I already knew how to do) and Start an item ad find the starred-items folder (Johnson, 2012).
Works Cited
Johnson, D. (2012). The Classroom Teacher's Technology Survival Guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Justina, I think it's great that you are really involved with your granddaughter, and it is all done through technology. We need to get comfortable with technology as professional educators if this is our career choice and even then many careers survive because we do everything in life with technology.
DeleteHi Jessica,
DeleteThank you for your comment.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the text by Mr. Johnson and posts about using technology for professional productivity, I believe that using technology used correctly is a good resourceful means for different reasons. Using technology within the classroom helps the teacher to use tools in a similar manner to a business as calendars can be used to record events and scheduled appointments. One of the productive ways using technology is it helps to communicate. My daughter enjoys being able to have access to her sons information and communication with their teachers especially since she cannot meet personally at times because of work. I wish this resource was available when my children were in school. The text shared a story of a parent that felt as if the teacher had communicated better with her she may have been able to assist with her child’s progress in school. As she mentioned some parents are willing and want to help with their child(ren) educational needs.
I have knowledge of technology, but there are things that I look forward to learning more about through this course and sharing of information with through discussion postings. The past few weeks of reading have been interesting. Blogging and PowerPoint are things fairly new to me, as I have only done them a few times. I admit that there are areas of technology that I need assistance and knowledge with, as I am not familiar with such as RSS. I work in a Pre-K setting that does not use some of technology resources used in public schools to help manage, document, and communicate.
Final Reflection,
ReplyDeleteThis week was great to really learn about the different ways teachers use technology in the classroom. I never really thought of how technology helps teachers so much. Then I think about how I am always making lesson plans, flyers, assessments and such. And finally realized that if I had to write and draw them out then I'd be super stressed and my classroom would be hectic. Technology makes the classroom less stressful and hectic and makes connecting with parents and staff easy. Great week!
Reflection:
ReplyDeleteThis weeks readings offered a lot of information that connected with technology and professional ways teachers use technology in education everyday. One of the biggest things we do as professional educators is communicate with parents, staff, families, and students everyday. Well how do we make this possible? Through emails, phones, text, Google Drive, Letters, etc. We also make lesson plans, create worksheets, and provide invitations through Word Documents. I can say for myself that I have depended on technology for a long time now. I check my emails, do homework, pay bills, and stay in contact with friends and family through technology. Technology is something we use everyday.
This weeks task assignments were a little more challenging than the last two have been. I have to admit without the video to help guide us in task one I would have struggled with what to do in the assignment. I think I was able to give my students good directions on how to navigate through the website, I just hope it wasn't too much or too confusing. Task two was also a challenging assignment. At first the questions I was asking were relatively easy, but as I got closer to being finished, the questions really made me think hard about the authenticity of the site, and if I would recommend it.
ReplyDeleteReflection:
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed this weeks assignment task! we were exposed to the many ways we can utilize technology for educational purposes in our classroom. Creating an internet workshop was a bit intimidating at first because I didn't know if i could do the internet justice! i mean theres just so much to use! overall it was a fun experience that i could see myself using in the near future. Task 2, on the other hand was not my favorite, the website we used was insightful but quite frankly, it was too messy for me. the pages seemed very jammed together, i personally learn best when things are clear and clean cut but there seemed to be wayyyyyy too much information squished on one page. I am sure all of the information was helpful but I would personally not use it due to its appearance, it would keep me a way.
Reflection Week 3 – Using Technology for Professional Productivity
ReplyDeleteOur text book gives us a detailed example of many different ways technology is used to keep professionals organized. After reading many of my classmates post, we all use some form technology most of us use most of the points made by Johnson. I was surprise by the use of social media as a form of communication because I find this to be very personal space. But I like the idea of a fan page that can be made by the classroom teacher and invite the families to stay connected. I will try this one when I get out there. I find myself moving back and forth when it comes to keeping us with contact information, because I have lost my electrical contacts before and talk about painful experience. I still use an address book for my back up and it is very time consuming. I have not graduated to the Internet backup of information, because of the idea of giving other peoples personal information to the Internet. I just do not trust it to because of the news media talk about importance of keeping the information confidential. I am old school, I guess.
I will say I see the benefits of mass messages and email list, I am part of both and it was not until one of our classmates mentioned in their post the value of this form of communication.
Justina
This week we learned about UDL, what it id, what it means and how to implement it into our classrooms. I don't work with kids with learning disabilities or children who struggle with English, so I don't really know how to make sure my lesson plans is able to meet the needs of more than three different needs. It helped alot to look at the different aspects of UDL and what exactly needs to be incorporated into lesson plans to make sure the needs of all are met. I did struggle with looking at the lesson plan and going through it to see if the different aspects of UDL are being met. I think I struggled more with understanding the worksheet guide and the questions. As I was reading the question and then looking at the more in-depth aspects of UDL I got confused as to what exactly I was looking for in the lesson plan. What helped me I researched more into UDL and really looked at the lesson plan. Even though i struggled a bit on this assignment, it really helped me understand how to make my lesson plan for the different needs of my students, such as large visuals for students with impaired vision. Or audio for children whose hearing impaired. With more reading and a little practice I think incorporating UDL will be fine.
ReplyDelete