Module 6

The chapter that addressed my Career Prep class the most was Chapter 9, Teaching and Listening with Technology in English and Language Arts. "The last decade has seen growing emphasis on the use of technologies to support literacy instruction" (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.272). This chapter presented several resources that I could use in my class. One resource that really stood out to me was the integration of word clouds. This particular tool can “offer a motivating environment for engaging students with words” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.273).


Advantages
Roblyer and Doering (2013), discuss one new strategy that helps foster reading and writing skills is word clouds. Word clouds are a great way to “build vocabulary skills using new technologies” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.268). This can be adapted to focus on specific business vocabulary the students will need in their careers. Wordle (http://www.wordle.net) is an example of a website that produces word clouds. This could be used to familiarize students with common words used in business communications. Students can input the words from business text and the Wordle will reveal the commonly used words of importance. This particular website is fairly easy to use and produces results that are extremely easy to read in a very professional manner.

This website offers ways to integrate word clouds in the classroom:
http://www.web2teachingtools.com/wordle.html




Another great resource of how to use Wordle in the classroom:

M6 50 ways to use Wordle in the classroom http://t.co/cQ5t7nhM6B via @SlideShare #ED527UM
— Bart Raulston (@BartRaulston) November 17, 2013

M6 Check out "35 Ways of Using Word Clouds in Language Teaching" on @eflclassroom http://t.co/t1HxRLf3xW #ED527UM
— Bart Raulston (@BartRaulston) November 17, 2013

Disadvantages

"Technologies have also brought about dramatic change in the format and types of communication" (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.266). For example, in a word cloud, text doesn't read from left to right as the reader is traditionally used to viewing. Instead, it can go in many different directions which can confuse students who have trouble interpreting new information.
While word clouds are great visual representations, they are just a starting point and do not provide any definitions to the words. The teacher has to direct the students as to finding the definition and how the word cloud can be applied to the lesson. Another disadvantage is that you have to make sure all computers are up to date with the appropriate plugins (flash, java, etc.). Without these, you will not be able to see your produced word cloud. Another possible disadvantage is that all the results are based upon student input. So in other words, if the students don’t accurately input the words, then the word cloud will not consistent. Tagxedo (http://www.tagxedo.com) is another word cloud website that provides a few more options than Wordle. However, it is a little more complicated to operate so students could struggle with the process.

This website helps address some of the problems that users encounter with Tagxedo:
http://mrsteachnology.blogspot.com/2012/07/tagxedo-roster-tutorial.html

Wiki Reflection

I am glad that I was able to get some feedback on my wiki site. One of the feedback comments that I got was about one of my widgets. It was a widget to donate to the AWF, however, it didn't seem to be working correctly so I removed it from my page. I have found that a lot of widgets tend to do this so it is important to check them several times and have a "plan b" when using them with students.

Here is a link to my revised wiki: http://braulston.wikispaces.com/home

Module 5

The Interactive Classroom

21st Century Skills for Students and Teachers, including the ICT Competency Framework for Teachers
Although “technology skills” is a small piece of the 21st century framework, components of the interactive classroom can be integrated through many areas of framework. The Interactive Classroom can help teach students about many 21st Century skills by providing an easier way for students to relate to work. The Interactive Classroom relates well to the “knowledge creation” level of the ICT Framework for Teachers. This is “intended to increase productivity by creating students, citizens, and a workforce that is continually engaged in and benefits from knowledge creation and innovation and life-long learning” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 21).



Technology use based on problem solving

Utilizing technology in the classroom can not only help to motivate and engage students, support their learning needs, and prepare them for future learning. Through the use of interactive classrooms, teachers are able to give students the opportunity to engage learners to “see the application of what they are studying as authentic and part of the real world” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 25).



Constructivist vs. Objectivist

I feel that the Constructivist learning theory is more closely aligned with the interactive classroom because it relates more to “participating in certain experiences” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.37). The mere definition of the interactive classroom is when students have a hands-on manipulation of classroom tools. Students are able to individually interact with the classroom and by doing so are able to better construct their own knowledge as they go, instead of just absorbing what is said by a teacher through direct instruction. According to Roblyer and Doering (2013), in a constructivist classroom, students are doing “activities that help them generate their own knowledge” (p.36).

Flipchart
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/Resources/Item/43580/conserving-the-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-decisions-and-debate#.UnRzahb3nzd

I liked this flipchart because it attempted to keep students interactive while discussing an important topic. An essential question is listed on the 2nd slide, which provides students with a focus for the lesson. Student response systems are integrated throughout this lesson providing an opportunity for students to be engaged throughout the discussion. This type of technology integration can help support students’ learning needs. Roblyer and Doering (2013) discuss how “integrated learning systems and mobile, handheld technologies help teachers quickly assess and track student progress, giving them the rapid feedback they need to make adjustments to their learning paths” (p. 26).

These are some good resources to help make your classroom interactive:

M5 http://t.co/XXV5oFLd8u Good ideas for how to make Class Active and Interactive #ED527UM
— Bart Raulston (@BartRaulston) November 2, 2013

Module 4

Wiki:
http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Home

Web 2.0: Cool Tools for Schools is a wiki that I found that I might use in my classroom. Also, I could create a similar one for my class because “it is still up to the teacher to choose the most appropriate pedagogy for the situation” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 238). This particular site has provided me with ideas that I might share with my students about electronic publishing. Roblyer and Doering, (2013) explain electronic publishing as, students submitting written or artistic products to websites.
By being able to add things to a website, it allows student work to be shared with other students and visitors to that website. It used to be uncommon for students to publish online, but now it is becoming the norm (Roblyer and Doering, 2013). This can easily be accomplished with the use of wikis.

Widgets:
HTML Scrolling Text Box
HTML Scrolling Text box is a great widget to add to your website. The animated movement automatically draws your attention. It is excellent to convey important messages of which your students need to be aware. This would be ideal for notifying students to check their grades on iNOW or if there is something due in Edmodo that needs to be reviewed.

Google Calendar Widget:
GoogleCalendar has an html widget that you can embed on your webpage. One of the ways this could be very useful in your class would be by simply entering in the daily assignments. If a student is ever absent or needs to make up work, they could simply check the calendar to see what needs to be done. Also, teachers can post due dates and other information on the calendar.




Web-Based Lesson:

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/lesson/?ar_a=1

Web-based activities have great potential to enhance learning (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 238). National Geographic hosts many web-based lessons that could be used in the classroom. National Geographic brings the deepest, darkest, jungles to your classroom with the push of a button. An example of a web-based lesson or project, is an electronic field trip. Electronic field trips are a way to bring real world situations to the classroom (Roblyer and Doering, 2013). This site is an easy way to help a teacher accomplish this.

M4 This webpage offers websites with Web-Based Collections and Projects http://t.co/tiNJ8eD8eM #ED527UM
— Bart Raulston (@BartRaulston) October 18, 2013

Module 3 Reflection

URLs: What do URLs tell you/students about web sites?

“The Internet has made such a difference in our society that it is difficult to remember when we did not depend on it” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 214). With this newfound resource, also comes responsibility. Part of that responsibility is knowing what you are reading on the Internet and who wrote it. URLs can tell you a lot about a website, as long as you know how to read them. The main benefit I discuss with my students is how to determine what type of website it is based on the suffix. For example, a website ending in “.gov” is a government website, whereas “.edu” is an education based website. I then go on to explain that these, in general, are more reliable than a “.com” website. Anyone can create a “.com” website, but you have to be an established organization to qualify for others.

Search Engines: How can learning to use search engines help you/students find better information?
Search engines are the foundation for research. If all you know is one specific website, then you would be limited to that site’s information only. Whereas, if you put it into a search engine, you will not only get that website’s information, but it will pull information from any website containing your search criteria. By teaching students how to determine effective search criteria and how to differentiate between good and bad websites, you will provide them with a much broader range of quality information to choose from.

Internet Tool: Choose one Internet Tool (in the section beginning on p. 223) and discuss how you might use it in a classroom.
One Internet tool that I think would be very helpful in my classroom would be podcasts. For instance, when I am teaching my career prep class about interviewing skills, it would be very beneficial for them to listen to a podcast about interviewing techniques. With them hearing real world experiences and tips for interviewing, it makes a more concrete connection than just reading the information from a book.

M3 Remember podcasting? It's back - and booming http://t.co/ups3hrWFfb via @usatoday #ED527UM
— Bart Raulston (@BartRaulston) October 4, 2013

Favorite Web Sites: Finally, pick two web sites that you feel are your favorite. Post the web sites and talk about why they will be beneficial to teachers and/or students. Use at least two references to chapter 7 (for each) that makes these web sites effective resources.

Two of my favorite websites are Edmodo and YouTube. Edmodo is a social networking site designed especially for students. One of the biggest advantages is that it prepares them for websites they might use in the future but protects them from many of the pitfalls associated with those websites. This is achieved because Edmodo is a closed system that functions similar to Facebook. By operating similar to Facebook, it gets them used to posting, friending, sharing and discussing topics online. Where Edmodo really shines is that it is a closed system. As Roblyer and Doering state, “many times young people tend to believe everything they hear and read” (p. 215). Edmodo eliminates this risk because you have to be a student/teacher in that school system to have access to the information. This gives young students a chance to learn the ends and outs of social networking in a safe environment with students in their schools. Another benefit about Edmodo is the lack of advertisements that pop up on the website. “Many Internet sites have colorful compelling images that encourage people to buy” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 215). With this eliminated, students are not enticed by advertisers.

YouTube is another website that I really enjoy in my classroom. But as Roblyer and Doering (2013), share, many websites “contain information or images considered objectionable” (p.214). Due to the fact that anyone can post anything on YouTube, many schools have blocked access to YouTube. However, YouTube has addressed this with the creation of YouTubeEdu. This is a section in YouTube that only contains educational videos from reputable sources such as National Geographic, PBS, BBC and others. Roblyer and Doering (2013) have pointed out that “the Internet has also spawned its share of society wide debates” (p. 214). One of these is whether students should have access to websites like YouTube that may contain somewhat objectionable material. Even though you cannot play videos on the general YouTube site, by using YouTubeEdu, you still have access to a large number of relevant and educational videos to share with your students.

 This video shares how one teacher is using Edmodo in the classroom. (The video is posted on YouTube).

Instructional Design Activity

Module 2 Reflection

Hypermedia Product-- http://www.almanac.com

Reference Material
This site would be a great addition to my Agriscience classroom. The Old Farmer’s Almanac falls under the “reference materials” category. This website includes a plethora of information all in one spot at the student’s fingertips. One way The Old Farmer’s Almanac website is useful is that students have immediate access to research information instead of having to flip through pages and pages of past almanacs. For example, if students were researching information on planting times, their research time can be cut in half as they are just a simple click away to finding out their information. According to Roblyer and Doering (2013), “students who usually struggle to complete a project or term paper often will tackle a hypermedia project enthusiastically” (p.176). This is addressed in the website’s ability to present the information in an easy and fun environment for the students.



Multimedia Authoring Tool

Audio and Video Production and Editing SystemsGarageBand

Roblyer and Doering (2013) refer to hypermedia as interactive media which can consist of commercial products, interactive presentation, audio/video, production and virtual environments. The tool I have selected to discuss falls under the audio/video category. Even though there are many audio/video tools out there to choose from I liked Apple’s GarageBand software. GarageBand easily allows students to create podcasts that could be used in class projects or posted for the public to access. “Research on writing has shown that students invest more effort in the writing process when they know others will read their writing” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.185). Through recording of their speeches or projects, students are given an opportunity for an outside audience to listen/view their work. By involving all students in using this software, they are given the opportunity to perfect their work. “One of the most amazing things about how hypermedia systems have evolved is that people with fairly non-technical skill levels now can develop complex professional looking hypermedia products” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.185). I think GarageBand would be a very effective tool in my classroom to help students recite their FFA Creed speeches. By listening to their recording, they can make changes to improve the delivery based on what the audience hears instead of what they hear of themselves giving the speech.



This video discusses how classrooms are transforming their environments into a 21st century classroom through using YouTube. By utilizing audio/video in the classroom, educators can help make students actually want to learn. “The most powerful strategy for integrating presentation hypermedia is for students to create individual or small group presentations” (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.185).









This site gives some insight as to how GarageBand can be utilized in many different ways in your classroom.

M2 #ED527UM 14 Ways to Use Garageband in the Classroom http://t.co/A9zLABbBqA via @ed_apps
— Bart Raulston (@BartRaulston) September 22, 2013

Module 1 Reflection

The chapters we covered in Module 1 discussed using software technology to improve the learning atmosphere in the classroom. The first three software tools I am focusing on are covered in Chapter 3. These types of teaching software include Drill and Practice, Tutorial, Simulations, Instructional Games and Problem Solving.

Quizlet-- (www.quizlet.com)

Drill and Practice

The flashcard creator Quizlet www.quizlet.com falls under Drill and Practice software. Drill and Practice is defined as “exercises in which a students work example items, usually one at a time, and receive feedback on their correctness” (Robyer and Doering, 2013, p.81). This will work very well in my class as we have a lesson on leaf identification. The previous classes all studied from a leaf booklet that contained actual leaves pasted in the book.   By creating our own flashcards, I could choose the image that I want my students to study and eliminate the leaves falling apart within the book. 

How the Market Works-- (http://www.howthemarketworks.com)

Simulation

            Stock market simulation is another great example of software to use in the class. Since this software is “a computerized model of a real or imagined system that is designed to teach how the system works” (Robyer and Doering, 2013, p.90), it clearly falls under the simulation type of software. The site howthemarketworks.com is a phenomenal teaching aid. Students can learn how to trade real stocks in a controlled environment setting with their own monetary limits with no risk, just reward. The students get the feel for how to trade stocks at a brokerage, seeing real time market prices with virtual money. This is the closest you can come to real trading and seeing how the markets function while discovering that hands on experience is the best way to learn.

Sheppard’s Software: Brain Games-- (http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/braingames/braingames.htm)

            Instructional Games

            Sheppard’s Software: Brain Games is another excellent site where you can find hundreds of educational games. This software falls under the category of instructional games that “bridge the worlds of gaming, entertainment and education in an attempt to deliver fun and effective learning” (Robyer and Doering, 2013, p.94). These types of games are great especially when students have to memorize a list, such as state capitals and their eyes start glazing over before you get past the first 10. By setting up the learning in a game format, it triggers the competitiveness of the student and essentially tricks them into retaining the information by progressing through the game.


Software and Support Tools: 

Test Generator: Vocabtest-- (http://www.vocabtest.com/user_test.php)
Material Generator

            This site is extremely helpful and would be a valuable asset in my class. Material generators are a huge time saver, as well as excellent for targeting key materials that students need to learn. This particular site for vocabtest.com is one of the best vocabulary test sites I have seen. It focuses on all the grades and book levels so you can really custom tailor exams for your specific class.

Wikipedia-- (http://en.wikipedia.org)
Research and Reference Tools
               As for research and reference tools, Wikipedia is an endless source of information. No matter what you need information on, odds are, there is something about it on this site. It is great when you are putting lesson plans together or when a student has a question, you can walk them through how to find answers for themselves. This not only gives them knowledge, but also boosts their self-confidence because they found the answer themselves.

Another type of support tool is an interactive whiteboard. Roblyer and Doering refer to an interactive whiteboard as "the electronic version of a regular whiteboard" (Robyer and Doering, 2013, p.147) This website focuses on using the interactive board to enhance teaching and learning. 

M1 21st Century Instructional Tool for Enhanced Teaching and Learning http://t.co/qyxTLUD0bo via @TonyaRoden #ED527UM
— Bart Raulston (@BartRaulston) September 5, 2013

Chapter 4 refers to The Basic Suite and specifically discusses the impact of spreadsheets in Education. "Spreadsheets have seen widespread adoption throughout education" (Robyer and Doering, 2013, p.122). This video briefly discusses why you should use Microsoft Excel.