Teaching+with+Technology+-+EDLD+5364

Teaching with Technology- EDLD 5364
This page will be used to collaborate with other students during this course and in the future.

After viewing the videos and reading the text for the week, I found that I related to the Constructionism theory of teaching and coaching. My classroom environment lends itself to this style because want my kids to ask, search, reach to find what they are looking for. We started an assignment this week that requires students to book their own airline reservations, hotel stay, set an itinerary for their trip, and to check into rental cars. Obviously, my classroom is loud. I have streaming music piped in on the LCD overhead projector as the students work in groups to discuss their plans for the make believe trip.
 * __WEEK 1__**

I found the different learning theories to be interesting and informative. I think I teach and coach from the Constructionism way of thinking because of successes and failures of the past. I am constantly trying to improve techniques and never settle for just being average. I build upon what I know to be true and solid and look for improvements as I go.

I believe that social networking has a place in education. I think we can all learn from each other's experiences and I think that our students need to continue to carry on face to face interaction with others around the nation and the world. I am a big proponent of utilizing web conferencing and classroom virtualization in our schools.

It was quite apparent that each and every study through our readings this week identified that technology in the classroom increased student math scores, caused positive self-esteem, caused the classroom to be a student-centered learning environment rather than teacher-centered and student interaction also increased. It was also noted not only in the readings but in the videos as well, that as teachers, we must have strong, concrete objectives for our lessons so that students are focused on intended learning outcomes.
 * __WEEK 2__**

Our brainstorming sessions with group members proved to be an invaluable experience as well. I have been able to take some of the ideas that we have discussed in our chat sessions, to my classroom. My group members are truly outstanding teachers and administrators.

"Delivering ongoing, relevant feedback is critical when teaching skills. Learners need to know if they are practicing effectively, and if not, which aspects of the practice process they need to change." (Rose, D., & Meyer, A., 2002) This was easy to analyze because I do this on a daily basis with my athletes. I think now, that researchers are seeing that many of the same things that athletic coaches are doing out on the playing fields, that also need to be incorporated in the classroom. Basically, "teach and reteach" until you get what you are looking for with feedback given along the way. I found a wealth of information on the CAST websites given in the lesson this week. I also found the videos this week to be very informative. Video 2, showing the student of the 21st century using digital technology on a daily basis.
 * __WEEK 3__**

It warmed my heart to see the Digital Youth portrait of Luis. His mother did not speak any English and he is the first in his family to be going to college. Great story. Also the 11 year old kid, Cameron and his abilities using digital technology. Great video of him playing three instruments at one time in his video. Also his use of the "green screen" and the comment about him "knowing more than his teacher". I am glad to see kids have something to look forward to or to have some positive motivation to learn. It is very difficult to find motivated kids today. I love asking a student how they did something........it makes them feel good and gives them a sense of accomplishment.

The McRel Technology Initiative Report was the most interesting piece of literature for me this week. Research indicators have shown that "train-the-trainers models and/or peer mentoring that is ongoing and job -embedded have been shown to be highly effective technology integration tools under certain conditions (Dirksen & Tharp, 2000; Knight & Albaugh, 1997; Sherry et al., 1997). This is the same principle that we teach our students in peer mentoring or tutoring in the classroom. If the students can teach or show another student how to do a task, then learning or retainment of learning is stronger. If we could get half of a building's staff and/or faculty to buy into this concept their would be dramatic increases in learning.
 * __WEEK 4__**

Another interesting situation occurred in the video, __Team Teaching: Two Teachers, Three Subjects, One Project.__ One of the important aspects of collaborating with other teachers and teaching across the curriculum, is the daily planning and time management that these teachers put forth. "Literature shows that greater rates of successful technology integration take place when teachers have ample time to acquire technology skills, when they have opportunities to share their technology-related work with their colleagues, and when their technology-based activities are adequately planned." (Means, 1997) The meetings that these two teachers made on a daily basis before school is very similar to what coaching staffs do on a daily and weekly basis in order to make sure the team and program is prepared for practice and the week's activities. This is just as important in the success of the daily lesson for the many students that enter our classroom doors each day.

**__WEEK 5__** Two of the videos that were required viewings this week were actually solidifying information that we have heard almost a year ago in our Concepts of Educational Technology course. "Thinking skills enhanced by repeated exposure to computer games and other digital media include reading visual images as representations of three-dimensional space, multidimensional visual-spatial skills, mental maps, "mental paper folding", "inductive discovery", "attention deployment, and responding faster to expected and unexpected stimuli." (Greenfield, 1984)

James Paul Gee re-enforced this quote by adding that when students play video games, they essentially are "working collaboratively to solve problems. Students are assessing situations and making judgments based on those assessments." (Gee, 2009) When students play video games dealing with chemistry, "the knowledge is produced and not just learned." (Gee, 2009) Students can gain real life observations of chemical and physical reactions, then go back to the textbook and have recall of the equation on paper.

We know that repetition causes our brain to reorganize and have recall. "Brain reorganization takes place only when the animal pays attention to the sensory input and to the task. It requires very hard work. Biofeedback requires upwards of 50 sessions to produce results." (Lyon, 2000) Students learn by doing not by listening and regurgitating.

The use of educational video games motivates students to learn. "If we get it right, students won't even know they are learning something. Teachers become mentors of the classroom and students become empowered."  ( //Vision for Technology in K-12 Education //, 2009) 

Patricia Marks Greenfield, //Mind and Media//, //The Effects of Television, Video Games and Computers//, Harvard University Press, 1984. Prensky ,M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants: Part 2. //On the Horizon,// 9(6),1-9. //Big Thinkers: James Paul Gee on Grading With Games//, Edutopia.org (nd). Big thinkers: James Paul Gee on grading with games. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-james-gee-video G. Ried Lyon, a neuropsychologist who directs reading research funded by the National Institutes of Health, quoted in Frank D. Roylance ―Intensive Teaching Changes Brain,‖ //SunSpot//, Maryland’s Online Community, May 27, 2000. //Vision for Technology in K-12 Education,// Youtube.com (nd). Vision for Technology in K-12 Education. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhoOG5Kf1w4