Technology Self-Assessment: School 2.0

By emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information to support research and learning NETS III was used.

Module 1:

Reflection results for NETS-T Module: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

looking at number One: 1. I enable students to use technology to demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes.

NETS 1; Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. I watched a TED video:http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html 

In this video Ken Robinson gave a 20 minute speech about how schools are failing because they are killing creativity in children. Our schools are so focused on Math, Science, Reading and Writing, that they often spend little to no time allowing the children to express themselves. Ken explains the importance of having creativity in school and how it is affecting our society. 

I think that Ken Robinson was not only inspirational but also correct as well, I am not that great at school but found my creativity in our art classes and after school programs. Sadly, I have given up on my art passion of ceramics in order to have time for school and work. My hope is that one day soon I will be able to reconnect to my creative side.

Journal 4: If You Give a Kid a Video Camera

"If You Give a Kid a Video Camera"

      "If You Give a Kid a Video Camera . . .;" by Laurie O. Campbell from Learning and Leading with Technology, February 2012. Campbell, L. (2012). If you give a kid a video camera. Learning and       Leading with Technology, 39(5),  30-33. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-

leading/February-2012.aspx.

      Laurie Campbell believes that one of the best tools for students to use in school is a video camera; with proper lesson planning students can use video cameras in all subjects such as language arts, history, mathematics and science. This article tells about different ideas that teachers can use to make a successful and fun learning experience.  One of the examples that Campbell shares would to have students in a history class make a documentary dealing with now current social problem and how they are resolved. Students could discuss how they would have solved the problem and even interview people who were involved in the incident.

Question (1): Have I ever used a camera in school? If so how and in what subject?          

Answer (1): Yes, my senior year of high school I used video cameras in two separate classes; one in a film as literary class and the other a U.S. government class.  Each video was very different; in the film as literary class we used a video to give a review of a film. We were asked to act out the basic plot of the movie and then give a critical review of the movie we saw on camera. I had a great group and had a lot of fun doing this project. There were only a few guidelines so we were able to be as creative as we wanted to be. In the U.S. government class we got into small groups and picked a president and we did small campaigns using video cameras that we showed to the class. We were supposed to show what we stood for and try to get people to vote for us. Again, I had a great time doing this project and also learned that it’s hard making a political campaign. These projects stuck out to me simply because they were fun and interesting and they have still stuck with me to this day.

Question (2): how would you involve a camera in an earth science class?

Answer (2): I think a great project would be for the students to do a documentary on the BP oil spill that took place in the Gulf of Mexico. It made the students do research on how the oil spilled happened and  could even have the students try to come up with ways to solve the problem. I would also ask the students to look at the people, animals, and environmental effects the oil spill had on the planet.  I would ask the students to clip together news clips and interviews to back up their findings.

Journal 3: Infographics More than Words Can Say

"Infographics more than words can say"

      

       Krauss, J. (2012). Infographics more than words can say. Learning and Leading with Technology, 

      39(5), 10-11. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February 

      2012.aspx

      In this article it discussed how students can use technology to enhance their learning experience by using infographics. infographics are a new way of collecting data and showing it in a variety of ways. Traditionally in schools we see they are more reliant on reading and writing skills to show and explain data. However, if students use infograohics to show their results there are endless possibilities of showing the data. “Infographics represent data and ideas visually, in pictures, engaging more parts of the brain to look at a problem from more than one angle.” In this article it gives examples how teachers can use this as a tool to organize a class project. By students using infographics they will not only understand more about the topic they chose but learn that the way the data is collected is just as important as the results. Infographics are not only a good lesson plan but also a creative way for children to express themselves thought their school work, in hopes for them to have fun while learning.

Question (1):  Have I ever used an infographics before?

Answer (1): No, I did not even know that infographics existed. In fact the only way I thought you could show data collected was through using a pie chart, bar graph, line graph or a Venn diagram. These graphs show the data in a correct way, however, the user has no creative ability to change the graphs except for picking the colors of the information shown. Now that I learned about an infographics I am excited to use it and incorporate it into my lesson plans for when I become a teacher.

Question (2): What kind of infographics would you have your class do?

Answer (2): I think it would be interesting for the students to collect data on television commercials.  First I would ask the class how many commercials they see per day and what are they about. For homework I would ask the children to write down all the commercials they see and what they are about. After a week we would pull all of our data together and then the children would need to create their own infographics chat showing the result. I think that focusing on television will show children how marketing is used in the real world and who it’s geared towards.

Journal 2: Join the Flock

“Join the Flock”

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock!. Learning and Leading with Technology, 12-15. Retrieved from www.iste.org/Libraries/ ...and.../June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx

“Enhance your twitter experience”

McClintock-Miller, S. (2010). Enhance you twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology,      15-17. Retrieved fromhttp://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx

In the articles “Join the Flock” and “Enhance your twitter experience”, the authors discuss what twitter is and how it can be used in an educational way and even enhance students learning. The first part describes how to “set up your (twitter) account” it’s a must to have a bio and a photo so that people can make a personal connection with you over the internet. It then explains how to make a “PLN” by using twitter which will then allow you to “follow” individuals and groups. When looking at “enhance your twitter experience” it tells you how to “tag your tweet” and even how you can “use a Twitter Organizer” to separate all of your different groups and people that you follow. You can even “use the bookmarklet Hootlet, a tool within HootSuite, and send a tweet.” Which will allow other people to easily view different websites that you think are important or interesting. Twitter is a way to share information to others all over the world and if used correctly you may even end up making new friends and enhancing your students learning by having guest speakers come to your class that you connected with over twitter.

Question (1): “How do I like twitter?”

Answer (1): Personally I have been using twitter for a little over a mouth now and am still having a hard time getting into the swing of things. I am having a hard time finding people and things that I find interesting to “follow”. I still see twitter as a social networking that is not used for educational purposes. I have found many educational people/information but nothing that has stuck out to me.

Question (2):  “How will I use it in the future?”

Answer (2): Truly I do not see myself using twitter in the future and although I can see that it is a great way to connect to other people that I never would have interacted with, I see it more of a waste of time than useful. Although I still have not given up on twitter, so far it seems like this is one tool that I will not utilize when I become a teacher.