Course Reflection

When I was told that I had to take a technology class I was scared out of my wits. The reason I was so scared is because I did not know the difference between download and upload. I was not feeling confident taking an online class about technology. I thought to myself, if I don’t understand technology then how in the world will learn it online! I have never been one for anything to do with technology. I felt if I had made it this far without knowing then it would not hurt me to make it the rest of my life. This class has proven me wrong, it has taught me that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

There were so many things that I have learned this semester, it has really been a useful class. The first assignment of the year was to set up a blog on blogger.com. I had no idea what a blog truly was. So apprehensively I created an account and attempted to make my page visually appealing. I introduced myself and realized how easy it was to blog. I really thought it was a unique way of keeping up with each other’s work. The blog was a productive way to learn a lot of knowledge quickly. Reading and commenting on each others’ discussions on the assigned questions was helpful because it allowed each person to reinforce their knowledge on that particular chapter. I believe blogging is a great way to share information, build relationships between others who may not necessarily ever meet face to face, and at the same time learn basic technology skills. It is definitely a tool that I would use in the classroom. I hope to find a job teaching middle school or high school social studies, speech communication, or drama. I think for drama it would be a great way for students to share ideas about upcoming productions and keep in constant contact. It is a great way for students to stay motivated to work on the assignments.

Threaded discussion is also a great way for students to share information. A threaded discussion is very helpful because it allows a more focused discussion. The threaded discussion allows the student to get feedback and give feedback. I really like the idea of using threaded discussion in my classroom. I like the idea of students discussing topics and feel that is would be a very good way to incorporate technology into the classroom. In the social studies classroom I could post a topic, for example “what is your thought on the civil rights movement”? The threaded discussion could be a great way to introduce a topic before it is taught in the classroom. The students could then read what others think it is and discuss what they think it is. Then it would allow for the students to come to a common ground before the chapter is taught in the classroom.

I had never viewed a podcast before this class. I thought the idea behind the podcast was awesome. It is definitely a way to reinforce the material being taught. One of the first chapters that we read discussed the needs of students. All students learn differently and technology is an assistive way to incorporate different techniques into the classroom. Some students have to hear something to understand it. A podcast is a great tool for the students who like to hear the material. I definitely am going to use podcast in my classroom. My idea is to make the podcast available on the classroom website so that whenever the student needs to go back and review the lessons they will be available to them. I think there are several ways you could treat podcasts, you could have them as the whole lecture or just reviewing the key points.

The video clips were also a very useful tool, one of my personal favorites. The students’ variety of learning needs is always going to be priority in the classroom. Every teacher should make sure they are incorporating as many different learning techniques into the classroom. This technique now combines auditory and visual learning. This would also be a great tool to make available through the class website so the students could access it anytime they needed to. The reason this tool was one of my personal favorites is because I love to see it and hear it, that is what really helps me learn the information. That is one of the reasons that I was so apprehensive about taking an online class. I like to see the teacher, hear the teacher and be able to interact with the rest of the class. I thought that would not be possible in an online class. However, you have done an incredible job meeting all the students’ needs to learn. You made sure that there was interaction between students; the blog, threaded discussion, and email, then you made many different techniques available to us to learn the information; the book, podcasts, blog, video clips, and most importantly were available to lend assistance during your office hours, or any time through email. This class became a wonderful learning experience for me.

List serv is awesome, I have been using this tool for a while. So, I guess that I had been introduced into a little technology before this class. Mind you, not very much because I really did struggle through some of the assignments. Now the list serv is a very useful tool because it allows grouping of email contacts. I think that it would be very useful in a classroom for the students and the parents. The students could create a list serv for a group project. Then they would have a way to email back and forth between just that group without having to add every single email address each time. It is also a great way for parents to keep up with what is going on in the classroom. The teacher and parents could stay in communication easily with a list serv. It would allow the teacher to send out the syllabus or a reminder of different school functions and much more. I will definitely use list serv in my classroom both for students and parents. For students I will have many group projects. Each different project I will have students create a list serv for that particular group. I believe incorporating technology for practical reasons is a fantastic way for students to learn its importance.

The hands-on-projects were definitely what I struggled through the most. Coming from a technology free background, everything was brand new for me! So it was a little harder to figure some of them out than it would have been having some prior knowledge. However, they were a great learning experience for me. Most of them were very interesting and when I started I actually really enjoyed figuring out how to do it. I also saw how practical they would be for the classroom and wanted to learn how so that I would be able to incorporate them into my teaching. Some of my favorites were the trackstar, puzzles, and movie maker. I had the most trouble with movie maker. It was hard to figure out how to get the narration to work and there were a lot of tricky steps when it came to saving all the files correctly so that it would work. As usual I tried to get ahead of myself and when I went back through the instructions it was perfectly explained step by step. So I was able to figure it out through the instructions. I think that movie maker would be such an interesting tool for the students. I plan on using it in my classroom because it will keep the students engaged and wanting to learn. Especially in the “Information Age” students are really enjoying technology. It has become a way of life for the students and should be incorporated into the classroom as much as possible. I believe if the students learn to use technology then it will increase their chances of finding a good job, being independent, and furthering their education. The puzzles were really cool, because they would be a good intro activity and also reinforcement of information. I could see using the puzzles as a bell ringer activity. The students would enjoy it because it’s a puzzle, and it would get their brain on track for the subject matter. The easy test maker is a great tool for the teacher and the students because it allows the teacher to make a test following simple steps. The tool is useful for the student because it presents them with a well-organized, easy to follow, and visually appealing test to take. I plan on incorporating all of the hands on projects into the classroom, there was not one that I did not find useful and practical. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to learn all of these tools and become confident enough to use them in the classroom.

I was a little apprehensive about the web page, because I was scared of how difficult I thought it was going to be. However, thank Google for Google! The simplicity of the all of the tools made available from Google is so helpful. I enjoyed learning more about what you can do through having a Google account. The first thing I actually used outside of class in my work place was Google Docs. I had a document the students and parents needed access to through the internet. I uploaded the document through Google Docs and then created a link for the document and posted the link on the school web page. It was so cool to see something I actually had only learned a couple of days prior solve a problem that I could have had a melt down over! Secondly, the web page was made very simple through Google. I applaud them for their well designed and easy to use programs. I thought the web page would be hard and it turned out to be very interesting. I also can see this being one of the most important uses of educational technology. The web page is where students and parents can have access to the class and assistance anytime they need it. The web page allows you to post the podcasts, video clips, activities, syllabus, and links to good websites. It allows the students and parents all the information they need to be successful in the class. It is a great tool for every educator to use for their classroom.

The electronic portfolio is also a wonderful idea. It is like when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Portfolios have been used as an assessment tool for ages. It is seems fit for it to grow into something more practical for the “Information Age”. I think the students would be interested in it and would have fun doing it. Students love to express their creativity and I think a blogfolio and electronic portfolio are great ways of letting the student make it their own. This type of activity could be used for all kinds of assignments, and its versatility is what makes it so useful.

I have to say that after this class I don’t feel that I have weak points, because I have learned how to swallow my pride and open myself up to new things. My weakness during the semester was being so apprehensive and scared of technology. My strength is that I learned technology was put here for a reason. It gives assistance in learning and makes everyday tasks a whole lot easier. So I would have to say the best thing I got out of this course is an appreciation for technology in education. I plan on incorporating technology into the curriculum whenever I have a chance. I plan to use it to reinforce knowledge, build knowledge, and teach the students to become comfortable with technology. I am so glad that I no longer have any weaknesses in technology and am a strong-minded, knowledge seeking individual. I plan to keep up-to-date with new technology so I can further enhance my instruction in the classroom. I also plan to take any workshops offered through professional development on technology and seek out ways to improve my skills.

Week 13 Question #3

What is educational technology literacy? Why is it important for educators?

Educational technology literacy is a fundamental ideology that teachers must conform to. Educators in the “Information Age” must be literate in technology and growing with all of the advancements of this day and age. Technology is ever-changing and educators must take the time to keep up with technology. It is of utmost importance that educators incorporate technology into their curriculum.

Educational technology literacy is understanding technology, using technology, and being able to teach and incorporate technology in the classroom. An educator who is educational technology literate uses technology to enhance his or her curriculum. The educators who are technology literate understand technology and the importance that it plays in the new “Information Age”.

It is important for educators to be educational technology literate because of the way that society is functioning in this era. Technology does not only play a part in everyday life but it has also become imperative for furthering one’s education, and finding a job. Most all jobs use technology in their everyday operations. Some require extensive use of technology and it is beneficial for students to begin learning technology in school. Then they can further their understanding of technology in post-secondary education.

It is fair to say that people are products of their environment. I was in high school when technology was becoming popular. However, it was only a state requirement to take typing and word processing. Since I had no special interest in computers my technology education stopped at just that. I took electives in things that I was interested in and felt that I was good at. I did not care for computers nor did I think they were worth my time. When I got to college my professors wanted power points, spread sheets, and all kinds of stuff I had never done before. I was really put into a tough situation, where I had to go out and purchase tutorials and teach myself how to use these types of programs. If my teachers in high school would have been educational technology literate and used these programs in the classroom to enhance their curriculum then I would have known how to do a lot more. It also would have possibly made me more interested in technology. It is the educators’ responsibility to use all kinds of tools to teach students and to make sure that all the students are engaged in learning. I appreciate educators that take the time to prepare their students for everything that is ahead of them.

Week 12 Reflection

I learned a lot creating the movie through windows movie maker. I thought the program was very easy to learn and follow. I enjoyed the finished product. I think it would be a wonderful addition to the website for the parents. I can see parents really enjoying watching how and what their children are doing at school. I can also see it being used in the classroom with the students. The students could create one in small groups on their lesson and then present it. It is very similar to a power point, but more advanced. The students would really enjoy being able to record their voices and add music.

I had a lot of trouble trying to save my narration. I figured out that I had not saved it to my movie folder and ran into a couple of issues. Once I went back through the tutorial more carefully it was easy to fix.

The list serv was a little aggravating. I like to do stuff without having to rely on other people. With that said, the list serv was my least favorite project so far. I could not create my list serv without my group members Gmail accounts. I wish that all of us would have known that at the beginning of the semester and as soon as we created them we should have all exchanged. That way when this project came we would have had the Gmail accounts and the list serv would have been simple to create. I created the list serv but had to skip the step that added group members. I was out of town this weekend and had no access to a computer so I was hoping to finish early. I was done with my movie by Thursday and had linked it in my blog but I did not have my list serv finished. So I was not able to send off my assignment through drop box. Then, Sunday night when I got my groups Gmail accounts I had to borrow a computer from someone and run around this country town trying to find Wi-Fi. After my hour long excursion of trying to find Wi-Fi the computer would not allow me to send my movie through drop box. It only pulled up my files and did not bring up my computer where I could browse through files and find my movie on my zip drive. So I had to submit my list serv through drop box and send my movie through attachment. In a panic and teary eyed that is what I did. As you can probably tell I like things done correctly and take my grade pretty seriously. I’m just glad this week is over.

About the list serv, I could see it being a very informative way of communication. However, I do foresee a problem trying to get the parents to participate. In my experience at the school sometimes it is doing good to get a parent to talk to you on the phone. Yet, for those parents who are actively involved I see it being a wonderful addition to my portfolio of technology.


List serv

Ms. D's movie!

Week 11 Question #2

Why is it important to preview and evaluate videos? What tools should you use to be sure a video is communicating the intended message to your students? What are alternative learning systems? How might they enhance traditional education?

An educator must take the time to preview and evaluate videos because they first and foremost must be appropriate for the age of the class. Secondly, the educator must know how to plan the lesson around the video. If the educator does not know what they want the video to do for the class, then it could be a waste of time. If it is done correctly then the video will enhance the subject matter, because it has been strategically planned around the curriculum. It also has to be able to keep the class’ attention. It is recommended that the teacher use some form of evaluation technique for the video. A rubric is available on page 348-Table 9.6 (Lever-McDuffy, & McDonald). The educator should use a form of evaluation to decide how well the video will enhance and fit the subject matter. The teacher should also take into consideration the curriculum for the course. It is useful to have a student worksheet, or project to help the students follow along and pay close attention to the video. A video study guide is suggested in the text. The study guide for the video will help the student get the most out of the video.

Alternative learning systems are a type of learning that takes place outside the traditional classroom. Some examples of alternative style learning systems are online lecturing, course calendars, online activities, online interactivity, and web-based assessments. Each of the listed examples enhances independent learning. One huge advantage of the alternative learning systems are that they promote working at your own pace and allow the student to practice and review when their schedule allows. Online lectures allow the student to view missed lectures or just simply to review that part of the lesson. Course calendars allow the students to have access to due dates all the time. Online activities allow students to work ahead and work from home. Online interactivity allows the student to exchange information with other people, including people from all over the world. It also promotes group work from home. Email allows constant contact and exchange of information between students and student to teacher and even teacher to parent.

Lever-Duffy, & McDonald

Website Reflection Week 10

This week was a very busy week for me. I worked about 60 hours and I am trying to squeeze in time to work on the website. At first I was extremely petrified of this assignment. The reason I was so scared is because I am very challenged when it comes to technology. I thought to myself how can someone who barely understands the different formats that you can save things in, possibly build a website! Well I got into Google Site Creator and was very impressed. I thought that it was very easy to "navigate" through. I enjoyed being able to hypothetically set up a class website. I think that the website will be a useful tool for students. However I don't think that you can replace face to face instruction. Someone like me truly benefits from face to face instruction.

Just like this online class has been very challenging to me, I feel that some students will be discouraged by the website. However, I do understand that in such a growing age of technology that I must suck it up and get with the times. My biggest concern as an educator is to reach every single student. I want to figure out how each student learns and reach them by making sure that I teach in a style that they understand and enjoy. For some students that will be a website. So I really appreciate the opportunity to get some practice with such a wonderful program to make a website.

Ms. D's 6th Grade Social Science Web Page

Week 8 Reflection on Assignments

Well as for this week’s assignments, I really enjoyed them. I struggled through getting them uploaded correctly and linked on my blog. However, I am very new to computers and struggle through most things technology related. I really enjoyed the exposure of the new websites and the tools that they offered me to create assignments for the classroom. I especially liked the Rubistar website. I had a class this summer that spent a lot of time on rubrics and they can get pretty complicated. However, if you are looking for a simple rubric it is an easy way to keep yourself from over complicating it. The puzzle maker was a great website as well. If you are going to be teaching younger students this would be an extremely helpful website. I don’t really see too much use for it for high school level students. I also ran into a little trouble getting my solutions to show. It kept saying that I needed to install Adobe Flash Player which I did and it still would not give me a solution. It would give me my puzzle but would not show a solution. That was an extremely aggravating process. If I was using them in the classroom I really would not need the solution, because I would know the answers and could make my own key. For this assignment I did need the answer key so it was a little discouraging. The easy test maker was my favorite site. I can really see myself using the easy test maker in the future. Creating a test can be a frustrating process. Easy test maker organized everything and simplified the stress of making a test. I can see that website being useful for many educators.

I enjoyed the web evaluation. It helped me clarify if that website was truly an effective and useful website for the students. Usually I don’t think people read that deep into websites and the web evaluation did not take very long and made you truly think about it.

Track star seemed like a useful tool. I am looking forward to using it and expanding my knowledge on the program. I really think that it would be quite effective in some situations. Track star can be used for a specific project that the students must complete. I liked how it could act as a road map for the students for a certain project.

I believe that this week was extremely helpful for me, I enjoyed all the helpful tools.

Week 8 Assignments' Links

Religion Vocabulary Scramble

Religions of the World Crossword Puzzle

Rubric

Religions Test

Religions Test Answer Key

Web Evaluations

Trackstar

Week 7 Question #1

What is the internet? What value does it hold for educators?

The internet is a wonderful form of communication, constantly transferring information all across the globe. Just like your school can share information across many different computers, which is called a network; the internet allows the sharing of information between networks. The sharing of information across networks makes communication limitless between different parts of the globe. You may not remember a world without limitless communication because we are so accustomed to the ways of the internet. Yet, many do remember a time where long distance phone calls were out of reach for many. Can you imagine not being able to communicate with a relative out of the country? What about a world without email? It is hard for society today to realize how difficult it would be to run a huge corporation without the constant communication that email provides us.

The internet is formed by millions of interconnected networks from across the globe (p. 249). The internet allows “world-wide resources” to be shared with one another (p. 249). Telecommunication connects computers to computers over large amounts of distance (p. 256). Phone lines are a form of telecommunication. When a computer is hooked up to a phone line it allows the transfer of the networks to and from that computer. Since the telephone line was meant to transfer only voices there is a little bit of modification that takes place. Usually the modem of the computer is able to modify the information for the computer.

The internet is a valuable tool in education if it used correctly and with proper supervision. First the educator must know how to use to the internet. Once the educator is well versed in the ways of the internet he or she can begin to use to assist teaching and learning. Email can be used as a form of communication from student to student, student to teacher, and teacher to parent. The student can send in assignments as an attachment through email. The teacher can make corrections and send it back to the student. This process saves paper and ink also. Students can sign up for newsletters through email and receive wonderful educational material. The internet offers chat rooms dealing with all kinds of subject matter. A student could discuss the economy with someone in Hong Kong. A teacher can post their notes, syllabus, and homework assignments on the internet. The internet also offers information faster than having to look through hard copies in a library. If a student needs to do a research paper, he or she can log on to a search engine and type the topic of their paper in and millions of results will appear.

The important thing about the internet in classrooms is that students are being supervised and it is only being used for educational purposes. The large amount of information that the internet dumps in your lap can be a great tool, but sometimes a harmful one. The educator must set boundaries for the students. The educator must be very knowledgeable on the internet and be a step ahead of the students who are surfing it.

Week 6 Reflection on 1st Set of Projects

I have always been able to do what was needed of me on a computer. However, with the growing demand of technology it has become a challenge to keep up with new technology. Programs are always being updated with new gadgets and trinkets to learn. You have to stay on your toes and be dedicated to learning the technology as it changes. You also have to have the motivation to want to learn how to use technology to its fullest. My experiences with technology have been challenging and fun. There is always frustration that goes along with technology. Yet, we can’t live without it!!!

The three projects that were assigned this week were a little out of my knowledge of computers. I participated in all of the tutorials that were offered on the software and appreciated the step by step assistance. Once I viewed the tutorials I began my journey through the projects.

The first one that I started working on was the flyer for the parent-teacher meeting. I have used Publisher before and it was fairly simple to navigate through. I enjoyed being able to brush up my skills in the program. It is a good skill to be able to create attractive flyers for distribution. It makes you appear intelligent, organized, and proud of your work. When in reality it is simple to do it just takes a little time and effort.

The second project was the Excel Grade Chart. I do use Excel quite a bit, but the formulas were new to me. My regular usage of Excel is just to keep things organized into columns and alphabetical lists. After watching the tutorial it was a breeze to get the averages of the information. I did struggle a little bit when I got to the graph part of the assignment. I could not find in the tutorial where it showed how to enter the data and have it displayed as a graph. It took some effort and time but I was able to figure it out. It was simple copy and paste steps.

The third assignment was the Power Point Quiz. I have made one Power Point before for a class project. I don’t particularly care for Power Point in lectures or for notes. However, I thought that using it for an interactive quiz was a creative idea. I was able to make the slides without any trouble. What stumped me was inserting the link buttons to connect the slides together. I actually had to ask the Librarian at my school, it ended up being a very simple process.

I enjoyed the assignments, they were a challenge but I learned a lot from them!!!

Teacher Contact Flyer
Power Point Quiz
Grade Chart

Week 5 Question #3

What are authoring systems? What is the difference between drill-and-practice software and tutorial software? When is it appropriate to use each in teaching and learning?

An authoring system allows people who are not programmers and have no formal training to create software for tutoring systems. An authoring system allows non programmers to build educational software without being well versed in building software. The way that the authoring system works is that it has features built in that are hidden behind tools that assists the author in programming without knowing how to program.

Tutorial software is designed to teach a lesson or multiple lessons that are new to the student. The way they are designed allows the student to work at their own pace and move through a well thought out lesson in sequential order. The software is designed to use a combination of text and multimedia for the students benefit. The software gives the student multiple opportunities to review the new material through review questions and other assessment tools. It is beneficial to the educator and the student to have access to tutorial software in many different instances. Tutorial software can be the foundation for the lesson that the educator is about to embark upon. The educator can use tutorial software to introduce the new material and allow the students to work at their own pace. Once the students have completed the tutorial the teacher can then add to the tutorial by building on what the tutorial has taught. Furthermore the teacher can use tutorial software when he or she is limited for time and one on one interaction with the students. The tutorials can be used to enhance a lesson and provide frequent review.

Unfortunately there is downfall to tutorial software because it can become monotonous for the students when it is the only tool used. It also may not provide adequate feedback for each student. It can only provide feedback that it is designed to provide.

Drill-and-practice software is particularly used for practice for content that has already been taught by the teacher. It is similar to tutorial software in the sense that it is designed to use a combination of simple text and more complex multimedia tools. The student is sometimes able to control the pace of the exercise but is not able to choose what they are doing. Most of the software is designed to review the student’s weak areas. A good time to use drill-and-practice software is when the teacher is preparing the students for a large assessment. Also it is a good tool to review the lesson for the students before moving on to more complex lessons.

The downfall to drill-and-practice software is that the student can become bored. The practice does not promote higher learning only review. If the student is well skilled in that particular objective the teacher should not over-review them with this type of software.

Week 4, Question #2

Why is it advantageous for educators to share resources and programs on a network? What concerns are associated with program sharing?

A network can allow you to share the use of programs over an entire school. If there was not a network to share programs, busineses would have to buy a program for each individual workstation. With a network you cna buy a special type of program that allows sharing over multiple workstations. The cost of buying a program for each individual computer would be rather expensive. Most companies have special rates for buying a program that can be shared over a network; the program is bought with a site license, allowing the program to exist on any computer that is on that particular site. It si cost beneficial to have a network for sharing programs. Another benefit of having a network in the work ploace is that the program can be installed on the server and not have to be installed on each individual workstation. Since the program exists on the server then maintenance can be done within the server instead of on each individual workstation.

Sharing resources can be cost efficient and it maximizes the students' education. When educators have access to the same programs it allows them to help each other learn the programs to the best of their ability. Then educators can maximize the potential of the programs in the classroom. Each student has the privilege of working on many different programs since it is so cost efficient.

Another wonderful advantage of working on a network is the sharing of data. If one secretary needs to see a file that another person has been working on and they are located at the other end of the campus, the file is accessible by saving it to public domain on the server. Then whoever needs the file can access it at their individual workstation.

A great disadvantage to sharing programs on a network is that when the program is down on the server it is down for each workstation. Most networks have back up servers in case of emergencies. However when a server is down and there is no plan for back up the whole network will suffer until it is fixed on the server.

I work at a school that uses a network and we enjoy it greatly. Lately we have had a couple of viruses that have been trying to camp out in our server. It has caused the whole school quite a bit of grief. We have a back up server and after one day started having problems with it. It has been two weeks now since the problem started and it has been very trying. When the work that needs to be done exists on ly on the workstations and they are not working properly then you got a really big problem. Since the school runs off of a network system, it is all workstations that is having the problem and not just one or two. It hasbeen a great test of patience during the past two weeks. I know that when the problem is fixed everything will go back to being as perfect as it can be. Before viruses the network has been a wonderful experience. I have made the comment to a couple of co-workers who have been in the district for about twenty years, wondering; "How did you guys make it without computers?" Their answer was; "Very carefully, and with a lot of headaches!" I seriously think that technology in the school district is a blessing. Even if there are problems sometimes.

Week 3 Question #1

How can an instructional design model help you develop your instructional plan? Identify the steps of the DID model and briefly explain each.

The instructional design model is used to provide a structure or framework for people creating things. In the education world it applies to educators creating purposeful lessons for their students. The guideline or framework that is provided in the instructional design model lays out easy to follow steps for the educator to follow while creating the lesson. The steps help organize and structure the process of creating lesson plans, gathering of materials, and the use of technology. There are many different instructional design models created by different people. All follow the basic pattern of steps. One of the more popular ones was originally created by Robert Gagne. He has proven himself to be a prominent figure in the world of instructional design (p. 48). Gagne approached instructional design systematically and was proactive in sharing the information. His model broke planning instruction into steps. His work became a road map for later models.

The dynamic instructional design model builds on the instructional design model. The explainable difference between the two is the dynamic instructional design model has a more forceful design. It allows flexibility so that the teacher can modify instruction as to the learners needs. The instructor uses feedback to evaluate the students’ understanding of the objective. Performance objectives are “what the learner will be able to do when the instruction concludes.” (p. 51). Formative feedback is the constant loop of student work to teacher, and then the teacher is able to make suggestions on the students work or performance. It also allows the teacher to make modifications to the method of instruction to better reach the students’ needs. Summative feedback occurs when the instruction for that lesson is complete. Summative feedback can be a test, project, or some type of demonstration of the objective for that lesson (p. 48).

The steps to the dynamic instructional design model (DID) are: (p. 50).

-Know the learners
-State your objectives
-Establish the learning environment
-Identify teaching and learning strategies
-Identify and select technologies

Knowing the learners, is when the instructor demonstrates an understanding all of the students’ learning styles. The instructor must include instruction that will meet all the needs of the students. 2. State your objectives, the instructor must take responsibility for making sure that all students understand what is required of them. 3. Establish the learning environment; the instructor is responsible for making a safe, easy learning environment for the students. It is good for the class to be free of as many distractions as possible. 4. Identify teaching and learning strategies, the teacher has the responsibility of making sure that the teaching style is meeting the needs of the student and can make adjustments if necessary. 5. Identify and select technologies, the instructor is responsible for including relevant technology in the lesson. The instructor must also make sure the student is able to understand and use the technology in the lesson.
(Lever-Duffy, Teaching & Learning with Technology, 3e)

Week 2 Question #3

My synthesized view of teaching, learning, and technology.

I believe that teaching must always be evolving, evaluating, and energetic to engage students. What I mean by those 4 E’s is that an educator must be ready to change “evolve”, must always be assessing “evaluating” what the student is learning and ready to adapt the way they are teaching. Last but not least the educator must be energetic to captivate the students on an everyday basis. I truly believe that an educator must incorporate more than lecture into their classroom for the students to learn. It has been proven that different students learn different ways. An educator must have a huge briefcase full of tricks to be ready to overcome every obstacle that he or she might face. Some students learn better by visual aids, while others need hands on instruction.

The educator has to be ready to adapt their classroom setting by evaluating how much and how the student is learning. When the educator is aware of how each student learns then they can truly begin to teach the material. Advanced material truly needs to be distributed in different ways to further their understanding of the matter. So many different things must be taken into account when dealing with students and styles of learning. Home life is a big factor in the student’s preparedness at school and eagerness to learn. An educator is not going to be able to reach the student with energy or visual aids when that student is hungry. If the student comes to school after being abused it is going to be hard for an educator to get through to the student. An educator’s responsibility reaches further than just educating we become responsible for the student’s well being so that they can become educated.

Technology in this day in age is a must in the classroom. In the “Information Age” students must be more knowledgeable in technology to succeed in the work place. Student’s need understand the importance of technology and what it can do for them as students and future entrepreneurs. The earlier technology can be introduced to a student the better. The intranet has so much to offer to students for research purposes. Students are now able to do quick and easy research on the intranet and develop their research into reports and displays. Students are able to learn and present knowledge in so many different ways when technology is present. Teachers must be ready to incorporate technology into the curriculum no matter what subject so that students have the option to learn in a variety of ways.

About me...

Hello Everyone!!!

My name is Skye Dickinson, on the class roster I will be listed as Brittnay. I love spending time with my dogs, canoeing, camping, and playing disc golf. I am getting married this summer to my love of 5 years. I am ready to graduate with my masters and pursue my teaching career. I am currently working in the career center at Petal High School. I help students register for college, look for scholarships, and search for future careers. I am the assistant speech and debate coach and travel with the speech team every weekeend. It is a pleasure to have the opporutnity to work for such a wonderful school.

First blog

So I created a blog and here I am blogging.