Online Communication Tools

This week’s reading discussed academic software and online communication tools. Both of these can be huge assets in the classroom. Academic software is a wide variety of software packages that are used to enrich the teaching and learning environment for both teachers and students. Many different types and choices can be used to reinforce concepts. These include Power Points, graphics software, reference software, tutorials, educational games, simulations, authoring systems, and special needs software.PowerPoint presentations can be used to create visually communicate concepts to students. Graphics software can be used to create newsletters and fliers,and to create, edit, or enhance digital images. Reference software contains dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases as electronic sources. Tutorials and drill practice software allow for one on one interactive review that engages learners. Simulations give students the opportunity to interact with a model environment that promotes discovery learning. Authoring systems help teachers create their own hypermedia tutorials and web pages to support curriculum. Special needs software assists in many ways from reading screens to enlarging pointers.
These tools, along with online communication tools that are used by professionals are easily adapted to the classroom. Online communication tools may be either synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous allows real time communication. It connects people at a single point in time at the same time. The drawback to synchronous communication is that same time participation can be difficult with conflicting schedules and differing time zones. These are also very costly. Asynchronous allows communication to take place over a period of time at a different time and place. It allows people to connect together at each person’s own convenience and own schedule.
Online communication tools enable us to make connections with others around the world, develop a public voice and to compare ideas with those of our peers. These tools create opportunities for students to learn away from the school setting. Anytime communication helps make students available to teachers when needed. This allows teachers to be able to manage classroom activities outside of the classroom by providing time sensitive information about assignments. It also allows teachers to reach more than one student at a time.
Blogs, VoIP, wikis, and chat are a few types of online communication tools that can be used in the classroom, if the supporting school district allows for it. Blogs provide a way to have conversations with people who have similar interests. VoIP is a new communication tool that allows internet users to make phone calls. Modems allow computers to use telephone lines to communicate. Wikis are a collaborative writing space on the internet. They can be either public or private. Each wiki is created on a specific topic. The information available to users grows with the contributions from the wiki users.
Many of these online communication tools are new to me. I plan to incorporate as many as I can into my classroom. The only online communication tool I have used thus far is email and this is discouraged at my school. Any contact with parent or student is to be made face to face in a meeting, or by phone. I would love to be able to blog and use it as a review for the day, or week. I think this would be a great way to post the daily or weekly agenda for your class. If students are absent, all they have to do to see what they missed is visit the blog.

Ed Tech Week 4 PowerPoint Presentations!

Power Point Presentations are designed to create support material for oral presentations. They began in the business world, and have moved into the education front. They have replaced overhead projectors, chalk and dry erase boards as a way to communicate information. PowerPoint Presentations are great tools to use when teaching. Power Points add another dimension to learning by allowing teachers to explain abstract concepts as well as accommodate ALL learning styles. There are many types of learners in the classroom and PowerPoint Presentations allow educators to effectively communicate information to each of them. The types of learners in a classroom include: linguistic, logical mathematical, bodily kinesthetic, spatial, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Linguistic involves verbal and written language such as reading, and telling stories. Logical mathematical learners are good with patterns and numbers. These are the two mostly emphasized learners in standardized tests. The problem is that not all learners fit into these categories. Bodily Kinesthetic learners use the whole body to solve problems, such as dance, hands on activities, and athletic events. Spatial learners have the ability to form and use images while learning. Musical involves songs and rhythm. Interpersonal learners understand others and work cooperatively with them. Intrapersonal learners work better alone. When teachers provide information orally, accompanied by a PowerPoint Presentation, the visual element comes into play which appeals to spatial learners, and adding sound or music includes the musical learner. In conclusion, PowerPoint Presentations are not just fun to watch. A higher percentage of students are engaged during PowerPoint Presentations, and they allow teachers to accommodate multiple learning needs.
I created a PowerPoint to use during the first few days of school to introduce the incoming sixth grade students to the middle school and to discuss proper classroom procedures and expectations. I think it is a good overview of what is expected of the students. To make it better, I would add sound and better fitting clip art and better animations. My 12 year old watched the PowerPoint. She made a few positive comments, and also helped me tweak it to make it more visually appealing to her.

Ed Tech Week 3

Today's classroom is filled with students from many different aspects of life including culture and socioeconomic status. Students also differ in multiple intelligence, learning styles, and learning preferences. All of these differences must be taken into account when planning instruction in order for successful learning to occur. The effective use of technology can assist teachers in meeting the needs of all students. Special education students can benefit from technology in many ways. Technology allows for special needs students to increase their independence and classroom participation in classroom activities. It can assist those who need help in writing, as well as those who can not speak or hear. Technology can also help gifted and talented students by providing them with challenges. The writing process also receives benefit from technology. For those who need help with reading, writing, or organizing ideas, word processing programs are helpful. It also makes it less tedious. Brainstorming, creating first draft, editing, proofreading, and then creating final draft can leave students feeling overwhelmed.Word processing programs allow students to print, then proofread and edit by using spell check, cut and paste, insert, delete to create final product. These programs eliminate unnecessary writing, which tires students physically and emotionally thus having a negative affect on the final product. Desktop publishing software is also an asset to students and teachers by providing avenues for creativity when producing documents. Assistive technology, hardware and software, is available to help meet the needs of students with exceptionalities. This past year, I was fortunate enough to work with a hearing impared student in my classroom. The student wore a hearing aid, and I wore a microphone. This allowed my speech to be directly sent to the hearing aid to assist ithe student in hearing. There are many technological programs available for meeting the needs of all students. However, problems may arise during the implementation process.Three issues must be addressed when implementing technology:
1) Determining which technological solution will better meet the need of the particular student. This can be done with input from professionals and family members familiar with the student.
2) Training. Students must be taught how to use the technology along with any teachers or adults who work with the student.
3) Collaboration between AT (assistive technology) and IT (informational technology). AT and IT share the responsibility of providing students with special needs the tools they need to be successful by providing appropriate technology and technical support.
In conclusion, technology must be used effectively in today's classroom because of student diversity. If successful learning is to occur for ALL students, teachers must become technologically literate!!! I have not created anything to send home to students, or parents. Our team leader creates these for the team. What does make newsletters, or fliers visually appealing is an eyecatcher, such as a picture that visually describes the context and then the message, short and sweet, with specifics, such as who, what, when, and where. Follow the link to see the back to school newsletter for my classroom: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/47442871/newsletter

Week 2

In today's world, technology must be incorporated into the classroom to engage learners and to ensure success in learning. There are many different tools teachers can use in the classroom to incorporate technology. These tools include, but are not limited to, both database and spreadsheets. Prior to receiving the information included in this lesson, I was hesitant to incorporate these tools into my regular classroom routine. The term database refers to collections of information organized and stored electronically. It allows for information to be searched and displayed quickly. Creating a database requires critical thinking from the very beginning. Maintaining the database requires students to revisit initial levels of thought and move to a higher level of thinking. Database can be text based, hypermedia or multimedia. Examples of using a database in the classroom is that students can use this program to keep and maintain a journal to reflect on events and information they acquired that day. This allows them to discuss information that was presented and to use it for future lessons. Spreadsheets also require higher levels of thinking by requiring students to analyze and synthesize data. Projecting the spreadsheets to the smart board allows for engaging situations for students to practice skills of organizing data and creating graphs. These examples are a few ways educators are using the advancing technology to promote learning in the classroom. I have used both database and spreadsheets previously for grades and lesson plans, but have not implemented the use of them in actual student learning. I plan on using these tools with my students now that I have a better understanding of uses and applications of the programs. One of the many questions students frequently ask refers to the grade I "gave" them on a particular assignment or report card. Allowing them to create their own spreadsheet to keep track of their own grades gives students ownership of their grades. They will be able to check at any time and see the grades they "earned". I am also going to use spreadsheets in teaching concepts such as collecting and analyzing data and graphing.The website www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/databases/enhance discusses ways that a database can be used to enhance learning. I found this website very useful. I would not have thought previously to this lesson to have students create databases and use them during the year for units. I also found the discussion on using Excel helpful. Students must be able to collect data and interpret its meaning. In order to function in the corporate world, it is imperative to quickly organize, analyze, and graphically display data. Therefore, educators must teach students at a young age how to effectively use programs such as these.

Ed Tech

This is a first for me. I've never even thought about having a "blog". I am very excited about becoming technologically literate!!!!