Observation

I just got back from observing a sixth grade classroom at BCS and i absolutely loved it! They have smartboards there which totally made the learning environment more exciting. The kids love the board, and as soon as Ms. O was off of it, they were on it. It's was really great to see how the kids get to interact with the smartboard in their classroom. She also has a scanner which makes it really easy for her to upload lessons or pictures that she would like to add to the Board. Going from a classroom in Carnation to a classroom at BCS was a huge change in not only the age group, but also in the technology that was available to them. The kids at BCS have the worksheets in front of them and on the Board so they have the option of looking at either one. This was a really great experience and i hope that i can go back soon!

The classroom of the future

I think the classroom of the future will not have note takers, but the kids who are absent for any reason will be able to podcast into the class session. I also think that students will have all of their books on their iPods and they will be able to listen to everything instead of reading it. Smartboard will be standard in every classroom and teachers will utilize them to their full extent. students will be able to carry a small library in something the size of a stick of gun (iPods). I think homework will be turned in electronically and returned the same way. Grades will be posted online and for students and parents to see. I think that we will move away from using paper so that every student will have a laptop, and teaching will be more interactive to make up for so much computer time.

What I'm working with

The kids in my classroom are working with minimal technology. there is only one computer in my classroom so there students don't really get to play with technology on a daily basis. On Thursday's they always go to the computer lab where thy get to play games, read stories online, and practice their typing. That is the only day the students really get to interact with technology. Some of the students that I'm working with in my class are ELL so those are the students that i have been working with a lot lately. The class that i am in is a low achieving class, so i have gotten to work with almost the entire class.

Parents Information

I was talking with the lady I nanny for today. While i was talking to her she started to tell me about this thing that the school has for parents. It is a website where parents can go in and check every single assignment that the student has, what the score the student got on the assignment, and what assignments are coming up. They can also sign up for e-mails to be sent to them every time the child drops below an 80% in any class. I thought this was really crazy because when I was in high school we didn't have anything like for parents. Our parents just had to trust and believe us when we said that we didn't have any homework. I think this could be really good for parents so that they can stay informed, but it could also cause a lot of drama with parents and teachers because now the parents will be aware of when their child isn't doing well.

Questions for the panel

1)how do you deal with technology in a low SES school?
2)What's your favorite thing about teaching with technology? has it made things more simple or difficult?
3)How do you feel about parents having so much information avaliable to them about their children?has it made dealing with parents more difficult?

What every teacher should know about technology

1)PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Every teacher should be proficient in the use of productivity tools.

2)TROUBLESHOOTING
Every teacher should be able to troubleshoot technology-related problems that commonly crop up in the classroom.

3)TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Every teacher should know where to go for technical assistance.

4)WEB RESOURCES
Every teacher should be familiar with what's available on the Web in his or her subject area.

5)SEARCH SKILLS
Every teacher should have well-honed Web searching skills.

6)INTEREST AND FLEXIBILITY
Every teacher should be open to new ways of doing things.

Future Technology

I just read an article about how today we are educating students for jobs and technologies that haven't even been invented yet! and that today on average technology is advancing every 2-3 years which means that for a student s in a technology school what they learned in their first or second year of college will be outdated by the time they graduate. These things absolutely blow my mind!!! How is it that we as educators are supposed to prepare students for careers that haven't been invented? I don't have the answer to this question, but i think that the more technology that we use in the classroom the more students will benefit in the future.

COW

In this article I read about a new product called the COW (computer on Wheels). This product has been designed for junior high teachers and has every single thing that is required for the entire year in NCLB and other sources. Each COW contains a different subject and they run at about $7,ooo dollars. There are two types of COW's, the first type is very simple to use, it is controlled by the teacher and it looks the same at every single school (students may not use it). The second type of COW is more complex, it can be used by both the teachers and the students, and it will look different at every single school depending on how it is used. I thought this was really cool because they ones that the teachers use keep the students attention well, and the ones that the students can use really seem to add another dimension to the classroom.

History of Education

I found this video while I was looking for articles on Education. I thought it was cool, interesting and completely accurate!!!!
Education Today and Tomorrow

Miniaturization

This was the craziest article ever! It talked about how IBM is developing a new computer chip that will be able to contain as much information as a college library. It also talked about all of the things that will be possible with portable devices like iPods and iPhones. With these devices we could possibly have students study the expansion West in America, voting, or the slow progression of the Sahara. We could also have students download books into their iPods so that they came listen to them while they are in the car or they can read the book from their iPod when they're just hanging out. The weird thing about this article is that it gave so many ideas about what we might be able to do with these devices, it almost makes it hard to believe.

Ten ways to take charge of the web

I found this article online and it told the story of a teacher who decided to let his students search the web. this situation quickly turned bad when he realized that his students knew what they were doing better than he did, and one student even accidentally logged on to a inappropriate website. rather than trying to shorten the 10 steps i will just paste them on here for you guys because i think they are very important.


1) Explore your own interests on-line. What holds for your students holds for you: Use your hobbies and passions as points of entry to the World Wide Web. There is no better way to familiarize yourself with it. Do you love auctions? Check out eBay (www.ebay.com), the on-line auction house, and bid on that old Brownie Hawkeye camera you've been longing for. Have you been meaning to join a book-discussion group but haven't gotten around to it? Join other literary-minded folks at Salon (www.salon.com) to discuss the classics or the latest best sellers on-line.

2) Develop an acceptable use policy (AUP). The best way to keep Internet access safe and appropriate for children is to teach and monitor responsible use. Make your terms the children's "ticket" for going on-line. Begin by teaching basic Internet safety rules and discuss the importance of observing them. Rules to include in your policy:
Students may access only those Web sites that you, the teacher, have approved;
Never give out your address or phone number;
Never upload your photograph without adult consent. Put your AUP in writing and print it out in the form of a contract. Have students, parents, and your principal commit to these rules by signing the contract. Be sure to post a copy of your AUP near each computer.

3) Narrow the playing field. Just as you wouldn't turn your students loose with a set of encyclopedias or a stack of Ranger Rick magazines, you shouldn't expect them to find information on-line without a framework. This was Mr. Harris's biggest mistake. If he had taken the time to identify appropriate sites about Washington, D.C., in advance and then either bookmarked the sites or posted their URLs, he wouldn't have lost control of his class's on-line research exercise.

4) Know your search engines. Search engines are indispensable tools for Web-based research. Most, however, are too indiscriminate to be useful to young users. For example, searching for "White House" on the search engine Alta Vista returns over a half-million hits, most of which will be irrelevant or inappropriate for elementary-school students. To prevent frustration and inefficiency, experiment beforehand with search engines designed specifically for children. Bookmark the ones you like best and organize them into a "search engine folder" on your Web browser. Limit your students to these as they explore specific topics you have researched in advance.

5) Consider using a filter. Although I am convinced there is no substitute for having a hawkeyed teacher or parent on hand any time children are on-line, filtering devices function as a useful safety net. Filtering software (see Filtering Options) typically accomplishes three things: It blocks access to undesirable content; it keeps a log that tracks where children have been on the Web; and it puts the skids on what kids can do on-line (such as chatting with strangers).

6) Use the World Wide Web to lighten your load. Yes, it's true. Although many teachers see technology as a pesky addition to their overflowing schedules, smart users know that they can actually save time by drawing on Web resources (see Outstanding Teacher Resources). If you know where to look, you can find ready-to-use lesson plans, reproducibles, and activities to support curriculum and standards.

7) Teach kids to navigate a Web site effectively. Model for students how they can get the most out of a site. If you have access to an LCD panel or other projection device, conduct a class lesson on a popular site. Discuss how you would be selective about clicking on the site's links, opting for ones that are most relevant to your interests. A fun site for this purpose is one created by an early-childhood-education student in Australia: www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Tower/4295

8) Use the Web as a professional development tool. Go on-line for wonderful opportunities to network with other teachers, exchange ideas, and learn about the latest research findings in your field. For example, Reading Online (www.readingonline.org), an electronic journal developed by the International Reading Association, offers the latest research findings in literacy as well as news about professional conferences and literacy-related events. Instructor's Teacher Forum at Scholastic.com invites teacher input on a different professional development issue each month. And www.EdsOasis.org offers teacher-generated lesson plans and discussion groups with a special focus on ESL students.

9) Teach children how to avoid plagiarism. The availability of digital texts and graphics makes it all too easy for youngsters to cut and paste information and photographs into their reports and projects without considering ownership. Just as you teach students appropriate use and citation of printed reference materials, do the same with respect to on-line resources. Post examples of correct citations in your computer area.

10) For advanced users: create on-line writers' portfolios for your students. If you already have a class Web site, consider using it to extend your portfolio management system. By hyperlinking individual Web pages for each of your students to your class's site, you can offer a far-reaching forum in which to discuss their progress as writers and to display their final products. By using this electronic medium, you'll add a new dimension to traditional student portfolios, one that can have a profound impact on students' motivation to develop their writing skills and become published authors.

Smart board and teaching

I think the smartboard will be a great addition to the classroom and it will help the students learn at the level that they use in everyday life while they are playing on the computer or video games. Integrating technology into teaching will hopefully allow students to really engage in the lesson that is being taught. I also think this will make lessons go by faster, yet they will take more prep time outside of the classroom.