Chapter Twelve Reflection

1.    What can I do to “get ready” for a lesson in which my students use computers?

Step-by-step Plan

1)    Select lesson objective

2)    Create general online of plan

3)    Select technology to assist and supplement lesson

4)    Assure that you have completed parts of the NTeQ including additional activities before and after using the computer

5)    Reserve computer and lab space if needed

6)    Contact technology department if needed

7)    Complete need setup for the software or program being used

8)    Instruct student how to use the software

9)    Implement lesson plan

2.    Where does the “computer part” come when I am teaching a lesson?

The “computer part” of the lesson plan would come in this order:

1)    Set objectives

2)    Set problem to be solved

3)    Decide computer function that will be used in lesson

4)    Activities before computer use

5)    Explain computer usage and important information

6)    Use computer

7)    Research

8)    Activities after computer

9)    Analysis data

10) Additional activities

11) Result presentation

12) Assessment

3.    How do I ensure equal access for all students with only three computers?

I like the idea of having rotation station in my classroom even if a computer is not being used.  As an EC teacher in a self-contained classroom, I think that it would be great to have groups of three, and have one group on the computer, during a small group session with another and independent work with the other three.  This could also be done in a large classroom just include most stations.

Chapter Ten Reflection

1.    How do you know that students understand a concept?

Graphic organizer is a unique and creative way besides just supplying your students with just a verbal lecture and text. Graphic organizers seem to help students to learn the information instead just putting memorized information into the file cabinet in the back of their mind and forgetting about it.  I think that all the information we gain throughout life is all connected.  It helps me to see how one piece of information is connected to the other, and I am sure it is the same way for students. If students are able to make these connections, they are learning the material compared to just memorizing it.

2.    How can you depict student misconceptions of key information?

With graphic organizers as part of the lecture, students see ways to connect the material to one another.  The graphic organizer divide items in small areas the given the students an idea of the different parts of the material.  To have the student complete a graphic organizer make to students think and connect to information as how they see it.  A teacher could go around, compare, and contrast how the students grouped information.  This will allow the teacher to see how the students think and correct any information if needed.

3.    How can students capture and transfer brainstorming ideas into written thoughts?

I think students can capture their thoughts in different ways.  If I am brainstorming, I draw arrows, doddle, and write random words and phrases.  This information makes sense to me, but may make no sense to others.  It would be difficult to have students brainstorm as a large group.  If I was sitting up a brainstorm activity, class wide.  I would allow time for students to collect their thoughts and turn it into a time to think-pair-(group)-share.  I think this will allow group brainstorming is more affective and students decide the best ideas as they talk and share with others.

Chapter Eleven Reflection

1.    What are the benefits of using problem-solving or educational software?

The benefit of using problem-solving and educational software is that they are well designed to align with state standards and the curriculum.  The layout of problem-solving software includes a decision to be made, action, feedback, and reflection of the decision.  This allows student to practice basis of learning through games. Students are learning the content information to play the game instead learning the knowledge to take and pass a test.  Educational software provides the student with instructional content, practice to master skill or information, feedback, and assessments based on state curriculum.  Students have shown achievement through using the type of interactive software on a regular basis.

Morrison, G. R., & Lowther, D. L. (2010). Intergrating computer technology in to the classroom skills for the 21th century. Boston: Pearson.

                                    (Information found on pages 284-285.)

2.    How do I choose the correct software?

Software Review Websites	My Thoughts
Educational Software Preview Guide http://ed.fnal.gov/espg/	I would not use this site because “The Educational Software Preview Guide has not been updated since 2007 so some of the information is obsolete. The site is here for users who still want access.” This was the statement on the home page.  This material is outdated.  Technology has changed so much since 2007 to trust this information.
SuperKids http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/reviews.shtml	They have a place that allows you to search by subject.  They also include an easy to view table that has the rating for the software at the bottom of the page.  They had a subject for special needs that include six software reviews and only two had all three rating.
Discovery Education http://school.discoveryeducation.com/parents/reviewcorner/software/	The website provides very detailed information about the software including the price of the software. The age group they have listed are for ages 1-9+.  They do not have reviews for older children.  For special education, these reviews have a wide range of software for the different ability levels of my future students.
Learning Village http://www.learningvillage.com/html/guide.html	They only show the reviews of software they have selected to be great software to use.  They also have a purchasing link on the page (but it does not work). My opinion is that they do not of have a wide range of reviews and only show the software they approve of.  I do not think this a site I would use.
Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia http://teemeducation.org.uk/	These are reviews completed by the United Kingdom, and they discuss the content of the software in terms of their curriculum.  They provide details on the software, but I do wish they would have provided a rating system and have included more types of software pre-subject and grade levels.
Children’s Technology Review http://childrenstech.com/	The reviews are done by many people and are very update to date with technology.  I am sad to say that as a teacher within surround counties of where I live I would not benefit from this site because the technology they are reviewing is mainly for an ipad.  Our school system cannot afford an ipad for each classroom.

 I feel that I would benefit from Discovery education reviews the most.

3.    When I integrate problem-solving or educational software into a lesson, what changes will be needed?

Think teachers, majority of the time, use education software to teach the material instead of them having to come up with a better style to teach the students the material.  Educational software should part of the lesson instead of the lesson.  For problem-solving games, I have seen some teacher use this to be a time filler or just something for the students to do during computer lab time.  As the book stated the software should be planned into the lesson.  The teacher should build up the student’s knowledge and provide support information alone with the software.  I think in the field of special education having activity for after computer use would be the hardest part to plan.  The only thing I can think of is have the students to continue practice skills independently or have one-on-one time to assess student understanding of the information.

Chapter Nine Reflection

1.    How can my students use multimedia for their projects?

I feel that a teacher could have student use multimedia on any problem or question they give the class to answer.  The students can use multiple from media to collect information whether is through video or audio recording they have made and/or re-existing information they have found online.  In the field of special education, it would be difficult to have these children on his or her own create a multimedia presentation, but these students can benefit from multimedia. Younger learner at elementary age would benefit from the multimedia presentation a teacher could create for the lesson.  Presentations allow teacher to include visual and audio pieces to the presentation that will engage the students in the lesson.  Multimedia lesson adds more components to a lesson to appeal to more students.  The Step-By-Step Guide to Using Multimedia Tools in Special Education I found had good basic online on how a special education teacher could use multimedia within their classroom (http://www.pacer.org/stc/pubs/MultimediaCR.pdf ).

2.    What applications are available for creating a multimedia presentation?

I am not sure of all the applications that are used within the county in which I work.  As the textbook stated, that PowerPoint is the most common form of multimedia presentation we see in the classroom.  I am not sure of all the other software and application they have for the county, but teacher and student high rely on PowerPoint presentations to present content knowledge and information and result or conclusions of projects. The positive thing about PowerPoint is that you can include all the different components of multimedia sound, video, graphics, animation, and text.

3.    Should I place limits on how my students use multimedia?

Yes, I think that teachers in to put limits on what should and should not be include within a presentation.  Like the Technology FAQ, on page 252, “My students are more interested in using the bells and whistles of PowerPoint than focusing on their message.”  This is completely true. I know when I was introduces to PowerPoint in middle and high school I thought the point of using this software was to make the presentation as flash as possible, but my senior year of school and college I final learned that is not the point.  Teachers need to setup limits and explain the importance and the reason for this presentation.  Presentations are used to grab the audience attention and presentation your material in a neat and clear way so people will understand the information or message.

Delicious Assignment Reflection

1.    How difficult was it to find good sites?

I am not sure that I would say that it was difficult, but I would say that is time consuming.  You have to search to them, then look of the websites you have selected, and decide whether is a good site or not.

2.    Were there many sites claiming to be educational that were only trying to sell a product?

There were many websites that looked to be promising from the description, but then you click on it they were just trying to sale classroom materials or additional teaching resources.

3.    Did you find many sites that were not valuable as a resource?

I feel that I weeded out most of the websites that did not look like suitable sites by the description or the name or URL of the website.  There were a couple of websites that just compiled a list of links to other websites and ads.  Those were the most un-valuable sites I found.

4.    What did you think of some of the Web 2.0 sites?

I find many of these sites different to use, but I think that is due to my lack of understanding of technology.  I honestly selected two website for my delicious account were teacher were sharing their work with one another, and I didn’t realize that those were Web 2.0 site until Delicious suggested to tag with the link as such.

5.    Did you choose many of the same sites as the students you are following in Delicious?

I chose some of the same sites they did, but only two or three were the same.

6.    What did you like about the 15 sites you selected?

I selected the sites that I did because I thought they would benefit me or my students in the future.  I like the sites because they seemed to be user-friendly websites.