Putting it all together

Today is our last regularly scheduled class time, so we'll take a brief look backwards at the different ways that you can integrate technology into your classrooms. We'll have a brief chat with a technology coordinator at a suburban school and get a different perspective on educational technology. We'll also take a look at the growing acceptance of social media for educational purposes, and let you decide what you may or may not use with your own future students.

Lastly, we'll complete the course survey and answer any questions you may have regarding your final projects.  You'll present them to the class next Thursday, June 13 at 8-10 am.

Mobile Learning

As internet capable technology grows smaller, lighter, and more portable every day, it is up to us as teachers to find ways to incorporate devices like smart phones, laptop computers, and the ubiquitous iPad into our lessons. It has been hard not to notice the vast sums of money spent on improving student access to these devices, but does that automatically mean that they will improve student performance? Successful schools use them to create collaboration and build motivation. Unsuccessful approaches give out the tools, but don't provide any support, training or scaffolding in how to use them. What will you do in your classroom?

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Digital Literacy

Employers are looking for candidates who can navigate, critically evaluate, and make sense of the wealth of information available through digital media. These are the skills that we as educators must be focusing on in our classrooms. Today’s students need to be able to think critically and effectively solve problems while using technology, going beyond simply searching for information. They also must evaluate the legitimacy of the information, put it in context, and then apply problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Podcasting

A quick important announcement before we begin....

Your Final for ED 270 has been scheduled for THURSDAY, JUNE 13 (8-10am).  You may want to mark your calenders.

And now...

Podcasting!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Madison Avenue meets Monmouth

Today we go "Hollywood" and examine the role that multi-media creation can have in your classroom.  Vygotsky says that learning is an active, social endeavor- movie making in the classroom is an incredible way of creating that experience for your students, young and old alike. From the research and planning phases to the final editing and publishing, multimedia creation is an incredibly collaborative and interactive process.  Today we'll examine practical lessons for creating movies in your classroom, plus examine the various ways that student created films can be shared on the Web.  We'll look at the technology involved, and give you a chance to create your own 30 second commercial for WOU using iMovie.  Here's an example.

Images

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?  Just what does that old saying really mean, anyway?

The uses for images in the classroom are as varied and diverse as the people occupying those classrooms.  Images make great objects to illustrate copyright laws.  The ease at which images can be adjusted and altered by using programs like Photoshop and Fotoflexer brings up issues of media literacy

However, with the growth of Web 2.0 applications like Flickr and Pinterest that make it easier to upload and share those images, the potential for using images in the classroom has grown exponentially.  Students tired of creating PowerPoints?  They could create a virtual posterboard instead using Glogster instead.  Don't think your students are ready yet to create their own videos?  Have them create an awesome slideshow using Animoto.

Today you'll use cameras and the internet to produce three copyright-free images.  You'll manipulate them to create original images, then share them with your classmates.  You'll comment and evaluate  each others' creations.  Finally, you'll read and reflect on the various ways that image software could be used in your future classroom.

Enhancing Direct Instruction

This week we'll also take a look at the evolution of direct instruction in the classroom for the 21st Century.  The widespread availability of technology that allows multimedia streaming, anytime access for students, and almost unlimited resources for teachers has given rise to new twists on old issues (like copyright laws) and radical approaches to teacher driven instruction. You'll examine the implications of these new strategies, explore the educational applications of lots of software, and create your own teacher lesson using the newest of presentation platforms.

P.S.  Have you had any ideas yet about a possible topic for your mini-research paper?

We're going to cover a lot of ground in class today, and you'll probably need to spend a bit of time on your own this week to more fully explore the concepts introduced to you- even veteran educators face a dazzling variety of challenges everyday.  However, as new teachers, you'll be faced with the enormous additional task of creating an organizational system to manage your classroom.  This takes on many facets:  student work collection, grading systems and assessment, behavior challenges, parent communication, professional development, etc.  The list of jobs that you will be expected to successfully juggle from Day One is daunting.

Fortunately, your more veteran colleagues will have plenty of tips for you.  Today's lesson will introduce, discuss, and apply technology to those practical considerations that you'll have to address in your future classroom.

It's also getting close to research paper time.  Don't forget to look at the rubric for your Tech Ed in the News Paper due on May 7 by classtime.  You'll will email me your finished paper and I'll add my comments via track changes.  Need some ideas?  Think about the weekly class topics or use the internet to search and find great sites like Edutopia, Classroom 2.0., or Edudemic.

Week Two- Collaboration and Communication

Welcome, everyone.  I'm glad to see that we're all back for Week 2.

Last week we created our blogs and added some useful links to them.  We'll take some time at the start of class and let you revisit them, as well as providing some feedback for your peers.  This is the time to help each other with issues that have arisen over the past week, plus begin the process of revision and tweaking to make your blog as professional and useful as possible. Think about the characteristics of what a good teacher blog would have- what is its purpose?

This week we will continue to utilize our blogs, adding  Wikis and RSS feeds into the mix and give you some time to explore the potential of both of these in school settings.  Lastly, we'll explore an index of useful Web 2.0 tools, picking three useful applications and discussing their uses in the classroom.

Welcome!

I'd just like to welcome you all to the Spring Edition of Ed 270 Integrating Technology in Education! Throughout the next ten weeks, you will use a variety of different programs and platforms to explore the various means by which computers and the web have already become an integral part of an effective K-12 teacher's bag of tricks.

 Everything that you will explore and create is already in practice in classrooms across the country to meet state and federal teaching standards. Taking full advantage of internet and mobile platforms, creative and innovative teachers are already proving that technology does not have to be a distraction or a gimmicky add-on to traditional teaching practices. You'll examine your content area standards and begin to reflect upon ways that technology can open new doors to them. You'll explore the collaborative possibilities of the read/write web. You'll discover ways to more effectively manage your classroom. You'll investigate the constructivist possibilities of images and multimedia construction. You'll look to the future and predict the classroom of the next decade. You'll create your own lessons incorporating what you've learned in here. 

You're going to be busy in here, and that's a good thing. Along the way, you may occasionally run into what teachers like to call "technical difficulties." It is best if you select a happy place and always remember how to go there in case of computer stress. Go to your happy place...no worries....go to your happy place... The intent of this class is to take the fear out of technology integration, as well as refine your reflective and problem-solving skills that inevitability accompany high-tech in the classroom. No worries.

Putting It All Together

Today is our last regularly scheduled class time, so we'll take a brief look backwards at the different ways that you can integrate technology into your classrooms. We'll have a brief chat with a technology coordinator at a suburban school and get a different perspective on educational technology. We'll also take a look at the growing acceptance of social media for educational purposes, and let you decide what you may or may not use with your own future students.

Lastly, we'll complete the course survey and answer any questions you may have regarding your final projects.  You'll present them to the class next Tuesday, March 19, at 8-10am.

Mobile Learning

As internet capable technology grows smaller, lighter, and more portable every day, it is up to us as teachers to find ways to incorporate devices like smart phones, laptop computers, and the ubiquitous iPad into our lessons. It has been hard not to notice the vast sums of money spent on improving student access to these devices, but does that automatically mean that they will improve student performance? Successful schools use them to create collaboration and build motivation. Unsuccessful approaches give out the tools, but don't provide any support, training or scaffolding in how to use them. What will you do in your classroom?

Digital Literacy

Employers are looking for candidates who can navigate, critically evaluate, and make sense of the wealth of information available through digital media. These are the skills that we as educators must be focusing on in our classrooms. Today’s students need to be able to think critically and effectively solve problems while using technology, going beyond simply searching for information. They also must evaluate the legitimacy of the information, put it in context, and then apply problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Podcasting

A quick important announcement before we begin....

Your Final for ED 270 has been scheduled for TUESDAY, MARCH 19 (8-10am).  You may want to mark your calenders.

And now...

Podcasting!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Madison Avenue meets Monmouth

Today we go "Hollywood" and examine the role that multi-media creation can have in your classroom.  Vygotsky says that learning is an active, social endeavor- movie making in the classroom is an incredible way of creating that experience for your students, young and old alike. From the research and planning phases to the final editing and publishing, multimedia creation is an incredibly collaborative and interactive process.  Today we'll examine practical lessons for creating movies in your classroom, plus examine the various ways that student created films can be shared on the Web.  We'll look at the technology involved, and give you a chance to create your own 30 second commercial for WOU using iMovie.  Here's an example.

The Power of Images

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?  Just what does that old saying really mean, anyway?

The uses for images in the classroom are as varied and diverse as the people occupying those classrooms.  Images make great objects to illustrate copyright laws.  The ease at which images can be adjusted and altered by using programs like Photoshop and Fotoflexer brings up issues of media literacy

However, with the growth of Web 2.0 applications like Flickr and Pinterest that make it easier to upload and share those images, the potential for using images in the classroom has grown exponentially.  Students tired of creating PowerPoints?  They could create a virtual posterboard instead using Glogster instead.  Don't think your students are ready yet to create their own videos?  Have them create an awesome slideshow using Animoto.

Today you'll use cameras and the internet to produce three copyright-free images.  You'll manipulate them to create original images, then share them with your classmates.  You'll comment and evaluate  each others' creations.  Finally, you'll read and reflect on the various ways that image software could be used in your future classroom.

Classroom Management & Enhancing Direct Instruction

We're going to cover a lot of ground in class today, and you'll probably need to spend a bit of time on your own this week to more fully explore the concepts introduced to you- even veteran educators face a dazzling variety of challenges everyday.  However, as new teachers, you'll be faced with the enormous additional task of creating an organizational system to manage your classroom.  This takes on many facets:  student work collection, grading systems and assessment, behavior challenges, parent communication, professional development, etc.  The list of jobs that you will be expected to successfully juggle from Day One is daunting.

Fortunately, your more veteran colleagues will have plenty of tips for you.  Today's lesson will introduce, discuss, and apply technology to those practical considerations that you'll have to address in your future classroom.

We'll also take a look at the evolution of direct instruction in the classroom for the 21st Century.  The widespread availability of technology that allows multimedia streaming, anytime access for students, and almost unlimited resources for teachers has given rise to new twists on old issues (like copyright laws) and radical approaches to teacher driven instruction. You'll examine the implications of these new strategies, explore the educational applications of lots of software, and create your own teacher lesson using the newest of presentation platforms.

It's also getting close to research paper time.  Don't forget to look at the rubric for your Tech Ed in the News Paper due next February 12 by classtime.  You'll email me your finished paper and I'll add my comments via track changes.  Need some ideas?  Think about the weekly class topics or use the internet to search and find great sites like Edutopia, Classroom 2.0., or Edudemic.

Week Two- Collaboration and Communication

Welcome, everyone.  I'm glad to see that we're all back for Week 2.

Last week we created our blogs and added some useful links to them.  We'll take some time at the start of class and let you revisit them, as well as providing some feedback for your peers.  This is the time to help each other with issues that have arisen over the past week, plus begin the process of revision and tweaking to make your blog as professional and useful as possible. Think about the characteristics of what a good teacher blog would have- what is its purpose?

This week we will continue to utilize our blogs, adding  Wikis and RSS feeds into the mix and give you some time to explore the potential of both of these in school settings.  Lastly, we'll explore an index of useful Web 2.0 tools, picking three useful applications and discussing their uses in the classroom.

Let's Do This!

Hello, everyone!

It's nice to finally get the chance to see you all in person!  Today we will have the opportunity to get to know one another by completing an introduction activity, as well as participate in several group activities.  Then, we'll click on the Blogging link and get started on our journey...

We'll start by looking at the various perspectives on technology integration, and give you the opportunity to participate in a role playing activity.  Next, we'll look at the importance of standards and analyze how everything that you teach is ultimately determined by them.  After that, you'll examine a Google lesson plan or two and see how to actually incorporate technology into your daily learning.

Finally, you'll spend a bit of time looking at the uses of blogs in the classroom and ultimately begin to create your own blog.  You'll then use this blog to link to your classmates, post your weekly reflections, and link to your classroom assignments and projects.  It will become the storehouse of your experience in this class and will ultimately serve as a valuable portfolio of your technology experience.

Our class time will be full of active learning methods and incorporate a balance of high and low tech approaches.  The focus will be on interaction with peers and learning how to problem-solve without the assistance of the instructor.  As teachers, you will have to do the same thing- every day, with little or no tech support.  When you are ready, watch the video below to get started...

First Class Cancelled

So, here's some bad news (or good news, depending upon the level of your commitment to Ed 270!)...

Our first class, scheduled for Tuesday, January 8 from 9:00 to 11:50 am in ITC 001 will have to be cancelled.  I'm flying back from a conference that day and won't make it back in town until the evening.  Sorry about that.

However, don't fret!  There's still plenty to keep you busy until we meet the following week.  I've got a few things that I need to you to complete before January 15.    A list of items can be found below:

1. Download and read the course syllabus.  Pay particular attention to the grading policies and course calender.  
2. Take this survey.
3. Read the first chapter in the Richardson book- "The Read/Write Web."
4. Post a response to the question at Wallwisher.  This is a free website, but will require you to create an account.  Then compare your response to that of your classmates.