Weekly Blog 8

Today in class, a portion of class was spent going over how to find practictioner-based articles online. All the fields of study have journals which relate to teaching. I spent some time in class today searching through articles which could be appropriate for the required Technologies in the Classroom assignment. I had always known that many documents could be found through UW Libraries, however, I often feel like many overlook this great resource. Being able to gain a greater familiarization of UW Libraries was a very signifcant thing I learned in class today, and it made me think about libraries in general. When I was in elementary school, if I wanted information for a project or something, I would have to go to my local public library. Now, so many of the resources found at public libraries can also be found online. While high school students might not necessarily have access to the UW Library, there still exist many other online library resources. Students don’t have to only rely on Wikipedia and other sites of this nature. While I happen to see a lot of value in Wikipedia, many teachers don’t see this as a reliable source. Many reliable online journals, E-Books, and other forms of media can be found on the web, so the classroom applications of online library resources are obvious. The main questions I have left over from class surround the future of the web. How will techology in the future change with regards to online library resources? Questions like this cannot be answered, but are fun to discuss and think about.

Weekly Blog 7

Last week’s class again focused a lot on video games. Different groups took turns presenting their games to the class. I found this aspect of class very interesting, as I was able to gain a better understanding of the classroom applications of video games. Some of the games seemed like they either had little educational value or were not that practical for a classroom setting. I was surprised that a game from my childhood, Math Blaster, had advanced to the point where one would almost need a controller to play it. Some games did seem educational though. I feel that Diner Tycoon definitely has some advantages, as one must think critically about math and running a business. I still am not quite sold on the practicality of video games in the class however. I certainly could not see video games playing a major role in the curriculum of any teacher. Perhaps on a day where there is a substitute or not much going on, a teacher could allow their students to play some games, but then other issues arise. For example, most classrooms are not equipped with enough computers for all the kids to play. This could create distractions in the classroom. I feel like the primary benefits to educational video games it that they can be played at home. The question I have is can video games be made to be educational but at the same time have enough appeal that kids will want to regularly play them outside of school. There exist a few games, like Oregon Trail, that seem to offer this but not nearly enough.

Technology in School - In Class - 11/12

The readings this week brought up many interesting points with regards to the use of technology in schools. There most definitely exist some new technologies which can be applied to the classroom. Some of the free grade book and rubric making sites can be helpful to teachers. Free Technology for Teachers also offers many useful links to a variety of technologies which I could see being used in the classroom (I discussed some of the applications in an earlier blog). There are many technologies out there which are cheap, and that can make the learning process easier for both teachers and students. These tend to be however, the less innovative technologies. Things like online documentaries and map making tools make teaching easier, but aren’t necessarily that radical of a thing to include in a classroom. The technologies that really push my thinking about teaching and learning are things like video games and social networking sites, as well as other things that are not typically thought about as classroom appropriate. I’m somewhat torn as to whether I am willing to welcome these new technologies into the classroom. On the one hand, if they can help aid learning, I’m all for it. Part of me however, likes to think the role of the teacher is to inspire and I question whether or not this can be possible if technology takes over the classroom. To be honest, I envision myself as being the type of teacher that stands in front of class and tries to engage the students by combining lecturing and lively discussion. Advancements in technology make me question how future learning might be different from the current style of teaching.

Weekly Blog 6

Much of class today was centered on discussion of video games, and there place in education. Many ideas and viewpoints on the matter were tossed around, and I have to admit I was skeptical about what some of my peers were arguing. As an avid gamer, I found myself believing that video games were in no way educational. I mean I play tons of video games and never thought I got anything out of them other than recreational value. However, in class today we were able to play around with different video games. The game my group played was called Diner Tycoon, and I have to admit, after about an hour of playing I definitely saw some educational value, and because of this I would say the most significant thing I learned in class today was that video games can provide some sort benefit to kids. In this game, the player must build up restaurants to compete with a rival business. Players can determine what is on the menu, what and how many ingredients to buy, as well as how to advertise and when to build new restaurants. I really believe that this game was a great way to introduce kids to business and entrepreneurship. Not only this, but players must think critically about how to act, as their actions will determine their success in the game. It also teaches kids how to manage their money, as players must determine what to buy and when to buy it. Too many bad investments and a player will lose the game. I could definitely seem classroom applications of this game. The only questions I have left surround some of the other games my classmates played. I would be interested to perhaps discuss some of the other games and how they could apply to a classroom setting. Did every group feel that their game had educational value?

Weekly Blog 5

I must admit that today’s class was slightly overwhelming. So many new programs and websites were learned and not much time to fully realize the full potential of each. However, it is pretty clear that the most significant thing I learned about today was the blog Free Technology For Teachers (found here: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/). What an amazing site. The blog provides countless links to technology related sites, all of which have some relation to teaching. Being someone whose concentration is social studies/history teaching, I was able to search for posts using the keyword: History. What I found was a multitude of different posts, all of which highlighted some site which relates to both history and technology. For example, I found one site which has thousands of hours of video footage from different documentaries and news stories, and there were countless other links to things just like this. This blog will be a great resource later in my life when I begin teaching. It will be fun to browse the site in search of things that I can use in the classroom. The only questions I have left over from class are questions surrounding the classroom applications of some of the things found on Free Technology For Teachers. Some are obvious. Most of what I found involved interactive maps, historical videos, animations, etc. All these would be great tools to use in a classroom as I feel that they would help present material in a more fun manner for students. However, I do feel that it would be nice to maybe hear what some of my peers discovered on the site and some of the potential classroom applications of their findings.

10 Useful Technology Websites

http://maker.geocommons.com/
This is a link to a map making program called Maker! This program allows one to make data-rich maps extremely easily. In addition, Maker! allows one access to various previously made maps which are very interactive and simple to maneuver through.

http://www.xtimeline.com/
This is a link to a site full of timelines on a multitude of events. The site is called Xtimeline and allows one to search for timelines which are all very interactive and easy to navigate. From the discovery of the atom to World War II, Xtimeline is great for visually displaying specific dates and events.

http://www.conflicthistory.com
Conflict History adds a timeline to Google Maps. This site is easy to use, as one can navigate through different time periods and look at the major conflicts of the world. The site not only will show wars, but for big conflicts, such as WWI, the site shows specific battles. By clicking on a conflict, one can read a brief summary of the event.

http://historyanimated.com/newhistoryanimated/
History animated is a site which is great for teachers looking for animated displays surrounding the WWII Pacific battles, the Civil War, and the US Revolutionary War. By selecting a specific battle, one is able to see a visual animation of the battle, as well as a brief description to aid viewers in recognizing what is going on.

http://www.historyisaweapon.org/zinnapeopleshistory.html
A common book used in high school history classrooms is Howard Zinn’s, A People’s History of the United States (It was used at my high school). This website offers an online version of the book, and one can navigate it easily as links are provided for each chapter.

http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/
One major event in recent US history which is sure to be a focal point of future history curriculum was the horrible events of September 11, 2001. This site offers a collective telling of the events from the people who experienced them. It’s very interactive and contains a ton of information.

http://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx
This is a link to a test making site. This free program allows one to make a variety of different tests. One can easily make alternative tests as well as master copies. This site is nice because it eliminates frustrations that arise in formatting for non-tech savvy people like me.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do
This is a link to the History Channel website, specifically, a feature they have called “This Day In History.” One can have access to short videos which mention the major historical events that occurred on each day in the calendar year. From this link, one can also find links to various other videos presented by the History Channel.

http://www.history.com/states.do
This site provides an interactive map of the United States. By clicking on each state, one is allowed access to a variety of information on that particular place. Included are fun facts, video, stats, images, and more. Also included are games which allow students to test their knowledge. The History Channel website is loaded with fun and useful information.

http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com/
American History in Video offers thousands of hours of video on topics relating to American history. One can view many documentary and news videos. The site makes it easy to search for video and one can simply watch them online. The coolest part about the videos is that a teacher can clip long videos to show only what they deem appropriate to the classroom.

Weekly Blog 4

Since the humanities students have dedicated most the last couple weeks working on digital storytelling, I was introduced to something completely new in class today when we used Fathom. Although I wasn't able to get too in depth in using this program, at first glance I would describe it sort of like Microsoft Excel on steroids. I was amazed at how easy and interactive it was. Basically, one can take any data set and with the drag of a mouse create a table, chart, or graph. Not only this, Fathom makes it very easy to adjust the graphs and tables one makes. I would say this is the most significant thing I learned today, especially because we dedicated a portion of class talking about the classroom applications of it. For humanities classes, we discussed how Fathom could be used as a way to display statistics or population data. As a class, we examined Vietnam War draft data. By creating a graph with Fathom, we were able to see trends in the draft lottery numbers. We saw that the later months tended to have the lowest draft numbers, which was a bad thing for people born in those months who didn’t want to go to war. This led to a revelation on how the draft process worked. This was just one example of how Fathom could be applied to a social studies classroom. The classroom applications of Fathom for math and sciences are rather obvious. These fields deal profusely with statistical data and numbers. Fathom is perfect for aiding in making sense of data of this sort. I do still however have questions about Fathom. I don’t feel that I really got to fully learn the capabilities of this program. I would love to know other ways people think that this program could be used in say, a history class, for example.