The Internet: How will you use it effectively?

[Photo Credit: http://www.doobybrain.com]

I will use Google and the advanced setting tool when searching for information. I will use techniques such as quotation marks and the boolean phrases to narrow my searches. I will also narrow down the type of website I look for such as .com, .org, and .edu.

To evaluate the credibility of a site I would first look at who published it and what their profession is. I would ask myself: Is this person an expert on this subject? Are they a teacher? etc. Then I would look to see what the type of media it is,whether it is a blog or a webpage. I would make sure that the information is up to date and if possible that it is peer reviewed, depending on the topic.

I wonder if trying to teach this in the elementary classroom is too much for them to handle at this age or not.

Animation Brings Lessons to Life

This article discussed how using animation in the classroom can help students to understand challenging concepts and have a deeper understanding of a range of topics from science to history and even Spanish. The teachers noticed a difference in the students, by seeing their reactions on their faces to the excited chatter with their peers. The students were excited and eager to learn more. Animation has proven to help students learn concepts that are not always easy to learn with just he teacher explaining it to them. Fifth grade students learned about chemistry and were able to see the electrons moving around the nucleus. Seventh and eighth grade Spanish students were able to see actions such as dancing with the word, which made it easier to remember. The article states that the lessons become more meaningful to the students when they see the animation that goes along with it.

As a future teacher I think this is a great way to do things! I know that I use an app on my phone that lets me play games to learn spanish vocabulary, instead of just trying to memorize a list of words. Where was this when I was in high school! This could be really useful in just about every subject, especially math, language arts and science! This is a great way to get kids to stay engaged and to be excited about learning. Being a future educator, it is great to have a bag full of tricks when working with young children.

This article would follow the ITSE standard number 1 which is creativity and innovation. The students can apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, and see things from a different persepective. They can also create there own model or simulation which can help themselves or others learn a challenging subject.

Video credit: Youtube.com

(SOURCE)
Ponton, R. (2009). Animation brings lessons to life.Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(4), 32. Retrieved from http://iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading.aspx

Ipod Implementation in The Elementary Grades

Photo Credit:Texarkana Gazette

The article "iPod implementation in The Elementary Grades" showed how a school got the iPods, set them up, worked out any problems, and how they taught the teachers and students how to use them. It talked about how simply adding the iPods into different stages into the class really helped the children stay on task without interrupting the teacher as much. The students were very excited to be able to play educational games, work on writing their letter in both print and cursive and to practice math flashcards just to name a few. This article gives step by step instructions as to how to implement the iPods into each classroom. This school in particular changed things up a bit when something wasn't quite working. The article also talked about not using technology as a reward. All children should be able to use it, and you just might find that the children who need extra attention or cannot sit still, will work a bit harder for you.

As a future teacher, there is a good chance that I will be using some form of technology in my classroom. Whether that is using computers, iPads or iPods and I will need to know how to successfully use them in a way in which the children will be learning and having fun. I agree with the article where is talks about having planning meetings where you can discuss which apps have been successful or which ones should be removed. I am not sure about letting a first grader walk around school with one of them, but uploading books on there can make quiet reading time very successful. I like the Dr. Seuss book apps, they are interactive with pictures and words, and you can choose to read it on your own or have it read to you.

This article goes well with ITSE standard number 5: Digital Citizenship. Using iPods shows they have a positive attitude toward technology and supports their learning and productivity. They are using only the apps that they are allowed to and are responsible for how their care for the device while using it.

(Source)

Hatten, S. (May 2012). iPod Implementation in The Elementary Grades. Learning & Leading With Technology, 39(7), 30-31. Retrieved from http://iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading.aspx