Looking back on my previous journal postings, I feel that my beliefs about using technology has changed greatly. Initially, I was proficient with using technology and was able to quickly pick up the new skills we learned in each class session. However, I was still a little uneasy about the idea of incorporating technology in the classroom. My thoughts about technology in the classroom was very naive as I believed that it could be detrimental. I thought that this new digital age was moving in a direction where kids could lose their interpersonal skills and that it may hinder their personal development. Little did I know, this was not the case.
I learned so much from this class, from creating a blog to creating an electronic signature. I genuinely enjoyed each activity we did in class and will take away the knowledge and skills from this class with me as I enter into the teaching field. Technology definitely enhances a student's learning as I have been able to experience it first hand. Collaborative learning, innovative projects, and learning responsibilities are just a few things I have learned more about during this course. One of my favorite projects from this class was creating my teacher website. It was fun to learn about all the online resources available and having the opportunity to showcase my creativity on the website.
After this course, I feel confident enough to incorporate technology in my high school classroom. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and skills of technology with my students. I feel that it is necessary to keep up with this ever growing technological age and I look forward to learning more about it. I will continue to research and learn about technological resources that I may apply into my future class.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Random Thoughts About Teaching & Learning
The article by Terry Heick, 25 Random Thoughts About Teaching & Learning, was a fun article to read and sparked a few thoughts of my own:
That teachers don't always know the right answer.
That technology is going to advance like crazy in the next 10 years.
That parents and administrators should side with teachers rather than go against them.
That teachers are put into a classroom to make a difference.
That teachers should remember to stay youthful and remember why they entered this profession.
That students won't know unless they try.
That students need to start engaging in more face-to-face interactions.
That learning occurs for both the teacher and student.
That even though we may think we know it all, we really don't.
That 20 years from now I will still enjoy what I do and teaching will still be my passion.
Responses:
Angela M: That change can be a s l o w process, but every step forward is significant.
I like this thought because I think it can be addressed to both the students and the teachers. Personally, I am not a huge fan of change, I tend to prefer consistency. However, to be in the education system I must learn to be more flexible and adapt quick to change. This is something I am continuously working on everyday.
Tommy R: That time spent working hard is very important, but also time spent resting the mind is almost as important.
A balance in life is extremely important. The fact that I can go into a career that I am passionate about is a great feeling, but I will need to learn to how to incorporate family, friends, and me time with my career. There is so much work that comes along with being a teacher so it is vital that us teachers learn how to balance such a busy schedule. I hope that sometime in the future I can rest my mind while traveling the world!:)
Source:
Heick, T. (2015). 25 Random thoughts about teaching & learning. Retrieved from: http://www.teachthought.com/learning/25-random-thoughts-about-teaching-learning/
That teachers don't always know the right answer.
That technology is going to advance like crazy in the next 10 years.
That parents and administrators should side with teachers rather than go against them.
That teachers are put into a classroom to make a difference.
That teachers should remember to stay youthful and remember why they entered this profession.
That students won't know unless they try.
That students need to start engaging in more face-to-face interactions.
That learning occurs for both the teacher and student.
That even though we may think we know it all, we really don't.
That 20 years from now I will still enjoy what I do and teaching will still be my passion.
Responses:
Angela M: That change can be a s l o w process, but every step forward is significant.
I like this thought because I think it can be addressed to both the students and the teachers. Personally, I am not a huge fan of change, I tend to prefer consistency. However, to be in the education system I must learn to be more flexible and adapt quick to change. This is something I am continuously working on everyday.
Tommy R: That time spent working hard is very important, but also time spent resting the mind is almost as important.
A balance in life is extremely important. The fact that I can go into a career that I am passionate about is a great feeling, but I will need to learn to how to incorporate family, friends, and me time with my career. There is so much work that comes along with being a teacher so it is vital that us teachers learn how to balance such a busy schedule. I hope that sometime in the future I can rest my mind while traveling the world!:)
Source:
Heick, T. (2015). 25 Random thoughts about teaching & learning. Retrieved from: http://www.teachthought.com/learning/25-random-thoughts-about-teaching-learning/
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Journal #4
The article Social Media for Teachers: Guides, Resources, and Ideas provides information and links to articles that help teachers learn how to incorporate social media into a classroom. To be honest, before I wasn't sure if social media in a classroom was a good idea. I thought that there could be many negative consequences that may arise, such as cyberbulling. However, after reading a couple of the articles posted, such as 50 Ways to use Twitter in a Classroom, I am beginning to open up more to this new idea. With regulation and supervision, social media may actually be a good tool to use in this new digital age.
In the future, I would consider using Twitter in my social studies high school classroom. There are so many ways I can utilize this tool to in the classroom. Nowadays, student have easy access to social media sites through the phones. Twitter is especially helpful as it is accessible on both a phone app and on the computer. With a majority of the students using twitter, communication between the teacher and the students may increase. I would be able to post links to resources, post sample questions for an upcoming exam, or retweet an relevant articles for the class. It's an easy way to make announcements so that students will be more informed before coming to class. Also, it is a great way to communicate to parents. The twitter feed may be made readily available so that if parents have any questions about the site as a whole, they are free to access the class' twitter page.
Another cool feature that I didn't know before was that I could sync the class' twitter feed straight into my teacher website or blog site. My teacher page would then offer a one-stop site where both students and parents could access for all information that pertains to my classroom.
Student collaboration can be facilitated even more so. For example, students would be able to live tweet during an assigned movie or book. In this live tweet, students can post any initial questions or reactions from the movie or book. Students can then respond to their peer's tweets. Also, before students can ask me a question, I would advise them to post the question onto our class twitter page and ask at least two other peers for help. Something I also found interesting was that I could use my twitter page a discussion board for the class. Students would be free to post a quick response (only 140 characters allowed) about an activity or lesson from the day. Lastly, the easy use of hashtags can help organize and keep track of any twitter conversation pertaining to our particular class. So if a student misses class, he/she could search our class's hashtag and look at the twitter conversation for that day.
Ultimately, I would consider incorporating Twitter as a social media tool into my classroom in the future. With a new generation of kids who are tech savvy, it may pose more benefits than consequences in the classroom.
Sources:
Miller, S. (2005). 50 ways to use twitter in the classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom
Davis, M. (2015). Social media for teachers: Guides, resources, and ideas. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-resources-educators-matt-davis
In the future, I would consider using Twitter in my social studies high school classroom. There are so many ways I can utilize this tool to in the classroom. Nowadays, student have easy access to social media sites through the phones. Twitter is especially helpful as it is accessible on both a phone app and on the computer. With a majority of the students using twitter, communication between the teacher and the students may increase. I would be able to post links to resources, post sample questions for an upcoming exam, or retweet an relevant articles for the class. It's an easy way to make announcements so that students will be more informed before coming to class. Also, it is a great way to communicate to parents. The twitter feed may be made readily available so that if parents have any questions about the site as a whole, they are free to access the class' twitter page.
Another cool feature that I didn't know before was that I could sync the class' twitter feed straight into my teacher website or blog site. My teacher page would then offer a one-stop site where both students and parents could access for all information that pertains to my classroom.
Student collaboration can be facilitated even more so. For example, students would be able to live tweet during an assigned movie or book. In this live tweet, students can post any initial questions or reactions from the movie or book. Students can then respond to their peer's tweets. Also, before students can ask me a question, I would advise them to post the question onto our class twitter page and ask at least two other peers for help. Something I also found interesting was that I could use my twitter page a discussion board for the class. Students would be free to post a quick response (only 140 characters allowed) about an activity or lesson from the day. Lastly, the easy use of hashtags can help organize and keep track of any twitter conversation pertaining to our particular class. So if a student misses class, he/she could search our class's hashtag and look at the twitter conversation for that day.
Ultimately, I would consider incorporating Twitter as a social media tool into my classroom in the future. With a new generation of kids who are tech savvy, it may pose more benefits than consequences in the classroom.
Sources:
Miller, S. (2005). 50 ways to use twitter in the classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom
Davis, M. (2015). Social media for teachers: Guides, resources, and ideas. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-resources-educators-matt-davis
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Journal # 3
From a student's perspective, I had always thought that we were given rubrics so that students can decide what grade they want to achieve based on the requirements given by the teacher. I thought that this rubric or guideline was given to us so we know what an 'A' paper or project demonstrated. To be honest, I never really liked rubrics because they were always so broad and general in terms of what was required to get a good grade. I had always preferred criteria or an outline of each task that was expected of us. However, reflecting back on it now, I realize that I grew up during a time when us students were always expected to pass and get a good grade or else we don't meet up to the "standards" of the school; I could see why I never appreciated the use of a rubric.
Reading this article from a teacher's perspective was very interesting and now I can see why rubrics can be helpful. Susan Brookhart (2013) explains that the, "main purpose of rubrics is to assess performances." Given a rubric, a teacher may be able to assess the progress of a student in regards to their performance throughout a project or paper. I learned that an analytic rubric allows a teacher to evaluate a student based on each criterion. On the contrary, a holistic rubric evaluates all the criteria and scores are based off of the overall quality of work. General rubrics describe the criteria and tasks across all areas that will be graded. Lastly, a task-specific rubric describe the criteria and tasks in a specific content area. All these different types of rubrics have their own advantages and disadvantages, it typically depends on the what is being assessed and how the teacher wants to assess the student's performance.
It was interesting to learn that rubrics allow teachers to lay out what "you intend students to learn rather than what you intend to teach [and] actually helps improve instruction" (Brookhart, 2013). I believe that the purpose of a rubric is to assess the quality of a student's work rather than the quantity (grades). I can see why rubrics can be beneficial to both the student and the teacher. As a future teacher, I will be able to assess a student's learning throughout the assignment. I will be able to judge whether or not they have learned the material based on their performance and the quality of their work rather than grade based off of specific tasks they accomplish. Student's in turn are more involved in their learning and they get to choose how they will be successful in the assignment. Students become responsible for their own learning in that they are the ones who will choose which level of tasks they want to accomplish, not the teachers. Student's will be able to self-assess and evaluate their own performance as well. One disadvantage I can see with a rubric is that it seems to be time consuming if a teacher has to create a rubric for each assignment given. But ultimately, I can see the long term benefits of a rubric and how it contributes to a student's learning.
Source: Brookhart, S. M. (2013). What are rubrics and why are they important? Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112001/chapters/What-Are-Rubrics-and-Why-Are-They-Important%C2%A2.aspx
Source: Brookhart, S. M. (2013). What are rubrics and why are they important? Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112001/chapters/What-Are-Rubrics-and-Why-Are-They-Important%C2%A2.aspx
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Journal #2
To be honest, after reading the article about whether or not students should be able to use the internet while testing, I am torn between both view points. I can see where each side is coming from and both sides make valid points.
I agree with James Cash in that tests that require you to memorize facts, dates, figures, and such could "lack any assessment of students' ability to effectively criticize a treaty or judge the quality of a historical document." Yes, I believe that a lot of the time we force our students to memorize things and stress them out with information overload for the general purpose of being able to know your facts. As a student, I remember clearly those endless nights of stress because I had to memorize vocabulary and theories. As Ann Michealsen says it, "students should no longer be required to regurgitate facts and figures...instead emphasis should be on their ability to sit through and analyze information." I believe that they are arguing that we should step outside the box and enter into a time where we can utilize our resources to it's full advantage.
I also agree with Jeffrey Starr when he says that internet during testing can "create an irresistible temptation to students to merely look for the answers rather than coming up with the answers on their own." I know that when I take an online test and I have the internet and my textbook readily available, I use all of these resources to my advantage. I quickly find the right answer then move on. Do I retain the information I on the test as I look it up online? No. It's simply an easy way to get a quick answer. In this new technological age, I see most of our youth become reliant on their devices. Keishia Ceasar-Jones mentions that, "there has to be a foundation of knowledge...many students depend on technology instead of leveraging it to elevate their game." I agree with her in that we tend to use technology because of it's convenience and efficiency, which is something I appreciate about it. However, I don't think we should allow it to consume the consumers.
I believe that we should be able to teach our students the foundations of learning and test taking first. Allow them to critically think as they are studying and learning the material rather than during a test. Give the students the opportunity to engage in technology based projects during the school year so that they can be more active in their education. When it comes to test days, develop a set of questions that pertain to the technological project that they did earlier in the school year. This way students will be able to recall the research they did on the internet and apply this knowledge to their tests, rather than using the internet while taking the test. I am not completely against technology in the classroom, however I would like to be able to regulate it's usage and not solely rely on it as a tool for teaching.
Cash, J., & Starr, J. (2013). Should students use the internet while taking tests? Learning & Leading with Technology (40)5, 6-7. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201302?pg=5#pg8
I agree with James Cash in that tests that require you to memorize facts, dates, figures, and such could "lack any assessment of students' ability to effectively criticize a treaty or judge the quality of a historical document." Yes, I believe that a lot of the time we force our students to memorize things and stress them out with information overload for the general purpose of being able to know your facts. As a student, I remember clearly those endless nights of stress because I had to memorize vocabulary and theories. As Ann Michealsen says it, "students should no longer be required to regurgitate facts and figures...instead emphasis should be on their ability to sit through and analyze information." I believe that they are arguing that we should step outside the box and enter into a time where we can utilize our resources to it's full advantage.
I also agree with Jeffrey Starr when he says that internet during testing can "create an irresistible temptation to students to merely look for the answers rather than coming up with the answers on their own." I know that when I take an online test and I have the internet and my textbook readily available, I use all of these resources to my advantage. I quickly find the right answer then move on. Do I retain the information I on the test as I look it up online? No. It's simply an easy way to get a quick answer. In this new technological age, I see most of our youth become reliant on their devices. Keishia Ceasar-Jones mentions that, "there has to be a foundation of knowledge...many students depend on technology instead of leveraging it to elevate their game." I agree with her in that we tend to use technology because of it's convenience and efficiency, which is something I appreciate about it. However, I don't think we should allow it to consume the consumers.
I believe that we should be able to teach our students the foundations of learning and test taking first. Allow them to critically think as they are studying and learning the material rather than during a test. Give the students the opportunity to engage in technology based projects during the school year so that they can be more active in their education. When it comes to test days, develop a set of questions that pertain to the technological project that they did earlier in the school year. This way students will be able to recall the research they did on the internet and apply this knowledge to their tests, rather than using the internet while taking the test. I am not completely against technology in the classroom, however I would like to be able to regulate it's usage and not solely rely on it as a tool for teaching.
Cash, J., & Starr, J. (2013). Should students use the internet while taking tests? Learning & Leading with Technology (40)5, 6-7. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201302?pg=5#pg8
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Project #3
This Powtoon presentation tool was really fun to use! It allows students to be creative and they are able to think "outside the box!" It's almost like creating a very detailed and fun powerpoint presentation. Only downside is that it is very time consuming to make. Other than that, I think it is a very useful presentation tool for students of all ages. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Journal #1
The use of technology for education purposes has been an up and coming topic for teachers, students, and parents. There has been a debate as to whether the use of technology is beneficial in the classrooms or if it's detrimental. Personally, I could see both the pros and cons of educational technology; it depends on how it is utilized in the classroom.
I have noticed a new trend of steering away from traditional ways of teaching and moving towards more advanced and innovative methods. Researchers have found that there have been positive benefits when students were given math activity simulations (Boss, 2011). In particular, the use of technology assisted with creativity, research skills, and higher-order thinking (Boss, 2011). Working with grade school students, I have noticed that a majority of the second and third graders' math homework is available only online using math programs and sites. At first it surprised me that teachers were using these methods in elementary schools but then I had to take a step back and realize that this is a different generation. Nowadays computers, tablets, and other resources are more readily available for students. And in turn, students are very knowledgable about technology more so than ever.
I believe that technology should be used as a way to enhance a student's learning but it shouldn't be the basis of their learning. Technology can be a great tool for a student to demonstrate their creative thinking and a way that they may illustrate their understanding of a topic. However, I believe that we shouldn't solely rely on technology to teach the kids and instead still use traditional ways of teaching. Although I am not necessarily too keen on the idea of social media usage in the classroom, but I am becoming more open to the idea of the use of educational technology as another method of teaching if used for the right purposes.
Source: Boss, S. (2011). Technology integration: A short history. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-history
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
All About Me
My name is Camille Flores. I am 23 years old and a San Marcos native who has a dream of becoming an educator. I earned a Bachelor's degree in psychology at CSUSM and I look forward to teaching others about what I learned throughout my undergraduate studies. I am applying to CSUSM's single subject credentials with an emphasis in social science. I would love to be able to teach psychology as an elective for juniors and seniors in high school. I am currently working at an after school program for SMUSD called KOC at San Elijo Elementary. Although I currently work mainly with grade school students, I look forward to learning more about high school and all that it entails.
The first statement that stood out to me from the SoE mission is to “inspire reflective teaching and learning.” What I like about this statement is the first word mentioned: inspire. To inspire and impact at least one student means the most to me. Being able to teach others and to learn from others is an internal reward for me and what better place to do so than at school. I want to be able to give back to my community and hopefully will influence students the same way my teachers had an influence on me. I am taking this class as a prerequisite for CSUSM’s credential program that I am applying for to enter in the Fall ‘15 cohort.
The first statement that stood out to me from the SoE mission is to “inspire reflective teaching and learning.” What I like about this statement is the first word mentioned: inspire. To inspire and impact at least one student means the most to me. Being able to teach others and to learn from others is an internal reward for me and what better place to do so than at school. I want to be able to give back to my community and hopefully will influence students the same way my teachers had an influence on me. I am taking this class as a prerequisite for CSUSM’s credential program that I am applying for to enter in the Fall ‘15 cohort.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)