Homework #2- Chaper 5

Julie Gonzales

J. Jamison

Technology in Education-Assignment #2

October 8, 2014

 

Visual learning- this seems to be the only way that kids learn now a days.  It makes me wonder what effects are there going to be with their other development.  Like for example, if a child is at home all day playing video games, on the computer, or watching TV how is this lack of large motor skills going to affect them.  I teach preschool and large motor skills are a part of nearly everything that we do.  We paint large strokes on the easels, we walk on lines, we run in the gym, we dance to songs, we play games like red light green light, we ride tricycles and I am shocked to see how many of my kids struggle with some of these activities. I honestly have been a little overwhelmed by this.  It is so important to develop large motor skills and computers or technology cannot do this.  Even with my 18 month old I am always pushing her to develop these skills.  Even if it gives me a near heart attack every time she climbs up the play set in the back yard which is 8 feet off the ground and goes down the slide- IT IS SO GOOD FOR HER!!!!

            This generation of small children lack major large motor skills, however the flip side is that they are tending to have greater fine motor skills.  Like lacing shoes, putting beads on string or zipping jackets. They are even better problem solvers, and puzzle makers.   I will be curious to see how this plays out for my children. 

OH the smart boards. I am so excited to use these in class on Monday. Fun side note. When I was a Para, I had the amazing opportunity to work with our reading specialist for three different blocks of my day.  This was a great experience for a number of reasons.  First was the teacher whose name is Cheryl really trusted me and saw the teacher potential in me. She pushed me and gave me lots of opportunities to “teach” We would do stations every day.  She led one, I lead one and then the kids were on the computer doing a reading game for the other station.  For the first month of school she lead the one in the front of the room with the smart board, then after a month she came to me and asked me if I wanted to trade.  I would teach with the smart board…. The mere thought of this sent me into a mini panic, but she reassured me that she would train me- and she did.

 My Learning specialist gave us two hours paid for her to give me the run down on the smart boards.  This was invaluable first and for most for the teaching experience, and then for the opportunity/exposure to the smart board.  I can still remember the first lesson that I did.  It was through “Time for Kids on-line subscription” It was interactive article on the Rover- a robot/camera that had landed on the planet Mars.  The lesson was so much fun. We had a video chip, an interactive page that allowed us to see the features of the Rover and how they worked.  We also got see actual footage through the lenses of the Rover.  The article had vocab words with links that we could push to find out more.  It was awesome.  The Kids loved it, all three grade levels that I worked with the lesson was adapted to their age.  I spend the rest of the year doing these lessons on the smart board.  The kids connected to it and it was powerful.  I asked my daughter who was in one of the classes that I worked with if she remembered any of the lessons from 1^st grade that where done on the smart board During reading and she remembered this very one about the Rover and then also an fun article that was about school lunch.  I asked if she remember anything else from those days during the stations and she could not recall anything.  WOW, powerful is this technology.  This opportunity to work with this teacher was awesome.  This also gave me the courage to say Yes, when my principle asked if I would be willing to all the MAP-math testing for the 623 students.  This also was a great opportunity to use technology as we did all the testing on schools “Notebooks” Let me tell you those kids are quick to listen when the computers are out.  They are so excited and willing to help. 

Chapter 5- technology Integration and the learning process was great chapter to speak to the teachers in all of us.  The diagram on page 218 is great.  I am thinking I need to copy it and post in in my classroom as a reminder to myself as to what I can do with proper training in technology.   I love the 3^rd one on the list “Learn to be creators of digital media for Self Expression” I would love to have technology in my classroom with my preschoolers.  How fun would it be to do a lesson with Mat Man and then have the kids draw him with stylist on their tablets?  Kids really can connect to this.  Creating opportunities for higher-order learning. 

“For learning to take place, learners must be engaged in the process of education.  One way to engage learners is to motivate them through authentic learning experiences.  Authentic Learning experiences are instructional activities that demonstrate real-life connections by associating the concept being taught with real life experience or event…...More than any previous generations, today’s digital students look for relevancy in the content of the various subjects they are learning”  ( Shelly p. 219).

 

Students are more engaged as the more they know. They love the ability to be able to add info to any subject matter.  Just knowing how to find more info is very powerful tool.  This is a skill that can carry them far in life.  Technology in the classroom is mandatory and necessary to help these kids be the most successful adults in a world that technology is everywhere. 

            This class has helped me to understand that as a new teacher I have to ask question and take advantage of every technology learning opportunity.  I have no excuse not to have technology be a part of everyday in my class no matter what grade I teach. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Shelly, Gary B., Gunter, Glenda A., Gunter, Randolph E. Teachers Discovering Computer Integrating Technology in a Connected World. Seventh ed. Boston: Course Technology, Cengage Learning, 2012. 490. Print.