Farmington Education

Final Blog

2008-12-09T15:37:00.001-08:00

What does it mean to be an educator in the 21st century? Specifically address the role you believe technology can and should play in the teaching and learning process. This should be around 500 words. Please think about organization and presenting a thesis statement which you support.

As I have stated my earlier blog entry, I believe that it is important for 21st century teachers to know how to use technology. Not only should they know how to use technology, they should know how to use it effectively. This means that every teacher who has the knowledge of technology should share this with their students.
Technology does not have to be limited to the computer. Yes, the computer is a very important tool that all teachers should have (and use) in their classrooms, but there are other just as important and useful technological tools. There is also the SmartBoard, the overhead, and the television. The overhead and the television are not nearly as new as the SmartBoard, but they still help effectively teach students using technology. The SmartBoard, though expensive, is an extremely useful tool. You can touch the SmartBoard using special pens. You can easily navigate and interact with websites and programs installed on your computer. A must have for all teachers who are unable to use a SmartBoard is the Wii remote concoction. You can find more information on this by reading my previous blog about the ACTEM conference.
Technology can help students who are struggling by providing interactive games to play or creating a visual for them to look at. Using an overhead allows you to face your entire class instead of having your back turned away while writing on the board. An overhead is small and convenient whereas a board you constantly have to erase one thing to write another.
Computer can be used to have students create their own blogs. Blogs are very useful when students are practicing typing skills, grammar, and mechanics. They feel prideful when they can physically see their work posted on the internet.
Computer can be used to connect with classrooms across the state, country, or even world. This was discovered in my Computers in the Classroom class. By talking with students from Cyprus, we learned what teaching was like in a different country! We were also able to learn what second graders were up to in Canada. Computers can be used to connect students with the outside world without even leaving your classroom!
Computers and technology in general, are not only used for the benefit of students. Teachers as well can learn from technology. It can also make their lives easier by creating WebQuests where students can use the computers to complete assignments. It gives the teacher a break from making photocopies and the students get to use the computer, which is always a hit.
21st century teachers need to find the quickest and most useful ways to get things done while still effectively teaching. This is what technology is for. It is like having a personal helper with you at all times.
Technology is like good news, when you have it; you want to share it with everybody. When we use technology properly it can ease our stresses, add fun to our classrooms, and teach us many new things never dreamt possible with earlier generations.

Science and Math unit pre-test

2008-11-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

2008-10-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, Tiffany B. My name is Amanda. I live in Maine. I have a baby nephew. I also have a cat who is sometimes mean but I love her anyways! During the winter months, I like to go snowboarding with my friends. I also like to watch movies.

Technology Conference

2008-10-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

This post is all about the most interesting things I learned at the ACTEM conference I attended on Friday, 10-17-08.

1. I was very surprised at how much Google has to offer! I always assumed Google was used primarily for research but I couldn't be more wrong! Google can be used to communicate with others in all sorts of ways. You can make blogs, calendars, and perhaps the coolest is Google Reader. Google Reader allows you to create your own newspaper with all things online that you read daily. Check out www.google.com and click on more, then even more at the top right hang corner. You'll be amazed at all that google has to offer!

2. Twitter was a cool way I learned how to communicate with others. It reminds me of instant messaging. A lot of awesome people that work hard at education use twitter. www.twitter.com Twitter is IMing for teachers!

3. I was introduced to Delicious a few times during the day. Delicious sounds so delicious! On this site you can create your own list of "favorite" websites. You can also share these sites with others. Perhaps the neatest thing about Delicious is you can subscribe to other people's lists and use their websites! It is an awesome way to share sites that may be helpful to teachers, students, etc! www.delicious.com

4. www.spellingcity.com is a really neat website that you can plug in your child's spelling words for the week and it will help them practice their words. It is a fun and interactive way to get kids to spell correctly. Say good-bye to those "Mom, can you ask me my spelling words?" days!

5. Voice thread is a cool way to have students make movies, talk with other people all over the world, and respond to movies, readings, etc. Example: Students read a book by Karen Hesse. The teacher emails Karen Hesse and tells her about the book her students just read and how they wish to ask her some questions. Using voice thread, Karen Hesse can talk directly to the students! Also, if you have a web cam you can see the people talking. Very personable way to communicate and students will love it! www.voicethread.com

6. Edu Blogging is a great way to get your students to communicate with other classes across the country, or even world. In Edu Blog you can create a blog for all your students and manage their accounts. You can see what is being posted and preview their comments before allowing them. You can also prevent them from seeing spam. http://edublogs.org

7. Flickr is an image and video website where you can share your photos or movies with anyone. It is just another easy way to stay connected and share. www.flickr.com

8. Ning is a site where you can create your own social network. It is like Facebook and MySpace only YOU create the social network. For example you can create a network specifically about education where people who are interested in education can subscribe to. It is a very easy way to connect to people who have the same interests as you. You can put photos and videos up, too.
www.ning.com to get started on your ning network!

9. WiiRemote is possibly the coolest invention I have ever seen! It uses a wii remote and a ultra violet light pen to write on an over head projection. The remote reflects ultra violet radiation onto your projection screen. You can use the pen to move things on your compute screen that show up on the projection. You and your students can easily make the pens yourself out of almost anything; highlighters, pens, lights, etc! The whole setup (wii remote, pens) cost less than 50 dollars compared to a smart board which is about 5 grand. Some of the same features for so much less!

10. Over all reaction: I enjoyed attending this conference. My favorite part was learning about all the interesting websites, especially the ones I shared with you in this post. Those sites will surely come in handy when I become a teacher. I am sure there will be many more by then, also! The wii remote fascinated me beyond belief. It was so cool to see something so simple be used in such a different way many people never would have thought of! The conference was very informative. I really enjoyed walking around the exhibition area and seeing all the neat teacher tools. I received a free poster made by this machine that prints on both the front and the back. It is energy efficient and Eco-friendly! Sadly, I cannot remember the name of the machine. All in all, it was a very good experience and I can definitely see myself returning to another ACTEM conference in the future!

Family life in the 1800's

2008-10-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

My topic for WebQuest and my unit in Cathy's class is Family Life in the 1800's. This topic has always fascinated me and it will be fun to learn about it as I gather materials and create a unit to teach it to my future students. Four topics I wish to talk about/research are:
1. What family homes looked like in the 1800's. i.e. how many people were typically in a family? what were there chores? jobs?
2. What did people do for fun in the 1800's? What did they wear?
3. What types of transportation did they use and was there a lot of traveling with family members?
4. What foods were eaten? grown? and who prepared the meals?

Things I would like to put on my WebQuest that my students will create as part of this unit:
1. A play. Students will dress up as a member of a family from the 1800's and act out their role in the family and community.
2. Students will gather pictures of what life was like in the 1800's and create a podcast using Garageband.
3. Students will keep a weekly blog. They will write journal entries as if they were really the character they will be playing in the play. Posts will include what they did that day, chores, school, etc, what they ate, and where they went.
4. Students will type up invitations on the computer using pixie to draw pictures. The invitations will be to the play they will put on.

These questions are basic examples of what I want my students to understand. The more research that I find, the more information I wish to discuss.

Making Technology Inclusive in my Classroom

2008-09-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

Becoming a teacher is one of the most rewarding feelings I believe will happen throughout my life. Along with this reward is the feeling of knowing you are going to change your students' lives in some form or another. As discussed in the previous blog, I do intend to include technology in my classroom. Technology is fun, fast, and extremely useful when teaching children in the 21st century. Although technology can be very helpful in ways such as researching the internet for a project, it can also be used to assist students who are struggling, advanced, or right on target. All classrooms in the 21st century should be inclusive with regards to all their students' ability levels.

As a future teacher, I am well aware that I will have students in my classroom that are either struggling or advanced. Both types of students can benefit from technology. Students who are having trouble with pen and paper may benefit from using the "alphasmart". With this tool, students can type what they want into a mini computer/keyboard and save their work onto a word document and print. This allows students to express their ideas without stressing over the correct way to use a pen and pencil. Students who are advanced may also use the "alphasmart" to help them work on their typing skills. There are many uses to this tool for many different age groups and ability levels.

Another great technological tool that students could benefit from is the "big keys". This tool is an over sized keyboard. It could be used once again for children in higher grades who are having trouble typing on a normal sized keyboard which may be too small for them. It could also be for students in lower grades who want to practice their keyboard skills in a fun manner. This tool can be plugged into any computer and students will love having something designed especially for their small hands.

Finally, one of the most beneficial technological tools I have learned about is the "Tango" or any other touch screen appliances that help children talk, learn words, etc. These devices are made for children who maybe have speech problems and can not form words, for deaf children who can not sign, and for students who simply may just be shy. Tools like the tango include touch screen pictures which you can replace with your own pictures, program any voice, etc. The tango also has a digital camera which can store and print digital photos. Children will not feel ashamed that they may not be able to perform at the same level as their peers, instead they can express themselves openly and also teach their peers about their tool.

To wrap up this blog entry on the use of technology and how to include all your students, I have to say how fun it can be to have these tools in your classroom. Not only are they beneficial to your students, but to you as a teacher as well. Teachers can stop stressing about the child who misspells his words on a keyboard because the keys are too small, and about the child who has a hard time communicating with her peers because she has a speech problem. Technology is there to help us, our students, and their families better communicate with one another.

Technology Today

2008-09-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Teaching today is no where near what it was like even 10 years ago. Today, more and more technology is being introduced to our students both inside and outside of the classroom. Teachers are finding it harder to grasp the attention of their students and engage them in school work. Some people view technology as a downfall, thinking students will not learn because they are too pre-occupied by the internet or video games. The fact of the matter is that we can use technology to our advantage when teaching children. In an ever growing technological world, by brining in new tools such as video games and computers/internet to the classroom, we can more effectively engage our students and also make it fun for them to learn.

To be an educator in the 21st century, being technologically inclined is almost a must. Technology such as computers are becoming must haves in classrooms all across the country, and the world. Computers are gateways to new worlds, they provide learning games that can grab the attention of students and effectively teach them while they have fun. Computers also allow access to the internet, a demanding asset in classrooms today. The internet is not always a bad thing, as some may assume. With the right knowledge the internet can be a very powerful tool. Anything can be researched, things not found in books, in your city, or even your state. Children are becoming familiar with the computer at very young ages, and they enjoy it. As teachers of the 21st century we need to work with this new idea that computers can be used to enhance our classrooms instead of making it more difficult to teach the "old" way.

The article about students using the internet to find information they could not find in their text book is a prime example of how the internet can be more useful. It does not hold back as much information as formal textbooks. These students learned a great deal not only about which presidents owned slaves but about how much information is being with held from them.

Another great example of using the internet to help students learn is the sister classes from Canada and Greece. All the students learned a new language, words that were traditional but not basic in the other language, and made new friends across the world at the same time.

Technology is a great tool no matter what the age. College students are using the internet every day for fun, if we can engage our younger generations in using the computer we can show them that the internet is not only fun but a great resource to help us learn things we never thought imaginable.

My Introduction

2008-09-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

My name is Amanda and I'm a third year student at UMF. I'd have to agree that it is a great school, small, and amazing people. I live with two other girls in an apartment and we have a kitten named Nacho. I played soccer in HS and also love to snowboard. I like running and chocolate cake. Breakfast foods are my all time favorite and can eat them anytime of day. As much as I love being up here at school, I always enjoy a trip home to visit family and friends. I love Maine and enjoy all four seasons. Fall is the best.