I have used MS Word more times in my life than I could possibly count. MS Word is what I write all my papers and essays on and I love using it because it is so easy to use. MS Word allows easy editing - you can just log back in and change whatever you had written which is a great tool when revising and editing homework. My teachers have used MS Word when writing out tests, syllabi, and homework. MS Word is a great tool for projects as well as papers. It is easy to create well-organized charts, surveys, etc. in MS Word for any projects that may be needed.
Throughout my educational career, I have dealt with copyright issues plenty of times. When writing a research paper, I always had to be careful when citing my sources and fact checking my bibliography. Giving credit to a source's owner is important when writing a paper or doing any project because that is their intellectual property and they deserve credit for their work. It is also important to make sure that you don't copy material word for word because that is plagiarizing and it is illegal; you must always be sure to summarize or paraphrase, never plagiarize. As a teacher I would encourage my students to look into outside resources beyond what I make available to them in the classroom. But I would make sure that they understand the importance of checking copyright and fair use, as well as citing the sources that they do end up using. That way, not only would they be using legitimate sources, but they would be using sources that is legal for them to utilize.
Twitter allows instant communication between student and teacher and I think that it is a great tool to have when you're an educator. Twitter is not the only form of social media that can be adapted into an educational environment though. There are plenty of education focused social media sites, such as Edmodo. Edmodo allows online communication between teachers and students and is an easy platform for submitting assignments, posting homework, and taking quizzes. Social media can be adapted to nearly any lesson plan and allows students to have a teacher's help, even once home from school. If I were a teacher, I would use social media because it would be more efficient both in and out of the classroom and it also provides a learning platform that can appeal to kids more effectively than the traditional classroom setting.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Blog Post 1
Computers are an important part of today's education because technology has become so integral in daily life that it is a necessary tool to teach students. Not only should students be taught how to use the computer itself, but they should also be taught how to utilize the computer for various subjects and daily life. Standards set by organizations such as the AECT, ISTE, P21, among others, are on the right path because they make sure that teachers are up to date on new technology and knowledge on how best to educate their students on computer usage. These standards allow students to comprehend new software as it comes out, which helps them to adapt to the ever evolving world of technology. I agree that teachers should stay updated on new technology and the standards that come with it. Teachers must know what they're talking about if they want to lead students in the way of education and technology.
Computers are great tools for the classroom. I would want to use them in my classroom for researching topics related to the lesson plan and working on online assignments and projects. Social media, to an extent, is a great tool for learning as well. I don't believe that younger children should have social media accounts at all, let alone for school. I would only use social media if I were a high school teacher because high school students are more mature and adept at using social media. Twitter is a great tool to use because it allows for instant access and communication between student and teacher. Twitter allows students to ask questions once they've left classroom and allows the teacher to provide links to additional links to further interest students in the topics that they are learning about. This class will teach me about how to best integrate technology into a smooth, efficient classroom environment that will help each individual student learn the best they can.
I agree that the term 'digital native' is accurate in regards to the current generation, myself included. I have always used technology in both my daily life as well as in school. Technology use is easier for me than it is for my parents and teachers because I have grown up on using it, while they have learned it later in their life. Technology is more crucial in the life of a digital native than it is to the digital immigrant. Digital immigrants are more likely to limit technology use to work or school settings, while natives will use it in all aspects of their schedule. There will definitely be differences between myself and my future students when it comes to technology. Technology is always evolving and I will soon not be able to comprehend the new systems as easily as I do now. My students will be better able to understand future systems because that is what they are used to.
Computers are great tools for the classroom. I would want to use them in my classroom for researching topics related to the lesson plan and working on online assignments and projects. Social media, to an extent, is a great tool for learning as well. I don't believe that younger children should have social media accounts at all, let alone for school. I would only use social media if I were a high school teacher because high school students are more mature and adept at using social media. Twitter is a great tool to use because it allows for instant access and communication between student and teacher. Twitter allows students to ask questions once they've left classroom and allows the teacher to provide links to additional links to further interest students in the topics that they are learning about. This class will teach me about how to best integrate technology into a smooth, efficient classroom environment that will help each individual student learn the best they can.
I agree that the term 'digital native' is accurate in regards to the current generation, myself included. I have always used technology in both my daily life as well as in school. Technology use is easier for me than it is for my parents and teachers because I have grown up on using it, while they have learned it later in their life. Technology is more crucial in the life of a digital native than it is to the digital immigrant. Digital immigrants are more likely to limit technology use to work or school settings, while natives will use it in all aspects of their schedule. There will definitely be differences between myself and my future students when it comes to technology. Technology is always evolving and I will soon not be able to comprehend the new systems as easily as I do now. My students will be better able to understand future systems because that is what they are used to.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Blog Post 0
I use technology daily through the use of my laptop, smartphone, and tablet. Technology is an important part of my life because it assists me not only with school work, but day to day activities as well. The use of the internet helps me to study and research for school projects; while Microsoft Word plays an important part in converting my information into projects and documents. My phone assists me daily on smaller issues, such as when I have to quickly look up movie times or find directions in order to go somewhere. I use my tablet for recreational use when I simply want to watch television online or use the internet recreationally.
I enrolled in this class because I hope to better understand computers once the semester has finished. Computers are an important part of daily life and I would like to be independent when it comes to using them. To understand the computer better also means to be more efficient. I will be able to save time when I am working because I will no longer have to guess about functions or look up how to do something when I am working. Not only will I be able to use computers better, but I will have a better understanding of the internet and social media and how I can utilize them for myself both personally and professionally.
I learned that I have an active learning style, which means that I learn better by doing, rather than discussing. To fully understand a concept, I have to go through the motions before I can grasp the idea. I am also an intuitive learner, which shows that I comprehend abstract thoughts and theories better than straight-forward formulas or equations. Intuitive learners quickly get bored with repetition and mundane explanation. I also fell under the category of visual learning, which I already knew about myself. I have always learned best by seeing diagrams, pictures, examples, etc. Seeing the topic helps me to understand it faster and more completely than only reading or discussing it. I was categorized as either moderate or well balanced on each learning style scale except for visual learning. I scored an 11 on the visual learning scale which shows my strong preference for visuals. My last learning style was sequential; this means that I must learn concepts step by step before I can understand the "big picture." I cannot quickly understand a whole theme or theory, but I must go at it in steps.
I enrolled in this class because I hope to better understand computers once the semester has finished. Computers are an important part of daily life and I would like to be independent when it comes to using them. To understand the computer better also means to be more efficient. I will be able to save time when I am working because I will no longer have to guess about functions or look up how to do something when I am working. Not only will I be able to use computers better, but I will have a better understanding of the internet and social media and how I can utilize them for myself both personally and professionally.
I learned that I have an active learning style, which means that I learn better by doing, rather than discussing. To fully understand a concept, I have to go through the motions before I can grasp the idea. I am also an intuitive learner, which shows that I comprehend abstract thoughts and theories better than straight-forward formulas or equations. Intuitive learners quickly get bored with repetition and mundane explanation. I also fell under the category of visual learning, which I already knew about myself. I have always learned best by seeing diagrams, pictures, examples, etc. Seeing the topic helps me to understand it faster and more completely than only reading or discussing it. I was categorized as either moderate or well balanced on each learning style scale except for visual learning. I scored an 11 on the visual learning scale which shows my strong preference for visuals. My last learning style was sequential; this means that I must learn concepts step by step before I can understand the "big picture." I cannot quickly understand a whole theme or theory, but I must go at it in steps.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)