Welcome to our Preschool Class!
We are looking forward to an exciting new year full of laughing and learning together. This blog is for us to communicate and share about what's going on in the classroom. You will notice several links to readily available classroom tools and resources. These can be used in addition to typical learning methods, and will also enhance your child's education and learning in new and technological ways.
If you have any comments or questions please feel free to post on the blog or use one of the other contact methods posted.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
TPACK Reflection Questions
1. How well the use of this technology may support your teaching strategies in this activity?
This type of technology supports my teaching strategies greatly. It enhances my lesson plans both visually and verbally. It gives them a chance to be introduced and get excited about what they're going to learn. It gave me an instant ability to include the use of tools like assessments, quizzes and challenges through the Quizlet app.
2. How effectively the use of this technology may enhance students' understanding of and learning from your particular content in this activity?
I felt like this technology enhanced the understanding because of it's constant reinforcement. I integrated the technology with the kinesthetic activity hoping to bring the lesson into a full circle of providing a stronger knowledge base.
3. What are your strategies and why do you think your strategies are appropriate to teaching this specific content? What makes you believe it would help your students comprehend this particular content? Give specific examples of your described activity.
My strategy for introduction was to show an encouraging and fun video clip. It is appropriate to this specific content because it modeled for students exactly what we were going to be learning and how we should accomplish it. It helps them to comprehend because they see and hear the finished lesson at the beginning rather than at the end of the lesson, ultimately providing an example.
4. What would be some conceptions and pre-conceptions that students of different ages and backgrounds bring with them when learning this particular content? What would you be concerned about students' prior knowledge, experiences, motivation? Again focus on the content and your teaching strategy, not the technology!
Some pre-conceptions would be do all my student's have an English number knowledge or another number language? At what age did the student's begin to learn their numbers? and how far up can they count? I would wonder can my student's use only single digit numbers or also double and maybe even triple digit numbers? I have to meet my students' where they're at and move forward from there, without this previous knowledge I wouldn't know where to start.
5. What main instructional strategies would this technology use serve in your activity? How would using the technology support the way you teach this activity? Please give examples and be specific to your described activity. Think about your main teaching strategies that this technology would support.
The main instructional strategies technology serves here would be for you tube and quizlet, as these are the apps I used. The instructional strategy from you tube would be gaining or gathering information for a lesson. For quizlet it would be utilizing the assessment instruction from having the ability to quiz or test knowledge gained during the lesson. Both provide reiteration of the information.
6. What different classroom management strategies you might need to consider when using this technology in the activity? Give examples and be specific to your described activity.
I will need to ensure digital/electronic safety and monitor their tablet or computer use with you tube. I will also need to have eyes as I walk throughout the room during quizzes or tests for work and answer responsibility of the individual student. When active during the video I will need to ensure plenty of personal space for movement as well as a noise level control for the room during the activity.
7. How would using this technology enhance the way the content is represented in your activity (demonstrations, explanations, examples, illustrations, analogies, and etc.. That is why you think the selection and the pedagogical use of this technology may enhance what you teach (the content in your activity). Give specific examples from your activity to support your answer and keep in mind the learning objectives that you stated previously?
It definitely gives demonstration and illustrations by using the video. As I stated before it models for my students the expectations I have for what I'm teaching and how they're suppose to learn it. With constant reinforcement of content they learn my objectives very easily as seen through the use of having a visual and auditory aid added to a kinesthetic activity.
8. In what different ways students practice or understand the content in your activity that would otherwise not be possible without the use of the technology? In adition to motivational benefits, what else can students do with this technology as they are learning the content.
Without technology students wouldn't see the activity modeled before them, for example the you tube videos. The content is still there it's just not as exciting or inviting for the students. It is very motivational to see what you'e learning up front. Students could also explore related videos or even test themselves with the technology over the subject content they just learned enabling them to see what they may need to work on. The technology gives them instant access to help and information. They can use it anytime from home or school and just gives them time in general to explore what they want to whether it's reviewing or adding information on the content for their own knowledge.
This type of technology supports my teaching strategies greatly. It enhances my lesson plans both visually and verbally. It gives them a chance to be introduced and get excited about what they're going to learn. It gave me an instant ability to include the use of tools like assessments, quizzes and challenges through the Quizlet app.
2. How effectively the use of this technology may enhance students' understanding of and learning from your particular content in this activity?
I felt like this technology enhanced the understanding because of it's constant reinforcement. I integrated the technology with the kinesthetic activity hoping to bring the lesson into a full circle of providing a stronger knowledge base.
3. What are your strategies and why do you think your strategies are appropriate to teaching this specific content? What makes you believe it would help your students comprehend this particular content? Give specific examples of your described activity.
My strategy for introduction was to show an encouraging and fun video clip. It is appropriate to this specific content because it modeled for students exactly what we were going to be learning and how we should accomplish it. It helps them to comprehend because they see and hear the finished lesson at the beginning rather than at the end of the lesson, ultimately providing an example.
4. What would be some conceptions and pre-conceptions that students of different ages and backgrounds bring with them when learning this particular content? What would you be concerned about students' prior knowledge, experiences, motivation? Again focus on the content and your teaching strategy, not the technology!
Some pre-conceptions would be do all my student's have an English number knowledge or another number language? At what age did the student's begin to learn their numbers? and how far up can they count? I would wonder can my student's use only single digit numbers or also double and maybe even triple digit numbers? I have to meet my students' where they're at and move forward from there, without this previous knowledge I wouldn't know where to start.
5. What main instructional strategies would this technology use serve in your activity? How would using the technology support the way you teach this activity? Please give examples and be specific to your described activity. Think about your main teaching strategies that this technology would support.
The main instructional strategies technology serves here would be for you tube and quizlet, as these are the apps I used. The instructional strategy from you tube would be gaining or gathering information for a lesson. For quizlet it would be utilizing the assessment instruction from having the ability to quiz or test knowledge gained during the lesson. Both provide reiteration of the information.
6. What different classroom management strategies you might need to consider when using this technology in the activity? Give examples and be specific to your described activity.
I will need to ensure digital/electronic safety and monitor their tablet or computer use with you tube. I will also need to have eyes as I walk throughout the room during quizzes or tests for work and answer responsibility of the individual student. When active during the video I will need to ensure plenty of personal space for movement as well as a noise level control for the room during the activity.
7. How would using this technology enhance the way the content is represented in your activity (demonstrations, explanations, examples, illustrations, analogies, and etc.. That is why you think the selection and the pedagogical use of this technology may enhance what you teach (the content in your activity). Give specific examples from your activity to support your answer and keep in mind the learning objectives that you stated previously?
It definitely gives demonstration and illustrations by using the video. As I stated before it models for my students the expectations I have for what I'm teaching and how they're suppose to learn it. With constant reinforcement of content they learn my objectives very easily as seen through the use of having a visual and auditory aid added to a kinesthetic activity.
8. In what different ways students practice or understand the content in your activity that would otherwise not be possible without the use of the technology? In adition to motivational benefits, what else can students do with this technology as they are learning the content.
Without technology students wouldn't see the activity modeled before them, for example the you tube videos. The content is still there it's just not as exciting or inviting for the students. It is very motivational to see what you'e learning up front. Students could also explore related videos or even test themselves with the technology over the subject content they just learned enabling them to see what they may need to work on. The technology gives them instant access to help and information. They can use it anytime from home or school and just gives them time in general to explore what they want to whether it's reviewing or adding information on the content for their own knowledge.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
3D Technology
Just the concept of 3D Technology is amazing, and now we are using it! Wow! 3D Technology is quickly advancing into all aspects of our daily lives. We can brainstorm, create, invent and produce almost anything we desire to. Think for example; shoes or even a curling iron made from plastic. This is a great tool for most any industry,however; it could also be detrimental to our world's economic growth because of job loss in the labor workforce. So we need to be careful in what we choose to utilize it for moving forward.
We have so many resources for 3D technology now from internet and guides to apps and even museums. The most awesome thing about this technology is it's capacity to grow and advance right along with us while it simultaneously teaches us! Using it to re-create parts of history such as religious artifacts to new ways of building non-corrosive buildings, bridges and more. It does take research and planning with lots of time to prepare an item for making it in 3D form, but it's also a more permanent product when it's completed. It provides insights that we previously wouldn't have had before from an educational standpoint at any level of learning. I value the opportunity to use it for growth within our society, and I believe as long as we don't cut corners it will remain a valuable tool for our future generations.
We have so many resources for 3D technology now from internet and guides to apps and even museums. The most awesome thing about this technology is it's capacity to grow and advance right along with us while it simultaneously teaches us! Using it to re-create parts of history such as religious artifacts to new ways of building non-corrosive buildings, bridges and more. It does take research and planning with lots of time to prepare an item for making it in 3D form, but it's also a more permanent product when it's completed. It provides insights that we previously wouldn't have had before from an educational standpoint at any level of learning. I value the opportunity to use it for growth within our society, and I believe as long as we don't cut corners it will remain a valuable tool for our future generations.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
The Net Generation as Preservice Teachers; Transferring Familiarity with New Technologies to Educational Environments
--The Net Generation is necessary. We need to learn about varying methods of technology use at the preparation stage for teaching, can we keep up? What is it to be completely "media literate"? The more we experiment, the more we learn and do. Can we do this outside of a classroom setting?Technology is all gathered together, is this easier? Should this be an enhancement upon which we use to learn in addition to traditional education or instead of?
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge
--TPACK is very interesting. Pedagogical and content knowledge are extremely valuable to us as educators. After reviewing the article I find that we have so much interrelated knowledge, we need guidance to enable ourselves to use it advantageously in an educationally setting. How do we as educators learn to apply the skills of using TPACK within education successfully?
FIFTEEN: Teaching & Technology: The Hidden Effects of Computers on Teachers & Students
--Teaching & Technology together are meant to make things easier for us. Although, does it make it easier for us and our students? or harder and more challenging? Is it affecting us all economically one way or another? Do our teachers understand our technology and its processes well enough to keep learning and in essence keep up? How is it changing our real life interactions? Students all learn differently, will this technology help us or prevent us from differentiating education for our students in reaching for their full potential?
--The Net Generation is necessary. We need to learn about varying methods of technology use at the preparation stage for teaching, can we keep up? What is it to be completely "media literate"? The more we experiment, the more we learn and do. Can we do this outside of a classroom setting?Technology is all gathered together, is this easier? Should this be an enhancement upon which we use to learn in addition to traditional education or instead of?
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge
--TPACK is very interesting. Pedagogical and content knowledge are extremely valuable to us as educators. After reviewing the article I find that we have so much interrelated knowledge, we need guidance to enable ourselves to use it advantageously in an educationally setting. How do we as educators learn to apply the skills of using TPACK within education successfully?
FIFTEEN: Teaching & Technology: The Hidden Effects of Computers on Teachers & Students
--Teaching & Technology together are meant to make things easier for us. Although, does it make it easier for us and our students? or harder and more challenging? Is it affecting us all economically one way or another? Do our teachers understand our technology and its processes well enough to keep learning and in essence keep up? How is it changing our real life interactions? Students all learn differently, will this technology help us or prevent us from differentiating education for our students in reaching for their full potential?
Google Classroom is an amazing tool for technology in the classroom. It's awesome how as a teacher you can give assignments or materials ahead of time to just one student or to an entire class. This makes preparation and meeting or class times more effective and valuable for both teachers and students alike. I would implement this in class for cooperative or group assignments. As a learner I value that materials are easily accessible and always available for reference. Google classroom helps a student move along at their individual pace for work assignments also. Being able to collaborate and communicate between the teacher, student and parent is a great benefit to all involved. Everyone knows the expectations ahead of time and stays on the same page. It can be utilized at almost any grade level with appropriate content. It can also save time and resources no matter which side of the classroom you're on. So this is a highly recommended tool in my opinion.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Technology in Today's World
After much debate with myself, I've decided I too agree with Albert Einstein. Lack of human interaction is only going to harm us in almost every imaginable aspect. Technology is a wonderful amazing tool that helps us to learn and grow through change, however it has a dark side! So let's talk, for example; a conversation. A conversation can take place in many different methods: person, phone, text or email etc.. All of these have different valuable benefits and deficits. Technology has allowed us the ability to connect or disconnect with the entirety of the world anytime we please. This is good and bad, we can just "shut off" things that bother us rather than learning to deal with our feelings and emotions in a situation.We can speak to one another over the computer providing immediate access to others and their knowledge and ways of life. Great, however what are we losing if we're constantly engaged in technology? The video's we watched clearly showed how a family loses communication through a generation or by just lack of sharing and engaging with one another emotionally, socially and physically. Throughout these generations we are seeing a loss of skill sets from our elders, partly because technology has made so many advancements.We see more and more people in our eldest generations picking up technology because they "have to" in order to communicate such as medically, and others because they too want to benefit from the ease it can often create for those house bound or unable to access services through other methods. This has created newly gained valuable skill sets in utilizing technology no matter our age. However, what happens when the computer that "knows how" breaks or malfunctions? Or maybe laziness sets in through our overuse of technologies like Amazon's Alexa or Siri etc... making it easier without learning the actual skill. We are seeing huge responses to technology in the form of wanting it easier or faster and sometimes both! Engaging and communicating with one another is the very heart of learning even when we're implementing technology. From an educational standpoint, technology has been greatly embraced as an asset for learning. We need balance and moderation with technology. It allows us to enlighten our students and explore everything on a larger scale educationally with vast new opportunities for insight and education. For example; we can see and learn about any part of the world online at the click of a button, even learn a new languge. However since we all learn differently, will we fail some students by not learning hands on, thereby not creating a clear understanding? These are the questions I ask myself as a future teacher. I want to be able to excite my students, but I also want to see them learn by doing through trial and error with their own thoughts and interpretations. Technology has given us the benefit as teachers to better inform our parents and guardians. We can also collaborate and coordinate with other professionals mostly to our schools' advantage in this age of advanced technology, with things like assistive technologies for students with disabilities, giving them enhanced differentiated educational opportunities where there were none before. Nothing has better benefited from technology than our medical field and industry. Medicine has made great advances with technology. We can see inside a person's body with imaging before cutting someone open, test for genetic deficiencies before birth like Down's Syndrome, run blood tests by finger pricks, we can help combat or heal disease through vaccinations. These are amazing strides to better health for all. But at what great cost, do we desire genetically altered children? This is an ethical issue at best. If we are all alike how will we work as a team making our world a better place for all. We also don't know all the potential long term effects of chemicals and medicines "created" through the use of technology.
The fact of technology is that we can see great advantages and disadvantages with it in both the short and long term. It is giving many of us more time in our health and connecting with others, while also making fun new inventions like gravity shoes and instant warm coffee, but it is taking over our future by removing much needed human interactions, jobs and resources available. Does everything we do need to have a bigger, better, faster mentality that technology provides us? Computers who order for us, but allow vulnerability to personal information creating safety issues and worries, the ability to hand pick clothes and even babies? I know for me, I want to see technology be used "for good" to benefit people in growing and learning through change and advances, but not to see it replace our way of living and the balanced life with nature that God gave us.
The fact of technology is that we can see great advantages and disadvantages with it in both the short and long term. It is giving many of us more time in our health and connecting with others, while also making fun new inventions like gravity shoes and instant warm coffee, but it is taking over our future by removing much needed human interactions, jobs and resources available. Does everything we do need to have a bigger, better, faster mentality that technology provides us? Computers who order for us, but allow vulnerability to personal information creating safety issues and worries, the ability to hand pick clothes and even babies? I know for me, I want to see technology be used "for good" to benefit people in growing and learning through change and advances, but not to see it replace our way of living and the balanced life with nature that God gave us.
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