Technology Integration: What I've Learned

     There are unlimited learning opportunities and possibilities available when educators integrate technology into their classrooms.  Web 2.0, the second generation of the internet, provides many interactive tools for communicating, teaching, and learning.  Just as technology has enhanced our daily lives and our job market, so can it enhance education.  Students should be able to learn with the same tools and skills they use at home and will need to use in the work-place.
     Studies are showing that students are more motivated, self-directed, and self-confident when using technology to learn and share knowledge.  Technology provides students with options to work individually, collaboratively, or through guided instruction.  It also provides an alternative education for students of different backgrounds, learning styles, and abilities.  Fortunately, through college courses, workshops, professional development, studies, and research, educators are finally beginning to understand how revolutionary technology is in creating a useful, functional, student-directed classroom environment.
     After taking a course in education and technology integration I have become aware of the many ways it enhances learning and engages students in many different types of learning.  Not many these days have the ability to sit quietly and listen to a teacher talk or write on a blackboard for several minutes without getting restless or bored.  Students learn in various ways and each learning style needs to be incorporated into the classroom.  It is impossible to address every students' needs and abilities without the use of technology.
     I used to believe the excuses schools used for not integrating technology.  Budget restrictions, lack of equipment, resources, teacher knowledge, and abilities, are all reasons why we aren't using technology.  Yet, the price of technology has been reduced substantially as more digital tools become available.  Government grants, donations, and fundraisers are useful in raising money to provide tools and resources for students.  Better yet, most students already own many digital devices and can use them at school just as well as they use them at home for homework, projects, and assignments.  Additionally, there are many courses, workshops, professional development opportunities, and co-educator assistance for teachers not familiar with or lacking skills and knowledge in technology.
     In my journey to become a certified teacher I plan to research many more different ways I can make my classroom a multimedia digital environment.  I have already learned some valuable ways to incorporate digital tools into lessons, activities, and projects.  Whenever an opportunity arises to use technology, I will take it.  I'll probably learn as much from the students as they will from me when starting out but I know the only way to make a positive change is to take some risks.  Sometimes they work out great sometimes we learn and move forward.

Equal Access to the Digital World

     These days, technical literacy is just as important to master as English and math.  That's why I believe every student should have access to a wide variety of digital learning resources and experiences.  Digital learning prepares students for the future.  Whether you go on to college or join the work force, you will be required to have basic skills in digital communication and collaboration.  I feel the lack of technology in schools is holding students back.  Most of you use technology outside of school to create learning experiences.  Why not use it in school, as well?
     Digital access for everyone means we can take learning into our own hands and create our own personal learning experiences.  There are so many different learning resources, tools, and applications available and we can use them to collaborate and communicate with one another as well.  You can even ask an expert besides the teacher for help with lessons!  In fact, digital access gives us the ability to extend learning beyond the classroom to almost anywhere in the world.  Best of all, it gives learners of every type an equal chance to learn in a functional environment that provides lessons, means of expression, and means of engagement in multiple ways.

The Educational Value of Social Media

   
     Until recently, social media as a learning tool has been widely underused.  Most schools restrict access to sites like Twitter and Facebook.  The biggest concern for parents and educators is student privacy and safety.  However, educators are now discovering many benefits of using these sites to help students learn and develop good communication skills.  Slowly, they are being incorporated, safely and effectively, into classroom instruction. (Ramig, 2009)
     Social media sites have become very popular and widely used in today's society.  It only makes sense to incorporate them in schools. An important aspect of social media is its power to encourage students to interact, participate, and collaborate with each other.  Social media allows students to post questions about homework, continue or start classroom discussions at home, or respond to questions posted by the teacher and other students. (Ramig, 2009).
     Besides communication, there are other benefits to using social network sites.  Using Wikis, students can store research papers and portfolios; share summaries, notes, and study guides; and collaborate on projects with students in other schools.  Students may use blogs to make a record of their learning while incorporating audio, video, images, and classroom discussions.  Teachers are even beginning to use Facebook and Twitter to post class schedules, ask questions, make announcements, and facilitate discussions.  Many of these sites can only be accessed with passwords or the school's intranet which is only available to teachers, students, and parents. (Kist, 2013).
     For our class project on the state of New Hampshire, the students will create a fact book after completing their WebQuest to find information on the internet.  When the project is complete, the students will be required to write a few sentences in the class project blog about what they have learned and which part of the project they enjoyed the most.  This blog is located on a secure social networking site called Edmodo.  Students will need a code to access this blog and no one, except the teacher, students and their parents, is permitted to view the site.
     In assessing the students on what they've learned about the economics, government, history, and geography of New Hampshire; I will ask them to post a blog entry about one fact they learned, one fact they already knew, and one fact they might like to learn.  I will also ask them to discuss their favorite part of working on the project.  The value of this blog is to promote social interaction and participation.  It is important for our children to learn good communication skills and social media gives students an opportunity to sharpen these skills.  Edmodo also ensures a safe environment for them while they interact.
     The link to the class blog is provided below and students may sign up for the group using a code I will supply them with.  I would like this blog to be an ongoing discussion about the topics we discuss in class and the projects we collaborate on.  It will also serve as a record of each student's learning.  While participating in the posts, they will sharpen their reading and writing skills.  They will hone their communication and collaboration skills.  They will interact and participate in classroom discussion.     https://www.edmodo.com/home#/group?id=7690789
    

References

Kist, W. (2013).  Class Get Ready To Tweet: Social Media in the Classroom.  Our Children:  The National PTA Magazine, 38(3), 10-11. (Dec. 2012-Jan. 2013).

Ramig, R. (2009). Social Media in the Classroom-for Kindergartners Through High Schoolers. MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 16(6), 8-10. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/229805469?accountid=3783

Welcome to My Webquest

     Hello and welcome to my New Hampshire Webquest, The Great Granite State.  This activity is a multimedia lesson about the state we live in.  You will be asked to create a book about NH based on the different websites you will visit.  The book will include sections on the geography, state symbols, economy, and government of NH.  You will work in groups of three and each group will be responsible for one section.  First you will do research on the internet, then you will use your information to create maps, pictures, historical facts, and lists of people who work for the NH government.  Then we will connect each section to make a book about NH.  I hope you enjoy your adventures in The Great Granite State!

Educational Value of Animoto

     Animoto is a fun and creative way to introduce a topic or lesson through a short video.  It is a web site that allows you to upload pictures,videos, and songs to create a theme and is freely available on the internet.  The Animoto I made is a quick glimpse of the physical features and changing climate of New Hampshire, the topic of my Webquest.   The state sport is also included in a section of video.  Pictures  give students a visual overview of the state's four season climate.  There are also pictures of physical features such as the ocean, mountains, and changing leaves of Autumn. 

New Hampshire-Animoto

The Importance of Wordle

     Wordle represents key themes in a document and creates images out of words. It can be used as an introduction to a lesson or unit and provides students with a visual overview of the content. Wordle is an educational tool that breaks a subject down to its essence. It also provides a new perspective in which to learn a particular lesson. It highlights main words for students to focus on and and makes a topic seem more interesting. Wordle helps students know which ideas are most important to a topic."