Chapter 6 of Transforming Learning with New Technologies focuses on how to foster online learning with educational websites and apps. The chapter talks a lot about the different types of educational websites. There are a total of six types of educational websites for teachers and students to use for academic learning. The chapter touches on the topic of lesson plan websites, which are one of the most widely used types of educational websites. These websites offer teachers ideas for classroom lessons and lesson plans with step by step methods and procedures.These lesson plan websites also feature links to activities, additional resources, and curriculum extensions. Teachers can use these websites so that they can present their students with classroom activities or homework assignments online. Overall I feel that these websites play a huge role in having technology in the classroom. Technology plays a bigger role in the classroom everyday and lesson plan websites are a great way to get students more involved. Personally, I think that these sites would work with older students, middle school and up. It would be easier for students to see the step by step procedures and materials needed using these online lesson plans.Teachers can also access other teachers lesson plans and apply them in their own classroom. A great website for this is http://www.cpalms.org/Public/ were teachers can share their lesson plans with one another. Overall, i think that these types of lesson plans are a great tool.
The book also discusses student-to-expert communication websites which feature exchanges of ideas and information between students in K-12 schools and experts in colleges, businesses, and other organizations. Using these websites, students can ask experts in the field questions and then receive responses electronically. These websites also include e-tutoring activities for students and telementoring. Telementoring involoves opportunities for students to learn about career opportunities in different fields from the experts in those fields. Whereas e-tutoring focuses on help with homework and class projects. Student-to-expert websites are a great tool to present to students, because it will assist them in learning about different forms of studies that they can peruse. These websites are mostly for students but they are extremely helpful. The only fault would be that the experts might be a bit biased to their profession.
Though their are three other forms of educational websites the next I would like to explain is real-time and recorded data websites. These websites present information about different types of scientific phenomena. This can be used by K-12 students for inquiry based learning activities. Students can access and analyze the material presented on the website for their learning activities. These websites are like virtual field trips, in the sense that real-time and recorded data sites provide opportunities for students to enter a setting as an involved observer. They would be learning about science or other subjects as if they were physically present at the remote location. These websites are great for students to learn about different things while exploring them virtually. I must admit that I am a fan of the old fashioned field trip, but these websites are mostly for scientific phenomena. I dont quite know how I feel about these websites because I have never actually used them. I have, however, heard that these websites help students learn about the topic while being fun, and entertaining at the same time.
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Digital Blog Post I - Chapter 4
Chapter 4 of Transforming Learning with New Technologies discusses many different ways to assess and evaluate students. As teachers deliver lessons, there are also designing ways to assess what the students are learning. Educators discuss evaluation and assessment in two contexts: what teachers do (as they finish a lesson) to evaluate and grade student performance, and what teachers do to constantly monitor students performance. Regardless of the definition these learning assessments help teachers determine who is learning steadily and confidently and who may need individual assistance, or different teaching methods. One very common form of evaluating students is through standardized testing. Standardized testing is a huge enterprise in the United States, and are given from kindergarten through high school. There are many standardized tests that are serving as high-stakes tests, where the grade advancement depends on passing the test. Standardized testing is usually assigned through the state and is based off of state requirements. I do not completely agree with standardized testing as a form of deciding whether or not a student should continue onto the next grade level. Overall, the idea of this form of testing sounds great, but each student learns differently and one test at the end of the year wont give a for sure assessment of what a student has learned. These standardized tests are also based off of the state, not the class or the school, which might make it difficult for a teacher to focus on the main points. Teachers, might feel like they need to teach too the test, which could jeopardize a good classroom environment. I agree that standardized tests are needed and useful, but I do not believe that they should determine whether a student passes or fails a course.
Another method for teachers to assess students is through test assessments. Test assessments are used to best determine what a student knows or is able to do in an academic area. These tests score in the form of numbers on a scale, which are used to represent knowledge proficiency. The book recognizes two forms of test assessments, norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests. Norm-referenced tests compare a student's performance to other students of the same grade or age. Test takers are ranked according to how high or low they score in comparison to the norms set by the larger group. The results tend to follow the bell-shaped curve, and most of the test given in school are norm-referenced. Criterion-referenced tests compare a student's performance to specific objectives or standards, not to other students. These test takers are evaluated according to personal performance, and since these test scores are not evaluated on the bell-shaped curve, it is possible for students to score low or high depending on what they have learned. Overall, I would prefer using criterion-referenced tests because it is solely based off the students knowledge, instead of comparing the student to others in the same grade. I must say that I do respect the idea of norm-referenced tests, but I do not entirely agree with them. Norm-referenced tests places student results on rank-ordered scales to determine school readiness. I feel like a school should not base their success in teaching students, on the test scores of the students. I personally believe that schools should be ranked based off a child's performance in the classroom, not a standardized test. This is probably why I prefer criterion-referenced test. This form of test is used to evaluate how the student is doing, and where they can improve. It is not used to determine anything other that the students knowledge.
I have created this test as an example of a way to assess and evaluate what a student has learned.
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Another method for teachers to assess students is through test assessments. Test assessments are used to best determine what a student knows or is able to do in an academic area. These tests score in the form of numbers on a scale, which are used to represent knowledge proficiency. The book recognizes two forms of test assessments, norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests. Norm-referenced tests compare a student's performance to other students of the same grade or age. Test takers are ranked according to how high or low they score in comparison to the norms set by the larger group. The results tend to follow the bell-shaped curve, and most of the test given in school are norm-referenced. Criterion-referenced tests compare a student's performance to specific objectives or standards, not to other students. These test takers are evaluated according to personal performance, and since these test scores are not evaluated on the bell-shaped curve, it is possible for students to score low or high depending on what they have learned. Overall, I would prefer using criterion-referenced tests because it is solely based off the students knowledge, instead of comparing the student to others in the same grade. I must say that I do respect the idea of norm-referenced tests, but I do not entirely agree with them. Norm-referenced tests places student results on rank-ordered scales to determine school readiness. I feel like a school should not base their success in teaching students, on the test scores of the students. I personally believe that schools should be ranked based off a child's performance in the classroom, not a standardized test. This is probably why I prefer criterion-referenced test. This form of test is used to evaluate how the student is doing, and where they can improve. It is not used to determine anything other that the students knowledge.
I have created this test as an example of a way to assess and evaluate what a student has learned.
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| By: Laura Ruiz at https://create.kahoot.it/#quiz/3b9649b2-2538-43ef-8cd7-224e2c1e9fde/done |
For easier access: https://create.kahoot.it/#quiz/3b9649b2-2538-43ef-8cd7-224e2c1e9fde/done
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Ditgital Blog Post H -Chapter 9
There are many different ways to build your digital identity as a teacher. Among those discussed in Chapter 9 of Transforming Learning with New Technologies, podcasts, webcasts, and vodcasts stood out. All three of these tools are related back to the word broadcast. Whether through the web, IPods, or videos, they all allow the user to broadcast their information using different, but similar tools. A webcast blends the word web with broadcast. Webcasts describes streaming a media broadcast of audio and video over the internet. There are many webcasts located in the Library of Congress, that are similar to watching a televised presentation by experts, of books with information that cannot be read by the naked eye. Webcasts seem like they would be excellent when use to review very old material. I feel as though it would help students to better understand what is being said by the author. Most material that is from centuries ago is written in old English, and it is difficult to get students to try to interpret what the sentence really means. With the help of the webcasts students will actively participate in interpreting the text. These webcasts seem like a great tool for having students learn about older information. I feel as though it might be a bit difficult to get younger students to focus on this form of material presentation. If I were to use a webcast in the classroom, I would try to make it as interactive as possible. An idea would be have the students try to figure out what the text means before watching the webcast so that they can see if their interpretation matches the experts.
Podcasts are the next tool that caught my eye. They are a bit similar to webcast, but podcast combines the word IPod with broadcasts. A podcast is an audio recording distributed online and accessed on computers or portable media players using software like iTunes. These podcasts are free but are just audio. They can be used in the classroom, but it would be difficult to use if one does not have an iTunes. The great thing about podcasts however are that they are free, and can be used by anyone with access to an iTunes. These would be great if every student was able to obtain an iTunes, but it would be quiet difficult for students to maintain focus on just audio for a long amount of time. You would also need to download a podcatcher to then download the podcast.If the podcasts are short and sweet, then I would love to use them in the classroom. Therefore, podcasts would be great to put to use but it all depends on the lesson plan and picking the correct audio. However, podcasts are also free to create. This means that students and teachers can record their own podcasts and share what they have learned with the class. Podcasts can also be used by teachers, so that they can listen to themselves, in order to see how they can improve the information and discussions that were orally presented to the class. Another way that students and teachers can use podcasts, is for collaboration. They can develop exciting learning projects together, like assembling oral history interviews into a podcast-based report.
Vodcasts have gained popularity as a part of the movement toward flipped or flattened classrooms. Vodcasts are recordings that include video and audio, and they are a version of podcasts. In science, history, and other subjects, students watch the lecture or information presentation portion of a lesson on videos outside of school and spend in-class time doing experiments and discussing the academic content. Vodcasts must also be found using the iTunes store but they hold a lot of educational value. Vodcasts can help to hold students attention, and they would be fun to use with a class. I personally, would love to use vodcasts in the classroom environment to allow students to show off what they have learned. An example would be if a high school history class studied The Great Gatsby, they could complete the lesson, and then make a vodcasts about what they learned. Vodcasts are great when used as an educational tool.
This is a website where you can find many different types of vodcasts.
Podcasts are the next tool that caught my eye. They are a bit similar to webcast, but podcast combines the word IPod with broadcasts. A podcast is an audio recording distributed online and accessed on computers or portable media players using software like iTunes. These podcasts are free but are just audio. They can be used in the classroom, but it would be difficult to use if one does not have an iTunes. The great thing about podcasts however are that they are free, and can be used by anyone with access to an iTunes. These would be great if every student was able to obtain an iTunes, but it would be quiet difficult for students to maintain focus on just audio for a long amount of time. You would also need to download a podcatcher to then download the podcast.If the podcasts are short and sweet, then I would love to use them in the classroom. Therefore, podcasts would be great to put to use but it all depends on the lesson plan and picking the correct audio. However, podcasts are also free to create. This means that students and teachers can record their own podcasts and share what they have learned with the class. Podcasts can also be used by teachers, so that they can listen to themselves, in order to see how they can improve the information and discussions that were orally presented to the class. Another way that students and teachers can use podcasts, is for collaboration. They can develop exciting learning projects together, like assembling oral history interviews into a podcast-based report.
Vodcasts have gained popularity as a part of the movement toward flipped or flattened classrooms. Vodcasts are recordings that include video and audio, and they are a version of podcasts. In science, history, and other subjects, students watch the lecture or information presentation portion of a lesson on videos outside of school and spend in-class time doing experiments and discussing the academic content. Vodcasts must also be found using the iTunes store but they hold a lot of educational value. Vodcasts can help to hold students attention, and they would be fun to use with a class. I personally, would love to use vodcasts in the classroom environment to allow students to show off what they have learned. An example would be if a high school history class studied The Great Gatsby, they could complete the lesson, and then make a vodcasts about what they learned. Vodcasts are great when used as an educational tool.
This is a website where you can find many different types of vodcasts.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Digital Blog Post G - Chapter 10
Chapter ten of Transforming Learning with New Technologies discusses many different adaptations for classroom learning with technology. Technology offers two main routes for designing the classroom so that students with diverse learning needs can access key points. The first route is to support change in the classroom environment. The second is to support change on how the curriculum is delivered. The following key factors of the chapter are examples of the different mid- and high-tech tools that teachers can use to support learning.
A word cloud is a visual representation of text. This means that it allows the teachers and the students to display large amounts of written text in a visually engaging format on a computer screen. Word clouds are generated by software programs that take a count of the words that were used the most in a document, and then they reposition them into an image. The word cloud avoids using prepositions, conjunctions, and other small words because they cannot clearly highlight the text. Word clouds can be used as an effective teaching strategy when used as an entry point, like a discussion opener, or as a graphic organizer for students. There are many different websites that you can use to make a word cloud; whether it be, wordle, tagxedo, wordsift, or ABCya. Word clouds are great for the classroom because there are many different ways to incorporate them. One example would be to but a word cloud on the board and have the students pick one word in the cloud, define it, and then write about what they think the new assignment will be about. I personally love using word clouds now for my college courses because they help me focus on key words in the text. Using this form of adaptation in the classroom would really pay off and it would also be something fun that students would enjoy!
Another great way to promote learning success would be to use electronic spellers and dictionaries. This type of tool is used for students or learners of all ages. Beginning readers can use electronic spellers to find correct spellings, listen to words spoken aloud, and check the accuracy of their spelling with out adult help. By plugging headphones into the machine, students learning English, with hearing impairments, or nonfluent readers can hear and see words that they may not be able to sound out yet. Headphones are a great idea if the student is using the electronic dictionary and speller during class. This form of machine is not just limited for students with those forms of special needs, they are actually good to use with all students. These machines can also be used to support their writing and spelling, and learning. It is a great thing that the electronic spellers and dictionaries are not limited to a specific type of student. These would be a great thing to have in k-3 classrooms where students are learning new things. The great thing is that there are also electronic resources for middle and high school students. Theses machines are used as a professional reference tool; as a, thesaurus, an encyclopedia, and a collection of documents in U.S. history. Overall, this form of technology should be very appreciated in the classroom because it would help to incorporate all learners, and give students the opportunity to learn on their own.
While electronic spellers and dictionaries explain a words meanings, word prediction software acts as a spelling and writing coach for young writers. This type of software predicts what the writer is intending to write next and then offers multiple options as the writer types. This is similar to speech recognition software because this program learns an individuals word usage habits. Some example are: after typing on my, way might appear, or good, morning might appear. This form of software prediction appears in most cell phones and some versions of this software will speak the word that is typed to facilitate confirmation. I still not sure how I could apply this in the classroom, but I feel like this would be good for normal texting or web searches. This form of word prediction could also be used for writing essays or assisting students who have difficulty with figuring out what to say. This topic intrigued me because I was hard for me to find a place to use this in the classroom.
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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| Michael Gorman flikr.com |
Another great way to promote learning success would be to use electronic spellers and dictionaries. This type of tool is used for students or learners of all ages. Beginning readers can use electronic spellers to find correct spellings, listen to words spoken aloud, and check the accuracy of their spelling with out adult help. By plugging headphones into the machine, students learning English, with hearing impairments, or nonfluent readers can hear and see words that they may not be able to sound out yet. Headphones are a great idea if the student is using the electronic dictionary and speller during class. This form of machine is not just limited for students with those forms of special needs, they are actually good to use with all students. These machines can also be used to support their writing and spelling, and learning. It is a great thing that the electronic spellers and dictionaries are not limited to a specific type of student. These would be a great thing to have in k-3 classrooms where students are learning new things. The great thing is that there are also electronic resources for middle and high school students. Theses machines are used as a professional reference tool; as a, thesaurus, an encyclopedia, and a collection of documents in U.S. history. Overall, this form of technology should be very appreciated in the classroom because it would help to incorporate all learners, and give students the opportunity to learn on their own.
While electronic spellers and dictionaries explain a words meanings, word prediction software acts as a spelling and writing coach for young writers. This type of software predicts what the writer is intending to write next and then offers multiple options as the writer types. This is similar to speech recognition software because this program learns an individuals word usage habits. Some example are: after typing on my, way might appear, or good, morning might appear. This form of software prediction appears in most cell phones and some versions of this software will speak the word that is typed to facilitate confirmation. I still not sure how I could apply this in the classroom, but I feel like this would be good for normal texting or web searches. This form of word prediction could also be used for writing essays or assisting students who have difficulty with figuring out what to say. This topic intrigued me because I was hard for me to find a place to use this in the classroom.
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Digital Blog Post F- Chapter 8
There are many interesting forms of electronic communication between teachers and students discussed in Chapter 8 of Transforming Learning with New Technologies. In schools, teachers and students can use each of these communication technologies, for educational purposes, to share ideas and information with each other, and different audiences. One of the first ideas discussed is Teacher or classroom websites. These websites are internet based and developed by the teacher to communicate information about themselves and classes to the students, family members, and school/educational personnel. Overall, these websites are very successful when it comes to keeping others informed about the classroom. As a teacher you can post a syllabus, outside resources, include a discussion board, or even have students submit their assignments. I have seen students websites through out most of my middle - high school career, and I very much appreciate them. These types of websites are extremely beneficial to students, and students guardians alike. They allow constant communication, and include many web tools. As an elementary school teacher, I plan on having a teacher website that is more directed towards the parents. Regardless of the students age, however, it is very wise to have a teacher or classroom website.
Another for of electronic communication discussed is a weblog, otherwise known as a blog. Blogs are publicly accessible online journals that are written by individuals for wider audiences to read or comment on. In this case the blogs would be written by students or teachers, for their families, other educators, or students to read. Before taking this course I had no clue that blogs could be used for educational purposes. They are a great form of expression for every and anyone with access to a computer, and internet. Personally, when I think about blogs, I think about the movie Julie & Julia. After reading the textbook and taking this course it became apparent that blogs can be used for much more that to write about food. Therefor, it is clear how they could be used by teachers and students. Blogs are a publicly accessible journal, which means other students can refer to their classmates blogs to get second opinions, and teachers can comment any questions or concerns. Blogs are a great tool for any classroom, but they are especially great for large assignments. However, blogs are very versatile and can be used to talk about basically anything, which is why I greatly appreciate learning about this form of electronic communication, and plan on adding it to my teacher tool belt.
Last but not least are wikis. The name Wiki comes from a Hawaiian word meaning quick or rapidly. Wikis are websites that students and teachers can create together and edit by reading and revising each other's ideas and comments. These sites can also used by teachers and students to post information that they would like to share. Unlike teacher websites, both the educator and the student has the ability to edit and revise this webpage. Wikis are a great way for students to work together online. They can make subpages with whatever they would like to write on them, but they can also be monitored and changed by the teachers. This is another form of electronic communication that I was unaware of. Wikis are fascinating and they are a great idea for any group project. They give the student a bit of free reign to write about they topic or assignment given. I believe that they are a fun form of learning and would be great in any classroom environment. Wikis will be a component of any communication system that I plan to create as a teacher. Although, wikis seem like they would be great for more advanced grade levels, I truly feel as though I can put them to good use in my classroom.
Here are some how-to's and instructional videos:
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Another for of electronic communication discussed is a weblog, otherwise known as a blog. Blogs are publicly accessible online journals that are written by individuals for wider audiences to read or comment on. In this case the blogs would be written by students or teachers, for their families, other educators, or students to read. Before taking this course I had no clue that blogs could be used for educational purposes. They are a great form of expression for every and anyone with access to a computer, and internet. Personally, when I think about blogs, I think about the movie Julie & Julia. After reading the textbook and taking this course it became apparent that blogs can be used for much more that to write about food. Therefor, it is clear how they could be used by teachers and students. Blogs are a publicly accessible journal, which means other students can refer to their classmates blogs to get second opinions, and teachers can comment any questions or concerns. Blogs are a great tool for any classroom, but they are especially great for large assignments. However, blogs are very versatile and can be used to talk about basically anything, which is why I greatly appreciate learning about this form of electronic communication, and plan on adding it to my teacher tool belt.
Last but not least are wikis. The name Wiki comes from a Hawaiian word meaning quick or rapidly. Wikis are websites that students and teachers can create together and edit by reading and revising each other's ideas and comments. These sites can also used by teachers and students to post information that they would like to share. Unlike teacher websites, both the educator and the student has the ability to edit and revise this webpage. Wikis are a great way for students to work together online. They can make subpages with whatever they would like to write on them, but they can also be monitored and changed by the teachers. This is another form of electronic communication that I was unaware of. Wikis are fascinating and they are a great idea for any group project. They give the student a bit of free reign to write about they topic or assignment given. I believe that they are a fun form of learning and would be great in any classroom environment. Wikis will be a component of any communication system that I plan to create as a teacher. Although, wikis seem like they would be great for more advanced grade levels, I truly feel as though I can put them to good use in my classroom.
Here are some how-to's and instructional videos:
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Digital Blog Post E - Chapter 7
There have been many forms of learning and teaching discussed throughout Transforming Learning with New Technologies. One of these forms that have been discussed consistently throughout the chapters is problem-based learning. This type of learning uses real-world situations and issues to actively engage students. Problem-based learning incorporates students' own interests, which makes problem solving and inquiry learning extremely engaging at every grade level. Students will investigate problems, issues, and questions to which the have no set answer. They'll do so using a process of asking questions, assembling evidence, drawing conclusions, and evaluating the results. This form of learning peaks my interest because it seems like an awesome way to keep students engaged and interested. Personally, I plan on becoming a second grade elementary school teacher, and I would love to incorporate this form of learning. Children who ask questions are taking an active role in their own learning, which means that they will be that much more interested on the subject being discussed. This form of learning is great for all classroom environments, depending on the lesson at had. Since I am working with children this would be a fun form of learning, for most lesson plans. I look forward to using this for of problem-based learning in the future.
Another form of learning described in the book is stealth learning. In stealth learning students learn without realizing that they are learning because the academic information is hidden in the activities of the games. The games I am referring too are simulation games, which are games that dynamically represent real world processes and systems. In these simulations students are placed in computer generated settings where they have to make a decisions and experience the consequences. Stealth learning is a great way to get middle school students and high school students to interact and become interested in the material. These simulations allow students to go on online adventures while they are learning pre algebra or even geography. Some of these games last a short amount of time , while others take longer to complete. The teacher can decided what format best fits the classroom, but there are many short stimulations for every grade level. Personally, I do not think I would use this form of learning as a teacher because of the grade level I plan on entering, but I could always change my mind. I do find these stimulations very interesting and intriguing. Students are basically entering virtual worlds and learning every step of the way.
The final point that caught my eye is digital games for learning, which is not a specific form of learning but it can be used towards learning. These digital games are computer and web-based games that have been designed with educational, instead of entertainment goals, in mind. There is a significant difference, for many students, between playing video games and taking classes in school. Students see games are active, challenging, and demanding of focus and concentration for problem solving, but students see school as passive and uninspiring . Therefor, educational games will peak a students interest while allowing them to focus on school work. I one hundred percent approve of educational games being used in the classroom. Nowadays all kids focus on is their video games, and tend to avoid their school work, but digital games for learning allow them to learn while focusing on the problems and having fun. Overall sounds like a great tool for most to all age and grade levels!
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Another form of learning described in the book is stealth learning. In stealth learning students learn without realizing that they are learning because the academic information is hidden in the activities of the games. The games I am referring too are simulation games, which are games that dynamically represent real world processes and systems. In these simulations students are placed in computer generated settings where they have to make a decisions and experience the consequences. Stealth learning is a great way to get middle school students and high school students to interact and become interested in the material. These simulations allow students to go on online adventures while they are learning pre algebra or even geography. Some of these games last a short amount of time , while others take longer to complete. The teacher can decided what format best fits the classroom, but there are many short stimulations for every grade level. Personally, I do not think I would use this form of learning as a teacher because of the grade level I plan on entering, but I could always change my mind. I do find these stimulations very interesting and intriguing. Students are basically entering virtual worlds and learning every step of the way.
The final point that caught my eye is digital games for learning, which is not a specific form of learning but it can be used towards learning. These digital games are computer and web-based games that have been designed with educational, instead of entertainment goals, in mind. There is a significant difference, for many students, between playing video games and taking classes in school. Students see games are active, challenging, and demanding of focus and concentration for problem solving, but students see school as passive and uninspiring . Therefor, educational games will peak a students interest while allowing them to focus on school work. I one hundred percent approve of educational games being used in the classroom. Nowadays all kids focus on is their video games, and tend to avoid their school work, but digital games for learning allow them to learn while focusing on the problems and having fun. Overall sounds like a great tool for most to all age and grade levels!
Citations:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Digital Blog Post D -Chapter 5
There are three different ways to search the internet, according to Chapter 5 of Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Free-text search, or full-text search, is the first form of searching described in the book. This type of search looks for the title, keyword, and description fields related to each word or resource you type into the search command. This type of searching is considered the most inclusive, this is because it tries to included as many things that relate to the words of topic you are searching. Free-text search is like google, an example of this is if you were to type the word "puppies" into a free-text search it would give you a lot of information on different types of puppies, and anything else related to the topic. This basically means that you will get many entries covering many different aspects of what you are searching for. This type of search function is great to use when first looking for information because of the wide variety of results, but it can also be time consuming. Since there are so many results it would be difficult to look through all of them, to figure out which ones you are actually able to use. For this reason, most people tend to use the two other ways to search the internet. These forms are keyword/exact match search and Boolean searches.
Keyword or exact match searches retrieve information based off the exact words or phrase that you put into the text box. Therefor, the word/phrase has to appear either in the title, as a keyword, or in the description fields of a resource for it to be included in the results. An example would be if you want to find information on how to train a puppy, you would have to put that in the text box with quotes around the words ("how to train a puppy"). This type of search function would be extremely useful to students in secondary and post secondary schooling because it would allow them to type the title of an article and find it vary easily. Also, the results would be more limited to what you search, and therefor it would be easier to find the webpages/articles that you would be able to use.
The final search function is Boolean search. This form of search uses the words AND, OR, and NOT to create a more complex search. The reason that it does this is because OR is less restrictive, because it will include any and all words or phrases joined by an exclusive OR. The word AND is also more restrictive because the search results must include all and any phrases that are joined by the word AND. Finally, NOT is used to exclude a certain word. An example would be if you were to search "puppies NOT cute puppies". Another example provided by the book is if you were to search "war NOT civil war". This type of search function would also be useful to students because it would limit search results and allow people to get a clear picture of what sources they can use.
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Keyword or exact match searches retrieve information based off the exact words or phrase that you put into the text box. Therefor, the word/phrase has to appear either in the title, as a keyword, or in the description fields of a resource for it to be included in the results. An example would be if you want to find information on how to train a puppy, you would have to put that in the text box with quotes around the words ("how to train a puppy"). This type of search function would be extremely useful to students in secondary and post secondary schooling because it would allow them to type the title of an article and find it vary easily. Also, the results would be more limited to what you search, and therefor it would be easier to find the webpages/articles that you would be able to use.
The final search function is Boolean search. This form of search uses the words AND, OR, and NOT to create a more complex search. The reason that it does this is because OR is less restrictive, because it will include any and all words or phrases joined by an exclusive OR. The word AND is also more restrictive because the search results must include all and any phrases that are joined by the word AND. Finally, NOT is used to exclude a certain word. An example would be if you were to search "puppies NOT cute puppies". Another example provided by the book is if you were to search "war NOT civil war". This type of search function would also be useful to students because it would limit search results and allow people to get a clear picture of what sources they can use.
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| By: Laura Ruiz on Worditout.com |
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