Week 8

Week 8 Educational Technologies Blog

I visited one of Revonne’s site:  http://vtisp.org/resources/vocabulary/digital-citizenship/ it defines for users the nine elements that comprise being a solid digital citizen.  The user is able to click into each of the nine elements and read a prompt with resources.  What I like most about this site is that it is adult and child friendly.  The cite has different individual and group tasks.  The curriculum is designed to accommodate Pre-K thru 12^th grades.  It has a professional development component for teachers and a resource page for parents.  I would use this site to introduce digital citizenship to students and to build on professional development with teachers who use technology in their classrooms.

I also visited Chris’ site:  http://www.isafe.org/ an internet safety site.  It is designed for K-12 programs teaching students about internet safety.  Each lesson includes activities and class discussions.  What is most interesting about this site is not only is it educational for students, but it also encourages educating parents by hosting a parent night.  The program also calls for law enforcement teaching a Predator identification awareness section.  I would use this site as a teaching component of internet safety for educators and to have students create a campus wide internet safety campaign not only for the campus but for their entire family.  This site makes it easy for the entire community to be involved in internet safety.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 7

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/bweinert/304code.htm

Curriculum Technology and Education Reform (CTER)

Since technology and computers have become an important part of our daily lives, it is equally important that technology be fused into the education process. Not only must educators exhibit ethical excellence in how technology is used in their profession, but educators must instill the same standards in their students.

I chose this site because of the ethics component for educators and students.  One of the things educators struggle with in classrooms today is the use of technology along with traditional teacher talk instruction.  Our curriculum is requiring that technology be a large part of what students are learning in the classrooms today.  This site addresses the use of technology with students in the classroom and the importance of teacher and student ethics.   I would use this site with adult students to address Acceptable Use Policy and how to improve education with the use of technology with lesson plans.

 

http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use.  This website reaches out to educators, parents, users addressing the latest technology uses.  The digital resources are linked to education and social media.  I like the fact that the site has tons of resources for educators, students and parents from driver’s licenses activities to literacy website resources.  I would use this site to assist parents and students at home with assignments and research projects.  The safety and security resource Pointsmart.ClickSafe helps kids be smart and safe online.  I would use the resource activities for trainers of adults to assist me with teaching online allows educators to discover new ideas for teach digital technology.

Distance Education Technologies

http://suite101.com/article/what-are-ebooks-and-how-are-they-read-a65603

E-books are simply digital or electronic versions of paper books. Instead of being printed onto paper and bound into books, the text is formatted into a digital file and read via a special e-book reader, computer or other electronic device.

Specialist software such as Mobipocket or eReader allow e-books to be accessed on a wide variety of devices including pda´s and mobile phones. E-books are available in a large number of formats ranging from simple pdf files to formats with sophisticated in build functionality. While basic formats simply allow the text to be read on the screen, added functionality such as the ability to annotate text or add bookmarks gives greater flexibility to the reader.

There are a wide range of e-books available ranging from the latest bestseller to books written and published by an aspiring author. All genres are covered including non-fiction and fiction, and a growing number of newspapers and magazines are available in an electronic format. The ease of publishing e-books means that books on specialist or niche subjects which might not previously been viable can now be published electronically.

I selected E-Books because of its mobility the ability to have a library at your finger your via the Library E-Books component.  You can also back up books without worrying about fire-proofing your books.  Students are able to read assigned material from anywhere without having to log-in to a university and navigate to get to the library and then find the assigned reading selection.

I would incorporate e-books into my personal practice for use of research and to assign course subject matter readings.  For example, the books for the last several courses I’ve taken I’ve  hardly use especially when it comes to research.

http://www.arastirmax.com/bilimsel_yayin/turkish-online-journal-distance-education/7/2/_pdas-revolutionizing-way-we-learn-and-teach

 

Miniature handheld computers called PDA’s are not only bombarding corporate America,
but they are also noticeably making their mark on college campuses. The question is,
how much impact are they making on the way students learn and instructors teach.
These devices were born from a simple calculator and over two decades have transformed
into a walking computer complete with Internet access.
With the advancement in technology and data speeds it is evident PDA’s will continue to
add value to education in the future.

I selected PDAs because many adults are enrolled in classes to enhance not only their education, but their current careers.  The PDA would give one the ability to make connections with work and school with the device.

I would incorporate the device by expanding on and providing feedback to teachers regarding walk-through observations and to connect with other professional in regards to educational practices. 

 

Applications & Multimedia Resources

Applications & Multimedia Resources

 

Google Docs http://docs.google.com

Google Docs is a Web-based word processing, presentation and spreadsheet program offered by Google.  This software is similar to the Walden online website and most online educational websites in that students can connect from any device that is internet accessible.  With this technology adult learners are able to collaborate on group projects at the same time by tracking and updating data, take quizzes, check grades and form discussions all on line.  I selected this technology because it’s free it does not require the need to sign up for any license.  I would use this technology to specifically allow multiple students to work outside of the classroom in groups several would be able to collaborate on one document as a group assignment then present as a group in addition I would build on conversations via discussion board and/or blog. 

 

Reading Companion http://www.readingcompanion.org/ReadingCompanion/testimonials.jsp

This speech recognition technology assists with teaching students to read.  A reading monitor reads information to the student and then the student is afforded the opportunity to read the information back.  If the student is successful he/she receives positive feedback if not the user is able to try again.  As the students reading skills improve the monitor reads less and the student reads more on their own.  I selected this technology because ELL students need lots of practice hearing accurately spoken words and being given the opportunity to practice for accuracy and understanding on their own.  I would use this program in the classroom during instruction so that the students could revisit the material in class and at home.  I would also set up online tutorials for the student to utilize at home over the weekends and breaks.