Reflective Essay

I'm so glad I chose EME 2040 with Professor Coleman. The class was overall a good experience. I feel like I contributed to the class a little bit less than I should've, but that's only because I'm a shy person. I don't always voice my opinion. When it was necessary, I did speak out, but I wasn't on top of every class discussion. 

For the Wiki Project that I participated in, we all worked at it to make it the best we could. I was very pleased with my goup members, since they were all hard workers. The process of putting it all together flowed real smoothly. Although there were some misunderstandings a few times, it was overall good. For only having communication through the website, we did a good job at putting it all together. It got tough sometimes, but we pulled though. I think the most difficult thing about this project was that everyone works different schedules so some people always had free time and started working on it earlier, making the others look like they were slacking. The positives had to be not having to actually talk to the people to get things straight, but this also became a negative. Sometimes it was harder only being able to communicate virtually because not everybody responded right away. We weren't allowed to text or email them either. This made it hard because we just had to wait around until the group member actually got online and responded. Sometimes it was already too late once they had replied. 

Working on the Wiki was somewhat like the working on the collaborative lesson plan. The process was much easier with the lesson plan, though. Communication was much more simple with the lesson plan than the Wiki. The final product of the lesson plan was more simple than the Wiki. It was simpler to put together and come up with. 

Creating assignments in this class was very simple. We always had about two weeks in advance of instruction. Professor Coleman did good in preparing us with time to ask as many questions as we could in order to get it her expectations clear. All the assignments were not too difficult, but challenged you. I really learned a lot from each and every single one of them. 

I know I'll use most of the things I learned in this class. For example, the Prezi presentation, I know I'll use multiple times. If I was going to be a teacher for a second grade class, my butterfly Prezi would be perfect, but I'll be teaching middle school so that'll be too childish to use. I could use it to review the water cycle or maybe the morphosis of rocks. Another assignment I'll use in my classroom is WebQuest. I found that website very useful for lesson planning. I will share my lessons on there as well as look at other lessons and use them. 

References

Prezi. (2012, May 09). Retrieved from http://prezi.com/

Wikispaces. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.wikispaces.com/

(2009). Retrieved from http://zunal.com/index.php

Chapter 9

Focus Question

What is multimedia technology and how can teachers use it to effectively create and share visual information dynamically in their teaching?

Multimedia learning happens when multiple media (text, data, voice, picture, and video) are used to communicate information. This kind of technology can be used to effectively create and share visual information dynamically in many ways. Students will find it more interesting to learn from videos, powerpoints, or audio tapes rather than the typical lecture. When teachers incorporate multiple interactive media regularly into instruction, it changes how students experience learning in schools. Ideally, by presenting educational material in words, pictures, sound, and animations, teachers "take advantage of the full capacity of humans for processing information."(Mayer, 2011 p.4)

Tech Tool Link

After using Teachertube, I realized it is a really good website to find educational videos. Teachertube is an educational version of the popular YouTube video site. Teachertube provides free online space for sharing instructionally and educationally themed videos made by teachers and students. When I got on this site just to browse around, I found many good videos and documents. They were all very educational and potentially useful. Everything is organized by in different categories. Overall, it is a very good website. 

Summary and Connection

This chapter was pretty resourceful. It introduced me to a few new multimedia resources I can use as a teacher. It also refreshed my memory on ones I had already known about. With this chapter,  I jotted down a few ideas on how I can make my future science class interesting and fun for my students because science is a subject you can either make or break. In science, you can lecture for 20 minutes out of the book then do a worksheet, or show the students an interesting video then do the worksheet using the book. I'm excited to use different types of multimedia technology in my science classroom. 

Chapter 8 Alternative

After reading David Warlick's post called "Are they students or are they learners?," I asked myself that question and thought about my own experiences and ideas. In this blog post, Warlick compares and contrast the common roles of students and learners. He talks about how teachers view their pupils more as students than as learners. He tries to emphasize the fact that the states base a lot of the education system on government testing. Scores are what matters to them the most nowadays. Teachers focus more on having the students 'get the score' as opposed to actually learning something. Many other bloggers put their opinions in the comment box. Most people agreed, but there were some who disagreed.
I think that what he is trying to put out there is true. Government testing is always going to be something teachers base their lessons upon. They want that extra cash at the end of the year. These teachers aren't too worried if the students are actually retaining the information. I'm not saying, every teacher is like this, but a lot of them are. This blog is a good way for teachers to share their own thoughts that maybe they aren't comfortable expressing in their own school or institution. There's no wonder this post got the most comments under Warlick's blog. It was a very interesting topic to discuss.

Chapter 6

Focus Question
What are WebQuests and virtual field trips?
WebQuests are virtual journeys where students visit a group of preselected websites in order to explore academic topics by accessing online digital text, pictures, audio, and video. They are designed so students will explore multiple options for content learning as they complete a series of tasks.  WebQuests feature a cooperative learning model in which different students do different tasks this way each student can show his or her strengths. Virtual field trips allow teachers and students to visit places around the world as part of their academic studies. Even though virtual field trips are relatively new, reasearch has proven that students who participate in these, do better than those who don't. Both virtual field trips and WebQuests are innovative and engating Web-based teaching methods that can be used at all grade levels.

Tech Tool Link
www.delicious.com
Delicious is a Web-based social bookmarking tool that organizes all of your bookmarks in one place. Since I was introduced to this site, I've been able to just go to one site to find all the links I need. It's so convenient and easy to use. The tagging feature makes it easy in case you forget why the website is even there. You can also sort and send these bookmarks saved to friends. I can definitely see myself using this website for a long time, especially once I become a teacher.

Summary and Connection
With this chapter, I learned a lot about some things I didn't know. There were also a few things that refeshed my mind. Learning about virtual field trips was one of the most important topics in this chapter. Since I'm planning on being a science teacher,  this is one thing I'm definitely considering on doing. I could really see me taking my students on a virtual field trip to the Lake Michigan Science Research Center, since that's one of the few places that do virtual field trips right now.

Chapter 5

Researching and Evaluating Internet Information

Focus Question
What pieces of information do students need to know about Internet searching?
Students must know that Google ranks websites not on the accuracy or precision, but on keywords, popularity and corss-listing with other sites. This means that just because someting popped up first on your Google search, it is the most accurate or contains the best information. The more views a website has, the higher to the top of the list it gets. Web searching involves three strategies: free text, keyword/exact match, and Boolean. Also keep in mind that when you search on a resource designed for students, more age-appropriate information will be obtained.

Tech Tool Link
www.flickr.com
Flickr is a website full of many interesting pictures. I find myself using them more and more since I was introduced to this website at the beginning of this semester. With this website, one can upload our own pictures for sharing and/or use the pictures of other people. If we are using other people's pictures, we must not forget to give them credit, though. I know I'll use this website in my future teaching career. As a science teacher, I'll benefit a lot from all the pretty pictures other people share on this website.

Summary and Connection
This chapter was mainly focused on researching and evaluating internet information. I feel that I learned a lot from this chapter. I did not know that internet searching is not based on most accurate information or 'best website.' I always thought that the first result on a Google search had to be the best one. I will make sure to let my students know in the future that just because something popped up on Google as the first result, does NOT mean that it has the best information. Not only will I tell my future students, but everyone who I know does internet searching often.

Online Gaming

Alternative for Chapter 7 

History Mystery on the Scholastic website is a great game. It lets the students guess presidents by using clues given. With this game, students use problem-solving and critical thinking skills, analyze clues, and use search terms to conduct Internet research. It can be used from grades 3- 8 to learn the names of the presidents. I like the game because the students get good clues that let them learn quick facts they might not have known about the presidents. Also, when they guess the correct name, the game gives them a quick summary on the important things that particular president did during his term and just gives important information they should know. 
I would use this game during a history lesson on the Constitution, presidents, or Independence Day. This game would be useful with any of these topics. It gives them a chance to learn facts that they probably wouldn't find in a text book. I'm not planning on being a history teacher, but this would be a perfect game to use in a history class or in an elementary history lesson. 

Autobiography

Hello everyone! My name is Jessica Benitez. I am twenty-one years old and Mexican American. I was born and raised in Naples, but I currently live in Bonita Springs. I come from a family of four girls and one boy. I am the oldest; this means I need to set a good example to my sisters and my brother. To this day, I feel like I'm doing a good job at that. I graduated from high school with honors and I'm still pursuing my career plan of becoming a teacher. I am a student at FGCU, but I'm just doing a few classes here at Edison State College this semester. I am also a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan! 

I plan on becoming a middle school science teacher because I believe not enough students are getting the right kind of science education. I want to help them love science the same way I do. 

In my spare time, I love to spend time with my family. I have two jobs so any extra time I have, I use wisely. I also like to go shopping, get my nails done, and all that fun girly stuff. I love taking pictures too. I have been anxious to get a new camera, but with the expenses for school it's been a little difficult. I do plan on getting that camera. I'm going to get it even if it takes me working extra hours. 

(Photo credits to Cheng Kiang)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chengkiang/7982567047/

Chapter 4

Integrating Technology and Creating Change

Focus Question
What are "digital inequality" and the "participatioin gap"?
Digital inequality, a term used in discussing the digital divide, is the idea that access to the latest computer technology varies greatly within society. Low-income and non-white Americans are less likely to be able to afford and use the newest tools. This perspective holds that simply adding more machines to homes or schools will not, in and of itself, address differences in access to technology among different social groups.
A participation gap is a term by Henry Jenkins (professor at Massachusetts Insitute of Technology) used to describe the idea that students who can access technology only through the public library or a school computer, will fall behind their online peers in skill and competencies, compared to students who have 24/7 access.

Tech Tool Link 
http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt
Edutopia was a website I found to be a really good one. This website allows teachers from around the country to share their experiences as well as shares useful videos to help with the lesson planning process and the actual lesson itself. It also talks about how to adapt to the new ways of technology and slowly let go of the old ways. We all know that pretty soon, most of everything is going to be electronic. This website, I believe, would be very useful as a teacher to get new ideas and share experiences we have had with technology integration in the classroom. 

Summary and Connection
I feel that chapter 4 was very good at explaning how we need to adapt to the new technology that is being introduced in the classrooms every day. It is going to be necessary for everyone going into the field to know about how to integrate this way of teaching into their lessons. As a digital native, I won't be having a problem adapting, but I know that once I start teaching, there will be teachers that have been in the profession for so long that they feel the old ways are just fine. I hope to teach them a little bit about how fun and interesting it is to integrate technology. The students as well as the teacher will benefit from this. 

Chapter 3

Developing Lessons with Technology

Focus Question

What is "lesson development using technology"?
Lesson development refers to all the activities that teachers do as they create, teach, and evaluate lessons with students. It includes three interrelated elements

1. Academic content (what to teach)
2. Teaching goals, methods, and procedures (how to teach)
3. Learning assessments (how to know what students have learned)

Tech Tool Link
In the Tech Tool 3.3, the book talks about online rubrics and quizzes that can be used in the teaching profession. From experience, I know this is a very useful tool. I've used this website to make rubrics for lesson plans in my other education classes. I'd most definitely recommend it to anyone who's having a hard time creating a rubric.

Summary and Connection

This chapter is all about creating lessons. From the planning process, to grading the assignment, this chapter gave lots of useful information. With the content I got out of this chapter and information I've learned from previous chapters, I feel more prepared to plan a lesson now. 

Chapter 2

Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology

Focus Question
How do students use technology to access and assess information?
Students use internet websites, electronic encyclopedias and sometimes CD-ROMs to gain information. The ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively is called information literacy. With information literacy, come the skills to do so.

Tech Tool Link
The Visual Dictionary Online website (http://visual.merriam-webster.com/), I found very useful. For a person who is a visual learner, this dictionary is perfect. I'd definitely use it as a tool when I become a teacher. It has links to every different subject. One particular link I found super interesting was the science one. Once you clicked on it, it took you to different subdivisions of the subject. There was chemistry, physics- mechanics, physics- optics, among others. Maybe I found this specific part of the website interesting because the subject I want to teach is science.
http://visual.merriam-webster.com/science.php

Summary and Connection
Chapter two was one with lots of information. All of it was very useful. Part of the chapter discussed the different ways students learn, while other parts of it talked about student collaboration, engagement, and creativity. I feel the links they shared on the Tech Tools were all very useful. The one I looked into the most was one about a visual dictionary, but I also saw them talking about creativity in another one. This is all very important to me because I feel that with all the different forms of technology there are now, students don't really express their creativity or get much from the lessons they're being taught. 

Chapter 1

Becoming an e-Teacher

Focus Question

What six key issues should a teacher consider when looking to integrate technology?

The six key issues a teacher should consider when looking to integrate technology are 

1. Using technology in teaching
2. Motivating factors
3. Barriers to technology 
4. Ideas for technology use
5. Teaching methods
6. Students and technologies

Tech Tool Link

In Tech Tool 1.1, the text talks about choosing the correct laptop for each person's individual needs. If you're a frequent note taker, they say to consider the laptop's battery life; if you're a traveler, weight should be one's number once choosing factor; and if you plan on storing lots of data, hard disk size should be your focus. The website (www.lenovo.com), was useful. It categorized the electronics by price, size, color, weight, brand, etc. There was even a pop up that offered live assistance. If I were having a hard time deciding what type of computer I should buy, I'd definitely go to this website for help. 

Summary and Connection

Chapter one had lots of information. All of this information I found very useful. I feel like I'll use much of this in my teaching career. With the technology going at the pace it's going, I'm going to have to keep learning as the years go by.