Thursday, August 27, 2009
Frontline Video Response
This frontline video brought up many interesting points about technology and the affects it has on the children and teenagers of today’s society. I have always liked the idea of incorporating a great deal of technology into my future classroom but never really knew how. After today’s class, I feel more confident and am excited to think of more “out of the box” ways to integrate technology that is meaningful into my future classroom. However, I feel like today in class I was introduced to many new and exciting ways to integrate “fun” technology into the classroom and then this video brought up every possible drawback about students using technology. Although this video was extremely informative, I feel as though it was slightly overdramatic. I think that it is extremely important to be aware of all of the issues and controversies that surround “growing up online,” but I also feel that the internet is not solely to blame. We need to look to the users as well.
The school in the video, Chatham High School, was very intriguing to me. It appeared that many of the teachers were on board with the huge shift in technology as well as the Principals. Rose Propora, the English teacher at that school, seemed to be at a loss however. She said that her time was up and that she simply could not compete with the technology any more. This really disturbed me because I feel that when you have been a teacher for 30 years, you have to have a love for what you do so why wouldn’t she be committed to learning from her students and trying to learn more of the technological advances in order to keep her students engaged? From the video, it appeared that many of the other teachers were very aware of how to utilize the technological resources so I wonder why she was left in the dust? I believe it may have been her choice. I feel that this kind of stagnant attitude is what constitutes disengagement from students. And who can blame them.
All of the chapters of the video were very interesting but the one that hit me the most was cyber bullying. It is an issue that I have heard much about in the past and am very passionate about. I feel as though it is a big issue and all though there have only been 2 large cases, with Ryan Halligan and Megan Myers, it happens everyday. However, I do not think that the solution lies in taking away the internet. I agree with the final chapter that discusses cyber citizenship and how to use technology responsibly. Looking back before the internet, bullying was huge within the school, but students were not pulled out. So just because the environment of bullying has changed why should the way it is handled be changed? Students just need to learn how to be responsible within that realm and that will take time, but it can be done.
This video was extremely interesting and eye opening. I am still very excited about how I will use technology in my future classroom but I am also aware of all of the possible issues that lie within that. This video was a good cautionary tale and resource.
The school in the video, Chatham High School, was very intriguing to me. It appeared that many of the teachers were on board with the huge shift in technology as well as the Principals. Rose Propora, the English teacher at that school, seemed to be at a loss however. She said that her time was up and that she simply could not compete with the technology any more. This really disturbed me because I feel that when you have been a teacher for 30 years, you have to have a love for what you do so why wouldn’t she be committed to learning from her students and trying to learn more of the technological advances in order to keep her students engaged? From the video, it appeared that many of the other teachers were very aware of how to utilize the technological resources so I wonder why she was left in the dust? I believe it may have been her choice. I feel that this kind of stagnant attitude is what constitutes disengagement from students. And who can blame them.
All of the chapters of the video were very interesting but the one that hit me the most was cyber bullying. It is an issue that I have heard much about in the past and am very passionate about. I feel as though it is a big issue and all though there have only been 2 large cases, with Ryan Halligan and Megan Myers, it happens everyday. However, I do not think that the solution lies in taking away the internet. I agree with the final chapter that discusses cyber citizenship and how to use technology responsibly. Looking back before the internet, bullying was huge within the school, but students were not pulled out. So just because the environment of bullying has changed why should the way it is handled be changed? Students just need to learn how to be responsible within that realm and that will take time, but it can be done.
This video was extremely interesting and eye opening. I am still very excited about how I will use technology in my future classroom but I am also aware of all of the possible issues that lie within that. This video was a good cautionary tale and resource.
Chapter 1 Response
What is your first impression of this textbook based on reading the preface and first chapter?
After reading the first 2 sections of the text I think that this book has a very realistic view of the needs of students in today’s technological society. The author understands and empathizes with the way things were but holds hope for the way things should be. In just the first 2 sections alone, I can see that the text is very straight-forward and honest. The author does not seem to sugarcoat things, but simply brings issues that need to be addressed but are often ignored into the light.
Jonassen identifies 5 characteristics of meaningful learning. How do these 5 characteristics compare with your own understanding of what meaningful learning is?
Due to the repetition within my classes, whenever I think about “meaningful learning,” my mind automatically diverts to Garnder’s multiple intelligences. I think about different learning styles rather than what it means to undergo “meaningful learning.” The 5 characteristics that Jonassen discusses include being active, constructive, cooperative, authentic, and intentional, all being very true to me, personally. I believe that in order for me to learn meaningfully I need to interact and manipulate the environment, reflect on the new things that I learn, have a goal in mind, learn within a meaningful and relative context, and most effectively complete tasks when working collaboratively. When I think about meaningful learning I think about all of the same characteristics. I agree with Jonassen and do not think it can occur without all of those facets. They are not independent of each other, rather interdependent and necessary.
As a student you have observed the teaching process for more than 15 years. Some authors refer to this as an apprenticeship of observation. Reflecting back as a K-12 and college student, how have you seen technology used as teaching and learning tool?
To be honest, I feel as though growing up when I did served me a disservice. I feel very left behind in the technological realm of the classroom because it was never a large part of my experience. In all of my years of school thus far, even college, I have seen technology used as a tool to learn with, not from, as stated in the text. I really liked the analogy that Jonassen used on page 6 where he compared the deliverance of knowledge through technology similar to a grocery delivery. It reminded me of my experiences with technology in school. Although technology is a constantly running race, I feel as though I am very far behind. I have never been exposed to smart board or ELMOs and computers have always been used more as encyclopedias and words processors than anything else. I feel as though technology holds a breakthrough for education. I believe that it has incredible power when used correctly and I hope to learn and utilize it more in the future.
In your own words, what is the difference between ‘learning from technology’ and ‘learning with technology’?
I believe that learning from technology is related to simply conveying knowledge through the use of technology. For example, writing papers, learning from PowerPoint slides, and using the internet for researching. Although these are helpful, they are not all technology has to offer. I believe that learning with technology, is not simply about the deliverance of knowledge, but about learning how to use technology in a way that it more efficiently helps us live our lives, especially learning. I believe that learning with technology will help students to be more engaged, keeping up with the trends of society.
Who is David Jonassen? Find out more about his background and professional interests.
David Jonassen is a professor at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He has taught at all levels, elementary, middle, high, and collegiate. He holds a constructivist approach and believes that knowledge is built by the learner and not supplied by the teacher. He believes in using computers as mind tools, meaning that the computer is used to help construct learning, not just supply it. His professional interests include research on mind tools, problem solving and he is also the director for the Center for the Study of Problem Solving.
Occasionally, you may come across unfamiliar terms in the reading. Rather than ignore them (a strategy struggling readers use), be sure to understand what these new words mean. This is great practice for the GRE. Also, when we discuss the readings in class, I will randomly call on students to define unfamiliar terms using their own words. For example, do you know what an ‘epiphenomenon’ is? Can you define the word ‘nascent’? Both of these terms are used in Ch. 1
Epiphenomenon- a secondary mental phenomenon that is caused by and accompanies a physical phenomenon but has no causal influence itself (Webster)
Nascent- recently coming into existence (Webster)
Syllogism- deductive reasoning (Webster)
Choose one question from the ‘Things to Think About’ section on pp. 10-12. Respond to this question. Be sure to identify the question to which you are responding.
4) When learners construct knowledge, what are they building? How is it possible to observe the fruits of their labor, that is, the knowledge they construct?
When learners construct knowledge, I believe that they are connecting knowledge that they already possess with new knowledge that they are learning. I believe that everything that comes into a learners mind is integrated and pieced together with what that learner already knows to construct new knowledge. In order to observe these fruits, it is important to observe learners for extended periods of time. One needs to see the development of thoughts and ideas and how they are extended and enhanced over time. It will be clearly evident simply through conversation that new and improved thoughts have evolved.
After reading the first 2 sections of the text I think that this book has a very realistic view of the needs of students in today’s technological society. The author understands and empathizes with the way things were but holds hope for the way things should be. In just the first 2 sections alone, I can see that the text is very straight-forward and honest. The author does not seem to sugarcoat things, but simply brings issues that need to be addressed but are often ignored into the light.
Jonassen identifies 5 characteristics of meaningful learning. How do these 5 characteristics compare with your own understanding of what meaningful learning is?
Due to the repetition within my classes, whenever I think about “meaningful learning,” my mind automatically diverts to Garnder’s multiple intelligences. I think about different learning styles rather than what it means to undergo “meaningful learning.” The 5 characteristics that Jonassen discusses include being active, constructive, cooperative, authentic, and intentional, all being very true to me, personally. I believe that in order for me to learn meaningfully I need to interact and manipulate the environment, reflect on the new things that I learn, have a goal in mind, learn within a meaningful and relative context, and most effectively complete tasks when working collaboratively. When I think about meaningful learning I think about all of the same characteristics. I agree with Jonassen and do not think it can occur without all of those facets. They are not independent of each other, rather interdependent and necessary.
As a student you have observed the teaching process for more than 15 years. Some authors refer to this as an apprenticeship of observation. Reflecting back as a K-12 and college student, how have you seen technology used as teaching and learning tool?
To be honest, I feel as though growing up when I did served me a disservice. I feel very left behind in the technological realm of the classroom because it was never a large part of my experience. In all of my years of school thus far, even college, I have seen technology used as a tool to learn with, not from, as stated in the text. I really liked the analogy that Jonassen used on page 6 where he compared the deliverance of knowledge through technology similar to a grocery delivery. It reminded me of my experiences with technology in school. Although technology is a constantly running race, I feel as though I am very far behind. I have never been exposed to smart board or ELMOs and computers have always been used more as encyclopedias and words processors than anything else. I feel as though technology holds a breakthrough for education. I believe that it has incredible power when used correctly and I hope to learn and utilize it more in the future.
In your own words, what is the difference between ‘learning from technology’ and ‘learning with technology’?
I believe that learning from technology is related to simply conveying knowledge through the use of technology. For example, writing papers, learning from PowerPoint slides, and using the internet for researching. Although these are helpful, they are not all technology has to offer. I believe that learning with technology, is not simply about the deliverance of knowledge, but about learning how to use technology in a way that it more efficiently helps us live our lives, especially learning. I believe that learning with technology will help students to be more engaged, keeping up with the trends of society.
Who is David Jonassen? Find out more about his background and professional interests.
David Jonassen is a professor at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He has taught at all levels, elementary, middle, high, and collegiate. He holds a constructivist approach and believes that knowledge is built by the learner and not supplied by the teacher. He believes in using computers as mind tools, meaning that the computer is used to help construct learning, not just supply it. His professional interests include research on mind tools, problem solving and he is also the director for the Center for the Study of Problem Solving.
Occasionally, you may come across unfamiliar terms in the reading. Rather than ignore them (a strategy struggling readers use), be sure to understand what these new words mean. This is great practice for the GRE. Also, when we discuss the readings in class, I will randomly call on students to define unfamiliar terms using their own words. For example, do you know what an ‘epiphenomenon’ is? Can you define the word ‘nascent’? Both of these terms are used in Ch. 1
Epiphenomenon- a secondary mental phenomenon that is caused by and accompanies a physical phenomenon but has no causal influence itself (Webster)
Nascent- recently coming into existence (Webster)
Syllogism- deductive reasoning (Webster)
Choose one question from the ‘Things to Think About’ section on pp. 10-12. Respond to this question. Be sure to identify the question to which you are responding.
4) When learners construct knowledge, what are they building? How is it possible to observe the fruits of their labor, that is, the knowledge they construct?
When learners construct knowledge, I believe that they are connecting knowledge that they already possess with new knowledge that they are learning. I believe that everything that comes into a learners mind is integrated and pieced together with what that learner already knows to construct new knowledge. In order to observe these fruits, it is important to observe learners for extended periods of time. One needs to see the development of thoughts and ideas and how they are extended and enhanced over time. It will be clearly evident simply through conversation that new and improved thoughts have evolved.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Technology Beliefs Statement
Teaching with technology is about teaching students not only how to learn through technology but also how to use it, when to use it, how it can help them and how it can help me, as an educator. Usually technology is used as another means to convey information but it should be taught how to be used and all of the benefits and resources that technology has to offer.
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