Joseph's Podcast

post #3

Since I want to be a middle school history teacher it only makes sense that my lesson plan would revolve around these aspects. In the book it recommends that I should use presentation and instructional software which makes alot of sense because history is alot of memorizing facts. I think that technology could make this information alot easier for students to recall what I am trying to teach compared to just a plain lecture. I'm sure entertaining graphics and videos would help my students pay attention and maybe find some of the subject relatively entertaining. Powerpoints would allow me to present the information in a very organized and neat matter and I could also add videos in the presentations aswell.
The internet could also be a very useful tool for a student to learn but it also comes with various concerns. For the age group I am trying to reach it would be very common for a student to come across somehthing that is very unappropriate. The internet is also a tool that has other disadvantages aswell. For example students may be distracted from the topic at hand by other websites like facebook, myspace, addicting games, etc. These problems could be avoided with network blocks but it this would antagonize students to find ways around it and may cause more problems.
One web based tool that I would use is a personalized award creator. I think it is very important to let students know that every person has a something that is special about them and this would help increase a student's confidence. Confidence is very important because it allows a child/person to maximize their abilities. This webtool allows you to create an certicate for any character trait.
http://www.billybear4kids.com/show/awards/certificates.html

Blog #1

New Technology is very important to the educational experience because it allows students to use different tools to extend their learning abilities. The use of tool software (Internet, word processing, database and spreadsheet software), is very important because it helps learners aquire facts and places students into situations where they can use critical thinking. It is also important because technology is also a cognitive tool. It allows students to analyze and retain information at a higher level. Technology also gives teachers the ability to do something called distance education. This is where one can take classes completely over the internet, television, or a combination of dilivery technologies. This may be benificial to students that are involved with a fulltime job or taking care of a family.
Along with the benifits of technology there are also disadvantages. For example you may come across students that hack your school network. This may be a problem because students may disrupt emails or change certain grades that you have on record. Students may also send inappropriate emails to one another that may cause additional problems. These are very valid problems that my arise but can certainly be avoidable.
I think the main reason im going to use computers in my classroom is when I am presenting information to my students. I hope that after taking this class I will be able to learn different ways to do this so my students have an easier time paying attention to the information I am trying to present.
Personally I believe that learning different ways to use technology in the classroom is an important way to help students learn. It makes learning some subject areas a little more interesting and fun. But, i also hope that I dont have to rely on technology to be successful as a teacher. I think the most important aspect of teaching is having the right personality and mindset of genuinely wanting to help your students grow as a person.

Blog # 2

Microsoft word has been a very useful tool in my acedemic carreer. Like many other students, I've used Microsoft Word to write papers that were required in my classes. Without Word, writing these papers would have been very difficult and unorganized. I have also used Microsoft word to take notes in my lecture classes. Compared to taking notes by hand, taking notes with Word has made my notetaking much more efficient. With MW i can get my notes down much faster and when i come back to them to study, they are much easier to read.
My teachers have also used Microsoft Word in many useful ways. For example when creating a sylabus to inform students about the upcoming year, Microsoft word is very essential. Another good example where Word has been used effectively in a school setting is when my 7th grade teacher used to create newsletters for our class. I liked when she did this because it told us what would be on the lunch menu for the upcoming week and other important information. She also added very funny comic strips that i enjoyed reading.
A new skill that I have aquired in this class that i think will be very useful is this Blog itself. I have always heard about what blogs were on TV and through friends but i have never actually had one. I think it is very useful because it is an extremely easy way to exchange new ideas with certain people.