Final Project

From the beginning, children were expected to be able to do enough research on a topic where they would be able to debate against another classmate with the the research that they gatherered through different forms of technology such as internet, textbooks, iPads, computers etc…

First, I, the teacher would explain two perspectives of a given situation. In this example,as an English teacher,  two different authors were going to be utilized. As seen on the spreadsheet, first, I would have done a lecture where I would discuss why some students may feel that Jane Austen is a great author, while others feel that her writing sucks. I would touch on how Zora Neale Hurston is an interesting author while others view her writing as borring. Scholastic magazines would be used to show the students one way in which they are able to gain their research.

Next, the technology of a Flash Card Machine would be utilized, where questions would be on one side of flash cards, and answers on the other. The questions I assume the children would have would be on the index cards so that they can have the answers directly in front of them. However, if there are any other questions and/or concerns, they would still be free to ask them. After all of the students’ questions and/or concerns are answered,a Ipad will be used where a demonstration will be shown. The demonstration will consists of students doing different forms of research for their view, and how they will carry out a debate. Hopefully, seeing an actual debate take place, it will increase their desire to go through with the assignment.

Students will then choose whether or not they would rather be on the side of Jane Austen or  Zora Neale Hurston. These group will have group discussions, participating in something called speaking avatars. Using the speaking avatars the two different groups will have discussions of why they made their decision, share their research they found, where they got it from etc…  Then, through the computer, via email, one student from each group will send a student presentation that was accumalated as a group together. The presentation will have to be creative. They will have to explain their view on the matter, the reason, and list at least three resources where they got their information from.

After the student’s presentation gets my approval, they will then move on to the next step, which is research inquiry and they will complete this through a reference software that the school will have. This time, not only will the students find research for their side, but they also want to findresearch for the opposite side, so that for their debate, they will be able to build an argument against the opposite group.

Then, an homework assignment will be given to the entire class. Each student will have to in a creative way, come up with s presentation that show their side on matters, their research that they found, their argument against the opposing group and their support. This information is expected to be printed by a computer.

The next day in class, there will be another group discussion using the speaking avatars again. This will give each group a chance to practice how they will debate against the opposing group. Finally, an assessment will be given to the class, where all students are expected to speak at least once during the debate. Each student will have to try their hardest to prove their point and to present their evidence. This assessment will be considered an online prroject/presentation.

Lastly, a written assignement will be given to the students and they will be expected to type it, hsve it in MLA format, 12 font, and Times Roman Numeral. So, this will be expected to utilize tech structure. The students will be expected to write about the entire assignment, explaining what was difficult about the assignment, what they enjoyed and what they would change about it. This will in turn not only help them realize the entire process in which they had to experience, but it will also help me see changes that I need to make in the assignment for the future.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am4bd1tcQ-F4dEN6WDNUV3h1NklzMUNCaW9EY0JOcVE&pli=1#gid=0

Interactivity 5: Integrating Technology and Curriculum

I was fortunate enough to interview my favorite English Teacher from 7^th grade. Currently she is now still an English Teacher, but for 6^th graders now. She teaches at 13^th Avenue located inside of Newark, New Jersey. Newark is an urban environment.

Based on the questions that I asked regarding the NETS-S and NETS-T she knew nothing of it. She even admitted to not knowing of it. After the first question she explained that she had no idea what I was referring to. After explaining to her exactly what the NETS-S and NETS-T is she felt more relieved. She explained that even though she was not familiar with the NETS-S or the NETS-T her school was in fact integrating technology greatly.

Neither has this school, or any of the other schools located in Newark New Jersey has implemented or even began to implement the NETS-S or the NETS-T. Some other initiatives that exists to increase students’ proficiency and media literacy is that at 13^th Avenue School starting from kindergarten to 8^th grade, all students have their own laptops, IPads, etc… However, this has only been done for 13^th Avenue School because they are considered to be a renew school, which means that their test scores have been so far off for so long, funds has been given to this school in order for them to help enable children to have a better chance at achieving test scores.

Unfortunately, being that Newark is an urban environment, none of the elementary schools have up to date technology. For example, after visiting my elementary teacher last month, I have noticed the children still have the exact computer that me and my class had to share. In Newark, New Jersey the only schools that are able to have access to more new technology, are the newer built high schools.

Honestly, I was not surprised by anything that my interviewee said. This is mainly because she teaches in Newark, New Jersey, a place that I have been born, raised, and still reside in; therefore, I know most of the pros and cons (mainly cons) of the Newark Public Schools. What I expected is basically what I got.

First, as a future educator, I find it my duty to always be informed and up to date with the new information because honestly, I think I would be embarrassed if anyone asked me a question about something that I did not know that had something to do with my career as a whole or even my content area. Also, as a future educator I would speak to others within my school about the NETS-S and NETS-T by at first mentioning it briefly to see if anyone knew anything about it. If not, I would then probably talk to a few colleagues with suggestions of how technology can be incorporated inside of the school. Then I will show them what the NETS-S and NETS-T actually is.


The link to the spreadsheet is as follows:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am4bd1tcQ-F4dDcwakY0TkNJeVpxRmYzbC1SSDlKUHc#gid=0

The Huffington Post:Technology In Schools;Weighing The Pros and Cons

In new schools that have incorporated new, different forms of technology all of the children seem to enjoy the technology, and feel that they make education more fun, appealing, and more relatable to them, so easier to understand. In Huffington Post they mention how different schools in the United States is counting on technology to revive students' performances. This year different Board of Education has been given around 7 millions dollars, and last year $300,000 in order to incorporate technology. Bill Gates donated $20 million to open up tech savy schools in Philadelphia and New York.

Then CNN is mentioned, discussing children in South Korea. They, instead of having regular teachers have robots. They use IPods and IPhones etc;  however, they often take statistics and the form of technology have proven to be helping their students tremendously.

Then Finland was discussed, which is basically the opposite of The United States. They do not use any forms of technology. They start school a year later. They do less homework on an average, However, in 2006 they ranked 1st in Math and Science. Therefore, for Finland, without any form of technology, they students have increased in their test scores.

What would be better for us, The United States? Technology like South Korea? or No technology like like Finland?

NY Times: In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores

This NY Times article ( http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/technology/technology-in-schools-faces-questions-on-value.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) was a great article. It first explains how different forms of technology were being utilized, but then it goes on basically asking the question whether or not it is worth it.

First a sixth grade English Teacher students are all laying on the floor on their laptops as their doing their Shakespeare projects. Some students made facebook pages to imitate Shakespeare. Others found different songs, such as one belonging to Kanye West, that could represent some of Shakespeare poetry etc... So, being that they had their form of technology they were able to turn Shakespeare into something that they can do something fun with. Students are also able to learn at their own paces.

Then the article discusses how because of this technology teachers are not lecturers anymore; they merely guide children in how to use the different new forms of technology. The questions still rises in my mind "Is this a good or a bad thing? Can this possibly take away a teacher's job all together? The increase of technology may equal a decrease in teachers sad to say.

Then the article touches on how even though technology is building all of this enthusiasm and delightfulness inside of the children as they began to use all of these forms of technology, the test scores has not increased one bit. So, the schools are spending over $33 million dollars, while even facing cut offs, and laying off teachers, all for something (different forms of new technology ) that they are not even sure will produce good results yet. How do you feel about the matter?

My Technological View On The Future

A few months ago I bought a new truck. I do not have to open the doors with my hands, I can heat the car before I get into it, start it without a key. operate the radio, GPS, etc... without the touch of my hands. I can do everything by merely using my voice.For me, this is a very new form form of technology that I am having to get used to. However, so far I am loving it! Having this new vehicle has caused me to think of how this world will be in the future with even much more advanced technology.

I started to think of an old, famous, cartoon show called The Flinstones and The Jetsons. In The Flinstones they went from riding cars with their bare feet and having dinosaurs as pet. Then, in The Jetsons, everything in which they did was made from technology. They flew wherever they needed to go, even the children. And, they did not even have to brush their teeth, get dressed or do their hair; the machines did everything for them. This has caused me to view our future with technology as being like The Jetsons.

My life in the  future will be like I would not have to do anything. There will be robots as maids. I would not have to wake up extra early to get ready for school and/or work, I would just have to wake up 20 minutes beforehand, have the different forms of technology to get me together and the I will fly to work and/or school. My life would be so much easier. This is my future life of technology! I cant wait wait to experience it to see how it feels.

New & Old Technology

As I helped my grandmother to clean out her basement yesterday, we were throwing things away. I cam across and old game that I used to love, and haven't seen in years. She was ready to throw it into the trash, but i Hurried up and snatch it away. I was so offended that she wanted to throw away my old special game.

Growing up, I always imagined technology to basically incolve the computer, and only beginning in the 2000s. After this course, I have learned that as you look down history , technology has existed way before my time, and it does not merely involve computers and the internet.

That night after putting my daughter to sleep; well, I thought she was sleep anyway, I plugged u the game and began to play. It was just like the old days; I was having the time of my life. My daughter walked into the room and asked "Mom, is that game for me?". I wanted to say no so bad! However, I told her that she could play one time, and then she would have to go back to sleep. As she played, she looked just like I did as a kid, having the time of her life.

Today, I just thought about how there is so much technology now in days, and more and more technology is being created every other second. However, old technology is also great! Just because it's newer technology, does not mean that it's better. Ole technology is still cool!

Interactivity #4 : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am4bd1tcQ-F4dDcwakY0TkNJeVpxRmYzbC1SSDlKUHc#gid=0

The reason I decided to choose my lesson plan was for several reasons. First, it cold be utilized for grades 6-12, and, I feel that it is great to have a flexible lesson plan. I would probably be able to even pair up with another class or even another grade in order to see the lesson plan work on different levels. Then, I felt that it was a useful lesson plan because not only did it touch on several different teaching topics such as vocabulary words, history of spiders (which could be connected with the Science teacher), research being done, and papers being written. Being that all of these fields were being touched on, I felt that it would have been perfect for my subject. The bonus was that some technology was already incorporated into the lesson plan, even though I felt that I needed to add some of my own as well, and being that this lesson plan was created in another country, I had to alter to Core Standards to New Jersey's.

One gap that I found between the curriculum goal(s), teaching stratagies, and technologies being used was the idea of the idea of going on a field trip, utilizing a camera to take pictures of spiders. IF this is supposed to be a lesson plan for an English class, I feel that it is not necessary. I feel it was being done just because. The computer would have already been used to find research and history and information, and pictures on the spiders. Also, the entire book is based on spiders, so what would be the purpose of having a field trip for spiders? There is none!

I feel that the technology utilized is essential to achieving the curriculum goals because not only does it teach the students new ways to do research, and give children new ways to complete assignments and to do research, but it also make learning appealing to them. It makes them want to learn What better way to achieve our goal than it is to help children want to learn? There is none!

To what extent is this particular technology essential to achieving the curriculum goal(s)?


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am4bd1tcQ-F4dDcwakY0TkNJeVpxRmYzbC1SSDlKUHc#gid=0