Reflection #5

It is crazy how much research has changed just in the past 10-20 years. I can remember the first time that I was allowed to use the internet in elementary school. I was attending Fairwood Elementary in Renton. The school had just gotten 4 PCs that were able to use the internet. All of the other computers were those tiny box-like macs that only allowed you to do a few things on them. All of the students had to get their parents to sign permission slips stating that it was ok for the students to use the internet. I remember being extremely confused the first time that I used it. I did not know what a search engine was or how to look for information online. I remember thinking that I would probably never really use the internet for research, and stick to using books and encyclopedias. Things have definitely changed for me since then. The internet is now my primary research tool. It is so quick and easy to use. You can get almost any information you want with a click of a mouse. In fact, I have had many teachers who have required students to use a few book references for research projects because it is now our tendency to find all of our research online.

Using the internet as a tool for research can be a beneficial thing for teachers. It is often quicker to use than trying to find information in a books. Teachers can assign projects that do not necessarily require a trip to the library to complete. Also, students can find information that answers a quick question. The internet saves time in classrooms. The internet is also helpful for teachers. It allows them to find quick information, pictures to use in class, videos, or other tools that benefit learning. Although books are definitely important to use for research, the internet has become the fastest way to find information. The internet is so helpful in the classroom, and all teachers should have their students use it in some way.

Reflection #4

I use technology so often in my everyday life. I think that is proven every time the power goes out. I use my computer, cell phone, and ipod on a daily basis. It is very rare if I do not turn my computer on during the day. It seems like I use my computer for almost everything. I use it to communicate with others, search the internet, watch TV, follow my favorite sports teams, and do homework. Every time the power goes out, I have to figure out a way to entertain myself.

I think that this just shows how involved in technology we are. Students in classrooms are the same way. They are so used to using technology, that when they get to the classroom and technology is not being used, they get bored. I think that technology has also shortened our attention spans. I can be checking my email one minute, reading an article online the next, and writing a paper another. We go from one activity to another so quickly when we use computers. It is important to keep this in mind when teaching because teachers need to keep their lessons and activities as brief as possible to avoid having students get bored. Technology helps us communicate and keep tabs on things that are happening around the world. Not using technology is like containing learning to only what is happening in the classroom. Having said all of this, teachers should definitely use technology in the classroom. Students are so involved with technology away from school that it would be a mistake to not incorporate it into the classroom. Also, teachers should use a variety of activities and technological tools in order to keep their students' attention.

Blogs I have commented on

Lauryn Duffy
Ashley Peavey
Devon Carroll
Inna Semenyuk
Daley Landon

Reflection #3

I am currently in a geography class here at NU. The professor only uses the internet to find online maps and an overhead to show blank maps. Students in that class seem so unengaged with the material that is being taught. I have always liked geography and learning about different places in the world, but I find myself incredibly bored and uniterested in that class. I am also a very visual learner, and am not a good auditory learner. While the professor does show different maps of places, it would be nice to see some images that have to do with specific aspects of the places that he describes. Just showing a picture of a famous landmark or cultural aspects of a place would be something that would benefit myself, personally. Many students need to be able to be engaged in some aspect of the class, especially a class that is two hours long. I think that if more technology was used, then the class would be much more interesting and insightful. There are so many aspects of technology that could be used in my geography class. For example, there are smart board applications that require students to identify different places on a map. In geography class, when we identify places on a map, we just point to a spot on an overhead. I believe that my professor should use different forms of technology in order to keep the students engaged.

Reflection #2

I recently visited a 1st grade classroom at Jefferson Elementary in Everett. I observed a math lesson. The teacher used a document camera, but no other form of technology. The lesson featured a few card games, so technology was not necessarily needed for the particular lesson that I observed. However, I think that technology could make math lessons more fun and engaging for younger student. There are so many different activities on the smart board that can be used to teach students about math. I think that oftentimes, technology is underutilized in classrooms, especially in math. Math is usually the subject that many students do not like. So, math should be the subject where technology is used quite a bit. Technology usually engages students. There are so many ways in which technology could be used in order to help students learn about math in a fun way. I think that teachers should definitely think about ways in which technology can be used while teaching math so that it is not just working out of a workbook.

Reflection #1

This week, I was thinking about my high school experience and how technology was used. I remember that I was in a few classrooms that did not even have white boards until half way through my sophomore year. A few of the classrooms in the older wing were still using chalk boards. This is interesting to note because half way through my senior year, every classroom at Kentridge High School got a smart board. In the 3-year span of my high school career, I went from using chalk boards to smart boards. Even though my classes had smart boards, none of my teachers knew how to use them. In 4-5 months of having the smart boards in classrooms, not one of my teachers used the board for anything more than tapping it twice to change the slide on a powerpoint presentation.

I think that my experience really shows how fast technology has developed over the last few years. Technology has really impacted the way we approach school and teaching. I'm sure that since I have graduated, Kentridge teachers have learned more about the smart board and how to use it. At the time, I did not see the point of the smart boards since none of my teachers used them. There are so many more things that teachers can use to teach because of technology. I think that I have learned that teachers need to learn how to use the technology that is in their classrooms because it can be very beneficial for the learning process.

School Website

One of the many Elementary Schools that I attended was Fairwood Elementary in Renton. I visited the school's website. I like how there is not a whole lot of information on the main page. The main page does not seem cluttered or confusing. The main picture on the home page is of a teacher dressed up like the Cat in the Hat. I like that the main page contains information that is easy to find. The address and phone number of the school is at the top of the page. Sometimes, this information is difficult to find on school websites. Upcoming events are also clearly highlighted. There are easy to find links to information about the school on the left side of the page. I also liked how the staff directory was organized by grade or department instead of alphabetical order.

The website is very basic. There is not a lot of flair or special features on it. Therefore, I was not confused by any aspect of the site. I was a little curious as to why there were no school rules listed on the website. However, there were quite a few things missing from the website. There were a couple of links that went to pages that said the information would be "coming soon." Also, there were not a lot of forms under the "forms" link. I would think that there would have been quite a few forms under that link. There were only 3.