Thursday, January 29, 2009
Zotero
During EDU 580 Tech Module II I was introduced to Zotero as a reference and bibliography tool. This tool had some value, but I still do not understand its full potential. Zotero seemed like a good way to store sources and to link and save PDF versions of actual journal articles. I liked having all of my resources in one place, but I found that creating a bibliography directly from Zotero was not that efficient. Many of the entries were not done correctly and required manual input. This was frustrating and in lots of ways took more time then just writing my own reference page without the help of Zotero. Maybe with more use it would become a bit more user friendly.
Chapter 2
Chapter two from TPCK was much more engaging than chapter one. It raised many valid ideas. I especially found the descriptions of the three different types of digital divides to be interesting.
I was aware of the “first digital divide” though I did not realize that there were two others that went along with it. The first divide is all too real in rural Maine. In Western Maine, where I teach, access to technology equipment and the Internet can be a challenge, at least privately This greatly impacts the opportunities of students and their families. I really liked the point that the authors made that teachers are responsible for bridging this type of divide. When I read it, my initial reaction was, just another thing to add to a teacher’s responsibilities. After thinking on the matter, it truly made sense, however. Teachers are often in a position to transmit information to parents. Providing a list of public ICT access places would be easy. It also might be possible to have the school’s computer lab accessible after school hours. There are many places in the community where computers are available such as churches, the public library, and even the college. Families just need to know where to go to access the equipment. Providing these opportunities would enhance each child’s academic experience. This would be especially true if valuable information seeking or problem solving activities were provided by the teacher.
The second type of digital divide exists as well. Having technology access is not enough. The equipment must be used for valid and meaningful purposes. Teachers need to be trained on effectively integrating technology into content areas. This is an area that I could use some assistance. I have an understanding of how to use a variety of technology and I have strong content knowledge, but I don’t always know the best ways to put this information together. Integration support would greatly enhance the learning opportunities for my students. The last couple of years my school district provided integration specialists to help classroom teachers. Unfortunately the positions were some of the first to be cut from the budget. My school has lots of equipment, it is often not used or used effectively.
I am not as clear on the third type of digital divide. I know that it has to do with being culturally sensitive when teaching with technology, but I guess I do not see why when using technology you have to be any more or less careful than other times. I believe that being culturally sensitive is important at all times in the classroom. All students need to feel valued and respected whether or not technology is being used. I understand that using technology is not bias free, but in all honesty what is. Cultural differences should be incorporated and students need to be stretched beyond their own culture.
It is important that today’s teachers have an understanding of the different types of digital divides. Only then can students’ academic opportunities be equitably achieved.
I was aware of the “first digital divide” though I did not realize that there were two others that went along with it. The first divide is all too real in rural Maine. In Western Maine, where I teach, access to technology equipment and the Internet can be a challenge, at least privately This greatly impacts the opportunities of students and their families. I really liked the point that the authors made that teachers are responsible for bridging this type of divide. When I read it, my initial reaction was, just another thing to add to a teacher’s responsibilities. After thinking on the matter, it truly made sense, however. Teachers are often in a position to transmit information to parents. Providing a list of public ICT access places would be easy. It also might be possible to have the school’s computer lab accessible after school hours. There are many places in the community where computers are available such as churches, the public library, and even the college. Families just need to know where to go to access the equipment. Providing these opportunities would enhance each child’s academic experience. This would be especially true if valuable information seeking or problem solving activities were provided by the teacher.
The second type of digital divide exists as well. Having technology access is not enough. The equipment must be used for valid and meaningful purposes. Teachers need to be trained on effectively integrating technology into content areas. This is an area that I could use some assistance. I have an understanding of how to use a variety of technology and I have strong content knowledge, but I don’t always know the best ways to put this information together. Integration support would greatly enhance the learning opportunities for my students. The last couple of years my school district provided integration specialists to help classroom teachers. Unfortunately the positions were some of the first to be cut from the budget. My school has lots of equipment, it is often not used or used effectively.
I am not as clear on the third type of digital divide. I know that it has to do with being culturally sensitive when teaching with technology, but I guess I do not see why when using technology you have to be any more or less careful than other times. I believe that being culturally sensitive is important at all times in the classroom. All students need to feel valued and respected whether or not technology is being used. I understand that using technology is not bias free, but in all honesty what is. Cultural differences should be incorporated and students need to be stretched beyond their own culture.
It is important that today’s teachers have an understanding of the different types of digital divides. Only then can students’ academic opportunities be equitably achieved.
Chapter 1
After reading chapter one in TPCK my head is spinning. I always knew and felt the complexities of teaching, but I guess I never really contemplated all of the moving parts. I agree that teaching is a “wicked problem”. The role of a teacher in education is constantly changing and thousands of decisions have to be made daily. The tough thing is that, as the book described, the solution to one problem often leads to the creation of others. There also are few clearly defined answers that can be established.
The role of technology has definitely added more layers to decision making. Though technology can be a benefit it can also be an issue. It is really difficult as a practicing teacher to stay up to date on the new digital forms of technology. Things are constantly changing and being updated; it becomes a full time job. This instability makes it challenging as a teacher to utilize technology to its full potential. This is true even for a teacher who is interested and not resistant to it like me!
The fact that technology use is so closely tied to content and pedagogy makes it even more challenging. The book stated that these three areas are interconnected and the relationships among them are the key to beneficial technology use. While I understand the importance, the practice is difficult. The use of technology is so varied depending on the content area being taught. It serves as a powerful tool, but as an elementary teacher I am responsible for all subject areas. That means that I need to understand the relationship between technology use, pedagogy, and five separate content areas. That is a truly difficult and time consuming feat. One in which little to no training is provided to practicing teachers.
The training for teachers that has been provided is often very skill specific rather than on the integration of technology in a classroom. As the book suggests, “teaching technology skills alone does little to help teachers develop knowledge about how to use digital tools to teach more effectively, navigate the relationships..., or use technology to help students learn a particular topic.”(21) This implication is important in the classroom and to practicing and preservice teachers. More real life, content based opportunities must be provided for content integration if technology’s true value is to be realized by students.
I do notice the benefits of technology use in the classroom, and I enjoy using it. Technology does promote engagement and allow for study that might not be possible otherwise. In my class we have access to computers and SMART boards. My class has attempted to create a wiki space as a presentation site and communication tool for our writing. We access many websites that provide video and images of places where we’ll never be able to go such as inside the human body and the rain forest.
The opportunities that technology can provide must be capitalized on in the classroom so students can become successful in today’s world. In Maine the “divides” exist. Even though my students have been raised with technology all around them, I would not call all of them “digital natives”. Many of them are more like “digital immigrants” due to the digital divide that exists in Maine. The classroom serves as the opportunity for many of my students to experience and utilize the technology that is available and level the playing field.
I hope that through this book, guidance will be given as to the most effective ways to establish and enhance relationships among content, pedagogy, and technology.
The role of technology has definitely added more layers to decision making. Though technology can be a benefit it can also be an issue. It is really difficult as a practicing teacher to stay up to date on the new digital forms of technology. Things are constantly changing and being updated; it becomes a full time job. This instability makes it challenging as a teacher to utilize technology to its full potential. This is true even for a teacher who is interested and not resistant to it like me!
The fact that technology use is so closely tied to content and pedagogy makes it even more challenging. The book stated that these three areas are interconnected and the relationships among them are the key to beneficial technology use. While I understand the importance, the practice is difficult. The use of technology is so varied depending on the content area being taught. It serves as a powerful tool, but as an elementary teacher I am responsible for all subject areas. That means that I need to understand the relationship between technology use, pedagogy, and five separate content areas. That is a truly difficult and time consuming feat. One in which little to no training is provided to practicing teachers.
The training for teachers that has been provided is often very skill specific rather than on the integration of technology in a classroom. As the book suggests, “teaching technology skills alone does little to help teachers develop knowledge about how to use digital tools to teach more effectively, navigate the relationships..., or use technology to help students learn a particular topic.”(21) This implication is important in the classroom and to practicing and preservice teachers. More real life, content based opportunities must be provided for content integration if technology’s true value is to be realized by students.
I do notice the benefits of technology use in the classroom, and I enjoy using it. Technology does promote engagement and allow for study that might not be possible otherwise. In my class we have access to computers and SMART boards. My class has attempted to create a wiki space as a presentation site and communication tool for our writing. We access many websites that provide video and images of places where we’ll never be able to go such as inside the human body and the rain forest.
The opportunities that technology can provide must be capitalized on in the classroom so students can become successful in today’s world. In Maine the “divides” exist. Even though my students have been raised with technology all around them, I would not call all of them “digital natives”. Many of them are more like “digital immigrants” due to the digital divide that exists in Maine. The classroom serves as the opportunity for many of my students to experience and utilize the technology that is available and level the playing field.
I hope that through this book, guidance will be given as to the most effective ways to establish and enhance relationships among content, pedagogy, and technology.
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