Chapter four in TPACK had a similar theme to many of the other chapters. It talked about a need for “apprenticeship of observation” or in other words, training pre-service teachers to integrate technology into content areas early on in order to truly have an effect. In this chapter the discussion was on integrating English and technology.
English teachers, as well as others, must be taught to use technology in their content area rather than as a stand alone course. The Ed-U-Tech program out of Minnesota does just that! This program sounds very valuable and successful in teaching English through technology. I like how the program mandates an English methods course and a companion technology course at the same time. This provides the best opportunity for the learning to be meaningful for new teachers. This was lacking in my college experience. For me, technology was taught as a stand alone course, and there was no focus on content areas or integration. No one helped me to see the value and possibilities that technology could bring to a field such as English. I feel like I am trying to play ‘catch up’ as I learn about integration. This is only my eighth year of teaching! I cannot imagine what it must feel like for a veteran teacher who has even less experience with technology.
The chapter also discussed the necessity of immersing veteran teachers into new learning that would cause them to question their beliefs in their content area knowledge as well as their technology knowledge causing growth in both areas. In English, this can be done by presenting the new and evolving types of literacy. While I agree with the notion of promoting new learning, I feel that teachers need to be provided with support in order for it to be successful. Many school districts in Maine are not in a position to support teachers’ new learning. There is little professional development and knowledgeable personnel and up to date equipment are not available. These areas need to be addressed in order for technology integration to increase and be an effective tool for student learning.
This lack of preparedness has greatly effected the possibilities in the classroom for many students, mine included. Technology, if used effectively, can be a very valuable tool in learning all components of literacy. I know in my classroom I have not used technology to its full potential as a way for students to learn English skills. In the past, I had the project approach, but I am now working to overcome this ‘disorder”! Support for new learning, access to trained and knowledgeable staff and working, up-to-date equipment are all essential in order for successful integration to occur.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
TPCK Chapter 3 - K-6 Literacy Education
The idea of teaching literacy and being literate has changed significantly over the years. It is sure to continue to change in the future. The advent of technology has caused a shift in what it means to be literate and how literacy should be taught. Being literate is no longer just being able to read and write effectively. It now also includes a component about being able to use multimedia. These changes, while necessary, also create additional skills and concepts that educators must teach.
Many teachers are willing and even eager to use technology to teach literacy skills to their students, but many times they either don’t know how or are afraid to try. One of the most significant points discussed by Denise Schmidt and Marina Gurbo was on how to get more technology into the classroom. They explained that it must begin with the training of pre-service and in-service teachers on integrating technology. This point is very significant and would force a shift in many universities and local schools. The idea of including technology use in every course for pre-service teachers is a great idea. Teachers must be shown how to use technology in their content area before they can be expected to use it in the classroom. A one on one mentoring program seems like a very effective way for teachers, both pre-service and especially in-service, to receive the needed technology support. Through this mentoring process, teachers will not only learn about available technology, but modeling and demonstration of its usage could occur. I would love to use more technology with my students, but sometimes I’m just not confident enough in my abilities or even the equipment itself to try it. More technology support is needed in the schools for successful integration to occur.
The examples of TPCK use in K-6 literacy were exciting! It confirmed several of the things that I have already been doing with literacy and technology. I have had my students use Kid Pix to write poetry and audio record themselves reading their text. We have then turned our work into a slideshow and class book. We have our own class wikispace for students to publish and share their writing with the world. Kidspiration software has also been used by my students to brainstorm and map out their stories. All of these technology uses have definitely increased motivation for reading, writing, and learning.
There are several new things that I would like to try with my students. I am very intrigued by the text editor, SubEthaEdit, that the authors described. It seems like the perfect method to encourage the editing and revision process during writer’s workshop. The collaborative nature of the program encourages students to rely on one another and not just the teacher. The concept of having students completely write their stories on laptops is another idea I would like to try out. (If I can get access to the computers long enough!) Typically I have had students write their ideas on paper and then type their final drafts. It would be so much easier and more natural for students to do all of their writing directly on the computer. I am also curious about exploring digital storytelling and creating and using webquests.
The possibilities of learning literacy through technology are endless. I am excited to explore some new avenues of study. I am hopeful that technology support will become more available in the future.
Many teachers are willing and even eager to use technology to teach literacy skills to their students, but many times they either don’t know how or are afraid to try. One of the most significant points discussed by Denise Schmidt and Marina Gurbo was on how to get more technology into the classroom. They explained that it must begin with the training of pre-service and in-service teachers on integrating technology. This point is very significant and would force a shift in many universities and local schools. The idea of including technology use in every course for pre-service teachers is a great idea. Teachers must be shown how to use technology in their content area before they can be expected to use it in the classroom. A one on one mentoring program seems like a very effective way for teachers, both pre-service and especially in-service, to receive the needed technology support. Through this mentoring process, teachers will not only learn about available technology, but modeling and demonstration of its usage could occur. I would love to use more technology with my students, but sometimes I’m just not confident enough in my abilities or even the equipment itself to try it. More technology support is needed in the schools for successful integration to occur.
The examples of TPCK use in K-6 literacy were exciting! It confirmed several of the things that I have already been doing with literacy and technology. I have had my students use Kid Pix to write poetry and audio record themselves reading their text. We have then turned our work into a slideshow and class book. We have our own class wikispace for students to publish and share their writing with the world. Kidspiration software has also been used by my students to brainstorm and map out their stories. All of these technology uses have definitely increased motivation for reading, writing, and learning.
There are several new things that I would like to try with my students. I am very intrigued by the text editor, SubEthaEdit, that the authors described. It seems like the perfect method to encourage the editing and revision process during writer’s workshop. The collaborative nature of the program encourages students to rely on one another and not just the teacher. The concept of having students completely write their stories on laptops is another idea I would like to try out. (If I can get access to the computers long enough!) Typically I have had students write their ideas on paper and then type their final drafts. It would be so much easier and more natural for students to do all of their writing directly on the computer. I am also curious about exploring digital storytelling and creating and using webquests.
The possibilities of learning literacy through technology are endless. I am excited to explore some new avenues of study. I am hopeful that technology support will become more available in the future.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Technology Links for Literacy K-6
Here are some links that would be valuable for teaching literacy skills for elementary, middle, and high school students. Each site would be appropriate for all levels.
Digital Storytelling - http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html - This site gives access to Web 2.0 resources. It also contains directions, examples and resources to create digital stories.
Web Quests - http://webquest.org/search/index.php - This site allows users to search available webquests and gives information on how to create your own.
Learning Beyond the Classroom - Read.Write.Think. - http://www.readwritethink.org/ - This site provides educators' lessons, web resources, and student materials that can be searched.
This article is about how to use technology to enhance literacy instruction. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm -
Digital Storytelling - http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html - This site gives access to Web 2.0 resources. It also contains directions, examples and resources to create digital stories.
Web Quests - http://webquest.org/search/index.php - This site allows users to search available webquests and gives information on how to create your own.
Learning Beyond the Classroom - Read.Write.Think. - http://www.readwritethink.org/ - This site provides educators' lessons, web resources, and student materials that can be searched.
This article is about how to use technology to enhance literacy instruction. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm -
Saturday, February 7, 2009
TPCK Chapter 6 - Social Studies
Chapter six was about Social Studies under a TPCK framework. I never actually stopped to realize the complexities of Social Studies until now. History, geography, political science, economics, cultural studies among others are all under the umbrella of Social Studies. This adds a great deal of difficulty to the teaching of Social Studies for educators and an even greater opportunity to use technology. The idea that Social Studies could most easily be thought of as the “study of subject matter for democratic life” is a useful construct.
Technology use through Social Studies or Social Studies use through technology is very vast. One of the most significant aspects of technology in this field is the wealth of resources at the fingertips of teachers and students. These resources allow the flow of information to be much more accessible. Primary and secondary source documents and even images that were not available for general use before are now available. These documents allow for research to be conducted more fully. It also provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to facilitate student led inquiry projects.
This wealth of resources also provides a dilemma for teachers, however. Educators must now begin to teach students about critical media literacy skills. Things like how to determine the quality and validity of websites and how to conduct effective searches are now crucial. Learning in a non-linear fashion also must be explained and modeled in order for students to successfully navigate the information.
Along with providing access to resources, technology provides a great opportunity for students to communicate and share their knowledge with others in society. The idea of using Web 2.0 technology gives students an authentic purpose for learning. Wikis and blogs allow students to share projects with others and receive immediate feedback. The Internet also provides students with the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with other students around the world. This new collaborative learning environment is certain to enhance content in Social Studies especially in the areas of problem solving, cultural studies, and civics projects.
New Geography software has also changed the ways that Geography can be taught. The concept of a “bird’s eye view” no longer has to be imagined by students. Real images and maps can be shown with great detail and accuracy. Programs like Google Earth fascinate students and make concepts like spatial relations easier to understand. G.P.S. technology along with these maps has made geography boundless.
Using technology in Social Studies provides amazing possibilities and potential for learning. I am eager to try out some of the concepts with my students. I have a geography unit coming up at the end of the month and I’d like to start experimenting there. We’ll see what happens!
Technology use through Social Studies or Social Studies use through technology is very vast. One of the most significant aspects of technology in this field is the wealth of resources at the fingertips of teachers and students. These resources allow the flow of information to be much more accessible. Primary and secondary source documents and even images that were not available for general use before are now available. These documents allow for research to be conducted more fully. It also provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to facilitate student led inquiry projects.
This wealth of resources also provides a dilemma for teachers, however. Educators must now begin to teach students about critical media literacy skills. Things like how to determine the quality and validity of websites and how to conduct effective searches are now crucial. Learning in a non-linear fashion also must be explained and modeled in order for students to successfully navigate the information.
Along with providing access to resources, technology provides a great opportunity for students to communicate and share their knowledge with others in society. The idea of using Web 2.0 technology gives students an authentic purpose for learning. Wikis and blogs allow students to share projects with others and receive immediate feedback. The Internet also provides students with the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with other students around the world. This new collaborative learning environment is certain to enhance content in Social Studies especially in the areas of problem solving, cultural studies, and civics projects.
New Geography software has also changed the ways that Geography can be taught. The concept of a “bird’s eye view” no longer has to be imagined by students. Real images and maps can be shown with great detail and accuracy. Programs like Google Earth fascinate students and make concepts like spatial relations easier to understand. G.P.S. technology along with these maps has made geography boundless.
Using technology in Social Studies provides amazing possibilities and potential for learning. I am eager to try out some of the concepts with my students. I have a geography unit coming up at the end of the month and I’d like to start experimenting there. We’ll see what happens!
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