Classroom Clickers

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/ Photo By: inju

Do you use a clicker in any of your college classes? I found an article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7844477// about using handheld wireless devices, that many call "clickers," on college campuses. A question is put on the board, and these devices that allow students to click in their answer to the question. Immediately after every student has submitted their answer, the results appear showing how many students chose which answer. One of my friends said that they use these clickers in their Elements of Weather class here at UNI. Also, in my field experience class, the 3rd and 4th grade students use "clickers" during social studies. The students love using them! I feel that they are a great tool for the students because they are not afraid to answer, because they do not have to raise they hand and be afraid of what the other students in the room will think if they give the wrong answer. This is also great for teachers because each clicker has a number on it so you know which student sumbitted each answer. This allows you as a teacher to know which student guessed each answer. This sort of reminds me of the surveys that we have taken in Ed Tech and Design class on the back channel, because I feel more confident submitting my answer and the rest of the class does not know what my exact answer was. The article is filled with a lot of great information about the clickers! I hope to have clickers someday in my own classroom when I teach!

Power of the phone in the future

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bods/485081783/ By: Bods

Have you seen the movie "Click"? Can you imagine using you cell phone as a remote to control things like Tim Allen does with his remote? I found an article at http://www.mahoningjvs.k12.oh.us/bpa/banks/more%20info%205.htm that says that with advances in technology in ten years, people will use their cell phones to control the Internet compatible things in their homes. This would relate to technology in the classroom, because by then every student will most likely have their own cell phone and they could use it in the classroom just as they could do at home. This would be a great way to get the students excited about learning because they could use their phones in class. Something else the article discussed was 3D Internet projects using virtual works. This will be something to look forward to if they are able to do this! I found this article very neat and it will be interesting to see if these advances in technology occur!

Classroom of the Future

Photo from: Flickr.com by: schockwellenreiter http://www.flickr.com/

Handheld computers are the new classroom of the future. I found an article at http://kathyschrock.net/power/schrock_power_article.pdf about handheld computers and the many benefits of having them. Hand-helds are something that each student could have, and would eliminate the problem of having to find a computer lab with computer or checking out the lab top cart. A stylus or detachable keyboard is used with them. As a teacher, you would be able to do great things like distribute your notes to the children through their hand-helds, without ever printing any paper. Students can take tests on them and have instant results. Students will not be drawing work on the hand-helds, or doing things like creating the school newspapers. The main benefit of them is that students will have the ability to write and collect data anywhere and then upload the information they find and gives them a sense of ownership. The best part is, that they are very cheap. You would be saving money in the long run if each student had one of these cheap devices. This relates to class, because when we become teachers, this is something that we may see take the place of or at least be an addition to the technology available to the students we are teaching. I felt this is a very informational article that would be very beneficial for all those to plan to be teachers in the future.

If you would like to see a video describing it, you can click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCs9RIVwHIQ&feature=related

Technology In the Classroom

I found an article that discusses using the technology in the classroom at http://712educators.about.com/cs/technology/a/integratetech.htm. It addresses the idea that six years ago Internet was not something that would be used as a tool for teachers, but now it is very common. It then describes different ways to integrate technology in the classroom and also concerns with the Internet. Some of the different ways to integrate technology into the classroom is through research. You can have the students research anything on the Internet that you are teaching. The article also says that creating a website is another way to integrate technology. It suggests that you can have the students create a website about stories or poems that they have read. Online assessment is another way that this is described. You can use technology to create protects for the students to do or even have students take tests on the computer. The article then discusses concerns with technology and possible solutions for these concerns. Time is one concern that could be fixed by just starting with doing one project a year. Cost, is a problem that can be solved through working with your school or applying or grants if needed. Quality is another concern that you as a teacher can solve by reviewing the material yourself before having the students use it. I feel that this is a great article because it gives great ways for teachers to integrate technology and also discussing concerns that teachers may have. All of the ways to integrate are very good and the concerns are very common. As I was reading this article, I was thinking about Ed Tech and Design class, because we have discussed and used all of these benefits. We have researched information, created a website, and also created projects on the computer through kidspiration. All of the projects we have made are projects that involve technology and require students to use technology.

Photo source: www.flickr.com By: James F Clay

Phones becoming more advanced

http://www.flickr.com//Sean Dreilinger
As we look around the world today, we can see that cell phones are something that have become a must have and need for all people. As advances in technology continue to grow, so do the gadgets that cell phones offer. I found this article that describes the new Microsoft window's phones and http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/06/cnet.microsoft.windows.phone/index.html. The operating system that is in the phones, will allow you to use Adobe Flash support and will include an improved browser. The neat thing about it is that will be easier to use by touch of the finger. Another neat advancement is the IPhone app store that will be included. It is hard to believe how far they have come in the advances in technology to offer things these on phones. This is something that could be good or bad for education. If students all have this phone, they could use and operate Microsoft from their phones during class. Students may also be more interested and enthusiastic about the subject area if they are allowed to use their phone in the classroom. This could also bad in the affect that students would be able to do other things on their phone like texting or playing games while the lesson is going on. I think it will be very interesting to see if this sort of technology will used in classrooms soon and how it would be used.

First day of blogging

This is my first day of blogging in Ed Tech and design class.