Friday, October 24, 2014
Flipcharts in the Classroom
The flipchart I have chosen covers the concept of evolution, and is intended for grades 6-12. The link to the flipchart is below:
Evolution Flipchart
I think this flipchart would be highly useful in a science classroom. It clearly demonstrates many of the fundamental concepts of evolution, including the appropriate vocabulary, and it also contains many interactive games that could help students who prefer a hands-on approach to learning. In this way, it utilizes one of the many benefits of using technology in the classroom by "providing support for working cooperatively" and "letting students study systems in unique ways" (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, pg. 25). It also conveniently links to further information on several topics if you want to explore a certain subject more deeply.
Hardware/Software
The use of a flipchart like this one requires you to have certain types of hardware and software on-hand. Teachers can use a variety of hardware in the classroom, including microcomputers, handhelds, display technologies, imaging technologies, peripherals, and external storage (Roblyer & Doering, 2013). To display and interact with flipcharts, a teacher must use display technologies such as a projection system and an interactive whiteboard. The software needed to run the flipchart is called ActivInspire.
Technology Use Based on Problem Solving
As a general rule of thumb, technology in the classroom should not be bothered with unless it helps to solve a problem, such as motivating and engaging students or supporting students' learning needs. Using flipcharts such as the on I have selected can help to solve several problems. One such problem is gaining students' attention; according to our book, visual and interactive forms of technology can "direct students' attention toward learning tasks" (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, pg. 25)
Essential Conditions for Technology Integration
There are many conditions that must be met for the successful integration of techology into the classroom; among these are shared vision (system-wide support for implementation), required policies (assurance of ethical and appropriate use of technology), and access to hardware and software (Roblyer & Doering, 2013). I believe the use of flipcharts such as this one fulfills all three of these conditions. First, use of educational technology is being supported more widely than ever before, and grants for things like smart boards are fairly common. Second, the use of flipcharts ensures that the instructor has total control of the content students are exposed to. Finally, the use of flipcharts requires only the teacher to have access to the technology being used, with no additional requirements of the students.
Software Support Tools
Software support tools are technological tools that go beyond basic capabilities of software; this includes improving efficiency and productivity, improving appearance of product, improving accuracy of information, and increasing support for interaction (Roblyer & Doering, 2013). The flipchart I have chosen contains a wide variety of animations and graphics that I personally wouldn't stand a chance at producing myself in any efficient length of time. Furthermore, it contains several interactive sections that can engage students in ways that straight lectures can't. In general, the use of flipcharts makes it very easy to use the latest and most accurate information for all your classroom materials.
References
Roblyer , M. D.,& Doering, A. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (6th ed., pp. 25-142). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education, Inc.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Resources on the Web
Search Engines
A critical part of modern education is instructing students on the use of the internet. One of the first steps in learning to navigate the internet is the utilization of search engines, programs designed to make finding information on the internet easier (Roblyer and Doering, 2013).
Whether you are a teacher trying to put together a compelling (and accurate!) presentation for your class, or a student working on an important class assignment, a proficiency in using search engines can make your life much, much easier. The most well-known search engines are Google, Yahoo, and Bing (Roblyer and Doering, 2013); very similar search techniques can be employed regardless of which of these engines you choose to employ. Google has a very useful page with instructions on how to use some lesser-known techniques that can make your searches far more powerful and accurate, giving both teachers and students the ability to reach the information they quickly and easily.
:
Website Evaluation
As wonderful as the internet is, it is not without flaws. Being that anyone can create and host a website, regardless of expertise on its subject matter, there are many unreliable and outright invalid websites that claim veracity. Our book goes so far as to call it a "wild frontier" that "no one controls" (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 254).
Students who are new to the internet may find this mixed-bag of information confusing; showing them videos such as the one posted below can help them differentiate between credible and non-credible websites
Favorite Websites
Wikis can be thought of as an "online community that encourage[s] communication and collaboration of ideas" by allowing users to "contribute and modify content" (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 223). One wiki that I think may help in a science classroom is the Pretty Good Physics wiki, which can be found here:
https://prettygoodphysics.wikispaces.com/
This content of this wiki has been accumulated through the contributions of physics teachers all over the world. It hosts teaching resources (with a strong focus on creative, educational labs) in many areas of physics, and all resources are available to any user completely free. I believe this website displays easy navigation, one of the criteria of good website deign in our textbook (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 255).
Another website I believe will be useful in my classroom is "Salk's Periodic Table," which can be found here:
http://salksperiodictable.wikispaces.com/Periodic+Table
This periodic table is actually a wiki in disguise; clicking on each element will give the user a host of interesting information such as its discoverer, its physical appearance, its properties, and more. I think this is a great tool for students to learn about the elements in a more in-depth way, and that this website shows good visual design, another criteria from our textbook (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 255).
References
Roblyer , M. D.,& Doering, A. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (6th ed., pp. 109-133). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education, Inc.
A critical part of modern education is instructing students on the use of the internet. One of the first steps in learning to navigate the internet is the utilization of search engines, programs designed to make finding information on the internet easier (Roblyer and Doering, 2013).
Whether you are a teacher trying to put together a compelling (and accurate!) presentation for your class, or a student working on an important class assignment, a proficiency in using search engines can make your life much, much easier. The most well-known search engines are Google, Yahoo, and Bing (Roblyer and Doering, 2013); very similar search techniques can be employed regardless of which of these engines you choose to employ. Google has a very useful page with instructions on how to use some lesser-known techniques that can make your searches far more powerful and accurate, giving both teachers and students the ability to reach the information they quickly and easily.
:
Website Evaluation
As wonderful as the internet is, it is not without flaws. Being that anyone can create and host a website, regardless of expertise on its subject matter, there are many unreliable and outright invalid websites that claim veracity. Our book goes so far as to call it a "wild frontier" that "no one controls" (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 254).
Students who are new to the internet may find this mixed-bag of information confusing; showing them videos such as the one posted below can help them differentiate between credible and non-credible websites
Wikis can be thought of as an "online community that encourage[s] communication and collaboration of ideas" by allowing users to "contribute and modify content" (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 223). One wiki that I think may help in a science classroom is the Pretty Good Physics wiki, which can be found here:
https://prettygoodphysics.wikispaces.com/
This content of this wiki has been accumulated through the contributions of physics teachers all over the world. It hosts teaching resources (with a strong focus on creative, educational labs) in many areas of physics, and all resources are available to any user completely free. I believe this website displays easy navigation, one of the criteria of good website deign in our textbook (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 255).
Another website I believe will be useful in my classroom is "Salk's Periodic Table," which can be found here:
http://salksperiodictable.wikispaces.com/Periodic+Table
This periodic table is actually a wiki in disguise; clicking on each element will give the user a host of interesting information such as its discoverer, its physical appearance, its properties, and more. I think this is a great tool for students to learn about the elements in a more in-depth way, and that this website shows good visual design, another criteria from our textbook (Roblyer and Doering, 2013,p. 255).
References
Roblyer , M. D.,& Doering, A. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (6th ed., pp. 109-133). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education, Inc.
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