Brandy wrote...After having Gary Stager as a professor last semester, I was also taught that technology is essentially anything that is assisting you to fulfill a need. Given this definition, I am also using student pair groupings to encourage students to work together with a common mind and goal to "solve" the "problems" I give them.
Gary said...
What leads you to this conclusion?
Last semester our EDC 664 class had a discussion about whether technology could be something other than an electronic-like item. During our class discussion, we came to reason that although a spoken/written language is not electronic and does not require power as our stereotypical definition of technology may, it is still a tool we use to assist us in communication.
If we view technology as more than just a plug-in machine, we can see on a broader scale that technology is simply a tool to produce more/better/more efficient successes.
Computers, automobiles, GPS systems, word processors, editing software, etc. all allow us to take what we already do (research, commute, navigate, script, revise) and make it better and more efficient.
Language has done that very same thing for us but has not required we insert batteries or charge when the battery becomes low. To this, I conclude that technologies can be defined another way... as a means to change the way we do certain things. Our outcome has improved (we hope) with the use of this "technology."
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
EDC 665 - Week 7 Blog
For your ARP, how did you select the technologies that you are utilizing? How have your learners responded thus far?
For my ARP, I selected the Internet in general as the main technology I am using. In teaching fourth grade, I realized that many of my students were intrigued with the Internet, but were not wise in using it. When asked if they knew even the most simple things about web browsers, and search engines, many had little to tell me about why they chose the technology they did other than to play a few video games and "google" topics of interest.
With a wide range of students in my classroom at all levels of understanding, I made the decision to teach them to be more conscious Internet consumers and show them the WHY of what they are using.
After having Gary Stager as a professor last semester, I was also taught that technology is essentially anything that is assisting you to fulfill a need. Given this definition, I am also using student pair groupings to encourage students to work together with a common mind and goal to "solve" the "problems" I give them.
So far, they have only visited the computer lab at our school once but they are enjoying it and learning a lot. I spoke to a few students after our last Wednesday's session and they were really enthused about what they were learning. This Wednesday will be another visit.
More updates to come! I have another fun day planned for them this week that includes using Google to solve math problems, using Google images to research and using advanced google searches to find factual information and weed out information that may be incorrect.
I am hoping to make my students great (and smart) consumers of the technology they already use (but don't fully understand).
For my ARP, I selected the Internet in general as the main technology I am using. In teaching fourth grade, I realized that many of my students were intrigued with the Internet, but were not wise in using it. When asked if they knew even the most simple things about web browsers, and search engines, many had little to tell me about why they chose the technology they did other than to play a few video games and "google" topics of interest.
With a wide range of students in my classroom at all levels of understanding, I made the decision to teach them to be more conscious Internet consumers and show them the WHY of what they are using.
After having Gary Stager as a professor last semester, I was also taught that technology is essentially anything that is assisting you to fulfill a need. Given this definition, I am also using student pair groupings to encourage students to work together with a common mind and goal to "solve" the "problems" I give them.
So far, they have only visited the computer lab at our school once but they are enjoying it and learning a lot. I spoke to a few students after our last Wednesday's session and they were really enthused about what they were learning. This Wednesday will be another visit.
More updates to come! I have another fun day planned for them this week that includes using Google to solve math problems, using Google images to research and using advanced google searches to find factual information and weed out information that may be incorrect.
I am hoping to make my students great (and smart) consumers of the technology they already use (but don't fully understand).
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Technology Idiot
Hello everyone, I am a technology idiot.
Here is my story: My school was kind enough to purchase upper grade teachers laptops... one for each of us. Yes, they changed the operating system and the hardware, making it even impossible to change the time on our own computers, but at least we have laptops, right?
I Enjoy the leisure of now taking my grades home and not having to stay at school until 8:00 to finish my progress reports or print out 35+ pages of grades just to do report cards. So, yes, there are some great benefits. Well... except that not being able to use anything other than the grade program.
About 2 days ago, my computer stopped accessing the wireless (I bought a router, secured it... and bam... just like that.) in my classroom. I thought I broke the computer. So, my principal comes into my classroom to give me administrator privileges so I can change the time and download things, and I still couldn't access the Internet. I checked the firewall, disabled, still nothing.
I spend 2 hours trying everything I could think would possibly work, and my fiance comes to the rescue. In 2 minutes time (yeah, did I mention the TWO hours of agonizing...) he figures out the on my computer, in the middle where the computer connects from the screen to the keyboard, there is a touch sensitive keypad that can turn on/off the sound, the Internet abilities, and change the lighting. You ARE KIDDING ME. I've never seen that before.
I feel like a tech. idiot.
On another note, for your learning pleasure, there is the ability to change the built in mouse to a lefty function. :)
Here is my story: My school was kind enough to purchase upper grade teachers laptops... one for each of us. Yes, they changed the operating system and the hardware, making it even impossible to change the time on our own computers, but at least we have laptops, right?
I Enjoy the leisure of now taking my grades home and not having to stay at school until 8:00 to finish my progress reports or print out 35+ pages of grades just to do report cards. So, yes, there are some great benefits. Well... except that not being able to use anything other than the grade program.
About 2 days ago, my computer stopped accessing the wireless (I bought a router, secured it... and bam... just like that.) in my classroom. I thought I broke the computer. So, my principal comes into my classroom to give me administrator privileges so I can change the time and download things, and I still couldn't access the Internet. I checked the firewall, disabled, still nothing.
I spend 2 hours trying everything I could think would possibly work, and my fiance comes to the rescue. In 2 minutes time (yeah, did I mention the TWO hours of agonizing...) he figures out the on my computer, in the middle where the computer connects from the screen to the keyboard, there is a touch sensitive keypad that can turn on/off the sound, the Internet abilities, and change the lighting. You ARE KIDDING ME. I've never seen that before.
I feel like a tech. idiot.
On another note, for your learning pleasure, there is the ability to change the built in mouse to a lefty function. :)
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