Week #2

I've never really thought about using technology in the classroom before I started this class. Now that I've thought about it a little more I can see how useful it can be. I myself use email, facebook and blogger all the time at home, but never thought that they could be useful tools for teaching. Students spend countless hours on these websites and social networks, and using them to connect to education could make education more exciting for students. I know that I love it when a teacher uses blackboard or other websites instead of just traditional class lectures. The tools that we are learning to use will enhance learning in the classroom, and allow teachers to communicate with students on a level where students are totally comfortable. These tools, especially the class website, will help with teacher parent communication because a teacher can post up things like a weekly description of what was done that week and the parents will be able to read those if they would like. It will open up more lines of communication, and will allow teacher to communicate with most parents at once. These communication tools will also help with colleagues because they can provide ideas to other teachers using their website, and email is also a very convenient form of communication.

I think these tools are popular with students because they are available 24/7. They are also a very low risk form of communication. Responses can be thought out whereas with face to face communication a response is usually required in a few seconds. Students also like these tools because they are easy to access, and convenient for them.

I can employ these communication tools by doing Internet assignments, communicating through email, requiring blogs to be completed about assignments, using discussion boards to discuss assignments, using the website for submission of assignments and communication to students and parents, etc. The ways these tools can be used is endless, but it may be a set back because face to face communication is lowered, and social skills of students is already lacking.

The video's this week were very interesting. At first I thought that "Mr. Duey's Fractions" was the dumbest thing I had seen in a while, but after watching it I found that the song was stuck in my head. I began to see that this is a very effective teaching idea because music helps many students remember information better. It was extremely creative and a fun way to teach a difficult math concept, one that even some college students still struggle with.

The video entitled Introducing Web 2.0 was a cool video. I liked how it described the new technologies and then listed some websites that are that kind of technology. I was suprised by how many sites there were that were education sites. The thing I thought was the coolest though was how they suggested using podcasts for teaching. I'd never thought about using something like that as a teaching tool so I thought that was awesome! Overall I thought it was a great introducation to a lot of great tools on the internet.