Writing & Powerpoint

Paragraph 1: What types of writing activities would you make the best use of technology in your classrooms? 

Organization and planning, presenting and collaborative writing activities can all be supplemented by technology. Software such as: AXON idea processor, Semantica, Inspiration/Kidspiration, and Mindjet allow students create diagrams to plot their ideas before writing. Powerpoint can be used to organize and present writing assignments. There are many ways to customize presentations through powerpoint and the program is very user friendly. Collaborative writing is also improved with technology. Students can work on different parts of the writing process and share documents through the internet. Emailing and the internet also helps with peer editing. All of these activities would be relevant in my Spanish classroom when the students write papers.

Paragraph 2: We are creating PowerPoint this week, how would you Not let PowerPoint presentation distract your audience? Do you think you can follow the potential pitfalls from the textbook? 

It is important to be consistent with fonts because using several different fonts can distract the audience and may make some of the material hard to understand. The transitions should also be consistent and subtle so they do not become a distraction. Choosing a template that matches the information in the slide is also important and the number of slides should be kept concise. 

Paragraph 3: Conclusion 

Technology can be a great aid to the writing process. There are several programs that make organizing, sharing and presenting fun and creative. When students are given the chance to create they become more engaged in learning. Powerpoint is a simple and effective way to present information. Although it can be very beneficial, it is important to use it correctly so the information reaches the audience in the intended manor. 


Reference
Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D.(2008). Meaningful 
    Learning with Technology (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson. 

Personal Digital Assistants and Online Surveys

Personal Digital Assistants
What are Personal Digital Assistants? How do you use them in classrooms?

Personal Digital Assistants, more commonly known as PDA’s, are portable handheld computers. They offer a variety of organization tools such as calendar, task list and memos. They can either run on a palm operating system of a windows operating system. Some of these devices have features such as: digital cameras, audio recording, USB ports, GPS, wireless internet and bluetooth. Applications can also be downloaded onto the PDA’s from the internet and can also be shared with others through bluetooth. PDA’s can be used in the classroom by using the educational applications such as “Count It” to teach students new skills. PDA’s can also be used in the classroom as an easy and quick way to record and share information. They can be used in scientific experiments to record and save data. The GPS function can be used in geocaching which is a real life treasure hunt that utilizes students’ problem-solving skills, mathematical thinking and mapping abilities. My mom actually uses a PDA in her kindergarten classroom to assess the student’s knowledge on the material. The students record their answers in the PDA and the information is sent to a computer. This ensures that the information is gathered quickly and accurately and that it is safely stored
Online Surveys
Why do we use online survey tools? How does it help us in our classrooms? What are 2 good rules for writing good surveys in your opinion? 

We use online survey tools because they are easily accessible and they reach a large audience. The first rule for writing good surveys is making sure that each question is stated clearly so that the person taking the survey understands the question and answers accurately. The second rule I would give for writing good surveys is to remain objective when creating survey questions and be careful to not word the questions in a way that will produce your desired answer. Providing clear and unbiased survey questions will result in more accurate data.
Conclusion

Using the tools listed above in the classroom will ensure that your students will be engaged in learning. PDA’s give students a chance to explore and use hands-on experiences to strengthen their problem-solving skills and help other students. Online Surveys allow teachers to get the opinions of students in a fast and efficient way. Students are given anonymity which gives them the comfort to respond truthfully to the questions asked. The use of PDA’s and Online Surveys in the classroom can be very beneficial to both the teacher and the student.

Reference

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Mara, R. M., & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education. Print.

Inspiration & Webspiration Classroom

The Inspiration program is truly amazing. It provides both students and teachers with the resources to improve the learning and teaching process of writing. This program allows students to take notes, organize information and structure their writing by using a hands-on approach. The visual diagrams help students formulate ideas and organize those ideas. Teachers can modify the diagrams and use them as a visual aid for their students. I would use Inspiration in my classroom because I know first hand how helpful outlines and idea webs can be. Every time I sit down to write a paper I brainstorm some ideas and put them down on paper. Inspiration would allow my students to brainstorm their ideas and apply them to a diagram. It also makes learning fun because it allows students to create and share. I think that Webspiration Classroom is also a very helpful resource because almost everybody has access to the internet and it allows the students and the teachers to be connected 24/7. Webspiration has some of the same concepts as Inspiration but it is based online. The projects made by the students can be shared with other students which is great because the students can learn from each other. Webspiration Classroom also allows the teacher to provide feedback in a timely manor. 

The type of writing activities that would make the best use of technology are the planning, organizing and peer editing activities. Programs like Inspiration enhance the planning and organizing steps of writing by allowing students to jot down their ideas and add them to a visual diagram. The peer editing process can be greatly improved by implementing technology such as Webspiration Classroom. Students can post their ideas online and have other students view their work and critique it. This can also be done through blogs, online discussion boards and email. Technology allows students to share information where ever and whenever. Teaching or presenting a subject to others not only benefits the audience but it also benefits the presenter. In high school my geometry teacher left to go to another school so we would have substitutes and replacements almost every week. It was very hard to learn from all of the different instructors so I taught myself out of the book then taught my classmates the concepts after class. After explaining each step to my peers several times I knew the material better than I had before. 

Technology can be very helpful when teaching and learning about the writing process. There are programs designed to engage students in their writing and allow them to create something that will help them learn and also help their peers learn. Web based programs like Webspiration allow students and teachers to interact with each other even when they are at home. Technology has become prevalent in our society and it is important that we use it in a positive way that will encourage learning and educate our students. 

Inspiration Software (2011, February 2). Inspiration videos and webcasts for
    using visual learning in your classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from 
    http://www.inspiration.com/videos/Inspiration

Inspiration Software (2011, February 2). Webspiration classroom service: 
   Improve writing and thinking skills [Video file]. Retrieved from 
   http://www.inspiration.com/webspirationclassroom 

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D.(2008). Meaningful 
    Learning with Technology (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson. 

Blogging

What do you think about using blogs?   What and how do you think blogs would be useful for education? Some people think using blogs in classrooms is a waste of students’ time. How would you respond?

What are some ways that you could use he technology ideas in Chapter 6 to support your curriculum and student learners?

This is actually the first time I have ever used a blog before and so far I am enjoying it. I think using blogs is a very efficient way to share information. Blogs can be used in professional, personal or educational settings. Blogs allow people with common interests to share their ideas with each other and comment on other blogger’s thoughts on a certain subject.  Blogs can be very useful in education because it allows students, teachers and even parents to share information and do online activities. I don’t think that using blogs in classrooms is a waste of time. I know from personal experience that speaking up in a classroom setting can be very intimidating. Having online discussions like these allow students to participate without feeling self conscious. Blogging can be fun and creative and students like that. Having a personal blog allows students to customize their page, add their classmates and share ideas with one another. 

Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Cristy and I am 18 years old. Technically I'm a freshman but I graduated high school with my associates degree so I only have three semesters left until I get my bachelor's degree. I am majoring in Spanish and I hope to become a high school Spanish teacher one day. On my free time I like to go hunting, fishing and go out with friends and family. This is my first education class and I am looking forward to learning new techniques on using technology to teach my future students.


Cristy