Chapter 10 Reflection

Chapter 10 is about distance education and using technology to redefine what a classroom is. I found the timeline on distance education very interesting to read. I know I always think of distance education as an online class for college students and had never considered that in times of little technology distance education still existed. Completing an online class is hard enough for me with a computer using online systems such as blackboard to lay everything out. I can't imagine using mail as a means of learning in a distance education class. After thinking about it I have considered that perhaps it was easier to use distance education by way of mail. Think about it, if you got a package in the mail of all your papers, assignments and notes all laid out in order for you to complete you wouldn't have to worry about different links and finding assignments in the mess that blackboard can be in some classes. I wouldn't want to give up my computer and electronic resources but professors who aren't as good with using technology may be better at using a mail system of distance education. I don't really like distance education classes myself because I enjoy the face-to-face part of learning. Plus I think that it is harder to make sure you have all your work done and don't miss things because you didn't find the right link in the blackboard or because you just overlooked it.

Chapter 9 Reflection

The material in Chapter 9 covered audiovisual technologies. Audiovisual technologies include many familiar devices such as overhead projectors, bulletin boards, VCRs, DVD players and books. I especially enjoyed the timeline of audiovisual technology in education, it was really cool to see how it progressed. I also enjoyed how the book still discussed tapes and VCRs. It was neat to see that things of the past are still talked about and used. It seems like nobody mentions tape players and VCRs anymore. I am guilty of forgetting that things like tapes and VCRs exist as well especially when newer technologies are so much cooler. I think that for use in a classroom the newest technologies provide the most efficient and up to date instruction but thats not to say that older technologies don't have a usefulness as well.

Chapter 8 Reflection

Chapter 8 was about using the web for teaching and learning. It explained how the internet is full of resources and links for students and educators alike. I enjoyed the section on academic tools available on the internet such as worksheet generators. Being able to construct personalized worksheets would be a tremendous asset to the classroom, especially if students are having trouble with a specific concept. The section on internet issues and concerns also had important information and will be helpful when allowing future students to use the internet in the classroom.

Chapter 7 Reflection

Chapter 7 was on the internet and the world wide web. Many different aspects were described throughout the chapter such as chatting, blogging, email and searching. It also described how the internet works and what you need to set internet up for yourself. There was a lot of information covered in a small amount of pages but it was all good information. Labs 7 and 8 dealt with photoshop and I enjoyed it greatly. I use photoshop all the time for work and 4H activities and sometimes for school work. While it seems difficult to learn, once mastered photoshop is probably one of the coolest programs to use. Photoshop is a program that is excellent to use in a classroom setting, especially if the students take pictures themselves.

Chapter 6 Reflection

Chapter 6 was on academic software and how it can be used in the classroom to aid student learning. This chapter related back to the information in chapter 2. In chapter 2 the material was on designing software and instruction correctly for the situation. This chapter discussed the software talked about in chapter 2 and the features of each. I enjoyed the section on reference software. As a future social studies teacher good reference software will be an excellent tool for use in the classroom. Students need to learn how to use resources other that google search engines and wikipedia to research topics and projects they are working on. I am definitely planning on using academic software in my classroom. There are so many different types of software suitable for student use. Plus students enjoy being able to play educational games and use online resources. It seems like if it has a screen it is already liked and ahead of things that are not electronic and have no screen.

Chapter 5 Reflection

Chapter 5 is about administrative software. Being able to choose the best software and use that software effectively is a skill for every educator. Administrative software can be purchased from stores or custom made. It can also be acquired as freeware or shareware. There is a big difference between freeware and shareware and that difference is an important once. An important concept I had never really thought of in the cost of software is the cost of time and effort it takes to install and learn the software. For example you might be able to get your hands on a cheep software that looks like it would be neat to use in the classroom but you spend what seems like forever trying to install and learn it, it would have been better to just buy the more expensive version that is easier to use. The lab for chapter 5 was kidspiration/Inspiration and I really enjoyed using these programs. They will be very useful in a classroom in the future no matter what grade or subject area.

Chapter 4 Reflection

Chapter 4 was about using digital technology in the classroom. Using digital cameras, scanners, power point, webcams, PDA's and tablet PCs are common in different classroom settings and knowing how to use the effectively is a big deal. This chapter dealt with a lot of different technologies but they were all very interesting to read about. Sometimes you don't realize that everyday things can be used in the classroom and that they can be very helpful to enhancing student learning.

The chapter 4 lab was on excel and while most of the information was a review there were some interesting points. Excel can be a very confusing program but once figured out excel can be a huge asset. Excel is an excellent program to use in a classroom setting. Students can do so many things with it to make assignments easier. That being said I still believe that students should be able to complete concepts the old-fashioned way before being allowed to use chug and plug technologies.

Chapter 3 Reflection

Chapter 3 was about using computers in a learning environment. This chapter went into detail about different classroom softwares and how to use them in the classroom effectively. It seemed to me that a lot of the information in this chapter was for people that are unfamiliar with using computers correctly. Things like turning the computer off properly and saving documents and other important things correctly were things most people probably already know about. What I did like about this chapter was that it made me think about how to teach different computer concepts. Just because I know how to complete such tasks the way the book describes doesn't mean other people do, especially younger kids and older adults who are just being introduced to computers.

Chapter 2 Reflection

Chapter 2 discussed the designing and planning of technology based instruction. This chapter dealt more with applying concepts to the classroom rather than the process of teaching and learning with technology. The portion of this chapter that was most interesting to me was the information on the impact of the teaching environment. I never really thought about the environment in as much detail as they went into. There are so many factors and it seems kind of overwhelming to think about all of them at once plus what you are supposed to be teaching.

The lab for chapter 2 was on powerpoint. At first I figured the lab was fairly pointless since I am pretty familiar with powerpoint but it turned out that I did learn a few things. Powerpoint is a program that can be easily integrated into any classroom, young children or old, big or small.

Chapter 1 Reflection

Chapter 1 was an introduction to the theoretical foundations of educational technology. Many different definitions were introduced and a variety of learning styles were explained. Each theory that was introduced offered a different perspective and theory. I personally enjoy reading and learning about different learning styles and theories. Its always interesting to see what you categorize yourself as and how you categorize others.

The lab for this chapter dealt with the basics of operating systems. Since I have both a MAC and PC computer I was fairly familiar with both. I did however learn some keyboard shortcuts that now sometimes just confuse me because they are different from PC to MAC. At first I thought the lab was totally bogus but it ended up being semi-helpful and interesting.

The all about me power point would be an excellent thing to integrate into a classroom in the future. It was very interesting to read other students projects and learn and little bit about them. It was also fun to create my own project and figure out what to share with the class about myself.