While working on a PowerPoint presentation, which focused on the NJ ASK test, for my Assessment of Student Ability & Achievement class, I began to wonder why Technological Literacy is not a section of the test. Though I still believe the basics, such as Language Arts Literacy, Mathematics and Science should be tested, I definitely think technology skills should be an additional assessment component of NJ ASK.
Technology should be considered a more valuable subject to 21st century learners than it is currently viewed in national education, as well as in state districts. Though technology has been integrated into national and state standards, it can be said that it is still not an area that is of equal importance to the subjects of Language Arts, Mathematics and Science, as it is not an area that is deemed necessary for a standardized assessment. I'd be curious to know what others might say regarding this issue or if this is something that is currently being addressed by state and/or local officials. My hunch would be that within the next 5 years, Technological Literacy would be a section added to all state assessments nationwide.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
School Web Sites are Outdated
After completing an assignment for my Computers in Curriculum Design & Evaluation course, which required me to review an educational Web site and present my feedback to the class, I was a little uneasy, as I discovered that many school Web sites in my town are extremely outdated.
The Web site that I reviewed is actually the site for the Gifted & Talented school in my town. Though the site does present some really great information regarding the various programs the school offers, it isn't a very easy site to navigate through nor is it very aesthetically pleasing.
I offered some suggestions for improving the site, which included adding more multimedia to the site, such as real images, graphics, audio and video, to help make it more interesting for students, parents and other teachers, who may be visiting the site. I also thought it would be great if the school would require all teachers to regularly update their home page and link to a blog, which would provide an avenue for students to communicate with each other and with their teacher on lessons and other issues relevant to the class.
Though these sound like great suggestions, I'm sure I'm not the first person who brought these ideas to the surface. There's likely a problem with funding for the Web sites in this school district, which again brings up the issue of whether or not technology is an important part of education.
The Web site that I reviewed is actually the site for the Gifted & Talented school in my town. Though the site does present some really great information regarding the various programs the school offers, it isn't a very easy site to navigate through nor is it very aesthetically pleasing.
I offered some suggestions for improving the site, which included adding more multimedia to the site, such as real images, graphics, audio and video, to help make it more interesting for students, parents and other teachers, who may be visiting the site. I also thought it would be great if the school would require all teachers to regularly update their home page and link to a blog, which would provide an avenue for students to communicate with each other and with their teacher on lessons and other issues relevant to the class.
Though these sound like great suggestions, I'm sure I'm not the first person who brought these ideas to the surface. There's likely a problem with funding for the Web sites in this school district, which again brings up the issue of whether or not technology is an important part of education.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Facebook as a Learning Tool
After months of being pressured by my friends and relatives, who tried earnestly to convince me to join Facebook for social networking purposes, I finally gave in and joined a week ago. It took a while for me to jump on the Facebook bandwagon because I didn't know if I would find the time to come home everyday, check my profile and respond to friend requests and posts from friends. Now that I'm a member, I'm really glad I joined. I've gotten back in touch with several long lost friends and relatives, and I've really been enjoying it.
Since I'm a full-time student working toward my Master's in Teaching, I started thinking about a possible place in the classroom for Facebook. I definitely think teachers can use Facebook as a way of sparking discussions on assignments and lessons among their students. Since, I'm hoping to start my teaching career as a Middle School Language Arts teacher, I started to think about specific ways that I could utilize the program in my classroom to help with my Language Arts lessons. I thought that it would be a great way to post poetry and other literary works and have students post their interpretations and provide personal feedback on other required readings. This would allow students to start an online discussion by using a technology platform that they would enjoy using and likely already be familiar with.
I did a little research to try find out if any teachers were currently using Facebook in their classrooms in any way, and I came across an article entitled "Faculty use Facebook as Learning Tool", from The Independent Voice of Central Michigan University, which talks about professors' use of Facebook in their classrooms. One journalism professor uses the program to communicate with his students and provide feedback on assignments, and he said it's a program that students are really enjoying. He and other professors at the school view Facebook as a great tool for use in the classroom, and I'd have to agree with them. Facebook is a really great social networking tool, but it can definitely serve as much more than that in a classroom.
Since I'm a full-time student working toward my Master's in Teaching, I started thinking about a possible place in the classroom for Facebook. I definitely think teachers can use Facebook as a way of sparking discussions on assignments and lessons among their students. Since, I'm hoping to start my teaching career as a Middle School Language Arts teacher, I started to think about specific ways that I could utilize the program in my classroom to help with my Language Arts lessons. I thought that it would be a great way to post poetry and other literary works and have students post their interpretations and provide personal feedback on other required readings. This would allow students to start an online discussion by using a technology platform that they would enjoy using and likely already be familiar with.
I did a little research to try find out if any teachers were currently using Facebook in their classrooms in any way, and I came across an article entitled "Faculty use Facebook as Learning Tool", from The Independent Voice of Central Michigan University, which talks about professors' use of Facebook in their classrooms. One journalism professor uses the program to communicate with his students and provide feedback on assignments, and he said it's a program that students are really enjoying. He and other professors at the school view Facebook as a great tool for use in the classroom, and I'd have to agree with them. Facebook is a really great social networking tool, but it can definitely serve as much more than that in a classroom.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Starfall.com
Starfall.com is a really amazing educational resource for teachers of early childhood education, who are looking for fun and motivating methods for teaching their students how to read and write. It is suitable for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade and second grade, and it provides several fun and interactive programs all devoted to engaging and inspiring young children to love learning how to read and write. As most young children have such short attention spans, I definitely think it's vital to keep them excited while they are learning with fun and appealing learning tools.
I navigated through a few of the programs, and I can definitely see how children will enjoy learning to read and write with Starfall.com. As they click on images and letters, they can hear audio pronounciations of the letters and sounds. They are also taught words and letters through very fun and catchy songs, which are sure to keep many young child amused and motivated as they become eager to continue to learn how to read and write. Students are also provided instant feedback, which is very motivational for young children, as it instills a sense of confidence in their abilities. Starfall.com also provides several helpful tools for parents to use when assisting their children in learning to read and write and to reinforce what they are learning in school.
Though I don't plan on starting out my career in education by teaching young children, it is definitely an area that I would like to experience someday, and Starfall.com would be a great tool to help me inspire and instill a love for reading and writing in my young students.
I navigated through a few of the programs, and I can definitely see how children will enjoy learning to read and write with Starfall.com. As they click on images and letters, they can hear audio pronounciations of the letters and sounds. They are also taught words and letters through very fun and catchy songs, which are sure to keep many young child amused and motivated as they become eager to continue to learn how to read and write. Students are also provided instant feedback, which is very motivational for young children, as it instills a sense of confidence in their abilities. Starfall.com also provides several helpful tools for parents to use when assisting their children in learning to read and write and to reinforce what they are learning in school.
Though I don't plan on starting out my career in education by teaching young children, it is definitely an area that I would like to experience someday, and Starfall.com would be a great tool to help me inspire and instill a love for reading and writing in my young students.
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