IT645 Chptr 5 Q-1: What is productivity software? How can it be adapted to benefit teaching and learning?

Microsoft Office suite is a collection of productivity software that can be use by teachers and students alike.

The word processor (WORD) can be used to create student test and quizzes as an assessment tool. The creation of worksheets to accompany classroom assignments can easily duplicated from an original or multiple copies to the printer. Often times a teacher may find an interest topic on the internet and save time by coping it into a document. These are just a few ways that WORD can be used to assist teachers in the classroom. Student, however, can type papers, create graphs and document research papers that are as polished as any professional writer. Learning how to use all of the attributes of a word processing will result in saving time. Mastering the word processor allows for creating graphics, using WordArt, adding clip art, creating tables and many using many formatting techniques. The proper use of a word processor can create a school flyer or club newsletter with minimal amount of time thereby using the saved time to construct a better written project.

Excel spreadsheets are a valuable asset to teacher. Teachers can create and enter grades into a grade books. Once the data for students have been captured charts can be created to visually display results. Comparison contrast of more than one class and querying the student population for performance data is at your finger tips. Creating spreadsheets for students helps with the mastery of accounting principles. Many science projects are the result of Excel spread sheets displaying the data collection and comparison of results.

The presentation benefit of Powerpoint has changed many teachers way of lecturing. A Powerpoint is an excellent strategy to get the attention of students. Powerpoint can have pictures, text, and music components. This keeps the audience engaged in the lecture. Many teachers demand that student do a classroom presentation using Powerpoint instead of the traditional book report. The assignment helps put students at ease in group scenarios.

Microsoft Access database software is a very powerful tool. Not as often used in a classical teaching setting, Access can be used to store information that can be retrieved for student behavior, parental name and addresses, and club or team data.

Microsoft Publishers is desktop publishing software that can be found in small business for use in creating publications for newsletters, calendars, brochures, and other graphic art projects. Teachers can use if for school functions, classroom calendars, and any programs. Students can use the software for the similar student learning assignments.

Mastering and understanding the power of Microsoft Office tools can help both teachers and student to become more productive and time their time. Also, many corporations, and business use the same products. These are very good employment skills.

IT645 Chptr 4 Q-2 Name some emerging technologies. How might they affect teaching and learning?

To me “emerging technology” refers to technology that is new and not yet have all the bugs worked out. It also signals that you are among the first to use it among your peers. New and emerging technologies in the classroom are often not new to the general public but new to cools because of cost and teachers ability to master new technology and represent it to students. For instance, palm pilots have are old technologies to business professionals, but not to students. Teachers are now including and purchasing classroom sets for math courses. They also are just very good tools for keeping some children organized.
Each subject has different technology tools to engage students and teachers. Often times the students are more aware of the new tools, then their teachers. Some of the old objects that required teachers to test students are no longer pertinent. For example, any student writing a research paper and having a computer can use the internet to help in research. The information gathered can be cited by using several software packages that automatically create correctly citing information in the necessary style.

After gathering information for a class paper, I was delighted to be able to email the URL and files to myself. This saved the cost of printing from the library. Also, the advent of the “jump drive” has proven a real asset. I can have a jump drive with 2 or 4 mega bytes worth of data and store student files, movies, pictures, and grades on a device the size of a half-stick of gum.

To service my special needs students better, I recently order a software package that will type into a document as you speak (voice recognition software). There are many adaptive and assisted living technologies that not only help students but teachers as well.

Interactive white boards allow teachers to help teachers interact with the classroom using a whiteboard and computer (SmartBoard). Through the study of technology applications foundations, including technology-related terms, concepts, and data input strategies, students learn to make informed decisions about technologies and their applications.

Today’s technologies allow for the efficient acquisition of information includes the identification of task requirements; the plan for using search strategies; and the use of technology to access, analyze, and evaluate the acquired information. Some technologies that make all of this possible are GPS devices, 3D games, virtual reality, interactive websites, digital cameras, and environmental scientific probes. MP3 files, podcasts, streaming video are all forms of communication to help learning become more dimensional using multiple intelligences (H. Gardner).

The purpose of education is to teach problem solving. By using technology students can select technology tools to help solve and create solutions. It often allows for results to be evaluated, changed and re-evaluating appropriate for the task, synthesize knowledge, create a solution, and evaluate the results

Students communicate information in different formats and to diverse audiences. A variety of technologies have been developed to make this possible. Some of these ways can be achieved by using blogs, podcasts, video productions webcasts, digital storytelling and wikipedia.

My only concern about technology is that teachers should wait long enough for business have worked out the bug and corks in the product. Otherwise, we will be chasing out tales trying to keep up with the latest version of a technology that may in sort time be out-dated.

I love technology and how it helps in the classroom and day to day living.

IT645 Chptr 3 Question 3 Shared resources and programs on a network

My first response to question three in chapter three is, “why reinvent the wheel?” Shared resources and programs on a network can alleviate duplications. Networking broadens your horizons as an educator. You can become part of a more global community by which to service your students and yourself. Network resources help new teachers, experienced teachers, and all level of students. Financially it is a big savings to school districts budgets. Sharing programs and resources are paramount to taking a book from the library.
As a new teacher, the first few years of teaching can be challenging. Having resources available as a way to help train, mentor and support new staff would be a great asset to administrators. Many new teachers often have limited time and resources, and may need to work at home. Having a network or resources available at your fingertips at home or in school is an attractive option for teachers who may not have free time till evening hours. Whenever teachers get together, inevitably they begin discussing what does and does not work in the classroom. Being part of an educator’s network would promote the sharing of new and creative ideas. Sometimes we think we are the only person with a particular problem. A teacher may be surprise to discover how many other persons have had the same problem and documented successes for their problem. This could save you hour/days of time searching for a solution.
Home schooling advocates could also benefit from networking. This site could be one that helps them to better understand objectives that need to accomplish for their children. This becomes another outlet for creativity and to check one’s progress against what other professional teachers are doing.
The pluses far out weigh the minuses. However, there are some concerns that come to mind as I think about shared resources. Privacy rights for those instructors/teachers who may want to publish a unique idea could prove problematic. Also the integrity of the resources must be maintained by someone. Deciding who would maintain the site and purity of information available along with any cost associated with the project would need to be resolved early on.

Another issue that comes to mind is the equipment and software availability. Will the resources be available to persons with older equipment or just persons with newly acquired software and technology?

The current trend in educations if for the teacher to become a facilitator to a student’s learning. This role means that a teacher becomes a research at trying to accommodate all learning styles. One way to meet that objectives is to have a large network system that would offer many ways to present an problem and its solutions. Technology, networking and digitizing information has far more items in the plus column than in the negative column.

IT645 Chptr 3 What role do educational technologies play in teaching & learning

Educational technologies play a primary role in the teaching and learning of teachers and students in and out of the classroom. Often times, while an instructor is going over a lesson he/she may discover a new approach to an old problem. Using modern technologies allows for a teacher to step back and get a refreshed view to an old lesson. Educational technology is another way of redefining communications. Every tool that we use to learn something new is an educational tool. National Geographic on television is an educational tool. Learning from CourtTV can be considered an educational tool. Although, we may enjoy watching high profile trials, we are still engaged in learning about the judicial system.

If we had a blind student in our classroom, the use of a brail typewriter would be an educational technology. The same can be said for school translators who may use voice recorders for Spanish speaking students. Any technology that helps a person to acquire learning is an educational technology. The special needs young lady in the video was typing out her name and could use the adaptive keyboard to communicate. I am sure that it is easier for her to type a response then to try speaking. What a neat way to allow that student as outlet for her expressions. She is still a part of the general class room, she just has a piece of technology that bridges the learning gap for her.

The attention span of an average person is 13-15 minutes. The time it takes before a commercial comes on television. Without technologies to break up the ordinary lecture and laboratory experience, we would all be asleep (teacher included) before the period was over. It is human nature for the body to be in motion mentally and physically. Motion creates problems for teachers, but I do not think all the Adderall in the world will quiet human nature.

Televisions, DVD’s, computers, guest speakers, special needs adaptive services, class room smart boards are just a few of the ways to make learning fun and enter-active for this modern society. Who would have imaged that everyone would be have telephones the size of a credit card. Educational technology is just a new way to present information not just for the children but for the educators as well. The role of the teacher is becoming more of a facilitator. We will helping students gather information from a variety of sources and help them to make educated inferences. That information will be stored in their brains for retrieval when necessary.

IT645 Chp 2 1C Role Educatioal Technologies Play Teaching/Learning

The Role of Educational Technologies Play in Teaching and Learning

Educational technologies allow instructors to be more creative and have more time with students. At first, it takes more time to organize your thoughts and create multiple technologies for the same objective. In the long run, it will save you time because the instructor has stored the media for a lifetime. From a video, to a Powerpoint, to a poster, or the new classroom “Clickers” that allow teacher and students to give immediate response to question and answers, each person is engaged.
With the advent of the internet, memorizing has fallen to the wayside. Information that student once memorized is at their fingertips. What is more important is if the student knows what to do with the information. Today’s students are more engaged in higher level processes. Applying knowledge and its uses is taking on a new importance in America.
It is important for educators to stay abreast of new technologies in education. Today’s children are very technology savvy and teachers must keep and if not surpass the student. If our products where not students, as educators we would have to deliver the best product to compete in business. Students are our business and corporation are developing new educational technology from pre-school to high schools.
Educational technology has to represent real life situations. Many students will enter the work force and perform task on simulated technologies learned in the classroom. All educational technologies assess what the learner has learned. This has placed independent and accountability on the student to become a lifelong learner. This is something that educators have discussed that is really taken shape. With the advent of technologies geared toward education, we can have on line courses and students taking control of their own learning.
There will always be need for a teacher/student relationship. Modern educational technologies do not replace the teacher, it just offers more time for teacher to become a facilitator for those aspects of learning that you may need some form of intervention.
I use to believer that elementary kids needed one-on-one teaching, but with the advent of computer games and video games, even young people can learn how to use educational technology that assess their individual skills. Recently, I watched a news segment on older citizens, in nursing homes using WE to keep in shape and playing computer jeopardy to keep their minds sharp. I guess there is something for everyone.

IT645 Chptr 1 1-B Different Learning Styles

Learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning. I think everyone has multiple learning styles. Sometimes I am very visual and tactile when dealing with my arts and crafts. Other times, I am focused on academics and I tend to be more auditory and verbal. Some students learn better when studying in low light, while others need bright light. It is important to explore how you best perform and use that as a guideline for success. I also think that as we grow and change so can our learning styles. It is therefore, a good idea to re-evaluate yourself if you find that personal goals you have set for yourself are not being met.
When in an academic classroom scenario as a student, I am a better auditory learner. I like to listen, evaluate and decide how I feel about the topic. Other times when I am the teacher, I work hard at searching for visual emphasis and tactile examples to support what I may have discovered from my learning in a traditional setting.
I remember being in the third grade and having a problem visualizing how to learn to subtract roman numerals. I stayed after school and the teacher went over key points repeatedly. I could not visualize what she was saying. Sometimes later, another teacher was reviewing the same lesson using showing the hand manipulative and I got it. It seemed so simple.
Sometimes you need to teach the same objectives using all the different learning styles. This is time consuming and it may require you building a database of ideas that you add to each year. Eventually, you acquire several teaching strategies to demonstrate a single objective. What makes sense to one child, may not mean anything to another child. When I am being creative, I throw logic to the wind, and opposite is true when I am being logical.
I think everyone has multiple learning styles. My concern, as an educator, is that you don’t teach using your own preferences. It is important use all of Gardener’s styles in teaching. It is important to meet the needs of the students – that’s a true professional. A teacher that can connect with all personalities in a class is a great communicator. I think coaches are so successful with athletics because the see special talents and they now how to motivate (uncover) those talents. The same has to be true of the student in a classroom. We motivate students by making them feel comfortable with who they are.