Week 14: Using Games for Teaching & Learning

This week we discussed the use of video games for teaching and learning. Specifically, we looked at the popular game Second Life, which is a virtual world in which individuals interact with other people and use real money to buy items in the game. Some educators are beginning to use video games, like Second Life, to teach classes in the virtual world. There is even a class at the University of Florida which uses the game. However, there are problems. SL involves real people and real money, therefore there have been issues, including lawsuits and affairs.

Looking at these games from a education view point is becoming more and more accepted. Many games require strategy and decision making. Even at the elementary level there are mini math and science "games" that require to students to answer problems to move to the next level. Students can also compete against others at the same grade level. The coming generations of students are going to be more and more technologically advanced and I believe game learning is just another step towards the future of education.

As this video points out, video games can make certain subjects more interesting for students who struggle with "homework." I believe this method of teaching can be a great alternative, but should not completely replace classroom learning.

This was also our last week in lab. This class has been very beneficial to me, as a developing teacher and in my personal life. I will definitely be using many of the tools I learned in this class in the future. I also feel as though I will be able to adapt to the ever-changing technological world.

Week 13: Distance Education & Virtual Schooling

This week we discussed distance education. Distance education is becoming more common today as students find it easier and cheaper to get their degree online. Even the University of Florida provides some online course work. The growing problem with this is that more and more people are going to unaccredited colleges/universities. This means that someone can get a degree by simply turning in a resume and paying a certain amount of money. If employers do not check the accreditation of the college, then my degree would be as good as their "degree." To get educated on the difference between online and in person schools check out this website.

Florida Virtual School is an accredited organization here in Florida. This "school" provides courses for high school students attempting to gain college credit. Many of my peers have used FLVS to take AP courses and have passed their exams. I think this is one example of how distance education can be positive and a legitimate source of education and accreditation.

This video highlights some of the problems with online degrees.

As a future teacher, I think distance education as advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that more people can get an education. But as a teacher, I would like to know my students and teach them face-to-face. I believe people can do well in online courses, but many students need the interaction that a live classroom provides. As I mentioned before, when attending an online school it's important to keep ethics in mind. It would not be fair for me to attend a 4-year university and have the same degree has someone who paid $1,500 and received their degree without any work.

Week 12: Creating a Professional Web Presence

This week in class we discussed the creation of our Professional Web Presence using Google sites, yet another FREE tool provided by Google. Having a Web Presence is a great way to let employers know more about you and why they should hire you. A Web Presence can include anything you think is beneficial for employers to see. In my personal web presence I included a personal page, a vita (resume) page, and a portfolio page. A portfolio page is vital to a successful web presence because it is where you can show what you've done and what you are capable of.

Although a professional web presence can be beneficial in any field, it is especially beneficial in the field of education, that I will be going into in a few short years. Principals are looking for teachers that will provide the most for their students. Using a web presence, I can display my past work -this blog, presentations, lesson plans, digital storytelling examples, and visual aids I have created. The web presence gives the employer a better understanding of me as a person and hopefully confidence in hiring me. This is a link to my web presence: Lauren McClain.

Another way to use Google sites is to create a classroom website. This would be great for keeping parents up to date with assignments, events, and teacher-parent communication. I'm excited for the day when I can share classroom stories and interact with parents.

This website gives 5 reasons to have a web presence. Although, the article discusses reasons why businesses should have a web presence, I believe this can apply to individuals as well. The five reasons it gives are: visibility, reach, credibility, competition and customer service. I believe competition especially relates to individuals having their own site. If someone is presenting themselves professionally, then this may give advantage when searching for a job.

Week 10: Tech Tools for Critical Thinking

This week we discussed tech tools that can be used for critical thinking. One critical thinking tool in is mind-mapping applications. As is demonstrated in my concept map extra post, these tools can be used to connect common ideas and organize common themes. There are several online tools available including: Bubbl.us, Gliffy, and Webspiration. Some of these tools even allow for collaboration and sharing, similar to Google Docs, which is useful in sharing ideas and preparing presentations.

In education, critical thinking tech tools can be quite useful. One use is in lesson planning. Many teachers share lesson plans amongst their fellow teachers at the same grade level. Using a concept map would give lesson plans a clear and detailed outline. Another use is in presentations. Students like interesting lessons and a concept map is just another visual aid for any subject or grade level. Many students also use concept maps to plan out papers, especially at the elementary level.

This website is a forum for education and various tech tools. As a teacher it will be beneficial to learn from other people and tools they have discovered. It's important to stay up to date with tech tools that are available in order to provide the best learning experience for students.

Concept-Map Extra Post

One of the tools we learned how to use in Week 10 was how to make a concept-map. There are quite a few porgrams/websites that allow anyone to do this for free. I personally used Bubbl.usto create a concept-map for social tools and skills that I can use in my future career.

This is my concept-map, which I exported into a jpeg:

Week 9: Social Tools & Cloud Computing

This week we discussed cloud computing and learned about two useful tools designed for everyone: Google Docs and Delicious social bookmarking. Cloud computing is being able to use server-based applications as a service rather than being tied to a specific platform on a specific machine or device. In my opinion, cloud computing is quite complex, but I use it everyday - when I check my email or use Facebook. Social bookmarking is a way of using cloud computing to share bookmarks and favorites on the web. It is useful because instead of all of your bookmarks being saved to your personal computer, bookmarks can be saved on Delicious and accessed from any computer through the internet.

This week's tools were especially useful to me as a future teacher. First of all, Google Docs is great way to share information with parents, other teachers, colleagues, and even personal contacts. With a Google Doc you can share information in real time with constant editing power. One example is using a Google document to share information when doing a group project. Each member can edit and add to the document so that everyone is up to date and there is no need for multiple emails.

Social bookmarking is also useful for teachers because it is a way to share teaching resources with everyone. For example, if there is a lesson plan or new technique that many would benefit from, a person simply has to add the bookmark to their delicious and share it with other teachers. These links are easy to find by using "tagging," a method of classifying each bookmark - just like we do on blogger.

This website gives an explanation of social bookmarking and how it can work for any individual. I believe that this tool is great for any profession and is growing in popularity. I'm excited to use these tools in the future!

Week 8: The Sound of... Podcasting

This week we learned about tools that can be used to create and use sound for multiple purposes, including Audacity and Apple's Garage band. We also received information about Podcasts and how they can be used in the teaching arena. I created a sound file using Garage Band, which was much easier than I expected. I was able to choose a genre of music and then change the various instruments, as well as the bass, treble, and volume. Apple has found a way to make editing sound and recording simple, and I was pleasantly surprised. In order to share the mp3 file, I created an account on the Box.net which allows people to share files by uploading to folders on the site. To listen to my file click here.

Using sounds and audio tools can be useful in teaching, especially, in my opinion, in the elementary setting. Students greatly enjoy hearing music and being able to dance and participate in music. Being able to create my own audio files would allow me to create music for dancing, plays, and almost anything I wanted to teach on. It could be something as simple as learning the alphabet... how did we learn it? Through a song. Another tool I could use is Podcasting. A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are available to download from iTunes and other sources. From my experience, many teachers choose not to use this tool, but from my research it seems like a new technique that could be quite beneficial. One way you could use Podcasting is by finding free podcasts from other teachers and using it in your own personal classroom. For example, many language teachers can give students access to podcasts that help them practice a particular language.

This video demonstrates ways in which to integrate podcasting into the classroom. In my opinion, this tool would be most useful in the middle and high schools. But perhaps when I have my own elementary classroom I will be using podcasting and other sound and audio tools that I am learning about now.