Technology in Secondary Teacher Education

http://thejournal.com/articles/2001/09/01/technology-in-secondary-teacher-education.aspx

by Elizabeth M. Willis and Peggy Raines, Ph.D.


One of the early ideas is one that i found interesting in this article. It gave a list stating that teachers are just not aware of the tools they have. If i had not taken this calls i would have bee clueless to some of the great tools out there, googldocs.com is a wonderful tool that any teacher with the computers available to them could use to work technology in to any lesson that needs word processing or spreadsheets. And most of all it is a great collaborative work tool.
That is only half the battle we can find all the great tools out there we can, but then how will teachers not aware of systems like the NTeQ model, this tool lets us break down a lesson plan and see where it is best to put the technology use in and what it will be used for. The best thing you can do is find a tool you like, then think about its real use, is it for video, sound, text, collaboration, or research? once it is identified next time you required of of these type of media in a lesson use a technology source to teach the lesson. We need to move away from looking at the computer as a subject and more toward it as a learning tool.

Reflections Unit 5 - Articles

Read New Insights on Technology Adoption in Schools, 
by Lorraine Sherry and Shelley Billg, Fern Tavalin and David Gibson 
http://www.thejournal.com/articles/14594


Where do you perceive yourself on the Technology Adoption Scale and briefly describe what this means to you as a future educator.
     I would place my self in between the 3ed and the 4th level. I feel that I have a good idea of what options i have in the form of technology. I know i will use blogs, and tools like voice-thread.com. But i also know that there is a lot more than knowing what the tools are than putting them to use in a actual lesson plan. Their are a lot of challenges, it is hard to match the objective correctly with a technology in my certification field. As i start my new career as a teacher i will work to keep technology use in the classroom at the forefront when i start to create lesson plans. With my current level of technology resources i can find great ways to modify existing lessons and make new ones. Assignment 5.5 in the class work was a great way to get my head around what it means to create a integrated lesson plan. 

How do you see yourself in 5 years in 10 and how will you achieve this?

 I would like to in five years newly confident in my lessons, working on creating lessons that are cross-curricular extensions. As a high school theater teacher there is a lot of room to work collaboratively. It would be great to be bridging gaps between faculty with the use of technology as well as providing students new and innovative ways to learn. In ten years i hope to have achieved a masters level education and possible teach college level technical theater classes, teaching is a new goal for me, this is my very first education class and i have a lot more to learn, the best way to achieve these lofty goals will to be maintaining a desire to see what is out there for technology integration. But a lot of this will most likely change as i grow in to my new field, i know i can continue to make technology a major part of my theater teaching style and as long as i keep that in mind no matter my new direction i will succeed in bridging gaps between technology and education. 

Reflections Chapter 12 - How do you ensure equal access for all students with only three computers?

Most of the functions that can be done in a single computer class can be done in this style classroom. Group work can be more constructive because it increases cooperative learning. But we have to manage rotation well, to make sure students are all getting equal access. We need to also keep in mind that some students may require more time to work on a particular project, so being observant of the individual while in group work will be very important.

I remember in my high school biology class we had computer time when doing labs. the software was as I remember thinking "lame" but we were given such little amounts of time to interact with it that we really got no value at all from it, we only had the one computer in that classroom. if we had been given time as a group to utilize the computer one navigator with the assistance of a few group members would have gotten farther and learned more as a group than what one could have done with five min and no time to learn the program.

http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2095

Reflections Chapter 12 - Where does the "compute part" come when I am teaching a lesson?

The use of technology in the classroom presents some interesting issues. Managing use has a big sway over when the computers can be used. A Once-Computer Class has a much different computer use than a One-to-One Laptop Access class. So the computer function should be more group oriented if there are few computers, but also the software choice maybe to better match a group project. Or if computer labs are how you will access the computer, students should spend more time preparing the data, then find ways to present it during there lab time.  Computers are made to be easy to work in to any lesson plan.

Reflections Chapter 12 - What can I do to "get ready" for a lesson in which my students use computers?

There is a lot to do before implementing your lesson with computers. The text lists handouts of Technical step-by-step guides, resource guides, and assessment tools. There is technology prep as well, we need to create digital folders, design templates, load specialized software, bookmark Internet sites, turn on computers and open applications. These tools make time to create the first time, but they get faster later once students become more skilled in the computer use. And tools can be reworked to fit new material when needed.

Reflections Chapter 11 - When I integrate problem-solving or educational software into a lesson, what changes will be needed?

When you want to integrate problem-solving software into a lesson there are a few elements that will be changed in the NTeQ lesson plan. Computer Functions, Research and Analysis, Results Presentation, Activities during, before, and after computer use. For example with After Computer Use, with other technology integrated lessons there is a product to review or present, but with problem solving there may not be anything to review. So one thing to change would be to include a discussion group or a writing assignment to supplement this section of the lesson.

Reflections Chapter 11 - How do I choose the correct software?

The first thing to do would be to identify the how and the why, how do we want to use the program and what do we what them to learn. Teachers should also review the software looking to evaluate Content accuracy, Research-based instructional strategies, effectively meet instructional objectives, assessment of learning, ease of use. You will also want to use software reviews from other sources. The best review will come from the teacher themselves using the product to test is use.