Assignment 4: Wiki and Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan Wiki 

I have learned from this activity that making lesson plans is very time consuming. It takes a lot of work to plan a good lesson. I learned that the standards we are required to meet are very specific but there is room for us to get creative with our lesson plans. The wiki showed me that I can have an online supplement for my classroom as well. I will be using wikis in my classroom if I am able. 

Website Review: Diigo

Diigo is a research tool that anyone can use. It's an organizer for information.
I think it can be used in education by helping students study or read. With the highlighting and sticky note tool, students can highlight important information they read. The sticky note tool can help them remember what they've read. There is also a collaboration tool that can be used by teachers to share lesson plans and ideas. Students or teachers can also build their own library with all of their information they wish to keep organized.
Diigo meets these ITSE student standards:

1.Creativity and innovation
2.Communication and collaboration
3.Research and information fluency
4.Digital citizenship
5.Technology operations and concepts 

Diigo meets these ITSE teacher standards:

1.Facilitate and inspire student learning
and creativity
2.Design and develop digital age
learning experiences and assessments  

3.Model digital age work and learning

4.Promote and model digital citizenship

and responsibility 

5.Engage in professional growth
and leadership 

Assignment 3- Comparing Inventories

Emily Barnes

The results I got for the learning style inventory test were visual/tactile. I learn by reading and seeing pictures, and also by touching and doing. The results say I understand remember things best by sight. The tactile part says I am a "hands-on" learner who prefers to touch, move, build, or draw what I learn, and I tend to learn better when some type of physical activity is involved. I need to be active and take frequent breaks, and often speak with my hands and with gestures. They also told me to sit near the front of the classroom to improve my learning. As for the cognitive inventory test, I got introverted sensing. The results said that I am probably dependable, reliable, and trustworthy. They tend to be rather modest, traditional and conventional, and to like sensible clothing.

I believe the results to be somewhat true. I am a hands-on learner and like to see what I’m learning. I speak with hand gestures and always need to be active. I like to sit at the front of the classroom because it helps me pay attention more. I am definitely modest and conventional. I like sensible clothing because I never wear anything that makes me uncomfortable.

I can use these results in the classroom as a learner and a teacher. As a learner, I can continue doing what I’ve been doing by sitting in the front of the classroom and chewing gum. I need to start color-coding things, too, and take breaks in between studying. As a teacher, I can use these tips to help other students that learn like I do. I can teach my students how to color code important information to study. I could also have a rotating seating chart that makes sure every student gets to sit in the front for a specific amount of time.

1. http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml

2. http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory2.html

Website Review: LiveBinders

This tool is an electronic binder for resources that can be accessed by anyone. You can search other people's binders as well.

It can be used in education by setting up binders for substitute teachers or for the students. Students can create an account and access them on a daily basis. Students could also create a binder for school projects. The teachers could lessons in class and create a binder as a supplement for the students.

LiveBinders meets the following student standards:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information fluency
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
5. Digitcal Citizenship
6. Technology operations and concepts

LiveBinders meets the following teacher standards:
1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
3. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
4. Model digital age work and learning
5. Engage in personal growth and leadership 

Assignment 2- Technology in Education

Technology in Education

Emily Barnes

University of Alabama

CAT 200

                  Technology has become a major part of the world we live in today. From smart phones to smart boards, we are seeing technology more and more in education. It’s now a huge part of the classroom.

                  I have seen the different uses of technology in classrooms throughout the years. Smart Boards and IPads are being used now. I was in tenth grade when I saw my first Smart Board. My teachers didn’t know how to use it. We were the ones having to tell them how to use the eraser and that you can’t pick up two markers at one time. To say the least, the next few years were an adventure. I had no idea how much technology was being used in the schools until I moved to Mobile and went to South Alabama. I took a class much like CAT 200. I learned all about the different uses of the Smart Board, how to use a green screen, how to create book trailers, and much more. I saw how teachers across the country were incorporating technology into their classrooms. They would have class websites for the students to ask questions. I learned that there is a way to have the students each read a sentence in a book, and you can create a sort of interactive story. You have to record them while they are reading, but it turned out pretty interesting. I’ve seen the use of book trailers and how that gets the students excited about reading a book. As a student-teacher, I have had the privilege of getting to see a teacher use technology first hand in her classroom. She only used the Smart Board, but it was very beneficial. She used the board during spelling, reading, and social studies. She would put a paragraph up for the students to read and they would either read it together or she would choose someone. The students could come up and match words to pictures, and even write the correct spelling of the words.

                  Educational technology is the use of technology in an educational setting. It is supplemental in helping students, as well as teachers, learn. Technology plays a big role in a student’s learning. Everyone knows what Google is. Students can use it to find answers and do research. There are encyclopedias and textbooks online as well. Students can use Twitter to stay up to date with recent events. Students learn so much through the Web 2.0 tools. They can learn writing and organization skills from having a blog. Teachers can use technology to teach, too. They can teach responsibility by having students turn in assignments online. Teachers use Smart Boards to animate math problems and keep students interested. Just knowing how to use a computer is beneficial now in the job market.

                  Technology in education does have pros and cons. Some instances of cyberbullying can discourage the use of technology in the classroom. It has gotten to be more of a problem recently than in past years. Students like to pick on the weird kid or the nerd. They can take to making fun of him or her on the internet through a class blog or a school Facebook group. There is also the possibility that some students might not have the resources to use the technology at home or away from school. There might be homework required such as writing a paper or even googling something. Some students might not have a home computer or smart phone to be able to look that up. I have a hard time paying attention to my teacher if I have a computer sitting in front of me. I love Pinterest and it’s a struggle to stay off of it during class. This could be a problem, too, for other students. If a teacher is trying to teach and a third grader has a computer with him or her, most likely her or she will not be paying attention. However, there are some positives to having technology in the classroom. A student might have a question that the teacher doesn’t know the answer to. The teacher could use the Smart Board or the students could use whatever kind of technology they have to find the answer. This is great collaboration for the students and the teacher. This promotes working together. Having technology in the classroom helps students be familiar with it for the future. Jobs today require at least some sort of computer skills. Having this interaction on a daily basis can prepare them for the future and possibly make them a step ahead. I believe having all of this technology makes us have to think outside of the box sometimes, too. It teaches responsibility and organization. It teaches time management as well. All of these skills are necessary to be successful in life.