October 31, 2014

Prezi Presentations
Prezi is a presentation tool I've been familiar with for a few years now. Since my senior year of high school I've seen different uses of it. For this weeks blog we are to explain three from the Tech Teacher Game that we like.
My first favorite Prezi is "Geography of Place- Why We Live Where We Live". I chose this because it was simple. From my experience with prezi's in the past they can become a little over the top with how the work organized. I liked this because the creator clearly explained why people emigrate from their origins. Then he clearly explained why they chose to move where they moved. His example was his grandparent's which means this had some sentimental value in it. Everything was crisp and clear and he took advantage of pictures, and old records kept by family I'm guessing.
For my next prezi presentation I chose "Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour aider à la maison?" I chose this for two reasons, I'm familiar with french. And my second reason is because being familiar with french this brought back some lessons I've learned in the past. What I also liked about it was that it used three different types of reinforcement. The first had the pictures with the french words describing what the lady was doing, the next circle of pictures were exactly the same but instead there was an acronym for each of the words. Then the last was the third set of pictures which were exactly the same but this time no french words or acronyms. The use of repetition in this one is a great idea but one way to learn a foreign language is by constant repetition, and this prezi did just that.
For my last prezi I chose the one titled, "Super Bowl Trivia (Before Game)". This was very neat and interesting to me. Sport's are a very fun topic, and he used prezi very well with it. The way he had his transitions go into parts of words was a great idea. Plus it was not so simple, every now and then simple is the way to go, but like how the Super Bowl is far from simple, so was this Prezi. 

Oct 27, 2014

Flipped Learning

Q:What is one tip I got from Todd?
A: One tip I got from Todd was that we should keep the parents involved. I stand by this because when the students aren't in your class who is the one to reinforce them? The parents of course. The parents are the ones that will or should have your back as the teacher when it comes to homework and such type of assignments. Also by keeping the parents involved in the online activities they can monitor how their children are online. Todd's examples of the Facebook page for parents and the twitter for his students give's the parents the comfort-ability of knowing exactly what is going on in class.

Q:What is one question you have for Todd?
A: I remember in the video when Todd called his student out on having an Xbox and the student claimed it didn't play DVD's. Of course we all know that it does. However, what lengths should a teacher take in-order to provide the proper technology for his or hers students?

Q: After watching the Webinar are you more inclined to try and flip your classroom? Why or why not?
A: I think the idea of a flipped classroom is great and ambitious. However, I don't think that a flipped classroom is the greatest idea because as a student I know how easy it is to take advantage of any assignment that is due online. I feel as though it would be wisest to keep some of the traditional teaching techniques as part of the class instead of going completely online.

October 20, 2014

In INTC2610 over the last two weeks we have accomplished many tasks asked of us in the Tech Teacher Game. This is a form of gamification. However, I was unaware that we were completing a part of ISTE. Now that I think about what we have done. I can see why communication and collaboration are of the utmost importance in the education field especially when it pertains to technology. Technology is the future, and is going to play a major role in education more so than it already is. The idea of collaboration ties in hand in hand with communication. Over the last two weeks we have all significantly increased our overall knowledge of educational technology and how to use it for future reference. But, its the fact that we did it together sharing our new found skills that really reinforces our learning. By collaborating we were pushed to exceed expectation to impress not only ourselves but our group members. As 21st century learners it was important for us to learn how to use technology for educational reasons and now that we can share what we find on the internet we can help each other even more now.

Gamification October 15, 2014

In the last class we learned about gamification. In this blog I'm supposed to talk about whether it is a fad or not. Well what is it? Gamification is the use of educational games to help reinforce learned materials of any subject. This gives the students a hands on tactile way of reinforcing their material and also it is fun. So not only is the student learning but he or she is also excited about learning more so they can get to the next level and so on.

Well I think in the scheme of things gamification has been a trend or fad. Back in my elementary school days in every computer class we used educational computer games to learn the basics of subjects. I can not remember the name of it but i remember that it had a hiker and you had to climb the mountain with math skills collecting coins. This was my earliest experience with gamification. So, yes, i think that it is already a fad. One highlight about it is that in today's age of technology gamification will be easy to incorporate into lesson plans because of the vast amount of technology integrated into classrooms.

October 1, 2014

Last class we learned about a few things being: content curation, YouTube, and Google+. My favorite of the few was Google+. For some time now I have had a Google+ account. For the most part I was familiar with how Google+ linked to my GMail and YouTube accounts. However, one thing stood out in particular last class when learning about Google+'s features. The feature known as "Hangouts" was such a good discovery for me because now when doing projects with class mates or just wanting to interact with friends I can now do it via Hangouts. This is great because it is face to face, can be done from mobile devices such as cellphones, laptops, tablets, essentially anything with a front-facing camera. The positives don't end there with Google+. I can now create circles of friends and send mass group messages to them, which is awesome because having an android phone I've always been left out of group messages. Also this alleviates the stress of having to search for friends, and one by one join them in on whatever I intend on sending them. Lastly, with Google+ I have a profile. This profile is great because now I have a wall much like other social media, which keeps me up to date on my friends and acquaintances. I can see their interests and what they post. I highly recommend a Google+ account for those of you who do not already have one.

You can access mine by clicking the link: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JamesWoodD/about

October 1, 2014

Dear Bloggers & Bloggets,

Coming to you from the Richard Stockton College Library, I will be telling why iPad's are good educational tool. First things first, the physical aspect of them. I remember and am currently lugging around 30 lbs of hard back books, folders, random papers, etc. However if I had an iPad then I could condense all of these objects into one object that weighs no more than a marble notebook. Next, with an iPad I do not need to carry around my laptop. Laptops are expensive and just as heavy as a text book. They also large, and don't carry the longest of charges. The iPad seems to be 1/4 the weight and carries the charge longer. Now in the case where I will need internet service, and as long as its available the iPad is a much better go to than carrying around a laptop. Finally, the iPad gives the options of hands-on learning. An option not so available in class. This will appeal to those of us who are tactile learners. So after review I believe that the iPad is a great tool in the field of education both for teachers and students.

September 22, 2014

1. Teaching shouldn't be looked at as a science or an art, but as a combination of both.

Learned in my educational psych class it is important to look at education from both a scientific and artistic standpoint. Scientific as you should analyze students individually. Meaning, their learning style, how to grasp there attention, how and why it works, However, at the same time it is of utmost importance to to incorporate all learning styles into lesson plans, this is where the artistic aspect of education comes into play. The mind is a canvas that you as a teacher have to leave a masterpiece on, with a personalized signature. What I mean is, to be a great teacher, you have to instill the information the student needs to know, so that they not only know it but can retain it. You as the teacher have to leave your knowledge in the students long term memory. 

2. Being an educator is has the most hidden responsibilities. 

As a teacher one should be well aware of how to distinguish one student from another. To be able to analyze a student and figure out how to fix whats wrong if there is a problem. If a student is having trouble reading, writing, spelling, learning, or paying attention it is because somewhere along the line a prior teacher has missed the problem, or noticed it and failed to fix it. Parents are always learned in what to look for if there child isn't keeping up, but going through education courses myself, I am learning of different indicators of a child's learning disability. For example, if a student cannot read correctly by the fourth grade, is it the child's fault? Of course its option to blame the kid, but what teacher failed to make reading interesting enough for the child. What teacher possibly overlooked a child with dyslexia, and just made the assumption the child did not want to read. What child was left behind in the lower level reading group because the teacher failed to pick up on this problem. What teacher kicked the student out of the classroom because he/she would refuse to embarrass themselves in front of the class because they cant read right. So as stated early, I learned that educators need to be aware of their students and the responsibilities that come with them. 

3.Love what you do. 

As stated earlier, education has a lot of responsibilities. If a teacher doesn't love what they do then why are they leaving themselves as a deciding factor in a child's life. I've had a few teachers over my student career that seemed not so exuberant about their job. No child deserves to spend 180 days with an educator that doesn't want to educate. No one will prosper from that situation. Students could end up giving up on a subject or school for that matter because they feel as though their teacher doesn't care. So, overall it is very important that when going into a teaching position the teacher love what he or she does, and essentially anyone going into any career should feel that way. 

4. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

I'm such a big offender of this, but it is very important to seek help when necessary. Education is a career that entitles being around plenty of people with vast amounts of stored knowledge. Some with wisdom on their resume from personal experiences and age. These peers you will acquire are resources that a teacher can use at their disposal. If as a future educator you find yourself in a situation with school related matters, like helping a student with a personal matter, it might be wise to ask other educators how they were able to help a student with the same problem. This way you can add this method to your repertoire for future instances. 

5. Disciplining student is necessary.

Eventually there will be a student that crosses the line and has to be punished. The teacher will have to deal with a few things in this situation. How to handle the student, the student's parents, and how to justify themselves before the school superiors. The student needs to be handled correctly, punished justly for what he or she has said or done. Students's parents will most likely find out about their child, and will be upset with how you handled the situation. Here you will need to be able to justify your actions as a teacher. And, finally to the superiors as to why you did what you did. No proper explanation could result negatively for said teacher.