What have I learned this quarter

This is my second quarter at National Louis University and this quarter I took Intro to Technology in the Classroom (TIE 300) with Dr. Cunningham.  I am not at all tech savvy, I am lucky I know how to turn on the computer.  I knew I was going to have some problems in this class, I used leave the class crying and thinking I would never pass this class.  As the class progress and started doing more projects I can say that learn A LOT this quarter.  I want to give credit to my wonderful class mates that sat to my right and to my left, they help me with what I didn't grasp.  As adults we still learn as community learners. 
In TIE 300 Dr. Cunningham had us do various projects.  We set up various accounts: Twitter, Google emails, Blogger, Diigo.   We also did two Google Docs projects, we did "Who am I as an Educator" and "Educational Tech Trend" which I did it in the interactive table.  We also did a picktochart explaining TPACK.  Our last projects was making a video about an important person in the history of computing.  Final project is setting up a Professional Web site where we will link all our course work.
 Not only did I learned how to do these projects but I take with me something more powerful.  As educators we need to keep up with the knowledge of technology.  If we want to keep our class innovated and our students engaged then we must use the technology that they use socially.  Introducing the technology is just half the job, we need to understand how technology and content influence and constrain one another.  In order for technology to be effective, teachers' knowledge about how to apply it is very important.

How does copyright law affect your use of technology in the classroom?

 COPYRIGHT....IT'S THE LAW

What is the reasoning behind copyright?  Without copyright anybody can take ownership of anything that has been created.  Copyright is a protection for literary works, movies, music, sound recordings, paintings, photographs, the list goes on.  It's protection ranks from commercial reproduction and financial loss for the creators.  Who does it applies to?  It applies equally to everyone that uses anything that has been created.  Copyright Act 1976 emphasizes the right of "fair use" for reasons like teaching and making copies for classroom use.  There are four criteria that must be present for a material to fall under the "fair use" concept.

1. The nature of the reproduction use is for education.
2. The nature of the copyright work:literary fiction, high level analysis, works of art.
3. The quantity of work used: 3% used is a safe amount within fair use.  More than 10% can be uncertain.
4. Will it reduce creators ability to profit from it.

Not everything falls  under the protection of the copyright law.  Public domain are for the materials that are ineligible for copyright protection or their copyright's have been expired.  This information is fair use for teachers and students to use.
American classrooms has been affected because major media companies have used the power of the courtroom to seize such use like record labels and movie productions.  For a teacher this can be confusing of their rights and responsibilities in the use of copyright materials.  With this misinformation a teacher will be apprehensive in using digital media as an instructional tool.  Students education in the 21st century will be short change by not being media literate in this digital world and teachers not keeping their class innovated in their content knowledge because of concerns of the copyright violations.

WHAT IS MEDIA LITERACY AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT?

Media is any form used to transmit messages.  Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communications.  I see media as getting past and current information through print like newspapers, books or magazine or transmitted on television or radio. In the 1990's Vice-President Al Gore made the popular term information highway or infobahn surfaced to refer to digital communication systems and the internet telecommunications network.  The use of social media and internet has grown to access information.  Growing up, one of the options in gathering information was going to the library and reading newspaper archives and using indexes.  It was not in the tip of our fingertips like it is today.  We can Google everything or ask Siri to help us perform personal tasks.

As a private citizen we have a responsibility to keep inform about what is going on in the world.  For personal or professional growth we need to learn all the different approaches in keeping up with the times.  As a student and learning all these new to me media can be overwhelming but at the same time it has made me feel competent, productive and not lost with current technology.

The Affordance and Constraints of Web 2.0 Tools

The Affordance and Constraints of Web 2.0 Tool

     Web 2.0 has come a long way to the read only Web 1.0.  Web 2.0 has evolved into a provider of online software services.  Web 2.0 offers many interactive software choices which have become household names.  Information is at your fingertips and that is what internet users find.  Web 2.0 users not only do they read but create and share.  They become active participants and content creators.  Web 2.0 technologies like blogs, wikis, podcasting and social networking have allowed users to easily publish content online.  Also, to connect and network with other people from all over the world with the same interest.

     Some of the benefits or affordance of Web 2.0 that a student will learn is the interaction, communication and collaboration.  Students will see the relevance of what they are learning in the real world.  Technology prepares the students to be qualified in a job of technology business.  They will be more critical thinkers and effective communicators.

     Barriers or constraints can be the uneasiness with openness of technology.  The student can be very uncomfortable with the openness and are reluctant to participate in class activities that utilize Web 2.0.  Another barrier can be technical problems of older computer models and limited time to learn.

     Some practices or tips for teaching with Web 2.0 are the following:

• Do NOT introduce too many new technology to the students.
• Do NOT use multiple technologies that do the same thing.
• Provide appropriate instruction, tutorials examples and frequent feedback.
• Facilitate collaborative learning.
• Build a sense of community of learners in your classroom first before trying more public collaboration.

What is the meaning of technology "affordance" and "constraints" in terms of education?

Technology "affordance" is a term used to refers to how technology is now being implemented into the schools for teaching and learning.  The students can possible perform better with technologies that are at their disposal.  The term "affordance" is used how this new way of teaching can facilitate teaching to the teacher and learning to the student.  Earlier we learned about how TPACK a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology.  The three steps of TPACK are, content knowledge of the subjects we teach, pedagogy knowledge of how we teach and technology knowledge are our teaching tools we use.  The " affordance" of using technology in our classroom is the vast amount of information in our fingertips, automation of the tools and the collaboration with experts in the field. 

The "constraints" in technology used in education will be the obstacles that will not allow or at least not make it easy in the use of it.  Some of the "constraints" will be, price.  technology can and will  be expensive to purchase and maintain.  The use of electricity, computer viruses, and lack of connectivity are other "constraints" that will be encounter.  The most important "constraint" that will be encounter are students coming from low income families that cannot afford these "luxuries" at home.  The school may have a limited amount of technology tools for students to use during school hours, but after school that student will have no access to such tools.  Another glitch a teacher may encounter is that they themselves being an inexperienced user of technology.  If the technology that is being used breaks down or simple a problem that a novice user cannot resolve, that whole lesson plan will be useless and will need to have a back up plan.

Technology can be very intimidating tool but teachers need to set their traditional ways of teaching aside and maximize their methods and bring the classroom to the 21st century. 

Flipping Classrooms

How would you use the concept of flipped classrooms in your teachings?

First of all what is a flipped classroom and how would I use this concept in a Special Education classroom?  A flipped classroom focuses it's class time on student understanding rather than on the lecture.  it will enhanced the student learning and achievement by "flipping" the traditional classroom model.  The teacher will post short video lectures online for students to view at home before the next class session.  Class time will be used in expanding or mastering the lesson with the use of learning exercise, projects and discussions.  In other words, the flip will be that homework that is done at home will be done in the classroom and the lectures that are done in the classroom will be viewed at home.

Using a flipped approach, I will record my lessons and post them online.  A student that is capable of using this technology can watch the lesson over and over again until they understand the lesson.  Class time will be used to provide more personalized support and use the extra time to learn new concepts.  Technology is empowering students with disabilities to achieve higher levels of learning, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities "technology has been a game changer...We now know what kids are able to do, and not just what they are unable to do."  To really engage the flipped approach the teacher is more of a facilitator and reaching students' specific needs.  Some of the lessons that can be recorded would be specific life skills such as making a phone call, a transaction in a store or other social skills.  Then, in class the students can work on the skills more collaborative.  Some positive outcomes in flipped classrooms would be it will extend the learning day.  Teachers will be able to have more one on one instructions with a particular student.  Most importantly, flipped instruction will be an opportunity for more effective classroom participation.

Best Educational Practices

What are some important best practices for technology in education?

 As educators we will need to educate ourselves and know how to use technology to support learning and to ensure that learning standards are being identified.  Besides supporting learning there are other benefits in having technology in the classroom.  The students will be fully engaged in the material that it is being presented.  It will help to strengthen school leadership skills while building support for the need to include content in technology-enhanced classrooms.  These leaders will be there to assist other students when you aren’t available.  As a future teacher I will need to invest in my self-growth.  I will need to focus on my knowledge of technology and be capable to use it as an educational tool. 

As a novice in technology, or as I put myself in TIE 300 class a 1 (1 being the lowest in technology knowledge), I will need to be nurture.  I will need encouragement as I am increasing my growth in integrating technology into the classroom.  Encouragement is a key approach for success to anyone that is barely new to technology.  Technology will make anyone feel intimidated and will lack the confidence in their own abilities to utilize it.  I know that is how I feel in my class, but I am very lucky to have class mates that help me through this class.  As I am building relationships with those around me, by working together we are building a community of learners.