EDU 580 Tech Mod 5

Views of Technology

            Over the past two years, my views of technology have changed tremendously. Entering the masters program, I was completely unaware of the technologies that existed as well as those that are available for individuals to use. When I started in the program all I really knew was the essentials such as email, Microsoft applications, searching the web, etc.  Through the courses and technology modules, I have learned so many new forms of technology and web resources that I had never heard of.

            Before the start of the program, I only used technology in the classroom and on a personal level, only when I had to. I did not incorporate it much into my teaching and refused to explore new things and ideas. I did not see the need for using technology nor did I understand its importance. Yet overtime, I began to open up and explore the resources that are available to me, with the purpose of assisting and aiding my students into becoming more well-rounded and familiar with technology, that they would soon be faced with in the future.

            The first year in the program, I experienced and learned what Zotero was and how it can be applied. I also learned about hardware programs and software programs that are on the computer. In one of the technology modules, we explored many programs on the computer and I found this to be very helpful. I was able to take away with me a whole new world that was found on my very own laptop that I never knew was there.  I began trying to incorporate some of the programs that I had heard of into my classes. Although it was a struggle to get through the glitches that occasionally occurred, I kept treading and pushed my way through it. In the end the students began to expect, explore, and rely on certain forms of technology that was being used in the class.

            In the second year of the masters program, I took what I had learned previously and added new resources to the list.  I began to investigate and explore data with the assistance and use of Excel. We took information from our unit that we had taught our students and created graphs, found averages, and interpreted data in several different ways to represent our findings. From the use of Google Docs, I created a perception survey that was then altered in Google Docs and graphs were created to outline the results. Before this point, I had never used Google Docs and never looked into Excel that much.

            This past spring semester, I learned what a wiki was and learned how to blog. In class, we created a resources wiki that deemed to be very beneficial for me and for the school I work at. I created a resource wiki for PBIS that is being implemented into the school district soon. I am able to share it with other teachers on the committee and will be able to use it in the future as a resource. As far as blogs are concerned, I have created two different blogs for the courses I was taking and found them to be beneficial. This particular semester, I felt like I learned a tremendous amount about technology and other resources that exist and I feel comfortable with implementing them into future classes.

            Overall I feel that technology has definitely evolved over time for me personally. I have learned a great deal about technology as well as pertinent resources that could be very beneficial in the classroom and for students to use. I plan on implementing more technological resources into my mathematics classes and getting students to explore the possibilities and capabilities that the resources present. 

EDU 580 Tech Mod 4

For EDU 584 I created a resource wiki to benefit staff, administrators, and parents about PBIS (positive behavior interventions and supports). The PBIS model will be implemented in 2014 at Lewiston High School. The wiki focused on LHS and where we are, where we are going, and what we have already completed. As a school, we created a matrix and are working towards an acknowledgement system as well as lesson plans to teach the matrix. This wiki also gives the faculty of the school information and resources about PBIS and what it entails. It gives examples of others school that have implemented PBIS and ideas as to what they are using for a matrix, lesson plans, posters, acknowledgement systems, etc.

EDU 580 Tech Mod 3

For the student sample that I created for my unit, I chose to use the Google Sketch-Up program. The topic of my unit was the Pythagorean Theorem. For the final assessment of the unit, students had to create a 2D floor design of a house that they created. They had to document all measurements and angles throughout the house. From their 2D floor design, students had to create a 3D visual of their house. They had to mark the measurements on their house and make sure that everything was consistent and concise.

When creating the student sample, I originally had a hard time with the program to start with. As I continued to play with the program, I became a little familiar with how to do certain things. I would like to learn more about its capabilities and sketching abilities. I found the email that the teachers sent, to be very helpful with understanding the program. The professors had a website with detailed step-by-step instructions as to how to use the program, that they received from a student in a different class.

EDU 580 Tech Mod 2

In this technology module we learned how to use Zotero to store, organize, and find resources that pertained to our topic of research for our research methods course. My research topic focuses on alternate pathways towards graduation for ELL students. I used Zotero to find articles with ideas as to other states that have programs designed to help students reach their goal of graduation regardless of their circumstance or position. Once we compiled all of our sites and articles, we created a bibliography.

EDU 580 Tech Mod 1

Erica D. Boudreau

EDU 580 Tech Module 1

Teaching Philosophy

            Technology is an important part of a student’s education.  Technology should be used in a classroom as long as it is used as a tool and reference, and not as a replacement.  It is sometimes difficult, however, to incorporate technology into your class if your students are at a lower level or if your class content is difficult to teach using a technology tool.  I feel that there are three important reasons as to why I use technology in my classroom. I tend to follow these components when teaching math to my ELL students. The reasons consist of using technology as a tool and reference, a way for extra practice, and only using technology if your students are at a level to comprehend and understand it.

            The first important reason why I use technology in my classroom is as a tool and reference for my students. In my math classes, I use technology after I explain and introduce a topic. We look at different ways to learn the content, in hopes that between my lectures and the online demonstrations, that students will grasp the idea. I also encourage students to use technology outside of class to research topics that they may not understand. For the most part, I find video explanations and present those to my students. This can sometimes be difficult, because the language of the presenter needs to be simple and clear, in order for the students to understand and follow what is being said and described.

            The second reason why I use technology in my classroom is the fact that its easy to locate and practice extra problems with students. There are several fun websites for students to explore that help them practice and master content specific topics. During class time, after introducing and discussing a topic, I find it beneficial to have students practice sample problems from Internet sources. Solving problems from an Internet website is an interesting and different way to practice. Instead of doing the everyday handout or bookwork, students tend to really enjoy the games online. We have used online jeopardy games, matching games, timed quizzes, and group activities all as a way to practice new knowledge.

            I also have used a program called I-succeed. This math program gives students extra practice on any curriculum from kindergarten to eighth grade and it varies with levels of difficulty. You can set up the program to differentiate material for each student. When a student starts a module, it gives a tutorial on how to solve a specific type of problem and it also demonstrates a way to go about it. Students have the option to see the tutorial at anytime. From here, they get to practice the material through a series of at least ten questions. After they practice it, they have a quiz over it. If they pass the quiz they get to move on. If they fail, there is an option to retry. I feel that this program is very well organized and is extremely useful and beneficial to students if used correctly. This program, like all others, should be used to supplement and strengthen a student’s knowledge of content specific topics. If used strictly by itself, it would not be beneficial and could be difficult to understand.

            Finally, I feel that technology should be used only if it is beneficial to your students and if the technology is fully understood.  Teaching lower level students may make it difficult to find content specific material that is appropriate for each individual. A great deal of the material you find is discussed or taught with language that is very difficult to understand if you are an English language learner. Professors or individuals who are teaching a topic may use vocabulary that is unknown to your students. In this case, students may be lost the entire time and your great idea of showing students a different form of lecture may be a waste of time. It is also important that you make sure your students actually like it when you use technology, such as videos, in your class. I have heard of several instances when students hate the videos that a teacher uses because they don’t understand what is being said, and in turn, a student may actually be worse off then before the video even started. Its important that you do not confuse your students with how you are explaining something versus what you have them watch or do.

            Overall I do feel that technology is important for students to know, learn, and use. It can be beneficial if used correctly, but can also be harmful if used incorrectly. I think it is important to use technology as a resource as well as to supplement instruction. It should not be used or relied on to basically teach your course. I feel that students do need to be familiar with technology and its correct uses. Students need to understand when to use it as well as the correct ways of how to use it. Students will be using technology when they go out in the real world, and giving them the opportunity to explore its uses in school, will help prepare them for the future.