Prompt #10

I instantly picked chapter 9 for this last prompt because it deals with technology in math. I found this very interesting because I am a math concentration and have loved math all my life. Calculators are a huge part of math, and they are also one of the most basic forms of technology. Students using calculators are using a form of technology anywhere from gaining visuals of graphs they are dealing with to even basic adding and subtracting. Thinking outside the box a little bit, we can use technology in math in so many more ways. The podcasts on Web 2.0 can be useful because they allow students to work at their own pace and give them a resource if they need help after school hours are over. I would also use some of the math games  that are available because it gives the students a little bit of a break from the books and helps them learn in a fun, educational way. I find the use of technology so important because since we are future teachers of children who have greatly been exposed to technology, applying it educationally makes their learning experience more fitting and interesting. Maybe this would change the general negative outlook on math and instead of dreading learning math, students would be more excited.

Prompt #9

Issue #13 Whiteboards

For my second issue from Point/Counterpoint: Critical Issues of Technology, I picked issue #13, Whiteboards. I chose the yes side, schools should absolutely have whiteboards! Regular whiteboards, or interactive whiteboards, like mentioned in the article, are both extremely important in the classroom. Children learn best hands on and sometimes some students ONLY learn through interactive lessons. Having whiteboards that the students can use will motivate participation and help the diverse learners. Newer types of whiteboards like smart boards and interactive boards provide a different type of experience for the students because they can use their hands to touch certain things that are presented on the screen to get answers and help them learn.

Reflection
I will definitely have whiteboards in my class when I am a teacher, I have never seen or been in a classroom without one! Like previously stated, I think they are very useful for different activities and hands-on learning experiences for the students.

Prompt #8

The Point/Counterpoint: Critical Issues in Technology issue that most interested me was issue #7, Facebook Etiquette. I took the no position in this issue, it is absolutely not okay to have students as Facebook friends, unless it is a Facebook page specifically for your classroom, posting assignments and holding discussions. Your personal Facebook page makes you a part of a social networking site, and you should not be developing personal relationships with any of your students that go outside the classroom. That is completely unprofessional and I do not think it is any of your business what your students are doing outside of the classroom unless it is affecting their schoolwork, and it is none of theirs to know what you are doing.

Reflection
As a future teacher, I will never add students as a Facebook friend, and I will make sure that my page is completely private prior to beginning to teach.

Prompt #7

The Getsky Principle states, "I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been." I believe this principle is important for all aspects of education, especially technology. With the rapid advancements in technology, it is extremely important to roll with it and adapt to it, not try to go back to the way things were. Our future students are digital natives, the here and now technology will be part of their normal life, where older people like us, have seen it grow. To effectively teach students, we have to use the current technologies and keep moving with the advancements. It is important to know that is is moving forward and we have no idea where it will lead us next. One technology that I read about that really sticks out in my mind and that I believe will be extremely beneficial to use in a classroom is the teacher tube. Will all these disorders, disabilities and diseases that have been seen so much more in our world, lots of students miss school. It is important to pay attention to those who have to miss school more often than others and we need to know that they still have as much to learn as the other students. Technology will help them stay up to date with the rest of the class. The different programs that we can use to connect with other schools around the world would help in K-12 schools as well because it gives the students a taste of different cultures and helps them realize how important diversity is and to know that children everywhere are getting an education just like theirs, but in different ways.

Reflection
The deeper into this class I am getting, the more I am realizing how important and beneficial technology is in education. Some of it is distracting such as texting and Facebook, but a lot of the programs we can use in the classroom open so many doors for our future students. By the time I actually have a classroom of my own, I bet there will be even more new programs to help the students stay connected with one another in an educational way. I think the whole idea of paying attention to where you are headed and not where you have already been is really insightful and also very true. If you keep looking back, you might miss what is ahead!

Prompt #6

From the age I started school until now, I can remember numerous changes in technology. One huge change that I remember clearly is chalkboards to whiteboards to Smartboards. I had chalkboards throughout grammar school and then in 6th grade, our school got whiteboards. I went to a Catholic high school, so we had chalkboards again, all the way until my senior year. Senior year we got whiteboards, and a few of my classes got Smartboards. Now in college, almost all my teachers use Smartboards.
Another thing I remember that has changed is when I was little, I remember watching movies in class through a big television and VCR player. As I got older, VCRs started turning into DVDs and now you can find most videos online somewhere through a computer. A lot of lessons and extra help can be given through YouTube videos now, too.
Right after computers were invented, my school had an Accelerated Reading (AR) program where we would check out a book and read it, then take a computerized test on the book. Now libraries are all mostly through computer, you can check to see if books are available and sometimes even check them out through a computer. Going along with AR, I noticed especially in college, a lot of tests are given online. There are online assessments, tests, and a few of my teachers require us to turn in papers via Internet.
One last major thing that I remember changing a lot as I was growing up is resources. For research papers, when I first started learning the basics of them, it was always through textbooks. Now, most of the sources we need for research papers can be found through online journals, articles and webpages. Textbooks are definitely being outdated by the Internet. A lot of my classes have online textbooks and homework assignments.

Reflection
As a future teacher, I will have to evolve and adapt to these changes with the rest of the world. Technology is always advancing and I know that by the time I am a teacher, I will have to use technology to teach my classroom in ways that are not even invented now. It moves and grows so fast, we will never know what is next to come!

Prompt #5

To meet the ISTE Standards for Teachers, I think it would be a good idea to create a Google Doc. amongst my coworkers. Google Doc. is an application using G-mail where you can start a blank document and type whatever you want, whenever you want and everyone can add to it. I did this for one of my classes and it really helped me collaborate with my peers and gain different perspectives. To meet the standards, my coworkers and I could share different methods of effective teaching and inspire one another to be creative. Starting the Google Doc. would meet the second standard, designing and developing digital-aged experiences. We could all learn more about the use of technology by using this application and it would help us to become more accustomed to the digital world that our students are experiencing. It would give each teacher the responsibility to learn how to be technologically savvy and learn from it. Professional growth and leadership would be what we took from engaging with one another to help us become better teachers.

Reflection
I think besides being able to communicate through technology to your peers, it is important to do the same with teachers. All teachers are in the same boat, trying to adapt to this world. Working with other people who are facing the same situations as you are is always beneficial. Gaining different perspectives is a perfect way to better your teaching. If your coworkers are using the same types of technology applications, you can all learn from each other. I hope that when I am a teacher i have a staff that would want to participate in these types of activities with me, such as the Google Doc.

Prompt #4

To apply the current role of technology into my classroom, I am going to make a Facebook page for the students, their parents and myself. I first thought of this idea because my cousin has one for her class and talks about it often and says how great it is. After learning all the information that ETE 100 has taught me so far, I have came up with many ideas for how I am going to manage a Facebook page. I think a Facebook page for my students and I to communicate through would definitely achieve the 6 standards. Creativity and innovation would be shown through different projects and assignments that I could have the students post. Communication and collaboration would be reached through a Facebook page and be beneficial for both the students and their parents because they could easily communicate with me and work together with their students. Other classmates can post any type of research help they have found dealing with any given assignment, that would meet the research and information fluency standard. Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making would be seen through this page because classmates could share their ideas and work together to make the right decisions and solve the problems they might have. The last two standards, digital citizenship and technology operations would be met just by having the Facebook page in general. Every student and their parent would have the opportunity to be a part of this social networking site and learn how to understand how it all works, while learning at the same time.

Reflection
I have been thinking about having a classroom Facebook page for quite some time now. I am positive I want to have that, if the children are too young for Facebook, at least I could have one with the parents if they wanted to. I think that would be a great way to stay in touch and answer any questions that needed to be asked. I think it is important to have some type of technological way of communicating with your classroom, especially in this digital world we're living in today.