Digital Porfolio

MD 400 has been a course in Educational Technology where I have learned about the ways of a Tech-Savvy world!  I have worked on projects over the past four weeks that run the gamut.  This "Taste of Technology", as I call it, has been an introduction course that will provide me with the support needed in my future classroom.  As I embark on Student Teaching this Fall 2011, I feel so much more prepared then I was a couple weeks ago.  To know and understand so many applications where I can use them to provide my students with easier ways to become more computer-literate, is an advantage I am happy to take with me!

Please go ahead and check out my Digital Portfolio, where you can learn more about my interests and focus as a Kindergarten Teacher Candidate for the School Year 2012-2013! Please come on back to my Blog and comment below to this posting on how I can improve my Digital Portfolio and what you liked most about it.  Constructive criticism is welcomed here. 

P.S. I hope you are enjoying a lovely dinner tonight... As I usually cook for our final class.  Let's all enjoy a virtual meal!! Mangia!

IConn Reflection

This is a photograph of a Kindergarten student in Australia.  As I researched on IConn students must be 5 years old to begin Kindergarten in Australia.  I have found that IConn has many resources that may be of use to me.  Not only do they have over 1,000 resources for a search in Kindergarten, but they also have many many more in science.  I believe IConn can help bridge the Digital Divide in Connecticut because everyone can have access to multimedia whether they belong to one town's library or another, or do not have access to a library.  If someone can get on the computer, in school or at work, they can be provided with this wealth of information when they need it.  I also feel that there will be more Digital Equality because there are no boundaries to who can or cannot view this information.  Students, no matter their socio-economic, racial, or ethnic background, will be provided with the same opportunities in education and information research capabilities as the students surrounding them in their own communities or across the borders of towns and cities in this state.

Information Problem-Solving Skills

We, as educators, should teach students information problem-solving skills because it will assist them in learning how to navigate around all the information they encounter in their lives, both inside the classroom and outside it.  There are so many sources of information, and even more that are incorrect sources.  Teaching students how to problem-solve can help them steer clear of resources that are unreliable or just wrong for them to use in their academic career or real-life experiences.  The Big6 helps students to look through information and place it into the appropriate categories, so that they can organize and present their ideas in a more effective and efficient manner.  This skill can be used in many applications across content areas.  As a teacher providing more avenues for students to use technology in more successful ways, it is important to go over these information problem-solving skills repeatedly, grade by grade, because students will need to maneuver around the internet to become well-adjusted researchers who can filter out what is not needed. It is said that there has been more information provided in this world in the last 30 years then the previous 5,000 years before that.  As a teacher, I hope to be bring a foundation to my students where they can rely on the skill set I provide to them and practice in my classroom.

Digital Divide Article Reflection

The Digital Divide is all around us.  It is the lack of education, access, and information provided to educators, students, and communities concerning technology.  The Digital Divide brings out the age-old relationship between "the Haves" and "the Have Nots".  It manifests itself in school districts across the globe where educators are unable to teach students or students are unable to understand how to use technology for their benefit.  As educators, we need to lend a helping hand to others who need support.  Just like performing community service in our local areas who need clothes, food, etc. NOW we need to also teach these people to understand how to use the technology that has been provided to work towards goals of literacy, test-taking, and overall comprehension.  This in turn can lead to self-sufficiency.

Some solutions to the Digital Divide are to reduce the cost of technologies (i.e. computer or smartphone) so that more people can have access to it.  Then there are some solutions that need to be worked on as a school district, community, or grade-level as whole.  This is made up of the following: 

1. Set Reachable Goals

2. Write Grants to the Government

3. Provide more Professional Development

4. After School Technology Programs

Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-Based Learning is when a teacher gives the central attention in the classroom to the students.  The teacher does not lecture, supply students with directions or provide detailed information about the lesson.  Instead the teacher provides the students with questions and opportunities to question the basic information for the lesson to go down the path that the students choose for their learning.  A great content area for this type of learning is Science and Mathematics, but really Social Studies and areas of Language Arts can work with this teaching strategy as well.
As a fieldwork/student teacher, I have used Inquiry-Based Learning in Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies lesson planning and implementing.  During my Seeds Unit in Science I worked closely with students to use the 5E Learning Cycle:

This model for learning works well with students, the only difficulties I had were based on students who I only worked with for a short period of time.  In my future classroom, I plan to use this technique and through many applications, I assume there will be more acceptance and excellence in an Inquiry-Based Learning environment.  This is because it allows students to think for themselves, really understand a concept without having to memorize, and work in a collaborative environment with their peers.

Inspiration can HELP students Organize Information...

Inspiration can help students organize information because it provides them with an opportunity to express their thoughts in a highly efficient way.  Just look at this sample, it depicts the uses of Inspiration "plain as day" so students can better understand the process.  Whether students are brainstorming, analyzing information (in language arts: characters, setting, etc.) or working on a comparing and contrasting list, they will love this application!  

I find Inspiration difficult to navigate, as I am a perfectionist, and it is hard to make each "bubble" exactly to my liking, but I feel that with more practice, I may overcome this hurdle!

eTips & UDL Reflection

Reflecting on Dexter's eTips article, the added value for the uses of technology can be linked to both in the classroom and school-wide environments.  Within the classroom, the value for technology has to do with individual student needs, like allowing them to see or hear their works for a better chance to edit.  As well as, having an audience where students can evaluate each other in a non-competitive way.  School-wide technology can be useful for staff, faculty, and administration because it keeps people connected even behind closed doors.  Overbooking a conference room or after-school event will be caught through an online calendar or school website.
This all links to UDL (Universal Design Learning) because UDL is the belief that all students should be provided with equal opportunities for learning with their best interests and styles at the forefront.  Students need to be encouraged to use a learning plan design for their individual needs where they can excel in every content area because they had the flexibility to use the medium that is best suited for them.
I believe that teachers need to work hardest in this area to provide students with the opportunity to succeed in the best way they know how to.  In this realm, Multiple Intelligences could be used to work with UDL and provide students with a safe place to work with technology and "add value" to their individualized curriculum!