Hey everyone,
Recently I have started practicum and I have a year 4 class. This term we're looking at Magnets and I am required to do a number of lesson that teach students about magnets and its attraction to other magnetic objects. After the final lesson I would set up a game on the interactive whiteboard to rap up the lesson and reinforce the information they (the students) have just learnt. This is the Magnet game, there's also a follow up worksheet that links with this game if teachers want to further reinforce the information if students still have difficulty:
Teachers give this a game a go, my students loved it!
Here's a link to the game: Magnet Game
I came across Matthew Kearney's blog post (read blog here) about technology use for children with disability. To be honest with you I actually haven't thought about those children who are unable to communicate properly what they're thinking or their opinions. This is something I will definitely be interested researching more on in the future. Watching the video that Mr Kearney posted along with the blog, it just reaffirmed my appreciation of how important and signifincant today's technology can have impact on special needs children. iTouch and iPads are increasingly popular as a educational tool.
Here's the video mentioned above:
I started my 3rd practicum today and my cooperating teacher and I were discussing the implementation of interactive whiteboards that are suitable for special needs children. In my practicum classroom we have a stylus control interactive white board (there are two types of IWB - stylus control and finger touch sensitive control see IWB description website). This apparent stylus controlled IWB allows students that have little control of urges to touch and do what they please because of their disability, a chance to have better concentration as the board doesn't allow them to access movement of the whiteboard screen. This also benefits the teacher as websites and documents won't be accidently deleted due to fiddly hands.
Until next time folks!
An article (see article here) by the Irish Times has reported that St Coleman’s College in Claremorris has indeed given it's students a choice of replacing heavy books with iPads. I like the fact that the principle at this college has embraced technology and its inevitable presence in the 21st century culture, he states that “It is a bit of a unique idea, but we have to continue to move with the times".
I have a mixed thoughts when it comes to the idea of completely replacing traditional books with Apple iPads. Here are the reasons why I have mixed feelings about incorporating iPads instead of books.
- First off, the cost wise of these things according to St Coleman is €700, although paid over three years, it is still a costly device.
- Books have always been around as a facilitator and knowledge filled object that has worked in favour of education.
- With the growing rate of information found on the internet and educational apps, iPads are a heavy-free, accessible mechanism of information.
- iPads can be lost or broken. Information and assignments can be lost if unwanted currcumstances happen, which is inevitable with technology.
- Books can be lost, BUT the information will always be accessible as they are hardcopies.
So what do you think? For or against replacing books with iPads? To be honest I cannot make up my mind unless I actually experience and use this type of technology for my own classroom.
Until next time folks.
Fallon, J. (2011, May 30). School replaces books with iPads. Irish TImes. Retrieved from http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0530/1224298059002.html
Image source link:
Hey all
Throughout high school and university I've always known and used Microsoft powerpoint. As useful and reliable as it is and I'll probably still use it in the future, BUT recently my friend Jenny introduced me to a website called Prezi. I'm not paid by the company to say this but this site is amazing!!!!
This tool makes powerpoint presentations look yawn-worthy, never again will you bore the living joy of your classroom again. Prezi works as (the title shortly describes) a presentation, except the program makes amazing zooms into texts and images, allows instant play of Youtube videos, but most importantly a different and exciting way to present speeches and presentation that powerpoint would dream of giving.
I must warn though, editing a Prezi is somewhat complex at first, especially if you are inefficient when it comes to technology, but once you play around with it and make a few draft Prezis, you can thank me later.
Here's a prezi I made for a class at university:
http://prezi.com/glrnzydqoqiu/gender-and-sexuality-presentation/
This is a great educational tool to introduce to your student in class as a teaching tool or even a tool students can use for assignments. I highly recommend teachers and training teachers to give prezi a go, HAPPY PREZI-ING EVERYONE.
Prezi Website
Until next time folks.
TchnMishra, P. & Koehler, M. J. (2009). Too cool for school? No way! Learning & Leading
With Technology, 36(7), 14-18. (See attached pdf)The reading for this week was very interesting in the way that it mentions the role of teachers and implementing technology into the classroom. Mishra and Koehler (2009) advocates what is known as the TPACK Framework. To find out more about this framework please read on......
What do we consider technology to be?
The authors mention that "technology is all the new stuff that appeared after we are born"(pg 15), the statement really made me think of what I consider is technology and to be honest I was surprised to realise this statement is somewhat true to me. The things I consider technology would be Nintendo 3DS, 3D TV, electronic whiteboards, heated toilet seats, Iphones and robots. But this reading has made me recognised that technology also includes cars, websites, and even pencils!
Although all of these are technology, they also require the training or qualified teacher to understand all the pros and cons before applying it into the classroom, which is where using the TPACK framework is a MUST!!!!
If educators are to repurpose tools and integrate them into their teaching, they require a specific kind of knowledge that we call technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK)", (pg 15).
The teacher and quality teaching.
As a training teacher, I am required to teach in light of pedagogical frameworks, an abundance array of contents to students. Doing so is not so simple, Professor Lee Shulman suggest an important factor that capsulizes the essence of the teaching profession, " teachers have specialized knowledge that sets them apart from other profession" (pg15). This special knowledge as Shulman puts it is called "pedagogical content knowledge". It's the knowledge that teachers acquire to produce quality teaching, where students are both intellectually challenged and enjoy learning all together.
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The topic of technology can be both feared by baby bloomer aged teachers or embraced by modern fresh out of a teaching degree teachers. But one thing is certain, technology is everywhere and thus teaching with it is almost too essential. Whether a tech nerd or a tech noob, all teachers shouldtake on board what is known as "Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework" (TPACK) (pg16).
What is the TPACK framework
More generally the TPACK framework brings technology, pedagogy and content to make meaning learning. The teachers role most important is to dive deeply into creating and repurposing technology for educational use, manly because most of the technology out there was not made for classroom uses. Though in order for this to happen, the teacher must first understand and become 'experts' at that technology, as well as pedagogical issues and the content in which they teach.
To find out more about the TPACK framework, check out www.tpack.org
Until next time folks.
Credits to FlickrCC for the images.
There is nothing better than providing children education, take a look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Article 26.
- (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
Hole-in-The-Wall Education Limited (HiWEL) founded by Dr. Sugata Mitra, who has grasp this idea of providing children with technoloy to help foster them into the ever-connected world. Hole in the Wall aims to provide public located computer stalls on the walls of streets in slum areas. Children from these areas have no or very little access to technology, therefore this program benefits them greatly. Children are allowed to individually or collaboratively, explore the wonders of computation and improve on their literacy skills. Gemma's blog shares a more detailed explanation about this program, so check it out!
To find out more about this organisation visit the Hole in the Wall website.
Until next time folks.
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