Using technology to enhance students learning is not a new concept. Teachers have been capable of creating ways to use technology for a while. Technology enhances student learning through a number of ways. One advantage is that you can use technology to enrich your lessons. Teachers and student can do more research on a topic and then present the information to the class. They can share information together and gain differing ideas and opinions. Technology can also be used to improve your presentation of the material to the class. It can gain attention and hold it better then just a simple speaker sharing information. Students are more interested in bright colors, cool graphics, then just the information being present. It helps the speaker communicate information.
The disadvantages of using technology and tools within the classroom, are that students may be just interested in the actual power point and means of presenting the information then the information itself. It might take away too much from the information. Students may also abuse the technology and tools used to enhance their learning. They may see the group discussion as a time to share inappropriate information. Students also might use the computer not for homework and the project but simply for surfing the web.
As educators, we have to be careful about how we present our information to our students. We need to use the web but we also need to use it to its best abilities and not as a simple fix it for teaching. We also need to be careful that we are teaching our students how to use the information properly. There is a fine line that we need to draw clearly as teachers in order for our students to know where their boundaries are, otherwise, they will continue to push the limits because they did not know how to rightly use the tools and technology given to them.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship is how someone conducts themself with technology. It means that everyone should know how to handle and act online. However, does the things online follow the laws and standars we expect from people in public? Yes it does. There are laws about how you should act online. You cannot hack into other people's information, download illegal music, plagiarize, stalk, or bully.
It is important to teach standards about how to act online becuase we all should be held to a high standard; the same standard that you would expect from someone in a face to face situation should be the same standard we are held to in the cyber world. There is no difference between the two. As teachers, we first and foremost need to hold ourselves to higher standards. We need to watch how our facebooks, and social networking sites look to our students. We need to be their role models. This can also protect us from law suits and different things that can happen due to the internet. However, we have to remember that we do have freedom of speech and press. We are able to have a voice outside of the classroom. But we must remember that we need to be careful about how we are presenting ourselves to our students.
Another big factor is that our students need to see the right way of how to conduct themselves on the web. It is very important that they learn from us what is appropiate and what is not. Students need to be edcuated about how to protect themselves online. It is so important that we teach the students how to act online. We need to take the responsiblitiy for teaching our students about how to act online.
http://myfootprintsd.com/index.html
Here is a great website to help you understand how to use the web and how to help your students understand what is appropriate and what is not.
It is important to teach standards about how to act online becuase we all should be held to a high standard; the same standard that you would expect from someone in a face to face situation should be the same standard we are held to in the cyber world. There is no difference between the two. As teachers, we first and foremost need to hold ourselves to higher standards. We need to watch how our facebooks, and social networking sites look to our students. We need to be their role models. This can also protect us from law suits and different things that can happen due to the internet. However, we have to remember that we do have freedom of speech and press. We are able to have a voice outside of the classroom. But we must remember that we need to be careful about how we are presenting ourselves to our students.
Another big factor is that our students need to see the right way of how to conduct themselves on the web. It is very important that they learn from us what is appropiate and what is not. Students need to be edcuated about how to protect themselves online. It is so important that we teach the students how to act online. We need to take the responsiblitiy for teaching our students about how to act online.
http://myfootprintsd.com/index.html
Here is a great website to help you understand how to use the web and how to help your students understand what is appropriate and what is not.
Validity of the Internet?
The Internet is a wonderful source that provides different information for different topics. It provides communication from person to person in social networking. But how can we know if the source or site of the Internet is valid or true? Is there an Internet source that can be trusted and used without the public having to wonder about if it is valid?
To help us understand if the website itself is valid, ask yourself is the website open for public contribution. This would make the website less valid because the public contributions are not always true and accurate. It is important to read what you find on the Internet and compare it to a source that you either know is valid or is outside of the web.
Here is a website that can help you evaluate websites you are having concerns about.
http://www.philb.com/fakesites.htm
http://acoachma.tripod.com/
To help us understand if the website itself is valid, ask yourself is the website open for public contribution. This would make the website less valid because the public contributions are not always true and accurate. It is important to read what you find on the Internet and compare it to a source that you either know is valid or is outside of the web.
Here is a website that can help you evaluate websites you are having concerns about.
http://www.philb.com/fakesites.htm
http://acoachma.tripod.com/
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