Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Monday, 25 June 2012
Technology Assessment #1- Enabling Dreams
I taught my very first choir this past school year. Developing lessons plans seemed fairly simple as I have been in many choirs before. Students walk in, I take attendance, do vocal warn ups and exercises, let them listen to a new song, pass out music sheets, drill their vocal parts, and do a rough run through until the end of the period. Everything worked perfectly in my head until a blind student assisted by a one-to-one aide walked in. As teachers, we need to be able to think fast and have a back up plan. In order for this individual to be successful in a choir class, he would have to sit near the teacher or a students willing to sing loud enough and be given the opportunity to listen to the music over and over again to the point of memorization. Memorizing comes along as the whole class rehearses with just the instrumental music. In music, successful repetition is our best teacher (West, 2012).
Devising a lesson plan to accommodate this student's needs allowed for different ways to make myself available to him. It was not very easy at first, but in this new digital age there is an answer to everything. I began burning CDs with all the songs we were performing or planning to perform along with providing him with the sheet music so not to feel different from any of his classmates. This accommodation is not quite unique. I am aware that there are teachers who've done the same. I was given music files on a CD for upcoming concerts. The different is that to this young, blind student who loves to sing his heart out, a CD, mp3 player, iPod, computer, TV, and anything else that produces sound, is his connection to the world. Handing him a CD felt very different than when I have done the same for other students.
There are a number of ways a blind student can be successful in music as a composer or performer. If I could suggest to the school to invest in a Braille embosser or a Braille Translation Software that can convert music notes to Braille by using a computer and Braille embosser, every blind student to ever walk through a music class would finally learn how to read or understand music in a very different way. It would mean extra training for the teacher that will be very much worth it. My suggestion to teachers, especially music teachers, is to find out the different kinds of technology that are out there for different types of disabilities. One can never know their next challenge so a teacher may as well keep a list of resources to refer to.
Lesson plans to accommodate disabled students are integral and I agree with the inclusion to do so. It is important that steps are being taken to assist and accommodate students with disabilities because not only is it against the law (GDRL, 2012), it is what's right. No longer can disabled children feel unimportant or underprivileged. Every child must have equal educational opportunities. Although extra effort will be needed to make accommodations for certain types of lessons, any way a child can participate in an activity and feel involved in the class is appropriate for helping disabled children especially if there are a lack of resources. For any type of revised lesson plan, as long as the student is engaged, gets along with his or her peers, and learning is occurring, the revisions are conducive and appropriate for accommodating the needs of the individual.
References:
West, Thomas J. (August 2012) The Key to Effective Music Practice: Efficient and Successful Repetition. Retrieved on June 24, 2012 from KEMP.
A Guide to Disability Rights Law. (April 2012) Retrieved on June 24, 2012 from www.ADA.gov.
Devising a lesson plan to accommodate this student's needs allowed for different ways to make myself available to him. It was not very easy at first, but in this new digital age there is an answer to everything. I began burning CDs with all the songs we were performing or planning to perform along with providing him with the sheet music so not to feel different from any of his classmates. This accommodation is not quite unique. I am aware that there are teachers who've done the same. I was given music files on a CD for upcoming concerts. The different is that to this young, blind student who loves to sing his heart out, a CD, mp3 player, iPod, computer, TV, and anything else that produces sound, is his connection to the world. Handing him a CD felt very different than when I have done the same for other students.
There are a number of ways a blind student can be successful in music as a composer or performer. If I could suggest to the school to invest in a Braille embosser or a Braille Translation Software that can convert music notes to Braille by using a computer and Braille embosser, every blind student to ever walk through a music class would finally learn how to read or understand music in a very different way. It would mean extra training for the teacher that will be very much worth it. My suggestion to teachers, especially music teachers, is to find out the different kinds of technology that are out there for different types of disabilities. One can never know their next challenge so a teacher may as well keep a list of resources to refer to.
Lesson plans to accommodate disabled students are integral and I agree with the inclusion to do so. It is important that steps are being taken to assist and accommodate students with disabilities because not only is it against the law (GDRL, 2012), it is what's right. No longer can disabled children feel unimportant or underprivileged. Every child must have equal educational opportunities. Although extra effort will be needed to make accommodations for certain types of lessons, any way a child can participate in an activity and feel involved in the class is appropriate for helping disabled children especially if there are a lack of resources. For any type of revised lesson plan, as long as the student is engaged, gets along with his or her peers, and learning is occurring, the revisions are conducive and appropriate for accommodating the needs of the individual.
References:
West, Thomas J. (August 2012) The Key to Effective Music Practice: Efficient and Successful Repetition. Retrieved on June 24, 2012 from KEMP.
A Guide to Disability Rights Law. (April 2012) Retrieved on June 24, 2012 from www.ADA.gov.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Digital Safety Reflection
I think digital safety is a topic not discussed too often in the homes. My parents are not very tech savvy and therefore wouldn't be familiar with any of the implications or dangers that online activity can have except for what they hear on the news. I'm sure they've gathered a few things here and there and know what to avoid. Now that I am familiarizing myself with so many digital safety issues, it would be beneficial for my family to learn more about it through short presentations or pamphlets so they are fully aware and can forward the information to other parents.It is definitely important and imperative that students and adults recognize the dangers of being linked to the World Wide Web and help prevent it from happening. You hear and read of so many stories and crimes in the news that connect kidnapping to fake online profiles and the such, that online safety needs to be taken to a whole other level. And it starts with parents and teachers informing their children.
All five of the the topics discussed in regards to digital safety are essential in the digital world. It covers all the issues that deal with children being safe online. I liked the idea of tying all of these safety issues into an educational unit because it makes complete sense to inform future teachers and parents about online safety so they have the knowledge to advise their students and children about how to behave online and what you can expect. Children may not understand the importance right away, but the best way to prevent an incident from happening is warning them about it first.
One way we can reach students about the dangers and concerns of being safe online is to have a "Being Safe Online" contest. A list of topics can be given to them and they can enter in any category such as the five we discussed in class. There will be guidelines to follow and a list of multimedia tools that are acceptable- slideshow, video, poster, etc. I believe this contest will serve as a way to discuss challenges and educate students about making safe and responsible choices in the digital age especially with cyber bullying. It also touches on incorporating technology. It covers NETS*T Standards 1 which is facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity. It will also promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness and engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources (ISTE, 2011).
Cyber bullying is the topic my partner and I covered. It is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person (Kidshealth, 2012). The more I read on it, the better informed I was on how to prevent it or the steps I can take as a teacher and maybe one day a parent. I remember telling a friend that students nowadays are so in tune with each other because of the internet and social networking sites, but it also creates tension between old friends which can later snow ball into something more serious and negative with the use of computers, mobile phones, and other affordable gadgets.
One of the tools my partner and I used to complete this project aside from face to face interaction was Wiggio. At first I wasn't too thrilled, but then I started to play around with the tool and I've grown fond of it. It shares so many different kinds of files that Gmail cannot do with its Google Docs. I was so amazed at how easy it was to share the finished eBook with my partner. A simple click of a button and VOILA! Another great aspect of this tool is that Wiggio can act as an online storage system. If your computer is loaded with so many projects, you can upload it to Wiggio and then delete it from your computer. It's a great space saver, I think. I sincerely enjoyed this creating an eBook mainly because I've never done it before. It allowed me to utilize the different tools and programs that were always in my computer but never opened. If I do a little more research, I am sure I'd be able to expand my technological skills.
One of the tools my partner and I used to complete this project aside from face to face interaction was Wiggio. At first I wasn't too thrilled, but then I started to play around with the tool and I've grown fond of it. It shares so many different kinds of files that Gmail cannot do with its Google Docs. I was so amazed at how easy it was to share the finished eBook with my partner. A simple click of a button and VOILA! Another great aspect of this tool is that Wiggio can act as an online storage system. If your computer is loaded with so many projects, you can upload it to Wiggio and then delete it from your computer. It's a great space saver, I think. I sincerely enjoyed this creating an eBook mainly because I've never done it before. It allowed me to utilize the different tools and programs that were always in my computer but never opened. If I do a little more research, I am sure I'd be able to expand my technological skills.
References:
Kidshealth. (2012) Cyberbullying. Retrieved June 18, 2012 from Kidshealth.
International Society for Technology in Education. (2011) Retrieved June 18, 2012 from ISTE
International Society for Technology in Education. (2011) Retrieved June 18, 2012 from ISTE
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Monday, 11 June 2012
Online Educational Game Rubric
Our rubric is based on 5 categories. Each category is rated on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Below this paragraph is the score of how we rated the online game per category.
Content- 4
Layout- 4
Navigation- 4
Interest- 4
Background- 4
Total= 20 pts
Point System
15-20 Excellent
10-15 Good
5-10 Fair
1-5 Poor
My partner and I concluded that Jeopardy- Music Terms & More is online game that is effective for student learning. The content was accurate, the layout was visible and easy to read, the navigation is simple and straight forward, the graphics, color, and learning content was interesting, and the background visual was very consistent and didn't detract the audience from playing the game. Overall, this educational game received a total of 20 points for excellent and effective website planning and execution.
Content- 4
Layout- 4
Navigation- 4
Interest- 4
Background- 4
Total= 20 pts
Point System
15-20 Excellent
10-15 Good
5-10 Fair
1-5 Poor
Online Educational Game Reflection
Coming up with a rubric to grade the online educational game we chose wasn't as difficult as we thought it would be. There were several criteria we based our judgment on- content, layout, navigation, student interest, and background. We believed these criteria encompasses all that makes an online educational game successful. The rubric is readable and and straightforward. Adding too many categories isn't necessary and it will avoid too much reading. There were a few guidelines that helped us create a rubric that serves its purpose. Among them are gather samples of rubrics, think about the criteria, limit the number for criteria, focus descriptions of quality on the positive, use professional language, use clear language, and revise and refine (SEDL, 2012). I feel that we accomplished the task of creating an effective rubric for an online educational game.
After creating a video presentation on this music game, I could honestly say that I am motivated to use this activity for a lesson review with my students. I had always meant to play a game of jeopardy with my class, but didn't know how I would be able to create an effective one on the board. This game had every important category of music set up and ready to go. All I need is a projector and some music playing in the background. This is a great activity for a whole-class review given that I am not able to assign students to a computer to work with. It is an excellent lesson review.
The standards that I believe are incorporated in this educational game is NETS*T 3a: Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning (ISTE, 2011). I spent a good amount of time researching and evaluating the different types of rubrics that are available online. Knowing how to create an effective rubric is essential to student learning. The students need to know what they're being graded on and the teachers need to know how to grade students. It's a very important criteria on judging a piece of work. I learned a great deal in coming up with a rubric that satisfies our justification on why this online educational game is successful in student learning.
After creating a video presentation on this music game, I could honestly say that I am motivated to use this activity for a lesson review with my students. I had always meant to play a game of jeopardy with my class, but didn't know how I would be able to create an effective one on the board. This game had every important category of music set up and ready to go. All I need is a projector and some music playing in the background. This is a great activity for a whole-class review given that I am not able to assign students to a computer to work with. It is an excellent lesson review.
The standards that I believe are incorporated in this educational game is NETS*T 3a: Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning (ISTE, 2011). I spent a good amount of time researching and evaluating the different types of rubrics that are available online. Knowing how to create an effective rubric is essential to student learning. The students need to know what they're being graded on and the teachers need to know how to grade students. It's a very important criteria on judging a piece of work. I learned a great deal in coming up with a rubric that satisfies our justification on why this online educational game is successful in student learning.
References:
ISTE: International Society for Technology in Education. (2011) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved June 12, 2012, from ISTE.
SEDL: Advancing Research, Improving Education. (2012) Guidelines for Constructing Effective Rubrics. Retrieved June 12, 2012 from SEDL.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)