Virtual Classroom
What is a Virtual Classroom?
For this weeks blog I decided to write about an article that describes what a virtaul classroom is. Before starting I really had no clue what a virtaul classroom was or what capabilities it had.
The article states that a Virtual Classroom is private online space in Blackboard that teachers can use to support student learning. This is a great tool because it can be used 24/7 inside or outside the classroom. It can provide things like group and individual learning activities, discussions and chats with students, quizzes and surveys, homework activities, online courses, forums, and webquests. Students and staff are the only ones that can access the cirtual classroom.
I think that this technology is great for the classroom because it promotes learning outside of the classroom. It gives a student the ability to communicate with other students as well as check and post work. I am definitely a fan of any type of technology that allows students to work outside of the classroom. Sometimes people learn better at different times and their brain is more alert at and in different situations. This gives the teacher a chance to see if a student is learning better when not in the classroom setting. I also like the fact that it gives parents a chance to get involved in their childs school and learning life. It actually gives them the opportunity to be their own childs teacher outside of class. I think thats cool because parents always want to know whats going on and with this they can actually be a huge part of the learning experience!
Overall I think that this is just another great example of how technology is changing the classroom for the better. When I become a teacher I will definitely incorporate this into my class! I would like to know how well the students learn at their own pace with this technology. It would be very interesting to know how "far" they might go into a lesson or subject without the teacher watching over them.
Here is the article!:
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/onlinelearning/virtual-classroom.html
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Apple Video Streaming Solution
Apple Video Streaming Solution
One network, many uses
This week I decided to blog about an article I read while doing a little updating with my ipod. This article, from Apple, talks about how streaming video can be used in the classroom. The article says that "Streaming video over your high-speed network is an outstanding way to leverage your investment and increase both student and teacher achievement". Basically rather than taking time to download video on the computer, streaming video is instantanious and is in real time so a teacher can use it right when it is happening.
In some of my observations this semester, I was blown away by all the technology being used in the classrooms. One of these was the use of streaming video. In one of the social studies classes a teacher was watching a news coverage of the Presidential campaigns and have students taking notes. In another class the school wa putting on a school news broadcast with students as the reporters. This type of techmology is definitely on the cutting edge and keeps the students attention. Instead of teachers having to check out tapes, that can become damaged, they can draw from a huge digital bank of lessons and cool study aids to help with the lesson or to just present info to broaden students perspective. Streaming video is also very cost effective in the classroom, eliminating costs of storage and storage devices. Its cool too because Apple Video Streaming Solution is eligible for federal funding under eRate and the No Child Left Behind Act.
I think that in the age we are living in today that teachers need to be on the cutting edge and educated on all forms of technology available. Its funny because after observing some of the classes I saw students further along with technology than some of the teachers. I think that streaming video is an excellent tool in presenting valuable lessons in the classroom and gives the class a chance to be connected to anyone, anywhere and at any time.
The only problem I see with streaming video is the cost involved in getting it set up. It seems that the start up costs might be a little pricey, but definitely is a good investment in the long run. I think that after seeing what I saw in my observations that this is would be a great tool in any classroom!
Heres a link to the article I read:
http://www.apple.com/education/it/videostreaming.html
One network, many uses
This week I decided to blog about an article I read while doing a little updating with my ipod. This article, from Apple, talks about how streaming video can be used in the classroom. The article says that "Streaming video over your high-speed network is an outstanding way to leverage your investment and increase both student and teacher achievement". Basically rather than taking time to download video on the computer, streaming video is instantanious and is in real time so a teacher can use it right when it is happening.
In some of my observations this semester, I was blown away by all the technology being used in the classrooms. One of these was the use of streaming video. In one of the social studies classes a teacher was watching a news coverage of the Presidential campaigns and have students taking notes. In another class the school wa putting on a school news broadcast with students as the reporters. This type of techmology is definitely on the cutting edge and keeps the students attention. Instead of teachers having to check out tapes, that can become damaged, they can draw from a huge digital bank of lessons and cool study aids to help with the lesson or to just present info to broaden students perspective. Streaming video is also very cost effective in the classroom, eliminating costs of storage and storage devices. Its cool too because Apple Video Streaming Solution is eligible for federal funding under eRate and the No Child Left Behind Act.
I think that in the age we are living in today that teachers need to be on the cutting edge and educated on all forms of technology available. Its funny because after observing some of the classes I saw students further along with technology than some of the teachers. I think that streaming video is an excellent tool in presenting valuable lessons in the classroom and gives the class a chance to be connected to anyone, anywhere and at any time.
The only problem I see with streaming video is the cost involved in getting it set up. It seems that the start up costs might be a little pricey, but definitely is a good investment in the long run. I think that after seeing what I saw in my observations that this is would be a great tool in any classroom!
Heres a link to the article I read:
http://www.apple.com/education/it/videostreaming.html
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Understanding the Podcasting Revolution
Understanding the Podcasting Revolution
By Alicia Bankhofer
For this week's blog I decided to write about an article I read about the Podcast revolution. The article starts off by talking about how the technology actually developed and goes on to discuss all the possibilities that it has and what the future might hold for podcasting. The article states that "Podcasting is a natural extension of the blogging phenomenon, which has continued to grow over the past few years. Many podcasters start out as bloggers, only to expand their platform further to the audio blog."
In the wave of expanding technology we as future teachers really need to be prepared and updated on new types of technology such as podcasting. Kids these days are so far more advanced than the past generations. They are finding newer and quicker ways to discuss everything from political views to their dating life. The use of podcasting in the classroom opens the door to these students to be able to use this technology in very creative and unique ways. As a teacher you can do anything from record a homework assignment or even podcast a lesson for students to listen to while working out or just lying in bed.
I just bought the new i pod video nano last month and boy was I impressed with all that thing had to offer. I actually started getting Joel Osteen podcasts and even started getting podcasts on learning a second language. Then I started thinking....why couldnt I use this in the classroom when I become a teacher? Its funny that this was this week's topic because I have been doing soem research on podcasting and its endless capabilities. My first idea is to use this to reinforce the days lesson by creating a weekly podcast that goes over the notes in some type of creative way (music, video, etc). I also have lots of ideas for students to participate in. All in all I am very excited about using this technology in the classroom and can't wait to see just how much it will improve by the time I graduate.
The only issue I see with this technology is being able to bridge the digital divide and provide this technology to lower income students. I do see this being a major concern and wonder if someday the school system would provide some sort of assistence or discount in getting i pods.
This was a good artice and you can check it out by clicking here:
http://ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/understanding-the-podcasting-revolution/
By Alicia Bankhofer
For this week's blog I decided to write about an article I read about the Podcast revolution. The article starts off by talking about how the technology actually developed and goes on to discuss all the possibilities that it has and what the future might hold for podcasting. The article states that "Podcasting is a natural extension of the blogging phenomenon, which has continued to grow over the past few years. Many podcasters start out as bloggers, only to expand their platform further to the audio blog."
In the wave of expanding technology we as future teachers really need to be prepared and updated on new types of technology such as podcasting. Kids these days are so far more advanced than the past generations. They are finding newer and quicker ways to discuss everything from political views to their dating life. The use of podcasting in the classroom opens the door to these students to be able to use this technology in very creative and unique ways. As a teacher you can do anything from record a homework assignment or even podcast a lesson for students to listen to while working out or just lying in bed.
I just bought the new i pod video nano last month and boy was I impressed with all that thing had to offer. I actually started getting Joel Osteen podcasts and even started getting podcasts on learning a second language. Then I started thinking....why couldnt I use this in the classroom when I become a teacher? Its funny that this was this week's topic because I have been doing soem research on podcasting and its endless capabilities. My first idea is to use this to reinforce the days lesson by creating a weekly podcast that goes over the notes in some type of creative way (music, video, etc). I also have lots of ideas for students to participate in. All in all I am very excited about using this technology in the classroom and can't wait to see just how much it will improve by the time I graduate.
The only issue I see with this technology is being able to bridge the digital divide and provide this technology to lower income students. I do see this being a major concern and wonder if someday the school system would provide some sort of assistence or discount in getting i pods.
This was a good artice and you can check it out by clicking here:
http://ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/understanding-the-podcasting-revolution/
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Digital Imagery in the Classroom Week 6
Digital Imagery in the Classroom
Paul Heinrich, November 2002. First published in "Connected 10".
The article I chose to write my blog about was using digital imagery in the classroom. The article first introduced the fact that this technology has been around for quite some time but its just been recently that cheap and reliable cameras have become available. The article talked about ways to use this technology in the classroom and gave some interesting findings on what types of pictures or images different age levels are interested in. This article also went into to some of the technical aspects of using this type of technology.
The use of photography and digital imagery in the classroom is a great way to teach students ways to learn or think outside the box. Its interesting to read that younger children, when given the opportunity to use photography, like to capture emaotionally stimulating pictures such as their parents and also visually stimulating pictures like bright colors. The fact that children at the age of only four are able to capture images and take photographs. This is amazing to me and just shows how far we've advanced in technology in the past few decades. The article talked about how older students (11 yrs old) started taking pictures of natural settings without people. Teenagers were more likely to use the camera for social events, capturing images of their friends. This technology can be used in so many ways in the classroom and gives the teacher a large array of options on how and when to use this to inhance a leasson.
In my opinion the use of digital imagery in the classroom is a newer cost effective way to stimulate students and to allow them to use a hands on tool to enhance the learning experience. I myself love the digital camera and couldn't put it down the first time I used one. I plan on using this technology a lot when I become a teacher and am excited about all the possibilities and creative options I can have with a digital camera.
I think it would be interesting to do more research in the use of this technology with different age groups. As a fan of psychology I found it very interesting to read about these different findings in the article and would love to do a little investigating myself.
You can read this article yourself by clicking on this link:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/heinrich/papers_6.htm
Paul Heinrich, November 2002. First published in "Connected 10".
The article I chose to write my blog about was using digital imagery in the classroom. The article first introduced the fact that this technology has been around for quite some time but its just been recently that cheap and reliable cameras have become available. The article talked about ways to use this technology in the classroom and gave some interesting findings on what types of pictures or images different age levels are interested in. This article also went into to some of the technical aspects of using this type of technology.
The use of photography and digital imagery in the classroom is a great way to teach students ways to learn or think outside the box. Its interesting to read that younger children, when given the opportunity to use photography, like to capture emaotionally stimulating pictures such as their parents and also visually stimulating pictures like bright colors. The fact that children at the age of only four are able to capture images and take photographs. This is amazing to me and just shows how far we've advanced in technology in the past few decades. The article talked about how older students (11 yrs old) started taking pictures of natural settings without people. Teenagers were more likely to use the camera for social events, capturing images of their friends. This technology can be used in so many ways in the classroom and gives the teacher a large array of options on how and when to use this to inhance a leasson.
In my opinion the use of digital imagery in the classroom is a newer cost effective way to stimulate students and to allow them to use a hands on tool to enhance the learning experience. I myself love the digital camera and couldn't put it down the first time I used one. I plan on using this technology a lot when I become a teacher and am excited about all the possibilities and creative options I can have with a digital camera.
I think it would be interesting to do more research in the use of this technology with different age groups. As a fan of psychology I found it very interesting to read about these different findings in the article and would love to do a little investigating myself.
You can read this article yourself by clicking on this link:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/heinrich/papers_6.htm
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