Computer Virus - Week 8

So this is the last blog for this class and I can honestly say I have enjoyed creating this blog as well as adding new posts. It's a useful and easy to use forum in which to share my opinion and I will certainly be implementing this in my classroom.

As far as security on the computers at school go, I know that we use McAfee which is a company that provides people and business which antivirus software and computer protection. Every single ocmputer in the school in protected and for the most part, it has been effective in keeping viruses at bay.

However, my first year of teaching which was the 2008-2009 school, the system at school started to run very slowly. We figured it was the increase in computers as we had added an additional computer lab just a couple of weeks prior to that school year beginning.

A month in to school, it was obvious that something was wrong as everyone in the school began getting messages on their computer stating the computer will shut down in 60 seconds if we didn't install something - I can't remember the specifics. The tech people came in and thought they had fixed it.

A couple of days later, most teachers could not even control their computer and the message returned. I am not sure as to what kind of virus we had, but it was certainly something that paralyzed our ability to use our computers for nearly a week before the problem was resolved.

Technology is an extremely helpful and useful tool but it certainly is not something that should be taken lightly as their are always going to be people in the world that seek to destroy you, the computer you are using, or both. While the benefits to using technology far outweight the negatives, it is crucial to first be protected in terms of internet usage so that all work and information that you put on the computer is safeguarded as best as possible.

I will certainly work hard to implement technology in my classroom this year as I find it necessary in order to ensure the success of my students as technology is a part of their daily lives.

Educational Software - Week 7

I cannot believe it is already week 7!! It has been a challenging seven weeks but certainly a beneficial one. I have learned a great deal about technology and have already inserted several pieces of technology into my first unit's lesson plans. I believe that the times have indicated that technological software is advancing to the point where it is necessary to include technological advancements in the classroom setting to heighten our students desire to learn.

After reading about the seven types of educational software, I can honestly say that I have, to the date in my teaching career, included about four of them in my classroom. As a math teacher, however, I have found it a little more challenging to find appropriate and useful software.

This past schoolyear, I actually was given the opportunity to purchase educational software called Kidspiration. This is software that develops visual learning in any educational subject or topic. I introduced Kidspiration while working with fractions. You can always tell a student how to add or subtract fractions, however it is much more useful if they are able to see visuals and manipulate things in order to grasp the concept in an easier way. My students were able to create fraction bars that matched the fraction given and this made them more accountable for their learning.

I used it to talk about rational numbers which is a large objective in the 7th grade year. They had to create a venn diagram and compare and contrast. The students were so intrigued by the visuals and the ability to copy and paste pictures that they paid more attention to the actual content without even realizing it.

Kidspiration is easy to use and manipulate which makes it an even more attractive educational software tool.

The second piece of software that my entire school uses is something called Compass Learning. This is a program where teachers from the county can submit activities or quizzes/tests that other teachers are able to use for the purposes of their own classroom. Students are each given an id number and they go onto the their Compass Learning site. Once there, they can only access the activities or assessments that I have chosen for them to use.

For instance, last year I wanted to give my students a practice test on geometry after we finished our unit. I log on to the teacher site for Compass Learning. I searched through many geometry assessments that are provided by the county but also by teachers. I chose one and assigned it to each student. The students then take the assessment. They are immediately given results. From there, they are given drill and practice and problem solving activities to remediate or practice on the areas that they failed or did poorly on. After this, they will take the post-assessment. I will be provided with a spreadsheet of all scores for all parts for each student.

I enjoy Compass Learning as it is easily accessible and easy to navigate. Since it is tied to teachers throughout the county, it is also organized with content standards and objectives so that I know what I am giving will be relevant and useful towards the success and knowledge of the current topic in my class. I also like that it is individualized for each students learning style and needs.

Web Quests

During this week, I have been reading quite a bit about creating and using web quests in the classroom. I have heard of web quests in the past, however, I, as an educator, have never been taught how to use one or create one.

Web Quests are used take students through a process where they are given the opportunity to take learning into their own hands. There are seven parts of a web quests and they are: introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credit, and teacher page. Web Quests are broken up in seven parts so that students are able to follow the quest in order for them to actually learn from the experience and not being overwhelmed by the process. The point is not to confuse the students or to see if they can figure it out, however, it is for them to be able to navigate in order to learn and produce a desired result.

Initially, I was overwhelmed by the topics that could be chosen in order to create a web quest. After thinking about it I realized there are so many topics in math that I believe are overlooked and I have a great opportunity one quarter out of the school year called core plus where I am able to teach or remediate basic math skills. I chose to focus on check writing and budgeting.

After I decided on my topic, I realized that I could not only have it to be a web quest but that they can use another form of technology by inserting and organizing their results into a power point. They could then show their peers their power point and given an oral presentation. The students could evaluate all power points and reflect on each groups budget by comparing and contrasting salaries, education, and the life that each group chose to lead.

While web quests are very benefical for students if done correctly, they are very time consuming and so much more goes into creating one than I anticipated although I look forward to creating more web quests in the future and my hope is that the more practice I have creating them, the more beneficial they will be for my students.

Using Technology to Communicate

Using technology is one part of teaching that is strongly enforced, however, not much training has been given to the teachers. In the three years I have been teaching, I have been to two trainings or professional development sessions that have included some form of technology.

In the short time I have been teaching, however, I have always kept a website in which is updated weekly regarding multiple topics where my classroom is concerned. This is a website given to each teacher in the county. It is not something that is mandatory at this point, however, I believe it is only a matter of time before it becomes a piece that is not optional.

Out of forty some teachers, only 11 of us use this tool that is being given to us at no cost and have proven to be an extremely effective tool of communication between myself, my students, and their parents.

The website has information about myself, my educational experience, classroom, phone numbers, email; all necessary contact information for not only the parents but also the students. I have my classes separated into letters such as Core A, B, C, D, E. The parents and/or students can simply click on the page with their corresponding class and find information or updates on assignments, upcoming projects, field trips, supplies that might be needed, as well as recognition of students excelling in sports, academics, or things of that nature.

I think this year I am going to work with students and have them each create a blog. I would like for them to put one entry in each week about something they have learned this week, a question they have, or something relevant to class.

In addition to this I would like to create a discussion board so that students will have the ability to read and comment on their peers opinions and statements. I think that when students get involved in their own learning but also delve into what others are saying and really put in the effort to comment or agree or disagree with their peers it allows them to dig into a subject and view it in a different manner. It's important for students to see things in a multitude of ways.

Technology is something that is changing the way the classroom works and I only hope that perhaps sometime in the near future, school districts realize this and allow the teachers the opportunities to be educated on way to include technology in the classroom instead of just telling us to do it.