video conference and virtual field trip

 

Video conferencing and virtual field trips are becoming more and more normal in class rooms across the nation.  Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a video conference.  I think I would use this activity in my classroom for various assignments.  I would definitely use it for my social studies assignments.  A cool thing I would like to do is set up video conferences around the United States at all the different civil rights hot spots.  I would like to have a weekly conference with Anderson Cooper or Morgan Freeman and have them meet us via video conference and give my eighth grade social studies class lessons and tours of different monuments and why they came to be.

There is a civil rights memorial at the Southern Poverty Law Center.  I would like to virtually take my students there on a field trip and have different law professors talk about the amendments made to the constitution during that time and collaborate with Anderson Cooper and Morgan Freeman to teach my students about all the things our country endured to get equal rights.  Anderson Cooper is my favorite journalist I love the compassion he shows when he’s broadcasting and Morgan Freeman is one of my favorite actors that would surely love the opportunity to be part of such a great lesson. I think I would want to set up the lesson in to a 6 part series like how the History Channel does their documentaries and have Morgan and Anderson take turns discussing different events in history during that time.  As the documentary continues I would use different professors to give their expertise in interviews and show different monuments and news clips from the civil rights movement.

Experiences with technology

Throughout my education at Northern Michigan University I have met Michigan standard 7 and NETS-T standards.  I took a computer class early in my education and learned about how Microsoft Word, power point, excel, and publisher.  I learned so much in that class about putting together aesthetically appealing power points, charts, graphs, and tables.

I had the pleasure of taking Carl Wozniak’s physical and life science classes.  In one of the classes we did a really cool Google earth project where we chose a subject and list different locations on Google earth.  On each location we inserted a picture we either found from that place or thing or a picture taken with Google earth. Then we listed some facts about the place and placed flags all over the globe.  It was AWESOME!!!!! I can’t wait to use this tool with my students and I know they will love it.  He also had us build a bridge and we had access to different software available that contractors and drafters when building bridges.  My favorite assignment was in his physical science class when we were assigned to make an audio power point book for elementary students.  I did mine on the three basic cloud formations and their characteristics and elevation.  I used my son and niece as the main characters.  I loved the outcome and I can’t wait to share it with them when they are older and my future students.   I would totally have them do something like that for a big assignment most likely a group assignment. 

In my methods class I got to do so many cool projects that included using technology.  I recently made a photo story. At first I was really frustrated because I would have done the same thing with power point.  I thought why am I learning this if I already have a method to accomplish the same product?  Photo story was one very different and had elements that power point lacked.  I would absolutely use this tool on my webpage for a summary of my school year and what I do with my students and expect from them. 

In my technology class that I was very doubtful about I did a project every week involving technology.  One of the cool things we had to do was join a few different teaching groups.  I get so many great emails showing me different things other teachers are doing in their class rooms.  A lot of the projects, assignments, discussions, and activities are outside the box we are molded in during our time in the education program.  I leaned how to make a YouTube and how useful video’s can be when trying to assist your class outside of class time.  During this past semester I was introduced to all Google has to offer including sharing documents like power points online. I used this tool twice this semester and it was a huge help from trying to figure out how to meet up with three other busy people outside of class.  That usually is next to impossible. I also learned how to make an e-portfolio on Google that I thought was going to be stupid but after much talking to different administration and hiring boards I am glad I am in the process of perfecting my portfolio.  I can’t wait to have the finished product and take it with me to my first interview.  It is really cool because it conserves so much paper and space but it also looks way more professional and is easier to navigate through instead of brining a binder portfolio of my work and accomplishments.

21st century teacher, classroom, & student

A 21^st century classroom should definitely have new technology in them.  How much should they have? What types of technology should the 21^st century? What should a student in the 21^st century want to have in their classroom and why?  It’s no question that technology is prevalent in the world and therefore it only makes sense to have it in education.

Teachers should have all the tools that assist them for the better but not that so much that they become dependent on it.  It’s a tough call because there are so many different technological advances that twenty years ago would have blown your mind.  Today the technology that we would never have thought possible are things that most of us can’t live without a cell phone, the internet, GPS in our cars, maps in our phones, tablets, etc. thankfully there are incredible advancements in technology in education as well.  I think every classroom should be equipped with the internet and at least 5 sources of the internet per a classroom that way teachers can implement group activities at the least ideally it would be nice to have a tablet or laptop for every student in the class room. Smart boards are also a great tool for teachers and students to use during lessons.

I think teachers should want everything they can get for their classrooms.  As long as the technology doesn’t interfere with learning and educational values it should be a tool teachers and students use.  I think both student and teachers could benefit form ipads as a classroom resource.  Ipads are a tool that can link teachers to students all the time. Earlier this year in technology we learned about flipped lessons.  In these type of lessons the teacher posts a short lesson online with them instructing it and it can be used as a preparation for the lesson or it can be used as review for misunderstandings and extra help.  There was discussion about when students miss class or are away for sporting events and the best make up solution I saw was to have flipped lessons or video clips of lessons and assignments.  Ipads are a great way to give teachers and students accessibility to each other outside of the classroom.