Module 4-2 Digital Literacy
As an older learner technology can be intimidating. This should be taken in consideration for the well fluent technical diverse educator. This acknowledgement must include poor or less educated student that may not have the access to current or newer technology. It is my goal to be the link between the well versed technical student and the less fortunate ones. One must remember to teach at the level of the least of our students abilities.
As a new 21st century is borne it bring with it the new technologies of tomorrow. These developments of new technologies in the history of mankind are the new language resource that is invading America’s class rooms. As an educational tool, new technologies may be integrated in a multi-faceted manner to accommodate all learners. I think the digital divide is less about access to technology and more about the difference between those who know how and those who don’t know how. The digital citizen is important to current conceptions of digital democracy and education, but before accessing these technologies we must first be technologically or digitally literate. Digital literacy includes skills required to access technology as well as the ability to critically assess, decode and work within networked environments. As I continue to learn to access and use new technologies I have become more comfortable with them. In the video http://www.edutopia.org/ferryway-video blended several learning objective together by using new and old technology challenging students to use several learning disciplines to physically build and explaining the functional operations of the project. This leads too the use of critical thinking skills as it incorporates the use of new technologies at the same time. Students are able to test their understanding during the learning process. It also encouraged competition between students. I love the competition created by the project. Being able to compare and examine results to realistic problems that are applicable to daily evens aides critical thinking skills building. I believe the video explains the simplicity of the application of the lesson while providing a platform to expand the learning curve for the student. Please enjoy the video.
Module 4-1 Edutopia’s Digital Generation
Teacher Training Fuels the Future at Jefferson County Public School’s which includes schools in Louisville, Kentucky, CARE for Kids program preK-12 district launched its effort in social and emotional learning (SEL) in 2008 is, at its foundation, all about professional development. I was excited viewing this video placing student and teacher on the same level to interact getting to know each other better. This program is very basic in it does incorporate changing staff or implementing gadgets. CARE for Kids starts with daily morning meetings in which teachers and students practice interpersonal skills, and set a tone of mutual support. Teachers, along with all the other adults in the school, then use carefully chosen strategies to reinforce those positive relationships and behaviors throughout the day. The district also gives each elementary school trainee a copy of The Morning Meeting Book, by Roxann Kriete, and The Caring Teacher’s Guide to Discipline: Helping Students Learn Self-Control, Responsibility, and Respect, K-6, by Marilyn E. Gootman. Darren Atkinson, the CARE for Kids teacher leader at Carrithers Middle School, says like any new program, this one has met with some resistance. But that fades, he says, as teachers begin to see, “This is a common sense approach. We all know relationships with students make a huge difference.” http://www.edutopia.org/louisville-sel-teacher-development-video Learning the basic of how to have respect for your fellow human being is an important set to a successful life. I have found over the years, most how have failed in life have missed this very important lesson.
Emerging Technology 1 : Prezi
If you have not been to the Prezi web site you have missed a great tool. I have used Power Point for years but now I have found Prezi. This tool is faster and easier than the old power point way of making slides. When you create a prezi, the canvas is your workspace. You can double-click anywhere on the canvas to add a text box to jot down your key ideas. As your ideas fill the canvas, you can drag it around to create more space. The use of the Zebra (upper left hand corner of the image) lets you move (center of the zebra), size and scale (inner ring of the zebra), and rotate objects of any kind (outer ring of the zebra) to format your image or text. I will use Prezi over Power Point when ever possible. You can find more about Prezi at http://prezi.com/.
Emerging Technology 2: Wordle
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. I am not sold on the use of Wordle. It can be used in some cases but I find it very limited for class room or other applications. Other applications have much more to offer. You can decide at http://www.wordle.net/
