Opinion Paper 1

ED 529 Opinion Paper One

In the article How to thrive--not just survive--in a one-computer classroom, Chaika provides numerous strategies to manage a one-computer classroom. Several issues presented in the article left me with a negative opinion of the article.

In reading this article, I quickly came to the conclusion that the article is geared towards an elementary classroom. No direct mention is made to that affect, but none of the “experts” who are quoted taught in middle or high schools. As a middle school teacher, I find it helpful to have strategies and examples provided by other teachers who face the same issues in the classroom that I face. I did not find any suggestions that were geared toward a middle school or high school classroom.

Many of the suggestions given by Chaika would not work in the middle school or high school setting due to the difference in time available due to scheduling as well as the number of students taught by the teacher. Elementary teachers have a fixed number of students the entire day so the scheduling suggestions might work in that setting but they were not appropriate for 50 minute periods with 25 students per class.

The age of the article was also a drawback in my opinion. Much has changed in the way of technology in the last 10 years. I need to use my computer to present multimedia lessons and use resources like student response systems so the computer would not be available for student use during the class on most days.

In conclusion, the article did not provide me with any real useful information due to the audience for which it was written and the lack of relevance to my grade level.

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Dennis L. Engle ED 529 February 3, 2010

Reference Page

Chaika, G. (2005, December 20). How to thrive--not just survive--in a one-computer classroom. EducationWorld.com. Retrieved Friday, January 29, 2010, from http:// www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech092.shtml.

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Opinion Paper 2

ED 529 Opinion Paper Two for Engle

In the article How to Teach with Technology: Science and Math, Bernard (2009) provides a listing of technology strategies, taken from both teachers and students, that can be used to teach science and math. Reading through the list, I was impressed to see the variety of technology tools and methods recommended by the teachers and students. The age of the article was also a positive note since it is less than a year old and technology changes at such a fast pace.

I definitely appreciated the fact that ideas came from teachers and students instead of just teacher. I think many times we as teachers get focused on one way of doing things and do not look “outside the box.” Using student suggestions is one way of helping teachers find new ways to present content. Today’s students are typically more adept with technology than their teachers so I believe we should give them as many opportunities as possible to use the knowledge they have regarding technology. I have to ask my students how to different things on my cellphone many times because they are more familiar with the device than I am.

I definitely could relate to the math idea of using interactive whiteboards. Although I do not have an interactive whiteboard, I do have a classroom set of student responders. My students ask almost daily if we are going to use the “remotes.” They enjoy using the student responders even though they may be reviewing for a test because it is presented in a game format. They definitely do not get excited about worksheets and pencils.

In conclusion, this article seems to be a good resource for using technology in the classroom. I consider myself a technology person but the article was current enough to include several technologies that I had never heard of so I will definitely be checking on those ideas.

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Dennis L. Engle ED 529 February 23, 2010

Reference Page

Bernard, S. (2009, May 27). How to teach with technology: science and math. Edutopia.org. Retrieved February 22, 2010 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-science-math- lessons.

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Opinion Paper 3

ED 529 Opinion Paper Three for Engle

The article Learning with Blogs and Wikis provides a very interesting perspective concerning professional development for teachers in today’s schools. The perspective presented is one that I had never really considered on my own but I was very intrigued by what Ferriter stated in the article. I agree with the idea that we often forget about adult learning at school because we are concentrating on student learning. I also believe that we must use technology as a resource to improve ourselves as classroom teachers and the ability to share ideas and information across the country and world on a daily basis is like nothing we have had access to before.

I agree that we as teachers often only get to share information in passing. More times than I can count, I have attended workshops and trainings and the best information I left with came not from the presenter or speaker, but from networking and sharing with other classroom teachers. The most valuable information I bring back is the information that makes me a better teacher.

I also concur with the idea that technology is not only a way that students can learn in the future but that it may be the next great tool that we as educators can use to improve our teaching. I worry each day that I am getting left behind in today’s technological world. I feel this way even though I consider myself pretty savvy with technology. I believe we must become more comfortable using technology so that we can take full advantage of all the opportunities it offers. After reading the article, I am amazed at the way blogs and wikis can be used to influence education today. I want to share this information with my principal and see if we can get our school on board with this new wave of learning.

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Dennis L. Engle ED 529 April 13, 2010

Reference Page

Ferriter, B. (2009). Learning with blogs and wikis. Educational Leadership, 66(5), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/ educational_leadership/feb09/vol66/num05Learning_with_Blogs_and _Wikis.aspx.

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ED 529 Assignments

http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=29241

Online Exercise 15- Communication Tools

How could you use these technologies to help yourself create better learning opportunities for your students?

I could create and use a blog to provide information about classroom assignments to my students on a daily basis. I could use a wiki for class discussions on various topics. A classroom response system could be used to make my classroom more interactive.

How could you use them to help yourself continue to develop as a teacher throughout your career?

I could use the multitude of blogs that are available to stay abreast of current trends in education and technology that is available to enhance the classroom. I think using technology can help a teacher motivate and engage students which in turn may lead to higher student achievement.

What are the benefits of using the communications tools?

I think using communication tools provides a variety of options for teachers and students. The instant and continuous access to students and teachers around the nation and world opens up numerous opportunities for exchanging ideas and information.

What are the dangers?

Some dangers of using communication tools might be that comments could be misinterpreted or taken out of context. Also, people are not afraid of posting things that might be damaging personally or professionally that they might not say directly to another person face to face.

How can technology help you better reach out to all of your students regardless of their race, gender or economic status?

Using technology can help equalize your students regardless of race, gender, or economic status. Unless they identify themselves, one cannot tell gender or race when reading a blog or wiki. Using computers can help us avoid stereotypes that we might have based on seeing people.