Word Cloud

Digital Games

Evaluating Digital Games for Learning

An educational software program that I found very beneficial is SmartTutor. This website has educational lessons and games. There are many resources and it is for many different ages. They have math games that range from continuing patterns to doing algebraic equations. These games would fall in the remembering, understanding, and applying categories of recognition.

I found another website, ABCya.com, which has a variety of games. A game that I found was for kindergarten through third grade. It is called nouns and verbs and the students have to pick out the nouns and verbs in sentences. This game would fall under the understanding category because the students have to understand what a noun and verb are to play the game.

A third place that I found educational games was math-play.com. There are many different games for different age levels. The game that I played was a soccer game that subtracted two digit numbers. This game makes sure the students understand and can apply what they know. There are many different education websites, games, and software systems that are very helpful and can help students learn.

Sources:
http://www.abcya.com/
http://www.smarttutor.com/free-resources/educational-games/
http://www.math-play.com/

Assessments

Performance Evaluation

There are many ways to assess students as a teacher.  When I was younger, I would be graded using quizzes, tests, projects, and presentations.  I found projects and tests to be the most helpful forms of assessment as a student.  Of course I hated tests and found them stressful, but I also found them extremely beneficial and an accurate representation of what I had learned.  Projects were also really helpful because they made me think abstractly about what I was learning and apply the concepts myself.  I believe that presentations were the least helpful assessment because I would not really learn anything.  I could have just created a PowerPoint about a topic and put some definitions and pictures in and in the end, not really understand the subject.

I believe that test assessments should be given by the teacher at the end of a unit.  Some teachers give tests at the beginning of a lesson so that they can see how much the students have learned by the end of the lesson.  Quizzes can also be given throughout the lesson to see if the students are learning as the lesson goes along.  Tests usually determine what a student knows or is able to do in an academic area.  Performance assessment measures what someone actually does in a certain activity.  Tests determine student knowledge through questions and essays while performance assessments determine what a student knows through activities that get students involved.  Performance assessments often require higher order thinking.

Cloud Storage and Social Bookmarking

Cloud Storage

Cloud Storage is the newest way to store information. Before this class I had heard of Dropbox, but I had never used it or any other type of Cloud Storage. After looking at these four Cloud Storage databases, I have learned a lot about the process of Cloud Storage. All four of these Cloud Storage programs are very similar and have many of the same functions. I believe these programs give users an easy way to access all of their information no matter where they are. With Cloud Storage, I can look at my documents that I upload from my computer on my phone or iPad. It also makes it easy to send a file to a friend or a teacher. If you already have the file uploaded on the Cloud Storage, then you just have to send it. The alternative method would be to find the document and then email it to whoever you need to send it to.

There are many positives to using Cloud Storage; however, there are also many negatives to using this method. For an individual to use Cloud Storage there has to be internet access. Therefore, if a school does not have internet or if they have a poor connection, the student cannot retrieve the file that they were working on. The same goes for if a student wishes to save and upload a project to the Cloud Storage. For example, I have had a friend to use Dropbox and it did not save her document that she uploaded because the internet connection was poor. Therefore, I believe that there are pros and cons with using the Cloud Storage. Personally, I prefer to use a flash drive to save my projects and files because I can take it wherever I want to go. I believe that flash drives are more reliable because you can keep up with your own work and not rely on someone or something else to take care of your files. With a flash drive you are solely responsible for your work and you do not have to worry about others viewing or something happening to your files.

Social Bookmarking

Social Bookmarking sites are places where people can save links and bookmark sites in one place. It is annoying to have bookmarks on my computer and when I go on my iPad, they are not there. With these Social Bookmarking sites, I can have all of my bookmarks together. Social Bookmarking sites also allow individuals to communicate with others who have the same interest. I research four Social Bookmarking sites named, diigo, Digg, StumbleUpon, and delicious. They all had places where the user could join groups and follow things that interested them. These sites would allow the user to search for something they are looking for and even show people who are interested in the same things.
I believe that Social Bookmarking is a very good tool to use. I believe that it can be helpful to teachers because they can join groups and search for interesting and new topics in the news. It is also helpful because if a teacher finds something at home, she can put it on the site so she can pull it up at school instead of having to waste class time to find the link. I have never used Social Bookmarking sites before, but I think I will use them as a teacher. It is a quick and easy way to have everything you need in one place. Wagner 3


Bibliography

Copy: Store, protect, and share amazing things. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from 
https://www.copy.com/home/

Delicious. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from https://delicious.com/

Digg - What the Internet is talking about right now. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from http://digg.com/

Dropbox. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from https://www.dropbox.com/home

Google Drive. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from https://drive.google.com/#my-drive

Groups in Diigo. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from https://groups.diigo.com/

Outlook Web. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from https://www.outlook.com/owa

StumbleUpon is a giant collection of the best pages on the Internet. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2014, from http://www.stumbleupon.com/

Technology in the Classroom

Personal Tech Reflection

The use of technology in the classroom is increasing in schools. Therefore, it is important that teachers be able to efficiently use current technology. By having a firm understanding of technology, the teacher can easily integrate it into the classroom. Technology has changed people’s lives and how society communicates. Students are used to having a tablet or phone; therefore, teachers need to incorporate activities where students can be involved and use their technology.

I believe that I am about average when it comes to intelligence about technology. I know how to use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, which is my greatest strength. I also know how to use the internet and find information. One of my weaknesses is that I prefer to not use technology in the classroom unless it is necessary. I prefer to do my research with my computer or iPad; however, I absolutely do not like to read my books off of my iPad. With everything starting to convert to electronics, all books are going to be on mobile electronic devices. Understanding graphic software, such as, Movie Maker, is another weakness of mine. I also have never been taught the ethical and legal issues surrounding access to the use of digital information. I believe that as a teacher, it is important to know how to use different types of technology. This would allow me to get the students involved in the class that I am teaching and make things interesting.

By taking this course, I hope to improve in my use of technology. I have room to improve in every aspect of technology. I know that I do not know very thing about technology and the programs that I use. This class will teach me how to use technology effectively in the classroom. It will also teach me how to create lessons that are centered around technology for the future generations who grow up knowing nothing other than the technological world that they live in. As a teacher in a technological world, I need to know legal issues that come along with digital technology. I hope to learn about this information during this class before I become a teacher.

Sources:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows-Live/movie-maker

Apps

For Reflection and Discussion

Smartphone and computer tablet apps are used for many things, such as school. I use note taking apps to help me take notes in my classes so that I do not have to write all of my notes. The iBook app comes in handy for class sometimes so that I can read articles, like PDF files, that are assigned by the teacher. Slide Shark is one of my favorite apps because it allows me to open up PowerPoints from teacher’s websites. This app is helpful when the writing goes off of the PowerPoint slide and you cannot see it on the tablet. Another app that is extremely helpful is the email app. With it, I am constantly receiving notifications and I can check my email wherever I am.

Apps have changed me more as a consumer than as a student. Apps have made the functions of school work easier for me as a student; however, I believe that apps that connect me to social media have had more impact on me. I only use a few apps for school and I do not use them all of the time. The apps that I use all of the time are social media apps. I say that apps have changed me more as a consumer because I can always find out what my friends are doing and what is happening in the world. I feel that more of my time is being devoted to searching social media rather than school work. Apps can be beneficial and help support learning; however, I believe that for me apps have poisoned my study habits.

I believe that apps can be both tools for teachers and for students. While teaching, apps can be used during the lesson. For example, I have an app that is called Virtual Manipulatives. This app can be used in a math class to help students learn fractions in a new way. Teachers can use apps to help them come up with a new and interesting way to teacher their students. Students can use apps, especially apps that teachers recommend, to help them practice activities at home that they could not before. Apps can be beneficial to everyone who uses them and should not be defined as only a tool for certain people.


Sources:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks/id364709193
https://www.slideshark.com/campaigns/slideshark-free-trial.aspx?tx=gg_ad_phrase_SSTE
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virtual-manipulatives!/id471341079?mt=8