February+14th+Assignments




 * Reading Journal**

//__Horizons Report 2010__//__, Executive Summary__
 * 1) I have also seen the trend of there being an increased emphasis on properly citing information and when using digital means, having credible sources.
 * 2) Teachers are no longer the “keepers” of information; their role has begun to evolve into more of facilitators.
 * 3) It has often been stated that teenagers (and young adults) have become the multi-tasking pros. It is not uncommon to be listening to music, be logged onto Facebook, and texting, while also doing homework. This ties into the trend that people expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to.
 * 4) The cloud concept is still less mainstream than other methods of saving and sharing documents, etc.
 * 5) Since work is becoming more collaborative, this made lead to improved social skills and be an opportunity to hone them.
 * 6) Open content, like from MIT, is an amazing resource for teachers, and even students if the professor is unclear. Or, they could be used solely for enrichment.
 * 7) Gesture-based computing may be a good tool for students who need to work on their motor development. It would be a source of encouragement and challenge to wave their arms, for example.
 * 8) I find it interesting that one of the sources of information is “scholarly blogs.” Even a few years ago, that would have been considered an oxymoron.


 * 1) What is “found” learning?
 * 2) How will this desire for instant information change education?
 * 3) How secure are clouds?
 * 4) I wonder how much smaller these mobile computing devices will get, or when they will reach the upper limits of the information processing, etc that they can do.

//__Horizons Report 2010__//__, Mobile Computing__
 * 1) The platform of applications for these devices is a perfect learning tool, as many of them are designed specifically for educators, or simply would streamline tasks for students with certain challenges.
 * 2) In a discussion of timelines, you could discuss how ever evolving the information systems are. For example, phone calls are now outdated, in favor of texting, Facebook, or Twitter.
 * 3) The report shares that for many people, their cellular device is their main computing device, which is mind-blowing, as I can’t imagine using an iPhone in place of my laptop for the many tasks I do.
 * 4) Also mentioned, one college sent laboratory preparation and safety lectures via podcast instead of using class time. This is a brilliant way to make the most of the class time. Professors are experts, professions, whose intelligence is not best utilized explaining the importance of not drinking out of beakers.
 * 5) Having an iPad to work on while waiting for an appointment would definitely increase time spent on a course and productivity. Ease of access is important for people who are busy and trying to make their time count.
 * 6) The medical apps, about diabetes and H1N1, are perfect for discussions in science, as well as integrating public service or government.
 * 7) One example where I think technology was taken too far is having class discussion via Twitter. In large lecture situations, it might allow more people to chime in, but it also seems highly impersonal.
 * 8) You could discuss with the class problems that have a simple fix and how technology works to solve those problems. The example of the app that allows doctors to type the prescription instead of writing it should cut down on errors that result from messy handwriting.


 * 1) Are discussions via Twitter (or other sites) more useful? What is the general opinion?
 * 2) How viable would it be for universities to sell iPads to the students? (I’m sure Apple gives some kind of bulk buying discount to educational institutions.)
 * 3) Does having lectures on the web or having the content of a course be primarily on-line take the responsibility off of the professor, student, or both?
 * 4) How widely available is wifi in other countries?

//__Transforming American Education Learning Powered by Technology,__// __Executive Summary__
 * 1) There is a need for cost-effective and cost-saving strategies that improve learning outcomes and graduation rates for Americans. This sounds like a “have your cake, and eat it too” scenario, but it is the goal and mission of all educators.
 * 2) As stated, in contrast to traditional classroom instruction, this requires that we put students at the center and empower them to take control of their own learning by providing flexibility on several dimensions.
 * 3) The skills of critical thinking, complex problem solving, collaboration, and multimedia communication are the newest and biggest focuses, as they will be the most applicable as we go on into the future.
 * 4) In teaching, collaboration will be emphasized, teams of connected educators replace solo practitioners, classrooms are fully connected to provide educators with 24/7 access to data and analytic tools, and educators have access to resources that help them act on the insights the data provide.
 * 5) In summation, an infrastructure for learning unleashes new ways of capturing and sharing knowledge based on multimedia that integrate text, still and moving images, audio, and applications that run on a variety of devices. It enables seamless integration of in- and out-of-school learning.
 * 6) The article pointed out that, education has not incorporated many of the practices other sectors regularly use to improve productivity and manage costs, nor has it leveraged technology to enable or enhance them. We can learn much from the experience in other sectors.
 * 7) In my opinion, the way we organize students into age-determined groups, structure separate academic disciplines, organize learning into classes of roughly equal size with all the students in a particular class receiving the same content at the same pace, and keeping these groups in place all year is archaic.
 * 8) I think it’s a good step that there is formation of national goals and plans so that as a nation, we can work toward a better future.


 * 1) I wonder what the future will hold for the concept of tenure, since the focus seems to be on getting and retaining only the most highly effective educators.
 * 2) Will schools be able to keep up with the changes in technology?
 * 3) Why is education so behind the other sectors, like business?
 * 4) Where will Special Education land, as schools are looking to increase productivity?

//__Transforming American Education Learning Powered by Technology,__// __Chapter 1, Learning: Engage and Empower__
 * 1) The excerpt, “All learners will have engaging and empowering learning experiences both in and out of school that prepare them to be active, creative, knowledgeable, and ethical participants in our globally networked society,” would be awesome for a philosophy statement.
 * 2) It is shocking that they found that 8- to 18-year-olds today devote an average of seven hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media in a typical day—more than 53 hours a week.
 * 3) The deeper definitions of individualization, differentiation, and personalization were helpful.
 * 4) Ownership is also important. Technology also gives students opportunities for taking ownership of their learning. Student-managed electronic learning portfolios can be part of a persistent learning record and help students develop the self-awareness required to set their own learning goals; express their own views of their strengths, weaknesses, and achievements; and take responsibility for them.
 * 5) Students seem to have more rich learning experiences when they are given a large project that incorporates many tasks or aspects. (See Winona Middle School)
 * 6) There are three types of learning, factual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and motivational engagement.
 * 7) “The United States cannot prosper economically, culturally, or politically if major parts of our citizenry lack a strong educational foundation, yet far too many students are not served by our current one-size-fits-all education system. “
 * 8) An aspect of education that I had not previously thought must about is the senior population, how they need to be “updated” and kept abreast to the technological advances.


 * 1) Will the need for memorization change? There are very few things that can’t be looked up or searched, or stored on a mobile computing device.
 * 2) How widely is UDL used?
 * 3) How many seniors would be involved with going back to school?
 * 4) Will government funding change in the future?

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 * Interactivate: Picture Match**

“Picture Match” is designed to give new readers practice with identifying beginning-letter and short- and long-vowels sounds through a simple, fun game. In the beginning-letter sounds section, a picture of an object (for example, a car) is displayed, and students are prompted to choose the letter that corresponds with the first letter of the word. In the short- and long-vowel sounds sections, students are prompted to choose the vowel that corresponds with the word.

The game is made with kindergarteners to second graders in mind. The content area is reading, with the emphasis on letters and phonics skills. The game is for beginning readers. As far as actually using the tool, the student has to have good dexterity with the mouse, as the student will have to click on the appropriate box.

The game features all letters of the alphabet. In the beginning-letter sounds section, a picture of an object (for example, a car) is displayed, and students are prompted to choose the letter that corresponds with the first letter of the word. In the short- and long-vowel sounds sections, students are prompted to choose the vowel that corresponds with the word. If students choose the correct match, they get words of encouragement and a new picture. If they do not choose the correct match, they receive an audible prompt and can then try again, choosing among the remaining letters. Once all of the pictures have been matched, students can print out a chart showing which of the pictures goes with which letters. Pictures are sorted randomly with each game to provide a challenge if the game is played more than once.

The tool is significant because it works to reinforce learning, as well as a review for certain students. If the class is learning the alphabet in chunks, for example, A through E, they would be able to work in those five letters in the “beginning letter” game. A step up from the beginning letter game is the two games featuring long and short vowel sounds. The vowel games could be used in conjunction with discussion of phonics. If, as a teacher, you want to dispense this activity on an additional basis, this is an easy activity for a student to do on his or her own. This program provides an additional pathway for the student to expression his/her learning. The activity scaffolds the normal instruction and gives the student a different way to show the connections that he or she is able to make. It also engages an interest of the student by giving a more visual presentation of the material and may serve to better motivate the student.

An activity that was mentioned on the readwritethink website is Gingerbread Phonics. This lesson uses familiar words from //The Gingerbread Man// to help early readers learn letter–sound correspondence. Students begin with a teacher-conducted shared reading of the story. As students listen, they read the words in the refrain along with the teacher. After the third hearing of the story, students choose their favorite words from the story and identify the sounds that the letters make in the words. Students conclude the lesson by using the newly learned words in an online story of their own creation. Students can practice their knowledge of letter-sound correspondence with the interactive matching game, Picture Match.

There are a few negative aspects to Picture Match. For some students, they will be most successful with this activity if they are able to hear the words read to them, but this would be disruptive if there were many students playing the game at the same time, or if only one student is playing in the classroom while the rest of the class is doing quiet work. This could be remedied by having the students wear headphones while playing. An additional challenge is that if you miss the word being read the first time, it doesn’t repeat, so the student will either have to be paying attention, or be able to surmise from the picture what the correct answer is. The game is set up very well if they student answers the question wrong initially, it just prompts you to try again, so that should not be a challenge.

The “next step” after completing and mastering this game would be to move onto a more challenging task, like seeing the word and then filling in the blank of an incomplete word. For example, a picture of a duck (with the word said) and then “d_ck” appears on the screen and the student has to type in a “u.” The “u” could either be provided from a list, or, for a bigger challenge, the student could have to come up with that on his or her own.