John Post: Interactive Geography Lesson

Interactive Geography Lesson on Prezi

Technology Reflection: The Instructional use of Smartboards

11/18/11

Technology Reflection: Instructional use of Smartboards

In the previous seminar, the speaker discussed Smartboards and how they can be used. Smartboards can do many things, including interaction with the classroom, and innovative ways to teach lessons. Smartboards can be operated by touching the board, or can be operated from a smaller mobile pad. Smartboards can be effective in teaching all different grade levels.

Application:

I could use a Smartboard in a classroom to do a presentation on the Vietnam war. I would create a PowerPoint lecture on the War and American protests, including YouTube links to show videos and documentaries, and also songs that were written and influential during that time. This would take about 20 minutes of class time, and then the Smart board could be used to give a quiz on the PowerPoint, where grades would be displayed on the Smartboard instantly.

Learners and Learning Outcome:

The learners in this assignment would be freshman or sophomores in High school, and the learning outcome would be to gain a greater understanding of the Vietnam War, using primary resources such as famous songs and people during that time period. Photos, audio of music, and documentary clips would advance the students learning.

Assessment:

The assessment would be included in the quiz at the end of the presentation, and the benefit is that the quiz can be conducted by giving each student a remote connected to the smartboard and grades can be posted instantly.

Timeline of planned lecture:

·         First, the students would be introduced to the time period that the Vietnam War took place in, as well as a Smartboard review, so they are comfortable with the process of this lecture

·         Then, slides would be posted going over the main points of the War and the American reaction to this

·         These slides would include links to videos on YouTube (another technology easily accessed through smartboards) where videos would be posted, such as controversial music from that time, and pictures of influential people such as Richard Nixon would be viewed

·         After the lecture is complete, a quiz would appear on the smartboard, one question at a time, and the students would be able to submit answers and get grades instantly

Reflection

            Pedagogical-Content:

The strategy for teaching in a lecture style format for this specific assignment is beneficial because it is the introduction to a new topic. When introducing a new topic, it is important to open all the information up to every student equally by lecturing the student all at once. Also, the Smartboard eliminates the stereotype that lecture is boring, because Smartboards can make lectures very entertaining for students.

            This lecture will incorporate illustrations, videos, documentaries, and can even involve group or cooperative learning at the end if I decide to allow the students to work in groups to answer the questions to the quiz at the end of the lecture. Classroom management may be an issue during this activity by students possibly becoming distracted and conversing with other students. I would avoid this by always moving around, in between the students desks while giving the lecture, making sure no students are becoming distracted or dosing off.

            Technological- Pedagogical:

Selecting the Smartboard for use of a lecture keeps students interested and intrigued. Having a quiz at the end of the lecture gives students the extra motivation to keep focused during the lecture. Once again, I would use the strategy of walking around the classroom close to the students who have the highest possibility of becoming distracted, and also continually asking the students questions during the lecture to keep them on task and prepared for the upcoming quiz. This assignment would support the teaching strategy of lecture and student-motivation.

For introduction to a new topic, lecture is benefical because it keeps all the students on an even playing field, giving them all equal opportunity to gain as much new knowledge as possible. The Smartboard is the absolute best way for lectures of any sort.

            Technological Pedagogical Content:

Using YouTube links to Vietnam War music, documentaries on the Keene State protest, or footage of Vietnam from the Smartboard lecture encourages student discussion and interest in the lecture. A Smartboard would undoubtedly enhance the way the illustrations, videos, and documentaries are shown. Withouth the smartboard, there would be no way to incorporate all the different various types of example into one lecture. Smartboard gives you the ability to have a lecture transform into a student discussion, or a visual lecture by playing videos in between the PowerPoint slides. Smarboards are a beneficial learning tool and will only enhance the overall learning of all students who allow it to.

Technology Reflection : Instructional use of iPads

Technology Reflection: Instructional use of iPads

Description/Experience

                Last seminar, we were instructed on the use of iPads and how they can be used as instructional tools in the classroom. iPads can be used as rewards for good behavior, or a fun way to practice new material in any subject. I couldn’t help but think how convenient iPads are and how quickly technology is always advancing.

Application

                One history activity that I know can be used on an IPad is a quiz of the 50 presidents. This could be used in an assignment, where I give each student an opportunity to take a quiz and list as many presidents in order as they can, and the student or students with the best scores gets a reward or extra credit on a test or quiz. The age group would be older high school students, obviously in a history classroom setting. I would know that the students are acquiring the material if they get decent scores on the ipad tests. Also, I would give this test out to students on multiple class days so they have a chance to improve on their scores.

Timeline of activities

·         I, as the teacher would first give a quick lecture for the students on how to properly use the ipad, walking them through the step by step process of how to access the history app

·         I would then give the students  10 minutes to review their presidents

·         Assuming there are a limited number of ipads, I would hand the ipads out to the students starting in the front of the classroom, while the other students continue to study

·         Once the students finished their use of the ipads, I would collect them, record their score, and pass them out to the next students to use

·         Once finished, I would determine the best scores, and give the top five scoring students extra credit on the upcoming test

Reflection

Pedagogy-Content

                I would make the content comprehensible to students by taking them though a step by step process of how exactly to use the technology so they don’t feel lost. Depending on age groups, the technology of an ipad can be much more confusing for younger students, so it would take much more time to explain the assignment.

Technology- Pedagogy

                The purpose of the use of technology is to make the education of United States Presidents more entertaining, and different. Also, iPads make it quicker to complete a learning activity in less time. Completing this type of activity may make it difficult to keep an entire classroom of students on task and under control, so I could split the classroom up into stations of students who are using the ipads, and students who are studying in preparation to use the ipads.

Technology-Content

                Using the ipads, learning will be enhanced because the quiz will likely show pictures and give additional information, helping to use the students advance their learning. Extra information enhances students learning, so they are not just learning what the presidents were, but who they were and what they did.

Technology-Pedagogy-Content

                I would incorporate this technology in a way that allows the teacher and students to take a hands on approach to learning, which in my opinion is the best way for students to have fun and learn. Ipads are a way to get students to learn, while allowing students to have fun and get to use something new. A hands on technique is a strategy that I favor and believe is the best way to get things accomplished, as well as instilling new knowledge in students.

Technology Reflection: Instructional Use of Edmodo and TPACK

Description/Experience

In my previous education class, we discussed an interesting teaching website and tool named edmodo. Edmodo is very similar to the social network facebook, except it allows teachers from all over the world to connect with each other, and share information/lesson plans. Also, it allows teachers to connect with students, and students to connect with other students. This is a very interesting website and it will be useful in any of my future classrooms. We also learned a new way of teaching a lesson using this technology.

Application

Given that I am a history major, I can use this technology to teach a history lesson, such as the American revolution. I can connect the tpck strategy to talk about how specific people influenced the American revolution, and what events were most important in this time period. The learning outcome of this activity would be the students understanding which events had the greatest impact on the war, and which people were most important in the war. The new PowerPoint form of learning through edmoto could help greatly to show this is a new, fun way. This activity would be designed for younger children, because this type of activity simplifies the discussion of the American Revolution greatly. I could find out that the students have learned effectively from the TPCK powerpoint by doing a review at the end of class without displaying the powerpoint on the significant names and events in the war. Or possibly a short quiz about the subject on the powerpoint to test the students knowledge.

Timeline of the lesson

American revolution

·         Introduction of the American revolution

·         British side and American side

·         Significant people – George Washington, John Adams, etc

·         Using PowerPoint, show different battles and events spawning from the main idea of the American Revolution

·         Winning the war for America

·         Declaration of Independence discussion

·         When the United States chose its president and wrote constitution

·         (Explaining all these events through use of the edmoto powerpoint technology we learned on oct 7, and post on Edmoto for students to view at any time)

Reflection

Pedagogy-content:

                My lesson could be outlined using illustrations. I can explain the use of propaganda on the side of Americans, and the picture of the Boston Massacre. Pre-conceptions based on age groups for learning about the American Revolution would be significant. The younger the age group, the less in general they would know about the content, and the less can be assumed about what they know. With younger classes, the more you would have to initially explain, and the less in depth you can go into the subject matter.

Technology: The technology will be easily accessed at anytime by the students, on their computers, through the use of edmodo. The students can review the powerpoint at any time on this website in preparation for a test or quiz.

Technology- Pedagogy: Using technology for this activity can only help. It is much more visual than simply explaining through a lecture, meaning the students can process the new information more easily, and can also access the information again to study and review. However, I would need to make sure students don’t take advantage of this and abuse the computer privileges, because computers can distract easily.

Technology/Content: Putting illustration, examples, etc. on edmodo will allow students to access this information at anytime and at their convenience. This allows students to review and re-process the information at their convienience.

Technology-Pedagogy-Content: Relating this technology to my teaching strategy, would mean teaching with a very cooperative teaching approach. Students would be very involved in the discussion, answering questions and pointing out things on the powerpoint. This I believe is the most effective teaching approach and the use of edmodo, in the classroom and out of the classroom only benefits a cooperative teaching approach.  

Testing