Atomic Learning is an awesome site that serves as a software tutorial for many software's that are useful to teachers or anyone trying to learn something new. When attempting to learn how to use Microsoft Access I used Atomic Learning to gain more knowledge about the program. This website allows you to choose your software of choice and then pick the specific topic of interest. For example if I am attempting to use Microsoft Word but have used it before so I know the basics I may choose to learn about it on the Advanced level. This may give me more insight into how to use more complex programs within Word. There is also a section called "News" which shares the sites blog and new software that is being introduced. I have used Atomic learning for many different software programs and I often find myself searching for random tutorials to further my learning and to explore new software to use in the classroom. This might also be helpful for students that are confused or struggling to figure out how to use software programs that are frequently used in the classroom. This might also be helpful for parents of students that don't have the training for the software their children are using for their projects or homework. This site might be able to give them the knowledge or background information to help their child through the assignment.
http://www.atomiclearning.com/highed/en/home
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Four Psychological Perspectives
According to an ancient Chinese proverb which states, “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand” children learn through engaging lessons and involvement. When deciding how to involve children in lessons you must first take a look at how the child learns. “If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn (Ignacio Estrada). The four psychological perspectives give teachers insight into the many different ways that students learn and process information. As stated previously there are four learning domains: cognitive, affective, motor skill, and interpersonal. Once you figure out which domain your individual students fall into it will be easy to plan lessons around your student’s strengths and weaknesses.
The first domain is the cognitive domain. Children who learn cognitively fall into two categories; one is material knowledge and one involves the development of intellectual skills. Based on Blooms Taxonomy there are 6 cognitive categories: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation (Bloom, 1956). Students begin with simple memorization which is the material knowledge category and progresses to evaluation in the development of intellectual skills category.
The second category is the affective domain. Children who learn affectively learn using motivations, and their emotions. These students will respect the rules and values set in place in society. There are 5 categories in which the affective learner will fall into: Receiving phenomena, responding to phenomena, Valuing, Organization, and Internalizing values (characterization) (Bloom, 1964). These children will listen and respect others and the rules of the classroom and society.
The third category is the motor skill domain. Children in this domain learn through movement and practice. These students are likely to like sports and classes that involve hands on activities. There are 7 major categories for this domain: Perception, set, Guided response, Mechanism, Complex Overt Response, Adaptation, and Origination (Bloom, 1964).
The last category is the interpersonal domain. Children who fall into this domain learn through meeting new people and watching people interact. These children are very good with people and are often very comfortable in cooperative groups where they are the leader of the group. These children are good role models for social skills such as listening, having conversations, and being respectful to other peers.
Bloom Benjamin S. and David R. Krathwohl. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, by a committee of college and university examiners. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York, Longmans, Green, 1956.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Xplana
I haven't really explored this site fully yet, but Ill post what I know and add to this later. It is described as "the social network for learning". This site offers many resources and tools to help students and teachers learn and collaborate together through social networking. You are able to add your courses you are taking and create things such as flashcards, web pages, and notes to download directly to your course that you can share with your classmates and teachers. There are also online study groups that you can easier search through the communities tab and join chats with students from other schools and communities. When you click on the browse tab you can get specific with the subject you want to learn about. For example if you click basic Spanish you can choose vocabulary, notes, etc for this topic and it will send you to websites that offer free vocabulary lessons with audio. I'm sure it does a million more things but that's all I can say about it now.
Portable Handheld Keyboard
For every technology there is a new and better technology up and running that makes the old one obsolete. When it comes to hand held devices in the classroom, such as cell phones, IPods, computers, etc. it is difficult to decide how to incorporate them into the classroom. Although i-pads and laptops are useful and limitless I fear that the changing technology is also hard to control. If a child is given a laptop to research and write a paper, the teacher runs the risk of constant redirection from inappropriate school sites and distractions. These are awesome resources but difficult to use in a large group setting. The portable handheld’s are efficient and create fewer distractions to the student.
The portable hand held keyboard is functional for any aged student. They provide an easy distraction free way to type papers, practice typing, and assist children with special needs. Although this hand held does not offer the internet they are an affordable substitute that can be used in a classroom or at home when a computer lab is not available. The portable keyboards have an LCD screen that display two lines of text. They also only weigh 2lbs and can be stored easily due to their durability. Since they only cost $169 they are affordable for classrooms or parents that may want their younger children to be able to type papers without access to the internet.
This hand held device has many uses in the classroom and for parents at home. This device does not require electricity, only batteries, and therefore it can be used in places other than a table or a computer lab. These devices can be given to students who can then find a quiet place in the room to focus on their writing with minimal distractions. They can also be used in cars or at home in a play space for a child that doesn’t want to work at the table. This creates a fun new atmosphere where a child can have their own space while creating something of their own. In the classroom they also have many uses such as a program called, Text2Speech, which converts the written words into spoken words (NEO, 2010). This is really functional for students that write and don’t like to re-read their work. This program will read your text back to you and students will be able to see where there are awkward parts, run on sentences or phrases that need tweaking.
For students in the classroom with special needs, it has many practical features. First of all, it is very simple to use, it has an instant on/off auto save feature (NEO, 2010) that makes it easy for the student to stay focused and on task without becoming impatient or frustrated with to many features and too many choices after start up. Some of its features include sticky keys which, “allow you to type combination keystrokes without pressing the keys simultaneously” (NEO, 2010). This is valuable for students with dyslexia who may type wrong letters and have trouble typing a word. Another feature is the slow keys which “help children with unsteady hands or difficulty in key targeting” (NEO, 2010). Lastly, it has options for large display font for children who struggle to see the screen. Overall this device is great for children just learning to use a computer or for children that struggle with the fine motor skills necessary for writing.
If I had to choose an age demographic it would be pre-k through 3rd grade. For children these ages some struggle with handwriting and often fall behind due to dyslexia or lack of fine motor skills. This is also the age before classrooms really start to use computers in the classroom. This gives students a jump start in learning.
This device is compatible with all Windows and Mac operating systems. It is also easy to send written text directly to your PC, Mac, or USB printer (NEO, 2010). It is compatible with windows XP, and vista, as well as Mac operating systems. Using only batteries it has a battery life of 700 hours. There is also a page with accessories to purchase along with your NEO if needed or wanted. Overall I thought it was a pretty cool device.
The portable hand held keyboard is functional for any aged student. They provide an easy distraction free way to type papers, practice typing, and assist children with special needs. Although this hand held does not offer the internet they are an affordable substitute that can be used in a classroom or at home when a computer lab is not available. The portable keyboards have an LCD screen that display two lines of text. They also only weigh 2lbs and can be stored easily due to their durability. Since they only cost $169 they are affordable for classrooms or parents that may want their younger children to be able to type papers without access to the internet.
This hand held device has many uses in the classroom and for parents at home. This device does not require electricity, only batteries, and therefore it can be used in places other than a table or a computer lab. These devices can be given to students who can then find a quiet place in the room to focus on their writing with minimal distractions. They can also be used in cars or at home in a play space for a child that doesn’t want to work at the table. This creates a fun new atmosphere where a child can have their own space while creating something of their own. In the classroom they also have many uses such as a program called, Text2Speech, which converts the written words into spoken words (NEO, 2010). This is really functional for students that write and don’t like to re-read their work. This program will read your text back to you and students will be able to see where there are awkward parts, run on sentences or phrases that need tweaking.
For students in the classroom with special needs, it has many practical features. First of all, it is very simple to use, it has an instant on/off auto save feature (NEO, 2010) that makes it easy for the student to stay focused and on task without becoming impatient or frustrated with to many features and too many choices after start up. Some of its features include sticky keys which, “allow you to type combination keystrokes without pressing the keys simultaneously” (NEO, 2010). This is valuable for students with dyslexia who may type wrong letters and have trouble typing a word. Another feature is the slow keys which “help children with unsteady hands or difficulty in key targeting” (NEO, 2010). Lastly, it has options for large display font for children who struggle to see the screen. Overall this device is great for children just learning to use a computer or for children that struggle with the fine motor skills necessary for writing.
If I had to choose an age demographic it would be pre-k through 3rd grade. For children these ages some struggle with handwriting and often fall behind due to dyslexia or lack of fine motor skills. This is also the age before classrooms really start to use computers in the classroom. This gives students a jump start in learning.
This device is compatible with all Windows and Mac operating systems. It is also easy to send written text directly to your PC, Mac, or USB printer (NEO, 2010). It is compatible with windows XP, and vista, as well as Mac operating systems. Using only batteries it has a battery life of 700 hours. There is also a page with accessories to purchase along with your NEO if needed or wanted. Overall I thought it was a pretty cool device.
Qwizdom
Qwizdom is an interactive software program that is co-partnered with McGraw Hill Inc. It is marketed for grades k-12 and is accessible for college students or companies. The software is the lead market provider of the remote audience response system. The software is used through a plug in with Microsoft PowerPoint. To run this program you need a minimum of Windows 98 or 2000. You must have Microsoft Office and the software is compatible with Windows 7. This software comes with teacher supplementing software as well as tutorial books and how to effectively use the software in the classroom. This software combines drill and practice, tutorials, instructional games, problem solving, as well as authentic assessment tools. The program is visually appealing and very user friendly. I have used this in a 2nd grade setting and my students had no issues with the prompts and information presented. This software also gives time for responses’ and gives quick feedback for right and wrong answers. The drill and practice features use branching so that the questions get progressively harder as the students answer correct questions. This software has a support website that answers any tech questions and describes the software more in depth at http://qwizdom.com/education/index.php.
This program is especially ideal because it allows teachers to input information of their choice. The teacher can create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation using information from the upcoming test with true and false questions and multiple-choice. When the students use the program they can access it in a group or individually. The PowerPoint presentation will come up as always and the students will each have a remote with a number that the teacher has recorded. When the question is asked, the students can respond by selecting their choice on the remote. As the teacher, you then have the option to either show a graph with the percentages of the classes’ answers or it can go onto the next question or just log the answers. The teacher can choose to lecture on topics the classes didn’t do well on or to proceed. When the presentation is over the teacher has all of the results on the PowerPoint and the corresponding numbers. This way the “test” can be graded or just for informative use. This program also has instructional games for all ages and drill and practice.
This program is especially ideal because it allows teachers to input information of their choice. The teacher can create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation using information from the upcoming test with true and false questions and multiple-choice. When the students use the program they can access it in a group or individually. The PowerPoint presentation will come up as always and the students will each have a remote with a number that the teacher has recorded. When the question is asked, the students can respond by selecting their choice on the remote. As the teacher, you then have the option to either show a graph with the percentages of the classes’ answers or it can go onto the next question or just log the answers. The teacher can choose to lecture on topics the classes didn’t do well on or to proceed. When the presentation is over the teacher has all of the results on the PowerPoint and the corresponding numbers. This way the “test” can be graded or just for informative use. This program also has instructional games for all ages and drill and practice.
Kidspiration
Kidspiration is interactive mapping software for children grades kindergarten through fifth grade. There is an older version called Inspiration for adults that does more in-depth programming. Kidspiration is very visually appealing and very easy to manipulate. There are short easy to read directions at each stage of the program to give you direction if you need it, but you may opt to not have the tutorials. This program is mainly used for Mind mapping or Visual Expression as Kidspiration calls it. The software is compatible with a Windows 98, 2000 or XP System. There are several versions of Kidspiration but Kidspiration 3 is the newest. The software costs $69.00 for a single computer use onetime fee, and 895.00 for a 20-computer license. The software also has a connecting website for web support or questions at http://kidspiration.com/kidspiration.
This software is supportive with the New York State learning standards that state that children must become proficient at brainstorming collaboratively and individually in a large variety of subjects (https://stateaid.nysed.gov/scripts/sa/pi_find.idc). The objective of this software is to create an environment where students can get their thoughts out in an organized manor that they can sort through and organize later.
This program can be used in elementary school and early middle school. The program is very visually appealing and easy to manipulate. The students would not need any prior training on the program other than the introduction by the teacher prior to using it. There is a help bar intended to help the students along the way and gives enough information to complete the mind maps without additional training. I have used this software most frequently with students brainstorming for a project or a paper. It’s easy to create maps and add branches with different topics you would like to explore. This program also makes maps for presentations and projects. Aside from the visual expression, this program also does drill and practice skills in all of the content subjects in conjunctions with each states standards. The practice skills use branching to get progressively harder for the advanced students and to focus on repletion and explanation of wrong answers for the struggling students. This program is awesome for younger children because it’s easy to use but there is no limit as to how far you want to go with the maps. It’s also convenient because the teacher can easily manipulate already created maps to adapt to classroom curriculum or tests. I would recommend this program to teachers looking for new ways for your students to organize their thoughts in a well planned out mind map. This software can also be used collaboratively for group projects. I have also used it before for a kind of pre-test for younger students to see what kinds of things they add to their maps after putting one main word in the middle as a starting point.
Need a fun website to fill some time all while learning something?
I frequent the website sporcle.com when I have a few minutes in between things or when I don't want to just sit down on the couch and watch TV. This is a free website and it has a lot to offer! The website is advertised as a mentally stimulating diversion, which in my opinion is exactly what it is. It's a compilation of time games that the user must choose a topic (maybe States in our country) and they have a time limit (5 minutes, sometimes less) to type in as many states as they can remember. These games exercise "train your brain" using intelligence, memory, attention, focus, speed, and language exercises. When you first enter the site there is a tool bar at the top breaking up the games into many categories. One of the downsides to this site is that there are hundreds of games so if you are looking for something specific for your students or yourself you might have to look around a little bit under each category to find exactly what you are looking for. However since there is a large variety of each topic I frequently stumble into many other games that might be useful to me or for the children I work with. One other downside I have noticed is that if you struggle with spelling its difficult to play these games because in order to get correct answers they must be spelled correctly. However this can also be a good thing to help children with their spelling if its a game they are interested in. Check it out! Just be careful not to get sucked in, it happens to me all the time!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Four Square
I am fascinated that everyday I can open up my Internet explorer and find something new and exciting. I have just recently discovered foursquare. This is a social networking site that works with local businesses in each users area to gain more business and increase awareness via the Internet. The website is easy to navigate and even easier to use through your Android, IPhone or blackberry. Just in the short amount of time I have spent checking out the site I have found many local users that have suggested places for me to check out. Since I work with children and frequent "kid friendly" locations, I searched for places with deals on certain days and found that on Wednesdays at Putters Paradise 1.2 miles from my job children can "pay what they weigh" for putt putt golf under age 12. This information is not only useful to me but cost effective and when I arrive at this destination I can "check-in" from my phone and gain discounts from company's that I frequent as a reward for increasing the Internet awareness for their company and leaving other tips for what else might be enjoyable at that location. This website also targets city hot spots and places with frequent deals. Overall I still have so much more to explore and learn but its new and exciting and it can also be integrated into a classroom environment. If students are doing a project on Ancient Egypt and want to find locations that have information, art exhibits or other fun things relating to this topic they can be found and marked as things I want to do and added to a list of things you want to try or experience. Students can do this independently or as a group to find educational resources in the city they live in. This might also be a resource guide for choosing field trips. From the teacher stand point, it could be useful in finding quiet spots that other teachers frequent for grading papers or collaborating ideas. It might also be useful to look at tips from other teachers on certain places that you haven't been too. For example I might be interested in taking students to a Museum in a nearby city. By searching the city and reading comments previously posted I can get a feel for how parents, teachers, and children liked the museum, what the museum has to offer and what exhibits are recommended for viewing. This gives me lots of information so that I could make a plan for what I wanted my students to gain from the experience and then I can post my feedback after I have visited the location. Foursquare.com
I also found a link called Foursquare Updates- Are you Over sharing (http://ustandout.com/social-media/foursquare-updates-oversharing) It gives a more detailed description of how foursquare links with other social networking sites and some warnings for oversharing and privacy concerns.
I also found a link called Foursquare Updates- Are you Over sharing (http://ustandout.com/social-media/foursquare-updates-oversharing) It gives a more detailed description of how foursquare links with other social networking sites and some warnings for oversharing and privacy concerns.
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