Module 5

Module Five

Advantages of Integrating Technology

One advantage of integrating technology when teaching social studies is that technology tools make possible a variety of strategies teachers can use to enhance the learning experience for students. These strategies support a variety of approaches. One of the tools technology provides is simulated problem solving environments. Social studies often provides complex issues and problems that are hard for the students to understand. Simulations, or electronic environments can help the students understand by allowing them a chance to interact with simulated events or locations. Another tool is virtual field trips. This option is growing daily, with a variety of field trips being added to the web all of the time. Teachers all over the world use this option to provide students with the opportunity to view a location with their own eyes, without the high cost that many don’t have to pay. The following is a link to a Symbaloo web mix that includes many resources for using virtual field trips in the elementary and middle school classroom.

Link to Symbaloo Virtual Field Trip Web Mix

Disadvantages of Integrating Technology

One disadvantage of integrating technology into social studies is that the field of social studies presents a unique array of special problems related to content knowledge. Social studies is a very broad content area. With so much content teachers are required to cover, it is difficult for teachers to maintain current technology resources to use when creating effective lessons for their students. Choosing the best and more current resources means that teachers must constantly keep updated on their content knowledge so they can identify resources that are up to date and accurate.

Article with a List of Disadvantages of Virtual Field Trips

Specific Activities, Programs, Etc. 

I find that virtual field trips are a huge asset to both the teacher and the students in the class. Virtual field trips are an easy way for students to see things that they otherwise would not be able to see with their own eyes. Virtual field trips have the potential to enhance lessons across the curriculum. Digital storytelling is another great resource for teachers to use. Digital storytelling is the process of using images and audio to tell the stories of lives, events, or eras. These projects offer students the opportunity to make their own lives a part of their research.

Module 4

Writing a Friendly Letter
Link to Flip Chart

I chose this link because it is an interactive way to teach students the 5 parts to writing a friendly letter. From past experiences, it is much easier for students to see a friendly letter while you are describing the parts to them. By showing this flipchart, students will be able to see the letter, and each part as it is added one at a time. Then the students will label all of the parts of a friendly letter at the end of the lesson. Students will be more likely to stay engaged in this lesson due to the interactive features, which means more learning will occur.

Using a flip chart to introduce a new topic is a great way for visual and auditory learners to take away the concepts being taught. The students will be seeing what you are teaching, and will be more likely to remember the information. Depending on the  hardware and software  you have in your classroom, you may be able to use flip charts to enhance your lessons. To use a flip chart, you will need an interactive board such as a Smart board, Promethean board, or an Interactive e-write board. Depending on what type of hardware you have in your classroom will determine what type of software  you will need to develop a flip chart.

Teachers are always trying to find new ways to keep their students engaged in the lesson being taught. Through research, it seems that including technology within lessons is a great way to motivate students. This is known as technology use based on problem solving. The problem is that students are often uninterested in the lesson, and lose focus. One way educators are solving this problem is by including technology within their lessons. When doing this, teachers are seeing that students are being attentive for longer amounts of time, they are motivated about learning, and they are remaining engaged throughout the lesson.

There are a few essential conditions for technology integration in schools. These include but are not limited to: coordinating school and district planning, budgeting, teacher training, matching technology to curriculum needs, and keeping current and built in flexibility. This means that there may be obstacles that come up when trying to get technology integrated into your school system. Teachers must communicate why they need the technology, and what the benefits of having technology integrated in the classroom are. Also, teachers must remember that technology integration is very costly, and it could take a period of time to happen.

When creating flipcharts to use it is important to be aware of the software support tools available for you to use. These tools include but are not limited to: Materials generators, data collection and analysis tools, graphics tools, planning and organizing tools, research and reference tools, and content-area tools. Use these tools when creating flipcharts to enhance your design and organize your information.

Module 3

Search Engines

My favorite search engine is www.google.com. This is my favorite search engine because of the way that the information is displayed to users. Google puts the websites in order by the amount of times they are visited, which most of the time places the best websites at the top. This enables me to get to the highest quality of information quickly. Also, Google is user friendly. Google sorts the item you are searching between webpages, images, etc. making the search easier. Google also displays very few ads compared to other search engines. This is convenient when using Google in the classroom. By learning to use search engines correctly, students will find and research accurate information about a topic in a timely fashion. 

Website Evaluation Video

This video would be relevant in my classroom because I could show it to my students to help them understand why you should evaluate websites. This video also shows the students the main ideas about how to evaluate websites and breaks it down into 5 parts that the students will be able to remember. Also, the video is short while still getting the main points across to the viewers.

Favorite Web Site #1

www.teacherspayteachers.com

Teachers pay teachers is a great resource for teachers to use while creating lesson plans. Teachers pay teachers offers great materials for thousands of topics covering all grade levels. This website helps teachers share ideas with one another, and think outside of the box to develop meaningful lessons. Teachers pay teachers features good structure and organization. At the top of the page, you will find a search bar. You can type in any topic you are looking for. Then, you can narrow your search by subject and grade level by using the tool bar on the side. This website would be good to share with other teachers because it will help them improve their lesson plans in a user friendly way.

Favorite Web Site #2

http://polenzani.wikispaces.com/

This wiki would be beneficial to students learning about the solar system, and teachers who are trying to make learning about solar system fun. Good structure and organization are two reasons why I think this wiki would be great to use with students. If a student is looking for a page in the wiki, they can use the navigation on the left side of the screen to find what they are looking for.

This wiki is like one I might use in my classroom because it is well organized and user friendly, while offering a fun way to educate students about a topic. By presenting information to students in a visually pleasing way, they are more likely to pay attention and stay focused on the lesson.

Module Two Blog Post

Commercial Hypermedia Product
http://www.storytimeforme.com/

Story time for me is a website designed for students of all ages to use. It provides an interactive way for students to strengthen their reading skills. When you go to the webpage, you are prompted to go to the library that is full of free online storybooks. Students can pick an interactive story series, then select their grade. Once the students select their grade, and the series they want to read, the first story will load. The story has a narrator that reads the story to the student. Interactive illustrations make the story come to life as the students read along with the words provided on the bottom of the screen. This product would be helpful in my classroom because it provides the students opportunities to develop their reading skills without me having to provide direct instruction. This will differentiate instruction, which will keep the students interested in reading, and developing.

Type 2: Audio and Video Production and Editing Systems
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml
This article discusses how virtual fieldtrips can impact the classroom positively.

I chose to use virtual field trips as a multimedia tool in my classroom because it is a way to get students excited about learning about a new topic in the classroom. Virtual fieldtrips allow students to see things that they would normally not be able to see. By having the experience of a virtual field trip, students are more likely to remember facts about the topic being studied. One way I might use this in my classroom is by showing a video during a social studies lesson. For example, if I were teaching a lesson about the Grand Canyon, I could show a virtual fieldtrip. By doing this, my students would be able to experience what the Grand Canyon is like with their own eyes which will enhance the lesson.


Video
This video discusses what virtual field trips are, it provides resources about virtual field trips, and discusses how virtual fieldtrips impact the classroom.

Module One: The Basic Three

Word Processing Software
Word processing software is a great tool for helping teachers organize their ideas into useable, instructional materials. Additionally, word processors allow educators to accomplish paperwork in a timely manner, which can free up time to be productive in other areas. Word processors can also improve the appearance of documents, making them user friendly.

Spreadsheet Software
Spreadsheets are a great tool for educators to use when creating gradebooks. Also, spreadsheets display data in an organized fashion that can be easily read and understood by others. Math teachers can also utilize spreadsheets to introduce and teach a variety of math topics to their students. One issue with using this tool is that there are educators who are not familiar with spreadsheets, therefore they would not be able to produce or perhaps understand a spreadsheet.

Presentation Software
Presentation software is a tool educators can use to organize their ideas about a topic. Educators can also encourage their students to use presentation software to organize their ideas, then allow them to present their ideas to the class. Presentation software can enhance the impact of spoken information, if it is used correctly. Educators can also use presentation software in their classroom and allow groups of students to collaborate together to create a presentation about a particular topic. By doing this students will improve their collaboration skills, and each student will bring different ideas about the topic to the table. One problem educators often encounter when using presentation software is that they don’t understand how to properly use it. Therefore, they create uninteresting presentations that are ineffective in their classroom.

Classroom Use
My favorite tool is presentation software. One way I would use the presentation software in my classroom is to create a visual aid for an introduction to a new book I am planning to read to the entire class. I would create slides that would grab the students’ attention, and include character descriptions and quotes from the book that will interest the students. By doing this, the students will not only hear what I am saying about the book, but they will see it as well. Meaning they are more likely to recall the information.