ILP “Participation”- Lynda.COM

Tutorial Lesson Name: Choosing the right technology for your School by Betsy Corcoran.

Category: Education and E Learning Educational Technology

  The activity lesson was organized in the following manner; an introduction followed by questions regarding the topic such as why technology?, questions to ask, choose your technology, and a conclusion. The entire tutorial lasted 34 minutes in length and was very well organized. The author is a journalist who has written about the use of technology throughout her entire career. She was taken back regarding the lack of use of technology and school when she had children of her own and she experienced first hand what was happening in schools across America. She started Edsurge which is a type of consulting service that helps schools, administrators, teachers, parents, and students understand how to choose and incorporate technology into the learning environment. Edsurge is an intermediary providing information about technology in order to really bring context and relevance into the lives of teachers and students. There's a collection of technologies that help administrators understand what's going on in their districts, because as the schools come into this electronic world school districts will want to make sure that their students are protected as well. The goal is to find relevance within education to bring context to students to explore, find their passion, and build their future. Edsurge uses the diagram below to assist in finding the right technology that will support the learning environment it is introduced to. Also, questions regarding hardware, support software, and technology that links school and families as well as technology that supports instruction are addressed.

Blog #6

#1

            I chose to visit my son’s school’s website and his first grade teacher’s online pages. Publicly you can access and see information about his first grade teacher such as an introduction about her and her family and background. Also, there are several educational links that direct both students and parents to additional learning resources outside of the classroom. Mrs. Kagy, also posts: announcements, assignments, homework, important documents, the class newsletter, schedules and class fun on the website for parents and students to access information about her classroom. You can access the school’s website through this link http://www.leonschools.net/hawksrise.

#2

            I envision myself using technology that helps my students succeed in their learning environment. The Smart-Board is a great tool which project on a large level and reaches the entire classroom even those students who sit in the back of the classroom. I believe that effective teaching requires feedback from parents and students as well regarding the material and how well it is being understood. Also, the use of productivity tools that enables teacher to track their student’s progress so that it can be shared in review to measure performance and address areas of concern that may need to be addressed. I also feel that it is important to understand any limitations that students may have to technology outside of the classroom and take this into account when assigning homework, projects and other school work.

#3

The Technology Sandbox proved to demonstrate its dynamic learning environment where students of the College of Education can learn and practice using various instructional technologies and tools. Being able to understanding how these technologies can be embedded into real life teaching, learning, assessment, and research is very valuable knowledge. The range from PreK-12, continuing and higher education, and other educational organizations is all encompassing and allows students to meet rigorous accreditation requirements, and state standards. I cannot imagine better preparation for FSU graduates to be successful in their future professional careers. Gaming, iPad, e-readers, and tablets are all technologies that I intend to use and through personal experience with these technologies I am confident that they will be useful in my classroom and with my students to make learning engaging and fun at the same time. It is time to step away from the desk, chalkboard and overhead projector. It is the interactive technology that will make an impact when teaching my students.