Technology in Education Course

When I first started Technology in Education, TIE 300 my technology skills were basic. I understood and used minimum computer skills to get me through the work week. As a school director, I wanted to gain more computer skills to better my position at the school. There are things like advertising, weekly communication, support for the children and staff, and accounting that must be done every week. This this course, I have learned about new technology tools and websites I can use to make my job easier.

This quarter I have learned to use websites as a tool to assist children, parents and staff when needed. For example, I have created a Diigo account to refer to if the teachers and I need assistance with curriculum, tools for using technology with young children, and to acquire more knowledge of the early childhood field. Piktochart is an infographic design app that has helped me create more visually appealing flyers for all our different events. They have been great because they look great posted on our walls, and sent through email. They have truly made me look like I was technologically inclined. Blogger is a tool on Google that has been a substitute for my usual email style weekly updates on curriculum, reminders and school news. I believe the parents have enjoyed this new style weekly emails I have been trying through Blogger. And learning about the website, Movie Maker has been a great addition to my job and education. I can create small movies describing our week in school, which the parents really enjoy. Parents have expressed to me they love seeing their children working on activities in a new way. I used to send the pictures through email, and app or post them on the walls. Also, teachers have been encouraged and eager to take observational photos to combine in Movie Maker as an addition to their parent teacher conference. I appreciate everything I have learned in this class, because this ten-week course has greatly enhanced my technological abilities.

Copyright Law

How does Copyright Law Affect Your Use of Technology in the Classroom?

Copyright is the exclusive legal right, given to originator or assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literacy, artistic, or musical material. A major limitation if copyright is it can be for a limited time, and does not cover the underlying ideas of something. However, the copyright law protects the creator for as long as the copyright is active.

            Given the fact that educators are teaching children of the 21^st century, curriculum is often used along with the internet in many ways. For example, teachers may incorporate a website, internet games, and research in their lesson plans. The Fair Use law is the part of the U.S. copyright law which says that parts of the media cab be used without breaking any copyright laws. Special circumstances, like research, teachers are using because they are protected by Fair Use. Copy right laws affect teachers use of technology in the classroom, because they must be mindful of if they are breaking this Copyright law. Teachers have so much on with curriculum, activities, and classroom management, so it becomes very difficult to first clarify if these technology tools and sites can be used. I think the only way around these difficulties is to research the websites you plan to use prior when developing the curriculum. This is where you can search the websites that protects teachers under the Fair Use law. Educators also make sure to site the PowerPoints they create, which are research based, before presenting their lessons to the classroom. In the end teachers, will continue to use the technology in their lessons, because children are growing up in a world that heavily uses technology. It is only logical to incorporate this technology when instructing in the classroom.

Media Literacy

            Media literacy is the capacity to understand, analyze and critique the media, and to meaningfully participate with messages in print, audio, video, and internet use. The question is, why is media literacy important? To be involved to the twenty first century and education and work field, you will need some knowledge and use of media literacy.

            Our brain processes all sorts of information from a variety of media sources. Through ISTE, teachers can use media literacy along with the curriculum to help children develop knowledge, understanding or skill in a specific area. Media literacy will guide children in developing logical thinking, language development, and literacy and production skills. Media literacy is crucial in school, especially elementary and high school grades. There are many reasons why a student uses media literacy in their learning. They may use media and a pedagogical tool, to identify sources for their topic, and develop awareness and credibility for the topic and question they are researching. Because of the growing era of media literacy use, children will need to gain the knowledge and skills to one day obtain a job. The work force is using media literacy more and more each year. While working in a daycare, the teachers and I use media literacy each week for curriculum instruction reasons. As a director, I have used media literacy in at least once a week.

            I can appreciate the use of media literacy in our schools, because it prepares them for the future. By the time these students are out of high school, they will have already been familiar or have mastered media literacy. Their future careers will for sure use media in some way.

Web 2.0

          Edmodo is a digital classroom, with intuitive features and unlimited storage. You can quickly create groups, assign homework, schedule quizzes, manage progress, and more. Everything is one platform to create a website for students, parents, and teachers. Because Edmodo works with Google

Apps for Education and Microsoft OneNote & Office, students do not need to remember many passwords.

            One of the affordances of this website is the extended lesson/learning that involves parents. The Edmodo parent mobile app make sure the lessons we teach during the day can be reinforced at night by getting families involved. Just like a weekly memo, Edmodo can share classroom assignments, events, set reminders and assignments with parents. If a student is absent due to hospital stays, vacations, or other personal reasons, their classwork and homework can go wherever they go. This is so important, because most people do not realize how much school a student who is ill can miss. My sister had severe asthma growing up, which caused her to stay in the hospital many times. Usually one of us, siblings, would stop into her classroom to get her homework. I think if her teachers participated in something like Edmodo my sister would have received the classroom experience in the hospital. As an affordance for teachers, it is an open education resource site. Using Edmodo spotlight to search and discover free and premium tools, apps, games, and create collection of your favorite resources. Also, teachers can share or sell their educational content or lesson plans.

            There is one major constraint; Students cannot use this website if their teachers are not using it. Teachers must place their lessons and curriculum on the site for a student to work from home. Websites like Edmodo are valuable for the positive educational growth and development of young students. The most important value to this website is the access students have to their teacher’s lessons, parent involvement, and safe way for educators to collaborate with students and their parents.

Technology Affordances and Constraints

It seems nowadays children are more technologically advanced, and very much blessed at some schools. When I attended grammar school, we were so happy to have a couple of PC computers in each classroom. It was a very big deal when they gave us the “Computer lab” with about fifteen PC computers in it. I believe that was what you called technology affordances in my school. Today, schools have so many technological affordances. You will see iPads, smart boards, flat screens, laptops, and my favorite, the smart table. When I was growing, I heard about all the schools in low income areas that did not receive computers, and this was a constraint in terms of education.

There are so many advantages in having technology in your classroom. This should be something you consider, whether you are a teacher or a parent. Daycares and Preschool are so advanced today, because we can record your child’s day through apps. And because it is recorded on the app, a parent may log in and inquire on their child’s day right away instead of waiting to get to the schools. Smart boards and other assistive technology is being used to help children with special needs advance and feel like they are a part of their classroom community. We know that technology is helping children positively develop in all domains. The fact is, not all early childhood schools are being supplied with these technology affordances. In fact, many are feeling the technology constraints. They are not receiving the technology skills they should be receiving for their age group. We must push the Board of Education to make sure all children are equally receiving these technological tools in their classrooms. It is sad to see some of the differences we see in our schools.

The Flipped Classroom

           

I believe we already use the concepts of flipped classrooms in our preschool. I feel like we start off using the flipped classroom model in early childhood education, use traditional classroom instruction during the child’s elementary and high school years, and then it seems education in America goes back to the flipped classroom during a student’s college years. I say this because, at our preschool we have a curriculum created for the entire year, and each unit has four themes. Parents are given the theme of the week before it begins, so it can be discussed at home with parents. The teachers use hands on and learning through play instruction, and activities and projects are done in the classroom. When I was in elementary school and high school, lectures were done in the classroom, homework was assigned to be done at, and there was very little one on one time in the classroom. It is my understanding that it is that way today as well. Now that I am in college, it feels like we are using the flipped classroom concepts in the way that we must do lots of article reading, video watching, and research at home. In the classroom, there is group work, but our assignments are not being done in the classroom.

There are many ways we can use the concepts of flipped classroom, depending on what lesson we are working on. I would advise the parent of the current theme, but this time I would add links and take home literature for the parent to help their child research at home. The next day, the classroom routine can go as usual. However, the teacher will be able to ask children questions and include them in, and the children can work in group projects and discuss what they know. There are many benefits to using the flipped classroom in your teaching. The practical work, homework, is done in the classroom where teachers can be present to help the child understand. This will also take the stress of homework off the parents. Allows the child to learn at their own pace, because videos can be watched as many times as needed at home. It makes the learning more efficient, because the children enter the classroom already being familiar with the lesson, and then can successfully contribute. Also, more time for every child’s enrichment, even the ones less confident in the lesson. I would make sure to put children in groups so that they can learn from each other as well. A student needs the guidance of the teacher throughout each lesson, and flipped classroom management is the best way to do that.

Best Practices for Technology Instruction

           Today we are talking about the important practices of technology in education. First, I think we all appreciate what technology can do, in so many ways in the classroom, and for the instruction of the lesson. Just the simple fact that children with special needs’ physical, cognitive, and social-emotional education is being met through technology should be enough to justify why we need technology in our early childhood classrooms.

            Some important practices for technology in the classroom is learning with a purpose, knowing the goals and standards you would like the child to be successful I through this technological tool, and knowing how you will assess this assignment that consisted of technology. When it comes to Learning with a purpose, this means why you would to teach this lesson with technology, or why the children are working on this activity through technology. Must be teacher monitored and controlled. Just like any other lesson and activity presented by a teacher where they should say why it is necessary for the classroom to work on what you are presenting to them. The second practice is knowing the goals and standards you would like the children to be at through this activity. For every age group and every domain, you have standards that state where each child in your classroom should be successfully attaining. Of course, not every child is the same. You usually plan your assessment per each lesson, purpose for that lesson. For example, through a smart board, allowing the child with fine motor disabilities to practice counting in a row, one through ten. Because this child may not be up for using smaller objects, like plastic beans, he will have a chance at counting objects on the smart board screen. The teacher can still assess if this child can count from one through ten without cognitive difficulty. Which bring me to the last practice, and it is assessments. Teachers can assess a child’s cognitive and social-emotional abilities using technology. The best teachers are the teachers that can gear towards the way the child learns.