Final reflection /Learning new technology for schools use.

As I went into discovering the technology assignments for the class I experience highs and lows as each one had its own rewards and its own challenges. 
The technology I enjoyed a lot was Infographic using Easl.ly. What I liked is the fact that I would put tidbits of information I was reading from a research website. I did my infrographic on the topic that I titled “Hispanics living in America.” I got so carried away fixing it and looking for more things to add that I lost track of time and ended up posting it late in my assignment box. I loved that assignment! Favorite for sure.

The technology assignment that excited me the most was Animoto, Telegami, and QR Codes. Wow, that was just an awesome assignment! I made a book trailer using Animoto and posted on Youtube then I had to tag it to a QR code. Now that was neat! I made the book trailer on a book of Roman times of a Jewish slave made to work for an aristocrats’ family and was sent to die in the lions’ arena. Very fun to make, got pictures for my Animoto video at Pintress and from different resources I found on Google. When I scan the QR Code to my book trailer it just was an exciting thing. Then with the Telegami I made an avatar talk about the book and asked the student to make a research about the Roman gladiators. I told people around me about the assignment and they could not believe I did it.

The one I had such trouble was the screencast. I could not download it to my computer. It took me what seemed forever to get it download to my computer. I travel to my brother’s house (which lives 30 minutes away in another town) to get it installed. Once I got it down I recorded the instructions on how to use a website but I keep making mistakes. They were little things such as forgetting my words or I pause too long, it was nightmare. I would have to record again and again till finally I got it right. I was not use to hearing myself and least to hear myself give instructions.

In my opinion what will be useful in the classroom was the QR codes. Several examples I found in Pintress and Google search, for example are, library book add-on, scavenger hunts, inform parents about coming events, access help for homework, qr stations for self-directed learning, cite sources they use for paper writing, and to tag it to books, videos and a word like “Good Job!” when they got a good grade and want to reward them. It was a great assignment, I shared it with my friends, family and co-workers, everyone in my way.  This will be not only exciting for the students but for  teachers because its  fairly easy to use. You can hook it up to any assignment, task, book, famous person, pamphlet, and teacher information. The possibilities are limitless.  

I enjoyed what I learned this past semester.  It has changed my classroom and how I think of using technology for lesson plans. I came out of this experience rich with knowledge not only what I learned but how valuable this will be for my future endeavors in education. I also enjoyed reading everyone's blogs. To see everyone's experiences and opinions was in itself instrumental to my learning. Everyone did such great jobs. I felt bless reading everyone's own journey with technology. I now feel I have something to give in collaboration to my future school teachers as a librarian. 

If You Give a Mouse an iPhone, Ann Droyd

The great debate on technology and education

Clark vs Kozman debate

Can technology change the way we learn? Well according to Richard E. Clark in his 1983 argument he states that technology can only be a medium to deliver information but it is not what will make us learn something new. He stated like this “just like the truck is used to deliver goods to a store has no influence on the groceries it carries. The media is only a vehicle by which it is delivered.  He adds by stating “learning comes from the instructional method.” He concluded that media does not have any influence on learning what so ever.

Richard Kozman in 1991 combat Clark's theory by stating that using different media can complement the teacher in her quest to teach any subject effectively. Kozman believse that technology  provide a unique experience to learning. He continues  in his statement that “we should look at the attributes of the specific medium rather than the specific medium itself.”  Really Clark’s conclusion comes from research done fifty years ago.

There have not been any studies that prove either one to be right. Technology of today has changed drastically in just the last ten years. The computers that were used then were all big and complicated. The technology then was still simple in design and not much  educational benefit but in a developmental stage. Today we have games for teaching a concept, YouTube for explaining or elaborating on a fact, google for research, and an IPad with different apps that can compliment a teacher’s lesson. A child  of today is enriched with different ways for learning at any given subject using technology. But of course it is not the only means by which they can learn. It is a known fact that media does not work for everybody but for some. “Instructional technology only works for some kids, with some topics, and under some conditions – but that is true of all pedagogy. There is nothing that works for every purpose, for every learner, and all the time.” (Mann, 2001) Technology does provide a different avenue from that traditional way of paper and pencil into a world of entertainment and maybe go as far as to say they encouraged a student to learn. Of course there may be some hiccups for those students that are economically disadvantage that don’t have a computer or an IPad in their home. They have more obstacles to overcome by not being exposed to the privileges that others financially secure families have.

Teachers are understanding that the classroom  has to change from traditional sitting six hours and hearing the teacher talk. Where as today classrooms assignments are complemented with Apps such as Tellegomi, Animoto, and cartoons. Teachers are using different methods to teach a skill by implementing technology. They have too; today students are used to technology in their everyday routines. Their brains are wired for it. They have being exposed from childbirth with their parent’s laptop, cell phone, and IPad being around them and entertaining them all during their toddler and childhood life.   

 

Coming down to the fact is that technology, in and of itself, can neither make a child to learn nor deplete instruction but enhance a good teacher’s instruction. A good teacher is a good teacher and that is what the child needs most importantly.
Technology are only the tools that teacher can utilize to motivate the today's child to learn. 

Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning.  Educational Technology

Research and  Development, 42 (1), 21-29.

Clark, R. E. (2007). Learning from Serious Games?Arguments,

 Evidence, and Research Suggestions.  EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, May-June 2007, 56-59.

Gredler, M. E. (1996). Educational  games and simulations: A technology

 in search of a researchparadigm.

 In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.),  Handbook of research on educational communications

 and technology (pp. 521–540).

 New York: Simon & SchusterMacmillan Kozma, R. B. (1991). Learning with Media.

 Review of Educational Research, 61 (2), 179-211.

Kozma, R. B. (1994). The Influence of Media on Learning: The Debate

 Continues.  School Library Media Research SLMQ 22 (4).

Mann, D. (2001). Documenting the Effects of Instructional Technology, A Fly-Over of Policy Questions.

 In W. F. Heineke & L. Blasi (Eds.), Research methods for educational technology ;

 v. 1: Methods of evaluating educational technology (Vol. 1, pp. 239-249).Greenwich, Conn.: Information Age Pub

Digital Learning Day 2015 - Innovate. Collaborate. Inspire.