Chapter 6 reflection

In chapter 6 I learned about input and output devices. The most common input devices are the keyboard and the mouse but there are others as scanners, digital cameras, and digital tables, pen input, and touch screen. One input is flat-bed scanner that is the most versatile; it is able to scan different sizes of bound. The higher dots per inch (dpi) the scanner has, the higher quality of image it capture. Also it is important to know about ports, those are points of connection between a computer system and its peripherals. If I want to buy a new scanner I most to be sure the connections is the same as my computer. Another input is a digital camera that can varies in capacity of storage media. These cameras can take pictures and also videos, and we can download it in our computer. The graphics table also called digitizer is used to draw diagrams or create artwork. The touch screen is a computer monitor screen that responds to human touch. It is quick and easy and it is good for pre-readers and special students. The output devices are the projectors, scan converter, speakers, and headphones. The data projector can display a large and bright images and videos across a classroom. There are also digital technologies for the classroom as wireless devices, smart phones, mini-laptops, portable storage and e-books that helps the teaching and learning in school. Each of these devices has an important role in teaching and learning.
I read, "Why I hate Interactive White Boards" and I think that the use of White Boards in the classroom depends on the teacher. There are some teachers who are not very knowledgeable of technology and prefer to use these boards. For example, my history professor at the College told us he did not know how to use a DVD player, projector, cell phone, computers, and anything else concerning the new technology, and was too old to start learning. So in classes he use only the White board to write notes and we just copy it. If for any reason a student would miss his class, he or she had to call the teacher's house and leave the message with his wife. I think the White boards is not the best thing teachers can use in classroom compared with the new technology that makes easier the teaching and learning. But if the teachers do not know how to use the technology, the White board is one of the few options they have to teach.
I also read “One Teacher, One Smart phone” and I think Droid X, Picasa, Evernote, Ustream, and Dropbox are so helpful for teachers today’s day. Those programs make easier the communication between teachers and students, and the comprehension of the lessons. I think is important every teacher know how to use new programs, that way they can find new strategies to teach their students.

Chapter 5 reflection and Cool Tools for School review

Chapter 5 reflection

In chapter 5 I learned about computer devices, programs, viruses, and types of multimedia. The input devices as mouse and keyboard, and output devices as monitor and printer are the system stored inside the computer’s hardware. I had the opportunity to look what’s inside the CPU and it is incredible how a little chip can storage a lot of information. I learned that windows is the most popular operating system in schools but there are others schools that use Macintosh, this information helps me to know that I need to learn how to use both programs to be ready when I need to use it. Now I know how important is to save our documents not just in our computer, but also in other media storage devices as CD or USB Flash Drive so if our computer has any problem in the future as any virus, we don’t going to lose our documents those going to be save in other place. There is also a web program called Dropbox that let us save our documents, photos, music, etc. and we can open this program in any computer.

Cool Tools for School review

I think Cool tools, as PreZentit is a good help when we have to do a presentation. It aloud us to work in team doing the same project, at the same time but in different computers. So if the students cannot meet their team in a certain place they can work with the team using their own computer in home. The tools look easy to use so the students can understand its functions. The power point presentation tools are variety so the students can create their presentations, as they like. The presentations can be public or private, so the student’s presentation would be safe. I think students going to like it, and they are going to have a new way to learn.

Chapter 4 reflection

In Chapter 4 I learned that students with special needs are students who have disabilities. But those disabilities are not just physical as walking and motor coordination. Disabilities also include students who have visual and hearing impairments, attention deficits, autism and any other thing that make learning difficult. Now I know that technology is a great helper in student’s learning. With programs like concept mapping software, word prediction, text-to-speech, talking word-processing and others, help students with disabilities to improve writing, reading, and talking skills. I learned that teachers have to speak loud and clear in class so all students can understand what they are talking about without problems. I know that teach a student with disabilities is not an easy job but I’m sure all children can learn no matter what disability they have, with patience and with technology’s help teachers can encourage these children to achieve their goals.

Chapter 3 reflection

In chapter 3 I learned that design-plan-act (D-P-A-) system is important for teaching. First, teachers have to design the instructional unit to identified the competencies that the students will achieve as the unit is presented. Teachers have to create a daily lesson planning where they will considers which components of the design should be presented during each day of instructions and describes how the lesson will unfold. And then teachers have to act each day remembering the many small but critical details necessary for instruction. The design-plan-act must be flexible and adaptable to accommodate continual changes in strategies to meet learner’s needs. This system can help me to be organize and can give me more time to discover what are the learning styles of my students. I learned that is important know the learners, their developmental stages, cultural or language backgrounds, incoming skills, and learning styles. Teachers needs to clarify their objectives that specify what the student will be able to do when the instructional event conclude. Now I know that classroom environment can affect the student’s learning. Teachers have to be sure that the classroom has a adequate environment as good decoration, nice temperature, enough space for students, and adequate lighting. Student needs to fell comfortable and safe in classroom to achieve a successful learning. I think all this information is going to be helpful for me on the future when I have my own classroom because I will know how to create a good classroom environment and I will know how organize the instructional units in class.

Adora Svitak

chapter 2 reflection

     This week a learned about learning styles, that everybody has different learning styles like behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist. The person who learning style is behaviorist acquires behaviors, skills, and knowledge in response to the rewards, punishments, or withheld responses associated with them. The cognitivist learner focus his or her learning as a mental operation, this learner probably likes math and science. The constructivist learner based his or her learning on the experiences within which those mental processes occurred. Knowing what kind of learner my student is I can use different teaching styles to make the learning easy for them, and technology is and important factor in teaching and learning today’s day. Also I learned that environmental factors like interrupt communication, loud, dim lighting, excessive movement, uncomfortable temperatures, and psychological factors like a highly emotional or traumatic events, affects the student’s learning. That’s why it is important to have a good communication and feedback between teachers and students. Another important thing I learned is that in the recent years has been an increment of multicultural classrooms in schools. There are students of different countries with different cultures, beliefs, values and languages. To have a successful multicultural classroom the teacher has to learn about those cultures and teach it to all the students, and the most important thing is respect their cultures and do that students respect each other too. Be patient with the students who’s English is their second language and motivate them everyday to don’t lose their native language, and work with their parents to achieve a successful education for those students.