“Technology Reflection: Instructional Use of Ipads"

Technology Reflection Assignment

Description/Experience

I was absent from class during this demonstration but I looked up some of the apps that were on the app list from the demonstration and I tested out some of them on my Ipad. I believe this new technology is a wonderful idea and will be very useful in schools. I am very interested in trying out some of these apps at my PDS and also in my own classroom in the future. I think that by using an Ipad for an activity will make the students very interested in the lesson since they will be trying out a new way of learning. I think it will also be very helpful for those students that are visual learners.

Application

The second graders that I work with at my PDS are constantly doing different activities to give them practice with their spelling words for each week. I have noticed that several of the students have trouble reading and spelling words correctly. In order to help them with their spelling words I would use the Ipad app spell board to create a word search puzzle with their spelling words for that week. Not only does this app create a word search puzzle with the words you enter in but it also creates quizzes with the words. You can record your voice saying the word and even a phrase that the word fits in. Spell board also has a study mode where you can walk through a quiz seeing and hearing the word. You can also practice writing the word on the virtual white board. Using the practice mode would be perfect for the class to use because it is more interactive then me just saying the word and them practicing them on paper or on their little dry erase boards.

First, provide some details regarding:

• Learners: second graders, ages 7-8
• Learning outcomes: What will learners gain through this activity? Be specific regarding the focus of content. You should be able state something like: “At the end of this activity, students will be able to…” The students will be able to practice their spelling words for the week through this activity. At the end of the activity students will have mastered the correct spelling for their words for that week.
• Assessment: I would know if that the activity was effective because at the end of the week I would be assessing them through a spelling test. I would be able to compare their grades from the week that we used the Ipad to practice  to their grades from all of the other weeks when we did not. I personally think there would be an improvement in their grades after using the Ipad to practice their words.

Second, break down your activity into a timeline of planned events and procedures. Here you should describe what students and the teacher will be doing chronologically during the activity. Below is one of the good examples from previous reflections:

• The lesson would begin with introducing the students to the Ipad app, spell board. This would only take a minute or two because at this point the students will already be acquainted with the concept of using an Ipad.
• The students would spend some time in the study mode of the app. During this time they will practice writing their spelling words correctly on the interactive white board.
• After completing the practice mode quiz they will find the spelling words they just practiced in a word search.
• After completing both assignments I would then have them take the quiz on the app. The quiz on the app is nice because it tracks how they are doing on each quiz and what they messed up on.
• After I check their quizzes and how they did I could have them go back and redo anything that they struggled with.

Reflection

I believe it will enhance the students’ learning more than the typical way of studying/practicing their spelling words because it is something new and exciting. The teacher does her best to help each student individually when they are struggling but she cannot help each student at the same time, by using the Ipad the students will be getting one on one help and the voice that reads the words and phrases is a voice that they are familiar with, the teacher’s voice. So it feels like the teacher is right their helping them even when she is not really there. Most of the students do not have I pads so they will really enjoy working with them. The students also love word searches so this activity is perfect for them.
--Pedagogy-Content:

• They are already familiar with their spelling words, practicing them on a regular personal small white board and doing word searches so this will be comprehensible to the students since they already do similar activities.
• Some students may already be familiar with Ipads and possibly even the app that I discussed while other students may not have ever held or seen an ipad. I would be concerned with them getting frustrated about how to use the ipad and app correctly if they have never worked with one before.

--Technology-Pedagogy:

• It would give the students a way to practice their spelling words and hopefully master them before the end of the week when they take their test.
• It would support the way I teach this activity because they already prepare for their spelling tests using these same activities I am just adding the technology to hopefully make it more memorable and fun.
• The students would need to know how to handle the ipad carefully.

--Technology-Content:

• Without this technology the activity would be the typical way that the students already practice their spelling words. The technology enhances the students and their experience practicing spelling words because it is a new and interesting way to practice them and it also gives each student a bit of one on one practice with the ipads help, and the teachers voice reading the words and phrases in the activity.
• Without this technology students would be practicing their spelling words by writing them on the personal dry erase boards. Usually for this activity the students are split into groups based on their reading/spelling ability level and the teacher says the word and they write them on the board then the teacher checks the spelling. With the technology the students would still practice their spelling words by writing them on a board but it is an interactive board and it can check their spelling for them when they are finished. I feel like it gives them more one on one time and will be more memorable for the students.

--Technology-Pedagogy-Content:

• It can be effectively taught through my teaching strategies in this activity because they are getting the practice they need to master the spelling words. Through this activity each student is given the opportunity to practice their spelling words in three different ways, word search, practicing the spelling on the interactive white board and taking the quizzes.
• As I said earlier it will enhance their learning because they are practicing their words in a new and exciting way. It is also giving them three different activities so all types of learners will get the chance to practice them in a way they understand.

Technology Reflection Instructional Use of Edmodo

 

Description/Experience

The demonstration was about a social networking site designed much like facebook but for teachers and students to use. It is not only a great way for teachers and students to communicate with each other but teachers can also post assignments for the class and the students can submit it all on the site. I defiantly think this social network is a great tool for teachers. I think students would be very interested in using it because it is so much like facebook.

 

Application

The students that I am placed with are only in second grade so they are a little young to understand how to use this technology but with parent or teacher help it may be possible. It would definitely work better for middle school children but an example lesson could be to post a video and a question about the video. The video that is posted could be about something that the students will be discussing in class the next day. It would be a way to get them interested in the lesson to come and start thinking of questions and what they would like to get out of it. After watching the video the students would answer the question by posting their answer. As students post other students could also comment on what their classmates wrote.

I would know that the students did the assignment and learned from it through their posts and comments. I would also be able to tell the next day in class when we discuss the video and begin the lesson.

1.       Teacher would need to do is figure out what the topic of the next lesson is going to be.

2.      Find an educational video that goes along with the topic and lesson

3.      Post the video and question

4.      Students watch the video and post their answers

5.      Students and teachers could comment on each other’s post.

6.      Discuss the video and begin the lesson the next day in class.

 

Reflection

Pedagogy-Content:

The way I created my lesson and using this technology as a part of it I made it so that the video online was the opening of the lesson to get students intrigued and excited about what will be taught in class the next day. So in this case the students wouldn’t really need to know anything before they watched the video.

              

Since I did my lesson a little bit different the only thing I could think of would be that the students re not interested in what the video is showing or that they do now understand the question. Although the helpful thing about this site would be that students could read their classmates posts and get a better idea of what the video is about. So in a way the students are working together and sharing their opinion and knowledge.

Technology:

• It’s a great way for the teacher and students to communicate even outside of class. If the student has a question on their homework for example, they could post their question on to the teachers wall and either the teacher or another student could answer it. It can also be used for assignments and its an easy way to grade and track their assignments because right after it is graded it gets put straight into the teachers gradebook and on the students grades automatically. Parents can also have access to the students account which could be good to see how their child is doing or even message the teacher.
• It is pretty easy, you can just google it and it seems to be rather easy to use once in it, especially for those students who have a Facebook since it is so similar.

Technology-Pedagogy:

• The technology is used because the teacher posts the video and question on to the site and the students answer it by posting.
• If the technology wasn’t involved the video would have to be shown in class or the link to the video would have to be given to each student along with the question, then the submitting process would have to be done in class as well or would have to be emailed to the teacher. This would be more difficult for the teacher because each student would be emailing their answer individually. The students also cannot learn from each other or see what their classmates posted when it is done this way.
• Be sure to check that the students are answering the questions and there aren’t any taunting or inappropriate posts.

Technology-Content:

• The students could take their time and watch the video as many times as they need to before answering the question. They can also read their classmates posts and learn from them.
• By learning from their classmates through reading the posts and since I used it to open up a lesson it gets them excited and gives them insight on what they will be learning about the next day. The teacher could also post other sites or info that the students could look at if they were really interested in the subject and wanted to learn more before the class discusses it the next day.

Technology-Pedagogy-Content:

• The video would introduce the lesson so it would give students an insight and help them to create questions and gain knowledge before a class discussion the next day.
• It opens up more opportunities for teachers and students, they can try new things. It also gives students more time to do the assignment and learn from their classmates posts. They can also have a whole discussion/debate right on the sight if they want to discuss something.
• I would discuss a little but about what the homework assignment was going to be about making sure they all knew how to access everything.