Week Three

Chapter Thirteen Notes

• There are many reasons to incorporate instructional technology in an art classroom. For one, technology allows for a greater number and variety of modes of expression for the budding artist.
• In addition, knowledge of creative technologies is more and more important in many professional areas.
• Teaching children to use technology to solve problems in creative ways hones good critical thinking skills.
• In music, traditional musical literacy (ability to read sheet music and musical notation) is being replaced by other abilities (sound analysis, etc.)
• Music students are expected to demonstrate competencies in playing electronic instruments, producing music electronically, manipulating musical software, demonstrating fluency with multimedia and digital media, compiling electronic portfolios, and managing coursework online or via offline software programs.
• The analysis of today's popular music goes beyond traditional musical production; technological factors and production techniques must be well understood for sufficient analysis of contemporary forms of music.
  
• The music teacher faces a number of additional responsibilities on top of teaching and maintaining a gradebook. Music teachers must be responsible for maintaining a number of instruments (traditional and contemporary) and other expensive technology. The maintenance of these items is taxing and expensive.
  
• Software exists to help students produce music either through aural or visual/symbolic means. Some software relies on a student's ear, where others rely on a student's knowledge of the substructure and theoretical/symbolic understanding of musical composition.
• Notation software helps students to rearrange, transpose, or otherwise change a piece of music into something original.
  
• Musical technologies and software allow for differentiated instruction; students can often work at their own pace and re-learn as necessary.
• Internet research, multimedia (audio or video) presentations, and interactive websites all contribute to the music student's understanding of and fluency with musical technologies and the development of music over the last few centuries.
• There are many opportunities to incorporate the study of physics, math, and other subject areas in musical education.
• Unfortunately, funding for art education is at an all-time low, so many schools are either dropping art education altogether or limiting its available resources for art in drastic ways.
  
• As art becomes increasingly more tied to technology, more and more funding is necessary to provide for the purchase and maintenance of electronics and other multimedia equipment.
  
• One issue prevalent in art instruction in a technology context is the problem of plagiarism: when is it ok to take images from the internet? Is it ever ok? To what extent does "educational purpose" absolve a student from being responsible for borrowing copywrited material?
  
• As the dangers of an unpatrolled internet become more and more serious, art teachers and administrators alike have had to make tough decisions regarding censorship. Is nudity/pornography ok in an educational context? Where can the line be drawn?
• The National Standards for art education are quite numerous and rigorous; if these standards are to be upheld then increased funding and support needs to be provided to schools for art classes.
  
• The internet and other multimedia resources are excellent tools for showing examples of artworks, both historical and contemporary.
• Slideshow technologies are great for teaching art history and giving examples of different types of media, etc.
• Teachers can create websites to guide class discussions and present information to students.
• In the digital age, students can produce and manipulate images, video, and audio to create works of art.
  
• Graphic design and 3-D modeling is made possible by software programs available to students in art classes. These programs set the stage for vocational training and will prepare students for careers in graphic design as well as engineering/architecture.
  
• Students can illustrate and create brochures and other publications using professional publishing software. These experiences can be very valuable for the college-bound student planning a career in publishing.
  
• The internet provides numerous resources for viewing art in near-real settings (3-D, virtual field trips, etc.). These can be very effective (and cost-effective!) ways of exposing students to masterful works of art.
  
• Basic movie-making software allows students to create substantial professional-like projects using film clips, audio clips, and graphics.
• Not only do recent technologies provide students with a great deal of experience with and opportunities to interact with art, but they also allow students an easy way to share their own creations. Blogs, electronic books, and other presentation software broaden students' audiences and promote sharing of ideas.

Chapter Fourteen Notes

• Given the high levels of inactivity in present day children, the opportunity to motivate students to exercise is of utmost importance when considering new technologies for use in physical education and health classes.
• Several recent technologies actually allow students to exercise while playing video games or participating in a simulated computerized sport (e.g., downhill skier, Dance Dance Revolution, Wii).
  
• In recent years, there has been greater focus on students completing academic content standards, and as a result, physical education and health education have been given lower priority. When some students get exercise only at school, the small amount of time and resources given to physical and health education is unacceptable.
• Health and physical education are excellent contexts under which students may be able to practice responsible consumption of information. Medical and exercise-related information abounds on the internet, and not all of it is factual or accurate; students must learn how to discern which resources give valid information.
• Technology can help students of physical education and health to access information, track progress, and practice healthy exercise and eating habits. It can help to improve motor skills and improve students' beliefs about healthy eating and bodies.
• Many tools are used in physical education classes to measure students' health, including blood pressure and heart rate monitors, pedometers, body composition analyzers, as well as other electronic devices. Such tools can be used to monitor student health and track progress in an exercise program.
• Technologies can serve as motivational tools to help students learn to love active lifestyles. Videos, blogs, and information about sports and dancing can increase student interest in exercise.
• Risk-assessment programs may effectively "scare" students into improving their lifestyles; once students know how their current lifestyle may impact their future health, they may be more likely to change their eating and exercise habits.
• There is still a need for educational tools to help kids to distinguish good health information from bad information; even to a well-trained eye, some websites can be deceivingly convincing.
  
• Online projects and webquests may engage students who are otherwise uninterested in health and physical education. These experiences may help those students to connect with the material and ideally increase their chances of practicing healthy habits.
  
• Many technologies can integrate physical and health education with science, math, and even social studies (e.g., the sociology of exercise).
• Almost ironically, more and more schools are offering online coursework for physical education and health education. While these classes cannot ensure that students are exercising enough, they can expose students to information they may otherwise have missed.
• Online courses can be set up to track student progress toward a goal, whether that be a fitness goal (e.g., running a mile in less than 8 minutes, bench pressing 80 pounds, etc.) or a dietary goal (decrease fat consumption by 30%). Goal setting and progress monitoring is a valuable skill for students to practice in the setting of physical education and health, especially because these skills will undoubtedly be useful throughout students' lives.
  

Week Two

Chapter Three Notes

• What is instructional software? -Programs made to help students with instructional material on the computer or online.
• Instructional software comes in many different varieties. Among these are: drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, instructional games, and problem solving.
• Drill and practice software: used to practice skills learned in school (might be typing, multiplication facts, etc.)
• Tutorial: this kind of software includes instructional material; it's meant to teach students content (not necessarily to practice skills)
• Simulation: serves as a demonstration of skills or a process to be learned in class. Allows students to visualize a process or see how something should be done.
• Instructional games: a fun way to practice skills and master content!
• Problem solving: logic and reasoning
• Some instructional software packages contain material that can be classified as more than just one of these categories.
• Many software programs are now available online, increasing access and decreasing costs to users.
• Online software allows greater flexibility and personalization; also allows networking between users (and comparison across students, etc.)
• Drills and practice: can be useful because it provides immediate feedback to users. Students know right away if they're right or wrong, and this immediate feedback helps them to correct and retry.
• A problem with drills and practice software is that it basically replaces the traditional worksheet and provides little opportunity for exploration and discovery.
• Instructional games are very useful because they provide a fun way to learn material. Students are motivated by the competition such games encourage.
• Games shouldn't replace traditional instruction/practice but rather enhance it when appropriate.
• Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs) contain multiple functions that allow students to learn, practice, and analyze their performance and growth.
• ILSs can be used in many ways, including remediation, mainstream instructional delivery, and enrichment.
  
• This sounds like Study Island, a software program my school uses to practice skills for the DSTP. It includes some tutorial material, skills practice (drills) and games.
  

Chapter Four Notes

• The basic three software tools are: word processing, spreadsheets, and databases
• There are many reasons to use these basic software tools. In particular, they can improve accuracy, appearance, and productivity. For example, students who type a personal narrative in a word processing program may create a more legible, accurate product than a student who handwrites the same narrative.
  
• Recently, open-sourced software programs allow users to access software for little or no cost. Programs that operate online are accessible from many computers and allow for more interaction and integration between users.
  
• Word processing has proven to be very beneficial in helping students learn how to revise writing. When deleting or changing something is as easy as clicking a mouse and pressing a key, students are more careful with their final product than they are when they write pieces by hand.
  
• However, word processing can also have a negative impact on students' handwriting if used too much. Students should always have many opportunities to practice handwriting in school.
• In addition, since most standardized tests do not allow word processing, students who have had little practice writing answers to timed essay questions by hand may be at a disadvantage.
  
• Spreadsheets are programs designed to organize, manipulate, and analyze numerical (or categorical) data.
• Spreadsheets allow for quick calculations and pictorial representations of large quantities of data.
• Spreadsheets can be very useful when studying statistics, graphing, and changes over time (especially in science and math classrooms).
• These can also be used to help teachers assign grades to students.
• Spreadsheets can monitor progress toward student goals.
• Spreadsheets may require a lot of additional instruction; programs like Microsoft Excel require knowledge of formulas that are not necessarily user-friendly (in my own experience, manipulating data in Excel has been very difficult and frustrating at times).
  
• Databases allow users (teachers or students) to store, organize, and compare data and information.
  
• Databases are useful for searching for information for research purposes (reports, research papers, etc.)
  
• Databases help students learn good researching skills and problem solving skills.
• Sometimes, databases have too much information that is difficult to sort through. Students may get frustrated with the amount of time it takes to access whatever it is they're looking for.

Chapter Five Notes

• There are lots of different tools available online and in software packages to help teachers with daily tasks such as materials preparation and lesson planning.
  
• Online programs (and offline software) allow teachers to create worksheets, tests, and quizzes. There are also programs available to create games and puzzles, and to create academic certificates and other documents useful to have in class.
• Electronic grade books allow teachers to enter grades and manipulate data to match teacher needs and grading requirements. Grading weights can be changed and progress reports created to assist teachers in communicating the academic needs of their students to parents and guardians.
  
• Statistical packages also allow teachers to compare students with each other and with students in other classes or schools. Progress can be monitored and displayed visually either in a chart or graph format.
  
• Data can also be collected from computer-based testing systems, which allow quick and automatic grading and little chance for error.
  
• Computer-adaptive testing is particularly useful in that it can change the difficulty level of a question depending on students' performance on previous questions. This is a much more reliable and dependable way of measuring what students know and what they need to learn.
  
• Graphic tools can be used to help students create, edit, and manipulate images on the computer (may include photographs, drawn images, charts, or graphs)
• More recently, technological advances and decreased costs have allowed students to create projects using video and audio-recording materials.
  
• Teachers can use online tools for planning and time management. Some curricular programs offer online lesson-planning tools that allow teachers to custom fit the components of the curricula to their particular classroom demographic and schedule.
  
• Research and reference tools (dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, etc.) help teachers and students develop independent research skills that will be crucial in secondary and higher education.
  
• Certain content-specific tools (e.g., graphing calculators, GPSs, or design software) can help students apply what they've learned and increase the amount of experience with technologically up-to-date materials. This can serve as very good vocational training as well.

Chapter Eleven Notes

• In mathematics and science, great caution must be taken to prevent technological tools from becoming crutches. These tools should serve to supplement, but never replace, thinking.
  
• Virtual manipulatives can be useful in teaching number theory, operations, and in modeling processes and concepts that are difficult.
• Mathematical problem solving should be supported using technology (calculators, spreadsheets, etc.)
• Mathematical principles and concepts should be discussed in a number of different formats, including visual, audio, tactile, and symbolic. Technology can help to teach all four of these components.
  
• Data should always drive instruction. Scientific and mathematical technology can help teachers identify problem areas and address the specific needs of individual students and the class as a whole.
  
• Online math programs can provide motivation to struggling math students who struggle to stay focused in class.
  
• There is an increase in the need for scientific literacy in our culture, which makes scientific experiences with technology all the more valuable.
• Programs that can accurately simulate the scientific process (hypothesis, data collection, data analysis, and communication of results) are useful tools to help students discover (in a controlled environment) scientific principles.
  
• There are beginning to be more and more websites/programs that model scientific processes without needing expensive materials or dangerous procedures.
  

Chapter Twelve Notes

• Social Studies is divided into a number of themes. Among these are: culture; time, continuity, and change; people, places, and environments; individual development and identity; individuals, groups, and institutions; power, authority, and governance; production, distribution, and consumption; science, technology, and society; global connections; and civic ideals and practices.
• Since Social Studies is often relegated to last place in the educational priority ladder, technological resources for Social Studies instruction are rarely purchased for schools and school districts. However, such resources do exist and are developing rapidly.
• There is a huge amount of information related to social studies content available online and in research databases. Parsing this information into usable pieces may be a challenge of the social studies student, but practice with these research tools is invaluable due to the need for information literacy.
• Simulating problem solving in historical social studies contexts has been shown to be very helpful in teaching the struggles of our ancestors. For example, the program "The Oregon Trail" takes students through the steps of packing equipment, hunting, and surviving deadly diseases on the trail. This simulation program gives students a taste for what it was really like on the trail.
• Graphical representations (charts, timelines, etc.) can be easily accessed and created using computer software. Creating maps on a computer is a valuable way for students to learn about maps and navigation.
• Virtual trips: make field trips costless and easy! Students can visit historical landmarks, cities, and other places worldwide. Photographs can be edited together to create a 3D tour of historical buildings - great for studying architecture and museums.
  
• Students can interact with students worldwide through email and other forums for global communication. These activities foster cultural understanding and learning about different peoples and places.
  
• Electronic storytelling gives students an opportunity to view authentic cultural narratives. This is an especially good way to expose students to oral tradition and "unwritten" histories.
  
• One learning goal of every student is to be able to critically engage with technology and with other sources of information. Several student-centered websites help engage students with the process of evaluating sources and becoming informed consumers of products and information.
  

Week One

Chapter One Notes

• Educational technology: can be broken down into four subcomponents: instructional systems and design, vocational training, computer systems, and media/audio-visual.
  
• Instructional design: how teachers can use technology to their advantage (and to the students' advantage) in the classroom.
• Vocational training: use of technology is essential in many jobs sought by high school graduates.
• Computer systems: the computer as a science.
• Media/audio-visual: television, video, listening stations
• Technology: can't fix all our problems. Some problems are even caused by technology.
• Technology doesn't replace common sense and in-person instruction.
• The need for teachers will never be replaced by computers.
  
• Using technology in the classroom has many uses, including: improving technical skills useful in future employment, differentiating instruction, motivating students to learn (using competition with self and with others, making students enthusiastic about learning), and increasing the effectiveness and productivity of instruction/classwork.
  
• Technology doesn't always work and isn't always appropriate.
• Technology is best used when it can be collaborative and can involve higher levels of thinking (synthesis, evaluation)
• Situations when children are left to complete assignments without supervision or engagement may not be appropriate for many students.
• Technology is best used when it can be adjusted to fit student needs, background knowledge, and skills.
• Issues at the forefront of educational technology today: some are societal, many are related to cultural and/or gender issues, many are legal issues (copyright infringement, downloading, etc.), or ethical issues (posting about people on public websites, stealing information, plagiarism)
• Many students cannot afford to have advanced technology and/or internet at home. Therefore, there exists a gap between the skills and abilities of wealthier children and those of poorer children with respect to use of technology.
  
• Some people are averse to technological advances in general.
• Societal issues tie in with cultural issues: many cultural communities view technology as a threat and avoid it. Is it ethical to force technology on public school children whose culture/religion forbids it? (E.g., Amish culture).
  
• Schools cannot rely too heavily on computers and technology because these things can be unreliable. Traditional methods may be just as useful if not more so (and less expensive!).
  
• Some students are unable to type or use a mouse; these students are at a huge disadvantage. Other disabilities may prevent students from being able to properly use a computer.
• Technology does provide a lot of advantages for its users: distance learning, flexibility (can be personalized to fit the needs of the user), can also help people with disabilities (e.g., people who have trouble writing using a pen/pencil).

Chapter Two Notes

• A lot of things are required for any technology program to run smoothly. Maintenance of physical machines, instructional/curricular support, trouble-shooting personnel, as well as access to technology and funding for technology are necessary.
• Teachers need sufficient training in order to effectively use technological resources. This training needs to be ongoing and must address student academic achievement.
  
• Technology should fit the curriculum, not the other way around.
• All technology should be built and bought to last and adapt.
• Teaching technology is not the same as teaching Reading or Math. It requires new techniques that need to be studied and practiced. These techniques need to be updated frequently as technology improves and expands.
  

Chapter Nine Notes

• Seeing as literacy can now be defined as including proficiency in reading, writing, AND communicating via modern technologies (whether this be email, online chat, text messaging, etc.), teaching technological literacy in school is all the more important.
  
• Objectives for student users of technology: students should be able to use technology to communicate, to acquire information, to access new resources and technologies, and to evaluate the effectiveness of programs of instruction.
• Students must be taught how to use a keyboard. (Students at Warner: most are still punching using index fingers. Who is in charge of teaching typing? When should it be taught? What will measure success/sufficiency?)
• How can we prevent social communication on the internet from escalating into social ostracism/inappropriate behavior? What rules need to be rewritten (or written for the first time) regarding social communication online? To what extent is communication online a learning objective, and what kind of value should be placed on it in schools?
• One problem with using technology to supplement instruction is that a population of diverse learners is not necessarily going to benefit from one variety of program or instruction. Differentiation is necessary. Students who are reading well below grade level may have particular difficulty completing online research projects, for example.
• The ability to self-express, revise, and publish using computers is an attractive motivator for students.
  
• There are lots of ways to motivate students to work hard using the internet. Writing prompts, for example, are easy to come by online and videos and other media may spark children's imaginations.
• Connecting core learning to what is found online may be a valuable integration tool for teachers. If students can connect what they learn in class to a different setting (i.e., the internet) they're more likely to remember and be able to recall information.
  

Chapter Ten Notes

• Technology can be of great use in ELL and foreign language classrooms.
• The ability to self-express, revise, and communicate in non-real-time settings is particularly helpful to students learning a language for the first time, whether that language is English as a second language or a foreign language such as French or Spanish.
  
• Students who are timid and reluctant to speak in a non-native language may be more likely to explore second languages online and via message boards or discussion boards, where they have the ability to edit language before it is submitted to an audience.
  
• Computers often motivate second language students to read and become literate in the language they're learning. Technology is exciting, therefore attracting kids to language through technology is a useful way to motivate students to engage in a second language.
• The computer may be a useful tool in developing academic language proficiency in ELL students.
• Interactive storybooks, language labs, and other tools may vastly improve student interactions with second languages and inspire them to seek new experiences.
  
• Word processing in the target language (with possibility to edit) may be less threatening than using traditional pencil and paper methods of assessment.
  
• Students have the opportunity to connect online (in an inclusive, non-intimidating setting) with native speakers to enrich interactions with the target language and improve expression.