As I reflect on just how much technology has changed even from when I was a child, it makes me wonder how it will effect my classroom. Even as of now I do not have a "hard copy" of a grade book. Everything that I do as far as grading is on a computer. I do not have to calculate grades or go through many papers trying to find grades its all right there on the computer. Today I can see technology changing how some teachers "prepare" for class. In a lot of schools the faculty teaches to pass tests. The subjects that matter most for the schools "AYP" or adequate yearly progress, which is essentially the schools report card, are Math and Language Arts. There are tests on other subjects, but they do not count against the school. Since schools understand this, they focus their instruction in these two subjects, the other subjects are put off to the side. Teachers who "teach" the classes that do not effect AYP don't really teach but facilitate the class. They use drill-and-practice-software to work on these subjects. What this software does is question learners on key content points by responding to specific questions. This software also provides instant feedback to how the students do with the content questions, then the program makes the adjustments to the level that the particular student is doing. All the teacher has to do is make sure the software is working properly and that the students are staying on task.
This type of technology I believe can be great but at this point it is making a teacher's job obsolete. I would be bored out of my mind if I had to facilitate a class like that, and if I were a student I would hate to learn in that way all of the time. If I had to learn, say science, in a drill-and-practice type of class I would not really learn or like science.
I think that there is a posative in with technology. Teachers can stay in contact with parents and students. If a student is sick, he/she could still stay on track academically if the teacher could keep in contact with that student. A teacher can stay in touch with parents and let them know how their children are doing in class.
The future of teaching will be very closely intertwined with technology. I believe that everything will be done electronically. Teachers will no longer have to write out lesson plans, write out grades or send out handwritten notes home. This past year I communicated with a parent on a daily basis using text-messaging so that she was up to date with her son. I can see a problem with a big reliance on technology however. I believe that a lot of teachers will lose their jobs. School districts will find a way to say money by eliminating teachers and paying monitors less money to watch students working on computers to "learn." I think that with video-conferencing technology students can watch a screen and learn from a teacher who isn't in the same room as them (but this is a problem that the Union's will have to figure out...). I do believe that technology in the future will be essential and a positive tool in education.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Dreamtime!! Well I was just given the keys to outfit my classroom with whatever AV (audio/visual) equipment I want. Being a foreign language teacher, good AV equipment is essential for student learning. There are three things that I would like to have to help me in my classroom. The first thing being a personal laptop computer that I can use for the class, this would allow me to create lessons using programs on the computer. The laptop that I would prefer is LifeBook A6110 because it has everything that I need to create relevant lessons in Spanish. It has a lot of space to save lesson plans and other media creations that I create for class. This computer is up to date with modern technology that can be used in a variety of ways in the class.
In order for the class to appreciate and see the different media creations that I have made I will also need a projector. This DLP projector has a variety of inputs that will show the children the different lessons but also there are many inputs to this projector which will allow me to bring in a DVD player or a VCR (I think they still exist) that can be plugged into this projector. Videos can help the children learn things especially for the children who are visual learners. This projector has a long bulb life which is important so that it can be used for an extended period of time. The projector can also be mounted in a variety of ways so that it can conform to meet the dimensions of any classroom.
The last thing that would be needed to complete my Dream class as far as technology is concerned is a good sound system. All of the visual projects that I can create can be enhanced by good audio equipment. The audio equipment that I would like to have is this Digital Surround Sound System. This system offers crisp digital sound that will help the students hear the accent of fluent speakers of the Spanish Language. They will be able to hear and repeat different words in the Spanish Language which is important in learning a new language.
These three things would be my dream equipment for my class.
In order for the class to appreciate and see the different media creations that I have made I will also need a projector. This DLP projector has a variety of inputs that will show the children the different lessons but also there are many inputs to this projector which will allow me to bring in a DVD player or a VCR (I think they still exist) that can be plugged into this projector. Videos can help the children learn things especially for the children who are visual learners. This projector has a long bulb life which is important so that it can be used for an extended period of time. The projector can also be mounted in a variety of ways so that it can conform to meet the dimensions of any classroom.
The last thing that would be needed to complete my Dream class as far as technology is concerned is a good sound system. All of the visual projects that I can create can be enhanced by good audio equipment. The audio equipment that I would like to have is this Digital Surround Sound System. This system offers crisp digital sound that will help the students hear the accent of fluent speakers of the Spanish Language. They will be able to hear and repeat different words in the Spanish Language which is important in learning a new language.
These three things would be my dream equipment for my class.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
"I love educational technology...NOT!"
“I love educational technology...NOT!”
During my academic career I have had good times and some bad times using technology. The most frustrating time I think I have ever had with technology was when I tried to create my second web-page for my only grade in a class that took place in France/Spain. I had to create some type of project that needed the professor’s approval, and I put off thinking about doing anything so at the last moment, I said “Hey how about a webpage that is like a online journal of our trip?” The teacher loved the idea. Luckily I didn’t need to keep a daily online journal (which now is known as a “Blog”) about the trip. The professor liked the idea about this journal so much that he, at the time, had it linked it to the University of Cincinnati’s department of Romance Languages. At this time in my life I was comfortable with how to use a computer, but I had no idea how to create a webpage. The deadline was coming up and I had no idea how to even begin how to make a webpage. I typed out everything that I needed for the journal in both Spanish and English, but I wasn’t sure how to get it onto the web. I checked out a lot of books from the library which was a whole lot of technical jargon that I did not begin to understand. I was trying to write HTML to post but I was coming up with nothing. I bought the rights to a URL , www.elosoprowles.com, but I found that just buying the rights does not help you if you can’t write in the “cyber language” to post information. I was at my wits end when a good friend of mine told me about his upstart web site called “Blogger.” This web site allowed me to write all of my information down or in my case copy and paste it and it wrote the information in this HTML language that could be posted on my URL. I finished a okay looking webpage that had links to different pictures on the trip (at the time you couldn’t put pictures right on Blogger like you can now) that detailed our trip. The professor loved my project and was very impressed that he made the final project from that point forward a web page about the trip. I was very lucky to have my friend tell me about Blogger and how it helped me get a good grade in my class. Here is a link to see that online journal from eight years ago.
http://elosopoderoso.blogspot.com/ As a disclaimer, my rights to the original page have long expired so I posted it on Blogger four years later, so the hyperlinks no longer work. The pictures and the original HTML is out there somewhere floating in cyberspace...I just don’t want to go find it.
During my academic career I have had good times and some bad times using technology. The most frustrating time I think I have ever had with technology was when I tried to create my second web-page for my only grade in a class that took place in France/Spain. I had to create some type of project that needed the professor’s approval, and I put off thinking about doing anything so at the last moment, I said “Hey how about a webpage that is like a online journal of our trip?” The teacher loved the idea. Luckily I didn’t need to keep a daily online journal (which now is known as a “Blog”) about the trip. The professor liked the idea about this journal so much that he, at the time, had it linked it to the University of Cincinnati’s department of Romance Languages. At this time in my life I was comfortable with how to use a computer, but I had no idea how to create a webpage. The deadline was coming up and I had no idea how to even begin how to make a webpage. I typed out everything that I needed for the journal in both Spanish and English, but I wasn’t sure how to get it onto the web. I checked out a lot of books from the library which was a whole lot of technical jargon that I did not begin to understand. I was trying to write HTML to post but I was coming up with nothing. I bought the rights to a URL , www.elosoprowles.com, but I found that just buying the rights does not help you if you can’t write in the “cyber language” to post information. I was at my wits end when a good friend of mine told me about his upstart web site called “Blogger.” This web site allowed me to write all of my information down or in my case copy and paste it and it wrote the information in this HTML language that could be posted on my URL. I finished a okay looking webpage that had links to different pictures on the trip (at the time you couldn’t put pictures right on Blogger like you can now) that detailed our trip. The professor loved my project and was very impressed that he made the final project from that point forward a web page about the trip. I was very lucky to have my friend tell me about Blogger and how it helped me get a good grade in my class. Here is a link to see that online journal from eight years ago.
http://elosopoderoso.blogspot.com/ As a disclaimer, my rights to the original page have long expired so I posted it on Blogger four years later, so the hyperlinks no longer work. The pictures and the original HTML is out there somewhere floating in cyberspace...I just don’t want to go find it.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Hola a todos ! Mi nombre es Anthony Richter y soy maestro de Español. Bienvenidos a mi BLOG. Estoy trabajando con las escuelas públicas de Cincinnati por 3 años y medio. En este poco tiempo que estoy envuelto en el campo de la education he experimentado diferente situaciones . He sido maestro substitute para kindergarten, y para clases especiales con estudiantes con problemas severos de comportamiento. También he sido maestro de Estudios socials y Ciencias para los estudiantes de séptimo y octovo grado Este año escolar me asignaron trabajar con alumnos de Segundo grado para enseñarles matemáticas y ciencias. Estos dos últimos años estoy enseñando en la escuela de inmersión en español.
Usar Blog es una manera muy valiosa de cominicación entre maestro y alumno y entre maestro y padres de familia. Tanto estudiantes como padres pueden leer e informarse de lo que está ocurriendo en mi clase, Si los alumnus están ausente por cualquier razón, se enterarán de lo que ha pasado ese día en clase y ponerse al tanto en sus tarea diarias. Lo mismo sucedería co los los padres que en en su horario ocupado y que no puedan venir a conversa r conmigo personalmente, se pueden enterar de lo que está pasando en la educación de sus hijos. Blog es una manera efectiva de poder comunicarse con todos los que están interesados en saber lo que ocurre en mi clase.
Hello my name is Anthony Richter and I am a Spanish Teacher, welcome to my blog. I have been working for Cincinnati Public Schools for the past 3 and ½ years. I have had many different tasks to do and have experienced many different situations in the education field in this short period of time. I have worked as a Long Term Substitute Teacher for a kindergarten class, a Severe Behavioral Hindrance Class, a Middle School Science teacher and now as a Second Grade Math and Science teacher. The last two years I have taught in an Immersion school where I teach my subjects to the students in Spanish.
I believe that blogging can be a powerful tool for my classroom for many different reasons, but the most important is Teacher to Student and Teacher to Parent communication. My parents and students can check into my blog and find out what is going on in class. If a student is absent from class he/she can find out what they have missed. Parents can see what is going on in my class so they can know what their children are doing. This is a powerful tool that busy parents can use to stay in touch with what their kids are learning. I can also use this blog for students find out different resources on the internet to help them with different projects that we have. This blog can be a great resource for my kids to use and help them with their learning.
Usar Blog es una manera muy valiosa de cominicación entre maestro y alumno y entre maestro y padres de familia. Tanto estudiantes como padres pueden leer e informarse de lo que está ocurriendo en mi clase, Si los alumnus están ausente por cualquier razón, se enterarán de lo que ha pasado ese día en clase y ponerse al tanto en sus tarea diarias. Lo mismo sucedería co los los padres que en en su horario ocupado y que no puedan venir a conversa r conmigo personalmente, se pueden enterar de lo que está pasando en la educación de sus hijos. Blog es una manera efectiva de poder comunicarse con todos los que están interesados en saber lo que ocurre en mi clase.
Hello my name is Anthony Richter and I am a Spanish Teacher, welcome to my blog. I have been working for Cincinnati Public Schools for the past 3 and ½ years. I have had many different tasks to do and have experienced many different situations in the education field in this short period of time. I have worked as a Long Term Substitute Teacher for a kindergarten class, a Severe Behavioral Hindrance Class, a Middle School Science teacher and now as a Second Grade Math and Science teacher. The last two years I have taught in an Immersion school where I teach my subjects to the students in Spanish.
I believe that blogging can be a powerful tool for my classroom for many different reasons, but the most important is Teacher to Student and Teacher to Parent communication. My parents and students can check into my blog and find out what is going on in class. If a student is absent from class he/she can find out what they have missed. Parents can see what is going on in my class so they can know what their children are doing. This is a powerful tool that busy parents can use to stay in touch with what their kids are learning. I can also use this blog for students find out different resources on the internet to help them with different projects that we have. This blog can be a great resource for my kids to use and help them with their learning.
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