Assessing Meaningful Learning

1.

The tools that are talked about in this lesson benefit the student and the teacher in many ways. The teachers are able to get quick and good feedback from the clicker tools. They are able to quickly adjust the instructions as well. All the tools that are talked about in this class seem to be very helpful in the classroom and I recommend that teachers take advantage of these technological tools. The Inspiration or Kidspiration tool is very helpful for students and covers many subjects areas and grade levels. The use of these tools will continue to grow in classrooms and help the classrooms to evolve into our technological world.

2.

This class has been very helpful for me and will help me greatly in my future teaching. I am very familiar with technology and didn’t know many of these tools. I believe that all teachers need to know and be well educated on these tools so that they can be used in the classroom. Technology is big in our world today so when I become a teacher, I hope to use and take advantage of it as much as possible. My favorite thing I learned about in this class were the Web 2.0 tools. These are so useful and should be used. Classrooms will just become more technology advanced as time goes on so we must stay up to date with them and educate ourselves.

Technology Application Standards

§111.39. Algebra I, Adopted 2012 (One Credit).

 (a) Introduction.

(1) The desire to achieve educational excellence is the driving force behind the Texas essential knowledge and skills for mathematics, guided by the college and career readiness standards. By embedding statistics, probability, and finance, while focusing on fluency and solid understanding, Texas will lead the way in mathematics education and prepare all Texas students for the challenges they will face in the 21st century.

(2) The process standards describe ways in which students are expected to engage in the content. The placement of the process standards at the beginning of the knowledge and skills listed for each grade and course is intentional. The process standards weave the other knowledge and skills together so that students may be successful problem solvers and use mathematics efficiently and effectively in daily life. The process standards are integrated at every grade level and course. When possible, students will apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. Students will use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution. Students will select appropriate tools such as real objects, manipulatives, paper and pencil, and technology and techniques such as mental math, estimation, and number sense to solve problems. Students will effectively communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple representations such as symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language. Students will use mathematical relationships to generate solutions and make connections and predictions. Students will analyze mathematical relationships to connect and communicate mathematical ideas. Students will display, explain, or justify mathematical ideas and arguments using precise mathematical language in written or oral communication.

 

These Technology Application Standards help to set up a teacher to be successful. It gives the teacher guidelines for teaching with technology and how to effectively do it. It separates the different applications that the teachers can use in different subjects. When I looked into the subject I chose, which is high school mathematics, I compared the applications of technology to what my students are supposed to know. This comparison helps me to understand how to teach my students the right way with technology. The information is really helpful to a teacher and sets good guidelines. Using the technology will help to utilize the TEKS. I can also use hands on activities to complete these TEKS.

 

I think that all of these TEKS are important, but one is specifically more important than any of the others. I like the fact of the students selecting tools, such as materials and technology in order to solve problems. Being hands on is important when teaching kids because it keeps them in the activity and paying attention. Students need to like what they are doing because they will learn more when they like what they are learning. Technology is liked highly by students, so this is a hands on tool that really helps in the classroom.

Visualizing with Technologies

1.

Visualizing with technology is positive on our society today. Overall, have a visual of something when being taught helps a student learn a lot easier. It gives them a better idea on what the teacher is talking about and explains the topic in more detail. Teachers can you visualizing technology in the classroom by using a projector or some kind of board connected to the computer. They will write or draw on these tools in order for students to better understand. Imagine if your teacher in math class just said all the equations and talked out how to work it out. That would be difficult. Instead they use these projectors and boards to write on so that the student gets the visual aid they need.

 

2.

Let’s be honest, learning would be nearly impossible without some kind of visual aid. Being able to actually turn words into writing or a picture is easier for a student’s learning process. I know personally as a student, this visual aid has a great impact on my learning. I am not sure that I would fully understand some of the things I know if it wasn’t for this tool. Overall, every teacher should really take into consideration to use a board or projector to write what they are saying on. The teacher and the student will be more successful when they do this.

Podcasting

Podcasts are media files that form one big series. It is similar to the way that informatin is shared over television of the radio. The author of the podcast will record themself then share the podcast. When they have been posted online or shared, they are accessible by their audience at any time. This is very convenient unlike television and the radio. People use podcasting to express their thoughts or emotions on a topic. When these people share their podcasts, they normally intend to share them in a series over time. Using a podcast to share information instead of just writing it is very helpful because you can show your emotions through podcast and people can see how you truly feel about a topic.

The Web 2.0 tools that we have discussed previous to this lesson seemed to focus more on communicating through writing. This is the first tool we have discussed that involves audio through media. I think that this tool is possibly one of the most useful ones because of this. Audio grabs attention because it normally allows you to involve emotion with what you’re saying. This tool is similar to some of the other tools we have discussed because you are able to give your thoughts on a topic and then share it with the public or whoever you choose to share it with. This tool is very helpful and I hope that people will take the time to make use of it.

In today’s world, almost everyone owns a phone or and MP3 player. I own an iPhone, which could also be used as an iPod. I use the iPod part of my phone to listen to music and listen to podcast. It is kind of more of a recreational part of my phone than anything else to me. In the classroom, you could use the iPod to share podcast. Honestly, it could even be used to play music. Music always helped me when a teacher played it in the classroom because it soothes me and creates a comfort zone in the classroom. Online communication tools are very helpful because it makes communication effortless and it is very easy to access. The only problem with it is that you normally won’t know the authors true emotions about their opinion through writing. This is why the podcasts are very helpful and useful in doing that.  

Web 2.0 tools

1.

Web 2.0 is a term that was founded in 2004. It is the evolution of the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 provides us with online software services. The Web 2.0 tools offer us easy access and abilities to do things. You are able to do things from you home at your computer instead of in person because of these tools. The communication through social media and email is really beneficial because it helps to relay information in a short amount of time. The understanding of Web 2.0 tools was a little difficult for me to understand at first, but with the information provided this week, I was able to build a better understanding on this topic.

2.

The Web 2.0 tools are extremely beneficial in education today. We have the access to communicate and share information, while also being able to access all the information we need on a topic. This helps the teachers as well as the students. It makes their job easier because it helps them to communicate with their students and also helps them to share information. I don’t really see any negative effects that Web 2.0 tools have. It really seems to be beneficial to me and not harmful. I would highly recommend that teachers, students and administrators take advantage of this and make good use of it. It will make learning better and easier for all of them.  

Copyrights, Fair Use, Cyberbullying and Netiquette

Copyrights and fair usage of the internet are big topics in society today. Many people have times with they run into issues with people stilling the work of another person. It is truly not fair to the original author or designer for someone to just take their work without permission and get credit for it. These copyrights keep people from being able to do this. Although I knew there were rules to what people can or can't do, I wasn't aware of all the things I just learned. It really is crazy how much schools or people in general have to go through in order to "borrow" something. Learning about how companies will sue people for recording or using their information was a real eye opener to me. This is a big deal to many people. I also enjoyed learning and think that students should take the time to know that the internet can lie. We need Cyber Safety because you can not truly believe everything on the internet because it is not always useful and honest information. This topic should be well discussed and reviewed with students and faculty.

I feel that the copyrighting rules and obligations are fair. If I was the author of something that I took the time to write and research on, I wouldn't want someone to steal and take credit for my work. It just isn't fair. These rules must be in place so that people are creative with their own minds and don't just use other peoples ideas.  It makes people in our world smarter when they have to think on their own. The issue with Cyberbulling is a big deal to me. The internet is so useful but it can also be used in the wrong ways. People should use the internet to receive and share information, not to hurt someone or their feelings. Internet usage is being abused and it is an issue that needs to be handled. I hope that people will learn more about copyrighting and cyberbulling, because they are two topics that need to be discussed so that the internet is used in good ways and not abused.

Introduction

My name is Arian Alford. I am currently a sophomore here at Texas A&M University-Commerce. I am a math major with a concentration in secondary education and a minor in coaching athletics. I am part of the Chi Omega sorority here on campus.  I was born and raised in Greenville, Texas.  I am a very outgoing person and I like to be involved. To keep me busy, I have many hobbies and interests. I am a huge sports fan. I like to play and spectate sports. My favorite sport to watch is professional football, while my favorite sport to play is either volleyball or softball. Sports have been a huge part of my life. Another hobby I have is that I love to craft. I like looking ideas up on the internet and crafting out the ideas. I am in a sorority, so this hobby is beneficial. My goal is to be a high school math teacher and coach.



Educational technology is becoming more and more important in our lives. Technology has really progressed over the years and is being used in ways that we never thought possible. When it comes to education, having this technology is very beneficial. It gives teachers a better way to contact students and parents. It also helps the teachers to share and use resources for their students without wasting all of that paper. Teachers really want their students to know as much as possible and technology is the key to doing it. The internet is filled with information that can really improve the students knowledge. If homework and test are turned in through technology, then it is easier on the teacher when it comes to gathering and grading. Now, considering I want to be a math teacher, I do believe that I will definitely still need technology, but the use of it will be different than with other subjects.




In this class, I plan to learn good and easy ways to use technology when teaching in my classroom. This will strengthen my knowledge and make it easier for me to teach. I hope to make an A in this class. It is a big goal for me. Also, I hope to learn about my classmates and see the different thoughts they have on different topics. Feedback is the best way to learn and know how well you are doing. I hope that I learn a lot in this class and better myself with technology.