Inspiration/kidspiration sites were really enjoyable!. On the one hand, Inspiration as a new technique of instruction is useful for both educators and students as well. In this respect, students use inspiration to plan and organize, research and evaluate, comprehend and communicate. It is a means to inspire students to study and learn successfully. It is the leader in visual learning and thinking. It is also used by educators to customize instruction, achieve standards, assess students'work and energize learning. In other words, it makes starting assignments quick and easy.
On the other hand, kidspiration plays te role of the visual way to explore and understand words, numbers and concepts. It is mainly created for elementary school kids (K-5). It develops thinking, literacy and numeracy skills using proven visual learning principles. In reading and writing, kids strengthen word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension and written expression. In addition, kidspiration helps students develop strong thinkig skills, strengthen writing and reading skills, and build conceptual understanding in math.
Personally, I think that this new technology is really a big accomplishment meant to help students and teachers to make it easier.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Blogging/EdBloggers!
Blogging is really highly recommended to be as much knowlegeble as one could for it is a global means to learn. It is kind of face to face meeting that allows people to associate with each other and build friendship, socialize and have conversations, dialogues and have the ability to discuss with a lot of people all over the world. In this respect, the Edublogger Network, for example is the right place for educators and all others to blog and read about others' blogs. Participants from all over the world can meet, share photos, videos, etc. For instance, if one has a workshop or a topic he/she wants to discuss or an enent that is upcoming and wants people to talk about it and motivate participants, he/she just needs to create an Edblogger world calender and add events to the calender and he/she will have global participants . Also, new comers can find their way around one place where one places his/her blog.
Blogging is a technology that can bring all people together in one place, connect students to each other, improve classrooms and make them more effective.
Blogging is a technology that can bring all people together in one place, connect students to each other, improve classrooms and make them more effective.
"Make a difference in someone else's life" Movie!
Did you find that movie the way I found it myself! Did it affect you the way it affected me?Isn't that something?. It was really exciting and it must be more exciting to Mrs Thomson as she has experienced it herself!
What could be more exciting in one's life than making a difference in somebody else's life?. At the beginning when I was watching the movie, I had the same attitude towards Teddy as Mrs Thomson. But, as I discovered the true story of Teddy and what lays behind his indifference at the beginning, I become more sympathetic and I understood his situation very well.
What was more exciting is that the relationship between Teddy and his teacher; Mrs Thomson went beyond the classroom environment, it becomes a mother-son relationship! It was also a kind of an awareness and awakening to Mrs. Thomson as she realized that she doesn't know how to teach until she met Teddy!!. This means that learning doesn't only mean that students can learn from their teachers, but teachers can learn from their students as well.
To be a teacher like Mrs Thomson makes you a special teacher and unforgettable by your students, so think of making a difference in your students' life:-)
What could be more exciting in one's life than making a difference in somebody else's life?. At the beginning when I was watching the movie, I had the same attitude towards Teddy as Mrs Thomson. But, as I discovered the true story of Teddy and what lays behind his indifference at the beginning, I become more sympathetic and I understood his situation very well.
What was more exciting is that the relationship between Teddy and his teacher; Mrs Thomson went beyond the classroom environment, it becomes a mother-son relationship! It was also a kind of an awareness and awakening to Mrs. Thomson as she realized that she doesn't know how to teach until she met Teddy!!. This means that learning doesn't only mean that students can learn from their teachers, but teachers can learn from their students as well.
To be a teacher like Mrs Thomson makes you a special teacher and unforgettable by your students, so think of making a difference in your students' life:-)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
WebQuests!
I am really amazed to the idea of using Webquests in teaching and to the choices that they offer!
It is a very innovative way to teach that brings students together by working in groups, discussing, analyzing, taking notes in order to come to a final decision. This for sure helps them a big deal in a deeper understanding of the topic and the main issues that they may encounter.
I really liked the idea of WebQuest, but I am still struggling to create one!
It is a very innovative way to teach that brings students together by working in groups, discussing, analyzing, taking notes in order to come to a final decision. This for sure helps them a big deal in a deeper understanding of the topic and the main issues that they may encounter.
I really liked the idea of WebQuest, but I am still struggling to create one!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Internet Safety
I find that video really amazing! It answers very important questions and gives valuable information on how to use the internet safely. It is really helpful especially for teenagers.
Using the internet can also be risky sometimes, but this video gives advice and guidelins to protect oneself from being victimized by others. This video gives some useful websites where one can find further information on how to report 'bad users' and what kind of people one should associate with or avoid. Also, it gives advice for people who maybe harrassed and what should they do about it in case that happens by listing some pretty interesting websites!
I really enjoyed watching it!
Using the internet can also be risky sometimes, but this video gives advice and guidelins to protect oneself from being victimized by others. This video gives some useful websites where one can find further information on how to report 'bad users' and what kind of people one should associate with or avoid. Also, it gives advice for people who maybe harrassed and what should they do about it in case that happens by listing some pretty interesting websites!
I really enjoyed watching it!
Monday, February 2, 2009
NETS
National Educational Technology Standards is another model of "Digital-Age" that focuses on 'using technology to learn and teach'. Its goal is to help educators to improve teaching and learning. It proved to be very helpful for both teachers and students as well!.
Teachers apply the NETS for students by assessing students and engaging them, designing, implementing new techniques to improve the learning experience. By using the NETS, teachers's goal is to 'provide positive models for students, colleagues, and the community'. In this respect, teachers play the role of a facilitator and inspirors to students so that they can learn and be creative. It is by engaging students, supporting them and guiding them through a positive use of the digital tools and resources that teachers themselves can create a positive learning environment. Also, teachers are supposed to assess students by designing and developing 'Digital-Age' learning experiences. In addition, teachers should demonstrate a certain level of technological fluency in order to facilitate the use of new technology by students. They should collaborate with their students whenever they may need their help. It is also the teachers' responsibility to engage students socially and culturally through the use of digital-age communication and collaborartion tools. Moreover, teachers should be engaged themselves in "Professional Growth and Leadership" i.e they should participate, evaluate and contribute in the effectiveness of the teaching profession not only of their school, but of the community as a whole.
Students, on the other hand should be creative and innovative by applying the acquired technical knowledge so that they can come up with new models to explore, discover more complex works and issues. They should be able to use the digital media to communicate, collaborate, contribute, develop, produce and solve problems. It is also necessary for students to lead research and be fluent in gathering data by applying digital tools. This would for sure stimulate their critical thinking and make them able to solve problems and make decisions. They also become able to understand social, cultural and human issues related to technology. In other words, by applying technological tools in most of the educational fields, students demonstrate a wider understanding of technological and systematic concepts, and this will help them use their current knowledge of technology to learn more effective tools of new technology.
Teachers apply the NETS for students by assessing students and engaging them, designing, implementing new techniques to improve the learning experience. By using the NETS, teachers's goal is to 'provide positive models for students, colleagues, and the community'. In this respect, teachers play the role of a facilitator and inspirors to students so that they can learn and be creative. It is by engaging students, supporting them and guiding them through a positive use of the digital tools and resources that teachers themselves can create a positive learning environment. Also, teachers are supposed to assess students by designing and developing 'Digital-Age' learning experiences. In addition, teachers should demonstrate a certain level of technological fluency in order to facilitate the use of new technology by students. They should collaborate with their students whenever they may need their help. It is also the teachers' responsibility to engage students socially and culturally through the use of digital-age communication and collaborartion tools. Moreover, teachers should be engaged themselves in "Professional Growth and Leadership" i.e they should participate, evaluate and contribute in the effectiveness of the teaching profession not only of their school, but of the community as a whole.
Students, on the other hand should be creative and innovative by applying the acquired technical knowledge so that they can come up with new models to explore, discover more complex works and issues. They should be able to use the digital media to communicate, collaborate, contribute, develop, produce and solve problems. It is also necessary for students to lead research and be fluent in gathering data by applying digital tools. This would for sure stimulate their critical thinking and make them able to solve problems and make decisions. They also become able to understand social, cultural and human issues related to technology. In other words, by applying technological tools in most of the educational fields, students demonstrate a wider understanding of technological and systematic concepts, and this will help them use their current knowledge of technology to learn more effective tools of new technology.
NJCCCS
NJCCCS for Tecnological Literacy is very intersting as it emphasizes the necessity of the use of technology in education. It is very clearly stated that it is a requirement for students while passing from one grade to the other to acquire a certain level of computer skills and technological literacy. In this respect, technology is very helpful in information gathering and problem solving especially at schools and in the workplace as well where computer skills are required for highly qualified candidates. In other words, students have to be computer literate.
In order to develop positive attitudes about technology, it is essential to introduce computer in the core curriculum standards. This would facilitate the learning activity for both students and instructors. By using computers and technology, students will be able to conduct research easily, solve problems and be very creative.
It is highly stated in the NJCCCS that every student has to have a certain knowledge of technology in each grade sarting from the 4th grade when students are supposed to acquire the basic computer skills and tools to conduct research, solve problems, develop, locate, organize, summarize, etc and then be ready for the following step (the end of 8th grade). By that stage, students should be able to definetly solve problems and make decisions. By the end of the 12th grade, students will be able to "build upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades".
In other words, students should follow a certain cycle that can take them from one stage to the other, and each stage/step prepares them for the next, which can only be very promising!
In order to develop positive attitudes about technology, it is essential to introduce computer in the core curriculum standards. This would facilitate the learning activity for both students and instructors. By using computers and technology, students will be able to conduct research easily, solve problems and be very creative.
It is highly stated in the NJCCCS that every student has to have a certain knowledge of technology in each grade sarting from the 4th grade when students are supposed to acquire the basic computer skills and tools to conduct research, solve problems, develop, locate, organize, summarize, etc and then be ready for the following step (the end of 8th grade). By that stage, students should be able to definetly solve problems and make decisions. By the end of the 12th grade, students will be able to "build upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades".
In other words, students should follow a certain cycle that can take them from one stage to the other, and each stage/step prepares them for the next, which can only be very promising!
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