Here is the link:
www.geocities.com/djspazz_2000
Monday, June 4, 2007
Interview Questions
1] In regards to technology, what have you observed in the classroom that can be considered positive learning experiences for the students? Have there been any negative experiences? Please describe both the positive and negative experiences.
2] How do you implement and integrate technology into the mathematics classroom? Is it being used daily or intermittently?
3] There has been debate as to the level of support teachers are receiving for technology in the classroom. In terms of hardware, software and training, do you feel that you have been properly supported?
4] Please estimate the following percentages of your “technology time”. By “technology time”, I mean the total amount of time that you spend engaged with some aspect of technology related to your teaching environment (very broad definition, so there is room for your interpretation).
5] Do you feel that technogadgets (iPods, cell phones, etc.) have any place in a learning environment?
6] Are equality issues prevalent with the use of technology in your classroom? (Does it benefit some students more than the others, or leave some students behind?)
2] How do you implement and integrate technology into the mathematics classroom? Is it being used daily or intermittently?
3] There has been debate as to the level of support teachers are receiving for technology in the classroom. In terms of hardware, software and training, do you feel that you have been properly supported?
4] Please estimate the following percentages of your “technology time”. By “technology time”, I mean the total amount of time that you spend engaged with some aspect of technology related to your teaching environment (very broad definition, so there is room for your interpretation).
5] Do you feel that technogadgets (iPods, cell phones, etc.) have any place in a learning environment?
6] Are equality issues prevalent with the use of technology in your classroom? (Does it benefit some students more than the others, or leave some students behind?)
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Video Cases
I watched Case 4 (Elementary Space Science) and Case 5 (Middle School Life Science). Immediately, I noticed how noisy both classrooms where. It is my assumption that the students were engaged in their activities. Consequently, I found it difficult to listen to the interviews. I personally like a noisier classroom, as long as much of the noise related to “on-task” discussion. Therefore, I was not overly disturbed at the noise level. However, I do wonder how students, who prefer quieter classrooms, function in this environment. Another thing I noticed was the flexibility and amount of activities going on all at once in the classroom. Is this controlled chaos or is it just plain chaos? I teach in an alternate program and lack of structure is familiar to me, however; is there too much free roaming allowed in such a classroom? By comparing the interviews, I was struck by the obvious frustration of the new and retiring teacher in Case 4. I believe that there is not enough support and professional development opportunities for teachers to truly “catch-up” with technology. As mentioned in Case 5, the teacher states that much of his knowledge is self-taught. Moreover, it is an ongoing, dynamic process or learning. I have self-taught most of my technological knowledge as well, and I can see how frustrating it is for some teachers who neither have the background, resources, time, support and/or desire to learn cutting-edge technology.In both examples, I was pleasantly surprised the use of technology was not limited to merely surfing the web to find information. It was used as a medium to create original works. The hurricane example in Case 4 was pretty neat, since the students used the laptop to create sound effects, while still using the old paper and pencil crayon method for visuals. Nice combination of the old and new with that assignment. In Case 5, I liked how the teacher introduced more advanced assignments such as creating animated GIFs. One particular issue that stands out from the 2 cases is the loose structure or “nouveau” structure in the classrooms. I am not saying that there wasn’t structure, but it appeared relaxed. Coming from an alternate classroom, I actually like it that way, but it concerns me a little to see a bit of confusion and chaos. My concern is whether the abundance of technology has created a classroom culture of distraction or interaction?
Unpacking Assumptions
What is a good use of technology in the math and science classroom? What would such a learning experience and environment look like? What would be some characteristics of what it is and what it isn't?
Being in the senior Alternate program, I am expected to “teach” practically all the subjects available to grade 11 and 12’s. There are a few more advanced subjects that we do not offer such as Physics and Auto. Consequently, I would not be considered a “science” or “math” teacher. Yet, I do teach those subjects. My view on the aforementioned questions may differ from the actual math and science teacher. I believe in any subject, including math and science, should have technology as a support system for learning. The technology itself cannot overwhelm the course content. Digital media has allowed us to provide excellent visuals and tools for students. However, we cannot have the case that “the medium is the message” as Marshall McLuhan would say. We cannot lose the actual learning that needs to occur. If the technology itself is too effective, we can see students paying attention to the process, not the content. I feel that for a classroom to use technology effectively, it cannot be the immediate focus. It needs to be readily available, for student use and for instructor use, yet it cannot be a distraction. In Prince George, I have heard of a pilot project that provides each grade 11/12 student with a wireless-enabled laptop. Although I do realize that our educational system is heading towards something similar to that, it is a danger when the medium itself is distracting. I know when I was completing the Education program at UBC; I was using my wireless laptop for unrelated activities in class. I am not saying everyone would be distracted, but there is the potential. Thus, it is vital to have limits on the use of technology in the classroom. Possibly there should be restrictions as to when one could use a laptop or any other media device. Personally, I would take advantage of all the online math games in my classroom. I wouldn’t necessarily use it to replace teaching the basics of math, rather, I would use it supplement the learning. It would be a fun way to practice, instead of standard word problems. In science, I would use the available digital media online and in hard copy for students to see examples or a virtual reality of phenomena such as plate tectonics and chemical reactions. In addition, the students can manipulate things in a virtual program as experiments. Yet, to sum up, it is important that content comes first.
Being in the senior Alternate program, I am expected to “teach” practically all the subjects available to grade 11 and 12’s. There are a few more advanced subjects that we do not offer such as Physics and Auto. Consequently, I would not be considered a “science” or “math” teacher. Yet, I do teach those subjects. My view on the aforementioned questions may differ from the actual math and science teacher. I believe in any subject, including math and science, should have technology as a support system for learning. The technology itself cannot overwhelm the course content. Digital media has allowed us to provide excellent visuals and tools for students. However, we cannot have the case that “the medium is the message” as Marshall McLuhan would say. We cannot lose the actual learning that needs to occur. If the technology itself is too effective, we can see students paying attention to the process, not the content. I feel that for a classroom to use technology effectively, it cannot be the immediate focus. It needs to be readily available, for student use and for instructor use, yet it cannot be a distraction. In Prince George, I have heard of a pilot project that provides each grade 11/12 student with a wireless-enabled laptop. Although I do realize that our educational system is heading towards something similar to that, it is a danger when the medium itself is distracting. I know when I was completing the Education program at UBC; I was using my wireless laptop for unrelated activities in class. I am not saying everyone would be distracted, but there is the potential. Thus, it is vital to have limits on the use of technology in the classroom. Possibly there should be restrictions as to when one could use a laptop or any other media device. Personally, I would take advantage of all the online math games in my classroom. I wouldn’t necessarily use it to replace teaching the basics of math, rather, I would use it supplement the learning. It would be a fun way to practice, instead of standard word problems. In science, I would use the available digital media online and in hard copy for students to see examples or a virtual reality of phenomena such as plate tectonics and chemical reactions. In addition, the students can manipulate things in a virtual program as experiments. Yet, to sum up, it is important that content comes first.
Auto e-ography
I have always been interested in technology. I remember writing simple programs on my Commodore Vic 20. After that, I moved onto the IBM XT computers, where my gaming life began with games such as Police Quest and Leisure Suit Larry. Then there was the introduction of the IBM 286, followed by the 386. This eventually led to Pentium series, where I experienced the beginnings of multimedia in computers. It was pretty cool to see video clips and edit photographs on the computer. Now, being the computer geek that I am, I have the king of all computers, the Intel Quad-Core X6700. To people who are not familiar with computer hardware, a computer has a processor much like a car has an engine. With a quad-core, it essentially means my computer has 4 engines. My wife is scratching her head wondering why I need 4 cores! Well, simple, it allows faster rendering of video while creating your own DVDs! I’m not sure if that impresses anyone but me.
As you can see, I am deep into technology. I constantly strive to learn about anything and everything that is related to technology. In fact, I taught myself how to build computers. Almost all of my friends own a “Sherman” custom computer. I carry this enthusiasm over to my teaching and the most memorable event that relates to technology was during my practicum. I was in a grade 5/6 split at Port Guichon Elementary in Ladner. My goal was to bring technology into the classroom. In my possession, I had one laptop and many ideas. Thankfully, the Delta School District had the foresight to equip their schools with LCD projectors. Therefore, I was able to hook up my laptop to the projector. This was important since it would have been difficult to have the students watch what I was doing from my laptop screen.
The idea I had was to do a computer-based Jeopardy game by using Microsoft Powerpoint. All the elements were there, including the theme song, the sound effects and the “daily double”. All that was missing was Alex Trebeck. I mainly used this for reviews of lessons that we had done during the week. The class was separated into 3 equal teams. For each question, every group had one representative that could raise their hands and attempt to answer the question. This prevented shouting matches and mass confusion.
The students took to the game enthusiastically. The competition element engaged even the most skeptical of students. Not one student was off-task during the Jeopardy game. A simple review consisting of questions and answers pertaining to material covered now became a fun activity. The entire Jeopardy board was on displayed on the big screen in front of the class. Just like the TV show, the answer would pop up, with accompanying sound effect, when students choose a subject and dollar amount. It now became a visual activity, which seemed to engage students who normally were not. To further enhance the learning experience, I added audio and video answers as well. No longer were the students merely doing a boring worksheet! In fact, this was the highlight at the end of every unit for the class.
I took this Jeopardy approach to review with other classes I have been in, including high school Socials 11. Again, it was a huge success. The whole class was engaged in reviewing work we had done. It was a blast for the class and for me as well. I have no data to compare achievement of students who did written reviews as opposed to this Jeopardy approach. However, I can honestly say that the students enjoyed themselves and were engaged. This initial foray into incorporating technology into my teaching had a part in my decision taking the MET.
As you can see, I am deep into technology. I constantly strive to learn about anything and everything that is related to technology. In fact, I taught myself how to build computers. Almost all of my friends own a “Sherman” custom computer. I carry this enthusiasm over to my teaching and the most memorable event that relates to technology was during my practicum. I was in a grade 5/6 split at Port Guichon Elementary in Ladner. My goal was to bring technology into the classroom. In my possession, I had one laptop and many ideas. Thankfully, the Delta School District had the foresight to equip their schools with LCD projectors. Therefore, I was able to hook up my laptop to the projector. This was important since it would have been difficult to have the students watch what I was doing from my laptop screen.
The idea I had was to do a computer-based Jeopardy game by using Microsoft Powerpoint. All the elements were there, including the theme song, the sound effects and the “daily double”. All that was missing was Alex Trebeck. I mainly used this for reviews of lessons that we had done during the week. The class was separated into 3 equal teams. For each question, every group had one representative that could raise their hands and attempt to answer the question. This prevented shouting matches and mass confusion.
The students took to the game enthusiastically. The competition element engaged even the most skeptical of students. Not one student was off-task during the Jeopardy game. A simple review consisting of questions and answers pertaining to material covered now became a fun activity. The entire Jeopardy board was on displayed on the big screen in front of the class. Just like the TV show, the answer would pop up, with accompanying sound effect, when students choose a subject and dollar amount. It now became a visual activity, which seemed to engage students who normally were not. To further enhance the learning experience, I added audio and video answers as well. No longer were the students merely doing a boring worksheet! In fact, this was the highlight at the end of every unit for the class.
I took this Jeopardy approach to review with other classes I have been in, including high school Socials 11. Again, it was a huge success. The whole class was engaged in reviewing work we had done. It was a blast for the class and for me as well. I have no data to compare achievement of students who did written reviews as opposed to this Jeopardy approach. However, I can honestly say that the students enjoyed themselves and were engaged. This initial foray into incorporating technology into my teaching had a part in my decision taking the MET.
Welcome to ETEC 533
My name is Sherman Chan and I am taking my 3rd and 4th MET courses this semester. I have took 500 and 510 last semester. It's so nice to see so many familiar people in this course! I am married with one 2 year old and another due in October. I teach the Alternate Program at North Delta Secondary. Being a technology fanatic, I am interested in incoporating technology in the classroom in regards to Science and Math. Teaching in an Alternate program, we are challenged daily to meet the diverse needs of our students. It is most important that we provide instruction and activities that meet different learning styles. I am looking forward to learning strategies using technology in my classroom for Math and Science.I'm not sure which courses I'm taking in the Fall, if any, since I'm awaiting the birth of my second child. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
My name is Sherman Chan and I am taking my 3rd and 4th MET courses this semester. I have took 500 and 510 last semester. It's so nice to see so many familiar people in this course! I am married with one 2 year old and another due in October. I teach the Alternate Program at North Delta Secondary. Being a technology fanatic, I am interested in incoporating technology in the classroom in regards to Science and Math. Teaching in an Alternate program, we are challenged daily to meet the diverse needs of our students. It is most important that we provide instruction and activities that meet different learning styles. I am looking forward to learning strategies using technology in my classroom for Math and Science.I'm not sure which courses I'm taking in the Fall, if any, since I'm awaiting the birth of my second child. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
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