Reflective Blog #4

Sunday June 20

Reflect on the idea that tests are the only objective assessments of student learning.

I have been teaching for eighteen years now and I have seen all types of assessments over the years. I started out as a mathematics teacher and the only type of assessment I used, or even knew how to use, were formal tests. I still believe that tests are an important part of grading in mathematics but since I have been teaching in the computer science field for the last nine years I have seen many other types of assessment. I have used many types of assessments that are more performance based. I now assess whether students can produce a product with the material they have studied rather than assessing whether or not they know the actual material itself. If a student can show me a web page they have built with an unordered list on it, that tells me more than the student trying to answer a test question related to unordered lists. I have not given an actual test in the last five years, all evaluation is project based and graded using rubrics.

Reflective Blog Post #3

Reflect on the idea of what a technology-infused classroom looks like. How do you plan to have a technology-infused classroom?

On the surface, this is a very difficult question for me to address since I teach in a computer lab with nice computers, dual projection screens, and the latest software for my course. I have contemplated a while on this and I don't really thing in my case the question of how a technology-infused classroom looks is to address the physical make-up of the room as much as it is the structure of the course and how the students interact. In my case, a technology-infused classroom will look like the unit I am building for Module Six. It will have a wiki space for students to get information from and communicate through. Parents will be able to access this space as well to see what is assigned and see the work of their child. There will be surveys for checking information and entry-level knowledge. There will be PowerPoints with the high points from the lessons for students to review. There will be blogs for students to discuss design features. There will also be links to outside resources ti give students opportunity to take the experiences beyond what is being taught. These are just some of the ideas for my new interactive classroom.
This is going to be an adventure and I am really hoping the distict can fund another year of the course. It will be so different from the students reading along from the textbook and doing the examples as I do them on the overhead.
I apologize if there needed to be sources on this, it is all just to abstract in my head right now so the resources are just some of the tools I will be using.

WIKI - http://www.pbworks.com/
Blog - http://www.blogger.com/
Surveys - http://www.surveymonkey.com/

Wednesday June 2

Dad is doing much better. He started responding about 5am and we are now watching the golf channel and discussing the great new kid called something or another. He will be in the hospital until Friday and I leave tomorrow for the School Law conference at the state capital at noon. Glad to have a daughter that is a nurse to help Mom while I am gone. GOD is good!

Wednesday June 2

Wow, what a turn of events. Got a call from Mom while at my daughters anniversary party that we was calling an ambulance for my Dad. Long story short, he had been home all day alone while Mom worked the local election and came done with a real sudden bacterial infection. He was non-responsive when I arrived and had lost control of his bodily functions, so things were a real mess. He has had a fever up to 105 a couple of time during the night but is now talking a little and responding to questions so we are turning the corner. I am trying to finish up the last DQ and the PowerPoint while setting with him at the hospital but he is lots of pain so there is not much down time.

Monday May 31

Memorial Day, a day to remember those that have lost their lives in defense of the freedoms we experience each and every day.

I have gotten to spend a lot of time with the family this weekend which has been great since my daughter took a job this week in Albuquerque which is 4 hours away. We have had our grand children less than for blocks away since Naaman was born 8 years ago! It has been a rough one for the wife and I to wrap out heads around. We will do all we can to hep the kids adjust to the change as we do ourselves.

School is extremely busy for me now that school is out. I will try my best to stay up with it but we are opening a new school and rotating 4 grade levels so we can demolish two older schools, busiest time in my six years as a director.

I am going to take 2 weeks off after this course to breath a little. I would have taken more but can't do to financial aide. I am really going to miss all the folks I have been working with the last three courses but I have to have a break.

I have one more chapter to read and then I will get started on the PowerPoint for Module 5.

Monday, May 24

I have been working on the Module 4 paper for a couple of days and am really struggling. Writing is just not my forte. I am going to keep plugging while thinking on the Module 4 Post.

Module 4 Reflective Blog

How can visual literacy and the use of the Internet impact the teaching and learning process in the classroom?

According to the International Visual Literacy Association's definition of visual literacy it is a fundamental part of normal learning. I hope that teachers have been making sure that students are visually literate for as long as their have been teachers and students. The introduction of the Internet into the teaching environment has given the teacher many more possibilities for achieving visual literacy. The internet provides endless resources for incorporating visual content into any lesson being taught. The impact of the Internet on visual literacy is limitless, all of the resources that teachers had to find, borrow, or buy in years past are readily available on the Internet for free. Students can be given still pictures of anything in the world and the video resources for virtual tours grow everyday.

What are some visual-thinking strategies you would like to use in your classroom?

One of the sites in my research stated "Many students respond to visual learning techniques today because they are growing up in a image driven culture." (Noval, 2007) This sums up today's students as well as any I have read. Today's student needs to be stimulated visually to keep them engaged in the learning process. The two most common strategies and the one's I would most like to incorprate into my teaching are using PowerPoint presentations to introduce new topics to the class and using Inspiration to have students make a plan for there parts of the school website. I have spent most of my teaching just showing the students the tools to do the work and not using other visual tools to help re-enforce the concepts. This is something I hope to cahnge in the next term I have the opportunity to teach.

What role do you want the Internet play in your classroom?
The internet is critical to my teaching, seeing as I teach Web Design. The most important thing I have learned during this course is to find different methods and tools to present material. Students in my course normally watch me perform a skill on the screen and then are asked to duplicate the skill. I have learned that it would enhance the opportunity if I add other visual elements while introducing material. The use of a PowerPoint or video of examples of the skill about to be introduced could help students make real world connections to the material being presented.

Note: I am not sure as to whether or not this is how the blog is to be done or not since there has not been a grade for the post from Module 2. I hope that linking to sources in a blog is sufficient citing since a blog is supposed to be one's thoughts and opinions on a topic. If it need to be different please let me know.

Mike