Blog 6 Prompt

I chose to read Chapter 11, which is on Technology Integration in the subjects of Mathematics and Science. The reason I wanted to type my blog post on science, is because I am a 7th and 8th grade Science teacher at Moody Junior High School. I love my job and I love working with my kids, and that is why I believe technology is so important in the classroom. I think Technology is the best way possible to gain kids attention and to keep them engaged inside your classrooms.
 Advantages:
 I think the pros outweigh the cons for Technology in our classrooms. Like I said above I think Technology is something that keeps kids interested in our classrooms. I think children need hands on activities inside the classrooms. One topic the text hits on is authentic science, and it talks about using technology to help make science relevant to students lives (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 319). One program like this is Globe Project, this is a project that has students investigate the weather, land cover, soil, and hydrology (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 319). I also enjoy interactive games or simulations for my classroom. This strategy goes along with supporting science skills and concept learning, and through this you can use lessons and games to provide motivational ways to supplement your students instruction (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 322). A good website example of this would be the Neo K-12 website, which I use for my students to provide games and interactive lessons.
www.neok12.com
http://www.aaas.org
 Disadvantages:
 One disadvantage to technology is always going to be the amount of money it could possibly cost your school. For example in BYOB schools, you may not always be able to provide all of your students with the same amount of technology. One example our book was talking about was the use of Virtual Science Labs, the text talks about how we have done studies that support hands on activities in science classrooms. Now we are trying to get our classrooms to go to more virtual labs, and this kind of contradicts itself (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 319). Another problem is that not all of your teachers are properly trained in the uses of these different technologies. To implement these technologies Teachers must undergo specific training with each of them (Roblyer and Doering, and 2013, p. 326).
http://www.studymode.com/essays/Disadvantages-Of-Using-Technology-In-The-1380583.html

M6 What are the benefits of Technology in the classroom, this article discusses that:http://t.co/hxZ76qObYa #ED527UM
— Jared Meads (@JaredMeads1) November 17, 2013

Interactive Wiki

coachmeads.wikispaces.com

This is the Url for my wiki, after I made some slight adjustments to it.  For the most part the comments on my wikipage were very good, so I didn't have too many changes to make.  The one thing I did change up was my Interactive Activity.  One of the comments about my wiki was to make the activity less of a discussion board.  So I took one of their suggestions and made it to where each of the students will be assigned a different possible field trip location to research.  They will research their location, and then post the information they found as well as a picture.  This will cut down on some of the possible posts you might have during the activity. 

Module 5 Blog Post

In Module 5 we will be discussing interactive classrooms. I truly believe that teachers must advance with technology. The way technology is moving, it will become a major part of every classroom.
 21st Century Skills for Students and Teachers
 This subject in our text talks about 21st century skills inside the classroom. Our book talks about a model that has been created that will incorporate 21st century skills into our system of education (Roblyer, 2013, p.21). In my classroom I try to use as much technology as I possibly can. I think flipcharts and other interactive classroom activities can be applied and utilized inside every classroom. Technology use Based on Problem Solving
 This section in our book is all about motivating students. The main thing that stuck out to me was when our text talked about gaining students attention, and how important that is (Roblyer, 2013, p. 25). Interactive classrooms can play a huge role in motivating students, and also keeping their attention on the material you are teaching.
 Constructivists vs. Objectivist
I would consider myself more of a constructivist. Knowledge is constructed not transmitted (Roblyer, 2013, p. 36). Our book also points out that Directed instruction is teacher centered, whereas hands-on instruction is student centered (Roblyer, 2013, p. 36). Both of these things point to the fact that students learn from being active. Being a science teacher has allowed me to see the benefits of activities and the use of technology in my classroom. Students all learn in different ways, and that is why I tend to lean more towards being more of a constructivist instead of an objectivist.
 Flipchart
http://www.ssec.si.edu/ms-teaching-resources 
This flipchart from promethean planet took me to a website that provides middle school science resources for students. This ties into the Constructivist view on teaching, because It allows students to learn through interaction without test (Roblyer, 2013, p. 36). Flipcharts and interactive classrooms are a huge part of the future of education. We need to support students learning needs, whether that is by supporting skill practice or giving access to unique information sources (Roblyer, 2013, p. 25). I just think it is very important to find the best ways possible for students to learn.

M5 Great article on the benefits of technology in the classroom. http://t.co/8TSUqteDZM #ED527UM
— Jared Meads (@JaredMeads1) November 1, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/v/UKnZc-MJbTE?autohide=1&version=3&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=ktrzy3lzV82PdWqTUIny1Q&feature=share&autohide=1&showinfo=1

Module 4 Blog Post

This is module and chapter is about web based lessons and projects. Web based lessons can be a very valuable tool for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. We are also working on our classroom wikispace, which I already had started because of my classroom. This is very useful for my parents and my students.
www.teachingmysmarties.wikispaces.com
This is a wikispace website for an English teacher that works at Moody Junior High School with me. I really enjoy how she has her wikispace laid out for our students. If you look on the right side she has all her tabs set up with the different organizations and classes she is involved with. From looking at the site, it also looks as if she keeps it updated regularly. Our text points out that when evaluating a web page design is very important (Roblyer, 2013, p. 255). She has all of her announcements and contact information on the front page as well, so it makes it very easy to stay up to date and to get in contact with her. I think your class website plays a huge role in your classroom and keeping your parents involved.

New on ScienCentral
The first widget that I found was called New on ScienCentral. It is a widget that provides the latest articles and news updates about science. When I evaluated the content, like our book talks about, I think this widget will be very informative to my classroom (Roblyer, 2013, p. 255).
Weird Science Kids
The second widget that I found was called Weird Science Kids. It provides people with interactive games, experiments, and activities. This will be really good for students to use in the classroom for extra help and practice. It was also easy to navigate, which as our book says is very important (Roblyer, 2013, p.255). I want provide a fun learning environment for my classroom, and this widget provides fun activities and experiements.

www.internet4classrooms.com
This is a web page that is actually found in our text book that lessons can be found on (Roblyer, 2013, p. 257). It is a website that can provide lessons on science for teachers or students. Finding the perfect lesson for your classroom can be a challenge (Roblyer, 2013, p. 257). I liked how easy this website was to navigate, and how easy it was to find different lessons that can be used.

M4 http://t.co/t6rdpLDPea Guys this is just a good resource I found for you and your classrooms. #ED527UM
— Jared Meads (@JaredMeads1) October 16, 2013

Blog Prompt 3

This module was on the use of Internet features. I found so many useful tools that I could possibly use in my classroom. The main thing that really stuck out to me was the use of URL’s and Search Engines. URL's URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator (Roblyer, 2013, p.216). I think our book did a great job of describing what a URL is. One comparison our text gives is the fact that a web address is the same as a street address would be (Roblyer, 2013, p. 216). If your learn how to read a URL properly, it can help you navigate around the Internet and find exactly what you are looking for. The two main things you need to learn about URL’s are how to use them and how to read them (Roblyer, 2013, p. 217). When trying to use a URL a mistake can be a big deal. Making sure that you know the domain designator and the website address is very important. This is an important tool that teachers and students need to learn how to use properly, because when used correctly it can help you locate great information and great websites that can be used in your classroom. Search Engines Search engines are tools that can help you locate different items that can be utilized in your classroom. Search engines can be used for subject index searches and keyword searches (Roblyer, 2013, p. 219). If students learn to use search engines properly it can provide additional help to them inside the classroom, such as tutoring help or even help with homework or projects. Internet Tool The Internet Tool that I use for my classroom is a wikispace webpage. Like the book suggest I use my wikispace to communicate content from my classroom (Roblyer, 2013, p.224). This is an asset to my classroom, because it allows my students and their parent’s access to activities and material that we are covering in my classroom. 2 Favorite Websites www.twitter.com Twitter is a website that I have started to acclimate into my classroom. They are text-based posts that can be up to 140 characters (Roblyer, 2013, p.221). Twitter makes the flow of information faster and also makes it accessible to a wide range of your students (Roblyer, 2103, p.221). I personally use twitter in my classroom and for the different sports that I coach. It allows students and players to get information quicker, things such as test dates or practice times. It has become a valuable tool for my classroom. www.youtube.com Youtube is an example of a video and photo sharing community (Roblyer, 2013, p. 225). This is an easy website to access with publicly acceptable videos (Roblyer, 2013, p. 225). My students prefer to watch videos, as apposed to me lecturing all period. So I use Youtube to find videos on different material that we are studying. It helps them retain the information in my classroom better.

M3 http://t.co/4PLwu93jQZ Great ideas for the use of Twitter in your classrooms. #ED527UM

— Jared Meads (@JaredMeads1) October 1, 2013

Module 2 Reflection

In this module we learned about the different types of hypermedia products. We also read about the four types of multimedia authoring tools. I have chosen one type of each of these to discuss and to incorporate into my classroom. Reference Materials http://www.nytimes.com The type of hypermedia software that I researched about was a Reference material website. I think this would be a great asset to use for my classroom just because we are required to incorporate certain reading skills into science classes. So I plan to use this website to find news articles about science that are relevant to my classroom. These are references that can be used for little to no cost (Roblyer, 2013, p. 175). Another cool thing the book talks about is that most of these internet sights have search engines that make it very easy to locate information that pertains to the topic in your classrooms (Roblyer, 2013, p. 176). This will be a valuable tool for my classroom, because it will keep the kids interested in the news and also help them apply the articles to what we are learning about in the class at that time. Audio and Video Production and Editing Systems http://www.apple.com (iMovie) For my multimedia authoring tool I choice the second type, which is audio and video production and editing systems. I chose iMovie for my production and editing system. I recently went to a professional development conference, and one of the sessions was completely on iMovie. This is a valuable tool that apple uses that will allow my to produce and edit videos for my classroom. I think it is obvious that we are seeing an increase in technology in our schools. Our book even points to the fact that some schools are using these video programs for school news, as well as in the classroom (Roblyer, 2013, p. 188). Young people were the first to make audio and video sharing popular, and that is why most teachers are incorporating these programs and videos into their classroom (Roblyer, 2013, p. 189). Our book also points out that these programs can be used to film lectures, make notecards, and study guides (Roblyer, 2013, p. 189). I think this class is showing us more and more how important technology is in our classrooms. I plan to use both of these systems in my classroom.

M2 http://t.co/nz7i9eNkKq Guys has alot of different educational technology tools for teachers. Check it out. #ED527UM

— Jared Meads (@JaredMeads1) September 19, 2013

Blog Prompt One

Blog Prompt One For my first blog post we will be covering instructional software and software support tools. The first example I researched for instructional software was Chemistry Formulas by Chemistry Drills – http://www.chemistry-drills.com , which utilizes the drill and practice function. I am a science teacher, so this website will be a great asset for my classroom by allowing the students to practice chemical formulas. According to the text, the drill and practice function will motivate them and also provide them with immediate feedback (Roblyer, 2013, p. 84). Another computer based instructional software that I would like to utilize is the Laws of Motion by Physics Classroom – http://physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws . This uses the Tutorial teaching function, which is used to provide students with alternative learning strategies and instruction when teachers are not available (Roblyer, 2013, p. 88). In 8th grade my students are being taught about the basics of Physics, and visuals are always a huge help for them. So the use of this tutorial option will help them inside and outside of the class. Simulation would also be a function of instructional software that I would like to take advantage of in my classroom. In 7th grade science I teach basic anatomy and we usually use the dissection of certain animals to help teach these topics. One website I found is called Digital Frog by Digital Frog International – http://www.digitalfrog.com , and it deals with the simulated dissection of frogs. Scientists in the text actually found that the simulation of a dissection is a viable alternative to an actual dissection (Roblyer, 2013, p. 91). Websites like this one are a huge advantage for students that might need to see things more than once for them to learn them. Technology and these websites are something we need to take advantage of. I tweeted about the following article and how technology is meant to help teachers not take the place of them http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/next-generation-educational-software-why-we-need-it-and-research-agenda-getting-it . I want to take advantage of these resources in my classroom, not be afraid of them. I also need to take advantage of software support tools. Using an Easy Schedule Maker -- http://www.patreno.com , is a planning to help me organize my calendar and my schedule. I also plan to use My Lesson Planner – www.mylessonplanner.com to help break down and organize lesson plans. Lesson planning software can provide you with prompts for specific lessons and can also just help you with keeping forms of documentation ( Roblyer, 2013, p. 161). I will also use Microsoft Excel for planning and organizing, because like it refers to in the text I can use it to help me with projecting grades ( Roblyer, 2013, p. 122). All of these Instructional tools can be a huge benefit to my students and also my classroom. As much as Technology continues to improve I want to take full advantage of it for myself and my students.

M1 Next Generation Educational Software http://t.co/WqLjQai4OK #ED527UM

— Jared Meads (@JaredMeads1) September 5, 2013