I found this to be interesting. But when I looked at the bottom of the page, it says Hosted by Stormfront, so I clicked on that and it brought me to a site that was all about White Pride Worldwide. And being this is a article about civil rights and MLK, it seems really odd to have them sponsoring this site, unless I am reading into that completely wrong. I would have to be half and half on this site. First I would edit what I showed the students. Especially the death of MLK and his famous speechs and the FBI following him, thats important stuff. But MLK had some nasty quotes, especially the one on the left hand side of this page about him and is illicit acts. I also think that knowing that who sponsored this site, that really sends the wrong message about what students should learn in school. I dont agree with this site being used in schools. I think kids really need to do a search and read up on sites that are important and not so gruesome to them. It is very hard to sensor. Titles like this website doesnt indicate anything like I thought it would, so right there it had someone in college fooled, it would for surely do it to a younger student. I used Google and it appeared as the 6th site to view, thats scary if you ask me being a teacher. I think they got to be so high on the list because of the title and being that it says a “true historical perspective”, that leans more towards positive information than negative.
Most Important:
1. Windows. I believe starting in 6th-8th grade. Windows is a very important applicatiuon to know the basics of a computer. How it works, how to find things, etc. With kids these ages, it will givew them a jump start to computers. Even though I think kids even younger these days know more about computers at the elementary level than we did at that age.
2. Microsoft Word. Papers are a daily routine when you get to college and even beyond. In the workplace it is important as well. I think between 8th and 9th grade these years should start working on how to develop a paper and format them to be professional.
3. To me, Money programs are important, but to others it might not be a thing to learn. Thats why its in the middle of my list. Taking a marketing class or a business class early on in high school might teach kids how to create a budget, becuase we all know that there are bills to be payed and have money to balance. This is something I think all students should at least look at early on.
4. I have a tie at 4th. Excel and Powerpoint to me just arent programs that I feel students need to be taught. Granted, I believe that they are important when there is a project due that applies to them, but not as much as word. They are creative programs that you can learn alot from, so maybe a introductory course to them early on in high school to teach them the basics of each one.
5. Finally, I know to some its important, but others wouldnt see it that way. Internet is probably one of the greatest inventions of its time. The possibilities are endless and the things you can do on there are almost unrealistic. But I believe if I was a teacher, I would strongly censor what my students did on the net. And I also think these days that most kids have internet access, and its not censored, especially at home. This is a tool to be used for in research, knowledge and information, not used for slander, inappropriate material etc. I for one believe that there should be classes in high school and even college, of what to look for and what to not look for when it comes to being on the net and be able to browse the internet safely and securly and have more fun with it, because it is a wonderful tool, but like every invention created, it also has its flaws.
Children that speak english and spanish have a hard time communicating with one another and having computers in the classroom can bridge that gap among the two. It can increase the demand for verbal exchange. The students did a excersise with one another to find out if there was any advancement in the learning ability between the two. The computer also allows students to become active learners in a one-on-one environment. Computers can incorporate various learning strategies as well as accommodate a variety of learning styles. Computers, however can increase the interest level for older students while keeping the text simple and easy to read. Another benefit of using computers for reading instruction is that the computer offers immediate feedback on performance. They also can provide added practice when necessary. According to Case and Truscott (1999), students have been able to improve their sight word vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Computer based reading instruction also allows for “increased interaction with texts, attention to individual needs, and increased independence through an ability to read texts they would not otherwise be able to read” (Case & Truscott, 1999).
The author of this text I found in the GVSU database under the WilsonSelect database. The author of the article is Timothy Green. The title of the article is Using Technology To Help English Language Students Develop Language Skills: A Home and School Connection. The source of the article is Multicultural Education 13 no2 56-9 Wint 2005
I have a my own PC. I dont use it for anything but internet and schoolwork really. I do use a computer at work when I am doing homework or when I am doing reserach for something. I enjoy doing powerpoints. I think that they can be really entertaining and I enjoy working with those. I have also used SPSS for research and Blackboard, which is helpful, but most of the time it isnt. Most of my teachers up till now have used Blackboard. I think its a good idea the way they do it. I am very interested in being this is my first online class, to see how things work out for me. I hope to learn in this class how to implement technology into my classrooms. Like you said in the podcast, we arent teaching them about powerpoint, but different ways to use technology to get the points we are trying to make across. My definition of educational technology is, the resources that are used to help one with their ability to learn material with a different model to follow. The following is a link to a educational blog. http://www.educationaltechnology.ca/couros/
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