Lesson 8: SECURITY!

Well, It is officially here!  I am now writing my last blog for my Educational Technology class toward my MAT degree.  Throughout this class I have learned so much on all the technology that is out there for teachers to use in the classroom.  Online communication tools are never-ending in the world of education.  Everything from email, Skype, blogs, Facebook and other social network sites can be used in classrooms today.  I believe that email is especially important to use in education as a tool for communication with parents.  Many times, teacher and parents are on totally opposite schedules as when good times to communicate are.  With email, one can send an email and then wait for a reply.  It is much more efficient than playing phone tag with each other.   I also believe that it is important for students to use email and become familiar with it because it has become such a crucial part in today’s world.

Online communication tools such as Skype and blogs have also become increasing popular in classrooms today.  Many of the readings I have done were on classrooms using Skype to communicate with other classrooms around the country or globe for that matter.  I feel as though using Skype is kind of like a modern day pen pal.  While it is still very important for students to learn penmanship, using a software such as Skype will get them very comfortable with technology and will also allow them to see other cultures and ways of life by means of online communication.  It would become more real to students, being able to talk and see other students like them in other countries and states. 

With the use of all the available online communication tools is the worry of computers being safe and secure.  While there are so many good software and tools out there, there are also many harmful viruses and worms.  I am not currently in a classroom right now, but am pretty familiar with many schools’ ideas on keeping their students’ computers secure.  Many computer labs have a virus scan on all computers that run numerous times a day making sure that nothing harmful shows up on the computer.  Unlike computers at home that mainly allow students to surf the web on whatever they like, schools have certain filters that block certain actions and websites to be visited on the school computer.  This will keep students using the software that is available to them for educational purposes only.  While there are many things out there for teachers to use, it is important that we understand that we too follow school AUP’s and keep all computers safe and secure.  And this is something I cannot wait to be a part of!

Lesson 7: Software in the Classroom!

Well,  It is Week 7 and I have to say that I am STILL LEARNING!  This week I learned all the different types of software that is out there for teachers to use in the classroom.  Never did I imagine there was so many types of software on every subject area, such as Tutorials, Simulations, Critical Thinking and So on!  When I have my own classroom, in hopefully the next year, I have already started planning on using a few of these types of software. 

One software in particular that I KNOW I will use in the classroom, no matter what grade level  or subject area I end up teaching, is TUTORIALS!  Tutorials give students specific training and practice on any subject.  The best part about these, I believe, is that they allow students to learn at their own pace.  Many times, whether it be in Math or Spelling, there are always some kids who get it a little faster and some that get it at a little slower pace.  Giving them access to tutorials will give them extra time to practice and learn at their pace.  One of the best parts is that in most tutorials, the student can pick what level they are at in the subject, such as beginner and move up from there.

There are many tutorials out there for teachers and parents to buy, however, I was able to find many FREE or discounted rates for teacher’s, tutorials on the Internet.  One tutorial that I will use immediately in my classroom is one that I found online called, SpellaRoo.  This tutorial is one that gives the student the opportunity to choose what spelling level they are at, and then from there are given a series of sentences where they choose the incorrectly spelled word.  After every sentence, the student is told if they were right or wrong.  I believe it is very important for students to get that immediate response if they were wrong and then be provided with the correct spelling.  SpellaRoo does this.  I was also able to find many Math tutorials on the Internet that are for every age.  Everything from addition and subtraction to fractions and algebra, there was a tutorial.

After this week’s lesson, I am very excited to know that I have effective and cheap resources out there to teach my students.  It can become very monotonous for a student to write down spelling words and math problems over and over.  While sometimes, this may be necessary, it is good to know that using these tutorials will give students the practice and repetition in order to succeed, all while having fun!  Because, again in my opinion, Education should be fun!