Chapter 6 and 11

Chapter 6

I would prefer to teach in a classroom with more digital technologies.  Technologies in the classroom allow for more innovative and useful education.  Scanners can add photos and changes in text to previously typed items therefor they can enhance the documents.  Digital camera work fast and efficient and allow photos to added into publishing programs just moments after a photo is taken.  Students can use the cameras on field trips to document their experience, in research projects, and to take picture of art projects.  These photos can be put on bulletin board, news letters home, a class website, and many other places thus enhancing education.  Microphones allow music, sound, and spoken words to be stored and altered.  Students can hear their own voices which can help them with fluency and voice inflection.  White boards allow for endless possibilities in classroom lessons.  The screen is large enough for the whole class to see and it allows for more activities to go with lessons and classroom participation.  There is so much technology around us and I think it is important to incorporate this technology into the classroom because it has many benefits.  The more ways to teach and the more activities a teacher has the better.  It keeps things interesting and keeps children engaged. 

Chapter 11

One emerging audio technology is a CD player.  CD players allow for music to be played in the classroom.  Children love to sing and it can even help them learn information.  Playing music allows for more categories of developmental strategies to be incorporate such as kinesthetic.  So a classroom use of a CD player would be to play music and have the children sing along and do movements.  One traditional audio technology is a tape recorder.  Tape recorders allow for speech to be recorded and played back.  Students could record themselves reading and play it back later to listen to themselves to improve fluency.  The teacher could also record him or herself reading and have the child listen to the tape recorder as they read the book alone later.  An example of a traditional visual technology is an overhead projector.  The teacher could print notes on transparencies and they would be projected and the students could take notes while she talks.  An emerging visual technology is a DVD and DVD player.  Teachers can use this in the classroom to show movies or clips of movies in the classroom.  DVDs have the ability to show students real life applications of what they are learning.  Another specific example of this would be a math book that comes with an instructional DVD.  If a student is struggling with a concept he or she can take the DVD home and spend extra time mastering a concept.  

Theoretical Blog Assignment

I chose my second grade teacher, Mrs. McConnell.  Seeing that I want to teach elementary aged children this is a good fit.  Mrs. McConnell demonstrated use of the behavioral theory.  I remember that as a class and individually we would be rewarded if we could show that we mastered a concept.  Examples included spelling words and math facts.  I remember getting “bear bucks” which I could redeem for prizes in the treasure chest prize box.  We would get “bear bucks” if we got all of our spelling words right or knew all of our math flash cards.  Also at the end of the year, I remember that if we could do all the math flashcards we covered in the year without missing any and in a certain time we got to walk to get ice cream. These rewards made me and my fellow classmates want to succeed and master a concept which made us more likely to repeat that behavior.  Another way that Mrs. McConnell demonstrated use of the behavioral theory was by asking us questions while we were in line waiting to go to lunch and recess.  The students who answered a question correctly got to go to recess or lunch sooner.  This technique made us as students know the material because we wanted to go to recess and lunch first.  I do think that I will use the behavioral theory concept in my future classroom.  I believe giving rewards for knowledge gained made students excited about learning and ensured that they knew the concepts that were being covered.  It is important to have students to enjoy learning and look forward to school.  Another reason that I would use this theory in my classroom is because it is important that students see the benefits the material they are learning.  Sometimes it is hard for students to see the real life application of why what they are learning is important, so by giving them immediate rewards they will be more inclined to learn the concept and over time see how it fits into everyday life.  

All About Me

Major: Early Childhood Education                         

1. I want my friends to describe me as:  Happy, smart, fun to be around :) and down-to-earth                                                      
2. Memorable learning experience: Mission Trip in Appalachia
3. My favorite subject at school and why: Art (Painting and Photography)
4. Accomplishment I most cherish: being a 4 year varsity soccer team member
5. My work habits can best be described as: mostly organized and done on time                                                                                                                       
6. Three words that describe me best: outgoing, happy, kind
7. People may be surprised to know: I love to water ski                                                                                                                        
8. What I hope to be doing in ten years: teaching in an elementary school
9. What I do in my spare time: play soccer, swim, ski, and fish                                                                        
10. Things I can do without: spelling and math                             
11. My all-time favorite movie: Freaky Friday                                                                                                                                                             
12. BG’s best kept secret: guess I still have to find that one out                                              
13. Three things always found in my refrigerator:  water, milk, chocolate milk               
14. Person I would like to meet: Beyonce

15. What are your general expectations about this class? learn more about general tech and applications
16. How comfortable are you using Windows? How comfortable are you using Macs? way more comfortable with Macs 
17. Which application(s) do you use the most? internet explorer, pages, itunes
18. Which application(s) do you want to learn how to use? as many as you can show me
19. Is there anything I need to know about you? not really
20. What is your attitude about using technology? it is a good thing and I would like to be more tech challenged