Teaching

           In my current job I have had to participate in teaching training classes to our Board Workers for Election Day.   The part of the instruction I have had to teach them was on how to operate the Sequoia Voting Machines.  This instruction included opening the polls, activating them for voter use, closing the polls, and trouble shooting.

 

 

 

            The data that I utilized for this training was compiled by problems that have occurred in past elections.  Specifically the data was based on the problems that we received phone calls on during the election.  Other issues that were encountered during Election Day by board workers, were addressed during the question and answer period of the training class.  So any data that I would need would come from my past experience with the Voting Machines and my past experience.  The following link is to a YouTube video done by NJTV News June 5, 2012.

                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDLlgeMp-aM

            An excel spreadsheet would be optimal for use with compiling the areas that are experiencing technical issues.  This way we could stress to those specific areas the solutions to the problems they encounter.  This would also be ideal to evaluate what the different problems are and which problems are being had the most. 

 

 

                   



Technology Integration Matrix & Me

          Through my studies in my current course Foundations of Educational Technology I have learned about many ways to integrate technology into classrooms.  I have also learned about the Nets standards for both students and teachers.  Another tool that I have learned about is the Technology Integration Matrix.  The Technology Integration Matrix was developed to help evaluate the level of integration of technology in the classrooms of today.

Technology Integration Matrix                                                                                                                                          http://mytechmatrix.org

The Technology Integration Matrix

Table of Summary Descriptors

This table contains summary descriptors for each cell of the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM). Other available resources include a tables detailing student activity, teacher activity, and instructional settings for each TIM cell.

Levels of Technology Integration into the Curriculum

	Entry	Adoption	Adaptation	Infusion	Transformation
Active	Information passively received	Conventional, procedural use of tools	Conventional independent use of tools; some student choice and exploration	Choice of tools and regular, self-directed use	Extensive and unconventional use of tools
Collaborative	Individual student use of tools	Collaborative use of tools in conventional ways	Collaborative use of tools; some student choice and exploration	Choice of tools and regular use for collaboration	Collaboration with peers and outside resources in ways not possible without technology
Constructive	Information delivered to students	Guided, conventional use for building knowledge	Independent use for building knowledge; some student choice and exploration	Choice and regular use for building knowledge	Extensive and unconventional use of technology tools to build knowledge
Authentic	Use unrelated to the world outside of the instructional setting	Guided use in activities with some meaningful context	Independent use in activities connected to students' lives; some student choice and exploration	Choice of tools and regular use in meaningful activities	Innovative use for higher order learning activities in a local or global context
Goal-Directed	Directions given, step-by-step task monitoring	Conventional and procedural use of tools to plan or monitor	Purposeful use of tools to plan and monitor; some student choice and exploration	Flexible and seamless use of tools to plan and monitor	Extensive and higher order use of tools to plan and monitor

Char acte risti

cs of the Lear ning

          After reviewing the Technology Integration Matrix chart I feel that I would fall in the Active Adoption Category.  I believe that this would best describe me and the level of technological use that I would have in my classroom.  My reason for feeling that this is where I fall in the chart is due to the many ways that I have utilized technology for my own learning.

 

  Adaption/Student       Adaption/Teacher           Adaption/Setting  

Students work independently with technology tools in conventional ways. Students are developing a conceptual understanding of technology tools and begin to engage with these tools.

•The teacher chooses which technology tools to use and when to use them. Because the students are developing a conceptual and procedural knowledge of the technology tools, the teacher does not need to guide students step by step through activities. Instead, the teacher acts as a facilitator toward learning, allowing for greater student engagement with technology tools.

•Technology tools are available on a regular basis.

            One of the biggest reasons I feel I would fall into this category is due to the fact that I am currently taking my courses online.  While I am concentrating on learning all I can from my courses I have needed to utilize technology to develop certain understandings.  I use a Microsoft Surface tablet to connect with my courses and to complete any work I need to do.

         
           Another reason I feel I would classify myself as being Active Adaptive is because of my daughter.  My daughter is four years old and has a basic knowledge of how to use my iPhone to play her games.  I specifically downloaded educational games for her to use starting when she was two years old.  I taught her how to operate my iPhone to find her games and how to play them.  This shows that I am comfortable teaching with the use of technology.  It also shows that I am at the level of adaption in utilizing technology for teaching.

          The last reason I feel that I fall into the Active Adaption category is because that is where I feel I will be able to teach to my best abilities.  I am not scared to try new ways of teaching or using technology that I have never used.  This course at Ashford University testifies to that.  With this course I have had to learn new technologies that will help when I teach. It has also provided the knowledge of what most schools now require the teachers to be able to teach.  With all of these ideas and new technologies that have been developed I am excited to be on the path to becoming a teacher. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (n.d.).    

          Technology Integration Matrix. Retrieved from: 

          http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/



The Changing Faces of Technology in Education

Throughout history there have been many key developments in teaching with technology.  I believe the most significant ones to be:

1. The use of computers in classrooms.
2. The availability of the internet in classrooms.
3. The availability of tablets for student use.
4. Tools such as the interactive whiteboard and smart response resources.

The reason I feel that having computers in a classroom was a key development is it adds to the curriculum being taught.  It allows the students to learn in a different way.  With the use of computers in classrooms children are exposed to technology at an earlier age than when I was younger. This prepares them for incorporating technology into their lives.

I remember using these in Computer Labs in Elementary School.  Do you?

Once computers were available in classrooms the next key development was the internet.  Having the internet available in classrooms means that students are able to access a variety of resources for research. They are also able to connect with others around the world to learn from each other.

With the development of tablets in today's society technology is advancing in leaps and bounds.  The way some schools are incorporating the use of tablets is to provide each student with one to be used in their classrooms.  These tablets then let the students do their work on there to be sent to the teacher by email.  This also gives them a ready resource for studying.

The use of interactive whiteboards and smart response resources are the newer technologies being used.  These types of systems allow the students to become a part of the lesson.  They provide interactive features for both the younger learners and those with special needs.  This allows them to be more fully involved in the lesson. 

I found this link to be informative.
Interactive Whiteboard Smart Response Systems

Technology has changed a lot since I was in elementary school.  I remember teachers using overhead projectors to enhance a lesson.  In middle school we used computers to type up reports but they were not available in every classroom.  In high school, the use of technology was still not as advanced as it is now.  Now I am taking courses online to complete my Bachelors Degree.

I believe that the different types of technology that was used in the school system helped me to learn better.  I am the type of learner that likes to see how something works and then try it for myself.  With all the resources available online and many instructional videos that can be found on any subject I believe that technology helps to improve anyone's ability to learn.