Digital Blog Post #G

The first concept that interested me was on Using Technology with Linguistically Diverse Learners. Today, we have many resources available where technology supports the learning of culturally and linguistically diverse students. The resources support the education of students learning English as a new language as well as those who want to learn another language (Maloy, 2013).  Online language translation services, multilingual web resources, international newspapers and interactive maps, and English language word origins are great tools for both teachers and students to use in a classroom (Maloy, 2013).  I am bilingual and before going to school the only language I knew was Russian, things like translation services and multilingual resources helped me in learning the English language very quickly. Understanding where the English language comes from helps students automatically connect and understand the language.

The second concept that interested me was Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is the application of universal design principles to educational settings (Maloy, 2013). The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) defined UDL in terms as: Multiple means of representation which is giving learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge (Maloy, 2013). Multiple means of expression provide alternate ways for learners to demonstrate what they know (Maloy, 2013). Multiple means of engagement taps into learners' interests that offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation (Maloy, 2013). UDL advances in knowledge of how the brain process information to the design of a curriculum. I believe this helps such a wide range of students, those with special needs as well as the rest of the class. Daily I see how students tend to learn in different ways, having various resources helps them in the learning process.

The third concept that caught my attention is Differentiated Instruction (DI). DI "an instructional approach in which teachers create different educational experiences as ways to meet the learning needs of individual students"(Maloy, 2013) Students have different learning styles and teachers should combine different teaching styles to help the students understand and practice concepts. This may include combination of spoken words, visuals, videos, and hands on activities to reach every type of student. Growing up, I loved learning by doing hands-on activities whereas my friend, she read things and understood them that way. We can see every day that people learn and understand things differently. 

In conclusion, there are so many resources and tools in today’s society that allow us to be able to reach/teach every child effectively. Technology has allowed us to go beyond and teach special needs children as well as linguistically diverse children in different ways in classroom. As educators, we know that many children learn in different ways and it is vital for us to be able to incorporate different teaching styles in our curriculum.

Resources:

Kobenko, K (2017, February 23). Using Technology with Linguistically Diverse Learners. Created with emaze https://app.emaze.com/mypresentations#/my

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Digital Blog Post #E

The first concept that interested me was the Standard Software Applications. Many of us should know that we use software applications almost every day (Maloy, 2013). As educators, using software applications on our computers is a big part of our technology based teaching environment. Let’s consider Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, these are all vital parts in our education process. We use them to make lessons, charts, and the teaching process more exciting for the students. If we really thing about it, standard software applications are a part of most professions in today’s society.  

The second concept is Google Earth which is something many students enjoy. Google Earth is a free, downloadable application that works as a browser for different information on Earth (Maloy, 2013). It uses satellite imagery to grab, spin, pan, tilt and zoom down to any place on Earth. I have used this application before to motivate students in learning more about geography and the important events that happened in history. The students had a fun time measuring distances, creating tours, and finding important landmarks. More information can be found on how to incorporate more of Google Earth in to our lessons can be found in the article Google Earth in the Classroom.

The third concept is Inquiry Tutoring Systems (ITS). ITS is a powerful new software program that promotes inquiry learning through the computer responses to student actions (Maloy, 2013). These programs record the responses of students to see where their knowledge level is at (what they know and do not know). Then this program gives students their level of work and allows children to practice, which will help them become better as academic learners and test-takers (Maloy, 2013). I think this is beneficial to both the teacher and student. Students will not always need a human tutor and can practice wherever they go on a technical device, and teachers can keep track of student progress. This will make the learning experience fun for the student, especially through the different formats, games, modules and etc. that will be provided on the programs.

In conclusion, being aware and having different software applications in vital in today’s technology based learning environments. We can do so much to help the students learn by incorporating these software programs into our daily lessons. Having them will also help the teachers come up with new way and ideas to encourage/motivate students to learn certain topics. I believe students will also begin to see learning in a whole new way.

Resources:

Google Earth in the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved February 07, 2017, from http://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/google-earth-in-the-classroom/

Kobenko, K (2017, February 7). Technology in the Class. Created with ToonDoo www.ToonDoo.com

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.  

Digital Blog Post #D

The first concept that I wanted to reflect on is the three ways to search the internet. The first one is free-text search also known as full-text search which allows you to search for the title, keyword, and the description of each resource for the word or phrase that is typed. The second search is called keyword/exact match search which retrieves only the resources that contain the word or exact phrase that is typed. The third one is the Boolean search which uses the terms AND, OR, and NOT to create more of a broad search. I believe all three ways are important to know and use. Knowing the difference between each search will help us chose the correct words/phrases or topics to search for. We all know that some searches may be time consuming but beneficial overall.

The second concept that I learned a lot about in this chapter is the criteria for evaluating web resources. The criteria consist of Accuracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency, and Coverage. Accuracy is where you want to make sure the website provides a clear description of the site and the purposes. Authority is where you want to make sure that the author has credibility and to see if it's commercial or non-profit. Objectivity tests if the website is fair and nonbiased as well as free of advertising. Currency is where you want to make sure the website you are using is updated and date is clearly visible. Coverage is where you want to make sure the website has information on the site that is viewed without any difficulties or commercial messages. We all know that today anyone can make a website and for us to know whether these websites are reliable or relevant, we must know and use the five criteria. These criteria really stood out to me, many people do not actually take the time to see if the sources they use are reliable for their studies or reports.

The third concept that is familiar to most educators is standing up against cyberbullying.  Cyberbullying is the willful and repeated harm using technology. This topic is important for teachers and students to be aware of because it is a very common threat today with technology. Cyberbullying can be just as harmful as a face-to-face- verbal and physical threat. Teachers should positively implement rules in the classroom against cyberbullying. I have seen many cases of students get bullied and this would cause depression, poor grades, suicidal thoughts, and etc. Teachers should always be alert and make it their goal to make students feel safe and protected against that. 

In conclusion, this chapter had some very important concepts that are very vital to our academic system today. When researching, it is important to know which sources are reliable and relevant. Technology in education today has become an enormous factor. How we teach our students today to use technology, will benefit them in a positive way. We must also teach them to use technology to help others and motivate them to always move forward. 

References:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.