Chapter Five: Integrating Digital Media and Educational Software Applications
Digital Media is greatly impacting the way people perform a variety of activities, including those in the classroom; digital media can revolutionize the classroom and the way students learn. Digital media applications are used in education, business, and entertainment. They can help teachers enhance their lessons. They also allow students to interact in ways that help then learn. I like the use of simulations that could help students learn about many things that they might not otherwise encounter in real life. In many other aspects of life, digital media is becoming more involved. Electronic books are now becoming available, and many how-to guides and manuals are online. Newspapers, magazines, and journals are producing digital publications, available online. Educational Software Applications are computer programs that assist teachers in teaching. They have become more numerous in the past few years. They exist for all grade levels and virtually every subject. Digital media presentations are also common. I recall using a large interactive whiteboard that could be "written on" in my calculus class in high school.
I've finally begun to acquire PowerPoint skills. I managed to make it all high school without using PowerPoint, but now I'm becoming familiar with it. I think this is going to be helpful because in many presentations PowerPoint is used. I will now be able to use it to assist my lesson or for students' use in the classroom.
Nothing new to share with the classmates, except have a good week!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Chapter Two (post #4)
First of all, I thought the part about telecommunications was interesting, just because I took speech last semester and we talked about how telecommunications has recently become such a major form of communication. And although I had heard of LAN I wasn't familiar with WAN. I really didn't understand the part about Internet2, or its purpose. I was also surprised to learn that the World Wide Web and the internet were actually not the same thing, because the WWW is part of the internet, although it makes sense now that I hear it. I've never seen VR on the internet, or so I think. Maybe some games. "More than 500 years ago, Johannes Guttenberg developed a printing press that made the written word accessible to the public and revolutionized the way people shared information." I think I've heard this before, on an episode of Boy Meets World. I've thought abotu it before, how much easier we have with the internet, and how much information we have at our disposal. Overall, I found the chapter interesting.
I'm still learning the Dvorak keyboard, sort of as a hobby. I haven't acquired many skills since last posting that will be useful as a teacher, except that I'm now aware of the abundance of materials, like lesson plans, that are online.
And, for random to the rest of the class, if you want to know how many words per minute you type, go to Typingtest.com, a site that allows you to test that. I just found it interesting. Have a great week, everyone!
I'm still learning the Dvorak keyboard, sort of as a hobby. I haven't acquired many skills since last posting that will be useful as a teacher, except that I'm now aware of the abundance of materials, like lesson plans, that are online.
And, for random to the rest of the class, if you want to know how many words per minute you type, go to Typingtest.com, a site that allows you to test that. I just found it interesting. Have a great week, everyone!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Post #3
Chapter Four: Hardware for Educators. Well, the very first part, about system unit made me think of the Apple Computers from elementary school and how we have progressed to system units built into laptops and such. Impressive. I liked reading abotu all of the different parts of a computer, it was alot of terms I'd heard before, some of which I was familiar with, only in more detail than I'd ever had. Most of the input devices I've heard of, although I'd never really considered joysticks and such when thinking of them. Other than that, I've even used most of the input devices. As for output devices, I never really thought about Televisions as an output device, but I knew about the other types. I knew of most of the storage devices, I just never have heard the term optical disc. I also didn't know about smart cards.
I have learned how to use Inspiration 8.0, which is a very interesting program. I can see its practical uses, but I'm not a fan of concept maps, personally, although I did enjoy how it turned concept maps into outlines for me. I also decided to see about the Dvorak keyboard, and made it so that I can use the Dvorak or the QWERTY keyboard with the click of a mouse. I can't type at all fast with the Dvorak keyboard, but it's fun to play with. That's about all I've learned this week.
Nothing really to say this week to my classmates that I haven't said yet, but if I think of something I'll let you know.
I have learned how to use Inspiration 8.0, which is a very interesting program. I can see its practical uses, but I'm not a fan of concept maps, personally, although I did enjoy how it turned concept maps into outlines for me. I also decided to see about the Dvorak keyboard, and made it so that I can use the Dvorak or the QWERTY keyboard with the click of a mouse. I can't type at all fast with the Dvorak keyboard, but it's fun to play with. That's about all I've learned this week.
Nothing really to say this week to my classmates that I haven't said yet, but if I think of something I'll let you know.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Post #2
About chapter three:
I found Chapter three interesting. All the different types of software were programs I use frequently in my daily computer life. I think I'd use multimedia software most frequently, as I am always listening to iTunes. I never knew that all the different programs like Word and Excel were categorized into so many different types of software. Is anyone outside of students reading this book and then people who created those terms aware of their existence? Who else knows of them? Do people who are very interested in computers and programming know them? Anywyays, I liked how as the chapter continued, it became more and more specific, to specific softwares for specific jobs, like tax software and law software. I found the chapter really long. I started off reading it pretty in depth, but as it continued I began to just skim over it more and more.
Since my last post was late and after the class, I haven't had a class between the two posts. However, what I have learned was how to take what I applied from class, using Microsoft Office 2007, and figure out how to do it on my computer that still has Microsoft Office 2003. I made a document similar to the one we learned to create in class, even though all of the buttons and functions were in different places. So I'll be familiar with both 200 7and 2003! I'll be getting 2007 at some point before the semester is over, though, as I said in my last post.
To my classmates, I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Its funny how we're a class of all girls, like the education FIG I was in last semester. I like computers and learning to use them. I'm enjoying this class alot, because I thought I knew quite a bit about how to use computers, from when I just mess around with the different programs when I'm bored, but there was alot I somehow overlooked. I'm looking forward to all of the other interesting new stuff I can learn. To Mr. Gentile, I am enjoying your class, even if I seem quiet and uninvolved in class. I just prefer being quiet and unnoticed. And about the posting, can we respond to posts? Can we have posting conversations? Or do we respond by posting on their blog?
I'm actually starting to kind of like this blog thing, sharing different thoughts online. Although maybe its becuase I figure that no one outside of this class will ever read this, besides the friends that I send here. And you can make the blog private, but you have to have the email addresses of the chosen few that are allowed to read your blog, which would also mean that anyone would have to be signed in to access the blog. I'd prefer to just leave it public.
I found Chapter three interesting. All the different types of software were programs I use frequently in my daily computer life. I think I'd use multimedia software most frequently, as I am always listening to iTunes. I never knew that all the different programs like Word and Excel were categorized into so many different types of software. Is anyone outside of students reading this book and then people who created those terms aware of their existence? Who else knows of them? Do people who are very interested in computers and programming know them? Anywyays, I liked how as the chapter continued, it became more and more specific, to specific softwares for specific jobs, like tax software and law software. I found the chapter really long. I started off reading it pretty in depth, but as it continued I began to just skim over it more and more.
Since my last post was late and after the class, I haven't had a class between the two posts. However, what I have learned was how to take what I applied from class, using Microsoft Office 2007, and figure out how to do it on my computer that still has Microsoft Office 2003. I made a document similar to the one we learned to create in class, even though all of the buttons and functions were in different places. So I'll be familiar with both 200 7and 2003! I'll be getting 2007 at some point before the semester is over, though, as I said in my last post.
To my classmates, I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Its funny how we're a class of all girls, like the education FIG I was in last semester. I like computers and learning to use them. I'm enjoying this class alot, because I thought I knew quite a bit about how to use computers, from when I just mess around with the different programs when I'm bored, but there was alot I somehow overlooked. I'm looking forward to all of the other interesting new stuff I can learn. To Mr. Gentile, I am enjoying your class, even if I seem quiet and uninvolved in class. I just prefer being quiet and unnoticed. And about the posting, can we respond to posts? Can we have posting conversations? Or do we respond by posting on their blog?
I'm actually starting to kind of like this blog thing, sharing different thoughts online. Although maybe its becuase I figure that no one outside of this class will ever read this, besides the friends that I send here. And you can make the blog private, but you have to have the email addresses of the chosen few that are allowed to read your blog, which would also mean that anyone would have to be signed in to access the blog. I'd prefer to just leave it public.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Post #1
So, this post is slightly late, sorry!
Anyways, chapter one: about the ARCS model, I think it is interesting when applied to digital media. However, I think now that digital media is so common, if a student isn't motivated, the use of electronics won't make them particularly any more motivated to learn. However, for students that do have some motivation, I think digital media can certainly help. And maybe it could cause disinterested students to become involved, I wouldn't know. (If you are reading this and not a student in this class, not that I really think that will happen, ARCS Motivation Model, developed by John M. Keller, states four ways to get students motivated and interested: Attention, Relevance, Challenge/Confidence, and Satisfaction/Success.) I didn't think anything in the ITSE National Education Standards for Teachers seemed too difficult. And as for how schools uses computers, it all seemed pretty understandable, I'm part of the generation that has computers running all of our lives so its not really a shock or anything. I thought the chapter was kind of boring, but I always hate reading textbooks, even if they are relevant and interesting in some way.
I have acquired many new skills about how to use Microsoft Word from Office 2007 since my last posting. I currently don't have Office 2007 on my computer, but I will download it over spring break probably, becuase I want to reformat my computer first since some people said I should. When I do get it, I will be familiar with the new layout of everything. Also, I can make documents look interesting and make random shapes.
As for my classmates, hi if you are reading this. I'm a math ed major, I like calculus, I enjoy this class and learning about the computers, and I look forward to getting to know y'all better!
Anyways, chapter one: about the ARCS model, I think it is interesting when applied to digital media. However, I think now that digital media is so common, if a student isn't motivated, the use of electronics won't make them particularly any more motivated to learn. However, for students that do have some motivation, I think digital media can certainly help. And maybe it could cause disinterested students to become involved, I wouldn't know. (If you are reading this and not a student in this class, not that I really think that will happen, ARCS Motivation Model, developed by John M. Keller, states four ways to get students motivated and interested: Attention, Relevance, Challenge/Confidence, and Satisfaction/Success.) I didn't think anything in the ITSE National Education Standards for Teachers seemed too difficult. And as for how schools uses computers, it all seemed pretty understandable, I'm part of the generation that has computers running all of our lives so its not really a shock or anything. I thought the chapter was kind of boring, but I always hate reading textbooks, even if they are relevant and interesting in some way.
I have acquired many new skills about how to use Microsoft Word from Office 2007 since my last posting. I currently don't have Office 2007 on my computer, but I will download it over spring break probably, becuase I want to reformat my computer first since some people said I should. When I do get it, I will be familiar with the new layout of everything. Also, I can make documents look interesting and make random shapes.
As for my classmates, hi if you are reading this. I'm a math ed major, I like calculus, I enjoy this class and learning about the computers, and I look forward to getting to know y'all better!
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