Zukas, Alex. (2000). Active Learning, World History, and the Internet: Creating Knowledge in the Classroom. The International Journal of Social Education vol. 15 (1).
Summary: This article deals with how best we can incorporate the Internat to not only help meet our curriculum standards and goals in world history classes, but also to help foster knowledge and intelligence in our students. Alex Zukas suggests that in order to be able to correctly use the Internet for projects and assignments, teachers must first be able to instruct students on how best to use the Internet. Knowing what online sources are “reliable and trustworthy,” for example, is a skill that not only will help students in school, but in life, and is something that must be taught in order for students to effectively use the Internet to complete assignments. Zukas gives a few examples of how best to go about teaching students these skills, such as WebQuests for younger students, and guided exercises for older students.
Zukas also explains that the Internet is not only a tool to use for projects, virtual fieldtrips, and as a resource finder, but also allows for students to publish their own work to the world. He expands on this, saying that the Internet is a powerful tool for global networking among students, and that websites such as ePALS Classroom Exchange can be used to foster ideas of global diversity and civic duty. Putting this into perspective, Zukas gives a sample assignment on China, and shows how it is easy for American students to leave out ideas of perspective, even when using a global tool such as the Internet, and that being able to directly communicate with other people in order to find such perspectives can be greatly beneficial. The author concludes, however, that instructional technologies do have biases, and may leave a few behind.
Response: Zukas gives very interesting examples of how the Internet can be used to increase student learning, and lays out a variety of websites for teachers to inspect and use in their classrooms/computer labs. The author not only cautions educators on how the Internet can be misused by both teachers and students, but also shows how to alleviate some of these cautions through education. He also brought up some negative ways that the Internet could impact education, especially with the ability to plagiarize so easily, though he does give ways in which educators can stop it (higher level thinking assignments that ask for students to draw conclusions, for example, may be more difficult to plagiarize). I appreciated the author’s final warning on Internet use, citing the biases that it has, and the fact that not everyone has access to it, though the warning does date the article, as the gap between those who have access to computers and internet use has slimmed since 2000 (see my article review 10, for example).
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Article 11 – Technology and Social Studies
Bennett, Linda. (1999). Instructional Technology as a Medium for Learning World History. The International Journal of Social Education vol. 14 (1).
Summary: The above article lays out the five standards (Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Historical Analysis and Interpretation, Historical Research Capabilities, and Historical Issues Analysis and Decision Making) for historical thinking that are included in the National Standards for World History, and explains how the instructional technologies can be used to meet each one. For each standard, Linda Bennett explains how some schools have combined IT with their world history classes, as well as multiple websites that can give students more information than typical classroom textbooks can offer. Examples of these are the use of Inspiration software to help students brainstorm ideas, and various museum websites that educators can use to create virtual fieldtrips. Online and CD based encyclopedias can also lend to virtual fieldtrips, as well as give students the ability to not only know that certain primary documents existed in the past, but actually to read them. Bennett also talks about how the Internet allows students and teachers to connect with others across the global, bringing world history education to a truly global scale. This can be particularly useful, as Bennett points out, when looking at the idea of perspective.
Response: While the article was a bit dated, I still found the examples that Bennett gave on how to combine instructional technology with world history classes to be sound. Virtual fieldtrips, if executed well, can be fun and educational for students, as well as allowing students who may not learn best from typical classroom situations to learn from a new medium. I was particularly attracted to the idea of using the Internet and other communication devices to communicate with other teachers and students across the globe, and being able to incorporate that into projects. This may be one of the best ways in which we can help teach the idea of perspective in history, as it could allow for students around the world to learn from each other, and while there are many barriers to this (cost, language, reality of project, etc.), I feel that it may be one of the strongest IT teaching strategies world history teachers have.
Summary: The above article lays out the five standards (Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Historical Analysis and Interpretation, Historical Research Capabilities, and Historical Issues Analysis and Decision Making) for historical thinking that are included in the National Standards for World History, and explains how the instructional technologies can be used to meet each one. For each standard, Linda Bennett explains how some schools have combined IT with their world history classes, as well as multiple websites that can give students more information than typical classroom textbooks can offer. Examples of these are the use of Inspiration software to help students brainstorm ideas, and various museum websites that educators can use to create virtual fieldtrips. Online and CD based encyclopedias can also lend to virtual fieldtrips, as well as give students the ability to not only know that certain primary documents existed in the past, but actually to read them. Bennett also talks about how the Internet allows students and teachers to connect with others across the global, bringing world history education to a truly global scale. This can be particularly useful, as Bennett points out, when looking at the idea of perspective.
Response: While the article was a bit dated, I still found the examples that Bennett gave on how to combine instructional technology with world history classes to be sound. Virtual fieldtrips, if executed well, can be fun and educational for students, as well as allowing students who may not learn best from typical classroom situations to learn from a new medium. I was particularly attracted to the idea of using the Internet and other communication devices to communicate with other teachers and students across the globe, and being able to incorporate that into projects. This may be one of the best ways in which we can help teach the idea of perspective in history, as it could allow for students around the world to learn from each other, and while there are many barriers to this (cost, language, reality of project, etc.), I feel that it may be one of the strongest IT teaching strategies world history teachers have.
Article 10 - Diversity
Dave Nagel. (2008). Digital Divide? What Digital Divide? T.H.E. Journal, accessed 7/26/08 from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/22818
Summary: Nagel’s article describes a study undertaken by researched at the University of Minnesota that was aimed at 600 high school students from low-income families ($25,000 or less a year in income) and their internet/online social networking usage. Many of these students reported having computer access at home (76%), and that 50% of the students went online at least once per day. The study showed that many of the students have social networking web pages, such as a MySpace page, and more than half associated learning about technology with online social networking (those claims will be studied in the fall by the same researchers).
Response: I do not find it surprising that more low-income families own computers, as computer prices have dropped significantly in the past decade. It is not uncommon to see incredibly good deals on computers these days, and while those computers may not be the best, they still allow for word-processing and internet usage, which is all most people will need. In fact, as I type this I see an ad on my Safari browser for a computer for $388.77 dollars. Schools should embrace the fact that more low-income families are buying computers, and try to teach more computer literacy classes, as students who have families that are new to computers will at least have some basic skills that they can pass on to family members, as well as make their internet usage more safe. I was surprised, however, to find that many of the students found social networking to be educational in some way, as I had never thought of it as educational at all. The study being conducted next fall that will look at actual educational purposes of websites such as MySpace should be interesting.
Summary: Nagel’s article describes a study undertaken by researched at the University of Minnesota that was aimed at 600 high school students from low-income families ($25,000 or less a year in income) and their internet/online social networking usage. Many of these students reported having computer access at home (76%), and that 50% of the students went online at least once per day. The study showed that many of the students have social networking web pages, such as a MySpace page, and more than half associated learning about technology with online social networking (those claims will be studied in the fall by the same researchers).
Response: I do not find it surprising that more low-income families own computers, as computer prices have dropped significantly in the past decade. It is not uncommon to see incredibly good deals on computers these days, and while those computers may not be the best, they still allow for word-processing and internet usage, which is all most people will need. In fact, as I type this I see an ad on my Safari browser for a computer for $388.77 dollars. Schools should embrace the fact that more low-income families are buying computers, and try to teach more computer literacy classes, as students who have families that are new to computers will at least have some basic skills that they can pass on to family members, as well as make their internet usage more safe. I was surprised, however, to find that many of the students found social networking to be educational in some way, as I had never thought of it as educational at all. The study being conducted next fall that will look at actual educational purposes of websites such as MySpace should be interesting.
Article 9 - Special Needs
Wahl, Lisa. Assistive Technology: Enhanced Learning for All. Retrieved 7/26/08 from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enhances-learning-all
Summary: Lisa Wahl explains a few different types of assistive technologies (AT) that can be incorporated into the classroom to help students with certain disabilities in her article. While she does not cover all the ways in which AT could help students (something that would be nearly impossible, as its such a broad topic), she does list a few different items that educators can use to help students who have problems with reading, math, and writing. Some of these ATs involve computers, while others are much more simple, such as the use of a secondary chalkboard for students with poor vision. Wahl does mention a number of more technological advanced tools, such as computers that speak for students, and rearranged keyboards (via software) that allow students with motor skill problems to type/take notes where they couldn’t before.
Response: I found this article very interesting and informative, having never heard of some of the tools Wahl mentioned. I also found it interesting that in an article on assistive technologies Wahl mentioned things like carbonless copy paper, student volunteers, and secondary chalkboards as helping people, which only does to show that educators can often overlook techniques that may be much easier and cheaper to implement in classrooms that can help students learn. I was disappointed by the short length of the article, and wished Wahl could have spent more time writing on more assistive technologies that educators have found useful in certain situations.
Summary: Lisa Wahl explains a few different types of assistive technologies (AT) that can be incorporated into the classroom to help students with certain disabilities in her article. While she does not cover all the ways in which AT could help students (something that would be nearly impossible, as its such a broad topic), she does list a few different items that educators can use to help students who have problems with reading, math, and writing. Some of these ATs involve computers, while others are much more simple, such as the use of a secondary chalkboard for students with poor vision. Wahl does mention a number of more technological advanced tools, such as computers that speak for students, and rearranged keyboards (via software) that allow students with motor skill problems to type/take notes where they couldn’t before.
Response: I found this article very interesting and informative, having never heard of some of the tools Wahl mentioned. I also found it interesting that in an article on assistive technologies Wahl mentioned things like carbonless copy paper, student volunteers, and secondary chalkboards as helping people, which only does to show that educators can often overlook techniques that may be much easier and cheaper to implement in classrooms that can help students learn. I was disappointed by the short length of the article, and wished Wahl could have spent more time writing on more assistive technologies that educators have found useful in certain situations.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Article 8 - Unit 8
Greenway, Randall, Gregg Vanourek. (2006). The Virtual Revolution. Education Next, Spring.
Summary: In The Virtual Revolution, the authors of the article describe the history of distance education in America, as well as the development and implementation of online education in public schools. The article also delves into some current examples of online education, and how it is shaping education across the nation. Examples of this include virtual schools in multiple states that offer online curriculum either full time or as a supplement to normal education, and which cater to a variety of students, from hospitalized children and home schooled students to special education and gifted children. Many of the virtual schools are run in different ways, though the overall goal is mostly the same; to offer a distance education program that is as similar to actual school as possible, but with the ability to be flexible and more personal than actual schools can offer. The authors also go on to describe the positives and negatives of virtual education, and how these should be taken into account when thinking about offering it to students, as it is not for everyone.
Response: Having fallen into the category of believing that it could not match face-to-face education with a teacher, I had always been a bit weary of online education at the college level, and had never given much thought to virtual education at the grade school level. The article, however, did give me some information on how it could actually be effective for some students, and a great alternative to regular (building-based, face-to-face) education. I never knew how some of these virtual education schools worked, and found the fact that some of the schools actually send their students materials interesting, as I had always figured that all of the work would be online based. I still remain a bit skeptical about it, as it doesn’t allow for social interactions, which I feel students get a lot of out at the middle and high school levels, though I can see how some parents and students would prefer virtual education for that reason alone.
Summary: In The Virtual Revolution, the authors of the article describe the history of distance education in America, as well as the development and implementation of online education in public schools. The article also delves into some current examples of online education, and how it is shaping education across the nation. Examples of this include virtual schools in multiple states that offer online curriculum either full time or as a supplement to normal education, and which cater to a variety of students, from hospitalized children and home schooled students to special education and gifted children. Many of the virtual schools are run in different ways, though the overall goal is mostly the same; to offer a distance education program that is as similar to actual school as possible, but with the ability to be flexible and more personal than actual schools can offer. The authors also go on to describe the positives and negatives of virtual education, and how these should be taken into account when thinking about offering it to students, as it is not for everyone.
Response: Having fallen into the category of believing that it could not match face-to-face education with a teacher, I had always been a bit weary of online education at the college level, and had never given much thought to virtual education at the grade school level. The article, however, did give me some information on how it could actually be effective for some students, and a great alternative to regular (building-based, face-to-face) education. I never knew how some of these virtual education schools worked, and found the fact that some of the schools actually send their students materials interesting, as I had always figured that all of the work would be online based. I still remain a bit skeptical about it, as it doesn’t allow for social interactions, which I feel students get a lot of out at the middle and high school levels, though I can see how some parents and students would prefer virtual education for that reason alone.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Article 7 - Unit 7
Hawkins, Brian L., Diana G. Oblinger. (2006). The Myth about Student Competency. EDUCAUSE Review, March/April.
Summary:
The authors of this article ask if students from our younger generation, made up of people ages 18-22, are actually IT literate, or just fairly competent. While students entering universities are more and more competent with popular software, such as computer games, instant messaging tools, and MS Word, the authors show that students do not know nearly as much when it comes to other programs, such as spread sheet programs such as Excel, and web page languages, such as HTML. Oblinger and Hawkins frame the above question and examples with education, and then explain the issues that tying IT literacy and education come across. To conclude their article, the authors list five questions that both students and university personnel should investigate when trying to advance individual and overall student IT literacy.
Response:
I had never really thought of the differences between being IT literate and having what most young people would call “basic” IT skills, or IT competency. I found the statistics listed in the article to match my understanding of student competency, as most people I know are fairly competent when it comes to things like text messaging, instant messaging, and using word processing software, though many have no clue how to make a spreadsheet or create a web page (even when using software designed for it). The questions that the authors posed at the end of their article also made me think, especially when they asked what universities should teach when it comes to information technology, as skills are useful, but the ethics and sub-skills needed to really succeed when using technology such as the internet are just as useful. I believe, however, that these concepts should be targeted in high school or middle school students, as they seem to be more apt for not being able to understand bias over the Internet, as well as plagiarize from web sources.
Summary:
The authors of this article ask if students from our younger generation, made up of people ages 18-22, are actually IT literate, or just fairly competent. While students entering universities are more and more competent with popular software, such as computer games, instant messaging tools, and MS Word, the authors show that students do not know nearly as much when it comes to other programs, such as spread sheet programs such as Excel, and web page languages, such as HTML. Oblinger and Hawkins frame the above question and examples with education, and then explain the issues that tying IT literacy and education come across. To conclude their article, the authors list five questions that both students and university personnel should investigate when trying to advance individual and overall student IT literacy.
Response:
I had never really thought of the differences between being IT literate and having what most young people would call “basic” IT skills, or IT competency. I found the statistics listed in the article to match my understanding of student competency, as most people I know are fairly competent when it comes to things like text messaging, instant messaging, and using word processing software, though many have no clue how to make a spreadsheet or create a web page (even when using software designed for it). The questions that the authors posed at the end of their article also made me think, especially when they asked what universities should teach when it comes to information technology, as skills are useful, but the ethics and sub-skills needed to really succeed when using technology such as the internet are just as useful. I believe, however, that these concepts should be targeted in high school or middle school students, as they seem to be more apt for not being able to understand bias over the Internet, as well as plagiarize from web sources.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Article 6 - Unit 6
Tanrikulu, Zuhal. (2006). MISESS: Web-Based Examination, Evaluation, and Guidance. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 29 (1).
Summary:
The article deals with the creation of an online classroom management system named MISESS, created and used by the Management Information Systems Department at Bogaziçi University in Turkey. The article is mostly a walkthrough of the thought process of the creators when they began to design MISESS, and a walkthrough of the actual creation of MISESS. The explanations given detail the reasons why MISESS has a low-key look to it (to make it easy to use and uncluttered), as well how the system works for different individuals (students, professors, IT administrators, and regular World Wide Web viewers). Finally, the author writes about how MISESS can be used to upload content information, making it a much stronger learning tool than other course content/online testing systems.
Response:
While I found the explanations given as to why the creators included different aspects of MISESS into the final system to be interesting, I found the overall article to be dull and uninformative for my needs. The article did not go into detail on how students or professors actually used MISESS, but rather only how and why it was developed, which I fail to see as important. I understand that it is a great web-based course system, as students can upload information, and professors can have a wider variety when creating online tests, but I fail to how the knowledge presented in the article help me understand technology any more than I did before. However, I did appreciate the inclusion of the site map (which was an interesting picture, as it was different from other site maps I have seen before).
Summary:
The article deals with the creation of an online classroom management system named MISESS, created and used by the Management Information Systems Department at Bogaziçi University in Turkey. The article is mostly a walkthrough of the thought process of the creators when they began to design MISESS, and a walkthrough of the actual creation of MISESS. The explanations given detail the reasons why MISESS has a low-key look to it (to make it easy to use and uncluttered), as well how the system works for different individuals (students, professors, IT administrators, and regular World Wide Web viewers). Finally, the author writes about how MISESS can be used to upload content information, making it a much stronger learning tool than other course content/online testing systems.
Response:
While I found the explanations given as to why the creators included different aspects of MISESS into the final system to be interesting, I found the overall article to be dull and uninformative for my needs. The article did not go into detail on how students or professors actually used MISESS, but rather only how and why it was developed, which I fail to see as important. I understand that it is a great web-based course system, as students can upload information, and professors can have a wider variety when creating online tests, but I fail to how the knowledge presented in the article help me understand technology any more than I did before. However, I did appreciate the inclusion of the site map (which was an interesting picture, as it was different from other site maps I have seen before).
Article 5 - Unit 5
Oblinger, Diana G. (2003). Boomers and Gen-Xers Millenials: Understanding the New Students. EDUCAUSE Review, July/August.
Summary:
Oblinger’s article deals with the differences in expectations between students/people who grew up in an age where computers were either absent or were considered new technology (such as the Boomers and Gen-Xers), and the Millenials, who are compromised of the new, younger generation that has grown up with computers as part of their lives. These differences go much deeper than experience and comfort using technology, as Oblinger explains, with a major difference being the expectations new students have with education. This is explored more deeply in the article, and covers concepts such as how students view technology (namely the internet and computers) being tied to education. Oblinger also talks about how our current educators have needed to adapt to these new expectations of education to best teach the younger generation. These new practices that are being put into place at all levels of education are new, though becoming more regular, for many older people in education, and have become very effective when teaching new students.
Response:
I found Oblinger’s article fairly interesting. It is no doubt true that students of my generation are incredibly tied to technology, though that is the only generalization of the Millenials that the author mentions that I truly agree with. Some of the examples of how educational institutions are incorporating technology to help meet the expectations of the new generation were impressive (beep-a-tutor really impressed me, and I believe the room for growth of such an idea is massive). The way that technology, older institutions (such as universities), and the younger generation are melding is very interesting, and the outcomes so far are favorable.
Summary:
Oblinger’s article deals with the differences in expectations between students/people who grew up in an age where computers were either absent or were considered new technology (such as the Boomers and Gen-Xers), and the Millenials, who are compromised of the new, younger generation that has grown up with computers as part of their lives. These differences go much deeper than experience and comfort using technology, as Oblinger explains, with a major difference being the expectations new students have with education. This is explored more deeply in the article, and covers concepts such as how students view technology (namely the internet and computers) being tied to education. Oblinger also talks about how our current educators have needed to adapt to these new expectations of education to best teach the younger generation. These new practices that are being put into place at all levels of education are new, though becoming more regular, for many older people in education, and have become very effective when teaching new students.
Response:
I found Oblinger’s article fairly interesting. It is no doubt true that students of my generation are incredibly tied to technology, though that is the only generalization of the Millenials that the author mentions that I truly agree with. Some of the examples of how educational institutions are incorporating technology to help meet the expectations of the new generation were impressive (beep-a-tutor really impressed me, and I believe the room for growth of such an idea is massive). The way that technology, older institutions (such as universities), and the younger generation are melding is very interesting, and the outcomes so far are favorable.
Article 4 - Unit 4
Meyen, Edward L. (2002). Assessing and Monitoring Student Progress in an E-Learning Personnel Preparation Environment. Teacher Education and Special Education vol. 25 (3).
Summary:
The information presented in the article by Meyen largely deals with assessing students who are enrolled in online courses, also known as E-Learning situations. Meyen goes into the different techniques he has employed while teaching students through online courses, which include traditional tests, group projects, student journals, and individual assignments/projects. These each have their own benefits and difficulties when applying them to online courses, though the author gives many positive examples of how to get the most from them. Finally, the article also examines the use of student electronic portfolios, which can not only help with assessment during E-Learning courses, but can also help to teach students more effective ways of managing and using technology for practical use.
Response:
I found the article to employ the same assessment techniques that are used in the actual classroom environment on a daily basis, and didn’t believe the author made an argument that showed how they actually differ. That said, I did not see the point of the article, which mainly ran down the different assessment options and techniques that E-Learning teachers use, which, as just mentioned, are mostly the same as those found in the classroom. Meyen did put an E-Learning spin to some of his examples, but for the most part any teacher who has taught in a classroom would probably use those techniques. For example, Meyen mentions using a discussion board for the students to talk about their group work on, which isn’t exactly a stretch, and is the obvious choice for educators who want to use group work along with online courses. I should not discount his examples, however, as they are all good examples of how to assess and monitor student work in online courses and environments.
Summary:
The information presented in the article by Meyen largely deals with assessing students who are enrolled in online courses, also known as E-Learning situations. Meyen goes into the different techniques he has employed while teaching students through online courses, which include traditional tests, group projects, student journals, and individual assignments/projects. These each have their own benefits and difficulties when applying them to online courses, though the author gives many positive examples of how to get the most from them. Finally, the article also examines the use of student electronic portfolios, which can not only help with assessment during E-Learning courses, but can also help to teach students more effective ways of managing and using technology for practical use.
Response:
I found the article to employ the same assessment techniques that are used in the actual classroom environment on a daily basis, and didn’t believe the author made an argument that showed how they actually differ. That said, I did not see the point of the article, which mainly ran down the different assessment options and techniques that E-Learning teachers use, which, as just mentioned, are mostly the same as those found in the classroom. Meyen did put an E-Learning spin to some of his examples, but for the most part any teacher who has taught in a classroom would probably use those techniques. For example, Meyen mentions using a discussion board for the students to talk about their group work on, which isn’t exactly a stretch, and is the obvious choice for educators who want to use group work along with online courses. I should not discount his examples, however, as they are all good examples of how to assess and monitor student work in online courses and environments.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Article 3 - Unit 3
Van Eck, Richard. (2006). Digital Game-Based Learning. EDUCAUSE Review, March/April.
Summary:
The above article on DGBT (Digital Game-Based Learning) tried to give a complete summary on the history and realistic implementation of DGBT into education. Van Eck covers the effectiveness of games in furthering the learning process, if they are done correctly, and dives into the benefits of games for students. To further this point, the author dives into the effects that digital games have on the cognitive level, and how playing these games can help students learn and create new ways of thinking to accommodate new problems. Successful implementation is also covered in the article in great detail, with Van Eck describing the problems that someone trying to implement DGBT will encounter (such as resistance to DGBT via opposite beliefs and the infrastructural support needed for the games), and the difficulties of choosing a proper game to help reach certain educational goals. Finally, the most important aspect of DGBT that Van Eck mentions is aligning the game with the course content, which he further explores and develops.
Response:
While I am in complete agreement with the article, I wished that the author could have shown more concrete and realistic examples of how DGBT has actually been implemented already. While he does mention some ways of implementation, and that those ways have already been done, he did not go into any detail of how the teacher actually did so. Beyond that, I found the article to go into great detail of the history of DGBT, how thoughts about it have changed over time, and how to implement it into curriculum for many classes. I may be a bit biased, however, as I strongly believe (as do my parents) that playing video games as a young child helped me not only to learn how to read more complex text than we were learning in school, but also furthered my interest in reading books, as I had learned to appreciate reading stories.
Summary:
The above article on DGBT (Digital Game-Based Learning) tried to give a complete summary on the history and realistic implementation of DGBT into education. Van Eck covers the effectiveness of games in furthering the learning process, if they are done correctly, and dives into the benefits of games for students. To further this point, the author dives into the effects that digital games have on the cognitive level, and how playing these games can help students learn and create new ways of thinking to accommodate new problems. Successful implementation is also covered in the article in great detail, with Van Eck describing the problems that someone trying to implement DGBT will encounter (such as resistance to DGBT via opposite beliefs and the infrastructural support needed for the games), and the difficulties of choosing a proper game to help reach certain educational goals. Finally, the most important aspect of DGBT that Van Eck mentions is aligning the game with the course content, which he further explores and develops.
Response:
While I am in complete agreement with the article, I wished that the author could have shown more concrete and realistic examples of how DGBT has actually been implemented already. While he does mention some ways of implementation, and that those ways have already been done, he did not go into any detail of how the teacher actually did so. Beyond that, I found the article to go into great detail of the history of DGBT, how thoughts about it have changed over time, and how to implement it into curriculum for many classes. I may be a bit biased, however, as I strongly believe (as do my parents) that playing video games as a young child helped me not only to learn how to read more complex text than we were learning in school, but also furthered my interest in reading books, as I had learned to appreciate reading stories.
Article 2 - Unit 2
Handler, Marianne. (2005). Integrating Technology into the Instructional Process: Good Practice Guides the Way. Learning Point, Winter 2005.
Summary:
In the article, Marianne Handler stresses that technology, when incorporated correctly, can boost the level of learning in a classroom. To stress her point, Handler goes over a series of software that can help students learn and think more effectively in a variety of classroom scenarios. When incorporating new software, however, a teacher much be sure to fully lay out the goals and objectives for using it. Teachers should also be sure of the software that they incorporate into their curriculum, and should know the ways that it can and cannot be used in the educational process with the goals for the lesson in mind. Finally, Handler suggests that educators should not be afraid to try new things in order to better reach their students, and that being creative when incorporating software and programs into curriculum should not be frowned upon, but instead should be accepted and encouraged.
Reaction:
I fully agree with Handler’s point in her article. I believe that finding ways to incorporate new and old software into curriculum can not only help reach students that you may have otherwise not been able to, but that it can also enrich the education of all students in a classroom by introducing them to new sets of skills. I also agree that being creative when selecting new software to use when teaching should be encouraged, thought we must look at the outcomes to see if the goals that were set in the beginning of the lesson were met. Even though I agreed with Handler’s ideas, I am unsure of the reality of incorporating software into teaching, however, as many schools have lackluster computer labs (though this is improving), and that getting students access to computers on a regular basis may be difficult for mainstream curriculum (math, science, social studies, English) classrooms.
Article 1 - Unit 1
Taylor, Mark L. (2005). Meeting Generation NeXt: Today’s Postmodern College Student. Collection of Papers on Self Study and Institutional Improvement
Summary:
In his essay, Mark Taylor describes how we come to label and define generations of Americans, and goes into detail on how Generation NeXt fits into the overall picture with other generations. While doing so, Taylor goes into the history of our major generations, such as the Baby Boomers and Generation X. He also details how ideas of postmodernism have influenced Generations X and NeXt, and how concepts that are a part of postmodernism, such as consumerism, have influenced the people within these generations (an example of this is tying education and students to consumerism by calling education a product and students customers). Finally, he goes into detail on how we might best educate Generation NeXt, and lists twelve guidelines that educators should follow in order to better reach the students.
Reaction:
I found Taylor’s article to be lacking when talking about Generation NeXt. While I found his history of the major generations of Americans to be interesting, I did not think it added much to his article, and instead found myself wanting more about the major postmodern concepts that have influenced the current generation, as well as a chronicle explaining how certain movements in America have influenced it. Instead of giving this, he merely writes a few sentences explaining that Republicanism reigned in the ‘80s, and that consumerism is the most powerful concept guiding Generation NeXt. I also felt disappointed by his large generalizations about the generations, and while he does explain that generalizing about large amounts of people is dangerous, he did not go into detail about choosing the major traits that he uses to describe the generations, which I feel would have been helpful.
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