Digital Portfolio

Here is a link to my digital portfolio for MD400.

I really enjoyed the class, though the pace was quicker than I would have liked, my eyes were opened to the idea that integrating technology into the curriculum is a necessity in modern classrooms. I also appreciated the chance to explore different programs that would be useful for students, especially because for many of the programs, education is not their primary use, and I likely wouldn't have thought to use them without the guidance we received. I think this was an invaluable class to take for new teachers, we're going to need this information in the future.

ICONN and Digital Equity

The very concept of ICONN helps achieve digital equity; it is an aggregate of databases available to schools and towns by the state of Connecticut in order to provide universal access to quality information, no matter the income level. All of the information is in databases that would generally only be available through a password protected program that would cost CT residents much more to buy individually. Though digital equity is also based on how the information is used, ICONN removes the first barrier to equal education - access to quality information. ICONN also organizes the databases with descriptions of the uses for each, helping students to narrow their searches to the most useful resources.

As a special education teacher, I would be a consultant for general education teachers to create lesson plans that help students with all different needs. ICONN provides the Educator's Reference, filled with full-text, peer-reviewed articles to keep up to date on new strategies. I also like the Discoveries database for students learning researching skills. The database is filled with encyclopedia listings about various topics, which allow students to collect general information for simple projects. I also appreciate breadth of the databases; they are a resource for obtaining reliable information on topics that either require depth beyond google searches, or to decipher which source has the correct information.

Is it important to teach Problem Solving?

I think the Big Six steps to problem solving are universal; but they organize the strategies for problem solving in such a way that I think they could be used as a framework for instruction on problem solving. Every lesson, teachers could organize their activities so that each one requires a different step of the Big Six, culminating in the students using the steps to solve a problem on their own.

Teachers must instruct on problem solving because it is life-learning. Problem-solving is an ability to break down any task into manageable parts, and to learn from how it went by evaluating at the end, a skill that helps students to become independent students and adults. Everyone needs practice though; and guidance on how to achieve goals through obstacles.

I pulled the Big Six strategies from their website, as a reference:
1. Task Definition
1.1 Define the information problem
1.2 Identify information needed

2. Information Seeking Strategies
2.1 Determine all possible sources
2.2 Select the best sources

3. Location and Access
3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)
3.2 Find information within sources

4. Use of Information
4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch)
4.2 Extract relevant information

5. Synthesis
5.1 Organize from multiple sources
5.2 Present the information

6. Evaluation
6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness)
6.2 Judge the process (efficiency)

The Computer Delusion

The Computer Delusionhas significant points about computer use - it may change how people structure their thinking, it doesn't provide real life experience, and it creates a mentality of taking things at "interface" value. However, with guidance and moderate use, computers can be teaching tools that enhance instruction, rather than replace it.

In response to the example of shop teachers being retrained as computer lab instructors, Special Education has a term called the "Least Restrictive Environment" in which schools need to look at students individually to place them in an environment that meets their needs without limiting their potential. Schools are required to provide access to every type of environment from residential schooling to general education classroom placement. I think that school administrations need to keep this concept in mind when considering the use of computers in the classroom. Not every student will respond to computers education, some have a more technical mind, others may be interested in music, or learn kinesthetically; schools must provide a range of educational subjects to give students an opportunity to find what works for them, which will help them plan for their future.

Photoshop Re-Do

I wasn't happy with the photoshop work I did in my first attempt, so I went back in today and tried again. With some help on getting the background color, I was able to make the Save the Date card that I plan to send out in an email for my cousin (Meghan's) bridal shower. I took the silhouette from the internet - it originally had a very large, detailed black border that I removed, and I then I created and positioned the text to match. Now I just have to figure out how to do the invitations.

Is there a digital divide?

There is absolutely a digital divide, between genders, and across economic levels. As one article discusses, the divide between genders is starting to lessen, as scientists learn more about how girls use computers differently than boys - such as their tendency to use the computer in groups rather than work individually. Also, the introduction of creative tools like photoshop or photostory into the classroom, has helped girls to become more fluent in computer use based on their own interests.

In terms of economic divide, the article "Law, software, fuel a new digital divide" points out that school systems with more funding are able to set higher performance goals for their students, purchasing higher quality computer programs that provides multisensory lessons and requires higher order thinking, while schools that are trying to stay afloat and meet NCLB standards are purchasing computer technology for remedial practice that can help them pass the tests. What seemed most important to any program's success though, is the involvement of teachers. Teachers can customize programs to fit into curriculum standards and use information and performance in the programs to guide instruction, making sure that students are learning.

Non-Linear Powerpoints in the Classroom

Interactive programs are more likely to engage students than a traditional powerpoint. While a traditional powerpoint can teach a lesson, a nonlinear one gives students the opportunity to immediately use the information they've learned in the presentation, especially if the content is factually based. Students can take quizzes in a nonlinear powerpoint, answer questions and/or do their own research on the internet through a nonlinear powerpoint, giving them the repetition needed to remember facts, dates, vocabulary and more.

Traditional powerpoints still have a role as a presentation tool, because the interactivity can be provided by the presenter, but nonlinear powerpoints provide versatility for teacher and student use.