Heart Rate Monitor Video

Today's video was about a class that used heart rate monitors to create graphs. The class first exercised for a few minutes (all at the same rate of activity) and then measured their heart rate. To create a comparison, the students allowed the heart rates to return to a resting rate and then measured their heart rate. The students also compiled their data together to create a comparison of girls' vs. boys' heart rates.

I think this lesson was good because the students had a personal connection to the data they were using for their graphs. This is much more useful that having them compare the heart rates of fictional characters from a text book. I also liked that this lesson connected at least two different types of learn intelligences - first, it used kinesthetic learning and then it used mathematical spatial learning.

Technology at College level vs. Technology at K-12 level

Video number one: Technology at College level

Video number two: Technology at K-12 level

Today we watched two videos which both examined how technology is used in education - the first video looked at the college level and the second video looked at Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Both videos have students giving statistical information on how technology impacts their educational experiences. Both videos represent the disconnect between students' capabilities with technology and their actual experience with technology in the classroom. Teachers are not utilizing technology to engage students. It could be argued that the methodologies and pedagogies of these teachers, although traditional, are successful and the use of additional or new technology is unnecessary. In my opinion, students need to have quality experiences with technology that demonstrates the educational capabilities of the internet and other technologies.

5/25/10

Today we watched a video on the impact of the internet on communication. This video demonstrated the complexities of html code writing and the possibilities for future communication.

The video offers an interesting argument about the current state of social interaction through the internet by making a few different statements about the "Machine." It says that the "Machine uses us" and that "We are the Machine." This implies that the internet juggernaut is both a controlling force (i.e. the infinite amount of information that is stored, transfered, viewed, copied, or created on the internet) and that we humans still can exert control over what we put into the system.

Microsoft Image Composer

Here is the link to the video for this observation: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/045vahs/8/

In this video students are working with Microsoft Image Composer to create collages for different aspects of their school.

One of the strengths of this lesson is that the teacher models the activity for the students by demonstrating both past work and manipulates pictures for the class to observe in real-time. Another strength of this lesson is that students are interacting with their school community by creating collages of their fellow students.

This lesson is quite strong and it is difficult to determine what its weaknesses are. One thing that would make this lesson better is if there was a camera available for every student. If every student had a camera available to them each student could create a collage from their own pictures.

Missouri's Seasons Video

Here is the link for the video I watched for this observation: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/031moue/8/default.htm

The objective of this lesson is for students to earn about the weather and climate of Missouri. This objective was met by having students listen to Vivaldi's "Four Season" and respond by listing words that describe each season.

The strengths of this lesson were: the use of technology to connect the students to different regions of their locality and the use of multiple intelligences for learning material (music, numerical, intrapersonal).

One weakness of this lesson was that the teacher did the internet research for the students. At first I thought this was because there weren't enough computers available for all the students, but it appears that the students were able to work on computers in pairs to create spreadsheets. I think the teacher could have had these students work in pairs to do both the research and the spreadsheets.

The students use technology by researching the temperatures of five cities in Missouri during the different seasons by using the internet. The students then used Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to calculate the average temperature for each of the cities during each of the seasons.

Video ---- 5-19-10

Here is the link to the video I used for this observation: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/036iahs/5/default.htm

Hungerford's lesson has students working with a computer program that simulates the management of a department store. The students observe how price shifts affect supply and demand; they also use a website creator to develop a corporate website for their business to report on profits and sales. I think the strengths of this lesson are the real world applications of this software - many companies use similar products to plan their sales; also students see examples of how price changes can affect their lives through products they might buy. One weakness of this lesson is that the teacher doesn't build off student examples very well. For example, one student gave an example of her place of employment and how they lacked a sufficient number of clams to meet the demand. In stead of responding to this student's example the teacher continued to ask questions about products the students might buy.

One thing I would add to this lesson plan would would be to have students visit a local business and do one of two things: first, interview the owner and ask them questions about why and when they change prices; second, they could record prices of products they buy over the course of one or two weeks - noting any changes in price by creating a graph.

Technology in the Classroom

Here is a link to the video I watched for this observation: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/016moms/8/

Today in our class we observed technology being used in a classroom by watching a video of students creating a news program for their school. The students are sixth graders from a middle school of third through sixth grade.

The most authentic thing about this experience was that the students were creating the news broadcast themselves with very little involvement by teachers. The students were responsible for organizing the interviews, gathering information about weather or birthdays, they created the PowerPoint displays, videotaped the broadcast, and edited the video. This experience is a demonstration of student-centered learning in which students create knowledge

Specific technologies used by the students include: PowerPoint Presentation, digital photography, digital video, video editing software, Microsoft Word Processing, and Internet research.

First Day of Class

This is my blog for an Education Class. It is my last class before I student teach next fall.