Today's classrooms are not like the classrooms of twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Technology is moving a speed that we have never seen before. New devices, applications, programs, and tools are being invented by the minute. Classrooms today have the chance to take advantage of these innovations, to increase student learning and engagement. The world is literally at the fingertips of every student with access to the internet. The classroom has become a globalized place of learning where barriers have been torn down and replaced with opportunities.
One of the most simple, cost effective, and easy ways to introduce technology into the classroom is through the various Google applications. Applications such as Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Spreadsheets, are all simple, free tools that can be accessed by any device that has internet capabilities. Through these applications, the classroom can instantly become a place of collaboration and creativity. Another free and easy to use web 2.0 tool we learned about in this class is Blogger. I really enjoyed becoming familiar with the program and learned how to create my own personalized blog page. The simplicity and functionality of the site make it a great tool that can be used within any classroom. I enjoyed creating a digital story using animoto, and believe that this could be a great resource for students who are visual or musical learners. Another tool that I got a real laugh out of was lunapic, because I was able to "Obamarize" myself!
Today's teachers are tasked with the responsibility of keeping up with the ever-changing technology. Although we continue to get older, our students always stay the same age. These students will certainly be up to date with the latest and greatest technology, so it is important that we are as well. In order to do so, teachers should stay connected and involved in their professional learning communities. These are great places to stay up to date with the technological advances in the classroom. Teachers must continue to be great learners in order to be great educators.
The Butterfly Circus is a short film about a man born with no arms and no legs as he joins a circus and discovers his own inner-beauty. At the beginning of the film, the man with no arms no legs, is ashamed of himself and who he is. He allows people to laugh at and make fun of him in a carnival booth. He believes them when they tell him he is "the man god turned his back upon." After joining the Butterfly Circus, the man develops a close friendship with the ringmaster and the other members of the circus. The man discovers that the other members of the circus also have overcome difficult pasts. Even after learning this, the man still feels that his disability is just too severe and that he could never be a valued member of the circus like everyone else. The ringmaster tells him that he has an advantage over the other circus members because, "the greater the struggle, the greater the triumph." The man seems puzzled by this and does not know what to think.
One day, when the circus members are swimming in a river, the man gets left on his own. He is forced to try to cross a log over the river when he falls down. After a struggle, the man is able to pick himself up and begins walking across the log. After falling off the log, the man discovers that he can swim, despite not having arms or legs. Once the other members of the circus discover him, everyone is happy that the man finally found one of his talents. After this, the man begins to believe in himself. He appears happy and joyful about his new independence.
In the final scene of the film, the man becomes the main attraction as he had been at the carnival in the beginning of the film. Unlike the beginning of the film, the man has a new confidence in himself and is no longer ashamed. He ends up completing a high dive into a tiny pool of water, that no average sized person could ever complete. The man is applauded for his talent and children and adults look up to him for his courage and bravery. By believing in himself and having others believe in him, the man was able to go from being a freak show attraction, to the main event in a famous circus.
Background: The documentary Hoop Dreams, directed by Steve James, follows two inner-city youth from their early teens, into their high school years, and beyond. On the surface, the film appears to be about basketball and two young men trying to become the next NBA superstar. Throughout the film, the two main characters, Arthur Agee and William Gates encounter many obstacles they must overcome in order to achieve their dreams of basketball stardom.
Main idea: Although the film appears to be about basketball, the main idea of the documentary is to show the struggle of life in the inner-city compared to in the suburbs.
Supporting Details:
Both Arthur and William grow up in the Cabrini Green housing projects in Chicago, Illinois.
The two boys are basketball prodigies and are recruited to play high school basketball at St. Joe's, a catholic school, in the suburbs of Chicago.
During their freshman year at St. Joe's, Arthur struggles in basketball and does not progress as quickly as the coaches would like. William excels and is a varsity starter as a freshman.
Arthur's father is sent to jail on drug charges. His mother loses her job and is no longer able to pay the tuition to send him to St. Joe's. Arthur ultimately has to leave St. Joe's at the end of the school year and attend public school back in Chicago.
William is given financial aid to help pay his tuition.
While in public school, Arthur begins to struggle academically and behaviorally.
At St. Joe's, William has access to quality teachers and tutorial support.
Classes in the Chicago public school are very large and teachers appear to have a lack of control over the classroom.
William's classes at St. Joe's are small and the students are very well behaved.
During their sophomore and junior years, Arthur continues to struggle in basketball while William excels, until a knee injury forces him to sit out the remainder of the year.
During his junior year, despite fathering a child as teen, William still has the support of his teachers and coaches at St. Joe's.
Arthur's father continues to go in and out of jail as well as his life.
Arthur has to attend summer school to make up for failed classes.
William has tutors provided to him to help increase his SAT scores, so he is eligible to play division I basketball in college.
Despite always having the cards stacked against him, Arthur ends up excelling in basketball during his senior year and leads his team to the state championship game.
William struggles on and off with his re-occuring knee injury his senior year, but is able to increase his SAT scores to become eligible to play division I basketball.
Both boys go on to play basketball in college. William, who had gone to St. Joe's all 4 years, goes to Marquette on a full scholarship, while Arthur, who went to public school, goes to a smaller community college.
Works Cited
Hoop Dreams. Dir. Steve James. Karetemquin Films, 1994, Film.
In a recent interview with Mr. Scott Szuksta of Alvirne High school, we discussed his utilization of technology within his various levels of social studies classes. Background: Mr. Szuksta is a social studies teacher who currently teaches World History, American History, and US Government. His students range from freshmen to seniors, and his class levels include Workshop, A/B level, and Advanced Placement. Mr. Szuksta is a well respected teacher by students and staff alike. He is often the source of advisement for technological assistance among staff members. Mr. Szuksta utilizes technology in his classroom on a daily basis and also facilitates the students' use of technology in their projects and assignments. Using technology in the classroom: Mr. Szuksta uses technology to accomplish four main goals: 1) Increase student engagement 2) Encourage group participation 3) Provide frequent interaction and feedback 4) Provide a connection to real world experts
Tools used on a regular basis:
1) Google Drive - allows for access to files anywhere with internet access, great tool for collaboration, and FREE with Google account!
2) Poll Everywhere - allows teachers to poll students by using any mobile device. Results can be easily graphed and shared with the class to provide immediate feedback.
3) Socrative - gives teachers the chance to prompt students with questions and have students respond via a mobile device. Teachers can create a variety of exercises including, exit tickets, quizzes and games. The data from the results is automatically calculated and charted.
4) Turning Point - "clicker" software that allows for student polling. Students do not need their own personal device, only the provided clicker.
5) Edmodo - allows student and teachers to connect and share ideas via an appropriate social networking tool. This site is set up much like a Facebook page, so students enjoy using it.
6) Quizlet- promotes student learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. Teachers can create study materials and games for students to practice outside of school.
7) Google Sites - easy way for teachers or students to create web pages. Websites can be designed for specific classes where students can access and post information.
Benefits of using technology in the classroom
Using a wide variety of technological tools in the classroom provides students with a more interactive learning environment. By putting information out there in ways that they are used to getting it at home, they are more engaged and willing to participate. The tools also provide quick and accurate data analysis that can be used for visual diagrams, charts, and graphs.
Incorporating technology into project based assessments
In addition to the above tools Mr. Szuksta uses on a regular basis, he also tries to incorporate technology "options" within his project based assessments. Often when a large project is assigned, students are given choices of how they will present their work. For example, when his students complete their final project for Animal Farm, some students present by creating a poem or song, some do a PowerPoint presentation, and some create their own movies summarizing the book. By doing this, he is creating an environment that is accommodating for all learning styles.
Negative aspects of using technology
Alvirne does not have consistent wireless capabilities throughout the building, making some of the web-based tools difficult to use at times. There are Chromebook carts that have wireless "hotspots" attached to them; however, they are not always available for use. Also, when using tools that require students to have a personal device such as a laptop or a cell phone, there are often students who do not have access to these items.
Moving forward
The technological infrastructure is a hot topic of conversation between administration and the school board. As a district, we are currently trying to address many of these issues to install more up to date technology within the building. Once this is updated, teachers will have more access to technological tools within their classroom. Mr. Szuksta has given multiple trainings on technology implementation during teacher workshop days. These trainings are well attended and very beneficial to teachers looking to incorporate technology in the classroom.
The two documentaries, Growing Up in a Digital World and Digital Nation explore the realities of teenagers growing up in today's digital society. Both films look at the positive and negative aspects of the internet and how it is being used by America's youth. I found both films very interesting and thought provoking. Here are some of my reflections on the films:
Your thoughts on multitasking. Do you agree? Can you multitask? Do you disagree?
Multitasking is an important skill to have in today's fast paced society. Certain things need to get done quickly and efficiently. With the advances in modern technology, people have come to expect things immediately and are unhappy when they are forced to wait. With that said, I also feel there are certain situations that require people to sit and focus on a specific task, to complete it properly. The distractable nature of multitasking can often lead to careless mistakes and a poor quality product. In my experiences, less important tasks such as simple emails to colleagues and messages to friends can be done while multitasking; however, things that require more concentration, such as developing a resume or cover letter, need to be done without distractions.
Is there an addiction happening in society today with technology or is it just a new way of living?
Yes, I do feel there is a real addiction happening in society with technology. Working in a high school, I
have seen students break down in tears because they've had their phones taken away. For them, the thought of just going for a few hours without their phones or internet is unbearable. In my opinion, these students, as well as many adults, are addicted to technology. It is sad to think that their lives are so dictated by things on a screen, instead of real-life relationships and experiences. From Facebook, to cell phones, to video games, our society is clearly losing touch with the human experience, through the constant use of technology.
Do video games serve a purpose in education or are they just a waste of time?
I think video games can serve as a supplemental tool for education. They are useful for drilling and practicing things such as math facts and vocabulary. They can also be used for reinforcing material presented in class. Video games can engage students;
however, I do not feel that they should be the sole source of instruction. Games also need to be closely monitored to see what the game is supposedly teaching. I frequently find students in my class, claiming to be playing an educational game, when they are just messing around on the computer.
Do parents of today have any idea what their kids are doing online? Whose job is it to teach them internet safety and digital responsibility? Parents/teachers/community/government? I do not think that most parents know what their kids are doing online. Like the films showed, the students are much more tech savvy than their parents. Even when a parent tries to restrict their child's access, the child can often find a way around these restrictions, that the parent doesn't know about. Because the children are often more knowledgeable about technology, they may feel it is their "right" to be able to do whatever they want on the internet. In order to effectively teach internet safety and digital responsibility, there needs to be a combined effort from teachers, community members, and especially the parents. Parents need to be knowledgeable about what their children are doing online and set guidelines. If the children violate the parameters, there needs to be strict consequences around this. Teachers and community members will have no impact on students unless there is support from the parents at home. What are your overall feelings about the films? I experienced a lot of mixed emotions while watching the films. As someone who truly enjoys technology and has since a very young age, I can see its benefits in life as well as education. Despite this, there were several points during the movie that made me a little unsettled. For example, when the student was talking about "being too busy" to read a book, I was very frustrated. This is when I think that technology is dumbing down society. When people feel they are too busy because they have to update their Facebook or sit around playing video games, I do get agitated. Students in my class will spend several hours a night playing Call of Duty or Skyrim, but they won't even take 30 minutes to read a book or do anything to better themselves physically or mentally. I feel that much of this is the parents responsibility to deal with at home. If your child is playing video games all night and getting D's and F's on his or her report card, there needs to be consequences at home. Perhaps this is just my skewed opinion, but I really feel that parents need to be much more involved with their children's use of technology. Overall, I think technology can be a great tool in education and society. However, I think we all can benefit from taking a step back from technology for a little while and appreciate the world and the people around us.
Today's classrooms are not like the classrooms of twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Technology is moving a speed that we have never seen before. New devices, applications, programs, and tools are being invented by the minute. Classrooms today have the chance to take advantage of these innovations, to increase student learning and engagement. The world is literally at the fingertips of every student with access to the internet. The classroom has become a globalized place of learning where barriers have been torn down and replaced with opportunities. .jpg)
