Learning with technlogy

ACTEM was a conference in Augusta, Maine about integrating technology in schools. If I had a chance to go back to the conference I would. I think it would be more beneficial to me once I have become a teacher. I will have more of an idea of what my specific school needs. I enjoyed presenting and would love to do that again. Meeting with current teachers and sharing ideas is always a beneficial thing to do. In this conference I spent time walking around the booth area and learning about different technologies to use in class and also getting peoples business cards. I went to Dan Ryder's presentation on creative design. This showed me a way to engage students in designing their own plans and ideas. I think I will use the methods that he talked about in my future classroom. What I learned here I will be sure to share with other teachers I eventually work with because student engagement is incredibly important for learning. I think that if I return to the ACTEM conference I will...

For my student sample I created an iBook about Thermodynamics in the human body. I spent about 3  hours on this project. To begin the process I had to find some chemistry law that was in work in the human body. I than had to research about the process of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics and find reliable sources. This took about an hour. This hour included typing notes. In the next hour I organized my notes into the order they would appear in the book. I typed my notes into sentences and bullet points. This took about 30 min. It took another 30 min for me to find images that were in creative commons. It was a pain to find the photos. I couldn't find a video that worked with one of  my slides so I created my own video of swimming. For the last hour I put together my iBook. It would have taken less time since I had all the information but I ran into a few technology issues. I did not know how to use some widgets so I had to explore. When looking at curriculum for the who...

Before exploring Google Earth I thought that Google Maps and Google earth were the same thing. Although they use the same satellite images and some of the same software they are not the same. I knew that Google Maps could be used to explore the different features of the world. I have played with the 'I'm feeling lucky' button and tried to fins my way to an airport on street view. I knew that there was also a Google Mars but I had not heard of the oceans or moon exploration. Through exploring on my own and watching the video I have learned several things. I like the tool that allows you to go back in time in a certain place. I think that this part of Google Earth could be used in an environmental classroom because you could track human development in Maine and around the world. Using this tool you can look at how many new developments are in a town that might not have been there 10 years ago. I also liked in the video how the narrators pointed out some flaws in Google Earth ...

In Wes Fryer's chapter about Copyright and Fair Use he breaks down the components of copyright and stresses their importance. Fryer used a mnemonic to help us remember tools to use to stay within copyright laws. HPCF or Harry Potter Can Fly stands for Homegrown, Public Domain, Creative Commons, and Fair Use. These are the different pieces information that can apply to students when they are creating a project or work. Homegrown media can be something that is created by the student or something that a member of the family or friend created. Fryer gives the example of old photos in a grandmother's shoe box that a student can scan. The student should get the permission from the creator to use the work but the student can decide how it is used digitally. There are a few limits to homegrown media, one being, if the old photo in a shoebox has a copyright character or object in it needs the permission of that copyright owner. Media that has not had a chance to acquire a copyright l...

The comic explains the complexities of copyright law and about how people can stray from the law without even knowing it. The work is meant to inform readers of the law around copyright. This was very informative and helped clear up some misconceptions I had. Before I read the comic, I thought that the only things that were copyrighted were ones that had the copyright symbol on them. I found the idea of free use to be interesting and I think it opens lots of works that may have been copyrighted for teachers to use in a critical way in the classroom. I also think that fair use is beneficial because things caught on accident might not be considered for breaking a law if the reason is solid enough. One thing that still isn't clear for me is what the public domain is and what qualifies as public work. I think that the information was presented in an understandable format. The author takes what would normally be a very difficult subject to wade through ...

Wes Fryer is a educational technology activist. In his book "Playing With Media" Fryer helps aspiring teachers understand the benefit of using technology in the classroom and provides tools and resources for them. In his first chapter Wes Fryer explains the importance of using technology within the classroom and in day to day life. Fryer started out his chapter by saying, " we are in a wonderful age for learning" (P172). I believe that is true because mostly everyone in my generation is a digital native. We were born surrounded by some sort of technology and we have learned this technology from a young age. My generation has an advantage when it comes to learning with technology when compared to the digital immigrants. I liked the idea that Fryer brought up by saying that students should have an opportunity to learn through play. We learn as children through play and as students that should be no different. Teachers should allow students to explore technology on t...