Day 27 April 27

Today we learned about validating a website to ensure that the content within the site is true and comes from a credible source. This lesson meets NETS-T Standard: 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning; Goal: d., model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

Day 26 April 22

One downside I learned about SmartBoards from the student presentations today that I had not thought of before is that for teachers to have access to some programs they must pay for the service. I can't justify spending five thousand dollars on a smartboard only to have to buy software to use for it. I believe technology should be developed to solve an existing problem and I feel that SmartBoards are not really solving a problem, instead teachers are having to figure out ways to modify their curriculum to intigrate SmartBoards into the lesson plan.

Day 25 April 20

I don't think SmartBoards are worth the financial investment if teachers are unable to use the technology to its fullest potential. However, if a teacher is willing to learn how to operate a SmartBoard to it's potential then I see no reason why they should not have acess to one. A claim from an unknown teacher adequately sums up my sentiments "I love my SmartBoard. I use it every day, all day long. If you plan on just writing on it with the markers or using is as a projector, then you're wasting your money. If you actually plan on using it as an interactive board, then it's worth every penny." Link to originating site.

Day 24 April 15

By using Whiteboards teachers are able to meet ISTE standard 3: Model Digital Age work and Learning, section 1 by demonstrating their fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

WebQuest

Daniel Higgs WebQuest

Day 23 April13

Today we researched SmartBoards and their potential to be used in the classroom for learning. One topic we discussed was whether or not SmartBoards are worth the investment with prices around $5000 each. An article we looked at suggested that they are worth the investment as noted in this exerpt "All the children, parents, and teachers interviewed on the use of interactive whiteboards in education believed the teaching was more fun, more engaging, more exciting and was impacting upon the enjoyment, speed and depth of learning".

Day 22 April 8

As students complete a WebQuest they meet 21st Century Skills: Learning and Innovation Skills, section: Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, subsection: Reason Effectively, which involves: Using various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation.

Day 21 April 6

Creating a WebQuest allows me to provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use the resulting data to inform learning and teaching; which meets ISTE Standard 2-Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, section d.

Day 20 April 1

The WebQuest I have chosen to modify is Siege Engines. This WebQuest fits in well with teaching Technology Education because it allows students the opportunity to research and design their own machine. I will fix some gramatical errors, add a new link, and arrange the layout to fit my needs. This activity meets SC.O.10.3.3:communicate experimental designs, results and conclusions using advanced technology tools; by having the students design and create their own machines.