Hello Everyone!!
This article (like all of the articles for the week) talks about the computer based program "Scratch". We were introduced to this program in class this week and I have to say that it is probably the most entertaining website that we have visited so far. In the article it attempts to justify why "Scratch" would be a helpful tool for kids from anykind of background to learn about technology, and also give them a fun way to put together educational slides. For a majority of the article it went over the details that we learned in class, i.e. "What is a Sprite", where the background is located, and what kind of things the background can accomplish for the sprites. It also described the certain motions, and vocal entities that these sprites will be able to do when given certain commands.
As the title of the article suggests a majority of its focus consisted of data from after school programs who adopted the "Scratch" website, and gave their students a chance to explore the websites themselves. The pool that the data was taken out of was from a very urban school program where all of the kids were either African American or Latino. I am an after school alumnus, and currently am working at an after school program through the YMCA. I can honestly say that this idea of introducing "Scratch" to Urban youth is an amazing idea, because having worked with Urban youth for the last 5 years I can say that they lack an understanding of technological awareness in the school setting. It was also a good move to test this out with the Urban youth, because if these kids can understand and follow what "Scratch" has to offer than a majority of the other kids can also follow the website. If there is one thing that I have heard from my kids in the past is that they yearn for educational tools that is entertaining, and is in their entire control. This is essentially what "Scratch" is, because it allows kids to learn at a rate that is entertaining and caters to their educational preference. Sometimes the perfect way to educate kids is to let them learn from "unconventional ways" and this is a great example of that.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Understanding Digital Images; Learning & Leading with Technology
Hello Everyone!!
Before I read this article I really had no idea what digital editing was all about. I heard about it before from friends who were interested in photography, but nothing to the extent I learned from reading this article. This article examines everything we need to know about digital photography, and how we as perspective teachers can one day use this article to our advantage in the classroom. First of all the author points out the difference between a disposable camera and a high tech camera. Well the difference is that there is no difference. In fact the same picture quality is found in all cameras no matter what the cost. Which is good news for me, (because I am not very good with a camera) and now knowing that we (future teachers) can not spend a fortune on camera's for our classroom will open up new ideas and events for our future students.
She talks about the Resolution of the film, and the elements that combine to make a picture come out to its best quality. Grains refers to the sharper image of the film, while the elements comprising the film is called the pixels. The Resolution is very important because it "determines the suitability of an image for many uses" pg. 19. On the second page it talks about editing photos, and how to correctly save your images to your computer. They suggest using JPEG, because it is a compression scheme that will discard some image information, and you need to continue to re size the picture and save it very often.
The article insists that knowing how to size, and take pictures through a camera is an important learning tool for current teachers, and perspective teachers. If we look around the education landscape we see that on-line education is taking it over, because if it weren't we would not be talking about all of this information. It helps teachers make lectures, and power point a little bit more interesting when they have images that accompany their lectures. Even at the end of the article it suggests that teachers will be able to use these digital images to create geometrical figures for math and science.
Thank you for your time,
Andrew Romo
Before I read this article I really had no idea what digital editing was all about. I heard about it before from friends who were interested in photography, but nothing to the extent I learned from reading this article. This article examines everything we need to know about digital photography, and how we as perspective teachers can one day use this article to our advantage in the classroom. First of all the author points out the difference between a disposable camera and a high tech camera. Well the difference is that there is no difference. In fact the same picture quality is found in all cameras no matter what the cost. Which is good news for me, (because I am not very good with a camera) and now knowing that we (future teachers) can not spend a fortune on camera's for our classroom will open up new ideas and events for our future students.
She talks about the Resolution of the film, and the elements that combine to make a picture come out to its best quality. Grains refers to the sharper image of the film, while the elements comprising the film is called the pixels. The Resolution is very important because it "determines the suitability of an image for many uses" pg. 19. On the second page it talks about editing photos, and how to correctly save your images to your computer. They suggest using JPEG, because it is a compression scheme that will discard some image information, and you need to continue to re size the picture and save it very often.
The article insists that knowing how to size, and take pictures through a camera is an important learning tool for current teachers, and perspective teachers. If we look around the education landscape we see that on-line education is taking it over, because if it weren't we would not be talking about all of this information. It helps teachers make lectures, and power point a little bit more interesting when they have images that accompany their lectures. Even at the end of the article it suggests that teachers will be able to use these digital images to create geometrical figures for math and science.
Thank you for your time,
Andrew Romo
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Web 2.0 Today's Technologies, Tomorrow's Learning
This article is very interesting, because it talks about using interactive tools, and websites to help students succeed in the classroom. The article first starts off by talking about how students would like to see an interactive and open line of communication with their teacher and fellow classmates. They want to see more of a forum where they can post questions, or concerns that can possibly be answered on line via their classmates. The rest of the article gives various accounts of teacher's who are either in favor of interactive learning through the web, or those who oppose having the Internet. One teacher says he uses games to help kids understand the term "Diplomacy" by having them watch and play games that are set in a war time period in history. He wants them to understand the value of decision making, and also how to be diplomatic when it comes to treaties. Below is a quote that I found to be most interesting " good games…and facilitate active and critical learning and thinking. In the classroom,games can motivate students to work toward a goal, and cultivate collaborative problem-solving skills." (pg. 14)
The quote above is the reason why I am a little hesitant personallyto accept online games, video games as a valid source to get your education from. The whole idea of having an open chat room is an amazing idea, because I see the benefits that I have here at the University where all of my resources are just a click of a button away. If teachers and kids want to participate it one then that to me is a good thing. I also think that if I were given the opportunity to play games online, or even have the chance to learn from a more hands on approach I would like to think I could have done a lot better in school. This is a great way to appeal o all of our kinestitic learners out there. Overall I think that this article was easy to read and well written,but I think more importantly it gave me a little more inclined to freely accept games, and video games as a valid source of information.
The quote above is the reason why I am a little hesitant personallyto accept online games, video games as a valid source to get your education from. The whole idea of having an open chat room is an amazing idea, because I see the benefits that I have here at the University where all of my resources are just a click of a button away. If teachers and kids want to participate it one then that to me is a good thing. I also think that if I were given the opportunity to play games online, or even have the chance to learn from a more hands on approach I would like to think I could have done a lot better in school. This is a great way to appeal o all of our kinestitic learners out there. Overall I think that this article was easy to read and well written,but I think more importantly it gave me a little more inclined to freely accept games, and video games as a valid source of information.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Speak Up Report
When I first read this report I coudn't help, but to be stuck on the idea about creating a school functioned website that will allow the teachers, parents, and students to communicate. "Yet, the highest ranked
technology for investment in the parents’ perspective was a school website or portal with 60 percent of the parents selecting it as their top choice for driving student achievement." (pg.8) This was a hue help from a personal standpoint, because when I was in high school I was able to access my grades, teachers, assingments, and classmates via a school sponsored website. The parents really enjoyed it, because grades were made readily avaiable, and students were not able to lie about what was going on in class as everything was laid out in front of them. It kept me balanced and on top of my work, because the last thing I wanted was for my parents to either catch me in a lie, or see the bad grades I was getting. The only problem I saw with the social-based learning was the fact that the students asked the schools to make communication websites more readily avaiable to them, but at the same time it might sound like a set up for kids to only mess around on those websites instead of using them as an aid.
Un-tethered learning was probably the one learning source to me that was personally a "no-no" in school without having to provide me with data convincing me otherwise. Not because I do not think that 24/7 access to the internet and high speed world won't help the students, but rather it is a BIG distraction. In Figure 6 and 7on page 10. gives us a chart that shares how productive it can be for the student to have their various devices out during school time. In the student's eyes having laptops, phones, ipods out during class will help them organize themselves, communicate with others, write down notes, look up work and record the teachers. I personally believe it is hard for college students to do that without getting distracted or even off task during the school day. I look around and see fellow classmates on Facebook during lecture, and when I ask them what was just said they have no idea. I plan on being a principal one day, and no matter what electronics will not be tolerated during the school year until after school hours.
Digitally-rich learning experiences is one of the best ideas one can have when it comes to making teenagers, and grammar school students learn at a faster rate. In figure 16 on page 21it has a poll that the students participated in that talked about the use of games, and on-line instruction that the kids thought benefited them the most. I agree 100% with what the students said was the biggest positives where when they used on-line learning, because it seemed to come a little bit easier for them when they were able to see learning in a fun way. Ever since education has moved more towards the digital age it has enhanced the quality of work, because of turnitin.com, and even taking online tests to prevent cheating. Students will study harder and longer if they know they have to take an on-line test that has time constraints and is a little bit harder than your regular in class exams. Online textbooks I don't think they will work soley, because when I used to work with kids back home not all of them have computers at home, and it was a burden for their families to walk them to school after school just so they can do the homework online when they can just as well do it in the kitchen. We don't know the status of the children when they go home so it may be better not to put a student in an awkard cituation.
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