Reflection of Interactivity #3

                This assignment helped assess the different types of technologies that are available and effective for aiding English Language Arts classes. I think the collaboration went really well because many were able to provide technologies that we have used as students and found extremely helpful. I was expecting to find a lot more repetition in our group, but everyone was able to bring something new to the chart. There are so many aspects of Language Arts and to observe that there is a technology to suit almost all of those aspects is astonishing. It is going to be an extreme advantage to be able to use these technologies in the classroom or for class projects.

Some of the technologies that I find to be very useful in the classroom are citation generators, power point lessons, post-it notes, and ELMO document cameras. The citation generator is helpful to students who have difficulty creating a citation page for their papers. As a works cited page is normally a critical part of a paper, it is a relief for students to simply put all the information from their used source and the generator will correctly structure the citation. I must admit that I still use the generator because frankly, it is confusing of where to put the periods or what needs to be underlined. It also protects students from being penalized for plagiarism.

Power point lessons are used quite frequently in classes I sub for and the students respond very well to them. It keeps them interested and they retain the information very well. I have done vocabulary lessons and writing lessons with power point presentations. It is better than just lecturing because the students are able to have a visual aid rather than memorizing what their teacher is saying. It also is great to put the power points online for students to review or print out.

 Post-it notes are an avid reader’s best friend. Post-it notes help students to write questions regarding the story or write down words that they do not understand and can then go over them with the teacher. Also, post-it notes can help students highlight important events in the story by placing the notes on the pages they find to be most important. It also helps to find your place during discussion because all your questions or points of discussion are easily accessible on the post-it note.

Lastly, the ELMO is a great technology, especially to go over assignments or to demonstrate something on the overhead projector. I have also used this technology while subbing English classes. I find this device most useful when going over revisions of “sample” paragraphs so all students can help you find common mistakes made. The revisions can then be shown over the ELMO so students can make the same changes to their paragraphs too. This device is also helpful for going over worksheets and students can take turns to come up and write their response for the question. Students get involved and learn together interactively.

Progress of Technology in the Classroom

Technology in the classroom has greatly changed over the past century and has aided teachers and the way they are able to teach and assess their students. I could not imagine a world without chalkboards (well now “dry erase” boards). It is unbelievable to think that teachers had to go around to each individual student and would have to explain to them on their own personal slate the material. It wasted time and must have been mentally exhausting with overcrowded classrooms and students who had just come to America. Now teachers are able to teach all the students by writing examples and explanations on the board for the entire class versus demonstrating to each one individually.

After viewing the video on the evolution of technology, I believe that one of the most influential technologies that have helped education in Language Arts has to be the computer. The computer has aided students in being able to write and prepare better essays due to Microsoft Word, which can help students who may struggle with spelling or formatting. It has made papers more formalized and also easier for teachers to read instead of wasting time deciphering through poor penmanship. Besides making assignments easier to complete and assess, the computer also has allowed students to find articles and short stories with the click of a mouse, making it more accessible for students to read. Educational games based through computer programs and websites can help students with grammar, literature, and spelling all by playing a game, which is one of the most effective ways for a student to learn.

After reading both A Social History of Media and Technology in Schools and Rethinking Technology in Schools, the computer proves to be the most influential technology within formalized schooling. In Dr. Domine's interview with Grace Dubois, A Social History of Media and Technology in Schools, Grace gives her opinion on the use of computer games being used in schools, "I don’t think it is an appropriate message to send to our students—that if they complete the“boring” schoolwork then they can play “fun” video games. I think that is a false dichotomy. What I have learned is that media interactivity does not guarantee interactive learning or even innovative teaching" (Dubois, 48). I do agree that it is not always guaranteed that students will engage with the interactivity, especially as the students get into middle and high school. However, I do think that computer games, educational ones, are extremely effective. I know that throughout all my education, especially in elementary school, I was playing what I believed to be a game, but learned and retained so much knowledge. Grammar and spelling interactivities can be helpful to students who are struggling with pronunciation and could be a beneficial aid at home to help reinforce the lessons from the teacher.

Online research is imperative to students while writing papers. Being able to easily access online journals and articles about a variety of topics allows the students to build their essays on a word document while easily attaching their sources. Regarding computers Dr. Domine in Chapter 2 of Rethinking Technology in Schools says, “—technologies will liberate students from the traditional classroom, enabling them to be self-motivated learners and creators of their own knowledge” (Domine, 36). I agree with the quote because students are able to use sources to validate their own thesis, rather than sources creating the thesis for them. Students of the “digital era” are learning in a different way by gathering information online in a matter of minutes rather than hours spent in the library.

The computer has made a great impact on technology in the classroom, but with any form of technology, there are some drawbacks. The computer does contain many sources online for students to help aid them in papers or projects. Some students take advantage of the vast amount of information on the internet and use it to plagiarize. It is unfortunate that some students refuse to write their own assignments, but instead copy and paste others hard work and take the credit.

We have come a long way from writing on chalk with slates and typing on a type writer to using a universally functional device to read and write on easily. The computer has also made the job of the teacher easier as well, “—my mother used it to record her grades and create assignment sheets and quizzes for her students” (Dubois, 47). Even though the computer makes certain tasks as a teacher and student easier to complete, it doesn’t mean that the work that goes into assignments and assessments should be less validated. Teachers still clock in those hours grading assignments that their students put time into writing and completing. The computer just alleviates a little of the stress by making these tasks seem more efficient.

Interactivity #2

 

The largest library in the world is within just a click of the mouse.

 

       

Interactivity #1

“Olivia’s Story” demonstrated how many students find social networking to be appealing. It would be interesting as a future educator to incorporate a social networking medium, either as a means of communication, or to develop assignments for students to complete throughout the school year. The video also brought to my attention the fact that students won’t always have access to a computer. I have subbed in my school district for the past year and many students have had difficulty handing in typed up papers because they have limited or no access to a computer. It is important to communicate with students in the classroom to figure out who has regular access to a computer and who may need time during class to work on their paper in the computer lab.  

Both videos, “Olivia’s Story” and "Learning to Change, Changing to Learn" showed how influential technology has become in the life of students. I found it very interesting how some students made a connection between their technology at home and their life within the classroom. One student in particular made a really great connection regarding playing video games and working with a group within the classroom. He said that while playing video games, you must coordinate with others to come up with a strategy to complete tasks just like in the classroom. I had never thought of that connection before, but it would be awesome to incorporate that into an assignment. I could have students design an idea for a video game based on a novel we read in class and they can come up with tasks to complete, just like the protagonist in the story.

The students in both videos use their phones as a means of entertainment, communicating, and also for completing projects for their classes. My number one most influential communications technology is my iPhone. I, like so many of the students in these films are inseparable from my phone. It performs so many different tasks that it is essential within my life because I am constantly checking email, scheduling appointments and checking content on the internet. Even though it is has made my life so much simpler, it is a bit frightening how dependent myself and so many other are dependent on their smartphones throughout the day.

My second influential communications technology is my computer. The computer has allowed me to have easy access to information, especially for educational purposes. Instead of using encyclopedias for looking up information, the computer provides not just information, but videos and experts’ knowledge to help me complete assignments successfully and efficiently. Students within both videos demonstrated how the computer makes schoolwork so much easier and even more interesting. Many of the students expressed how the computer has transformed the way they read and write. Students are required to type up papers or read articles for classes online instead of handwriting a paper and going to the library to read from journals or periodicals.  People also use the computer and social networking sites as a means of self-expression. For example in “Olivia’s Story,” her mentor dawn, her mother, and Olivia herself all were able to customize their Myspace pages to best represent their personalities and interests. One of the downfalls of the computer which I have witnessed in the classroom is the incorporation of internet slang into the classroom. When I was in high school I recall a teacher berating students for incorporating “Lol” and “U” in their paper assignments. Students may not recognize that internet slang is not appropriate within essays and assignments. Since technology is so prevalent, it may be difficult for students to decipher where informal writing ends and formal writing begins since it takes place on the same computer screen.

My third influential communication technology is my Kindle which allows me the freedom to automatically download new releases from my device. I can have my entire reading library in the palm of my hands and never have to worry about where I left off since the Kindle automatically saves the page I was on. I also subscribe to The New York Times so I am able to read that every day and can keep up on the latest news. As a future English educator there is no downfall to the device because I believe that if students were able to have access to a device like this, they would be far more inclined to read because it is a technological device.