Chapter 9- Creating and Sharing Information with Multimedia Technologies

Focus Question:  What is multimedia technology and how can teachers use it to effectively create and share visual information dynamically in their teaching?

Multimedia technology is when you combined several media together in order to establish a high-quality interaction between the learner and the program. Media can be- text, data, voice, picture, and video. It is known for students to learn material better if there is more than one multimedia be conducting while teaching the material. There are two different learning modes. One of which is known as Single-mode learning which is when students only receive information by one style of learning. For example, when the teacher just talks. Another mode is Multimodal learning. This mode happens mainly when the teacher incorporates more than one media at once while teaching the material. For example, when the teacher uses picture and video while talking and explaining what is being taught.   

Teachers can use multimedia effectively in varieties of ways. One way it can be effective is by simply using a digital projector to show an internet website to illustrate what you want your students to do. Then you can break them into groups of individually allow them to access the website.

Tech Tool: Visual Learning with Digital Projectors and Interactive Whiteboards

Using digital projectors and interactive whiteboard are great aspects in today learning style. This two types of media help enhance students learning tremendously. A digital projector makes is possible for everyone to see things larger and on a bigger screen. This media does not only allow the students to view the object larger but helps springboard the conversation on what is being taught. Also with the digital projector you do not only have to have the object present, you can access internet websites as a visual as well. The interactive whiteboard helps modify and expand the lecture that is being discussed. The students can take notes on information displayed on the whiteboard and later use them as review on what was discussed in class. Also I believe that the whiteboard helps teacher combined several technologies and helps teachers conduct enhance learning in today’s world.

Summary & Conclusion:  

Chapter 9 is concentrated on how to create and share information with multimedia technologies. The chapter builds on multimedia’s used in classroom. Some of the ones mentioned were digital projectors, whiteboards, videos, and pictures. All of these and more are an excellent way to help enhance students learning today. Also they mention two types of multimedia modes. One is Single-mode learning and the other is Multimedia learning. Not very much teachers use the single mode in today’s teaching. Mostly every teacher used the multimedia mode because using more than one effective learning tool is way better than just using one and not give students a variety of ways to remember what is taught.

It amazes me how students learning completely different than they did back then. In the olden days teachers didn’t have the option to using several technologies to incorporate in their teaching. In today’s world it is proven that students learn better when they are taught using several technologies. Technologies advance day by day. I wonder how different things will be in a couple years.
 

Chapter 8- Communicating and Networking with Websites. Blog, Wikis and More

Focus Question: How can teachers use communications technologies as teaching and learning tools.

Teachers use communication technologies as teaching and learning tools mainly by five uses of electronic communications. These being teaching strategies, information sharing, community building, publish student work and energizing student writing. Communication technologies are provided in order for teachers to connect with their students, promote meaningful learning extend academics beyond the regular school time.

The communication system helps extend the impact of teaching beyond the information taught in the classroom or in the textbook. Nowadays there is never enough time to teach everything students need to know in a school year. Instead of assigning paper-pencil homework it is much easier to just have our students go online and submit via internet. Teachers can inquire everything needed over the internet now. They can put class notes, questions, homework and missed assignments and even writing ideas on a on the internet, making it much easier to communicate in this society.  Also it helps a teacher provide more information about the assignment, the grading policy and upcoming activities all on an easy updateable format. Also by using all the communication technologies teachers can help build learning strategies to help students learn how to explore the topics of interest.

Tech Tool: Posting and Publishing with Digital Image Scanners

A digital image scanner is a tool provided for teachers and students with the computer storage of handmade works.  It is easy to lose something you have written or drawn by hand on a piece of paper. But by using a digital scanner you can scanner whatever it is that you have done into the computer and store in a file where you know it is impossible to lose. Also by using the scanner it makes things a whole lot easier to publish online. It also helps teachers add visuals to hangouts, class notes and learning resources that they may be creating for their students.

Photo credit to oldschoolgoodtimen on Flickr

Summary & Conclusion:

Chapter 8 is mainly about how teachers and students can use computers and several other technologies to share information in classrooms and online learning environments. The chapter starts with explaining the use of educational websites and several ways that they are used in order to communicate. They talk about the five uses of electronic communications which are; teaching strategies, information sharing, community building, publish student work and energizing student writing. All these strategies in my opinion are all excellent. I find it fascinating that there are other way for teachers to communicate with their students without having to be with them in person. For example if one of their students misses a class they can receive everything online including notes and excreta. Next, the chapter talks about the use of wikis, blogs, instant messaging, emails, and discussion boards. Most teachers communicate with their students, families and professional colleagues through email because they feel that instant messaging has too much informal language. I completely agree with teachers in that cases. IM has a lot of slang and shorten words that are used when trying to communicate and I believe that teachers should be appropriate at all times when communicating with their students, the students’ parents and colleagues.  

Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2011). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN:10 0-13-159611-X, ISBN:13 978-0-13-159611-5

Chapter 7- Problem Solving and Inquiry Learning with Software and Web Tools



Focus Question: What are the standard software applications found on most computers today and what open sources software alternatives are there?

Software is for computer instructions, it is a collection of codes that tells computer hardware to perform certain functions. There are two types of software’s, system software and application software. System software is responsible for the overall control of the computer functions and application software performs specific functions in ways to specialize different services such as, word processing, databases, spreadsheets, power point and several more applications.
 
Students and teachers use a variety of these application while learning new things. Some of the few programs that are most commonly used are word processing, presentation software, spreadsheets, electronic databases and programs for other specific functions.

 

Another commonly used software is the open source software which is opened to the public to use, cop and recreate. These types of software’s can be free but also could have a little cost fee included with the uses.  Also it is said that some educators believe that it is saver to use open source software because you receive more privacy. 

Photo credit to Ivan Walsh from Flickr

Tech Tool: A Mathematical Learning Game- Zoombinis Logical Journey  

Zoombinis Logical Journey is game designed to teach critical thinking, problem solving and mathematical learning to elementary students. There are multiple levels throughout the game. The game focus more on asking children to uses their powers of observation and problem solving to help them figure out the puzzles. Each Zoombinis has their own characteristic that differentiates themselves from one another. It is up to the children to choose the one that will help the best to figure out the puzzle. From what I have read I think this is a really interesting game for the elementary school students. They are learning math in a fun and neat way. 

Summary & Conclusion:

 Chapter 7 is about how educational software and programs help inquire learning for students starting in kindergarten through twelfth grade.  The chapter explains how software’s are a great impact on teachers and students and what there functions are. They also introduce several different types of software’s, which are system software, application software and open source software. As a teacher you can promote all types of software in varieties of ways. For example, educational software can be used to promote skills-based learning, problem solving and by inquiring learning with many other combinations. Later on, they explain how teachers can use computer games and simulations as learning resources. Some children love to spend time playing games! Why not just encourage them to play educational games. By doing so students will be learning without realizing that they are. There are also several tutoring systems that both teachers and students become successful. Tutoring systems have shown to be effective in improving students learning mainly in math. Tutors can be constructed in variety of formats- simulations, games, tutorials and collaborative learning models. With the use of all these types of software teachers can become efficient in teaching their students.  

Resources:
Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2010). Transforming learning with new technologies. Allyn & Bacon.