The Innovative Educator, Lisa Neilsen: theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com
Lisa promotes passion based learning and embracing technology of the 21st century. She is all for integrating technologies in the class room, for example; cell phones.
Her latest post: "twitter for administrators, teachers and students"
"When and how should kids learn to type" (Feb. 8th 2011).
Children are exposed to technology from a very young age. Teaching kids to touch type is a valuable skill, saves time and the process of learning to type can be fun. Believers claim that typing develops a faster thinking process, called, cognitive aromaticity. Typing allows us to express our ideas in "writing" at "the speed of thought". Keyboards allow the "expression of ideas, not the rendering of letters". Typing can be taught from the age of seven, but creating familiarity with the keyboard can be done at any age.
PowerPoint: presentations save time for students as well as teachers. A tool which clarifies the taught subject visually.
Internet assessment: ables paperless exams, suitable for multiple choice as results can be reached almost immediately.
Online courses: these coursed have opened education to different sectors of the population that otherwise would find it hard to access. For example; full time parents or working parents. Your text books, courses, assignments and exams are at your fingertips. No need to travel or buy textbooks. The pace of the course load are usually up to the student within a given time frame.
While studying in Canada I noticed that most students arrived at University knowing how to type. In Israel most people do not know how to type. I agree with Lisa and think typing is a wonderful and productive way to start the child's formal educational experience. I actually think this could be implement without too much trouble.
Think Like a Teacher, Candace Hackett Shirely: blog.teacherfirst.com/thinkteach
Candace raises the question of how teachers can evaluate themselves. Teaching is not a competition. Teachers "seek a balance of risk and experience every day" (21.02.2014 09:00).
- Technology Integration Matrix: this is a tool which can provide self evaluation of administrative technology in the classroom. In order to grow there are instructional coaches but self evaluation is also important. Candace sites several tools for self evaluation.
- Candace gives examples of new technological learning innovations, specifically regarding math. Most of her examples are sites which help students explore in order to reach the answer. The students must try to first decipher the question, in the form of a riddle and then can reach the answer.
I found these teaching ideas very interesting, although I don't really understand the technological aspect. I hope one day I will and will be able to implement them. I think these thinking, visual riddles expand the childs problem solving abilities, develope group work technice, listening to others and spacial abilities.
I am soo jelous of people who can understand this enough to acutally implement the technology in their classrooms.
Purely Paperless, Kate Peila: puelypaperless.blogspot.com
Kate uses a product called Stop Motion Animation with MyCreate App. This teacher taught her pupils Life Cycles of insects. Kate taught this with the use of animation. She presented the children with a quick overview outlining expectations and specific vocabulary to be used in the project. The children then outlined the main sequences of their video, backgrounds and props to be used. They used "Stop Motion Animation".
This project taught the children about the Life Cycle process using team work, creativity both via art work and thought while staying withing the stated guide lines.
This mode of teaching is right up my alley. How exciting!
Do Israeli schools have this technology? I don't think my children's school does.
I am far from becoming paperless but strive to.
Typing is such a plus - I keep encouraging my students to use an online program (sense-lang) to work on it. They are very jealous of my ability to type in both Hebrew and English without looking at the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteAs for some other points - powerpoints may save time in the long run, but the initial investment, especially when students come to depend on them, is inordinate.
Regarding on-line courses - as a student, they are a lifesaver. But, as an EFL teacher in college, I find that by doing work on-line, my students miss out on the entire element of F2F oral communication and interaction.
I studied touch typing during middle school in the US. It has been very helpful although today I don't type "blind." I can understand that there is a connection between touch typing and the sharpening of certain cognitive skills.
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your comments about the blogs you have chosen to follow. I totally agree about the importance of teaching typing to the students. I'm always amazed to hear my students in high school make comments about my typing skills and their inability to do so. I feel like it is a skill that is greatly lacking in Israel.
Good Luck!
I do believe that Kate's idea using Stop Motion animations could work in our classes, however the teacher won't be able to use it frequently, due to the fact it require several English lessons to explain such a project, create it, and present it infront of the class. Maybe as an annual project it may work and be worthwhile.
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