Hello Class,
After reading chapter 4 several things came to mind about technology being implemented into the classroom. The first thing that came to mind for how fun and engaging teachers can make their lesson now that students have access to many resources on the web. I started to think that very soon school districts will be removing textbooks from classroom and students will have access to online text. "Some school districts are already shifting from paper to digital textbooks and online curriculum materials.In fall 2006, close to 50 percent of K-5 students in California began learning with "History/Social Science for California," a new series of instructional materials that combine printed text, digital materials, and active learning activities, all aligned to the state's history curriculum standards (Ascione,2006a)." This then brings up my argument of whether students from low income families will be able to access the textbooks online if they do not own a computer in their household. Although the benefits are teachers are able to provide students with access to virtual trips and create web related tasks for students to explore, while the tactile learners benefit if this process becomes mandatory for all school districts. I feel that a technology specialist needs to visit schools in every district and assess their classroom using the technology integration rubric, this will give community members an idea on what changes need to made to provide each individual with the same learning experience.
After reading chapter 6 several things came to mind which was how to utilize all the features that are available to you on the web. For example the bookmarks tab can be utilized with students who constantly search through different websites for information and forgot to save that website. The bookmark feature helps students save websites into different categories. The feature is very useful whenever you are gathering information for a research project. The chapter then spends a great deal of time explaining the effectiveness of the RSS feed which automatically updates you with any current news from a preferred source. For example since I currently like watching sports I can subscribe to the RSS news feed for ESPN.com which would keep me up to date whenever a story is reported without me even checking. Virtual field trips are a huge bonus when surfing the Internet because in the wintertime it is difficult for teachers to book field trips due to the weather, virtual field trips provides you with a three dimensional experience as if you were present at the actual site. Also video conferencing is a tool utilized by a lot of schools to have conferences and debates about different topics. Students are able to connect with students like their selves from different parts of the world.
The two questions that I have is :
Will it become mandatory for all school districts to provide students with a device to access the online textbook feature at home?
Will virtual trips inspire school districts to actually think outside the box and approve requests of field trips outside of the country after viewing and critiquing the establishment online?
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