Reflection on Monday's class 2/23/09

On Monday 2/23, we had a very in depth discussion about how to find credible sources. Most importantly, it involved students being able to locate credible sources in order to complete research assignments. My thoughts were that middle school students should be given a lot more exposure to what kinds of sources are out there for use. They should be given examples of .org, .com, .edu, etc. sites and taught what they mean and how to evaluate them. Having students hand in an annotated bibliography beforehand is also an important step in all research papers. Feedback can then be given to all students and teachers could get an idea of which one(s) of their students do not have the research skills that they need and then extra support could be given. I think we are too quick to assign work to our students without first assessing their prior knowledge. We sometimes make the mistake of thinking quantity instead of quality.

Educational Games, Websites, and Simulations

For the most part, I enjoyed my experiences with the evaluation of educational software and computer programs. I explored many different sites and had a fun time participating in them. I think that it gave me exposure to some of the programs that are out there for free use. Overall, I found that there are a variety of sites that can be used and incorporated into education. However, the one thing that came clear to me was that proper uses of these sites are key to student success. Too often, I believe teachers throw these games into the classroom and they do not have a firm grasp on the educational benefits that they are providing for their students. Supplemental resources are a great tool to use if they are used in the right ways. This will always be the challenge of incorporating technology into education!

Principles to Consider

Crabtree, Mary, (2007). Using Computers to Enrich Content. The Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science, and Reading. 47(1).


This particular article was one that could be used when looking to incorporate technology into any content area. It was written by a technology resource coordinator who provided some very important but basic ideas to consider when looking to incorporate technology into education. She lists them as principles to consider and they are the following:

1. Focus on Knowledge Creation- students need to be able to gather accurate and relevant information that will contribute to new knowledge learned. They must be able to use prior knowledge and still build upon it to show depth and reflection.

2. Don't go it alone- don't be afraid to seek out help and resources. Collaboration is key.

3. Approach teaching from a constructivist point of view- teachers need to be the facilitators of learning and provide students with a learning atmosphere that is full of collaboration, exploration, and chances for innovation.

4. Partner up-students- provide group work and collaboration opportunities

5. Partner-up-teachers- collaborate with colleagues and share ideas

6. Fear not- don't be afraid to make mistakes and take risks and know that they will happen and will only allow those to learn from them

7. Always have a plan B- always have a concrete backup plan for those unexpected glitches that can occur

These principles to consider may seem obvious to many, however, I think that sometimes we forget these simple reminders that can be very beneficial to us. I think that the main points that this article allows the reader to walk away with are that we need to take risks and experiment with technology and that those risks do not have to be taken alone!

What Preservice English Teachers Have to Say

Pasternak, D.L. (2007). Is Technology used as practice? A survey analysis of preservice english teachers' perceptions and classroom practices. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 7(3), 140-157.


In this article, many preservice English teacher's were interviewed in hopes to get a general understanding for how they felt about incorporating technology into their content area and/or the ways in which they already had or planned to. Many of them had commented on how they were familiar with using web sources for research information and using digital texts. However, many of them claimed that they were not as knowledgeable about some areas of technology as they would like to be. One teacher said that "these technologies pressure [her] to change [her] teaching of how to teach the English language arts, because they compel [her] not merely to practice with the technologies that embroider [her] life but integrate them meaningfully into the English language arts to enhance content and become content-not merely to practice technology but use technology as practice" (141). I think that this was a really important statement because I feel as if it sums up what most teachers are thinking. Most teachers are aware of what is out there for use but, they are not sure how to go about using it in a way that is meaningful and beneficial to the students. Practicing with the technology is not the problem, its using the technology as practice that is of the most concern.

Technology and Education

I have learned that incorporating technology into the field of education is more than just having the presence of the technology in a classroom setting. How the technology is utilized is a big factor in the successful implementation of it. One of the biggest problems/concerns with incorporating technology into education is the lack of knowledge and training that our educators have. If we do not know how to properly use the technology, then we will never be able to use it to its full advantage.