What Software?

1.       There are so many types of software; how do I know which ones to include in my lessons?

While there are many different types of software, there are only five basic types that are being used in classrooms today: productivity, research, communication, problem-solving, and educational software.  To know which software that would be the most beneficial in your lessons, you would need to explore each one and see how it could be applied within the lesson.  Keep in mind that different lessons will fit better with different software and that sometimes more than one type of software could be used.  For example: I plan on teaching middle grades mathematics, therefore as I research the various types of software, I ask myself how would I use this tool to teach a math lesson?  I have experimented with shapes in Microsoft Word as well as Geometers Sketchpad, each of which has their advantages as well as disadvantages.  Microsoft Word/Excel is familiar and easy to use, however the shape manipulation and equation tools are not as sophisticated as Geometers Sketchpad.  I also have to take into consideration the age and skill level of my students.  Geometers Sketchpad can be slightly tricky to correctly construct and calculate shapes and equations, whereas Microsoft Word/Excel is much easier to navigate for a beginner.  Overall, I plan on incorporating both forms of technology, but in different ways and for different lessons.  Choosing software should be based on the lesson and whether or not using it would benefit the students by helping them to learn, the software is a learning aid, not a teacher (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 93-25).

2.       I understand why students should use educational software and the Internet, but why should my fourth-grade students learn to use spreadsheet, database, or video editing software?

Spreadsheet software allow students to make visual representations of information such as graphs, younger students can look at these graphs and better see the relationship between sets of information, they can look for patterns.  By using this software, they will increase their analytical skills.  Just as younger students enjoy books with pictures, it is easier for them to recognize trends in information when it is depicted by a graph or picture (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 95).

3.       How can student use of different types of software help improve scores on the state tests?

There is software today that has been designed to target specific areas, this software can be used to help increase low test scores in certain areas.  By identifying weak areas, software today can be used to strengthen the students understanding in those specific areas and by doing this it will help to raise test scores on the state standardized tests (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 119).

References

Morrison, G. R., ), G. R. M., & Lowther, D. L. (2010). Integrating computer technology into the classroom, skills for the 21st century. (Fourth ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

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Helping Students Become Problem Solvers

1.                         How can I get my students to ask questions about the research they are conducting?

  Think Sheets are a good way to get students to answer questions about the research they are conducting.  The KWL chart is a simple technique that has the student write down everything they know about the area they are researching, followed by a section to write out everything they want to know or questions they have, and the last area is where they write down everything they learned.  Also Think Sheets are a good way to develop active learning skills and make students into independent learners (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 128).

2.                         How can I teach my students to solve problems?

                    Find problems for the students to solve in the lesson plan and have them create a planning Think Sheet that will help them identify and plan to solve the problem.  Try setting up the problem in advance and also in a way that will interest the students.  Use problems that are relevant to their knowledge base, for example:  elementary students might enjoy problems involving puppies or flowers, whereas middle school and high school students might find such problems to be boring and would prefer problems involving music and movies.  The student should be naturally curious about the solution and want to find it if the problem is interesting to them (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 138).

3.                         I’ve never used an inquiry-based approach, much less computers—so how is a teacher supposed to do both of these at one time?

                    Use the NTeQ model to plan out a lesson plan with an inquiry-based approach, analyze the different steps within the plan to determine where a computer might be a useful aid in learning the lesson.  As with everything new, it takes time to adjust and become comfortable with change.  Also, never be afraid to ask other teachers for help, collaboration is a great way to learn new skills.  Teachers can tweak lesson plans several times as they use them to improve them and it will get easier and easier with each use.  I believe a good teacher is one that is a student as well, always trying to learn new ways of doing things.

Resources:

Morrison, G. R., ), G. R. M., & Lowther, D. L. (2010). Integrating computer technology into the classroom, skills for the 21st century. (Fourth ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

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Lesson Planning and Objectives

1.                   How do I plan an integrated lesson that will work with my students?

                To plan a lesson that works for your students, the teacher must consider the students capabilities and interests.  The teacher needs to plan the lesson to be a length of time that is not too long or short based on the student’s attention span.  Also, the lesson needs to be at the student’s level of knowledge, so the plan helps them to build on their knowledge base.  It is also important to plan a lesson that will captivate the student’s attention and make them excited to learn the concept being taught, without their interest, the learning taking place decreases (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 29).

2.                   Why do I need objectives to help with my planning and lesson development?

                A teacher needs an objective to base the plan on.  The objective is goal of the lesson, without it the lesson serves no purpose.  Clear objectives should be developed prior to writing the lesson plan; this will give the plan a focus.  Some objectives are determined by the state and the teacher needs to take those into consideration when forming the lesson plan.  Teachers can make adjustments to the state determined objectives in order to use them in the classroom.  Types of objectives are behavioral objectives and cognitive objectives.

                Behavioral objectives are very clear and state the “conditions, criteria, and behavior” (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 30).  An example of a behavioral objective would be, “Given a compass, the student will correctly draw and calculate the diameter, radius, circumference, and area of the circle drawn.”  Cognitive objectives define the learning goals in steps for example:

·                     Uses information to plot points on graph

§     Selects a relevant topic

§     Researches

§     Collects data

·                     Identifies significant information portrayed by graph

§     Finds patterns, lack of patterns, and relationships based on information

·                     Uses information to explain pattern

§     Does it support ideas?

§     Refute ideas?

§     Inconclusive

§     Why?

As a teacher it is important to use objectives in a way that supports the students learning goals (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 30-34).

3.                   How can I encourage my students to engage in the processing of information?

              Students will process information more readily if it is interesting to them.  Plan objectives that are fun, challenging and interesting and the students will want to learn.  It is important to engage their interests as much as possible throughout the learning process, if they truly care about what they are learning, they will process the information and be engaged throughout the process.  Interactive lesson plans work well to keep students attention as well as games or activities related to the information being learned.

4.                   Do I have to use a different lesson plan when I want my students to use computers?

               Previous lesson plans can be adapted to include the use of computers.  The lesson plan can be adjusted so the computer becomes a resource to find information or a tool to enter information in to obtain the final product.  Either way the computer should be used as a tool and not as a teacher (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 29).

5.                   What is the relationship between objectives and computer functions?

                Each part of the objective will be paired with a computer function if needed.  For example, if we wanted students to gather information, organize it and create a graph or chart, then they would need the internet to research, excel to organize information, and either graph through excel, on paper or with a calculator depending on the nature of the objectives.  Each objective is paired with an appropriate computer function.  

6.                   Can you use a computer for every objective or lesson?

                It is important for students to use other resources when learning; the computer should be considered a tool and not treated as a teacher.  While the computer is convenient and fun, students need to be able to access other sources to find information such as books, journals, newspapers, and magazines (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 29).

Resources:

Morrison, G. R., ), G. R. M., & Lowther, D. L. (2010). Integrating computer technology into the classroom, skills for the 21st century. (Fourth ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

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