Week#2 Group#5 Current Event

The structure of teaching is evolving.  The walls of our schoolhouses no longer restrict how far or how much teachers can teach and students can learn.  Our resources are endless, the possibilities tremendous.  Teaching standards are now modified to improve student learning by applying educational technology in our classrooms.

And because technology is constantly evolving, educators need to keep abreast of new products, new programs, new systems that can help improve and assist student learning.  A helpful resource we have found is "Classroom Aid."  http://classroom-aid.com/technology-resources

Classroom Aid's website is a user friendly and easy to navigate site for educators seeking to incorporate technology in their lesson plans or have the desire to expand their technology skills.  One can choose to view Free Teacher Development, Technology Resources, or Educational Apps.  Play and Learn offers samples of Learning Games, Games Based Learning, and Game Building Resources.  Free Educational Resources is broken down into classroom subjects and Multimedia Resources has a link to TeacherTube where there are more instructional and self-help videos.

Classroom Aid also links to Covergemag.com (under Free Downloads on Teacher Development), where one can read current events and special reports on educational technology and its impact on teachers and students.

The Home Page also rotates new sites of related interests with such titles as "Learning Like Spock in Star Trek" and "If Steve Jobs Designed the Education System."

Here is a video about Google Glasses found under "Field Trip."  Currently available only to developers (at $1500 each), Google Glasses is not only an exciting new social multimedia tool, but it will allow students to access information, past and real-time, anytime and anywhere.  This is where the future of educational technology is headed.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4&feature=player_embedded

Aloha, my name is Althea Rodrigues.

My favorite technology gadget is my digital camera.  I have always loved taking photos, and now with my digital camera I don't have to wait for the film to develop to view the photos I've taken.  I can see the images immediately and delete and retake shots on the spot.  And the digital camera makes it so easy to get photos for special letters, cards, and different projects that I do for my piano studio and for work.

When working in a group, I like to listen to ideas other people have, and it is always interesting how we as a collective can build on each others ideas and come up with a great project.  One of my strengths in group work is I am dependable.  Whatever I am assigned, I will get it done.  I don't want to let my group down by not finishing my share of the work.  And another strength I bring to a group is I like to help others succeed.  If anyone needs my help, I will do what I can to help that person.

I found a 16 minute video on Alan November, an early advocate of educational technology.  He shared his experience on how he discovered how young people will use technology to tap into their area of interest and then spend hours and great effort on creating, innovating, and pursuing what they find purposeful.  And he talked of how educators can use this idea of purposeful learning with technology as a tool. Students would be spending more time on their studies and not even realize it.  He had several videos on youtube, but I liked this one the best.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebJHzpEy4bE

Listening to Alan November got me curious. I wanted to see how teachers use technology in their classrooms, so I did more searching. I found a chemistry teacher who incorporated technology into her lesson plan.  I was amazed at the computer programs the students used that allowed them link to each other as they worked in groups and set up their presentations.  The classroom was buzzing with excitement and activity, and the students were more than happy to show the camera how they gathered information and designed their projects.  www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-collaborative-digital-presentations-video