chapter 8

       I was surprised to learn that not too long ago, you would have to know how to write in programming language in order to make a web page. Now you can make web pages without writing any script, thanks to web page developing software. I think that this is a very good thing, because it gives more people the opportunity to put something out on the web. Another thing that I learned in this chapter was about adapting for special needs. It explained how there are sites that the students can be directed to where the reading/interest levels can be adjusted if the student has trouble reading. There are also tools available for teachers of students with disabilities to help them come up with lesson plans. The third thing that I learned in this chapter was the recommended web page development sequence. This would be very useful to have as a way to keep track of how you put together your web page.
      Something that was in this chapter that we also talked about in class is the virtual Field trips. I definitely think that this is something that I will use in my classroom, because there are so many great places that I would want them to see, but of course a lot of them the schools would not have the money to pay for. Another interesting idea to use in my classroom is using information summaries and exchanges. I really liked the KIDLINK's Multiclutural Calander Database. Kids can add information to it and they can also look up events by dates. This would be a very fun thing for students to get into.
    One thing that I was a little bit confused about was the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The text was a little bit unclear about what it is and how it works.

chapter 7

    The first thing that I learned in this chapter was about URL's. I had, of course, heard the term but did not know what it stood for. In the chapter it explains that URL.s are the Internet addresses and it  stands for uniform resource locators. The other thing that it explained is that the last three letters in the address tells you what kind of content you would find at the site and it is called the domain designator. Another really cool thing that I learned about was the website del.icio.us. By using this website you can save your bookmarks to it, and then you can access them from any computer, which I think could be a very useful tool. The other thing that I learned about that I had not thought about before was the sales pitches aimed at children. Online adds are very interesting, and all they have to do is click on something and end up committing to something that they cannot pay for.
    Something really basic that they talked about in this chapter was basic troubleshooting. I think that it would be a very good idea to implement these into your classroom by telling your students about all of these at the beginning of the year, and that way they could trouble shoot on their own and it would save the teacher time. One thing that I would use in my classroom, is teaching my students netiquette. This would be very important as a way to make your students aware of how to act appropriately.
    One thing that I was curious about was the chat room uses in the classroom. it seems like they they would be more of a problem than a solution.

chapter 6

chapter 6
    The first thing that I learned in this chapter is the difference between hypermedia and multimedia. They are very closely related and sort of difficult to distinguish between, but what I understood is that hypermedia has links to related subjects, and multimedia is the combination of media such as images and texts. We generally see them both used together. The interactive books and ebooks were something interesting to learn about. I think it is a very good idea because kids like the interaction, and also it gives them some choice which they like. The text also says that readers show better comprehension when compared to traditional text. I had never thought about being able to use digital cameras as a tool in the classroom, but I really like the idea of it. In the text it suggests using digital cameras together with hypermedia and multimedia, and I think that that is a great idea.
    When I begin to do my own teaching, I think that I will really be able to appreciate and use hypermedia. The thing that would make it useful is that kids who maybe have a hard time getting a lot out of written text, can have the opportunity see diagrams and pictures. Another thing that I would like to use in my own classroom is having student create their own multimedia/hypermedia projects. This would push them to use higher order thinking skills because they would have to evaluate and make decisions about how they want to set it up.
    One Question that I had while reading this chapter, was whether or not their were age limits on any of these tools. One area that I was thinking about was with the virtual reality programs. I just wonder if it is completely up to the teacher to decide if they are age appropriate or if the program tells you.

Edci 320 chapter 3

chapter 3
    This chapter was about instructional software, which was interesting because I did not know a lot about it before. One of the things that I found interesting was that in the 70's people not only thought that technology would eventually replace teachers, but that wanted it to happen. I think that that is a crazy idea, and although technology is a great supplement to lessons, it could never do  what a real live teacher can. People now agree that is there to support lessons rather than deliver them. Tutorial software was something in this chapter that I really did not know much about. I knew that some college classes are offered over online, and I assume in this format, but I think it would be not the best means of learning for anyone K-12. No matter how well set up the tutorial is, it cannot replace a teacher. The Integrated Learning System was something that I had never heard of, and sounded like a better deal than the tutorial software. I liked it better because it included other resources to support instruction, and it also includes summary reports of student progress.
    A couple of things that I would like to integrate into my own classroom someday is drill and practice, and learning games software. I would use the drill and practice software rather than worksheets that might be asking the safe or similar things. This would be a good substitute because not only do students enjoy anything on the computer better than doing it with paper and pencil, but also because it can give them immediate feedback. What I like about the learning games most is the idea of using them as a reward. For example, if a student gets done with an assignment on time, they can be rewarded with time on the computer and can be learning problem solving and other things at the same time.
    Something that I was curious about while I read this chapter, was how will technology and learning software progress from here. I know that people thought that it would have taken over for teachers by now and it obviously has not, but I wonder if it will continue to play a bigger and bigger role, or if we have found the happy medium and it will stay where it is at.

Where's the Beef?

     The first thing that I learned throughout this article, was that just because you have your students use media when showing their knowledge about the topic you are working on, does not mean that they are using their higher level thinking skills. Instead, they can often be using technology, but still just regurgitating or summarizing what they have read. A better method is to have them expand on the knowledge and have them create something new based on it. Another thing that the author of this article suggests, is that there is no right piece of technology for a specific project that you might be doing. The nice thing about that is that is that you can fit the technology into your lesson however you like, you could also allow your students to individually explore and pick a type of media that they personally like best. A third thing that I learned from this article was that there can be dramatic benefits to allowing the students to pick what kind of media they use, and how exactly they will put their project together. The author says that this gives the kids a kind of ownership and pride over their projects, motivating them to work harder on it. I think that that idea really makes sense, and even though for grading purposes it would be easier to have everyone doing the same thing, it would be worth it to let them have choices.
       This article had a lot of good ideas to think about. One thing that I could take into my classroom would be to look at the assignment that I have given them and ask myself if it is going to get out of them what I want it to. One appropriate question to ask would be, does the digital demonstration show what your student really knows about the topic beyond just the given facts. I think that this is a useful thing to do because it allows you to make sure your lesson is appropriately focused. Another idea that I thought would be really good to integrate into my own classroom was using the flow chart. The article suggest that you use a flow chart that starts with clarity about the type of communication, then selects the best mode for your purpose, and finally identifies the tool. This seems like a good method to use as a way of keeping your students organized and getting what you want out of it. 
      One question that I had while I was reading, was whether or not there still is a place for testing students on the basic facts of things. I know that while I was going though school we were often tested like this, and those specific facts that they asked I will never be able to remember, whereas the main ideas I can recall a bit more easily. One place that this kind of testing may be appropriate is just to simply make sure that the students have done their reading.