Reflection 3 Digital Media – New Learners of the 21st Century

1) Which project do you like the most or which project is the most impressive?  Why?

I love the projects that the students were doing at the school for digital kids. I think it is so impressive that those schools are having students develop games. These games are teaching them about deep thought processes that may be hard to understand. Without these hands-on tasks some students would not be able to go through these processes. Having them map out the game and give multiple ways to win the game helps them use critical thinking skills. I would love to be able to do this some day with my class. I think this helps students visualize what they are learning. This is such a great way to use technology in the classroom that will interest kids. Kids love games and to be able to incorporate this into the classroom would be great.

2) Do you think you need to sharpen your digital medial skills?  What are some challenges for you to use the digital media in your own learning/ teaching?  Maybe it’s the challenges related to resources, time management, curriculum design, your own skills, teachers’ collaboration?

Referring to my answer above, I believe that I would need to most work on all digital media skills related to gaming and making games. I do believe I have many skills mastered with digital media because I have learned so much at UGA. I do however think that I have not had enough practice with this aspect of technology. I did not play games that much when I was younger and still do not know much about them. I would not know how to use these in my teaching or learning for that matter. I would love to take a class or get some instruction on it before I get my own classroom. This type of technology would really appeal to some students and it would benefit them for me to know how to use it. This would just be something I needed to sharpen with my own skills.

3) Do these projects reminds you of some ideas you learned from your reading (meaningful learning with technology chapter 1)?  What are the ideas?  How did you see the connections?

I think that some of these projects do remind me of our last reading. I think that having kids do meaningful tasks like the ones mentioned in the reading and the movie will help them have a meaningful learning process. They also mentioned in the reading that the technology needs to be a partner and does not need to do the learning. In the movie they mention that kids are using the technology to master topics and that the teacher is still there. They also mention that they still read and write but use a lot more of the meaningful learning with technology. I think that the only way in this time period to get kids interested in learning is to use technology. These two things we have focused on gave great tips on how to use it. They really connect well and help us as future educators to learn how to apply these tasks to our classrooms.

4) How do social networking sites or virtual communities broaden and/or otherwise change your students’ sense of community, and/or interaction with others? How do students communicate differently using technology than they might in person? What benefits do these digital tools offer, and what challenges might they present?

I think that this movie did a great job of illustrating the benefits and challenges of social networking sites. I think that these sites help students connect to a larger group of people then they might otherwise be able to share ideas with. This helps in education because it can connect two students and they can share ideas about a topic they are studying. The internet gives students more confidence. This confidence can be negative or positive depending on how kids use it. It helps to have confidence when expressing ideas with other students but this can also lead to bullying. Kids that would normally not say things in person have more confidence to say them online. As teachers we need to make sure this is not occurring in our classroom or outside our classroom. I think these digital tools add a lot to the classroom but could hurt relationships with students in your classroom if it is not taken seriously.

5) Did you have similar experiences or did you know any teachers/ schools doing similar things?  Describe your experiences or the teachers/ schools you know.  If you don’t, try to think about one think about one digital media project that you want to do with K-12 students or your friends.

I was in a class last year at a middle school in Athens for my field experience. This class used a website similar to the popular social networking sites out there. The web site was a sort of Facebook but only for the classroom. Students had profiles and only other students, the teacher, and parents could see them. I thought this was a safe yet very inventive way of using technology to spark kids interests in learning. They discussed different topic and posted videos and encouragement. I thought this was such a cool thing and would be something I would use in my own classroom. This would be a great way to use the social networking aspect without running into the challenges I stated above.

8) Katie Salen addressed a common parental concern around digital gaming in the classroom: excessive competition. How might competition within gaming be problematic, and what benefits might it have in a school setting? (cited from the discussion guide for the video clip).

I think it could be problematic in that it could cause major disruptions in your classroom. This could cause a classroom that is hard to manage. Kids will not get as much instruction time out of the lesson if this happens. Competition also is something that I think all students should be exposed to at some point in their education. Life is a competition and students need to be familiar with it. Students need to learn how to work hard for what they want and I think this is a great way to do it. It could cause problems but could also benefit students. I think this was a great point to bring up and discuss when talking about gaming in the classroom.

Reflection on “Meaningful Learning with Technology Chapter 1″

The biggest takeaway from this article for me was that knowing the way your students learn can help you compile tasks that can help them learn. Right now in schools students are asked to memorize information and spit it back out on standardized tests. The article described that learning to take tests does not result in meaningful learning. Using technology to enhance this meaningful learning can aid any teacher in their classroom. When using technology to fulfill a learning need and used as a partner aiding students in their learning it can create this meaningful learning.

It really surprised me to see that people thought technology could not aid in meaningful learning. The chapter mentioned that people thought that technology could only be used as a tool rather than something that can actually foster meaningful learning really shocked me. It later explained that technology can be used to engage students and should not be used as a vehicle for learning. I have always viewed technology in this way and it really surprised me that not everyone else does as well. My idea about using technology in the classroom has not changed but I have learned better ways to think about technology in the classroom. The article described that technologies and students should be seen as intellectual partners. This really changed the way I saw technology when it relates to my students and their specific learning. This means that students and the technology should work together. One shouldn’t feed off of the other but they should be together. This chapter really got me thinking about how I need to think and see technology in my classroom some day. It really opened my eyes to how technology can foster learning that is meaningful and direct. I am excited to employ what I learned through this reading.

    

Learning Experiences Reflection

Learning has occurred for me both in school and outside of school throughout my childhood. The majority of my learning has been experienced through the summer camp that I went to and later worked at. I feel as though these hands on learning experiences are so impactful in my life because when I did these things myself. They were more impactful then some of the most popular classroom techniques used today because they stuck in my memory and could be used in my everyday life. One experience that really sticks with me is learning how to drive a boat. I went through many different levels of learning and practice to become learned in this process. The hands on step-by-step learning helped me become an expert at driving boats. It helped when the older counselors helped me with their expertise in operating boats.

                                   

In the past years nothing much has changed in the way I learn. Though, I have changed what I have been learning. I began college focused on what I was learning in my classes to prepare me for my future. Although these classes are extremely important I have learned more just being in college outside of class. I have learned how to run a home, how to pay bills, how to live alone, and how to manage money amongst many other things. Having experience and actually doing the tasks, like I mentioned above hands on learning and authentic tasks, help me learn and retain the information easier.   

                                             

Technology has absolutely changed the way I have been learning recently. Technology can help add the hands-on aspect of learning that helps me to be successful without using or gaining supplies. You can dissect an animal on the Internet or carry out a science experiment with all needed materials without needing those things physically in front of you. Technology is a huge tool that is used in the classroom today and that I plan to use in my own classroom. Technology plays a huge role in my learning today. I use it to stay connected to my classes at UGA and I also use it to receive new information every day. It helps me to stay connected to the world and learn every time I slide my phone open. I think technology will forever be a part of learning and I cannot wait to know even more about it through taking this class.