technology in the classroom

i think the main problem with technology is fear, i fear that it is making people dumber because the new way of doing things is strange and alien to me
i think just because students use there Facebook a hell of a bunch does it make it valid? i would say no the substance is what is important for instance Google for educators is what i am talking about, that is a worthwhile digital tool but in my mind i think it a add on for standard teaching, we are losing a generation of kids to technology they have to know how to go to the library and research without a browser
they have to be able to read the textbooks assigned i will admit i am old school but there is a great fear in technology for me i know the future William Gibson (that is right i know who William Gibson is ) wrote about and in my mind we need to make a balance. we need to teach kids and they need to learn i think for that to happen there needs to be a give and take on both ends not just us has teachers scrambling to get the latest cool technology and pretend to be relevant to a generation. and this generation needs to unplug and sit down and learn but in the class room there needs to be a blending i am not that person figure it out but it needs to happen,

you tube video playlist

Spread Sheets

I reviewed the pumpkin spread sheet, and i really liked it, it was logical and used empirical data to come to a conclusion and was fun also, because it was messy and sticky and gross. I would adopt it to my grade level by showing basic plant information , and talking about the native Americans using every piece of the plant, the seeds can be baked for nourisher ect

Nettiquite Rules

here is the google docs site for my rules for online usage:
http://tinyurl.com/25mhp8q

the rules are simple and easy to follow

Jigsaw learning

I could be a millionaire if I only had a time machine, the jigsaw activity is pretty cool and personally one that I would like to try out in my future classroom. lets take it a step further and implement computers, using youtube, google docs, and a good old fashioned internet one can make a pretty convincing case for the jigsaw with computers
you take 5 students have them do research then make a google doc, or a youtube video that presents the information. then have the 5 students from other groups get together and make a video even and them you could use ustream and have a chat where the person could respond to questions. then present it in a powerpoint, or a video the choices are endless. one major draw back is the use of technology not everybody knows youtube or ustream, and there is the problem of access to this technology in schools with low budgets, the other problem you could have is the students would be solely dependent on others videos and my not put has much effort into there's, or the quality not every is james cameron who can release the same movie in the same year t2 times and still find people willing to pay 15 dollars to see the exact same thing plus a new type of cow. but with the proper training this could be a powerful tool to teach and learn.

Google Apps

Google constantly continues to amaze me. I think the thing I love the most is google docs wow what an amazing piece of technology I can have students work and collaborate form different places at the same time then they can upload the doc so I can grade them. the next thing I would use is youtube, cliche I know but really helpful if I want to give a tour of a place, or introduce students to basic technology and be able to express themselves and give presentations, the next one would be google book search it is like having a venerable library at your finger tips so my bag is lighter and I can pull up articles has examples for them. I have already discussed it but google docs has many advantages mainly student collaboration and they students don't have an excuse to not be there, plus we can track there progress on say a group paper.

Tools For Learning

I have a learning disability I have dyscalculia and I am dysgraphic, I know first hand what having the proper tools means for me, and my disabilities if you want to call them that, are mild compared to some, I think for kids with mild learning disabilities like the girl in the video who did ballet, most schools and teachers have a certain style of teaching and expecting kids to learn. and if these kids me included, didn't meet these requirements we ere considered slow or in my case disruptive, all I needed was some body to help me with my math, and with my writing, having a tutor who can work one on one is a life saver I remember in school taking a test orally and passing when that same week I had failed it when I tried to write the answers I am much more verbal communicator then written and my brain is not wired very well for writing, but i still had to learn how to write and now I enjoy it.
the other tool I liked is for autism the verbal communicator and the book reader my nephew is autistic and has a hard time speaking or interacting with other kids even his own sister. the whole family has taken an interest in him and really come together to make sure he is learning the basics he also goes to a special school which has goals set out for him like learning to identify 10 colors in 3 months, or speech therapy he is obviously not extreme has the other kids but even his lack of communication is hurting him, his sister can blame most things on him and he can't defend himself, and due to that he, gets frustrated and hits or gets angry, and gets more in trouble, I think tools that deal with autism are rarely fully utilized but i think this school that he has gone to has made a huge difference, he is talking a lot more and I do understand him. the tools that he uses are speech therapy, repetitive counting and colors, and he also is working on sitting still he will be in a chair and be told to sit there for 10 minutes with heavy pillows on him. these tools are useful for many mild autistic cases they help the person adapt to his society and get his words and ideas across more easily and help them to live a normal life. the other tool that I really liked is the you tube and the internet where just because n autistic person is not able to communicate the way we would they can use you tube or the internet second life, to create characters and skip the social interactions that this society places such a emphasis on and be abel to express them selves