Friday, March 21, 2014

Technology 101: Module 4

If I were presenting information about 1:1 to a group of stakeholders the top three things I would want to cover would be:
1. The financial cost per student and for the district
2. How teachers would be using the technology on a daily classroom basis
3. How parents/community members can help students with the transition

I would want to discus the financial aspect simply because many people ultimately see dollar signs when they imagine technology. I would want to address the daily classroom use, so that everyone could have a clearer image of what 1:1 really looks like for teachers and students. Lastly, I would want to share ideas on how the community could help. Especially parents and how they could assist their student.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Tech 101: Module 3

I believe the most important 21st Century Skill is Information Literacy. Information Literacy states that students need to be able to recognize when information is needed, find information they need, and evaluate information when they find it. This is crucial, because with the proper information I believe all believe can learn anything and do anything. Regardless of the subject or situation, students should be able to do these things successfully. If they have Information Literacy they can be successful anywhere.

I think that this skill comes into play in an English classroom, all the time. Students need to be able to recognize when a text is not giving them enough information or when their interest causes them to have more questions. I think that as an English teacher I can incorporate lessons that show students how to recognize, find, and evaluate information using hands-on texts and virtual texts. Evaluating the evidence is even more important with technology. Anyone can post anything on the internet. Students need to be able to decide whether information is valid and useful.

I think that I can know whether my students can do these things by always having them evaluate a text in the end, whether hands-on or virtual. If they are constantly in the habit of questioning something's validity, they will begin questioning it outside the classroom.