Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Integrating Technology in the K-12 Curriculum






  Part A



Define and respond in writing in this section of the module to the following terms (in your own words) and give one example of each; then post your responses under the tab “Glossary of Terms” on your Google Web.  Place your URL in this section of your module.

Application software- performs functions specifically in ways that are specialized to produce a variety of services such as Internet browsing, email management, databases, word processing and spreadsheets.

Example of Application software: Open source

Bad ware- is a type of invasive software that disregards fundamentally a user’s control or choice over how a computer will be used.

Example of Bad ware: StopBadware.org is a consumer software watchdog organization support corporately from companies like Sun Microsystems or Google.

Bloom’s taxonomy- an educational seminal classification tool presented first in1956 and revised subsequently in 2001.

Example of Bloom’s taxonomy: Knowledge asking a question tell what happen after Ben left his friend?  and afterwards write the response.

Building, inventing and creating software- like physical objects and hands on material providing students with environments for engaging and interactive explorations.

Example of Building, inventing and creating software: Google Earth

Composing and calculating software- programs found on many computers Excel and Microsoft Word.

Example of Composing and calculating software- Composing means writing a paper on Microsoft Word and calculating means someone doing a budget on Excel calculating numbers.

Computer games- are web-based, video, computer software game application that popular immensely among teenagers and children.

Example of Computer games: racing game

Desktop-based games- downloaded permanently to a person laptop or desktop computer

Example of Desktop-based games: Angry bird star wars

Digital games for learning- (known also as serious games) are web-based and computer games that have been designed with education rather than in mind entertainment goals.

Example of digital games for learning: Revolution- multi-player of Education Arcade

Digital writing- or digital composing, covers not only communicating by email, writing for a website or contributing to a blog but also just writing on the computer

Example of Digital writing: National Council of Teachers of English provides resources for nonfiction and fiction stories, as well as interactive tools to support student writing

Educational apps- are software applications for tablet computers and smartphones that can be used in personal learning or teaching.

Example of Educational app: Citadel telling an epic tale

Educational software- or instructional software refers to web-based and computer products tools designed to promote learning for students at homes and schools.

Example of Educational software: Max & the Magic Maker

Gamification- is the game elements of an application to non-gaming situations, frequently to influence or motivate behavior.

Example of Gamification: A student using app on Ipad to learn about why animals migrate from one place to another.

Hardware- refers to the simple circuitry and machinery of a computer

Example of Hardware: mother board

Higher-order thinking- is a concept for reform of education based on learning taxonomies.

Example of Higher-order thinking: Students constructing a carbon atom.

Ill-structured problems- issues of real world that do not simple solutions

Example of Ill-structured problems: a simulation game such as River City

Intelligent tutoring systems- are powerful new software programs that computer responses to student actions through the promoting inquiry learning.

Example of Intelligent tutoring systems: online tutorials

Internet-or browser-based games- can be played on any ready device of the Internet.

Example of Internet-or-browser based games- Pac-Mac Google

Lower-order thinking- simple interpretation and recall of information

Example of lower-order thinking: acquisition of knowledge

Object-oriented programming- in which users of the computer create an object virtually and make it do things in response to instructions preprogrammed.

Example of Object-oriented programming: a student may create a ball and program it to fall and bounce over and over back up.

Open-source software- is open for the public to recreate, use, copy, usually no cost or little.

Example of Open-source software: Linux

Problem-based learning- is when students investigate questions, problems and issues, for which there is no one answer right using a process of drawing conclusions, assembling evidence, evaluating the results and asking questions.

Example of Problem-based learning: when a teacher have his or her students work in small groups, presenting them with a problem to solve and sharing the findings with whole class.

Problem solving- refers to educational activities in which students test theories, make predictions, and ask questions.

Example of Problem Solving: A student solving word problem that might have to use several steps in order to solve the mathematical problem.

Simulation game- is a game represents dynamically real world one or more systems or processes in which players are placed in computer generated setting with conflicting choices and goals where experience and decision making are made by them.

Example of Simulation game: The River City Project

Software- is the term for computer instructions- codes of collection that tells specific functions to be perform on a computer’s hardware

Example of software: Adobe Photoshop (Graphics Software)

Stealth learning- students learn not realizing they are learning because the importance are embedded within the activities of the game that provides students with thinking and academic information skills.

Example of Stealth learning: The River City Project

System software- is responsible for the overall control and functioning of a computer

Example of System software: Linker Software

Video games- people playing games on computers.

Example of Video games: Solitaire

Virtual worlds-Users interact as games players on computer based environments, frequently use through online identities.

Examples of Virtual worlds: Second Life

Visual-thinking and concept-mapping software- allow students and teachers outline and organize their ideas visually on a computer.

Example of Visual-thinking and concept-mapping software: Kidspiration

 

Reference

 

Edwards, S.A., Maloy, R.W., O’Loughlin, R.V., & Woolf, B.P. (2014) Transforming Learning

     with New Technologies. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

 Part B


Complete a lesson plan using the information you learned regarding digital games for learning, including virtual worlds, simulating games and intelligent tutoring systems as discussed in this chapter.

Title of Lesson: Digital Book Talking

Subject: Reading

Grade Level: 10th

Topic of Main Idea: Promoting Literature Appreciate

Objective: Students will create and compose a short book digital talking to appeal to other students to read the book.

Standard Use: Standard 6: Utilize advanced features of multimedia software, including image, video, and audio editing. http://alex.state.al.us/standardAll.php?grade=9&subject=TC2&summary=2

Materials: Computer, Microsoft Word, Digital Video Recorder, Blank DVDs for recording

Activities:

Day 1: Teach students how to use a digital video recorder.

Day 2:  Provide students with a sample script for a book talk. Have students work in pairs writing own scripts for their book talk using Microsoft Word. Have students get my approval about their scripts they wrote for their book talk before practicing.

Day 3:  Have students practice their book talk before actually recording it. Make needed suggestions to the students about their book talk. Students will be able to make any type of revisions during this time to their scripts.

Day 4: Have students decide who will record and perform the book talk. Students will record their book talk at least two times so that I could view them and have them make revisions if needed. Students will record their digital book talk for the last time to be turned in to me.

Day 5: The entire class will showcase their digital book talks. Have students vote anonymously on the best digital book talk that deserves to be shown to the student body.

Homework: Students will write a paragraph on their overall experience with writing scripts for their digital book talk and performing it for the whole class to see.

Assessment: Students will be graded on a performance assessment. Students will be graded on how well they presented their digital book talks and writing of their scripts.

 Part C

Learning Outcome 7.1 Discuss how technology generates problem solving and inquiry learning among students.

    Problem solving and inquiry learning activities that are educational involving students testing theories, asking questions and making predictions. Scientists, mathematicians, historians and other professionals use these are methods to solve problems and conduct research. Problem solving and inquiry learning actively engage students to use real world issues and situations. For example, student history class can identify causes and outcomes of historic events by exploring primary source documents such as census data, new stories, government documents and personal letters. In addition, some steps in solving problems including the following: understanding the problem, using problem-solving strategies and checking results. Understanding the problem means the students not exactly how to answer, what is being ask and what they already know in identifying a type of question. Using problem solving strategies means students for instance doing math can break down problem into steps to solve them. Checking results means students rechecking the problem are answer to see whether or not they solve the problem correctly. To continue, problem solving can be down by teaching with computers. In the political, social and economic world barely teachers are preparing to students to be well equipped in solving problems. In the real world, problems are messy and complicated that requires compromises to solve problems. These are real issues in the world called ill-structured problems because their no easy formula to go by to get things done. The greatest learning opportunities for students are the problems that are hard to solve. Students facing such problems learn to define precisely the problem, decides on number of possible solutions and consider the most workable course of action. However, the most wonderful tools for teaching students problem solving are having them to use computers. Some tools for teaching students problem solving using computers are the following: learning games, smart tutoring programs and software apps and programs. Students might consider different possible using these tools providing them with immediate feedback about their answers. Depending on what a teacher assigns on the computer problem solving activities can be either complex or simple. Students might be employing either in-depth or surface thinking. For example, math facts drill programs are not complex students can easily solve them which means they are using surface thinking. On the other hand, for example, simulation games requires students to use in-depth thinking in solving problems. Furthermore, students are not given simple solutions and right answers; they must rather follow the research process to consider what to do next.

 

 
Learning Outcome 7.2 Identify standard and open-source software applications that are available on most school computers.

     Users of computers have heard the terms software and hardware. Hardware refers to simple circuitry and machinery of a computer. Software is a collection of codes that tells the hardware of the computer to perform specific functions. Computer technologies work because of these two terms. People give the computer instructions to follow telling it what they want done. For example, an individual can install word processing software that tells a computer whatever to do such as writing, editing and publishing request. After installing the word processing, people can start using it. In addition, two main types of software are system and application. System software is responsible for the overall control and functioning of a computer. Application software performs functions that are specific in specialized ways to produce many services including the following: databases, spreadsheets, word processing, internet browsing, movie making and email management. Highly sophisticated application software directs the processing information work of computers. Some of the programs include the following: Excel, Power Point, Microsoft Word, Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat. Also, open-source software application perform essential information processing tasks on a person’s computer such as Mozilla Firefox for web browsing or WordPress for blogging. Open source software is free over the Internet that refers to computer code and programs. To continue, the indispensable tools are standard software applications on computers. Standard software applications allows people to write papers, interactive with models, and design programs. Open source software is for the public to copy, use and recreate for any purpose of their chose. In concluding, an example of open source software is Linux.

 

 

 

Learning Outcome 7.3 Evaluate educational software and apps.

     School systems make often huge purchases to install on a network educational software that serves in the district every school. Teachers commonly will locate software choices preselected by the district on computers in the classrooms. In many schools, teachers are not allowed to place their own software to the school network system, however teachers can obtain permission from their principals to add programs. In addition, teachers have challenges locating and choosing quality apps and software. Mainly some programs reconstruct traditional teaching practices in an electronic format. However, software that is high quality provides opportunities and strategies to alter student learning. One way to levitate poor software is to identify the good educational software. Seymour Papert an inventor of LOGO which is computer programming language provided three main features of low quality software. The three main features include the following: (1) activity is dictated by the computer; (2) violence, stereotyping or competition is present, and (3) quick reactions favored over problem thinking and problem solving. It is important to understand what happens educationally when students use it by evaluating every aspect of a software app or program. The programs that are the best feature help feedback, active engagement and learning centered on concepts. Edudemic, is an educational technology magazine monthly iPad for educational apps development based on materials by Palm Beach County Florida Public Schools. In addition, Bloom’s Taxonomy is lower and higher order thinking. Lower order thinking is simply interpreting and recalling of information. Higher order thinking is knowing evaluation and comparisons of perspectives and theories.  The Bloom’s Taxonomy thinking from lowest to highest include the following: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of thinking include the following: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. To continue, many organizations have online resources to help teachers in choosing software. Some of the organizations include the following: Edudemic Directory, Entertainment Software Rating Board, Evalu Tech and StopBadware.org. Edudemic directory provides a wide selection for reviews of education technology resources such as mobile apps, mobile phones, tablet computers and laptops. Entertainment Software Rating Board is an evaluation group that independently assess and rates new pieces of software yearly. Entertainment Software Rating Board provide buyers their signature symbols with a way to determine age level of a program appropriately such as EC standing for (Early Childhood, ages 3 and up). EvaluTech is a free service of online software review for families and teachers providing more than ten thousand print resources for K-12 teaching, links to web resources and lesson plans. In concluding, Badware is a type of invasive software that disregard fundamentally a user’s control or choice over how a computer will be used.

 

 
Lesson Outcome 7.4 Compare and contrast different types of problem solving and inquiry learning software.

     Teachers meet many instructional goals using educational software especially inquiry learning and problem solving. In addition, composing and calculating software programs found on a lot computers are Excel and Microsoft Word. Composing indicates to writing and calculating to mathematics. Since, every school curriculum core parts are mathematics and writing, every student is expect to advance in levels of proficiency in each of  these areas from elementary to secondary schooling. Also, spreadsheet and word processing programs software serves as main tools for learning and teaching. The Conference Communication and Composition view that college and K-12 students must have a lot hand on use of writing technologies and opportunities critically to evaluate the kinds of writing that computers make possible. However, digital writing or digital composing covers not only using computer for writing, but also text messaging, writing for a website and contributing to a wiki.  The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics offers read/write/think website that is has interactive tools to support writing for students, resources for writing nonfiction and fiction. Math learning is enhance by software. In addition, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics advocates interactive websites for math and software such as graphing calculators, spreadsheets and geometry visualization as key resources for math classrooms. An example of widely used in school system computer networks is Excel spreadsheet program. However, Creating, building and inventing software is when students are engage in explorations that are open ended. Learning starts at young ages when students play with balls, Legos, blocks and dolls in preschool, kindergarten and elementary. Older students who are in middle and high school write creatively, act in plays and skits. Besides, the definition for creating, building and inventing is similar to physical and hand on materials objects providing students with explorations that are engage and environments for interactive. Two examples of creating, building and inventing are Kid Pix and Google Earth. Kid Pix is a paint program and multimedia online art studio has evolved with collection of features that extensive. Teachers can use Kid Pix for creative learning that across the curriculum. Google Earth is globe that interactive inside the computer. Teachers can use Googles Earth in their classrooms having students to take virtual journey throughout communities. Also, visual thinking and concept mapping software allows students and teachers to outline and organize their ideas on the computer visually. Three visual thinking programs include the following: InspireData, Kidspiration and Inspiration. In concluding, the tools on the visual thinking programs include the following: voice, charts, symbols and graphs.

    

 Learning Outcome 7.5 Analyze educational games and simulations as learning resources.

     Computers games are software applications that are computer, video and web based game vastly popular among adolescents and children today. Games span a long variety of formats such as adventure games, knowledge games, and practice and drill games. Games almost reach into classroom and home for several reasons: multiple delivery systems including the following (1) smartphones, computer software and video games provide access widely to games to games virtually among every population of every segment, (2) Connections publicized highly between commercial and games products, movies and televisions promote interest across age levels and age groups and (3) alluring characters and storylines, adventure and action narratives based on responses, stimuli and characters that become addictive make children attractive to games. To continue, gamification is the application of non-gaming situations to game elements often to influence or motivate behavior. In years ahead, gamification is widely forecasted to become used in education and business, but experts warn game element increases in online activities might have negative impacts as well as positive outcomes. Video games are video game consoles and played on computers. Although video games are popular among children and adolescents, educators are learning still about the sociological and psychological impacts of game play. Many teachers and parents believe they should restrict severely computer use by students and ban totally preschoolers and kindergartens for learning or playing on the computer. This perspective shows that computer games are a detrimental distract from the process of developing thinking skills, writing and fluent reading among students. A person can evaluate inquiry learning and problem solving dimensions of video games and computer by putting them on two continuum of game experiences. The horizontal line presents learning goals of a game and ranges left to right from entertain to edutain to education. Entertainment games mainly are played for fun, without any explicit educational or learning goals in mind. Entertainment games use the game play for fun as way to sustain and attract the interests of students. In concluding, educational games are activates that have academic learning goals clearly as the basis of game play.

 
Learning Outcome 7.6 Give examples of digital games for learning, including virtual worlds, simulations games, and intelligent tutoring systems.

     Digital games for learning also known as serious games are web and computer based games that have been designed with educational rather than in mind entertainment goals. In 2006, Federation of American Scientists coined digital games for learning convening a Summit on Educational Games. In a 21st century information society, participants concluded that video games players are mastery skills essential for careers such as problem solving, adaptation to rapid change, interpretive analysis and strategic thinking. In addition, games are demanding, challenging and active of focus and concentration innovative ways to solve problems, whereas school is frequently uninspiring and passive as students repeat back on papers and tests based on them taking in information.  However, the Federation of American forecast educational games have the potential improve attitudes of students about learning complex subjects, including those subjects that are unattractive such as science and mathematics. To continue, two broad categories of digital games for learning are desktop-based and Internet based. Desktop-based games are download permanently to a person laptop or desktop computer. Internet based games can be played on any ready device for the Internet. Internet based games allows a person to play for free, while desktop games are commercial products a person have to purchase in order to play. Simulation game is a game that represents dynamically one or more processes or systems of real word which placed players in a computer generated setting with conflicting goals and choices where they make virtually experience and decisions those decisions based consequences. An example of simulation games is The River City Project. However, virtual worlds are online based environments in which users adopt identities online and interact with other players of the game using those identities. A well-known example of virtual world for adults is Second life. Second life is a subscription game online played by people worldwide, in which players adopt a person through which they work and live in a simulated world. Also, there are four strategies that can help teachers use gaming and games more effectively in the classroom. The four strategies include the following: play games together, minimize the use of games that teach isolated skills, scrutinize games that solely function on points lost or win and discuss games and their content. Play games together means teachers can critique and play games as part of school activities with students. Minimize the use of games that teach isolated skills means games that are educational target an isolated skill as part of reward system for games. Scrutinize games that solely function on points lost or win means games that are educational in which include players of the game must solve electronic challenges to win tokens, empires or popularity. These types of games needs an approval from teacher before students play. Discuss games and their content means teachers and parents need to preview games before students play them. In concluding, intelligent tutoring systems are dominant new software programs consisting of computer responses to students’ actions through promoting inquiry learning.

Reference

Edwards, S.A., Maloy, R.W., O’Loughlin, R.V., & Woolf, B.P. (2014) Transforming Learning

     with New Technologies. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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