GIS vs. GPS tools to enhance learning

Compare the features and instructional applications of GIS and GPS tools. How can educators use GIS and GPS tools to enhance student learning

A GIS is a Geographic Information System. This is a computer system that is able to store in its database a variety of information about a geographical location. One the information is stored about a particular location, it can translate this into a map format.

A Global Positioning System is a worldwide radionavigation system made possible with 24 satellites and their ground stations working together to calculate positions on earth within inches.

What we call a GPS is a combination of the mapping information with the radionavigation system.

This software is awesome in that it allows the students an opportunity to view their home, community and world in perspective as well as being able to see natural structures that impact them.

I think it is ideal to use this technology in a classroom to teach about their community in relation to their state as well as to teach student about directions and how to navigate in their world.

Geo caching is a fun way for students to learn how to utilize the equipment and basically be on a "treasure hunt".

Drill and Kill

Some people say drill and practice is really "drill and kill." What can teachers do to make
sure this kind of use doesn't happen and drill and practice can serve a useful function?

I think the reason drill and practice becomes drill and kill in some classes is the execution. Drill and practice comes after a concept has been taught that a teacher wants the student to have what is mentioned in Roblyer in chapter 3 to be automaticity. Information that is automatic will allow students to move to higher skill problems with ease. Many times, drill and practice is simply a timed worksheet or a basic computer program that is not interactive and is the same every day. Key to using any type of drill and practice will be to check on students and see if they are struggling in a specific area. The need to go back and refresh or - a concept may exist. Additional drill without checking where the students are is a frustration. Additional, continuous drill for a student who has conquered a concept is painful. The process should not be about the ease for the instructor, but how appropriate is the modality for the individual student.

The ideal option proposed in the book is to use computer programs for drill. The computer is an immediate feedback to whether the question has been answered completely as opposed to paper drill where the student may not know for days if their work was correct. I loved the statement "Practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent". It is imperative to make sure the concepts are learned and drilled correctly.

Distance Education Debate

Some educators feel that distance technologies will greatly improve education; some feel
education will suffer if they are overused. What are factors you can cite in support of each of these positions?

Distance education is a boon for the many people who are not traditional students. The awesomeness of distance education is that, for many, it is their opportunity to continue education without the boundaries of time and location. They can make the class work around the life they already lead. The reality of being able to participate in a conference or a class without the necessity of travel or relocation is phenomenal. This technology has enabled the rapid sharing of ideas for executives by allowing more frequent, short updates whether on legislation or industry standards. Students benenfit by having access to classes or forums that may not be available in their local area as well as if they are wanting to sample or get an introduction to a program without the commttment of time and travel.

There are definite downsides to distance education. The most important would be the ability to share in the dynamics of being in a classroom together and having the ability to feed ideas off of each other. Speaking from a personal perspective, this is the most interesting part of a class. The lecture can be listened to on an ipod, laptop, tv, etc. The dynamics of sharing ideas with a peer group of learners cannot be replaced. Additionally, the ability to inquire for additional information, to stay after class to continue a discussion cannot be disrespected.

The overuse of distance education is very possible with the promotion of technology and cost effectiveness. the greatest analogy of I can think of relates to the company 3M. 3M felt the idea of their employees being able to have discussions outside of strict work environment was so important, they designed their office buidling around this theory. There are no long, straight hallways at 3M. Instead, the company purposely made hallways with pocket spaces for conversations. They found that some of the greatest ideas of their company came from their own employees having the ability to have side conversations with one another throughout the day for brief intervals. Different departments found out what each other was doing, and quite often found a way to share this information for new research and development.

Education works this way as well - we need time and space to share ideas -and being perhaps old fashioned- being face to face is the greatest way to communicate.

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and students alike for twenty plus years. I am of the camp that not all education has to be formal classroom education. The teleconference has, for years, supported executives and students alike who were inneed of being updated or perhaps having participated in

Technology in special education

Describe issues related to training special education teachers to use technology.

Give examples of no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech solutions for special students.

Special education teachers have a full plate in their profession of providing creative solutions for their students, be it no tech or high tech. The greatest barrier I see is just the shear investigative time they have to spend just to find ideas that will benefit their student. I am currently taking another class called Accomodating Diverse Populations. I have been shown some incredible ideas of how to use technology to assist a student. My favorite is the use of an Ipod to teach deaf students and their families sign language in additions to being able to have stories that are "read" to the students on the ipod that they can carry home. This idea was presented to us by video of a teacher who is doing this. The amount of time and planning she put into this project is outstanding as are the results. The fact that she teaches deaf students means she can use these same resources for them all, and that one preparation can be used multiple times. The challenge for a special education teacher who has multiple different students with multiple needs would make this difficult.

My favorite example of a low tech technology solution that started out for the blind student only is books on tape. I distinctly remember an episode of Seinfeld where George was posing as a visually challenged individual so that the books on tape would be available to him. Controversial then, but I know the pleasure of being able to do what needs to be done and being able to listen to a great story at the same time. Obviously I get a different benefit than a blind person would as I have a choice about this - but it is awesome that by more people demanding this technology that it makes it more accessible for all.

For the mid-tech idea, I like the ease of allowing a student with dysgraphia to use a keyboard (computer/alphasmart) to complete lessons. This is such a beautiful, non attention getting solutions that allows students to blend so much more easily with their classmates and remain in the regular classroom as much as possible.

My favorite high tech use of technology would have to be some of the incredible robotics use for amputees. While this may not seem to fall into the educational technology realm, I believe it does. Any technology used that enables a learner to more fully participate in a lesson is a benefit. A student with a prosthesis may need no other modification to not only learn, but physically participate.

What are the "history wars," and what are their implications for technology use in history?

With students' ready access to information on the Internet, what might be the concerns of
social studies teachers?

The "history wars" have come about as a debate over the role of social studies and its curriculum for our students. Yhe two schools of thought include those who think the broader role of social studies should remain and those who feel that social studies should focus specifically on history and civics. The implicatons of tehnology on these viewpoints is interesting. The websites I found most useful no matter what the curriculum would begin with teaching responsible integration of information from the internet into school curriculum. Ideally, teaching students to find primary sources of information and studying the world at large in an accurate and responsible way. This is the focus of what we need for students to be preparing themselves for being responsible citizens - to be proactive, researching and curious citizens and to not take others word as if they were being fed what to think. Rather, they will be prepared to become participating, thinking citizens.

Media literacy

Media literacy, in my opinion, cannot be more important than literacy. By sheer definition, literacy is the ability to read, write and interact with the world. Media is one tool to facilitate literacy. I do strongly believe that many in society are heavily dependent on media. I myself have become heavily reliant on a smart phone over the last two years. No one is more shocked than myself. I was not an early adopter of cell phones. I have long resented the need of people to be reachable at all times at any cost. The change for me came when the media became a useful tool for me.

Medias importance is in its use as a tool and resource. Can I walk down the street and ask someone a question? Yes. Is picking up the phone easier? Yes. Is texting even easier since I don't have to have whole conversation to get the information? Yes. Could I simply look up the information and be done with the whole process without need of involving someone else? Most likely. For me, the importance of literacy is a basic need. Media literacy is a higher level of application.

The importance of media comes into play in situations where to use media enables someone to interact with the world in socially recognized ways. If media is the way a community is connected, like much of the industrial world is, then media is of rising importance.

In Chapter 9 of Robyler, it states quite clearly that we must create new definitions and ever expanding learning to stay competent in new literacies. My thought is, we still have to be able to actually read the instructions that come with new technologies.

POST THIS DISCUSSION IN YOUR BLOG (BY WEDNESDAY).

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TIP Model Phase 2-Determining the Relative Advantage

The superintendent of the Wellmade School District felt that every student should be "connected to the Information Superhighway," so he decided to install Internet connections in every school classroom in the district. The hardware and installations were funded through a federal grant and local business sponsors. Two years later, it became apparent that only about 25% of the teachers were using the Internet with students, and most uses were "casual surfing."

1. Why do you think the teachers did not see the relative advantage of this technology?

2. If you were made responsible for integrating this technology into instructional activities, how would you translate the superintendent's rationale into problems and solutions for which the relative advantage would be clear to teachers?

1. The superintendent of the school had the best of intentions in providing resources to all persons in the district. The challenge of this lies in the fact that frontline teachers were not invested in this project. In introducing ideas to the group, it is imperative to identify those who are early adopters. That is, persons who are, in this case, already technology users in their personal life. These persons already posses the technical skills and have seen the benefit of this type of technology in their personal lives. By simply making the technology available, without directions or requirement, the staff simply used the technology for what most people use their computers for at home - google searches, e-mail and solitaire.

2. In my opinion, key to making teacher's interested in this technology and its opportunity would be to enlist the assistance of early adopters (as described above). By coordinating this key group of people, some from each campus, it will be possible to create goals and opportunities to utilize this awesome access everyone's benefit.

So, initially, getting the early adopter's to invest in the idea with clear goals. Second would be to allow the early adopters to share their experiences, both successes and dead ends with staff in educational development. Small, multi-disciplinary groups seem to be a powerful way to share this. The third step would have to be to make goals for the staff to have some form of technology implementation into their lesson planning. Leaving this as an open ended opportunity would create some interesting ideas. I think there is just as much opportunity for math to implement technology as science or english. As a last step, it would be great to have each campus create a list of ideas to share with other campuses. Even a contest to see who was able to come up with the most interesting application for technology in education.

Gearing staff to accept new ideas will always be a challenge. Change is difficult for some, and exciting for others. The things we are most excited about in life are those that have clear benefits for us. So, let me add another last step, and that would be to share with staff what benefit there is for them to take the time and effort to change how they have been doing things to implement this new idea. For me, it is allowing students to have tools at hand will allow them to integrate from student to productive citizen in the world. The world is full of technology, let the kids be full of experience with it in a productive manner.