ESC407 Melintheclassroom

As my teaching area is going to be science, this week, I’ve had a delightful time downloading science based apps and playi...sorry, testing them, so I could complete this week's blogging task.   There are, of course, numerous Apps and software programs that can be used in the science classroom but one of the most useful categories would have to be the simulation.  Simulations are available in either App form from Google Play Store or the AppStore and are also available as open source software for computers. Defined by Smetana and Bell (2012) as ‘computer generated, dynamic models of the real world and its processes’, simulations have been found to provide many advantages in the science classroom.  Whilst they have been found to be most effective when used in conjunction with teacher guidance and support materials (Smetana and Bell, 2012), the evidence is overwhelmingly in support of computer generated simulations being valuable teaching and learning tools (S...

The question that was asked was: What was your opinion about technology in the classroom?  Do you think your original position is changing? Why/why not? I have always considered that technology has a place in the classroom and my position on this has not changed.  Mainly because I believe that the role of schools is to prepare children for their futures and I see no future in which technology won’t exist.  I do think however that we need to ensure that we are not using technology, simply for school marketing purposes or to tick a syllabus requirement box.  It is critical that the distinction between informal use and formal use is made and that only formal use exists in the  classroom – as is required in a workplace.   Paige. (Artist).  (2015).   Paige | Integrating Mobile Tech Into Learning ... - Sites at Penn State. Retrieved March 7, 2018, from http://sites.psu.edu/paigevgraffmobiletechnologies/author/pvg5061/...

I saw positives and negatives in both schools in the videos.  However, I think technology should be used in schools. Regardless of our viewpoint of it, technology is here to stay and it will have a role to play in their futures. I can’t think of a single type of job or career where technology is not utilised (or at least available to be utilised) in one form or another. To be citizens in the 21st Century and beyond, they will need 21 st Century skills. However, the teaching of specific software and applications is less important as changes are sure to continue at a rapid pace.  What is going to be critical though, is the ability to blend the “legacy content” and the “future content” referred to by Prensky (2001) to ensure that the future content enhances the learning of the legacy content.  As technology changes, students will need the confidence and digital literacy to embrace new technologies and to learn to use them as they come. There are certainly times w...

hi all I find I have so much to say after Week 2's readings that I'm going to post several short posts - to ensure that I don't go too much over the word limit - always going to be a problem for me! According to Prensky's (2001) definition, I am definitely not a Digital Native.  However, I'm don't really consider myself to be an Immigrant. I am quite tech savvy and will embrace new technology as long as I see a genuine use for it; I consider myself to have a high degree of digital literacy.  BUT...I lack passion for it, it’s merely a tool for me.  I long for pen and paper, could quite happily live without social media and have no interest in gaming whatsoever.  In the workplace though, I couldn’t imagine how I’d function without technology. Amongst my friends, friend's children, family, children, children’s friends and colleagues, I can’t really think of any exceptions to the Digital Native stereotype. However, I can think of many, like me, who a...