Module 5 Reading Response

Gayl Bowser and Joy Smiley Zabala's article, "AIM For Digital Equity" focuses on the possibilities to make learning easier for students with digital media.  In the first section, they explain why some students have difficulty with printed materials.  In the second, they tell a story about a student who struggled with his math homework because he had difficulty reading the problems until his teacher introduced an online version of the text that he could listen to.  The third section describes possible strategies for teachers to implement digital texts to help struggling readers.

In world language classrooms, the use of multimedia in the classroom has been around for decades.  Students of language need to be able to hear, see and actively use the language in order to really learn it.  many students, not just those who struggle to read in general, find a language class with nothing but reading quite difficult.  I personally think that shy students are a group that can be helped the most by using technology:  it allows them to present their work without being up in front of the whole class.

On the other hand, the internet can also be used as a crutch (or to cheat outright) with translation software.  Even when they know how inaccurate it is, many students still try to use these programs to do the work for them.  In order to prevent this, teachers need to demonstrate just how ridiculously inaccurate these programs can be and we on guard for language use beyond what a student has learned in class.

Mod 4 Reading Response

Dr. Daniel Light's article, "Principals for Web 2.0 Success," is full of useful information for principals to encourage teachers to use more technology, specifically Web 2.0 resources, in their classrooms.  I think this is particularly useful for administrators who would like to encourage technology use among teachers who are reluctant to add new materials to their "tried-and-true" lessons.  I think that incorporating Web 2.0 tools into regular professional development is a great idea, because it lets teachers see firsthand how they work and what they can do.  Dr. Light also suggested providing positive feedback for teachers using 2.0 resources.  I know that I would be ecstatic if I got online one day and saw that my principal had left a positive message on my google site, or told me that they watched one of the funny German videos I posted for my students.  That would go a long way toward not only creating and maintaining good rapport with teachers, but also encouraging them to use technology to improve their classes.

Mod 3 Reading Response

What I first noticed when I read Ms. Vaidyanathan's article, "Fostering Creativity and Innovation Through Technology" is the emphasis on educating students for the "global workforce."  This seems to be a common concern among educators who work with technology.  The internet has opened up ways to connect with people around the world, and the internet can help us prepare to function in the new "global" economy and society.  As a teacher of language, I can appreciate that!

Secondly, it was very interesting to read about all of the innovative things that her students were creating.  Making original work is something that many students do not do in their classes; they memorize and repeat without synthesizing or creating anything new.  Ms. Vaidyanathan pointed out that technology gives students room to be creative and try new things without negative consequences.  It makes sense that students would at first just make copies of the example and ask a lot of questions about the assignment before they felt the freedom to really experiment.  We need more of that in our schools.

Lastly, Ms. Vaidyanathan made an interesting point about technology as an affordable school resource.  Many people understandably see technology as a luxury that most schools cannot afford, but with just a few computers, students and teachers gain access to the entire internet of tools such as Web 2.0, online news and scholarly journals, textbooks, videos, music, and software that fosters creativity- all of which can be accessed freely.  Once a school invest in a few computers, then an entire world of tools becomes available.

Mod 1: Reading Response

Power Up!

After growing up in the generation first taught using PowerPoint, it was very interesting to read an article talking about the program’s potential from 14 years ago.  At the time, PowerPoint must have seemed like a great and creative new way to “jazz up” lectures.  However, the main problem with PowerPoint is just that:  it is still used primarily to lecture.  I read through the possible classroom uses listed in this article, and the only activity listed that included student engagement beyond lecturing was the Jeopardy Game.  I think the biggest failing of PowerPoint is that it is too easy to be used as a crutch:  teachers believe that adding color and graphics is enough to make a lecture interesting and engaging for students.  The author of this article often mentions how pictures and sound effects “capture students’ attention,” but our generation is constantly being bombarded with pictures and videos and sounds- adding a few to the same old lecture is not going to go very far.

On the other hand, PowerPoint can be very helpful if it is one tool in a teacher’s entire “toolbox.”  This article mentioned using PowerPoint to help students who are nervous speaking in front of the class give presentations.  When used correctly, this can be a comfort, providing a small barrier between the presenter and the class.  The lights dim and the presenter does not need to make eye contact with the audience because everyone is looking up at the pictures.  This does help students who are shy about public speaking.

There was, however, a statement made by the author that I believe is not at all true:  “PowerPoint also can help address other learning styles, such as the auditory, visual kinesthetic, and manipulative.”  Presentations with pictures and graphs may be more useful to visual learners, but I cannot imagine a way to use PowerPoint to teach manipulative learning styles, and this was never addressed.  A SmartBoard could be used in this way (moving words and images around on the screen), but not a regular PowerPoint presentation.

Mod 1: Smart Exchange Activities

 The first activity I found (that wasn't Jeopardy) is the "My Family" activity.  This short vocabulary game would be a good warm-up activity for a German 1 level class.  It would be a good chance to get the more physically active students up to the front manipulating the words, and students at that level (usually freshmen) enjoy opportunities to show their classmates that they do know the material and aren't dumb.  I might also use it as review before a test or quiz.

The second activity I found is the "Popcorn Game," which is a creative way to show questions.  I think it's original purpose is to review for a test, but I would rather use it to start discussions.  Instead of vocabulary or grammar questions, they could be personal questions or discussion starters.  This way, it could be used at any level, depending on the level of the questions.  Hitting the kernels with koosh balls would be a great release for the higher-energy students and get them engaged, as long as things don't get out of hand.

The third activity that caught my attention is the "My Bad" game.  It plays like a virtual version of the board game "Sorry," except that you have to answer questions before you can move ahead.  This would be a nice option for reviewing before a test or quiz in small groups.  I think I would prefer to keep this at a lower level class, I could see older students being a little offended and thinking that this game is pointless (unless the group is right).