Class was actually a lot more fun that I anticipated it would be. I initially thought class was going to be a review on how to edit pictures in Picasa or something, however we got the opportunity to mess around with a really cool comic program. Comic Life is a truly wonderful tool in promoting creativity. As I was creating my comic book for geometry I found myself thinking of all kinds of different ways I could portray shapes and terms of geometry. The way I look at it if I started to think of all kinds of new ways to portray an idea with this program, just imagin what kids could do.
I really believe kids would absolutely love this program! It allows so many different forms of creativity and authenticy that it is hard to not enjoy what you are working on. If I had a program like this when I become a teacher I would have my studnets use it for all kinds of projects. Specifacilly for those subjects that tend to not be as exciting. (Like math.) By using this wonderful tool I think that I would be able to change attitudes and feelings about subjects that tend to be difficult.
Overall Comic Life is a great tool!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
a. Discuss the potential benefits of the computer tutors.
b. Are there any concerns or weaknesses?
c. How would you better design those tutors?
This week in class we took some time to look over different web based tutors that are designed to help kids and teachers learn all kinds of different subjects. I believe that computer tutors have both, good things and bad things about them. Some of the good things I think come from computer tutors is that the activities are usually quite engaging. I think that kids who struggle to pay attention in class might really benefit from online tutors. With such a high level of engagement I believe kids who struggle to pay attention will find it easier to do so with an online tutor. I also think that the learning that goes on with most of the tutors use a variety of methods to target different learning styles. I believe that this is important because we are all different and as a result we all learn differently.
Some of the concerns I have with some of the activities are that some of the activities are too easy. When I say easy I mean that the answer to questions are too easily found. I believe that a little effort would be good for any student. Another concern I have with some of the online tutors is that the material presented is in a fashion that is difficult to understand. While most tutors were simple to use and navigate some were very difficult to understand what the site was trying to teach.
If I were to design an online tutor I would design it in a was so that kids have to search out the answer rather than be presented with one. I am a big fan of Piaget and one of his key ideas is that children construct their knowledge. My online tutor would be based on this idea. I would provide a website in which kids are presented with a problem then they would have to explore ideas and possibilities to find a solution.
In conclusion I think that tutors are a great tool to reinforce learning but I would never use a tutor to present new material.
b. Are there any concerns or weaknesses?
c. How would you better design those tutors?
This week in class we took some time to look over different web based tutors that are designed to help kids and teachers learn all kinds of different subjects. I believe that computer tutors have both, good things and bad things about them. Some of the good things I think come from computer tutors is that the activities are usually quite engaging. I think that kids who struggle to pay attention in class might really benefit from online tutors. With such a high level of engagement I believe kids who struggle to pay attention will find it easier to do so with an online tutor. I also think that the learning that goes on with most of the tutors use a variety of methods to target different learning styles. I believe that this is important because we are all different and as a result we all learn differently.
Some of the concerns I have with some of the activities are that some of the activities are too easy. When I say easy I mean that the answer to questions are too easily found. I believe that a little effort would be good for any student. Another concern I have with some of the online tutors is that the material presented is in a fashion that is difficult to understand. While most tutors were simple to use and navigate some were very difficult to understand what the site was trying to teach.
If I were to design an online tutor I would design it in a was so that kids have to search out the answer rather than be presented with one. I am a big fan of Piaget and one of his key ideas is that children construct their knowledge. My online tutor would be based on this idea. I would provide a website in which kids are presented with a problem then they would have to explore ideas and possibilities to find a solution.
In conclusion I think that tutors are a great tool to reinforce learning but I would never use a tutor to present new material.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Instructional Architect
Class today was pretty good. We had a guest lecture who talked to us about all of the good information and cool tools available on Instructional Architect. What I really like about IA is that their is a wide variety of lesson plans and web based sources available to teachers. I have seen websites like this before, however, they usually cost money and are not so freely available to the public. The tools that I thought were the most useful were the lesson plan developer and the resource manager. What I really liked about the lesson planner was that there were not all kinds of useless tools or categories that you had to fill in in order to make the lesson plan. This allowed the user to create a lesson plan very efficiently. I also liked the way the resource manager kept track of your noted sources; I felt like it was easy to use, read, and understand. After getting acquainted with WebQuest and Instructional Architect I would have to say that I will most likely use Instructional Architect when I have to develop and create my final lesson plan for the semester. I will also more than likely use IA in the future to find resources and tools to better develop my own lesson plans.
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