Anisha+Lancaster

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===I am a 26 year old female wife and mother to 3. I am majoring in special education and am currently a junior.This is my second quarter here at UC. I recently got my Associates degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. I currently work for Norwood City Schools as an educational aide and absolutely love my job! I have quite a bit of experience with technology. I like to think that I am up to date since I have recently purchased an ipad and new all in one touch screen desktop, although at times I think my youngest who is 2 can manipulate the ipad better than I can. I look forward to learning new things that I can incorporate in the classroom. ===

1. Does technology make a difference in the learning process or could you teach just as well without it? I do believe that technology can make a difference in the learning process but it is not necessary. One could teach without it, its just more common in our society and with our technology based world to use it. I have experienced first hand how it can reach an individual helping them grasp the concept or engage in the learning process.

2. Are students today fundamentally different than students in the past? I would say that students could be thought of as fundamentally different than students in the past just because of how they are raised today. I recall learning from big textbooks when I was in school and anymore you just don't see them. I work at a school and I can honestly say we don't even have a chalk board, so of course the students are going to be different. I would say each new "graduating class" brings a new different to the plate than the last.

**Key Characteristics of :**

__**Objectivist **__ [|A Vision of Students Today YouTube Video] __**Constructivist **__ [|Constructivism in Education YouTube Video]
 * Knowledge is considered as existing externally and independent from the learner
 * The teacher may see students as only learners.
 * Each student acquires knowledge and this knowledge is the same for everyone
 * One way communication in teaching and learning. The teacher lectures, the learners listen.
 * In a traditional situation of teaching and learning, the teacher transmits his knowledge of the subject (or, the knowledge he considers relevant) as an expert to a less educated group of students. The teacher is the one who is primarily active, while the students acquire the knowledge offered without communicating with each other. Their learning progress is examined regularly in tests designed by the teacher. This method is based on the assumption that it is possible for the teacher to determine // what // his students should know. The teacher assumes that the goals he or she sets can be achieved. For this purpose, the material to be transmitted is analyzed and subdivided into units that are to be transmitted to the students one by one (cf. the // Instructional Design Theory // by Gagné). In this process, the material gradually becomes more difficult. At the same time, this method is designed to match the learning ability of the average learner.
 * From a constructivist point of view, a human being constructs his own reality, objectivists say that human experiences play only a minor role in structuring the world, as “meaning is something that exists in the world quite aside from experience”.
 * Learners are perceived as holistic persons
 * Learners form their own interpretation of the subject matter
 * The teacher encourages discussion among the learners.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In a class, which is run according to constructivistic guidelines, the teacher does not act as a pure knowledge transmitter who only accepts ONE true answer to his/her problem but as a coach or facilitator offering thought provoking suggestions for solving the tasks given. Students are expected to use their own experiences to solve a problem as a group using different ways and methods. In constructivism, there is not a 'one and only true way' to solve a task. The solution of a problem rather depends upon individual experiences and thoughts. As already mentioned above, most of the time students work together in groups, exchange their suggestions and thoughts in <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">discussions to reach one or more solutions. The teacher judges and evaluates the skills and deficiencies of each individual student, for example, in the course of a discussion. Teachers are more flexible because they cannot expect only one correct answer to their questions.

<span style="color: #f98b10; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">**My Thoughts on OBJECTVIST vs. CONSTUCTIVIST**

My own person experience with has only been through the objectivist way of teaching. I work in the school and sadly enough that is the only way of teaching I see as well. With standardized testing teachers assume they have little to no time to teach the curriculum required to prepare their students. I for one know that this type of learning experience does not reach every students. I would be more likely to learn from a constructivist type of teaching because I am utilizing what I am learning. Like the Ferris Buehler clip of traditional "bad" teaching, I see this everyday. I myself will daze off because the instructor is using to big of a vocabulary and lost my attention within the first sentence. Being an educator does not mean just getting the information out there to the students, it means to have your students genuinely understand and apply what they are being taught.

<span style="color: #3bc9c8; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">**ISTE STANDARDS**

1. ** Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:


 * d. || model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. ||


 * <span style="color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">This class has been based around engaging in face-to-face and virtual environments where we have had to collaborate our knowledge. Students today are so technology savvy that we as future educators need to engage in virtual environments every chance we get. Learning from my fellow classmates has definitely helped broaden my knowledge base on how to use technology to my advantage. Dr. Angelone has been most helpful in guiding our learning process through our in class and online activities. **


 * <span style="color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">My favorite part is sharing a thought or something you have found with another peer, then seeing them be inspired on how they too could use that resource/idea. I would love to lead a class one day that is facilitated with the use of an IPad. The day is coming where every child in a classroom will have access to a computer. **


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:


 * a. || design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. ||


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">In this class we have been asked a few times to go around to different stations where we can gain learning experiences through the use of technology. The content has always applied to our subject area and to the other classmates majors as well. I liked that we have always been given the chance to view multiple stations and see how other games or resources may be useful in a different content area. My favorite in class learning station was multimedia stations. During this time we got the chance to rotate to 7 different stations in which we manipulated a device or maneuvered around on the web to gain knowledge about how multimedia can be used in an educational setting. For me this was a great start to my classroom experience. I learned that there is different ways to manipulate a power point so that it is not just lecture/presentation based. I got to manipulate a smart board for the first time, which was nice considering I work in a school had yet been given the chance use one. Dr. Angelone and classmates shared useful apps for the IPad that I hope to use with my own children as well as students one day. **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">**3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning**

> Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:


 * a. || demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. ||

**<span style="color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">For me to going into the teaching profession means that I need to re-evaluate how kids learn today. Let's face it we live in a technology based world and that is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means that the way we teach needs to come from a new approach. Being in my 20's I like to think I grew up with technology, yet I learned a lot from this class. In high school we were just taught the basics and mostly that was with Microsoft software. Now days just knowing the basics of a computer is not enough. I work in a school and there are teachers that em-brass technology, some that will use the smart board just to bring up a class worksheet, and others who only use their class computer to check email. Fluency of technology systems needs to go beyond specific software and educators like myself need to understand the ways in which these new tools can make a significant difference in student learning. **

**<span style="color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">With Dr. Angelone's class I was able to see so many more resources that help an educators job easier and more attractive to the students. Through multimedia stations and game stations in class I was able to maneuver around a SMART board (which I had never done before) play interactive educational games, find pre-made lesson plans online and so much more. Through our classroom collaboration page [|Digio Computer Tools for Teachers] I never knew this site existed and it has so many tools in all subject areas for an educator to use. Many of the interactive lessons have students getting up out of there seats, working with other students to gain knowledge and understanding of the content. Through this website they also have sub links to a parent webpage and a student webpage. This to me would allow teachers, parents, and students to work collaboratively. **

**<span style="color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">I feel like as though my knowledge and fluency in technology has only begun. My professors, peers, own children, and future students will continue to allow me to gain knowledge over the years. I defiantly feel more confident and enlivened to be able to model technology to my future students. **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">**4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility** <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:
 * c. || promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information ||
 * I feel as though every time I step into our "digital" classroom I have to uphold to digital etiquette and responsible social interactions. One scenario in particular stands out meeting this standard and that was the [|Internet Safety] assignment. Our group got Scenario 5 in which we received an email from a concerned parent about how students where blogging about another student in a disguised mean manner. We had to respond to said parent in a respectful manner. As a educator in this situation we were in the wrong for not properly monitoring the blog site. **

<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; display: block; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode';">Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode';">5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership **
 * c. || evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning. ||

**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #414141; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,sans-serif,'Lucida Sans Unicode'; font-size: 12px;">In this class **// ** Computer Tools for Teachers ** //** we have been utilizing our class [|Wiki] web pages to share knowledge with one another. To me this class has taught us to use our technology in a resourceful way. The **** [|Diigo] **//site has allowed us as the students to share links to web pages that showcase exemplary uses of technology. On our class ** [|Wiki] **// **//Dr. Angelone had us complete an in class assignment on [|Game Stations]//****. During this exercise she shared with us some popular gaming websites that may be useful to certain areas of content. During class we got to spend 15 minutes on two different games then reflect on our experience. **** I really feel as though my growth has just begun. I also think it is the local school districts responsibility to make existing teachers aware of all of these technological resources available to aide in the education of students. I work with many teachers that know little to nothing about how to maneuver around a computer let alone show a student how to manipulate one. As educators we need to all be demonstrating and promoting digital tools in the classroom. **

__<span style="color: #ff002b; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">My final REFLECTION __
What I thought I would learn in this class and what I walked away with are two totally different things. I had this idea that I would be tinkering with gadgets and learning the ins and outs of them for use in the classroom. Although we did touch base on devices the class was more broader than just that. I walked away with much more. I feel like the class was more useful to me in that it expanded my understanding on how we should use the technologies we are given not just know how to use them.

Through diigio the class learned in a constructivist manor. We where given a spot to share websites that will later help us on our education path. As a class we where encouraged to by Dr. Angelone to discuss and give feedback on the websites that we shared with one another. I really enjoyed this way of learning. Not only online did the class run this way. Also in the classroom Dr. Angelone sought to create a learning environment where students direct their learning, which I had never experienced to the fullest before. I hope to create a classroom like this one day. As a student I felt more at ease and understood the content better than just being lectured to. The objectivist way of learning and teaching is not for me. Thank you for opening up my eyes to this.

I feel as though I went into this class hoping to just get it over with and I have walked away with much more than I anticipated. I actually wish we had more time to reflect on so much more that I have questions on. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;">