"An Over Reliance on Technology" by Mike Schaffner is an informative piece that really got me to question how much we rely on technology. We rely on technology such as spell and grammar check when we write a paper but are we really checking our work when we use this computer function. Obviously, Mike Schaffner’s own experiences as well as our own have proven the inability of spell check to properly check our work. Even after I have performed these functions, I seem to find several errors where my writing may not make any sense or may convey a different meaning then I intended. Plus, there is always the difference in American spelling versus Canadian spelling. Mr. Schaffner relates our reliance on technology to pilots who also rely on technology to fly planes. How scary is that tidbit of knowledge?
Mr. Schaffner’s comment about how the spell check incident he had “reminded [him] to use technology but not to forget who is responsible.” I thought this remark had great sentiment because when we hand in work, as students or as teachers, it is OUR name that appears on the cover page and, therefore, the work inside is OUR responsibility. We have to be aware that technology can fail us and we should follow certain proof-reading methods to ensure accuracy in our posts.
As teachers, we should also make our students aware that proof-reading is more than just using the spell and grammar check on our computer. We don’t want the focus of students’ papers to be on spelling and grammar (“grammar police”) but we do want them to be able to produce high-quality work. University as well as future employers expect high-quality work and it is our job as teachers to help our students learn how to produce that kind of work.
From various statistics and experience, we know how much students rely on technology. Using cell phones as alarm clocks has been referred to as this generation's "flat tire." Assignments have been accidentally erased due to a malfunction on a computer or an error that occurred with the technology. By making ourselves and our students aware of the flaws in technology, we create awareness that a backup is required to ensure that high-quality work is produced.
Excuse me now while I complete a spell and grammar check on Word....
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Congrats!
Life can get crazy.
As a student there is always a balancing act with assignments, midterms and large projects. I enjoyed reading Jay Gee's Blog last week and the article she chose to write about in her blog ("Message to New Teachers for a New Year: Patience, Persistence and Peace" by Lisa Michelle Dabbs) was very insightful to me. Her rendition of the article and how it applies to our lives at this very moment reminded me of talks from my EDFT 435 class about being present in the moment.
There are so many distractions in the life whether you are a student or a teacher. Those distractions may differ for each individual but the fact is that they exist. As a student, I try to overcome these distractions by creating a balance in life and creating time for those things that I consider of "top priority." However, even in those designated times I find myself distracted and not "really" present. It is a fair assessment that our future students will face some of these same distractions and difficulties in creating an adequate balance in their own lives.
As a future teacher, I plan to voice these comments made by the author to my students and congratulate them on how far they have come in their academic career at the beginning of the year. Most students, including myself, tend to focus on the negative feedback given by teachers instead of what they did right. No wonder students have a "fear of failure" if this ability to pause and reflect on past accomplishments does not seemingly exist in schools. I am very guilty of just getting through obstacles (to the best of my ability) with "patience" and "persistence" but rarely feel the "peace" mentioned in the article. The article mentions we have to work to find this "peace" and I can relate to that as I sift through the distractions of life to find it.
I think a way to find this peace is to be present in the moment. We, as teachers, have to think about our accomplishments and congratulate ourselves on them, not just find another project to complete. So I ask my fellow bloggers: what are some of your accomplishments for which I can congratulate you? Some individuals have completed their internship, which was a daunting task, while some have completed a significant portion of university. Congratulations! As the article states "give yourself a hug and feel a great sense of accomplishment." (Dabbs, 2012)
As a student there is always a balancing act with assignments, midterms and large projects. I enjoyed reading Jay Gee's Blog last week and the article she chose to write about in her blog ("Message to New Teachers for a New Year: Patience, Persistence and Peace" by Lisa Michelle Dabbs) was very insightful to me. Her rendition of the article and how it applies to our lives at this very moment reminded me of talks from my EDFT 435 class about being present in the moment.
There are so many distractions in the life whether you are a student or a teacher. Those distractions may differ for each individual but the fact is that they exist. As a student, I try to overcome these distractions by creating a balance in life and creating time for those things that I consider of "top priority." However, even in those designated times I find myself distracted and not "really" present. It is a fair assessment that our future students will face some of these same distractions and difficulties in creating an adequate balance in their own lives.
As a future teacher, I plan to voice these comments made by the author to my students and congratulate them on how far they have come in their academic career at the beginning of the year. Most students, including myself, tend to focus on the negative feedback given by teachers instead of what they did right. No wonder students have a "fear of failure" if this ability to pause and reflect on past accomplishments does not seemingly exist in schools. I am very guilty of just getting through obstacles (to the best of my ability) with "patience" and "persistence" but rarely feel the "peace" mentioned in the article. The article mentions we have to work to find this "peace" and I can relate to that as I sift through the distractions of life to find it.
I think a way to find this peace is to be present in the moment. We, as teachers, have to think about our accomplishments and congratulate ourselves on them, not just find another project to complete. So I ask my fellow bloggers: what are some of your accomplishments for which I can congratulate you? Some individuals have completed their internship, which was a daunting task, while some have completed a significant portion of university. Congratulations! As the article states "give yourself a hug and feel a great sense of accomplishment." (Dabbs, 2012)
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Web Quest or E Portfolio? That is the question...
I was intrigued in class today about our various options for our project. I noticed that the e-portfolio section had a lot more "webs" or ideas attached to it. Some of those ideas I have already completed or am completing as I type this blog entry. I am well aware that an e-portfolio will have many positive implications towards my future employment and that I should take time to type out my teaching philosophy. I do like the idea of having a professional website that includes all my education, awards and abilities.
However...
I would also enjoy learning how to develop a Web Quest. My co-operating teacher has plans for me to sub in April and I plan to design my Web Quest to suit the needs of her class during that time. I also desire to become more aware of the process of developing a Web Quest for my future classes. I want my students to be more "hands on" in my classes to create a better understanding of mathematical concepts. In other words, to have "math make sense." That terminology may scare some people because of the textbooks in classrooms that declare that fact but offer little evidence when used. Hopefully, I can help to overcome these fears through the use of more inquiry based learning tools such as Web Quest.
A decision must be made by myself and other members of this ETAD 470 class on whether to create a Web Quest or e-Portfolio. What will your decision be?
However...
I would also enjoy learning how to develop a Web Quest. My co-operating teacher has plans for me to sub in April and I plan to design my Web Quest to suit the needs of her class during that time. I also desire to become more aware of the process of developing a Web Quest for my future classes. I want my students to be more "hands on" in my classes to create a better understanding of mathematical concepts. In other words, to have "math make sense." That terminology may scare some people because of the textbooks in classrooms that declare that fact but offer little evidence when used. Hopefully, I can help to overcome these fears through the use of more inquiry based learning tools such as Web Quest.
A decision must be made by myself and other members of this ETAD 470 class on whether to create a Web Quest or e-Portfolio. What will your decision be?
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Math makeover?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWUFjb8w9Ps
This is a great TED talk about Math Class needing a makeover by Dan Meyer.
I enjoy his opening quote how as a High School Math Teacher he is selling "a product to a market that doesn't want it but is forced by law to buy it." How true is that? I have encountered many students throughout my years of tutoring that dislike math for one reason or another.
I also enjoy his ideas on how to improve on teaching a math class. He suggests "use multimedia" which I did extensively in my classroom during internship. He also says as a teacher we must "encourage student intuition" and "ask the shortest question you can." I definitely can see his point of bringing word problems to life by actually solving the problem in real life (he demonstrates how long it takes to fill a water tank). He suggests that teachers should "let students build the problem" and "be less helpful." I definitely agree with him that textbook teach students in all the wrong ways. My mathematics curriculum class showed me how reliant I am on finding out what the answer is right away, a problem with students who have had the answers at the back of the book all their lives.
Math textbook problems tend to direct the student and be too helpful. He is right to question whether we are teaching our students math or how they should "decode a textbook." As a student, I could always figure out how to do problems by looking at the examples at the beginning of the chapter.
It is definitely a challenge to teach math, let alone trying to teach it in a way in which you have never been taught. I look forward to bringing some of the ideas Dan brought to light into my own classroom.
This is a great TED talk about Math Class needing a makeover by Dan Meyer.
I enjoy his opening quote how as a High School Math Teacher he is selling "a product to a market that doesn't want it but is forced by law to buy it." How true is that? I have encountered many students throughout my years of tutoring that dislike math for one reason or another.
I also enjoy his ideas on how to improve on teaching a math class. He suggests "use multimedia" which I did extensively in my classroom during internship. He also says as a teacher we must "encourage student intuition" and "ask the shortest question you can." I definitely can see his point of bringing word problems to life by actually solving the problem in real life (he demonstrates how long it takes to fill a water tank). He suggests that teachers should "let students build the problem" and "be less helpful." I definitely agree with him that textbook teach students in all the wrong ways. My mathematics curriculum class showed me how reliant I am on finding out what the answer is right away, a problem with students who have had the answers at the back of the book all their lives.
Math textbook problems tend to direct the student and be too helpful. He is right to question whether we are teaching our students math or how they should "decode a textbook." As a student, I could always figure out how to do problems by looking at the examples at the beginning of the chapter.
It is definitely a challenge to teach math, let alone trying to teach it in a way in which you have never been taught. I look forward to bringing some of the ideas Dan brought to light into my own classroom.
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