Integration Matrix Final

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnTg-VjFaoUtdGRuOWczbnhzcnNnb2l6Sk5uTzVuNlE&pli=1#gid=0

I have found this integration matrix to be very useful in learning how to incorporate technology with a lesson plan. I have realized that there are many ways to add certain technologies in your classroom everyday. The most important thing is to realize that it depends on what you are trying to teach your students. In my lesson plan, I decided that one of the most important things for my students to use is an online dictionary. This tool helps the students find out the meaning of many words that were not covered in the lecture. This gives them a wide range of vocabulary to use when it comes time to present their information to the class.

Another technology that comes in handy in my lesson plan is the use of powerpoint.This is beneficial for both the teacher as well as the students in many ways. One way is that in the beginning of the lesson when the teacher is lecturing about the topic, using a power point presentation can help the students keep us with what the teacher is saying. it also allows the teacher to sum up key words about the topic that is being taught. This helps the students organize their notes in a very functional way

Power point is also very helpful when it comes time to have the students present information. It is a way to organize what they are about to present in a neat way so that the other students can understand clearly what is being presented. It also allows the students to add images and videos to help make their point on what is being presented.

The purpose of my lesson plan was to help them gain more conversation skills by learning a wider range of vocabulary such as the weather. I believe that practice is a key component in learning vocabulary words as well as conversation skills. The use of certain tools such as wimba is a great way to have the students practice speaking orally. They can write down what they want to say and then continue to record what their conversation. This tool allows the students to go back and listen to their recording so that they can see the areas that they need to improve in. This is beneficial for students because they might not always know someone who speaks the target language. This allows them to practice without having to have someone else be there with them.

In conclusion, I believe that all the technologies that I was able to integrate into my lesson plan are very beneficial to students. They are able to use computers for many things such as internet, computer programs etc. The internet provides students with endless opportunities for research and advancement in learning the target language as well as the target culture. Technology can help students learn at a much faster rate allowing them to learn more than they would normally learn without technology. It is important for teachers to learn how to properly integrate certain technologies in the classroom to benefit their students.

This assignments has taught me how to properly integrate technolgy in a lesson plan. I believe that I will use the skills learned in this class in my future classrooms. It is important for every teacher to take a class similar to this one to help them become successful teachers!

Classroom Technology Wish List: 101 Ways to Bring Technology into the Classroom

http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/26/101-ways-classroom-technology/

        I recently came across this website that lists 101 ways a teacher can incorporate technology in a classroom. my favorite part about this blog is that it just does not list 3 or 4 ways, but instead lists over a hundred! Some teachers use the excuse that they cannot use technology because the materials they are teaching do not permit them to use it. They also use excuses like they are unsure of how to incorporate technology, so they just stick to teaching without it. This website proves that you can incorporate technology in any lesson plan for any content area. Students today grow up using technology. I believe that it is so important to use it in the classroom because this keeps students interested and helps them learn in ways that they are familiar with. I also believe that technology is the future and for some students who do not have the privilege of using it in their homes, teaching with technology will help them learn skills that will benefit in the future.

Interactivity # 5

       The teacher that I interviewed is a 9-12 teacher in the Garfield public school district. While interviewing her I asked certain questions about how the school uses these standards with their students. The teacher's response was surprising in that she stated that the school has not used the standards. She said that she has heard of the standards before, but she was not very familiar with them. I asked her what she could tell me about the standards and she really could not recall much about them. I brought a copy of them to show her and when she read through them she was shocked at the fact that her school does not require the teachers to know about them. After reading the standards, she stated that she actually does use some of the standards in her classroom without knowing that they were standards. using technology in her classroom is very important to her especially because she is a foreign language teacher. She stated "computers are my students' best friends when it comes to helping them learn the language". She is able to use many programs to help her students record themselves speak and have them improve their speaking skills. She also uses the internet as a way for her students to research about the countries' culture and traditions as well as the geography and history. According to her this is the perfect way for a student to get a sense of a certain culture without actually traveling to the country.
         The teacher I interviewed believes that each teacher should use the NETS standards in their everyday teaching process. She asked if she can keep the copy that i brought with me so that she can use it as a reference for herself and also show it to her colleagues. Using the Nets standards is a great way to make sure that your students are getting the most out of what they are learning.
         As a future teacher, I plan to refer back to the NETS standards and implement them in my class. i believe that the students have a right to a great education and i want to make sure that I am able to provide one for them. I will not only follow these standards to help the students' learning process, but I will also make sure that other teachers are aware of them and help them find ways to incorporate them into their classroom as well.


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnTg-VjFaoUtdHNWZC1NRFVUM2xFem5ZbGZ0ZWg3WFE#gid=0

Using games to learn italian

           Computers are a great technology to use while teaching a language. They offer a student many different creative ways to learn a  language while having fun. There are many websites that offer games to help learn Italian which I believe can be very beneficial to students. Here's a creative website I wanted to share with everyone that uses games to teach Italian.






http://www.moltobeneitalian.com/

Interactivity #4

       

      I chose this particular lesson plan because I feel like it is a creative way to have students learn new adjectives. Students are not only learning new grammar and vocabulary, but they are learning them in a way that they can also express themselves as an individual. They are using computers to draw pictures of certain adjectives. Having the students become involved in a lesson allows them to be interested and want to learn. 

          I do not believe that there are any gaps in the lesson plan between the curriculum goals, teaching strategies and technologies used. The lesson plan has a good flow to it. It starts off with a teacher led student discussion that gives an introduction to the lesson. Then it continues to have the students individually work and practice what they have learned. The teacher decided to allow students to draw pictures on a computer to practice the new words that they have learned. I believe that choosing a computer was a great idea because it gives students the ability to be creative while learning which is very important. 

         I believe that students become very interested in a lesson when a certain technology is involved. Using a computer interests students because they have fun when using one. Making a lesson fun for students is important because it causes students to want to learn. As a teacher, you want your students to be interested in what you are trying to teach them. Finding  a way to incorporate fun while also successfully teaching a lesson can be a challenging thing to do as a teacher, but if you achieve that you will ultimately be successful. 




https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnTg-VjFaoUtdHNWZC1NRFVUM2xFem5ZbGZ0ZWg3WFE#gid=0 

Interactivity # 3 Technology Inventory for Languages

           Working with a group to make an online technology inventory took quite a good amount of time and planning. Creating a google spreadsheet is a great way to easily collaborate with other group members because we were able to stay updated with everyone's postings. The group that I worked with did a great job at keeping this a group project because everyone did their part. before going into this interactivity I thought that it was going to be difficult and that we might not work well as a group. I was proved wrong.
         After reading all the technologies that my group was able to come up with I was very surprised to see many interesting ones that I would have never thought of myself. Every technology listed in our spreadsheet is a great strategy to use to one day teach a language to a class. A few really good technologies that my group came up with are the use of language labs to use programs such as wimba or to do exercises such as recording your voice to improve fluency the language you are trying to learn.
          This technology inventory can serve a really good purpose in my Read 411 course because I am required to do a lesson plan to my class that has to do with my content area. This can be great practice for me when I have to teach lesson plans to my future classes. Using the ideas incorporated in the inventory can be very useful in getting comfortable using strategies that will one day serve a helpful purpose to me. I believe that it takes a good amount of practice to feel comfortable and confident teaching a lesson plan and this activity as well as activities we are doing in Read 411 and Curr 314 are giving me the practice I need.

Interactivity #2

                  During 1900-1990 there were a few different types of technology that were created that influenced education in my content area, but being an Italian major I believe that the foreign language labs that first started to be used in 1960 is the most influential. Today, language labs are still being used as a place where students go to practice the language they are studying, In a language lab teachers have the resources to teach a language in many creative ways and also have the flexibility of being able to teach students who are on different levels of education at the same time. Each student can be assigned to their own computer and given an activity to complete based on their level of knowledge of the language. Another positive aspect of a language lab is that a student is able to record themselves speaking the language and go back and listen to the recording. This helps a student figure out where their areas of improvement are and how they can improve.

                   After reading the article A Social History of Media and Technology in Schools and Chapter two in Rethinking Technology in Schools I have come to realize how great of a role computers have played throughout the years. Not only computers themselves, but the world wide web has played an important role both positive and negative. In one aspect it has a negative role because students are using it for pleasure rather than for learning. When it is time to use a computer for learning purposes the students may not understand the task and the expected outcome of the teacher for the activity may not be accomplished. In the article, Grace states that some teachers were using computers as a prize for doing their work. She said that she does not think "it is an appropriate message to send to our students—that if they complete the “boring” schoolwork then they can play “fun” video games" (Domine 48). This proves my point because she is stating that when a computer is put in front of a student, they just want to play games and have fun.

                However when it comes to my content area, the internet plays a very positive role in helping students learn. When learning a new language, it is not only the language that you are learning, but you are learning a whole new culture. It is hard to be able to fully understand a culture without being in that certain country. When I become an Italian teacher I can use the internet to my advantage to help the students almost "emerge" into that culture by looking at pictures and watching videos. It will give them an even better idea of what they are learning rather than to just lecture about a certain culture they can actually experience certain aspects of the culture. Also, Chapter two talked about many social networks that young people use daily. Social networks can become a key aspect of learning a new language because students are able to interact with people from all over the world. As a teacher I can use a strategy such as a virtual pen pal. This can allow students to have someone who speaks the language perfectly as a friend and this person can assist with their learning process.

           Computers allow students to learn a new language by being able to fully emerge into the culture