Tutorials - Entry Three

Hello Parents,

     As we approach the halfway point for this six weeks I want to allow every student the opportunity for tutoring. For the next three weeks I will be available on Tuesday's and Thursday's one hour before school and one hour after. This would be a great time for the students to work on homework, projects, or to study for the upcoming test. If there are any questions or concerns please contact me. Thank you.

Mr. Patton

Article Five Reflection

After reading the article regarding cell phones in the classroom, I believe if this idea were to be successful it would depend on how the teacher applies the cell phone in the lesson. Teachers who have discipline issues will have students abusing the idea of having a cell phone in the classroom. But if a teacher takes the necessary precautions I believe a cell phone could be another tool used in the classroom.

Article Five

This article examines the pros and cons of using cell phones in the classroom. The articles states that the pros of using cell phones is how fast the students respond to answers, while the cons are how the cell phones become distractions. One teacher said the cognitive load is higher, while another teacher said he has yet to find a high level thinking lesson plan that involves cell phones. The teachers who found cell phones successful used a polling device. This would allow the students to receive a question on their phones and reply back with an answer that would show up on a digital board in class.

Article Four Reflection

I love the idea of keeping it simple in the classroom. I have found that this leads to the best opportunities for learning. To have the students rebuilding and fixing old computers in a shop class is genius. This would truly allow for the students to understand how computers actually work and would serve a better purpose in the workforce. Technology is a great way to educate our students, but we must use technology in an efficient way and teaching software is opposite of that.

Article Four

In the article written by Todd Oppenheimer, "Tech Made Easy: Keeping It Simple in the Classroom," we learn about Tom Snyder's theory on technology in the classroom. Snyder is popular for his idea of having one computer in a classroom. He believes "the job of technology is not to break up the traditional classroom's group endeavors but, rather, to stimulate them." Snyder goes on to say that having one computer in the classroom makes the teachers job simpler. In today’s schools we teach the latest software to our students, but by the time these students reach the workforce this technology is outdated. This article suggests that we should spend more time concentrating on the history and fundamental principles of technology. An example of this idea would be a "shop-class" where the students received outdated or broken computers and were given the opportunity to rebuild the computers.

Timeline Project - Entry two

Dear Parents,

                  This is just a reminder that your child's timeline project is due in exactly one week. The remainder of the project is to be done outside of class. Remember, if used correctly, the internet is a great tool for researching the necessary information to complete the timeline. As the students prepare to finish their timeline I encourage parents to practice internet safety. As we know the internet has an abundance of knowledge and is a great educational tool, but with that comes dangers of the internet. I look forward to seeing each and every students final timeline.

Thanks,

Mr. Patton

Assistive Technology - Reflection

It's encouraging to see the needs of our students being reached with the help of assistive technology. With our schools integrating assistive technology we are able to reach out to those students who previously struggled with special needs. Not only are these students able to complete simple tasks in school, they are given the opportunity to excel.

Mr. Patton

Assistive Technology - Article three

Lisa Wahl wrote an encouraging article regarding assistive technology in the classroom. With advances in technology we are now capable of allowing a kindergarten student with cerebral palsy to participate in classroom activities, a high school student with a reading disability is able to listen to the computer read aloud, a student with extreme dyslexia uses a word processor to take notes, and a student with one hand uses a customized keyboard.  Lisa Wahl explains that assistive technology is not always a computer or electrical device, but it also includes a variety of tools for students. This includes a triangular pencil grip that allows the student to properly grip the writing utensil, another student uses a transparent yellow film overlay to increase the print contrast in a book, and a third student uses a back card with a long horizontal window cut out that allows him to see just a single line at a time. Assistive technology makes teaching and learning more effective.

Mr. Patton