Module 5 Blog

Advantages of Integrating Technology into Math and Science

Like all content areas, integrating technology into math and science has many benefits. One major benefit is that it exposes students to technology. It is important for students to get experience with all types of technology because they will need those skills for the rest of their lives. Another advantage is increasing student engagement. By using technology in lessons, students are more likely to be engaged and on task. Teachers also benefit from technology, because there are many resources available to help teachers make lessons more fun and interactive. 

This link takes you to EducationWorld's article "Integrating Technology into Science."

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech233.shtml

Disadvantages of Integrating Technology into Math and Science

Though there are many advantages to integrating technology into math and science, there are also some drawbacks. One of the major issues is monitoring student activity. It is difficult for a teacher to monitor all of the students' computers while she is teaching, so many students will try to play games or be on other websites during instructional time. Students must also be able to determine the credibility of websites for some types of technology integration. There are many sites on the internet that look credible, but may have extreme bias or just inaccurate information. A third disadvantage would be student access to technology. Depending on the type of school you are in, students may or may not have access to technology. If there are students who do not have a personal form of technology, this limits what teachers can do because it wouldn't be fair to give a student an assignment that they can't complete at home. 

This is a link that goes to a video about the benefits and drawbacks of integrating technology in the classroom. It does a really great job of covering most of the common pros and cons associated with technology in the classroom. 

http://study.com/academy/lesson/technology-in-the-classroom-advantages-disadvantages.html

Specific activities, programs, etc. 

Chapter 11 contained a lot of references to really great activities and resources. One of the major resources that would be great for classroom use is virtual manipulatives. Much like physical manipulatives, students are able to see a visual representation of difficult, abstract concepts. Using virtual manipulatives ensures that all students have enough materials, and it allows for more freedom. Another piece of technology that is good for math integration is graphing calculators. These calculators create accurate graphs for students to see based on equations put into the calculator. This is good for when students are learning to graph because it is often times difficult to get the graph exact. One science program the book discussed was the GLOBE program. I thought it was interesting that it was listed in the book, but there are many ways to incorporate technology into GLOBE. However, the GLOBE program is great for science in general because it spans over so many different content areas. 

Module 4 Blog

http://support.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.12345

I chose this flipchart because it is a great tool for teaching phonics and phonemic awareness. It can be changed to work for any letter or sound, and it provides a variety of activities for students to practice with the particular letter or sound. It is a great way to keep students engaged during reading instruction. 

Hardware/Software:

This flipchart was created to work with a Promethean Board, however, there are programs available that will help you make presentations compatible with other similar hardware. In order to use this flipchart, the user will need to connect the Promethean board to a computer, and display the presentation in the ActiveInspire software. Some of the activities require the user to write, and the Promethean board comes with several pens that the user must use to navigate. Students and teachers will need all of these pieces of software and hardware to successfully interact with the flipchart. 

Technology Use Based Problem Solving

This flipchart has many interactive activities for students to complete. One of the activities is to underline all the words that have a short "a" sound. There is a poem that students can read and use the pen to underline of circle the words. Another activity has a green apple and an apple with a line through it (that means "no"). The students can drag and drop the appropriate apple next to each word on the screen. They should use the green apple to identify words with the short "a" sound. Students can also practice writing their letters, and they can feed the alligator pictures of words that begin with whichever letter or sound they are studying. 

Essential Conditions for Technology Integration

The most essential condition for using this flipchart is for the teacher to be well trained in using the Promethean Board. If the teacher has an in-depth knowledge of the board and its capabilities, the instruction will be more enriching and engaging. If the teacher is constantly struggling to use it and troubleshooting issues, the students will not be engaged and might cause behavior issues. 

Software Support Tools

This flipchart uses graphic tools. These tools allow the user to change the look of their flipchart, as well as create the interactive graphics associated with it. There are tons of software support tools available on the internet. Using these tools will help to create a more engaging lesson for students.