Reading & Technology

I enjoyed watching the videos Introducing the Book and Why We Need To Teach Technology. In as much as I love reading, I could relate to the difficulties presented in the first video about books with technology. I, somehow, could not easily find my way to understand as well as manipulate these so-called technological innovations. But I certainly appreciate its value, especially when it comes to the roles it could play in the classroom.

As shown in the second video, we need to keep up to all these technological changes if we want to be on the game. Schools need to invest in technological tools and trainings. I agree with that. Sometimes I feel that technology changes too fast that I miss the opportunity to enjoy the experience of fully understanding it. But I think the only way to look now is forward -- and that is being able to understand and incorporate technology in classroom instruction and appreciate what it can do for our students' education.

"Virtual Friendship"

I came across the In the Classroom portion (p. 260) of Chapter 7 of our reference book and read about how a carefully structured chatting activity can be useful and beneficial for special education students. Accordingly, computer and the internet can help teach communication skills by e-miling and carry on meaningful virtual communications.

In most cases, students with special needs tend to have problems communicating, interacting, and socializing with other children in schools or in any other public places. But while person-to-person interaction is what we mostly encourage to take place, the internet could help improve not just the students' ability to express themselves but also give them the opportunity to learn about other people with different interests and cultures. In Tel Aviv, the article states, there is a program called Virtual Friendship where students with special needs are paired with non-handicapped students. I like the program's concept. I believe it is very helpful not just for the child with special needs but also for the other child. Both of them will not only acquire information from each other but will also learn to develop friendship and have appreciation for each other despite their differences.

KnowledgeBox

KnowlegeBox, according to the description on the webpage, is a site that intends to deliver dynamic, effective, and engaging media to the classrooms and computer labs all over the country. It aims to foster learners environment wherein the teachers enforce individualized instruction and use wide range of activities. The students, on the other hand, are encouraged to work together or independently.

I went over KB Kids and I like that it covers activities on subjects like Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. Compared to other sites, I find it to be less interactive. This is a site that offers more visual instructions, rather than interactive activities that allow students to be more engaged and participative. The sound, the videos, and graphics are really good. The science lessons are very good as well! As I went over the websites for this course, I am so pleased that there are a lot of available resources out there that students and teachers could make use of. The choices are too wide that allows them to decide for themselves which ones are appropriate for their needs.

Kids Less Likely to Graduate than Parents?

I read an article titled "Report: Kids Less Likely to Graduate Than Parents" which was published just today, October 23, 2008. It is an interesting read as it provides information about a study made by a children's advocacy group that says the dropout rate in US continues to increase (1 in 4 Americans) and how currently US is the only industrialized country where young people are less likely to earn diploma as compared to their parents. According to Anna Habash, United States continues to stagnate and the poor performance will affect the country's ability to compete with the rest of the world. Because of this, the federal government is poised to raise the bar on graduation rates and new rules is expected to be issued that will force states to use the common tracking system. If you want to check this article, just go to the DailyHerald.com website.

RocketReaderKids

I watched the video on RocketReaderKids and I think it is a great educational tool that could be used for teaching and learning how to read. Its interactive instructional method will really encourage children to work on their reading and develop the skills needed to be successful in reading. I like the part where the student's work is immediately assessed for immediate feedback. As I go over some of the listed websites, I realized that there are a lot of educational materials on the web that could really provide a wealth of information that educators and students can learn from. But I wonder who assesses all these websites to make sure that the content is accurate. I just feel that educators should be able to properly choose and assess the web instructional tools they will use to ensure that the content of the materials is accurate and reliable.

A Digital Education ( Podcasting)

An article titled "A Digital Education" by Timothy Ryan from American.com talks about how the internet can now bring people to the best college lectures in America. By podcasting, the internet offers an opportunity for people to have access to first-rate instruction, for free, from various universities such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, and other Ivy League schools. Most of the lectures that are made available are topics that are most accessible and useful to the public such as lectures on global financial markets, politics, and even arts. Various universities made the lectures available online for the purpose of being able to serve society for higher learning and a way to generate interest in the school.

I think this is a very good source of information for everybody- young, old, in school, or not. These online lectures are now popular among US soldiers, bedridden stroke victims, and even high school students. Although podcasting cannot replace the experience of being in an actual classroom where there is a direct interaction between professors and students, this type of digital education can be a good alternative for those who are not in college but interested to learn.

Kidspiration!

I successfully downloaded the Kidspiration 30-day trial today and I must say it is really a wonderful software especially for K-5 students. I had fun time going over the activities for writing, math, and social studies and there are also activities for reading and science. I enjoyed the writing activities especially with all the wonderful colors and pictures that I could incorporate on the writing. Young students would definitely enjoy this tool as learning becomes fun! I really love it! I find it very inspiring to see all these educational devices that could help make learning come alive in the classroom. It also helps enrich every teacher's learning experience.