Technology Standards for Students

This video exemplified several of the technology standards for students. The students showed that they had basic operation skills and knowledge of concepts. They were able to get onto Yahoo and find their cities, along with finding the information on weather about their particular cities. The very first thing the students were doing was a “cyberhunt.” They were looking for information about weather for their particular states that they were researching. This would fall under the standard for technology research tools. They were using the internet to collect information about the weather. The students were also using a program entitled KidPics. This would fall under the technology productivity tools. They were being creative using this program to create slides for their particular city and the weather of that city. Although, we did not see the students participating in e-pals, the teacher stated that she planned on having them do this activity in the future. This shows that the students are or will use technology communication tools. I thought this was a very interesting video. It showed a very diverse classroom with students using technology. I thought it was great that these young students were already using computers in a variety of ways. I think these students are at a great advantage because they have a teacher who is very willing to incorporate technology into this classroom in a variety of ways, and just not by letting the students play computer games. This video in a way supports my last post, which was it would be beneficial to introduce technology at a young age to children.

I think this is a very entertaining and interesting list. Many of the things on the list I could relate to, and I thought were very relevant. Others I really did not know that much about. I think the main purpose of this list is to get the students aware of how fast everything changes, aware of their current age group, what they have grown up with, and how things in the past have shaped our culture today. It could also help the students stop and think about some of their past, and why they think or act differently than people older than them. It shows the students how our society changes all of the time, and it happens rather fast. I know I was thinking of different things when I read through this list. For example, I thought it was funny to see that the flavor of chocolate chip cookie dough is a normal flavor now. Maybe this is the reason why when I order this flavor, and I am with someone older, such as my parents, they think that it is gross or weird flavor. This shows how it was something I grew up with and they did not, and that is why I just think that it is a normal flavor. I think this list is more for the reader to enjoy or relate to. There were a couple items that I could relate to not knowing about which were not knowing what RSVP stands for and I did not know that babies have not always had social security numbers. (I just looked up what RSVP meant.) I definately enjoyed reading this list.

Productivity Applications

Word processing is the application I use the most right now in my life. When typing papers or doing other such homework I will always use word. Another application I have used a lot is spreadsheets. I had an internship last year, and every day I would use a spread sheet in way one or another, a lot of time I used it to organize information. Even though I have used this application a lot I find myself getting very fustrated at times when I do use it, so this is definately one application that I would like to learn more about. Also, I think that spreadsheets will be very beneficial to me when I become a teacher. According to our book, Using Technology in the Classroom, I will be able to use it manipulate math information and it will also be a tool to help with teaching mathematical formulas, which is especially helpful to me because I am hoping to become a high school math teacher. Another application that I would like to learn about is the concept-mappy tool. I had never really heard of this application until I was reading the text. I think I will be able to incorporate productivity applications in teaching more than I thought I would before I read this chapter, which made me very excited.