Technology Makes the Future Bright, No Matter the Time or Location
Gary Koskinen
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Technology: Technology used by the Masters of
Education program opened my eyes to the possibilities of
running an online or hybrid online class in high school. In the Fall of 2013, I plan to implement that each student needs to write their lab conclusions in a Google Doc and
share it with me so I am able to grade it and provide feedback to their paper
electronically. Google Docs allow for
the students in class to have experience with a program that will allow for
editing between people simultaneously.
Troy School District, where I am employed, has Google accounts set up
for each student, and they also have access to Moodle. For CEP 820 I started to develop a Moodle
site for my Chemistry course. The course
could be used by students that need supplemental material for help or homebound
students rather than sending home packets of papers and empty note packets. Also, within Moodle there is a discussion
forum so the students can respond in class or at home and communicate with a
home bound student about the material. I
have a lot more to learn about Moodle and Google Docs, but these are two
technologies that I was exposed to in this MAED program that I find very useful.
The other piece of technology that I want to build into my class is the use of both video and voice recorders. This year I am going to have difficulties because I will have five classes of the same section, so I want to use a recorder for myself to make sure all of the key ideas and standards are covered. I really enjoyed being introduced to Jing; it allows me to add my voice to a computer demo. When I have the class perform a lab usually there are a couple students absent. If I allow groups to video the lab then students would still be able to answer questions without running through the whole lab. For example, for the gas laws chapter, I perform nine demos and each student has to pick six to write a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning. This year I want to record the demos so I can upload the videos to Moodle and absent students would be able to watch and write the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning without having me run all nine demos six or seven times.
The other piece of technology that I want to build into my class is the use of both video and voice recorders. This year I am going to have difficulties because I will have five classes of the same section, so I want to use a recorder for myself to make sure all of the key ideas and standards are covered. I really enjoyed being introduced to Jing; it allows me to add my voice to a computer demo. When I have the class perform a lab usually there are a couple students absent. If I allow groups to video the lab then students would still be able to answer questions without running through the whole lab. For example, for the gas laws chapter, I perform nine demos and each student has to pick six to write a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning. This year I want to record the demos so I can upload the videos to Moodle and absent students would be able to watch and write the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning without having me run all nine demos six or seven times.
Training: I have learned a lot from this program, and I have already
had conversations with one teacher about how to build more technology into our
classes. I plan to help
teachers in the department or school to get any technology
started so they will be able to incorporate the technology. I pride myself on being able to help colleagues increase the amount of technology used in the classroom. I come home to search for an answer and if I don't find anything then I will ask someone else for help me explain it to the person that asked the question. According to the Next Generation Science Standards,
all science teachers will need a portion of their courses to be geared towards
engineering and using technology could help to get engineering involved in the
class.
I will also be spending time with professional development and training sessions to learn how Chemical Engineers or other engineering professions use chemistry. The one problem that comes across when trying to build engineering into chemistry is the additional cost. With the use of technology I would be able to use simulations to get practice for the students without having to buy the materials needed for these engineering practices.
I will also be spending time with professional development and training sessions to learn how Chemical Engineers or other engineering professions use chemistry. The one problem that comes across when trying to build engineering into chemistry is the additional cost. With the use of technology I would be able to use simulations to get practice for the students without having to buy the materials needed for these engineering practices.
Image is a link to the program I developed in KIN 857
Coaching: No matter the sport that I am coaching, golf, basketball, or football, I hope to build continuity by starting to work with the athletes in elementary schools, then into middle
school and finally when they get me as a coach.
I want to build a program similar to the one that I developed,
theoretically, in KIN 857. I want the
athletes to know who I am and what I expect.
I will help the athletes eat healthy by giving them options for the best
recovery meals that I developed and I will keep developing more options for student
athletes. Also with respect to health, I
feel that making sure the athletes are fully stretched before practice or a competition
is a necessity to prevent injuries from occurring. One thing that I will really be paying attention to is how to limit technology at home with respect to hazing or mistreating other athletes on the team. I have had problems with this in the past, but I will let the athletes know there will be a zero tolerance policy with any reported hazing incidence, whether it is at outside of school, in school, or at practice.
One of my favorite things when it comes to coaching is being able to compete against other teams and see how and what other coaches do with their athletes. I have adopted and changed multiple drills that coaches run before the game, if my team needs to improve on those techniques. Also, I am surprised by the number of coaches that do not make their team get warmed up probably before the game. I have found a lot of good things coaches do, but I have also found things out that I do not want to do. For example, one coach yelled get the rebound after every shot, another every time the whistle blew he guessed what the referee was going to say, or the way coaches talk to athletes.
One of my favorite things when it comes to coaching is being able to compete against other teams and see how and what other coaches do with their athletes. I have adopted and changed multiple drills that coaches run before the game, if my team needs to improve on those techniques. Also, I am surprised by the number of coaches that do not make their team get warmed up probably before the game. I have found a lot of good things coaches do, but I have also found things out that I do not want to do. For example, one coach yelled get the rebound after every shot, another every time the whistle blew he guessed what the referee was going to say, or the way coaches talk to athletes.
Conclusion: I feel that technology is not going away anytime soon. As an
educator part of my responsibilities is to teach students how to use the
technology appropriately and at the correct time. I learned in college that when I brought my
computer to class I got too distracted by the Internet. I did not
have a laptop or the opportunity to use a laptop in high school to take notes
during a lecture with the computer. I
will allow computers and technology to be used by the students in my class with restraints of when they can use them. There will be times when a question is asked that I could have them research the answer instead of me giving an answer. I will help them with how to focus while having so many things just a few clicks away. Students use technology in everyday life and part of my job is to educate them about the full capabilities of all of the resources they have access to now.