Assignment 1

Citation

Dettelis, Phil. 2010. "New York State Technology Education: History, the Current State of Affairs, and the Future." Technology & Engineering Teacher 70, no. 4: 34-38. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed March 9, 2011).

Summary

            The history of technology education in the state of New York has changed in five significant ways since 1980 and each major change in the content and expectations within the field also meant a name change as the field sought an identity.  These names are: The Industrial Arts (1984), Technology Education (1996), Technology Education Learning Standards & Assessment (2001), Framework for Technology Education (2006) and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (2009).

            Industrial Arts classes were gender specific, whereas the girls went to home economics while the boys attended shop, auto and electronics class.  The New York Education Department received encouragement to offer a course specifically aimed to create technology literate students.  In 1994, technology and computers were used synonymously suggesting that technology education still did not have much of an identity.  Two years later, the Mathematics, Science and Technology learning standards were proclaimed to the New York Education community, laying a framework for local communities to work with.  The changes were after all, occurring locally, because curriculum was not state-based and centralized, but instead dictated by Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).

            One of the more significant shifts in New York’s concept of technology education occurred 2001 while Apple boasted the iPod.  This change was a test – albeit a non-mandatory test, but a technology test nonetheless.  2006 further helped refine technology education identity in New York with seven content organizers: materials, manufacturing, information & communication, transportation, living systems, energy, environmental quality.  By 2009, the STEM acronym was used as the new hip, and well articulated term in technology education.  A national movement was beginning at this point.  Leaders recognized the need to prepare the nation for a more competitive global economy and began to prepare students to learn concepts within a context and better understand how technology works.

Reflection

            This writer used primary resources to create the overview of history technology education and although the article was specific to the New York Education Department, the observations and conclusions made from those observations apply to the nation as whole.  The increasingly competitive global market is the primary reason behind educators’ pressures to become technology literate and to create technologically literate students.  Within technology education, the leaders of the movement saw the needs to provide clear direction through more clear definitions, encourage progress, measure progress and eventually bear the fruit of their labors.

Application

            I would most likely use this article as a defense for why we study history.  Specifically in saying that any class and any subject can be linked to decisions and movements made in the past. 

Teacher NETS standard & importance

Under the first NET standard for teachers (Facilitate and Inspire Student learning and Creativity) I intend to, “promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.”  I like that this is the first standard because teachers need their students to be on the same page regarding the importance of technology literacy.  I plan to follow up on this NET in these three ways.

-          Becoming more literate myself (thoroughly completing all expectations in current class).  This also involves becoming more passionate.

-          Immediately use more technology in my sphere of influence (Teen School)

-          Include the subject of technology into curriculum (we can read above article)

Student NETS standard & importance

Students should learn Creativity and Innovation and how to identify trends and forecast possibilities in whatever subject that is studied.  It is important to make observations of what we study, and be able to articulate what it is we study.  That’s a significant part of learning.  It is conceptual.

-          I might require students to do a research (face-to-face)

-          I might also create a project that asks students to depict the world’s balance of powers in the year 2030 and reasons for their predictions.  The primary reason behind requiring technological literacy is, after all, to prepare the young people for their futures (virtual).

Week 4: SMART Board Reflection

  The lesson plans available on SMART Exchange online have revealed to me that there are many clever ways to prepare a lesson.  For the next time I use a SMART Board, I'd like to undo one of those plans and then recreate it rather than just merely using the plan.  My experience in playing with technology and studying history in this way was actually quite fun.  Time consuming, but fun. 
  One thing I learned in our practice (from going up front so frequently) was that asking students in the secondary level to come forward to accomplish a trivial task is time consuming and may not be very beneficial in either learning, or even making the lesson fun (it may be fun when done only occasionally).  Nonetheless, somehow I'd like to find a way to use this technology so interactive that every student is able to actively participate.  There is still much to learn about the SMART Board's capabilities and how to effectively use one in a class.  Practice will make perfect.

Week 1: Teacher Decision Reflection

  Like many, I struggled mightily to make a career decision.  Ultimately it came down to a preference and what God has wired me for.  I imagined myself doing just about anything from nursing, to landscape architecture, to farming, to good old fashion construction.  One thing that was clear in my mind however, was that I wanted to be in an environment with lots of people which, thank God, led me away from the construction field. 
   Once I decided to teach I began to wonder what subject and grade level I was best suited for.  At first, English seemed to be the preferred subject, but after more contemplation, I realized my analytical personality would work most effectively in the social sciences.  Secondary education sounded like the more reasonable path to follow because the students are more capable of comprehending complex issues in society that hopefully I can guide them through.
  Although I understand my choices may be very limited in the beginning of my career, I hope to eventually work in either the 9th, 7th, and/or 8th grade levels of education (in that order).  These years were years in which I needed particular assistance.  Consequently, I now wish to work towards equipping myself that I may provide that bit of needed direction and attention for students who both seek and require it.

Assignment 2

End of lesson link:
www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/pyramids.html

George Mazurets

Technology in Education

2-7-11

SB lesson:

http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?q=population

SB Features:

• True or False globe link
• Eraser activity
• Magnifying glass activity
• Guess and check quiz

Student:

1)      Communicate and collaborate

2)      Think critically, solve problems, and make decisions

3)      Use technology effectively and productively

Teacher:

1)      Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

D. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

2)      Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

D. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

4.       Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

 B. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

Students NETS involve creativity.  The activity, when done properly matches the way students’ brains are wired.  Hence they are able to think critically, solve problems and make decisions with more clarity considering they see the problems in a different way.  The teacher is primarily modeling how to learn in a virtual environment.

An interactive white board can specifically help visual and musical learners because it has options which involve easy access to images, videos, and sounds.  With an interactive white board, I can effectively transition between a music video on YouTube, maps, timelines and vocabulary terms.  With varying learning styles accounted for in my future classroom, the class also has the benefit of learning the content in many different ways – some more preferred than others.

2011 Class Blogs

Jordan Henderson

Rich Skillman

Kirstie Walton

George Mazurets

Jessica Henderson

Monica Adair

Beginning of Semester Reflection

I have been surrounded by technology since before kindergarten and our house had its first computer when I won an older one from a raffle at the local community center.  Probably about five years later, my parents bought their first desktop and shortly thereafter, purchased a trial version of AOL.  At about ten years old, I knew that a thing called the internet existed and that just about every cereal box I read or advertisement I examined had a 'www' on it.  I was curious and wanted to access "the www's".  My curiosity towards technology never developed much further than that and in fact, I found the study of all things technological somewhat repulsive.  I remember considering on taking a class in high school to learn how to operate Word, Access, Excel and PowerPoint because I heard it would be beneficial for me in college.  I explored one of those programs with the class for one or two days, remembered how much I hated systematic procedures like those used in Mr. Price's 7th grade typing class, and consequently dropped out of the class.  I think I took a class in ceramics instead.
Since high school, I've significantly improved my typing speed, ability to navigate the world wide web, and my interest in all things technological has increased just slightly.  College is the main reason for this growth because either I was forced to learn, or I foresaw its benefits.  I'm looking forward to learn about why I should be wary of technology both in and out of the classroom and also how to use it correctly and creatively.

Week 2: "Turning On the Lights"

According to the author of  turning on the lights, many children in school are bored because their lessons are not engaging enough and frankly, the students are not being adequately prepared for the future.  These are bold statements made by a bold writer and although I like the traditional teaching methods, I agree with the reasoning behind the author's observations and conclusions based on his observations.  Teachers CAN make school more exciting by incorporating technology into the classroom.  They should encourage its use outside the classroom for the sake of learning.  Through blogging and websites like YouTube, learning can be fun again.  It's worth a shot; to try and amp up the level of creativity in the classroom and to move away from the dull,old-school teaching methods still upheld in so many traditional classrooms today.  It would be wise for new teachers to prepare early for such a transition in order that they may properly and effectively infuse technology into the classroom.