Blog # 5

What were your "Aha!" moments this semester? Try to tie together what you've learned and where you go from here. Also, think back to the philosophy you developed at the start of the semester. In what ways has it guided you in the development of your projects? How will it continue to do so and how has it changed or remained the same?

Actually there are many “Aha” moments that I had this semester because all technologies that we learned this semester were new for me and I found myself in these tech-items why not if I believe my students are Net Generation and I have to deal with technology to support my skills to be in the right side in the education environment. In fact, I just started using the technology four years ago, but at this time I can do what my students prefer to use in their whole life by teaching them with these new tech-items that I just learned, so I am sure that I can attract my students to the lesson by using these technologies especially the blogs and podcasts which I really like to use when I get back to my class.

As I follow the realism school I like to present what I really believe it works, so I created my wiki to help and share information with international students who are in the U.S, and I gave some websites which I used when I need to travel or move. The realism also lead me to accept the changing that I need to improve my skills in my carrier because I want to be a modern teacher who can use the technology to make learning more attractive and easier for Net Generation.

My philosophy will guide me in the future to use these technologies that I learned and as it supported me to leave my country and made my job on hold to study master for development and improvement my skills all that make me sure it will also support me to learn more and more the new knowledge. In addition, I now realized that my philosophy is more opened to accept anything new if it will make improvement for my skills especially in my carrier.        

My Blog # 4

Are you more comfortable composing documents online than longhand?

Certainly I prefer typing by computer instead of longhand because it gives me the ease

of amendment or correction, also it is an important way to save time and organize

documents. In addition, I can save them by files in my PC which make it easily to returnthem whenever I want. However, sometimes I like to do longhand especially when Iwant to write something quickly after that I type and save it in my laptop.

Have you turned your “remembering” (phone numbers, meeting, and so on) over to a technology device?

Yes I do, and I was as anyone who only had his memory and notebook to use then hestarted using these technology devices to help him scheduling appointments andremembering meetings, birthdays, addresses and phone numbers.

Do you go to meeting with your laptop or PDA?

No I usually do not go to meeting with my laptop but when I need to use I can use my IPhone which I can write notes and record by it.

Are you constantly connected? Is the Internet always on whether you are at home

or work? Is your cell phone always with you?

Actually, yes I always connected and I cannot image my life with no cell phone or internet. Even though, I just began to use the computer and Internet four years ago, I can not wait more than one day with no surfing the Internet because it became part of my life.

How many different activities can you effectively engage in at one time?

At most, three different activities I can engage in at one time like surfing the Internet,watching the news and calling, but when I have something an important like studying orteaching my daughter I cannot do anything else.

Do you play video or computer games?

No I do not play, because I am not interested in video games but sometimes I have to play them with my kids.

What generational category do you fall in or are you mixture of a few?

I am from generation X, and I was born in that period. Also I am an independent, and Ilike freedom and work-life balance too. I dislike red tape and this is why I am here in the U.S leaving my job and country to get new knowledge to improve my skills then going back to my hometown.

This article focused on implications primarily or higher education; however, the characteristics for the Net Gen remain true for students inK12. What and how do we need to change?

First, we have to know that our goals are improve the learning by using what learners Like and attract them. As a teacher I think this generation according to the article ( Is It Age or IT: First Steps Toward Understanding the Net Generation ) and as I notice them, they like to learn as a teamwork and using modern tools like shows and some means in the Internet which make sense for them and helpful for us ( students and teachers). Also, we can update our traditional sorts of teaching by keeping up with technical that would lead the learning to succeed and squeeze the attention of students to the lesson. After that we will found enthusiastic students to learn, explore and to help each other.

My Blog #3

In this article, Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning, I found many interesting and important information which will help me in my career as a teacher to improve my students’ skills by using this technology. Mostly, I related to tenent # 10 which is (Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve). I chose this tenent because I really want my students to be more than learners by sharing them their abilities in the class after we give them the strategies, which help them to improve their learning. Grade after grade they will have  opportunities to present new skills about how to improve your learning, which they will create and develop through the time. In addition, students need to be thinkers and creative, and we can not support them to be like that with no using a new trend which keep pace with their time, so they can share their ideas to improve learning in the class, blogs or any type of contact while they are students. Also, teacher can discuss these ideas with teachers and students too to improve learning at the same time.

I think AFL is a good way and useful for students especially for this generation and future generations who like to play technical tools because they grow with them and the learning will be attractive with using portfolios, so that will lead to improve the education by teachers and students’ contributions. Moreover, any development and improvement will help current students, who participants in improving the learning, and future students.

 I really need my E-portfolio to be as an assistant for my learning, my career and my life too. I realized after starting this course that I can organize my works and save more time by exploitation and take advantage of technology to keep pace with scientific progress and contribute to teaching field by offering my perspective and thoughts, looking at new ideas and thoughts, discussing and sharing them.   

My Blog #2

       

Actually I was surprised how can be some information, which I read about it, seemed to scientific fact but it was not. I thought there is a lot of misinformation in the web but they are not about natural sciences which I had my bachelor in. This week I got a good note which is going to change many things in my searching through the internet especially when I want it to look for some information about my major. There are many things that I have to recognize for verifying the credibility to the publisher or the site as I do when I look for the news, which is my interest. In addition, I am sure that I will ask my students as I did, but with new sort to be careful with searching the internet by using what I just learned about the credibility of the sites. As much as I enjoyed the new information and observations which were given in this course but I was sad for my tardiness in getting them. Moreover, students like to know and look for what we block or ask them to not get in, like some websites. But we can solve that by showing them the differences between two websites having the same topic and explain to them how that could be very difficult to see and know which one has the right information.

Delicious and Google reader are mostly helpful and time saver because the information that you would like to know about is now easily to get when you sign up in these services even If you are busy or sick you do not have to lose your time or active to get the new information. In the future, they will create more options for me in my carrier as a teacher by searching and offering  the new skills and the knowledge that I want to have.   

                                                             

In this days, I decided to use my wiki to connect my friends whom also international

 students to share our ideas, resources, help each other in different fields. In the near future, when I get back to my job in my hometown, wiki will help me to contact my co-workers for many reasons such as exchange of experiences and information. Although, wikis have some advantages but some disadvantages too, like false information, misinformation and anonymous information.

After having this experience with wiki and blogs tools, I hope that I can use the 3hd because I believe in this technology, and I think that would attract students to the lessons and make it more fun to learn.

Tariq- My first Blog.

06-12-2011

Reflection One

Educational Technology Philosophy          

       As a teacher, it is hard and easy at the same time to present your philosophical in words, on the other hand it’s more obvious when you talk to someone or just while you doing your job at the class or your office. Educational philosophy is something you believe and follow on all the ideas and thought you have, all of that will based on which philosophical school you subscribe to. Realism and Reconstructivism are the two schools I have thought about but as my philosophy I follow Realism in my classroom in teaching more. Although, I do like some interesting points of Reconstructivism which have strong believe in reform the people behaviors, society and schools systems.      

Sometimes I find myself in realism school because I believe in perceptible things more than others but I cannot stop here, so I have to be more renewed and receptive for the newest and modern style of teaching methods which also would be helpful to deliver ideas and create appropriate atmosphere for students by using technological tools that they grew up with. Realism supports practical side, observation and experimentation, are very important in the realism school. Also it takes care of scientific research and development which I realized after I starting my carrier in teaching and dealing with various subjects in sciences and all other real life sides. In addition, students like to learn about their subject by using different style of real technology and have their own views which I think that realism is about and support.

Reconstructivism is the school which I want my classroom has some of its concepts and objectives, such as brotherhood and democracy, which will lead my students to have their chance to expression of opinions. As a result of that, students can take a chance to present their opinions by giving them the opportunity to share in discovering the concepts of subjects.

In this century, we have to cope with technological tools if we want to keep up the progress of knowledge in order to develop our skills to be ready to deal with current generation and future generations. While I was teaching, I noticed that students prefer to give attention for lessons that have supporting by technology rather than which do not and they interact with the information given and remain in their minds for longer periods. Furthermore, technology is the amazing gift because it can be a time savers in many ways, so we can save more time by using computer, video, projector, emails, Smartphone, Internet. etc…… . Moreover, as a teacher I used to play with several technology’s devices which mostly have their instructions for use in English and other languages which is not my native language, so that reinforce me to study English to help me in using the technology more and more without any hesitate or difficulties. 

My view about teaching and learning is what we have to follow to be in the right side of this life; and the fact of nation’s progress is to be educated people.  

On the other hand, education and training are the best ways to improve and develop the society’s skills and the level of the thinking and that will give them more ability to except more and different ideas from all over the world.

Finally, Having this chance to think more and write down my philosophy based on my two school I subscribe to (  Realism and Reconstructivism  ) give me more clarity about my future in my job and for the new technology project I will make in this class and highlights my interest points on the whole education fields.  

As you see above that was my philosophy in the education field five weeks ago, now after having the knowledge  about many different webs and technologies projects we had discover, I think my philosophy changed a little bid to accept more technology and new way in teaching.

In addition, I will be able to understand my students more than before with sharing them their tech-language which will lead us to take advantage of technology to support our abilities in learning, so I can see that I was believe in technology in education field, but right now I believe and I can use the technology in my class.  

Potential uses for Blogging in the Classroom:

After I read Downe’s article I mentioned that Blogging is a new trend in communication method between people especially in education fields. Use it in the class room for the teacher and for the students is very good way to exchange information and resources of their experience. Also, blogging gives some students the ability to share their experience, information and opinions more and more without any hesitation or shyness. Actually, this is the first time to me to use blogging and I thought that is really helpful way to share ideas and resources. 

Creating a culture for teaching and learning:

The six areas in November’s article were very interesting in many ways, especially the sixth one (Collegiality is what’s needed). According to the author,( if you train teachers in technology with no kids they will go back to their classes and do what they always did); we have to share our training with our students that will lead to encourage students to assume responsibility.

Concept map:

In my map I included my philosophy’s school that I subscribe to. Also, I explain the main ideas of being as a guide in more realism way, and how technology’s tools support the whole society to be successful.

Class expectation:

This the first class for me in education technology, so I impressed about the entire tool that we used the ideas I read about. I really looking forward to deliver everything I will learn to my students when I get back to my country.