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Three of My Best Blogs: [|"Why Are Digital Media and Educational Software Applications Important For Education?"]

[|"Strategies For Integrating Technology Into Teaching"]

[|A Comparison of Two High Schools Integrating Technology]

My Best Discussion:

Subject: Topic: Author: Date: "If educators want to have relevance in this century, it is crucial that we find ways to engage students in school. Because common sense tells us that we will never have enough truly great teachers to engage these students in the old ways- through compelling lectures from those rare, charismatic teachers, for example- we must engage them in the 21st century way: electronically. Not through expensive graphics or multimedia, but through what kids call 'game play.'
 * La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Lachandra Cobb || **
 * June 4, 2008 6:26 PM ||

Computer companies now offer learning tools through "game play" for preschoolers, such as Leap Frog (c). There are a few programs online that I have seen for high school students in biology, for example virtual dissection. These applications provide a unique way of learning that emulate video games. Objectives intended for students to master are divided into different levels. When a student has mastered the objective the application either moves on to a new objective or provides and extension to the objective. __Reply__ __Forward__ Subject: Topic: Author: Date: One of the things that I use in my classroom that allows all students to be engaged in learning is the Classroom Performance System (CPS). Each student is given a remote that has several multiple choice responses. Once the question is visibe, then students responded by choosing the appropriate answer choice. At the conclusion of every question, I am able to quickly assess how well the students are doing which will allow me to reteach if necessary before assigning independent practice. In a few years, I believe that there will be more resources out there for high schools like the virtual dissection. __Reply__ __Forward__ Subject: Topic: Author: Date: I use the Renaissance Classroom Response System. It sounds a lot like your Classroom Performance System. They are great assessment tools! This technology is an excellent way to keep students on task and make assessments fun and interesting. One of the options on the program i use, is the screen that shows which question each student is on. With that information, I can tell when students may be having difficulty, if they are working at all and which questions they have skipped. After an assessment, I can look at graphs to analyze class performance.
 * Re:La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Darrell Westfall || **
 * June 4, 2008 8:47 PM ||
 * Re:La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Lachandra Cobb || **
 * June 9, 2008 6:39 PM ||

I believe we both can agree with Prensky's statement, "educating or evaluating students without these tools makes no more sense to them than educating or evaluating a plumber without his or her wrench." __Reply__ __Forward__ Subject: Topic: Author: Date: I believe that if educators want to have relevance in this century they need to be realistic about the needs of all learners. Prensky states that "students could learn algebra far more quickly and effectively if instruction were available in game format. Students would need to beat the game to pass the course." In my opinion, not all students would benefit equally. As educators we know that students learn through the different modalities of learning. I would like to see the stats to prove Prensky's theory. As for the virtual disection, Prensky's example of a group of students taking a virtual journey to a distant planet in a spaceship powered by knowledge", meaning "if the students don't have enough knowledge to move the ship, they need to find it-in one another", seem like fun on the surface. While this may be true, we need not forget that students must eventually demonstrate their knowledge and capabilities on paper. And needless to say, not through one another but as individuals. So, yes 'game play' is an awesome way to engage students but we must incorporate a little old school. Otherwise, we must also change the way we assess students. Not only in the public classroom, but in universities and beyond (GRE tests, tests for licensing....etc.) __Reply__ __Forward__ Subject: Topic: Author: Date: You have made a very good point. I believe some "old school" methods are still a vital part of student achievement. But with that in mind, "we need to incorporate into our classrooms the same combination of desirable goals, interesting choices, immediate feedback, and opportunities to 'level up' (that is, to see yourself improve) that engage kids in their favorite complex computer games (Prensky)."
 * Re:La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Julie Corona || **
 * June 5, 2008 11:43 AM ||
 * Re:La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Lachandra Cobb || **
 * June 9, 2008 6:28 PM ||

While I agree that there is a possibility that all students would not benefit equally from "game play", at the same time, all students do not benefit from "old school" methods as well. We have to find a happy medium to reach all learners. __Reply__ __Forward__ Subject: Topic: Author: Date: I do agree that we must find other ways to engage students learning. One thing that I tend to do is that after teaching a math lesson I often take my students to the computer lab and we work some problems pertaining to that math lesson. You can see that the students enjoy it a lot more than having to work it on paper and pencil. __Reply__ __Forward__ Subject: Topic: Author: Date: The lead time is too long and cost of production is too high for good educational programs to become available on the scale that we need. I know that there are some good programs out there but I do not think commercial educational software will ever be more than a small part of the solution. __Reply__ __Forward__ Subject: Topic: Author: Date: Final Word: Prensky says, "Its time for education leaders to raise their heads above the daily grind and observe the new landscape that's emerging." Personally, I believe it is already here. Computer technology and education have formed a union and the bond is only going to get stronger. Graduation requirements include technology, commercial markets promote educational learning through technology, the GRE and other exams are tested through computers, and everyday devices are driven with technology.
 * Re:La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Lien Tran || **
 * June 6, 2008 5:29 PM ||
 * Re:La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Charles Fletcher || **
 * June 6, 2008 8:06 PM ||
 * Re:La Chandra Cobb || **
 * Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky ||
 * Lachandra Cobb || **
 * June 9, 2008 7:15 PM ||

As for the technology being expensive, schools recieve grants to improve education through technology.

Let's face it, we need to get our heads out of the sand and move ahead in the 21st century.