James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Final Project

James Stewart

Being enrolled in IT 645 Computers in Education has been an extremely enriching class. I have learned many helpful things about myself and my capabilities when it comes to technology. Most importantly, I have learned that hard work pays off extremely well. The things which I have learned I will use to enhance the education of my future students.

Though this is an online class, I feel like I have been provided with as much help as I would have gotten if I were taking a class on a college campus. The technology that we have learned about is greatly responsible for me being able to say the previous. Since I had never done a blog before, I was completely in unknown territory; however, the course calendar, video clips, and detailed instruction that were given gave me all of the help I needed. The first blog I did was probably the worse one that I have done, and if I say so, they have progressively gotten better.

One of the main requirements of the class is to read either one to two chapters for whatever week they are scheduled. After the chapter or chapters have been read, a blog on 1 of 3 questions have to be submitted to the blog and each group member has to submit a post to each of his or her group members’ blog on the particular chapter that is due. This aspect of the class makes the reader understand the chapter better because a different view of what is in the chapter is presented. The requirement that really brings the concept of the class into perspective is the projects that we must do. Each project is helpful in its own way.

The first project was creating a flyer, excel document, and, power point. Knowing how to do this is a necessity because power points and excel documents can be used for multiple tasks and assignments. I was appreciative of the excel assignment because I hadn’t created one in quite some time. This assignment refreshed me on how I can use it to keep record of student grades. The second project which is the trackstar and web evaluation assignment was very beneficial as well because trackstar is good to use so that all of the websites that you would like your students to use are conveniently in one place. I will definitely take advantage of that tool. Next, was the assignment were we had to create a website. I was totally unaware of the availability of it before this class. Every teacher should have a website for parents and students. The things that can be done with having a website are numerous. Lastly, the movie and listserv assignments were probably the hardest and longest. However, they were also extremely helpful as well. It was a very exciting assignment to work on because I have never created a movie before. Creating the movie has given me the confidence that I can be technologically savvy.

The entire class was a very good class. I have no complaints because everything was in order and I feel that enough time was given for each assignment. In the future, I plan to continue to learn about technology and how it can be used in education. This class has been insightful. The real test will come when I implement the things I have learned into my future classes.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Chapter 11 & 12

What advantages can broad bandwidth and wireless networking offer schools? Describe the current technologies available for wireless connectivity.

Broad bandwidth and wireless networking are very important to schools. Wireless networking connects computers to a server and to each other just as wireless cell phones are connected to a phone company network, although the technology that is used to connect them differs. Broad bandwidth is a technology that allows the access of large files almost instantaneously. These things offer schools accessibility for the most part. It allows them to be able to connect students with the world almost at a virtual level.

Some current technologies that are available through wireless connectivity are WiFi and Bluetooth technology. WiFi stands for wireless fidelity, and it is a wireless networking technology that is based on the common 802.11 standard, a standard set for Wireless LAN technology. Bluetooth technology allows for different types of devices like the computer and printer to be able to communicate with each other.

Technology is constantly changing and it is the educator's responsibility to make certain that students get what they need.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Week 12 Movie and Listserv

This has been a very enlightening assigment to work on. My initial difficulty with the movie assigment was figuring out what I needed to do to put my voice on the video that I had created. I never knew one could create a video from pictures. Any student would be excited about doing such a project. Moreover, the listserv assigment was very easy to do. I didn't encournter any difficulty with it. The group email address is 3rdgradelanguage@googlegroups.com.

Classroom Video

Listerv

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Chapter 9 & 10

What is visual literacy? Where and when is it learned? Why is it important? Contrast Internet broadcasts, live cams, and Net meetings. How can each of these Internet-based video technologies be used in teaching and learning?

Visual literacy is an ability that is developed over time. More specifically, one develops visual literacy from things that they see and just by looking at those things one can know exactly what is expected. One example that the text uses is the symbol for “recycle” and places it over a newspaper. The question asked, “What does this suggest you should be done with your newspaper?” A person that has seen this symbol knows that the suggestion is for the user to recycle the newspaper. Therefore, one has learned visually. Visual learning takes place throughout the course of living. Students learn visually throughout their educational career whether a teacher formally introduces a visual. This is important because we learn from our surroundings.

An Internet broadcast is the broadcasting of live events and performances over the Internet, using streaming video technology that compresses digital video and plays it back while it is being received. On the contrary, a live cam is a digital video camera that is connected to a computer, which in turn is connected to the Internet so that the digital images from the camera can be seen by those connecting to the live cam web site. Next there are internet meetings. An internet meeting is an internet based “face to face” conversation with people around the world via compressed video. Each of these is extremely powerful tools and can be used in a multitude of ways to enhance one’s learning experience. Perhaps the best way to illustrate how useful these Internet-based technologies are, is to point that this class, IT645, is being taught using these types of resources. There are some students in this class who do not live anywhere near the Hattiesburg campus of USM. Because we have these capabilities, we are able to learn from our homes the things that the confines of the regular classroom might not allow.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Website Assignment

This has been the most enriching assignment that I have had to complete. However, it has also been the hardest to get started with. My first reason for saying that this was the hardest assignent to get started with is because it took over and hour for me to make the "Edit Page" option work. I don't know if it were a problem with my computer or if I were doing something completely incorrectly. After I figured out how to edit my page it was a matter of placing the correct information in the right places. Creating a website for a classroom is a great thing to be able to do. It will be very beneficial to parents, as well as, students. In addition, the tutorial really helped as well. I found that creating a website isn't as hard as one might think. Moreover, that might be because google has many of the options preset for the user. Bellow is a link to my page. I hope that you enjoy.

Website

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Web Evaluation, Web Tools, & Trackstar

This has been the hardest assingment. The primary reason is it is hard to get the links to function as they are suppose to. However, this has proven to be an enriching experience. All of the assignments were beneficial to me because I can use several of the websites for classroom purposes. The test making exersise is probably the most useful because one can use it to make any type of test desired. The hardest thing about it is selecting the information that is to go into the test. This experience was great and I will use the things that I have learned to progress my students.

Trackstar

Web Evaluation

Test

Puzzle

Rubric

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Chapter 7 & 8

How can a classroom web site improve communications with students, parents, and community? What is an acceptable use policy? What impact does it have on the use of the Web in the classroom?

The World Wide Web is a powerful tool that can be used strategically to promote positive communication with teachers to students, and parents, thereby, reaching the entire community as a whole.

When it comes to the communication of the teacher and the student, the teacher can put all homework assignments, weekly assignments, FAQ sheets, and other links that could be helpful to the students on the web site. For example, the text suggests that the web site would be beneficial to students that are shy and usually don’t ask question in class. This could be made easy by having an email system set up on the website so that the students can communicate with the teacher or other students in the class that they might be taking. A classroom website can be created for what is called community learning. The students could share their thoughts or ideas by having a blog section on the site.

Moreover, parents usually share the interest that the teacher has for his or her students. A classroom web site could be designed so that it is parent friendly. Just as it would benefit the student to have assignments posted it would equally benefit the parent so that he or she can know what is expected of his or her child and be able to enforce it as the teacher does. As one can see, the a classroom web site can should be designed for a community because it takes the teacher, parent, and student to make a success story.

Because the internet is a powerful tool, there are certain rules that must be followed while using it. This is the purpose of an acceptable use policy. An acceptable use policy is usually done by a district or school and is designed to articulate the ways in which the Internet can be used by students. This is needed primarily because it sets the guidelines for what the teacher can do with the internet.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 REFLECTION ON FLYER, EXCEL, AND POWER POINT ASSIGNMENT

Doing a project like this was a first for me, however, I really appreciate the experience that it has given me. I can now do much more in power point and excel. These are some great Microsoft programs that can be used for the classroom from keeping grades together to letting parents know when a conference is. One of the problems that I encountered the most was trying to be creative while also trying to decide where to draw the line with clip-art.

EXCEL

FLYERS

POWER POINT

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Chaper 5 & 6

Define database management software and describe how you might use it to help you in teaching responsibilities. How might you construct a learning assignment for your students that used this productivity tool?

One of the most arduous tasks of an educator is keeping records such as grades organized. Database management software is designed to make that task and much more easily done. Database management software is an electronic productivity tool that offers educators an easy-to-use system for creating customized records to contain data, retrieving targeted records, updating and editing the information in those records, and then organizing clear and accurate reports from the data. This type of software is much easier to use then conventional options such as card catalogs and other obsolete ways of filing information. It has key features that help the user maneuver through the stored information. The software offers such options as sorting, querying, and reports.

I would love to have this type of software in my classroom because it would make storing and retrieval student information like grades, numbers, schedules, and other important information more tangible in the event of an emergency. It would certainly make sending progress reports home a joyful task.

If I were to create an assignment for students to do using this productivity tool, I would have then use and electronic card catalog. I would give them a list of five authors, or titles that I want them to look up and ask them for specific information that is contained about the author or title that the software has. After that I would give the free range to search the software for information that. This type of assignment will be beneficial to the students because we are living in a world where technology is constantly advancing and enhancing.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Chapter 3 & 4

1. What is a computer virus and how is it transmitted? What can you do to protect your computer?

One word that anyone who has a computer hates to hear is “virus.” The computer is a sensitive, susceptive device that can easily be destroyed by a computer virus. As described in the chapter, a computer virus is a program written specifically to disrupt a computer’s operations and/or destroy data. They are often transmitted from computer to computer by surreptitiously attaching themselves to normal files on the computer. When these infected files are saved to a floppy disk that is later used on a virus-free computer, the virus is exposed to the healthy computer’s hard drive. From then on any other floppy disk that is used can be infected; thereby, infecting many other computers. Many of the computers that have viruses on them are gotten from the internet by students whp have downloaded games on sites that have these viruses on them.

For most viruses there is an antivirus. To protect your computer you should use an antivirus program. As explained in the reading, an antivirus program detects and destroys computer viruses. They do this by scanning the hard drive and floppy disks used in the machine and warn the user if any possible virus is detected. To furthered protect your computer, you should have the antivirus program used updated monthly. According to the reading, frequent updates will ensure that the antivirus program has the latest list of new viruses and virus countermeasures.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Chapter 2

What role do educational technologies play in teaching and learning?

First, teaching is a very great responsibility because the burden of being accountable for another’s education is place upon the teacher’s shoulder. This is a burden that should not be taken lightly because students’ learning is essential to the survival of mankind.
The best time for a teacher to decide that it is time to use technology in a lesson is when the teacher has planned the lesson, and he or she see that something will be missed without it or can be improved with it. If it is not going to enhance the education of the learners then it should not be used simply because it is available.
The main role that educational technologies should play are supplemenatary roles. They should not be the main source of student learning. I teacher should not count solely on the DVD to teach the classroom. Technology enhances learning by providing student with additional information that the teacher might not be abl e to convey. Technolorgy such as powper points gives teachers the ability to show displays as they intstruct the class on a particular subject. This give the teacher the makes it easier because the teacher and student have to spend less time flipping through the pages of books. In summation, education technology is an enhancement tool not the teacher.
The first thing that the teacher should do is make sure that he or she can use the technology that they have considered. It is also important to make sure that the technology will be available on the day(s) which you need it. There are many technologies available to teachers but the teacher must know when those technologies should be used. Many mistakes can be avoided if planning is appropriately done.
In the previous chapter we learned about the different ways students learn. If a teacher has mostly auditory learners in his or he class then audios and lectures might work well for him or her. If the teacher has mostly visual students in the class then power points and displays might work best for instructions. Technology can have some very positive impacts on teaching and learning, however, the decision is up to the teacher.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 Chapter 1

Question 2: My understanding on different learning styles and its influence on learning.

According to the chapter there are basically three types of learning styles. They are: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Our learning style depends on the condition in which we as learners acquire knowledge best.

Anything that has to do with the auditory senses is related to hearing. Persons who learn best by listening are auditory learners. An auditory learner is likely to benefit from lectures and discussions than any other medium of teaching. In addition, those persons who learn best by seeing are called visual learners. A visual learner is that person who would more than like benefit from graphics, pictures, and models or any other medium that provides a representation of what the teacher is conveying to the students. On the other hand, a kinesthetic learner is a person who learns best by creating something. These students can benefit by writing and building things that are graphic. These learning styles are just that—styles. It does not mean that there are not any other ways of learning it only means that a particular style is one’s preferred or best way of learning.

When a teacher knows the learning styles that are present in his or her classroom he or she can differentiate the instruction so that every learning style is met. For example, if a teacher decides to teach a class about the solar system there is no reason for every learning style not to be covered. The teacher could simply lecture while he or she shows a slide show of the different planets in alignment or have a 3 dimensional representation of the planets in the classroom. To make certain that the kinesthetic learners are not left out the teacher could simple allow the students to draw or build their own representation of the solar system. To further reinforce the auditory learning and visual learning styles the teacher could have the students to divide into groups and choose the person who is kinesthetic to explain the solar system in the steps that he or she built his or her representation. From this one can see that all of the learning style can work together in a cyclical manner.

Learning styles are only a part of what a teacher needs to insure that his or her students are successful learners, therefore, the teacher should not just stop here and think that it is a cure all. There are many other factors like cognitive styles that can also have an effect on student learning.

James Stewart Learning Portfolio in IT 645 My First Blog

Hello,

My name is James. This is the first time I have every blogged, so this is a new arena for me. I am doing this for a class that teaches teachers about computers, technology, and its different uses in education. I am open to learning new things, and I look forward to learning more on how I can use technology to enhance students educational outlook. At the present time I am an elementary assistant teacher. This is the second class that I have taken online so I am somewhat familiar with working on WebTC. I am most familiar with Microsoft Word and Powerpoint. I expect to gain basic knowledge on how to educate my students with technological advancements.