Technology in the Classroom

• What are portable device's limitations? 

I think that phones offer sooo much these days and there are so many great apps we can download for various reasons, but there are also limitations with phones. I think that one thing is the cost of some of the apps. Some apps are free, whereas some cost $5. That doesn't seem like much but if you buy a bunch that adds up! Another limitation is the size of your phone screen. Sometimes it's hard for me to touch something the right way or access it correctly because of the tiny screen. 

• Look at the pros and cons of Android/Apple type of tablets with a small portable computer, like the Asus for example. What can you do and not do on each? If there's something you can't do on the iPad/Android for example is there a work around it? 

Not knowing much about the Asus, I had to look up information on the product to learn more about it. I read that Asus will soon offer a motion sensing device like Xbox Kinect. You can actually operate the computer from your tv this way. All you have to do is use hand gestures and you can fully operate the Asus this way. I looked up what people said about the Asus and many said the pros were that the quality was great and best in price range. I found that the biggest con was the battery life..it's also hard to find replacement batteries.

I did a little research on the Ipad, since I don't have one, and read that the quality and design was excellent on it. The Ipad has great apps and video conferencing. I read that the battery life and price is pretty reasonable as well. The cons were related to the extra features it doesn't offer such as no USB, no SD card reader and no removable battery. 

• How can you use portable devices IN the classroom? Give at least three examples of apps that you can use in the classroom. Don't forget to share how these apps can be used. 

I think a simple tape recorder offers great resources for in the classroom. You can use it for read along books and also just for listening to your favorite story. I have seen this done with slower reading classes and they love it. It's great because they are improving their reading while following along in their book, and they are enjoying it! 

Laptops are great in the classroom as well. There are unlimited activities you can do with a laptop. I have seen it used for various reasons while subbing and student teaching and the students love having their own individual computer to work on. I have seen a social studies class use it to write their papers on Word and then google image pictures related to their assignment. 

You can also use an Ipod in class..there are several educational apps that can be used in class. For example a great app is Vocabology. You can pull up this app for English classes and the kids would love it. Basically what it is .. is you can pull up a word you don't know well and listen to how it is supposed to be pronounced.. read the definition and how it's used in a sentence. The kids would love using this over a dictionary any day. Plus the app is free! Can't beat that. 

Blackboard vs. Moodle

I played with both Course Managements Systems this week and I prefer Blackboard. Even though I love Moodle and it has some great options to it, I like the feel of Blackboard better. It's probably just because I'm so used to it after taking 5 years of online classes with it. I spent a lot of time playing around with Moodle and I just felt like it was easier to get around in Blackboard. I like how they both offer the same tools like the calendar and discussion boards..etc but I like the look of Blackboard better. They both allow a lot of the same things to upload and play around with which I really liked. I did like the quiz tools on Moodle as well...that was one plus with Moodle  I really liked. 


Another thing I like about Moodle is the cost and that will draw a lot of people to it instead of Blackboard. I'm sure if I spent a lot more time playing around on Moodle or had a lot of experience with it I would enjoy it better. I really enjoyed playing around with it and seeing what my opportunities could be with it though.


I loved seeing Blackboard from the teachers perspective. At first it looks a little complex and overwhelming, but it was very easy to navigate and play with. Of course I am much more familiar with Blackboard, so that's probably why. Either way I enjoyed Blackboard much more than Moodle, but I look forward to using Moodle in the future and getting more familiar with it because it is a great tool to have and be familiar with in education. 

Camtasia vs. Camstudio

Ok.. so I had problems with both programs but I definitely, DEFINITELY prefer Camtasia..as does everyone else. I couldn't figure out how to add title pages after I recorded my video. It was very frustrating and I spent hours trying to figure it out through Youtube and google. I'm sure it's something very simple but it just wouldn't let me add that as an option. I also couldn't figure out the HD situation. =(  Oh well. So here's my not so great Camtasia video. Hope you enjoy!


PS..since I couldn't reference my music in the video..here's the info:


freeplaymusic.com
Nightflight 
Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)

IT College grads not ready for graduation

I found this article and found it to be very interesting. The article is located at eschoolnews.com and the article is called Survey: It College grads not ready to go. The article is so short so I'll copy and paste it here for you. 


"Many companies and college IT departments are ready to hire as the economy thaws, but more than nine in 10 college graduates who majored in information technology (IT) aren’t prepared for life in the workforce, according to a national survey.Eight percent of new IT hires are “well trained” and “ready to go,” while 44 percent are “well trained” but have “gaps” in their skill set, according to respondents to a survey conducted by SHARE, an association of IT industry professionals, including colleges and universities.Three in 10 IT companies said new hires were “severely deficient” business skills and are often in need of remedial training from superiors.IT know-how wasn’t the problem for many recent IT college graduates, according to the report and a SHARE official, but rather interpersonal skills that proved lacking." 


I was a little surprised when I read this article. I know that being great at your career comes with time and experience but still the recent grads don't sound NEAR ready for their new field! It's kind of scary and makes you wonder why they're not ready. Are the courses not teaching what they should be? Or is it just that they aren't getting enough hands on learning with what they need to know. 


I went on to read the full article on another website and it kind of answered my question. It said that colleges needed to provide a learning environment where students can practice and be coached. They also mentioned that it doesn't come with standing up and lecturing to your students. I totally agree and that was exactly what I was thinking was happening before I even read the rest of the article. 


There are certain majors and fields where you can't just lecture. You must have a lot of hands on in order for students to feel ready for graduation! They aren't going to feel confident after they graduate and people won't be impressed or eager to hire them if they don't know what they should know after going to school for 4-10 years.