The main focus of this week's lesson was on computer security and the proper management practices required in order to keep your machine safe from malicious software. Undoubtedly, the Internet is the most valuable resource available to educators and students. However, it is the job of the teacher to make sure that their computer is protected and that students do not access any material that would be considered inappropriate. The teacher must explain the school district's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) with their students to ensure they know their responsibilities while online.
Malicious software is a term used to identify any program that may have detrimental effects on your computer, with the most common type being a virus. This software has the ability to affect the how your computer operates daily by deleting or corrupting saved data and has possibility of being spread to others via E-mail. Malicious software can also be spread to others by USB drives, CD's, an e-mail attachment, or any other computer files. The only way to ensure that your PC is safe is to keep an updated version of a virus protection program, such as Norton or AVG that can locate these files immediately and remove them.
In order for the students to browse the Internet safely they need to be informed of a couple safety issues. Both teachers and students do not need to open any e-mail attachment unless they know who sent it to them. There is software that can be disguised as an attachment, which will start installing itself when you open it. Students need to know not to download or install any software to any computer that belongs to the school district without specific approval given by the appropriate administrator. It is important that students follow all safety rules when using the Internet and it is the job of the teacher to ensure they do at all times.
At Barren County High School, we have two computer labs, a library, and several classrooms that are equipped with computers for student use. The district technology office has properly installed virus protection programs on every machine within our district to ensure that they are safe. However, I do have a couple of concerns. All computers in every school district is connected to their schools networking system, which gives the opportunity for malicious software to spread to other machines connected to the network when one computer becomes infected. Their needs to be a way to isolate infected computers to ensure that the program does not spread. Students must also be informed to not give out their login passwords to anyone to allow access to their own personal files. I know for a fact that both teachers and students are capable of doing this because I have witnessed it happen within our school system. By allowing somebody else access, it allows them view your own personal data and files that you have stored there.
Each district needs to be aware of all the malicious software available that could have harmful effects on their machines. We are responsible for informing students on the potential dangers that lurk while browsing the web. Remember, it is the job of both teachers and administrators to provide students with a safe learning environment.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
EDOL 533 Week 7--Educational Software
The main focus of this week's lesson was on how educators are incorporating different types of educational software into their curriculum to promote student engagement and learning. The use of certain software has been found to enhance the students' problem solving skills, as well as to initiate higher level thinking between the individuals in the class. However, it is important that the instructor follow a specific criteria when choosing a program to use in their classroom in order to meet their instructional objectives. The instructor does not need to choose a program based on if the students will find it "fun" or if it might be used to motivate the children. If the program does not meet the objectives set forth by the teacher, then the program will not be a valuable learning tool. During the selection process, the educator must keep in mind that the main goal is to enhance student learning and engagement throughout the lesson.
Microsoft Office is the most commonly used software program on a day to day basis, both in and out of the classroom. Students are able to produce professional-looking documents or presentations to aid in the teaching process. However, in the realm of science, a simulation software package can be very effective to enhance the learning environment. The use of simulation software allows the students to experience certain situations that might otherwise cost too much or be too dangerous to perform in a classroom/laboratory setting. A simulation also will allow the students to run long-term experiments that would otherwise take months or even years and see the results instantly. This type of software that is unique to the science classroom can range from virtual dissections or labs to modeling Graphic Information Systems (GIS).
There is one software package that I have seen used in other science classrooms, that I have personally not used in mine yet is called "The Digital Frog". This software will walk the students through a virtual dissection of the frog with just a click of their mouse. The use of this software allows the students to focus on the anatomy and structure of the frog rather than the dissection process, which is the overall objective of the unit. The two major advantages of using this software over a hands-on dissection is: 1.) decreases the cost of lab materials required for completion and 2.) decreases the amount of time needed to complete the dissection in half! After completing some research I found that the software package comes with a workbook of materials to be used by the instructor. The workbook comes equipped with student worksheets and study guides that the teacher may modify to meet the needs of his/her classroom. This virtual simulation has been found to be more effective in meeting the instructional goals set forth by the instructor over the typical hands-on dissection.
Certain software packages can be used as a very effective tool in aiding instruction within your classroom. They need to be carefully selected by the educators and administrators to ensure they are aligned with the instructional goals and objectives for your classroom.
Microsoft Office is the most commonly used software program on a day to day basis, both in and out of the classroom. Students are able to produce professional-looking documents or presentations to aid in the teaching process. However, in the realm of science, a simulation software package can be very effective to enhance the learning environment. The use of simulation software allows the students to experience certain situations that might otherwise cost too much or be too dangerous to perform in a classroom/laboratory setting. A simulation also will allow the students to run long-term experiments that would otherwise take months or even years and see the results instantly. This type of software that is unique to the science classroom can range from virtual dissections or labs to modeling Graphic Information Systems (GIS).
There is one software package that I have seen used in other science classrooms, that I have personally not used in mine yet is called "The Digital Frog". This software will walk the students through a virtual dissection of the frog with just a click of their mouse. The use of this software allows the students to focus on the anatomy and structure of the frog rather than the dissection process, which is the overall objective of the unit. The two major advantages of using this software over a hands-on dissection is: 1.) decreases the cost of lab materials required for completion and 2.) decreases the amount of time needed to complete the dissection in half! After completing some research I found that the software package comes with a workbook of materials to be used by the instructor. The workbook comes equipped with student worksheets and study guides that the teacher may modify to meet the needs of his/her classroom. This virtual simulation has been found to be more effective in meeting the instructional goals set forth by the instructor over the typical hands-on dissection.
Certain software packages can be used as a very effective tool in aiding instruction within your classroom. They need to be carefully selected by the educators and administrators to ensure they are aligned with the instructional goals and objectives for your classroom.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
EDOL 533 Week 6-- Webquests
A Webquest is a project that totally lives online that guides students through a process of learning by breaking a large project down into smaller parts. Students can either complete the webquest individually or in a group by each member completing a section. Most teachers utilize a Webquest as a group project to promote communication and collaboration skills amongst the students. The current Webquest model completely breaks the down the learning activity into different sections, allowing students to complete small portions of the webquest at a time and guiding them guiding them through the complete activity.
The traditional Webquest format consists of the following seven parts: Introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credits, and a teacher page. These individual sections guide students so that they can work in groups or by themselves. The sections also provide structure which allows students to browse the Internet, use data from various sources to answer questions, and to solve problems that require higher level critical thinking skills. Using webquests in the classroom have been found to enhance collaboration between students, which will increase student motivation, and also create opportunities for students to become experts within a certain area of study.
Webquests can be applied to fit a wide range of topics; however there are some topics that are not appropriate. Educators do not want to use a webquest to teach factual information, such as multiplication tables or chemical symbols on the periodic table. The best use of a webquest is for a topic that isn't clearly defined, a task that sparks creativity among the students and problems that may have multiple possible answers. Webquests are "inquiry" based projects that require students to think outside the box in order to solve a problem. Webquests promote communication and collaborative learning, since students are required to work in groups. These projects help students to practice higher level critical thinking skills that they will have to use for the rest of their life.
During this week I had the opportunity to create my own webquest that I could possibly use in my own classroom. I created a webquest entitled "Cell City"; where students would have to work together in order to create a presentation regarding the specific functions of organelles inside plant and animal cells. Students are required to research the Internet to find the functions of at least eight different cell organelles, then create an analogy of that organelle function to a structure inside their city that has a similar function. The overall objective of the group was to market their city to an audience to persuade them to visit their city.
The biggest challenge that I had putting this webquest together was finding enough resources from which the students could find helpful information to complete their presentation. After browsing the Internet for a while I was able to put a list of websites together that the students would find very helpful in completing the webquest. My webquest was primarily intended to used for high school level science classes, but it could be modified to fit the middle school level as well.
Webquests are great way to incorporate technology immediately into your classroom. They promote collaboration and communication between students in order to solve a problem. The URL for my webquest has been posted below for you to view. Enjoy!
http://questgarden.com/109/66/5/100928075827/
The traditional Webquest format consists of the following seven parts: Introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credits, and a teacher page. These individual sections guide students so that they can work in groups or by themselves. The sections also provide structure which allows students to browse the Internet, use data from various sources to answer questions, and to solve problems that require higher level critical thinking skills. Using webquests in the classroom have been found to enhance collaboration between students, which will increase student motivation, and also create opportunities for students to become experts within a certain area of study.
Webquests can be applied to fit a wide range of topics; however there are some topics that are not appropriate. Educators do not want to use a webquest to teach factual information, such as multiplication tables or chemical symbols on the periodic table. The best use of a webquest is for a topic that isn't clearly defined, a task that sparks creativity among the students and problems that may have multiple possible answers. Webquests are "inquiry" based projects that require students to think outside the box in order to solve a problem. Webquests promote communication and collaborative learning, since students are required to work in groups. These projects help students to practice higher level critical thinking skills that they will have to use for the rest of their life.
During this week I had the opportunity to create my own webquest that I could possibly use in my own classroom. I created a webquest entitled "Cell City"; where students would have to work together in order to create a presentation regarding the specific functions of organelles inside plant and animal cells. Students are required to research the Internet to find the functions of at least eight different cell organelles, then create an analogy of that organelle function to a structure inside their city that has a similar function. The overall objective of the group was to market their city to an audience to persuade them to visit their city.
The biggest challenge that I had putting this webquest together was finding enough resources from which the students could find helpful information to complete their presentation. After browsing the Internet for a while I was able to put a list of websites together that the students would find very helpful in completing the webquest. My webquest was primarily intended to used for high school level science classes, but it could be modified to fit the middle school level as well.
Webquests are great way to incorporate technology immediately into your classroom. They promote collaboration and communication between students in order to solve a problem. The URL for my webquest has been posted below for you to view. Enjoy!
http://questgarden.com/109/66/5/100928075827/
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