EDU 315-602

Writing Assignment #1

September 17, 2009

If I were to select a category out of the NETS I would chose number 1: To Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. I feel that it is important for teachers to demonstrate competency in this area because then students will be able to access their virtual tools and use them to learn and be creative with them. Inspiring students to learn and be creative through technology is an important part of teaching them about technology because when children are inspired and excited about doing things they’re more motivated to go more in depth and explore all of the different aspects of technology.

When teachers allow children to be creative through the use of technology it helps them to see more outside of the box, and think of learning and school work as something other than just pen and paper activities. Inspiring children to use technology and showing them that it can be fun and interesting would be the best thing to do as a teacher when first introducing children to technology because then they won’t be discouraged when it comes to the use of technology.

To demonstrate competency in the area of facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity I would let the children explore a simple application on the computer such as “paint” and ask them to get creative and make a picture with the application and then type a short story about the picture that they made. Another way to demonstrate competency would be to let the children explore the technology that they have been provided with, such as a digital camera. The children could explore all the functions of the camera and then show the class one new/interesting thing that they discovered in regards to the technological device that they are using.

The website; Early Connections: Technology in Early Childhood Education (http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/primary/curriculum.html) would be very beneficial for teachers to use to help demonstrate competency in this subject area because it provides the educator with multiple ideas that could be implemented into the classroom and it gives a positive perspective to technology and the classroom.

I feel that it is important for students to demonstrate competency in the category of Research and Information Fluency. To teach children at an early age, how to apply the digital tools that they have access to in order for them to gain information is crucial because I feel as if the sooner the children are exposed to different technological research tools the better off they will be in the future. The children will be more likely to understand what they’re doing and less likely to be overwhelmed at the idea of using technology in the classroom.

Being able to conduct a research project using technology is going to be something that children have to grow accustomed to because they will be doing it all of their lives. As an educator I feel that it is important to stay updated on the most current trends in technology and to keep doing your research when it comes to the new tools that you introduce your students to so that your students are being exposed to the best/most current trends.

One activity that students could participate in to help them become more comfortable with technology and conducting research would be to have the children participates in a web quest. Using a web quest, will require the children to obtain all of their information through the internet… therefore they would have to be able to analyze information that they find on the internet as well as evaluate and select information sources. A website that would be useful in conducting a web quest would be: http://www.citt.ufl.edu/toolbox/toolbox_webquest.php : this website helps to explain the web quest and the processes that students should take to complete it.

One other activity that students could participate in to help them gain competency in Research and Information fluency would be to have the children select a topic of interest to them that they would like to look further into, such as the history of soccer and how it originated; then the children will map out a plan as to what websites they will be looking on to find their information and what other publisher type tools they will use to make their project original and artistic, then the children could present their findings to the class. A useful website to help guide children to credible search engines via the internet would be: http://www.ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html.

The NETS for teachers and students seem to have the same type of content. The teachers’ standards however are more specific and are made clear that the teacher is accountable for the students’ success therefore they need to provide the best opportunity possible for their students to learn. If it were not for the teachers the students would be lost, the NETS for the students I feel branch off of the NETS for the teachers.

Works Cited

http://www.citt.ufl.edu/toolbox/toolbox_webquest.php

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm

http://www.ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html

http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/primary/curriculum.html