Games

            “Writing and communicating are key parts to education” (Bonk, 2009 p. 284).  With the first game, Words2Learn, URL address: https://www.words2learn.com . This website offers an app that the student can download onto their mobile device. The app helps the student learn vocabulary words. It takes 15 to 30 minutes to go through a lesson and there are 30 screens per lesson. In the app the student is exposed to 5 words. The student is asked if he is familiar with the words. He is given a short quiz to see if he really knows and understands the meaning of the words. Based on this pre-assessment, the student is exposed to the words in several different ways. They first look at the list, get familiar with the words, have the words pronounced for them, see if they know any of them, and see if they can use them in context. When they take the quizzes, the results are sent to the instructor, and given to the student with immediate feedback. Based on the feedback, the instructor can analyze which words he or she needs to focus on in class. Once the app is downloaded into a mobile device the student can access the app at anytime, anywhere. They can study in their car.

            The second game is Lumosity. The URL address is http://www.lumosity.com. This game is designed to improve memory, attention, speed, flexibility and problem solving. Over 70 million people play lumosity. It is free to play, and now you can play on a team against other teams from around the world. Lumosity is translated into several different languages such as Spanish and German. It was started in 2007, and is based in California. You can access this game by Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter.

            In the GED program, we have men who need to improve their vocabulary skills by understanding the meaning of words, how to pronounce the words properly, and use them in the correct context. This game would help them do that at their own pace, and independently of the teacher. They would assume more responsibility for their own learning.  Also in the program, we have older gentlemen who have resigned themselves to the fact that they are too old to get their GED. Playing the Lumosity game, would allow them to sharpen their memory skills. When you sign up for the game, you are given an assessment, and then based on your results they tailor a game set to your specific needs. I feel playing this game would give them confidence and boost their motivation to learn so they in turn could pass their GED test.

            I would use both of these games in my GED classroom. I would use the Words2Learn app to extend the vocabulary lesson by having the men be exposed to the words in a more direct and personal manner. With playing the game, the student is immersed in these words (Barab, Gresalfi, & Arici, 2009). The more a student is exposed to a word, the more likely he or she is to incorporate it into their everyday vocabulary.  I would use Lumosity for the students to do something different and fun after the lesson is over to continue the learning process.

References

            Barab, S. A., Gresalfi, M., & Arici, A. (2009). Why educators should care about    games.             Educational Leadership, (67)1, 76–80.

            Bonk, C. J. (2009). The world is open: How web technology is revolutionizing education.   San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

           

Sorry I missed one more reference for this week's blog. It is :

Vaterlaus, J. M., Beckert, T. E., Fauth, E. B., & Teemant, B. (2012). An examination of the influence of clicker technology on college student involvement and recall.and International Journal of Teaching  and Learning in Higher Education, v24n3, 293-300.

Mobile Learning Technologies

            Over two thousand years ago a Greek philosopher named Socrates realized that his students understood more by answering questions then being told the answer (Abrahamson, nd). Today, students still learn more by answering the questions. With modern technology, teachers can provide the active learning that Socrates discovered so long ago.

            With a Classroom Communication System (CCS) or clickers, teachers can get their students actively involved in the class discussion, students can get immediate feedback about their answers and how the rest of the class answered the question. When clickers are used in the classroom the students are more actively engaged, enjoy class more, come to class better prepared, and pay more attention in class (Abrahamson, nd). Using the clickers has other benefits as well. When using the clickers, students feel more empowered to answer the question because their answers remain anonymous which leads to almost 100% participation. Clickers also help students who are shy or would not otherwise participate in the discussion become active participants and have the freedom to express their voice (Bojinova & Oigara, 2013). When the clicker technology was employed in the classroom student’s performance went up, they were better prepared for exams, they were more actively engaged in the discussion, and they found class to be more interesting (Vaterlaus, Beckert, Fauth, & Teemant, 2012).

            Another technology that can be used in the classroom is Augmented Reality (AR). This technology allows real and virtual objects to coexist in the same space, and allows the student to interact with the technology in real time. It also allows the overlay of virtual objects on real world objects (Bower, Howe, McCredie, Robinson, & Grover, 2013). This technology can support education by helping students develop their basic literacy and math skills to helping students learn another language by blending real world objects with markers with the new language word on the object (Bower et al., 2013). Students can upload pictures, text, and audio to create their own 3D stories. Other uses for AR in the classroom can give the student opportunities to explore the world beyond the classroom door. They can go on a virtual field trip, or explore space. Eventually teachers and students will be able to design their own AR systems. There are several websites that are designed for AR. They are: http://zooburst.com, http://questvisual.com, and http://www.terminaleleven.com/skyview.

References

Abrahamson, A.L. (nd). Teaching with Classroom Communication System-What it involves and why it works. Better Education Inc. Yorktown, VA.

Bojinova, E., & Oigara, J. (2013). Teaching and learning with clickers in higher education.            International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, v25n2, 154-165.

Bower, M., Howe, C., McCredie, N., Robinson, A., & Grover, D. (2014). Augmented Reality in education-cases, places, and potentials. Educational Media International, v51n1, 1-15.

 

 

Exploring College Students' Attitudes and Self-Efficacy of Mobile Learning: EBSCOhost

Exploring College Students' Attitudes and Self-Efficacy of Mobile Learning: EBSCOhost

Open Education Resources and Mobile Technology to Narrow the Learning Divid...: EBSCOhost

Open Education Resources and Mobile Technology to Narrow the Learning Divid...: EBSCOhost

Social Networking

            The Internet and social networking has made it possible for anyone who has a computer and access to the World Wide Web the ability to have access to information, share information and share their expertise on a subject, and have ownership of knowledge (Bonk, 2009). It has also empowered learners by placing learning in their hands. You can now go to your computer and at a touch of a button have hundreds of sources to pull from to learn about a particular topic. With social networking, information is relayed at a faster pace and learners have a voice in their own learning (Bonk, 2009). People are being connected to each other all over the world by their ideas and their passions (Richardson, 2010). The two social networking technologies that I would like to share are Twitter and YouTube.

            The URL for Twitter is: http://www.Twitter.com.

            The URL for YouTube is: http://www.YouTube.com.

            Twitter is a “microblogging” tool that has grown from its introduction in 2006. This network was designed to send quick updates to people who “follow” the person sending out the tweets. You can create a network of friends, family, or colleagues to keep in touch with. It is a “running river of conversation and ideas” that connects the members of the network to each other (Richardson, 2010 p.86). The rationale as to why I selected this technology is that it can connect a lot of people in a network. You can send out one tweet and all of the followers will get it at the same time. It would be very useful to send students, parents, administration, or anyone else you wanted to share information with the in a quick and efficient manner. Two examples of using Twitter in the classroom would be to extend the lesson by continuing the discussion outside of the classroom, and to live tweet your class on a fieldtrip so that the parents can share the trip with their child.

            The second social networking technology that I would like to share is YouTube. Along with YouTube there is Common Craft, Teacher Tube, and SchoolTube (Bonk, 2010). People can share their knowledge of a subject, or share their ideas with others via a video on the computer. Common Craft offers videos in 27 different languages so everyone can watch the same video at the same time and feel respected with personalized learning (Bonk, 2010). Students can explore, research, and reference videos for their content and that makes YouTube a useful tool in education. Also, the teacher can reference YouTube videos to have another teacher via the video teach their students. The teacher could “invite” a guest lecturer or expert to come in the classroom via YouTube to share their expertise on a subject that the students are studying about (Bonk, 2010).

            Examples of how I would use YouTube in my classroom would be to go on virtual fieldtrips, or to bring in a guest lecturer in the classroom.

 

References

Bonk, C. J. (2009). The world is open: How web technology is revolutionizing education. San        Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd   ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

           

Educational Technologies Blog

 

           Technology has the capability for the instructor to individualize the learning process for each learner. Learners can individualize their studies and the teacher can build on what the learner knows, is interested in, and what is important to them (Laureate, 2012). By using multimedia resources and the apps that go with them, we can tap into the way each student learns and incorporates the concepts learned into their daily life.

The multimedia resources that would enhance adult education in the classroom would be power point and the iPad. The apps that could be used with these resources are: Power point station, URL is http://pppst.com. This resource has free games and power points that could be used in teaching a particular concept. The second app is IXL Math practice. The URL for this app is: https://www.ixl.com. This app has math and Language Arts concepts from level K-12 (Best Online Universities, 2015).

The rationale for using power point station in the classroom is it is already equipped with a smart board to show power points. We can use the power points in class to explain the concept and then use the iPad to extend the lesson and have the learners continue learning on their level and pace.

Examples on how we can use this technology in the classroom are: in GED class, we can use the apps and iPad to have the men practice math concepts that have been taught in class. They can practice independently and also use the technology for peer tutoring. The second example in using this technology is in Thinking for a Change class to demonstrate social skills, problem solving skills, and present real life scenarios to discuss the skills taught.

 

References

 Best Online Universities. (2015). Retrieved from: http://bestonlineuniversities.com/favorite-moblie-learning-apps/

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012e). Using digital media for learning. Baltimore, MD: Author.