Virtual Classroom

The website I found outlines ten benefits to a virtual classroom. As someone who takes and enjoys virtual classes, I found this website to be very interesting. One of the benefits the website gives is that the student will have access to the best teachers in the country without being hindered by their location or worrying about the reputation of the school. The website also states flexibility as one of the major benefits of a virtual classroom, which is what attracts me most to a virtual class. I would rather be able to do my work when I want and at my own pace, then be told when to be somewhere. Other benefits outline on this website are cost savings, the fact that thousands of students can learn from one teacher, and the fact that the income of the teachers will increase.

I think virtual classrooms are a very important new technology. As it is here at FGCU, I think that most schools, including high schools, should make at least one virtual class mandatory. It allows students to experience a new type of learning that is becoming more and more popular. It also provides students with new knowledge of the Internet and computers that they may not have access to outside of a virtual classroom. For example, I have never had any experience with blogging or creating my own website until I took this class. It is my belief that the younger the student is when he or she experiences and begins learning about the Internet, the better off they will be in the long run, especially in this era. Teachers especially should be required to take a virtual class, as they may one day be asked or want to instruct a virtual classroom.

There is a great deal of research that has been done on virtual classrooms, and much of the evidence is in support of them. As with any topic, more research could be done to determine more about the benefits and detriments to using virtual classrooms. Personally, the only knowledge I have about them is what I have experienced in the classes I have taken online, and before I were to instruct a virtual classroom, I would need to do more individual research.

Streaming Video

The website I reviewed on streaming video was very informative. I knew very little about streaming video before this assignment, and this website explained the basics. It explains that streaming video is a technique for transferring data so that it can be processed as a steady stream. It also explains two key technologies that make streaming video possible. Although there was a lot of information given in this website, many of the words were not defined or explained clearly, making it a little difficult to understand.

Although I did not fully grasp the concept of streaming video, I do think using streaming video in the classroom could be very beneficial to the students. It would allow the teacher to open up a whole world to his or her students that cannot be opened by simply sitting in the classroom. There could also be potential problems with using a video that is just found from a source of which you are unsure, as they may not be reliable. Aside from this, I think streaming video would be a benefit to any classroom, if the teacher uses this resource wisely.

Personally, I would need to do more research to understand the topic fully. I would also want to be taught in a seminar or a workshop how to best utilize this tool in my classroom.

http://www.networkdictionary.com/networking/VideoStreaming.php

Podcasting

The website I reviewed, entitled Learning in Hand: Podcasting, was very imformative to me. I am not very familiar with podcasting and it gave a brief background to help me understand what podcasting is all about. The website also discussed the role podcasting can play in the classroom. Not only can students listen to or watch podcasts, but they can also create their own podcasts that can be published online. The website also states that it is not necessary to have an iPod or a handheld device to listen to a podcast, which is something not a lot of people know.

In my personal opinion, podcasting should be used much more in the classroom. Throughout my educational career, podcasts were not used at all, and now that they are becoming increasingly popular in our world, I still know little about them, and this will hinder my ability to use podcasting in my classroom. I also think that the idea of students creating their own podcasts could be really beneficial, especially with older kids, or for those in a technology or news production class. It would allow the students to learn how to use modern technologies to their advantage and to further their education. There is so many things for students to learn out there and if using a podcast to clarify something I as the teacher am not very confident about, I think it is an excellent idea.

Personally, I would need to do even more research to fully understand how to incorporate podcasting into my classroom, especially since I am planning on teaching elementary school.

http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/

Web Based Multimedia

The website I reviewed laid out a basic description of the web based multimedia, and the different generations it has gone through. It also described key words associated with web based multimedia, such as html. This website helped me a great deal. Before this I knew absolutely nothing about web based multimedia, and I didn't know what some words meant that are commonly associated with the Internet and websites.
I think that using web based multimedia in the classroom could be a very beneficial, new spin on the way lessons are taught and the way students learn. I still don't totally understand the subject, so if I were to implement it into my classroom, I would need to do a lot more research, take a class, or have it explained to me.

Digital Imagery

In the article I read, entitled Increasing Visual Literacy with Digital Imagery discusses a class taken by education students at a college in Arizona. All students are required to take the technology class, like we are. The class focuses on the integration of technology, and not necessarily how to operate the latest technology. The author goes on to discuss that ditgital imagery is used in other classes as well, and that the students have electronic portfolios. The author also discusses which cameras would be best to use, are the most durable (which is important when teaching any grade), and are the easiest to store.
In my opinion, these classes are very important. They not only teach us how to use the technology, but how to use it to benefit the students. The way the classes are organized at the college in Arizona seem to be very effective in getting the point across that technology is important. Digital Imagery is changing the way we are taught, and the way we will teach. These classes are vital to the success of our students, and essentially, ourselves.
I would like to read more, or be taught more about how to effectively integrate the use of digital imagery into a classroom, especially for younger students.

http://thejournal.com/articles/17145_1

Storyboarding

Before this assignment, I didn't know anything about storyboarding, so I decided to use this opportunity to find out what it is and how it could be useful to me. I explored a few websites before finally settling on one. The website I found described exactly what a storyboard is and how to use it. This article laid out step by step how to do a rough storyboard. It even gave an example and some helpful tips on practicing a storyboard before actually implementing the use of this technique. The storyboard seems to me to be a visual expression of an outline, which would be very helpful for visual learners that do not comprehend things as well that are simply written. A storyboard would be a perfect tool to outline the way a lesson would flow, and allow a teacher to make necessary changes before presenting the lesson to students. If I were teaching a middle or high school class, I would also consider having them use storyboarding when developing projects, especially if they are working in a group. The storyboard would allow them to easily see how their project is coming together, and where they may need improvements. I think this would be a good tool that they could even carry with them after their time in my classroom.

I do feel though, that I do not know a lot about storyboarding, and that I would need to do extensive research, or even have a storyboard demonstrated for me before I would feel comfortable enough to use this technique.

Wikis

Wikis are a new, modern way of sharing information between people, and are becoming increasingly popular in the classroom. They are easy to use, and allow people to publish their thoughts and ideas, along with information, usually free of charge. In the article I read, the author outlined briefly the main components of a wiki, and how to use and edit their own wiki. The author also explored the educational benefits of using wikis. The main point they made, is that they allow students to contribute their thoughts at a conveneint time, and from wherever they want. As a student who takes online classes, I can completely appreciate the benefits of being able to work when and where I want and at my own pace.

As a teacher, I would consider using wikis in my classroom, especially if I were teaching middle or high school. I would be concerned however, that they could be misused, or that the specific student was not doing his/her own work. It would be very easy to have someone else write for them, which would hinder their learning experience. More research needs to be done on this topic before I would actually implement wikis into my classroom

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/wikis/

Blogging

In the article I read, the author explores both the benefits and the downfalls to blogging in a classroom. Most students he interviewed say they enjoy blogging and that it helps them learn in different ways. By the end of the article, after discussing the ins and outs of blogging and how it could be detrimental to an education, the author claims that he is in favor of blogging, stating that "it brings life to learning".

In the future, blogging may become very prevalent in the education system. It is already beginning to take a place in the classroom, especially with older students, and as it becomes more popular outside the classroom, it will quickly gain popularity inside it as well. As a teacher, I would hope to be able to use the Internet and blogging as a supplement to what I was already teaching and as a tool to help the students better understand the material.

Additional research could be helpful to fully understand whether the use of blogs in the classroom would be beneficial or detrimental to a student's education.

Virtual Field Trips

In the article I read online, the author described the benefits of taking a virtual field trip. He explained that they allow the students to enter into worlds that are not possible with a normal field trip; the students can travel back in time, or look at the microscopic world that they would not be able to see otherwise. The author also argued that a teacher cannot pull up just any website and claim that it would be beneficial to his or her students; it must be a highly educational website, and it must be given the thought that an actual field trip would be given. Some websites come as a package deal, while with some, the teacher can personalize the field trip to meet the specific needs of the class at that time.

The use of a virtual field trip would greatly enhance a student's learning experience. When used in conjunction with other aspects of teaching, this technology would be able to further a student's knowledge of what is being taught, and would supplement the non-virtual learning that takes place in a classroom.

I feel that virtual field trips would be very important to students' educations, especially in this era. Most homes have a computer, and it is important for students to understand that they can be helpful in their education. I do, however, think that virtual field trips could become a problem. If the teacher is not taking the time to make sure that they are fully prepared and that the website they are using is adequate, the field trip could become more of a hindrance, than a help. Virtual Field Trips should be used sparingly and in conjunction with actual field trips and classroom teaching.

More research would be helpful to my understanding of the topic, and its usefulness to the students. If I were to gain a better understanding about virtual field trips, I would be better equipped to make a decision regarding whether or not I would use them in my classroom.