Educational Software

Although computers and educational software have rapidly become a part of the schooling experience and the home environment, what can educational software really provide and where can it be of real help to my child?
Let's start with what typically goes on in the daily school experience. Most teachers, such as myself, are facing class sizes of 25 to 30 students. With the increasing emphasis on teaching content to students, I only have time to teach a concept once, before I need to go on to the next concept. The amount of time and individual attention I can give is limited and I constantly face the challenge that the students who are fast learners are being held back and the ones who are having difficulty are not going to get the attention they need. In addition, all students need practice to fully learn a skill and be comfortable with it. Can good educational software help a teacher overcome these challenges and make an impact on a child's learning? I believe it can.
Good educational software reinforces and expands what students are learning in school. For students that are having some difficulty, it's important to recognize that educational software and the computer never get tired or frustrated by students who take the time to repeatedly go over concepts and lessons. For those students who grasp concepts quickly, educational software gives them the opportunity to advance at their own pace and really master the concept. They are able to take the educational software and computer and fly at their own pace without anyone telling them to slow down. A great quality of good educational software for all students is that it is interactive. It is very engaging for many users and provides immediate feedback on how they are doing .
Can the computer and educational software help every student become an "A" student? No. Students who have poor work habits are not going to magically transform overnight into conscientious students by sitting in front of a computer and doing a software program. The human interaction, both from the teacher and the parent, are crucial to guidance, building self confidence, and building the desire to learn. So when your children take you by the hand and ask you to come and see what they're doing with a software program, sit down and listen to them. Ask them to show you how the software works. You can learn a lot from how your children approach a software program by quietly observing them. And that's what good parenting and good learning is all about. Being there for your children as they discover the world around them.

Kidspiration!!!

As a parent most of the troubling experiences are connected to your child's education. What school he should attend, a private one or a public one, and then what courses and so on. What I mean is that everybody has to learn to read and to write but is math more important than music? Should you try educating your offspring by means of games or are the traditional methods still a better choice? Primary education has, of course, a great importance, being the milestone of your kid's proper upbringing but how can you be sure that he has every opportunity to develop appropriately? The best you can do is to make sure that he is prepared for anything that may come. That is why a program created especially to develop kids' numeracy, literacy and thinking skills using visual learning might be everything you've been searching for. Kidspiration is one of the most interesting educational software applications I've seen designed for this age. The audio explanations are very helpful, making it suitable even for kids who don't necessarily know how to read. The program definitely stimulates the child in every aspect, making him solve problems, develop projects and link concepts, bumping into things that he might not use every day. The fact of the matter is that this application isn't necessarily useful only for kids, but it can also be used for organizing events, web pages, projects, brainstorming, almost every activity that may be better if you visualize it first. Although at a first glance you think this program is very simple and easy to use, it takes a little time to explore and get used to all its features and patterns. Kidspiration is not going to transform your child into a rocket scientist but it will help him better organize himself and his projects, while the attractive interface will actually keep him in front of the computer doing something fun and educational.

My Access!!!!!!!

I’m passionate about teaching my students the importance of writing, even though it is by far the most frustrating thing I do. I have good days and bad days. One period will become a thriving writing environment while another limps along and students look like they would rather sit in the dentist’s chair than spend another second with me. I don’t expect all my students to love writing, but I do know that they all need to become proficient writers. And sadly, for a variety of reasons, many of our students are not. I certainly don’t have all the answers for why this is, but I do know that it’s not enough to just teach students a set of skills. Rather, they need to understand how writing works-why we write in the first place. They need to have a reason for writing so that they have an incentive to revise. The power of MY Access and why we are fortunate to use it, is that it can become a visual symbol that will help students internalize writing process. It’s a powerful ally, and personally I need all the help I can get.

The NJCCCS

When I visited the NJCCCS website, I found it very easy to identify all of the cumulative progress indicators associated with my curriculum. Being a middle school special education teacher, I was able to identify every skill my students are supposed to possess by the end of eighth grade. While this information is useful, I had one major question that the website never answered. How do we teach all of these skills? Nowhere on the NJ website could I find suggestions on how to implement this state's curriculum. As a teacher, I would find it helpful to have access to resources that will aid in providing the students with a fluid, coherent curriculum that covers all of the topics listed in the NJCCCS. I think it might be helpful to provide some links that can help teachers with the implementation of lessons that are aligned with the NJCCCS. What do you think?

Digital Learning Video

Great video! I was really struck by how deeply integrated our children are with technology. For kids who grew up watching movies and playing games on the computer, it is definitely understandable that they would have trouble listening to a teacher talk.
I think it is fantastic that giving technology to our students gives them more control over their learning. Children should be expected to take responsibility for their education and their goals. The industrial era is over and we do not need students who learn a procedure from a superior, then repeat it. We need students who are self motivated and capable of finding the information they need to solve the problem they are interested in.
We are giving more control to students but we also need to make sure that students use their time productively. Children have difficulty with self control so we should attempt to remove distractions during class time. Educators should collaborate with computer and cell phone manufacturers to create software that gives teachers the ability to enable/disable features or content.
Designing lessons using technology can be more time consuming but if we create a system to share our lessons and are able to use other's lessons, we will reduce the amount of time we have to spend planning. We won't need to gather resources to make photocopies of because the resources will all be online and accessible.
Avoiding technology integration is a disservice to our children. In a few years most children will have iPhone-type phones that students and teachers will be able to deliver content to. We need to rethink our no cell phones or iPods policies and incorporate students technology. By utilizing the technology students bring to school, we can decrease the amount of additional funding schools spend on technology.

Internet Safety Assignment

Although many parents and children are now aware of online predators, it is important for parents to remain vigilant and aware as to the many potential risks and dangers our children may face online.
The biggest threat facing children and teenagers on the internet today is not cyber predators but rather irresponsible parents. Children are accessing porn sites, chatting with strangers, and posting inappropriate content on the web because parents are not doing their jobs. The solution to solving the problem of minors on the internet does not involve more intense policing rather it involves holding parents criminally responsible when a child accesses porn, posts inappropriate material, or meets a predator offline.
If my child burns himself on the kitchen stove and I have to take him to the hospital, then the first thing that is going to be asked is: where were the parents when this happened? If the hospital staff doesn't feel the correct answer is given, then the matter is referred to a child welfare agency. When a child meets a predator from online in the real world and gets molested, then the parents are called a VICTIM along with the child. This is utterly insane. The parents of these kids should be arrested and charged with a criminal offense for not properly supervising the child's online behavior as well as keeping tabs of the child outside the home.
Until police begin to file criminal charges against the parents of children victimized online, then there will not be solution to this problem. Instead, responsible adults who use the Internet will be punished in the name of saving the children. I really wish that society would start holding parents accountable for poor parenting and not blaming the big corporations for parental malfeasance.

Our First Assignment

Wow! Before this assignment I had no idea how to use or set up a blog. It was easy until I got to the user name and title name. I didn't think coming up with a name would be so difficult. I'm still not familiar with many of the options, but as the semester goes on I'm sure I'll get better at blogging. I'm looking forward to learning more about blogging and it usefulness in the classroom. Happy blogging everyone!!! Hope to hear from you soon.