Fair Use/Copyright Issues

While copyright laws are essential to promote innovation, they can be quite frustrating to teachers who have no desire to profit off of the copyrighted material, only to use the material to teach their students more effectively. However, there are limitations on copyright, that fall under the concept of fair use. Using only portions of the material can be allowed under certain circumstances. By being aware of how much can be used, teachers need not avoid using potentially useful material.

Sample Interview Questions

3. Tell me a lesson you taught and why it went well. In using a story to teach German vocabulary, I was able to make a simple but entertaining story that involved usage of key German verbs. The lesson went well since the words could be repeated (necessary for retention) without the students becoming bored. I was able to do this by providing multiple types of questions that did not become tiring to the students.

4. Name a specific method or strategy that you have used to teach in the past and why it is one you will continue to use.
In language teaching, the usage of games has been both a highly motivating and highly effective method for me. For example, with vocab teaching, matching games allow great repetition of words while being fun at the same time.

8. While a lesson is ongoing, how can you tell is students are "getting" the material?
The best way I have found to assess learning in the middle of a lesson is questioning. By asking questions to several students I can gauge how well the class is following along with the material, and then adjust the lesson accordingly, either proceeding or going back to review and reinforce.

Technology and Persuasive Videos

Video technology can be a great asset to students giving a persuasive presentation. The recent political advertisements on television are an example of how effective video statements can be. Although I personally do not believe that we should teach our students to stretch the truth as far as possible for their own ends as is done in the political advertisements, the usage of visual and auditory can be effective ways to communicate ideas to other people.

Multimedia Technology

The ability of students to combine images, music, and video effects to a video presentation allow for a much higher quality of work with relatively easy tools. Video presentations can be an excellent way to share information since they appeal to multiple senses and can be entertaining. Additionally, these skills can be used on a variety of topics, making video production a skill that can be useful in nearly any class for any teacher. Video presentations lend themselves to almost infinite variety and can be fun for students produce. Therefore, they are a learning tool very worthy of consideration.

Webquesting

In the webquest shown in the video, students were asked to find a location in the solar system a human colony might best be established. The students were asked to rank the importance of the characteristics of the potential sites, and students had to work out disagreements. The students also simulated different roles in the founding of the colony. Such roleplaying provides the opportunity for learning in a real-world context, which allows the material to be more successfully related to the students. The webquest makes the situations more realisitic and envisionable, which allows for greater applicability to students.

Visions of the Students of Today and K-12 Students

The groups of students in both clips have much in common. Both state they live in a digital age. Because of this, much of the student's time is taken up by TV, video games, and computer activities. Both groups presented that the jobs they will have in their adult lives are likely to be jobs that don't currently exist. Both videos state the current education system is lacking in hands-on, learn-by-doing activities.
The older students, however, feel more "lost in the crowd" than the K-12 students. Their class sizes are immense and their instructors seldom know the students' names. The K-12 students also seemed to have parents who were more tech-savvy, although the older kids might be as well. This could potentially show that parents of today's young children are products of the information revolution, while older parents might still be out of the "loop"

Web 2.0

The changes to the world facilitated by the internet has raised many issues. Legal issues will arise that have never been considered, such as ramifications for copyright and privacy laws. The advent of xml has allowed much greater flexibility in transportation of information, allowing previous issues of compatibility and format trouble to be problems of the past.

The Internet for Communication

Important in using the internet as a communicative tool is to not become reliant on the tool without knowing as much as possible about how to fix potential problems. For example, a student watching a lecture or in a webcam conference must be able to respond efficiently to potential problems so as not to miss out on the information being conveyed. The availabilty of webcams and similar tools today allows for students to have access to courses they may not have otherwise had a chance to take. This can be especially useful for language teaching, if, for example a student does not have access to a traditional Arabic or Chinese language course, they may be able to enroll online.

Photo Collage as an example of effective teaching

The ability of the teacher to walk the students through the steps of their assignment is an excellent way to make sure the students have been provided with the means to succeed in their assignment. The technology in the video is outdated by today's standards; for example, digital cameras are today cheaper and of higher quality than those in the video. However, the principles in the assignment are quite relevant to using technology in instruction today. Especially worthy of note is the teacher providing the guidelines by which the students will be assessed. Also of note is the importance the teacher put on keeping information about students as private as possible.

Multimedia Technology integration

Multimedia approaches towards instruction provide opportunities to expand the effectiveness of the instruction. For example, usage of music can provide information on the topic of the song (as shown in the video), or about the culture that produced the song.

Usage of internet resources can quickly provide information of every type to enhance instruction. Any number of examples given in this regard is almost certianly not enough to fully describe the flexibility internet access has given. However, some example may include meteorological data, as well as scans of historical sources or music files and photographs.

Instructional Software Applied to Business Education

The simulation of the activity as being part of the real world not only helps students learn in a more meaningful way but also helps create interest. The usage of web page software and spreadsheet documents helps students become competent in vital and efficient tools that they will likely need in their careers, especially in business. These technologies streamline management and can potentially be the difference maker in a competitive business environment.

News Programs in schools

News programs at school provides students with opportunities to expand their knowledge of and capabilities in programs such as PowerPoint, video editing software, and recording equipment. Of course, the implementation of such a news program provides not only technological training. Students learn teamwork, problem solving and other interpersonal skills. Students also are very capable of helping their classmates learn to use the technologies they themselves have previously learned to use. The opportunity to have students learn to use technology while providing what can potentially be a useful and informative program for the school is something that should e at least explored in a majority of school settings.

Technology intergration in the classroom

How is technology use related to school reform?
As new technologies develop, it is instrumental that schools adapt and use those technologies not only in teaching subjects such as history and math,  but that schools also teach usage of these technologies, especially when they will be useful in the careers and lives of the students. Schools need to adapt to the world as the world changes, to better prepare children to live in that world.

Why are students not actively involved with the technology already in their classrooms?
Teachers, like most people, become comfortable with ways of doing things, even when newer, "better" methods are available. Additionally, teachers may lack in training, or budget issues may prevent technology from being efficiently available.