Prompt #7

     TeacherTube should be skating toward in American K-12 classrooms. It is like YouTube in the way that it is a collection of humorous videos, the only difference is it is designed specifically fo teachers. Other teachers can unload the videos they have created to teach their students, making this site a community of teachers with one common goal, teaching. I feel that students would connect well with TeacherTube because it is so much like YouTube, which is most likely visited daily by students. This familiarity would make students more comfortable, while at the same time helping them learn.

Prompt #6

     The first time I remember technology in the classroom was when my kindergarten class would take trips to the computer lab. It was filled with colored iMacs, I always wanted purple. There would be educational games such as Math Facts and Oregon Trail, but was mainly used to improve typing. It was always the highlight of my day. Since then there has been an ever present stream of technology in my classrooms. In middle school every student was given a laptop not only to use in school, but to bring home. This ensured that every student had the ability to complete assignments. In high school technology was still all around, with the development of the smart board class itself became more interactive with technology and seemed to be more engaging as well.

Prompt #5

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
     I would use Youtube videos of experiments to dangerous to demo, my high school chemistry teacher did this and it made me want to learn what was happening and why it happened.
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
     I would try to utilize assessment programs such as Mastering Chemistry which infuse technology and chemistry.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

     In my classroom I would model digital-age work and learning by making sure I knew how to use the technologies well enough that if a student had any question on the technology I could answer it, or know how to find the answer.

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
     I would have discussions on digital citizenship with my students and whenever I used technology I would demonstrate how to be a digital citizen so that my students had a model.
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
     I would attempt to attend as many technology workshops as possible so I would be able to stay up to date on current technologies that could later be implemented in to my classroom. In addition, if I felt I knew a specific technology well I would help other teachers learn how to effectively use that technology in their own classroom.

Prompt #4

1. Creativity and Innovation

     Creativity and innovation can be stimulated by technology through the use of programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Flash. These programs allow students to create unique works that with the guidelines of a teacher induce learning.

2. Communication and Collaboration

     Instant messaging and Skype are just two ways communication and collaboration can be taught through technology. By assigning assignments utilizing programs like this students build social skills while learning material at the same time.

3. Research and Information Fluency

     There are numerous online databases filled with research and scholarly articles. By assigning papers and showing students how to use these resources as a teacher you are promoting research and information fluency.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

     There are many websites a teacher can used that help students organize thoughts, such as blogs, and once students are able to organize ideas they are better able to think critically, problem solve, and make decisions.

5. Digital Citizenship
     The best way to promote digital citizenship is by creating a presentation on how to be a digital citizen and then actively being a digital citizen so that students have a role model.

Prompt #3

     When dealing with students who have been surrounded by technology their entire lives a teacher must be able to use technology for most of their lessons. As a chemistry teacher I hope to be able to implement technology in my classroom more than it was for me. The easiest way to do this is through experimental labs involving new technology. The downside to this though is that many of these technologies are expensive and not all schools can afford them. Other ways I could use technology in my classroom is through online assignments, Youtube videos of dangerous experiments, and smart-boards. The most important thing to remember though, is that not all technology is exciting and engaging. A powerpoint full of notes is not something students look forward to, so remembering to use technology in innovative ways is key.

Prompt #2

     Bloom’s taxonomy would be a perfect model for todays world if it included one more step. According to Bloom the highest level of learning is evaluating, but what about after you evaluate? In todays world, driven by technology, after you evaluate something you stive to change it into something better. This idea of invention and modification, I believe, is the highest form of thinking and should be taken into consideration in Bloom's taxonomy.

Prompt #1

     There is no denying that we are surrounded by technology. Any question I think of can be answered with a simple Google search on my phone. As teachers, this has been viewed as a burden, students texting during class, the easy of cheating, but in reality technology is a blessing when utilized correctly. Teachers can use technology to engage students. Since students use technology on a daily by implementing it in the classroom a teacher is creating a comfortable and natural way to learn, which keeps students interested. Overall the times are a changing and education needs to change with it, or else students will become bored and no longer have interest in learning. Technology is a fairly untapped tool that students can benefit from.