Week 3 Group 6 Current Event

Current Event Topic: Identify an online source that is an example of differentiated instruction using technology.

Group 6 Members: Warren Shaw, KayLee Taylor, & Maile Yap

Online Source: "Differentiated Instruction: Getting Personal With Technology" by Edutopia

      All students learn differently. We all know that. According to Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, learners can posses different types of intelligences like: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetics, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential. Think about how you learn best. Does sitting and listening to a professor lecture the best for you? Do you do better taking notes? Do hands-on labs help you comprehend material better? Do you like studying in a group or on your own? We are all different. The fact is, there is just one teacher in the classroom who has to make sure that everyone in his/her classroom learns. Teachers in this century are using technology to aid them. With the use of technology, the teacher can teach each student the same concept using the different methods technology has to offer that best suits each students' different learning styles.

     Forest Lake Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina describes how they use technology to teach differentiated instruction in their Kindergarten to 5th grade classrooms in the article "Differentiated Instruction: Getting Personal With Technology" provided by Edutopia. They describe the success they have had since becoming a technology magnet school. They also discuss how it was a bit of a struggle at first for the teachers to start integrating technology into their classrooms, but they realized that gave them more time to plan more complex assignments and provide students more individualized instruction. Using technology, the school sees that they can teach all students effectively without "... dumbing things down for one child in order to challenge another. You're challenging every child at her level..." Each student can learn with the best of his/her abilities to his/her own potential.

Week 2 Group 6 Current Event

Current Event Topic: Identify an online source for expanding your technology literacy.

Group 6 Members: Warren Shaw, Kaylee Taylor, Maile Yap, & Jasmine Yoshikawa

Online Source: "Professional Development On-line Tutorials" by East Central Educational Service Center (E.C.E.S.C.)

      In this day in age, students are very "tech-savvy". Pretty much most of their time is spent on some sort of technological device. If that is what grasps their attention, shouldn't educators use that resource to their advantage? It is a great idea; however, there are some teachers out there that aren't as "tech-savvy" as their younger generation students. "Professional Development On-line Tutorials" provided by the East Central Educational Service Center provides teachers with links to tutorials of different online resources that they can use to conduct their teaching. It has tutorials like how to use a Mac and Microsoft Excel. As well as sites on how to teach an online class well. It even has a tutorial on how to use a Kindle since e-books are so popular now. It is basically a resource to make sure that you, the teacher, know how to use technology and can confidently use it to help your students learn.

Self Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Maile Yap, and here is my first blog post for Ed279 class and first blog post ever. I am just the average tech-y. I email and facebook, and that's pretty much it. I think I'll learn a whole lot from this class this semester.

To answer the question, what is my favorite technology gadget or gizmo? I would have to say that I love my iPhone. I finally got an iPhone in March and I am hooked. All these other new phones that can share videos by just tapping them together, I don't buy it. I can't wait to get the iPhone5 in March (because I'm not paying a ridiculous amount of money when it will be cheaper in a few months).

To describe my work style. I am pretty good at online classes. I have been doing them for about 4 semesters  , a total of 8 classes online. I turn in assignments on time and always do my best. 2 skills or traits that I will bring to an online group is that I am easy to get in contact with. I always have my cell on me and I frequently check my email. Another is that I am a bit of a perfectionist. When I do a task, I do it well and make sure that task is completed at a timely matter. I panic when something doesn't go right or according to schedule (that could also be a flaw too...). But if we're in a group together, we are going to get the project done on time and it will be awesome.

Linked is a video about how Singapore is integrating technology into their education system. I thought this would be an interesting video because I am from Singapore. (Don't worry if you can't follow along with their Singaporean accent... I was born and raised there and I can't follow along with it very well either!)
>>> Singapore's 21st-Century Teaching Strategies video

Hope you enjoyed my first blog!
Maile :)