Research Day

The Mico University College has been hosting their 2^nd Research Day in history and I must say that this have been my most involved year. Various academia’s outside and within the University came to the special occasion. Although I was never able to listen to the different speakers as they present I was very much engaged in Research Day. I had to perform from 8am-8pm due to the fact that I am music major it is mandatory for me to perform at these special events. I sung in the choir, band and las voces el melodia, though I enjoy music I was a bit disappointed not been able to listen to the speakers which was as a result of rehearsals and performers, nevertheless it was a great event.

          The most interesting part for me was the music hotspot, we had a lot of fun while doing our presentations, students performed piano and guitar pieces, presentations were also done on different religion such as Orthodox and Rastafarian. The most interesting scene was when a group of us were playing the steel pan, the audience was very big and they did have a jolly good time. Research Day plays an integral role at the Mico and I hope to see many more and even be more involved in Research Day.

Reflection 11

It is quiet fascinating of how much you can learn in one day. As I reflect after each MTI class I must say it was good to be here because my knowledge has been broaden each class. Today’s’ class was very informative, interactive and engaging. Today I learn about Wiki. According to the oxford dictionary wiki is defined as “A type of web page designed so that its content can be edited by anyone who accesses it using a simplified mark up language”. The actual meaning for wiki is “fast”. The meaning represents its name as it is one of the most common and informative webpages there is to get information on anything. This well known webpage was created by Cunningham in 1994.

During class we were not only enlightened and introduced to wiki but we were given the opportunity to create a webpage using webs.com. As instructed by the lecturer I invented a school by the name of Hutton’s Institution, J I was able to successfully complete the history of the school. Additionally I was able to use the knowledge that I have gained in previous classes to insert on the webpage.

 

I believe this is a useful tool to use for businesses, work and entertainment purposes. I do not only plan to use these tools in the course but I also intend to use it in the classroom and the working world.

The impact of the various technology tools you encounter on the teaching and learning process

‘’Technology is seen as a means of mechanizing or automating the process of teaching with devices that transmit, amplify, distribute, record or reproduce stimuli materials, and thus increase the teacher’s impact as well as widen the potential evidence ” (Davis, 1987,p.13). Determination plays a very vital role in anybody’s development; in order to keep your eyes on your goals ones should not see obstacles. It was not until I began to do the course Technology and Methodology Integration I developed a love for technology. In encountering this course I have come across a lot of technology I had little or no knowledge of, being introduced to the course have allowed me to explore and be cognizant of different technologies, their importance as well as their uses.

An effective teacher is an all rounder who tries  new invention to make the classroom active and engaging, fun and educational. Where technology is concern it performs function as aiding classroom presentations, improving demonstrations by giving access to reality or stimulations which the teacher might not be able to provide readily. This can be termed as Audio-Visual Archetype.  Having the experience of technology and has not only given me ideas of how to impact teaching in the classroom, but I was able to use the knowledge gained in this course to apply to other courses. These include; PowerPoint, PowerPoint quiz, hyperlinked videos graphics and movies, amongst these I learnt how to create a webquest, website, blog, lesson plans using the Assure Model (This is a procedural guide for planning and conducting  instruction that incorporates media assumes)

The technological tools I have learnt in class will be very effective in the teaching and learning process as it has presently been a very useful tool for me.

Reflection: The relevance of having knowledge of the different technology related theories.

It is relevant to be knowledgeable about the different technology related theories in order to be aware of the appropriate one when teaching a lesson. Technology allows the transition from the behaviourist approach to the constructivist approach in the teaching and learning process. The behaviourist speaks about learners responding to stimuli, while the constructivism is the process of creating knowledge in order to solve problem and eliminate disequilibrium. Technology allows students to want learn, research and find out things on their own.

The Multiple Intelligence by Howard Gardner drew my attention as I linked it to technology, but first the teacher has to know his/her students. In knowing the students, you can use each intelligence to meet the need of the students. In an English class the teacher can use Digital storytelling for a lesson thereby meeting the needs of visual, audio, kinetic learner among others. It is very important to be aware of the different technology related learning theories so as to make the classroom more interesting.

Reflection: The importance of technology in the teaching/learning process.

 According to http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/ Technology integration is using computers effectively and efficiently in the general content areas to allow students to learn how to apply computer skills in meaningful ways. It is not unusual that technology ubiquitous and used in almost everything that we do in this era. As educators technology has been a very effective tool to store and share information, carryout task and aid in preparing for a task.

It is of vital importance to integrate technology in the teaching and learning process, however if the teacher is not  cognizant of how to use the different technology he/she should be adequately  supported so as to aid in providing students with rich experiences using the technology to learn. In integrating the technology in the classroom it allow students to develop problem solving skills which are, students will want to explore and learn more about technology. The technology can be used for demonstrating things in and outside of school, for example a teacher could easily show a digital storytelling instead of reading the stories to students. Technology also facilitate in a more student centred approach in the classroom (Active engagement, frequent interaction and participation). The integration of technology has a lot of importance as well as benefits and in using technology it will help the teacher to carry out a lesson effectively and enhance students learning.

 

Lucas, G. (2011) Technology integration in Education, Retrieved on March 9, 2013 from, www.edutopia.org/technology_integration

Reflection #6 (PowerPoint & Webquest)

A lot of materials were covered in class today, one of which is; we were taught how to create a PowerPoint quiz. Learning about the PowerPoint quiz was quiet instructive and fascinating but I did not enjoy the class due to the fact that my computer was not working. As a result of this I was not able to fully complete the task given, however, a midst the challenges I understood what was expected of me to do and I was able to do what I could.

The lecturer also carried us through the process of creating a web quest on Zunal.com.  The web quest is a project that is a part of a lesson therefore it is a research project.

Each class I reflect on what I've been taught and this has shown me how important these lessons in Technology and Methodology Integration are, and how these lessons learnt can facilitate in the classroom when I become a teacher. 

Reflection #4 on Powerpoint (February 20,2013)

According to the site http://homepage.cs.uri.edu/tutorials/csc101/powerpoint/power.html, PowerPoint is a complete presentation graphics package. It gives you everything you need to produce a professional-looking presentation. PowerPoint offers word processing, outlining, drawing, graphing, and presentation management tools- all designed to be easy to use and learn. 

 In today's class our schemas were broaden as to the techniques and functions of the a PowerPoint. Majority of teenagers today are aware of the use of a PowerPoint but there are some fundamental procedures that are overlooked. Today I have learned that the minimum standard text of a PowerPoint is 20-24 and all CAPITAL LETTERS should not be used in  a PowerPoint presentation among others.

A PowerPoint presentation can be used in in the classroom to teach various topics, these presentation can be shown in the form of word, hyperlink, video, audio and pictures. I never knew how to use these features on a PowerPoint presentation until today when wee were introduced to it. As a result of this I was able to create a PowerPoint using these features. This PowerPoint presentation can be use in the classroom so as to have an interactive classroom and I aim to use it.