Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Types of Instructional Software




There are many types of software that can be beneficial in the classroom today. Some of these include drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, instructional games, problem solving, and integrated learning systems. As educators we need to expose our students to as many of these as possible to enhance the learning process.

The first type is drill and practice. This allows students to practice their skill and receive feedback from the program. Two types of drill and practice that I could use in my classroom are Earobics and Math is Fun. With the Earobics, I could use this with my struggling first graders to improve their phonological awareness skills. With the Math is Fun website, I could use this for my 5th graders who are still having trouble with their multiplication facts. According to Roblyer & Doering(2013), "Drill-and-practice software informs them immediately whether their responses are accurate so they can make quick corrections"(p.81).
Earobis: Helping Readers Reach
Math Is Fun

The second type of software that is beneficial in the classroom is tutorial. Some examples of tutorial software that I could use in my classroom are Congress for Kids and e-Learning for Kids. My 5th grade students would enjoy learning about the parts of the United States government by using Congress for Kids. My 1st grade students could benefit from using e-Learning for Kids by working on their Math skills such as money, addition, subtraction, and time. "Tutorial software is an entire instructional sequence on a topic, similar to a teacher's classroom instruction. This instruction usally is expected to be a self-contained instructional unit rather than a supplement to other instruction"(p.83).
Congress for Kids
E-Learning for Kids

The third type of software is simulation. "A simulation is a computerized model of a real or imagined system that is designed to teach how the system works. Unlike tutorial and drill-and-practice activities, in which the teaching structure is build into the package, learners using simulations usually must choose tasks to do and the order in which to do them" (p. 85) Both 123 Games and Learn 4 Good would be helpful to both my 1st grade students and 5th grade students to teach them which steps they should do first such as in working Math problems or following directions.
123 Games
Learn 4 Good

Another type of instructional software is Instructional games. "Technology-based games bridge the worlds of gaming, entertainment, and education in an attempt to deliver fun and effective learning" (p.91). Two instructional websites that I use in my classroom are Arthur's Math Games and PBS Kids. The students enjoy playing a variety of games on PBS Kids and they also enjoy practicing their Math skills on Arthur's Math Games.
Learning Company
PBS Kids

The 5th software that can be used is Problem Solving. Two websites that I have found effective under this category are Kids Math Games and Sabi Games:Kids Drawing Games. I use these websites to help with Math skills with my 1st and 5th grade students. "Problem-solving software can help students by improving interest and motivation and can prevent inert knowledge" (p.95)
Kids Math Games
Sabi Games

The last type of software is Integrated Learning Systems. "Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs) are systems that offer computer-based instruction and other resources to support instruction, along with summary reports of student progress through the instruction; all are provided through networked or online sources" (p. 98). Some examples of this type of software that I use in my classroom are Compass Learning Odyssey and Online Dictionary. Our school has adopted Compass Learning as a resource to improve Reading and Math Skills in every grade. I use the website for the Online Dictionary with my 5th grade students when they come to a word that is unfamiliar to them.
Compass Learning
Online Dictionary

As you can see, there are many types of instructional software that are readily available to educators. We need to use as many of these as possible in our classroom to help bridge the gap for our students.
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Saturday, June 15, 2013

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Article Critique

1.Provide the Complete Article Title and Author.
2.State the Intended Audience. (What is emperical research and how does it help the classroom?)

A study completed by Kurt A. Suhr, David A. Hernandez, Douglas Grimes, and Mark Warschauer called "Laptops and Fourth Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump over the Fourth-Grade Slump" was completed to determine if the use of laptops in the classroom could improve literacy scores. This emperical research provides knowledge by obersevation or experience. Emperical research can aid in the classroom by providing active learning for students instead of just using traditional methods. This research was performed for school districts all over the country.

3. What is/are the research question/questions or hypothesis/hypotheses?

There were three research questions associated with this study. 1. Were there significant differences in the total ELA score changes in the California Standards Test (CST) over the two year period from third grade to fifth grade between the one-to-one laptop group and the non-laptop group, after controlling for other factors?
2. Were there significant differences in the six subtests used to compute those total ELA scores for the same two groups? 3. Can participation in a one-to-one laptop program be used to predict changes in ELA total and subtest scores over the two-year period from third grade to fifth? (Grimes, Hernandez, Suhr, & Warschauer, 2010).

4. Describe the subject(participants)and the procedures(methods)used by the researchers?

There were a total of 108 students used in this study. Of the 108 students, there were 55 girls and 53 boys. Twelve students participated in the Gates program. The group was made up of a variety of ethnicities which included 50 Asian, 1 Filipino, 7 Hispanic, 1 Pacific Islander, 49 Caucasian, and 1 labeled as a English Language Learner. Three schools were used in the study. School #1 was made up of 44 students, school #2 was made up of 22 students, and school #3 was made up of 42 students. The treatment group, the students using laptops, was made up of 54 fourth-grade students. The control group, the students not using laptops, was made up of 54 fourth-grade students as well. The research was performed for two years, the student's fourth grade and fifth grade school year. Their ELA 3rd grade scores were compared to their ELA fifth grade scores to see if there was an increase with the use of laptops.

5. What were the conclusions of the researchers? Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions? Support your position.

After the study was completed, the researchers revealed that the laptop students outperfomed the non-laptop students. I agree with this conclusion, because I feel that students respond and are more interested when technology is used. When students are engaged and take ownership of their learning there scores will increase. Practioners have cited over the years a number of reasons why we should integrate technology into teaching. They are to motivate students, to make students and teachers work more productively, and to help students learn and sharpen their information age skills (Roblyer and Doering 2013).

6. What suggestions for further research do the authors suggest? What other suggestions for future research would you suggest?

Further research, with larger sample sizes, more diverse student demographics, longitudinal evaluation, a wider array of outcome measures (including those taken on both paper and computer and those involving both standardized tests and alternative forms of assessment), and, where possible, random assignment, will help continue to shed light on the effects of laptop use on literacy and learning (Grimes, Hernandez, Suhr, & Warschauer, 2010). I suggest that for further research, how technology is used in the classroom, how much time is used each day using technology, and how knowledgeable the teacher is about technology should also be considered.

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Digital Citizenship


For the "Issues in Today's Educational Technology", I chose to focus on technology misuses, illegal downloads, and risks of online social networking. 

There are four ways that technology can be misused.  First, users can give misleading, incomplete, or out of date misinformation.  Second is identity theft.  These are ways to get to get your personal information such as credit card numbers or your social security number.  Third, is the overuse of technology.  Fourth, is the loss of data such as person's pictures when your hard drive crashes or your computer develops a virus.  For more information on misusing technology, check out this e-How article.

When thinking about illegal downloads, a person usually thinks about illegally downloading music.  This is not the only type of illegal downloads. There are copyright laws now in effect and persons convicted can serve jail time. For more information on illegal downloads go to this article on online piracy.

There are two major risks for online social networking. First, there is cyber bullying.  This is when people use technology to harass, threaten, or embarrass another person.  Second, there are internet predators.  These are people such as child molesters, sexual predators, and scam artists that look for victims.  For more information about risks for online social networking, check out this article brought to you by Kid's Health.


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