Resource Log 3/reflection

McKenzie, W (2000). Are You a Techno-Constructivist? Retrieved January 21, 2009, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech005.shtml.
This article was very insightful. It gave a name for teachers who actively apply the constructivist theory and technology in the classroom. The author calls these teachers Techno-Constructivists. Four stages are laid out in reference to how well teachers apply technology in the classroom. I liked this because it gave a great way for a teacher to gauge where he or she falls on the continuum. There are also reflections questions that allow you to reflect upon where you are in your own classroom.
The article also talks about how most jobs that our students will have in the future will require them to be able to utilize technology effectively and how we must prepare our students for this .
Lastly the article gives examples of a Techno-Constructivist in action or what we should be using in our classroom if we are applying constructivist theory and technology effectively. Some of the examples given were collaborative online projects, lessons such as Webquests, virtual field trips, and simulations.

Overall this is a good article for a quick summary of using technology and constructivism in the classroom. The part about the jobs made me think, with all the changes in technology, how are we going to prepare our students for the world they will face when they graduate. It is a reminder that as teachers we must keep up with the latest technology in order to most effectively teacher our students.

Little Apprehensive about Authoring Wiki Chapter

Starting module B today. I checked my assignment and got very nervous. I am the initiating author for one section. I don't know how good I am going to be at this. I am glad that there is an editor to catch all of the weird mistakes that I am bound to make. It is a good thing that I have been working on researching information. I have found several websites as well as articles that should help with this process.

Resource Log 2/What one school district is doing with technology and constructivism

Matusevich, M.N. School reform: what role can technology play in a constructivist setting? Retrieved January 17, 2009, from http://pixel.cs.vt.edu/edu/fis/techcons.html

This was a good article for a general overview of constructivism and the application of technology in relation. It gives suggestions for assessments as well as uses for technology in the constructivist classroom. The author does a great job of giving an overview of what one school district has done to impliment constructivism and technology and how this helps their students.

Resource Log 1/Website with nice overview chart

As I was searching the internet today for things related to constructivism and technology, I came across a webpage that has a really great chart for the relationship between constructivism and technology. This was a great resource for visual people such as myself to be able to see the relationship layed out in such a manner.
Constructivism and technology. Retrieved January 18, 2009, from http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/learner/ameyer/constructivismandtechnology.htm

Initial Reaction to Class

Overall the course overview was very detailed. It gave me a good idea of what to expect as well as what is expected of me in the course. I am a little apprehensive about a 100% constructivist and collaborative course. I know from past experience that collaborative does not always work well over the internet. Especially with a course such as this one where there are people in the course from all over the country. I have had past experiences where people’s conflicting schedules have made it difficult to complete projects. As far as publishing my learning on wiki’s and blogs, I am not really sure what to think. I have no experience with this type of publishing. It will definitely be a learning experience for me. I hope that it is a good experience and that I will be able to apply what I am learning to my classroom teaching.