Ana's Blog

Focus question: What are the standard and open-source software applications available on most computers?

Most computers contain standard and open-source software applications. Software is a collection of codes that tells the computer’s hardware what functions to perform. An example is word processing, which tells a computer to do whatever we request such as editing, writing, and publishing.

System and application software are two main types of software. System software is the overall functioning and control of a computer. It is responsible for the operating system, network operating system, database managers, and TP monitor. Specific functions that are performed in specialized ways to produce various services is application software. Application software includes word processing, databases, spreadsheets, slides, presentations, Internet browsing, email management, movie making, DVD burning, and etc.

Open-source software is “open for the public to use, copy, and recreate” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Source codes are free to users and software developers that are made by individuals and organizations. Examples of open-source software are Linux, FreeBSD, OpenOffice, Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice Writer, OpenOffice Impress, Xess Spreadsheet, and etc.

Standard software applications are available on most computers and are indispensable tools. For example, Microsoft Word is a standard software. I use this software on a daily basis for assignments. Other standard software are computerized tools, tax preparation software, design programs, real-time data, and interactive models of meteorological patterns. Jobs in today’s society use computers and other information technologies.

Tech Tool link: Discovery Learning Using Squeak and Scratch

The article explores about how teachers search for different open-ended web tools that promote problem solving and inquiry learning by students. These tools will engage students with learning using resources. The article offers two open-ended opportunities for K-8 students to create and explore on the computer. Squeak Etoys is one of the open-source that supports inquiry learning and problem solving. Scratch provides tools which enables students to create their own games, animated stories, and interactive art.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter discusses about how problem solving and inquiry learning is supported by educational software, apps, and learning games. Teachers need to incorporate educational software to engage students in problem solving. An example would be students looking up source documents in history class. It gives students the opportunity to undertake inquiry-based activities similar to the work of professionals in those fields. Problem solving and inquiry learning can be engaging when teachers incorporate the student’s own interests.

Computers contain system software and application, which are the two main type of software. Most computers have standard software and open-source software. Schools purchase educational software to install on a network. Most schools don’t allow teachers to add their own software or they have to ask permission before using it. Teachers need to evaluate software and apps before using it. They first need to ask themselves, “Will the child program the computer or will the computer program the child?” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). By evaluating the software, teachers understand what happens educationally when students use it. Teachers can use online resources for selecting software such as Edudemic Directory, Entertainment Software Rating Board, EvaluTech, and StopBadware.org. These online resources give reviews and feedback on different educational software.

The chapter further explores about digital learning games and tutoring systems. Digital learning game are designed with educational and entertainment goals. Teachers use digital learning games to motivate students and challenge them to problem solve. Students often tune out teachers and educational games provides them both education and entertainment. There are two types of digital games which are Internet- or browser-based games and desktop-based games. Math Blaster, The “House” Series, Zoombinis, and Raft Race Challenge are examples of learning games and apps. Teachers should minimize the use of games that teach isolated skills, examine games that function solely on points won or lost, and discuss games and their content. ITS, Intelligent tutoring systems, are programs that enable students to answer questions and then the computer records their responses and makes predictions. This program allows teachers and students to see how learning is progressing in real time. Intelligent tutoring systems are very effective with improving student learning.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Focus question: How can teachers benefit from using information management technologies such as bookmarking, social bookmarking, information alerts, and e-newsletters?

Information management means “a business term generally used to describe how organizations and systems keep track of data for making decisions and setting policies” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Teachers and students need to consider information management when using learning resources provided by websites. They need a way to store, sort, select, and summarize information they find.

A teacher is always finding educational information online and they need to store it somewhere. Bookmarking is a great tool for this kind of task. It offers ways to find information and organize it. Web browsers contain bookmarking to save websites that you visit frequently. I have Google Chrome and use the bookmark option almost every day. I’m able to go back and find the websites I have bookmarked. Teachers can use LiveBinders or URList to create lists of URLs and share them with students.

Social bookmarking is another great tool, which allows more than just bookmarking on one computer. It enables users to bookmark online and be able to access it all times. Social bookmarking is a public list instead of a private list. An example of a social bookmark is Delicious. Teachers will find that social bookmarking will be better than using bookmarks from one computer. It enables them to access whichever website they saved from anywhere at any time.

Teachers can use information alert to receive announcements about new information on a topic. An information alert is an electronic notice that announces new information that becomes available online. Google Alerts is offered to users that have Google accounts for free. E-newsletters is similar to information alerts. It appears free in the user’s email on a regular basis once they signed up to receive them.

Tech Tool link: Social Bookmarking Resources and Apps

The article discusses about social bookmarking for teachers, which are useful information management strategies. It offers websites such as Delicious, netTrekker Search, Diigo, and Goodreads. I have been introduced to Delicious and I find it useful in my everyday life. Delicious organizes the bookmarks in one place and allows users to add tags. The tags are supposed to remind the user where something is on the website. Diigo is another useful social bookmarking website. It allows users to highlight portions of pages, add sticky notes, use tags, share resources, and bookmark sites.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter explores about how teachers can benefit from using information management technologies. These are bookmarking, social bookmarking, information alerts, and e-newsletters that teachers can use. This will help teachers organize information that they will need to prepare lessons. Teachers will be able to bookmark websites from any computer using social bookmarking.

Webquests are online inquiries designed and guided by teachers for students. It enables students to follow an “electronic map or take an online tour” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Webquests are designed for students to access academic information digitally and assess what they find. These online inquiries requires five steps: stage setting, task, process, evaluation, and conclusion. Students will be expected to create while on the quests. Students don’t have to leave their class or school for field trips because they can use virtual field trip. Virtual field trips take students to places all over the world. Some students go on virtual schools while others meet with their professors. Teachers can use videoconferencing for students that are unable to visit.

The chapter further discusses six different types of educational websites that support inquiry and interactivity. Educational websites are designed with K-12 learning goals. For digital content a teacher finds on the Web, they can develop a system of categories. Educational websites are divided into six categories: lesson plan sites, student-to-expert communication sites, real-time and recorded data sites, archival and primary source sites, skills/practice sites, and student work publishing sites.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Focus question: What are search engines and how do they work?

Search engines are software programs that retrieve information from the internet. For example, Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ask.com, Yippy, Webopedia, Dogpile, and Mahalo are all different search engines. These search engines “uses networks of computers to access information from its databases” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011).

Search engines enable users to search for documents on the World Wide Web by typing in keywords. Keywords are used to locate matching webpages and specify searches. It focuses on specific categories and not general categories. More than 90% of people use search engines to locate information. Google is one of the favorite search engines used over others. I use Google for everything and I’ve never used other ones.

Teachers and students are able to use other search engines that allow them to focus on academic topics. For example, Internet Public Library, Voice of the Shuttle, Artcyclopedia, Library of Congress American Memory, and Open Library. These are specialized search engines that is academically valuable.

Search engines uses complex formulas to generate search results. Upon typing a keyword and searching, “query results in the form of active hyperlinks are displayed once the search is complete” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). It uses algorithm, which takes key elements of a web page and come up with a ranking for where to place the results on the pages. These algorithms are always going through revision and modification. These search engines use underlying HTML structure to determine relevance such as text.

Tech Tool link: Photos and Audio Resources on the Web.

The article discusses about how pictures and sound are great resources for teaching. It’s a way to engage students and get them to understand the ideas a teacher is trying to communicate. Flickr, LibriVox, and Creative Commons are websites that will help the teacher access photo and audio sources. Flickr is basically an online photo managing and sharing tool. LibriVox contains free audio recordings of books. Creative Commons is a website that consists of photos and videos.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter discusses about how to use the Internet for teaching, learning, and developing information in schools. Teachers use educational information to develop lively curricula and be able to answer students. Students use information to write essays, take exams, acquire knowledge, and develop personal talents.

People acquired information by books, newspapers, magazines, libraries, classes in school, conferences, and presentations. We still use these, but we have turned towards the Internet for information. It’s fast, simple, and easy to just type in a word and get immediate results. I believe it’s important for teachers and students to develop digital literacies. They will be able to locate, gather, organize, interpret, synthesize, manage, present, use, and evaluate information from the Internet.

The chapter further discusses what search engines are and how they work. It provides search engines that are focused on educational topics. When searching, you have three ways to search the Internet: free-text, keyword/exact match, and Boolean. A teacher needs to introduce students to search sites designed for them, teach them to critically evaluate results, and use visual search tools. Students can use electronic note-taking to recall information they have located during searches. For example, NoteStar, Evernote, and OneNote are all different electronic note-taking programs.

Teachers need to teach students ways on how to evaluate online materials for slant, bias, and purpose of information. Schools censor, filter, partitions, and label information so that students can search safely. In order to evaluate a website, students should consider these five criteria: accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage. They also need to recognize the URL such as .com, .biz, .org, .gov, .net, .edu, .mil, .info, .k12, .ca, .uk, and .nz.

Schools focuses on teaching students how to think and act as digital citizens. Schools have adopted Acceptable Use Policies, which states how technology is used and what the consequences are for breaking the rules. Teachers have to teach their students about copyright, fair use, plagiarism and cheating. Cyberbullying can occur to students while they use the Internet. That’s why as teachers, we need to have a zero tolerance policy to online communications. We need to teach students the negative consequences that cyberbullying causes.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

What is a search engine? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://designhammer.com/services/seo-guide/search-engines