1. “Technology Reflection: Instructional Use of Prezi and Edmodo

Technology Reflection Assignment

Description/Experience

            In seminar on Friday we were introduced to Edmodo and Prezi. I found Edmodo, the ‘school facebook’, to be a great way to interact with students in the classroom and away from the classroom. By Using Edmodo questions can be asked not only of the teacher, but of peers. Prezi also can be used to reach students when they are not in class. Prezi is able to be viewed through a simple link making it easy to email to students, put on a class web site or Edmodo.

 

Application

            I think using Prezi would be the better of the two technologies to use with my English class of first graders in my PDS. I wouldn’t utilize Edmodo because I feel my students are too young to use a social networking site and I know many of my students may not have computers at home. I would use a Prezi presentation to introduce them to a new aspect of writing we would be working on. The Prezi be about introducing them to writing compound sentences. It would introduce them to what exactly a compound sentence is, examples, why we use them and what words can link two sentences to make them compound. I would know the activity was effective if it held the students’ attention and they had gained a understanding of what makes a compound sentence.

            -I would go through the prezi on compound sentences

                        ~go over what a compound sentence is

                        ~go over some examples

                        ~go over common linking words used in compound sentences

                        ~go over why we use compound sentences

            -The students would ask questions throughout the Prezi

            -After the Prezi I would talk to the students as a whole class about what they learned        from the Prezi

            - I would write two short sentences on the board with a linking word and ask the students            to try to make them into a compound sentence.

                        ~I would walk around answering questions and helping students when needed.

            -After that activity is done I would ask the students to write two short sentences of their own and make those a compound sentence by choosing the proper linking word.

                        ~I would assist the students with spelling and with aspects of compound                                       sentences.

Reflection

Pedagogy-Content:

                        To show the two different sentences inside the compound sentence I would have my examples in my Prezi highlighted in two three different colors. The first sentence would be in red and other sentence in blue and the linking word would be unhighlighted along with the two sentences the compound sentence came from, which would also be highlighted their respective colors. This would show the students exactly where each part of the compound sentence came from visually.

            My first graders may come into this lesson with a vague idea of what a compound sentence is based on the word ‘compound sentence’ it’s self. A lot of children are just learning about compound words at that age and know they are two words that come together to make one different words, so they may have an idea that a compound sentence is similarly made up of two sentences.

Technology:

            Prezi main function is to serve as a digital slightly interactive posterboard that can be posted to the internet for use by students at home or in the classroom during education. Edmodo’s main use is as a question and reply forum that also has a badge reward system for student motivation. It can also be used to post links, videos and homework. Both Prezi and Edmodo are easy to find on the internet, free and easy to use.

Technology-Pedagogy:

            If I were not to use Prezi in my compound sentence lesson I would use the dry erase board and write my examples and components to my sentences on. I would also use different colored markers to show the different components in the compound sentence. I don’t think that the way I would teach without the technology is different enough to really require any different classroom management strategies.

Technology-Content:

            By using Prezi my examples and formula for constructing the compound sentences would all be in one place and I would not have to erase as if I was using a dry erase board. I think students will be able to see and understand my examples better because I can put more different examples on the Prezi then I can write down on the dry erase board at one time.

Technology-Pedagogy-Content:

            Content will be taught using less of a direct teaching technique and more of a group discussion interaction. The examples and color coding of the compound sentences will be more accessible to the students because I don’t have to erase anything and I can go back to anything they have a question on at any time. I can also save the Prezi and use it again with the students at another time as a review.

            I think you have to take into consideration what background the students have on the subject and what the students interact with the technology. For instance I chose the Prezi over the Edmodo due to the age of my children and the type of lesson. The Prezi is a simple; dealing with the technology doesn’t get in the way of learning the content, way to provide the students with the introduction to the subject. The Prezi can also hold more examples than the dry erase board as well as pictures that may help the students to comprehend the concept of a compound sentence better.