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The Pros and Cons of Instructional Software

May 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
SEEKING OUT THOSE GREMLINS 

Image by CARLOS62 via Flickr

 

With technological advancements have arisen new opportunities for learning. You no longer have to drive to a school many miles away to hear a teacher lecture. Whereas books were a necessity for learning, you can learn many skills and information from the comfort of your home using instructional software and the Internet.

The Benefits of Instructional Software

Technology now allows you to sit and perform math problem after math problem with immediate feedback about your performance. Computer data management systems have the capability to assess your work immediately and interact with you in a way that accelerates learning. Moreover, you can study at your own pace. There is no need to wait for slower students to catch up in the class or feel lost as the teacher’s lecture goes over your head.

Other benefits of instructional software usage include the convenience of studying on your own schedule. Without having to commute to another location, you can squeeze your learning opportunities in between work and family obligations.

The Challenges of Instructional Software

As useful and sophisticated instructional software can be, for some people, it does not replace the presence of a live teacher. When a concept isn’t clicking, sometimes a knowledgeable human being can expedite the process. In these cases, the blended learning environments work best, allowing a learner to benefit from the best of both worlds, studying at his or her own pace and asking questions when necessary.

Even with inherent challenges, instructional software and online learning tools have created greater learning opportunities for people across the globe.

 

 

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Collaborative Learning

March 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Collaborative Learning

The benefits of collaborative learning are numerous regardless of the age or learning level. Collaborative learning has a completely different affect on the students that engage on it. Collaborative learning is capable of developing higher thinking skill levels and can promote interaction as well as familiarity between students and members of faculty. This type of learning can also increase the retention of students and can build up their self esteem to facilitate better learning as well. Collaborative learning can promote positive attitudes toward the subject that is being taught, and can enhance the satisfaction of students with their learning experience.

Collaborative learning is also capable of developing a wide variety of different skills including oral communication skills, social interaction skills and more. It will also promote race relations in a positive light while creating an environment of exploratory, involved and active learning. Collaborative learning allows students and teachers to use a team approach in order to approach problem solving, encouraging understanding diversity as well as responsibility by students for learning. Collaborative learning can fit in well with a constructive learning approach while enhancing skills in self management and stimulating critical thinking.

Collaborative learning helps students to clarify their ideas both through discussion and through debate. It also helps students to explore alternate types of problem solutions in an environment that is safe for them to do so. This type of Collaborative learning can benefit the students and teachers in the classroom, and as such there are numerous reasons to consider this type of learning, especially in classrooms where the students come from many different backgrounds and many different styles of learning. Students can benefit from learning new styles of understanding subjects and new problem solving skills, and teachers can benefit from this collaborative learning style as well, so with collaborative learning everybody wins, including teachers and students alike.

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Teacher Residency Programs Are Getting High Marks

January 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Any form of education is a collaboration. When the trio of parents, students and teachers are working in perfect harmony then the goals of obtaining a solid education can be achieved. If the collaboration falters ending in a failure then there could be repercussions that ripple through a society. As parents and students work to bolster their role in this equation, emphasis shifts to the teacher. In order to foster the creation of stronger and more effective teachers, residency programs have been established in several school districts across America with very encouraging initial results.

A med student goes through their own version of residency. After all their coursework, they are essentially assigned a mentor to follow around a hospital to get practical hands on training. It makes sense that a young teacher should have the same form of enhanced instruction. The Boston Teacher Residency, the Boettcher Teacher Program in Denver and the Academy for Urban School Leadership based in Chicago have all developed their own new teacher residency programs that are serving as a model for the rest of the country.

In these programs, budding teachers who are working on their master degrees are teamed with seasoned professionals to work together in the classroom for a year. Along the way, the student teachers are shown valuable insights in everything from administrative duties to curriculum development. Most importantly, they are given the opportunity to work directly with students. That alone is the one area of the program that gets the most praise from the new teacher recruits.

As an added benefit, many of the residency programs are focused in urban settings where the challenges of motivating a student are greater. Sending new teachers out into the school systems armed with this real world experience is going to change the way they approach a classroom. That’s win/win all around.

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Exploring Overseas Teaching Options

December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Exploring Overseas Teaching Options

1. It is Exciting to Consider the Option of Teaching Overseas

Exploring overseas teaching options is certainly something one can pursue on their own. However there are reputable headhunter organizations that will place you free of charge. If you qualify you are invited to move forward in the application process.

2. Benefits of Overseas Teaching

There are numerous benefits to teaching overseas. They include smaller classrooms, different cultural experiences, and the opportunity to make a difference while learning yourself, in the midst of so much culture.

Safety Concerns

To aid in keeping women in the program, (safety is sometimes an issue for women where ever we go.) Women should take extra care and be reminded not to travel alone at night especially in unknown places. Use good judgment research a place and the customs familiarizing yourself with the culture. This is good etiquette and good common sense. A space can be super friendly during day and a nightmare, after dark. Having a buddy with you or at the bare minimum, a charged and working cell phone and or International phone cards. In addition your placement company should be able to answer any questions regarding safety. If you aren’t sure don’t sign the contract.

Staying in the Loop

A reputable company will not take your money if they don’t believe they can place you. At each point from soliciting evaluators, to writing a Teaching Statement you are putting yourself before a career opportunity and the chance to conduct Educational Research and perhaps a book on your experiences.

3. Cultural Experiences
A travel blog, a Internet Cultural Experience offered through your lens are both ways to enhance your overseas teaching experience. Taking the time to immerse in the culture after teaching all day may be enough excitement. Pace yourself this is an exciting opportunity that can be life changing.

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Is the Traditional Classroom Becoming a Dinosaur?

December 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Is the Traditional Classroom Becoming a Dinosaur?

1. The traditional classroom may be becoming a Dinosaur. More and more colleges and universities are offering Distance Learning opting out of, or offering fewer land based coures. This forces students to become technology savvy. Not a bad thing. But a computer screen even with live black board can’t compete with face-to-face interaction. On a computer you can’t tell if students are texting behind their monitors or playing on-line poker while you’re conducting class. It certainly seems less personal.

2. Teachers who Teach

Some teachers love the physical space of a classroom. The chalk or white board, along with the order and structure of a classroom inspire creative energy for a lot of teaching professionals. Their rooms show their personality and with seasoned teachers the students work comfortably.

3. Students Have a Sense of Classroom Ownership

In a physical classroom teachers get to teach lessons on self respect and pride in community. As a class the room is kept kempt. As a class we take pride in our room. On-line the maid will clean up. Meaning, we don’t claim as much when learning on line. We may be financially and academically motivated but cyber space belongs to anyone who can plug in. In a classroom even at the college level there is familiarity in a lecture hall seat down perhaps to your Gen. Psychology lecture chair.

4. Lost Work, and Power Failures

Everyone loves a good snow-day provided one isn’t already out in it. What happens then with on-line courses in the event of say, power outages? How do you know that the assignment you have worked on for four hours will post? If you are on land you hand in a copy to the Professor. You might even sign for it lest points come into question at a later date.

5. Teachers and Classrooms
As Technology increases learning will take place in a variety of educational settings

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Kindergarten

December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A kindergarten classroom in Afghanistan.
Image via Wikipedia

Kindergarten

Kindergarten is Life Preparation

1. Kindergarten is good life preparation. This educational training comes with a special teacher usually gifted in reaching five year olds with active imaginations and loads of curiosity. Only a kindergarten teacher can sit on the smallest of chairs comfortably enough to conduct a lesson.

2. Kindergarten Teachers, Straight Lines and, Patience

Kindergarten Teachers know the value of straight lines they prepare us for things like standing in line to pay bills. Through walks through school hallways we learn patience as we stand in straight lines awaiting our turn or further instruction. Same thing happens to us as adults as we wait on line to cash a check or make a quick purchase only to find ourselves in the slow line again.

3. Sharing

Kindergarten is a place to share. The toys abound, you can be a pirate in one corner, and run a deli complete with plastic food in another. Dress-up is encouraged and you can be anyone you dream up. Favorite toys are claimed at playtime sometimes by two different tykes at the same time. This is where the lesson of sharing comes in.

4. Teachable Moments

Many of life’s teachable moments happen during Kindergarten. Bathroom etiquette with other girls, Lunchroom and Dining social graces are expected by the time you hit the school yard if not sooner.

5. Recommendations

Do give your child’s evaluation with their Kindergarten teacher some thought. This person is an indicator to the rest of the school community about your little one’s strong points as well as those he can improve upon. Being an involved, but not overbearing parent helper can be a good experience for your child and her teacher. You will feel pretty rewarded as well.

6. A Word of Caution

It is very easy to want to run your daughters class. Resist the urge. Her teacher is a trained professional. Let her do her job. You have plenty of help to deliver. Teachers make a difference.

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