Type I and type II technology

• Type I

Type I technology is like when technology is used just to duplicate other means for retelling information. It is more of a time saver than an instrument for instruction. When I think of type I technology that was used when I was in high school, I think of the overhead projector. The information that was put on an overhead projector was information or problems that could have been used on the whiteboard, or could have been put on a handout, but the teacher chose to write it on the overhead because it was easier for them. When I was in middle school, I remember having times in the Mac lab during our foreign language classes, where we would play a ‘game’ that was a foreign language quiz. It would show a picture and we had to choose the one that matched in the list of words. This also could have been done on paper, or in a class discussion. I believe that we did it on the computer because it is a lot easier for the teacher because the computer grades, and then gives the score to the teacher. The last type I technology that was used in some of the classrooms I was in. I was in a chemistry class that had the oldest textbooks I have ever used. There were times when the teacher would have to correct the information in the text, because it was beyond outdated, it was wrong. Instead of using the computer (there was at least one in every classroom, every teacher had one) to give us better information, he would just tell us. The teacher would only use the computer to do attendance or check their email. It was never used to correct the textbook and or give us newer information.

• Type II

To me, type II technology is technology that is new and interesting to use in the classroom. It is more of a teaching tool than it is a thing to make the teacher’s job easier. A type II technology that I used to love to use in the classroom was always when teachers would show movies to show things that we could not have understood by reading. It was great in history classes because for some people it was nice to see things, instead of reading about it, for the visual learners. It was always great to use the fancy graphing calculators. I think of calculators as a type II technology because, they enable the teacher to do a lot more things with the students. It is more than to make things easier, but it can also show students a new way of thinking about math. It helps with critical thinking skills to know that there is always more. Things are usually more complex than they look, and with a subject like math, it is great to know that it is useful and can be applied, but it never stops. I love PowerPoint presentations. They are a great tool to engage students to combine visuals, text, notes to be taken, music and audio clips etc. It is more than an information organizing tool, but it is a way to engage all kinds of different learners in one lesson and one presentation, without eating up a lot of time.

Maddux, Cleborne D. and Johnson, D. Lamont. "Type II Applications of Technology in Education: New and Better Ways of Teaching and Learning." Computers in the Schools 02 Jan. 2005: 1-5.

My MEL Experiences

• Student / Teacher Relationships: When I was in high school, I always had a teacher (who was also my track coach) who was very encouraging about the fact that I wanted to become a teacher. At first, I did not want to concentrate in the same field that he was teaching and kept jokingly telling me that I would change. Eventually, he was right. Sometimes I think that I chose to teach science because he was so encouraging and he took everything a step further by offering independent studies to me. He was always available for questions and for advice when I needed it, without ever being too preachy or too fatherly. He encouraged me to challenge myself in the field and to take my learning a step beyond, because I was going to be teaching and it was very important to be knowledgeable.

• Hands On: I had many hands on experiences when I was in high school. The best one would have to be when my history teacher let us create our own societies…outside. There were several components that we had to establish, like how we were going to live and where. Other than that, we could be anything that we wanted. He staged several problems that would occur when societies get started, like conflict over resources and land. After was all said and done and we had waged a virtual war, we reflected on how this all connects to the first settlers in America. Our class had a discussion about the connections and about historical criticisms and sometimes its hard to think in the moment and not make mistakes.

• Autonomy: In my AP literature class, we were given free range about any of the books that we were going to read in the class. We had to read some on our own and some as a class. The books that we were going to read as a class was something that we voted on and some of the ones that she (the teacher) liked the best, included watching the movie that went along with the book as we read, if we thought that it would be particularly difficult to understand. It was great to have that choice to be able to do what we wanted. I definitely learned more when I had the opportunity to make connections to my interest and not just the teachers. However, sometimes it was nice to choose the books that she liked because she was very captivating and taught it in a way that gave us reasons to like it as much as she did. We appreciated the books a lot more when she was enjoying them too.

• Avoid Rewards: I cannot remember having any teachers that were particularly rewarding with physical means. They were usually more vocally rewarding and encouraging more so than giving out candy or homework during classes. However, I can imagine that giving rewards for a job well done does not encourage learning or digesting of information. It means quick minds answered the question faster than anyone else did because he or she remembered where to find the answer. It also keeps that one student on top and confident while the other ones, who know the answers and the material but are not the first one to put their hand up or to offer to go first, losing their confidence in what they know. This can also hurt the class dynamic of community learning and participation. People will rely on the highly decorated student instead of everyone to help to facilitate conversation or be a team player in a project.

• Context: When I was a senior in high school, I did an independent study where I did the Nezinscott River Project with the Maine Geological Society. We studied the river that flowed right next to the school and how its changes and existence affects the school and the community. It was great to work with scientists who were doing such cool research in the community that I was in and to learn all of the geology of the area. Considering that I wanted to teach earth sciences, I learned a lot. My mentor teacher set this up for me to teach me that I have to know my stuff to teach, I can’t just have read books, I have to hands on learn things in the real world to be able to connect with my students.

Learning Styles Inventory

Style Scores

Visual			12
Social			19
Physical			9
Aural			20
Verbal			15
Solitary			7
Logical			5

Chapter 2: Respect, Liking, Trust and Fairness

• Chapter 2

The part that I liked in chapter 2 was on page 27 and it said, “if someone gives you a bad grade, they should tell you exactly why. We have this Spanish teacher that grades Latino kids so hard it’s impossible for them to get As no matter how hard you try.” – Diana. It is all about the respect that comes out of grading students fairly.

My first thought was ‘I cannot believe that there is a teacher that would do that’. I thought more about it and I feel like on top of the importance and the positive outcomes of grading fairly. It is not always important to treat people the same because students have different needs. I personally like explanations for things that are happening, good or bad, so it would be good to give students that outlet to be able to ask those questions and for me to give them answers and explanations for doing what I was doing before the lesson, and then again after.

Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well

• Chapter 1

The part that I thought was most enlightening was asking students about their schedules. The explanation is on pages 12-13. It has a detailed schedule of one student’s activities that happen in one day and a method for asking every student to explain their activities in a single day.

I think this is important because it would help me understand what a reasonable amount of homework to give is. This would be based on the amount of time they have to complete it and do it as I expect it. It would help me gauge how much time that I should give them for class time to complete assignments well. It would also show my students that I care about their learning and not their completion of busy work. I can emphasize that I too, value family time and the importance of extracurricular activities for the social and emotional health of my students.