Recreating the Math Classroom

Throughout the semester, I was very back and forth about this class.  There were days when I thought the materials covered were elementary and days when I thought the materials were very useful.  Maybe the problem was that I have grown up with computers and have taken many technology classes prior to this one, so I was very familiar with many of the programs we were using or projects we were assigned.  The other big issue that I had during the semester was that I felt like we never applied our projects to the classroom.  It's extremely difficult to incorporate technology into the math classroom, and since we didn't center our projects around our subject areas, I was having a difficult time figuring out how I could make use of these things in my own classroom.  What I realized, however, was that it was all about imagination.  Any piece of technology can be incorporated into any single classroom, the teacher just has to be creative enough to find an idea that works. 

What I discovered was that I could give my students a great resource outside of the classroom.  By using what I learned about digital storytelling, I can create step-by-step video how-to's for any math lesson that we do in class and post it on a class blog or even a class wiki for my students to access.  This can be extremely helpful when studying for tests or even doing homework assignments at home.  It can give the students an extra resource when they don't have the opportunity to stay after for extra help or if they have a difficult time following their notes or the books instructions, and especially helpful for the students who had to miss school that day.  Using what I learned about poster designs, I could easily create my own posters for my classroom, all of which are math related.  I can create educational posters to hang in my classroom that will teach my students definitions or theorems about math in a very memorable and easy to follow way. 

What I really learned from this class, and all of my other technology classes combined, is that the possibilities are endless.  If I can dream it, it can be achieved, and that is the most anyone can ask from a teacher.  Using technology and all of the resources that I have been shown, I can bring life to my classroom and give my students an edge.  I can make learning, and math especially, fun and exciting again.  I can assign projects that will not only teach the students the material, but will teach them how great technology can be and how much fun math is.  Using technology, I have the opportunity to recreate the math classroom into an exciting and fulfilling experience for every student.

Facebook in Your Classroom: Effective Uses and Ideas

I do NOT like them Sam-I-Am

The second Episode of the Dr. Seuss Series is finally here! You can access both episodes below.  Any comments on how they went are welcome!

He got no place at all with a split in his pants...

I have posted a podcast in which I (Stephanie Beausoleil) am reading one of my favorite Dr. Seuss poems, "The Zode in the Road." It is a wonderfully zany poem (as are all of his works) about making decisions.  Enjoy!

The Jersey Animal Coalition: Determined to Fight Animal Abuse and Neglect

The Jersey Animal Coalition is a no-kill, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to preserve life. 
For more information please contact:

Jersey Animal Coalition
298 Walton Avenue
South Orange, NJ 07079
(973) 763-7322

To purchase a $5 t-shirt in support of this cause please contact Stephanie Beausoleil.

Questions for Will Richardson

1.  Why do you believe that technology is such an essential learning tool in the classroom?

• As someone that grew up in a time where technology hadn't quite made its grand appearance in schools, it is often hard to understand why it is so necessary.  I attended school for 7 hours a day and the most technology I ever saw was a PowerPoint or a video.  If I and all the other students I graduated with were able to succeed without a drastic use of technology, then why is it so essential to today's youth?

2. If the technological tools that you have dedicated your time to did not exist, what do you think you would be doing today?

• Just 20 years ago, the average person did not have a computer in their house.  If even one thing had gone differently in history, we may not have had the types of technological tools that we have today, in which case, we would be living in a VERY different world.  That being said, technology, as a career, is an extremely unique one, so it would be interesting to know what else Will Richardson is passionate about and could have made a future with.  

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Visual vocab

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Technocentrism and Design in the Classroom

Imagine that you are sitting in a classroom.  The teacher is standing in the front and has been doing nothing but talking for the last 10 minutes.  If you are in a High School classroom, you're eyes may begin to wander, looking at the posters on the wall, out the window, or at the girl sitting in front of you twirling her hair.  If you're in a college classroom, you may have your laptop out, trying to take notes, but find yourself browsing the web, tweeting, or updating your Facebook status.  Now imagine yourself in the same classroom, with the same teacher.  This time, however, the teacher is using a PowerPoint for visual aid.  She has included cool graphics, music, and external links to fun webpages that relate to the topic.  For most students, the urge would be to pay attention to this visually appealing, technologically advanced PowerPoint.

Technocentrism is identified as "an over-identification with computer technology at the expense of human relationships," according to Encyclopedia.com. Unfortunately, with the advancements of technology and the increasing interest in it, human relationships are becoming hindered.  People are relying more on technology as a means of communication and forming relationships than actual face-to-face interactions.  In the classroom, however, this can be extremely beneficial.  While it is important to interact with others in the classroom, it is also important to use this new interest in technology to keep students' interest. When designing a lesson plan and determining what will be the best way to teach your students, the technocentric theory may have the best outcome.  In this age of technology there are not many people that cannot relate to technology and there also are not many that are not interested in it or intrigued by it.  So a design that takes a technocentric approach will result in a higher student interest.

The greatest drawback to technocentrism, however, is that the technocentric theorists believe that technology is at the center of the universe.  While it is important to integrate technology and the ideas of technocentrism into the classroom or any design for that matter, it is important to also keep a check on reality.  We wouldn't have gotten to where we are with technology today if it weren't for the minds of humans and the interactions and ideas that were shared between two brilliant minds.  So, when you're sitting in that classroom, whether you're the teacher or the student, remember that all of the creativity and good ideas lie within those around you, not in the piece of technology that you are putting to use. 

View my Piclits and others here! =]

Day 1 of Productions

When I found out that Dr. Martinelli wasn't teaching this course I was relatively disappointed, but he made a great choice with Mary Zedeck. =]