Jodi
11/3/2013 11:19:46 am
In our school, we use www.thinkcentral.com. This goes along with the Houghton Mufflin Harcourt programs, which we use for both Reading and Math. Myself, I love it! As a Kindergarten teacher, it makes it so much easier for me to guide my students through their lessons because I have the ability to pull the same worksheets and pages up on the SmartBoard and the students can follow along on their own papers. Before we began these programs (just within the last 2 years), I would have to create my own pages using NoteBook or draw them on the whiteboard. This took a lot more time and the kids couldn't follow along as easily! As well, they both offer extra opportunities for games and other interactive activities that go along with each lesson or chapter we are on,
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Ruth Ann Pfremmer
11/3/2013 12:37:41 pm
This sounds like an amazing program. Any time you can place something on the smart board as well as in front of them (at any age) it makes it much easier for the students to follow along. Also the extra games and interactive activities are always a fun way for kids to get extra practice without realizing they are working. Don't we all love technology...when it works the way it is supposed to. I have the same issue with the computer in my office.
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11/3/2013 12:31:48 pm
http://www.simtics.com/features/
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Trisha Shannon
11/4/2013 10:42:24 am
I agree that nothing is quite the same as the real thing. I think a lot of students are getting used to the technology of things and actually forgetting that you can also actually get your hands on something to see the real thing. Simulations can be great to teach you and show you but I also think getting into a real life practical situation is just as helpful.
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Lynn Royer
11/10/2013 09:34:28 am
I think Simulations can be a great tool, some simulations are live which make all the difference in the world too. Technology is still a large part of the process, with video and audio equipment, as well as digitally programmed mannequins.
Lynn Royer
11/10/2013 09:17:00 am
Our college (OTC) actually has a Simulation Center which they built from a grant two years ago. They are designed to support nursing, dental, physical therapy and hearing instrument science programs. It is a multi-million dollar center, and recordings are done for students to complete self-reflections and instructors can do debriefings. Our students have succeeded well with participation in simulation.
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Joshua Hancock
11/3/2013 11:26:42 pm
When I started teaching last year the teacher who I replaced was still using CD-roms that McGraw-Hill had issued with the text books ten years earlier. I looked through the programs and tried to see if I could use anything. Most of them were outdated and seemed to slow down my computer. I ended up getting some of the materials off of them though and adapted them into PowerPoint presentations and other types of learning tools.
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Trisha Shannon
11/4/2013 10:39:38 am
Many of my textbooks in undergrad came with online software. I rarely used some of them unless required by the course. I did find the online software helpful when I began studying for my board exam. Many of the software had different exam questions that I felt really helped me prepare for the exam. I think one of the major drawback is the one time access. If you purchase a used textbook normally you can not use the access code or the enclosed CD might have damage to it.
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Thyago
11/5/2013 12:50:12 am
Many of my textbooks came with online software but i used a few times, when I am im my pc everything is a distraction to me, facebook, youtube, web sites and i can not focus on the HW LOL. SO I dont like the online software or things like that for me is not helpful at all.
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Jodi
11/7/2013 10:34:55 am
I have to agree with you on the distractions! I'd much rather do something other than read a textbook and I often find myself wasting time on the computer instead of doing homework, lol. Using my tablet is better though b/c I tend to not surf as much as I do at the computer.
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Lynn Royer
11/10/2013 09:23:40 am
I agree, I am always tempted to check my work email and my facebook account before I can focus on my work, and I feel students are challenged in the same way. We are all so much in the digital technology age.
Prof. Myers
11/7/2013 09:51:01 am
This is a test comment
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Morgan Goetschel
11/8/2013 12:16:26 am
I like the idea of those CDs and other software they it should make learning more fun and easier to do. However I would have to agree with some of you that it is a distraction when you get on your computer. there is always something "better" that you could be doing with your time while you are on there. So I think that educators and book publishers alike need to set down and figure out what is the best way that they could adjust how they want to use technology to try and teach students.
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Derek Lannigan
11/8/2013 02:50:55 am
While I was in school many of my teachers used turnitin.com for papers. I'm sure that many of you already know what this program is, but it was useful when trying to make sure that my paper was written correctly. it was a quick and easy way to communicate with teachers and get insight as to what needed to be changed in the body of the paper. It really helped me pay attention to detail while citing my work.
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Ethan Mignard
11/8/2013 04:50:06 am
To be honest, I have never utilized any online resources like you described. I think they are great though, for the students that choose to take advantage of them. They can definitely help enhance your knowledge of the textbook material. I don't see many negatives with them. I do think that most students will choose to not use these resources though.
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Travis Dalton
11/9/2013 12:05:38 am
A lot of my textbooks in college for my degree, accounting, came with side discs in the textbook themselves. This allowed for me to review the textbook online, find other resources, fill out financial statements, and take practice quizzes all through the disc. It was actually a very valuable tool for me and helped me learn and get a grasp on a lot of the basics. I think it is good to have something to accompany the textbook like that so there are more ways to try to learn the information.
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Lynn Royer
11/10/2013 09:12:27 am
We use several of the textbook publishers' websites to build from our readings and discussions in our online program. We assign interactive exercises and case studies that are provided, as we are a hybrid program in Hearing Instrument Science. I feel the students get a great amount of learning opportunities by utilizing the sites. Pearson Education is one of the largest, as well as AudStudent. I also have a site I recommend that is for grade 9-12 Physical Science, so students can have additional resources to help them learn the physics of sound.
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Dustyn Yung
11/10/2013 01:20:05 pm
When I was student teaching I tried to find all the interactive websites I could find when teaching my health class. I hated using the book and found it pretty boring, so this was a way to make things exciting. The classroom had ipads so we used them regularly. One way we used them was by performing an interactive surgery where you use the tools and follow the lines to perform the surgery. My students loved it.
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Alanna Dennison
11/10/2013 01:58:37 pm
I loved when I bought textbooks and they came with online resources or a CD. I found its much easier to absorb this information when I could play with it or look at it in a different way or see it in several different forms. This was especially useful in my anatomy and physiology type classes, where there is so much memorization involved. As far as teaching goes, I was never required by my professors to use these resources, they were just available for my own use if I chose to use them. I feel that they could be beneficial to teachers, however, if they were looking for different ways to present the information without doing as much work. I think these resources would be a great time saver for professors and a great learning tool for students.
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Student BlogThis blog is for class conversations for ED 514 at Central Methodist University. These post are by the students of ED 514. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
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