Exemplary Blog Reflection Two

Directions:

Present basic information on the video you watched.
Present the link and title of the video you watched.
Present a summary of the video you watched (brief).
Form a response based on the following questions:
Describe some strengths you saw with regards to the teacher using technology (e.g., strategies, uses of technology, etc...).
Do you consider these uses exemplary or meaningful? Why or why not?
Has the way this teacher used technology shaped or changed your ideas about meaningful technology integration or the way you might use technology?
Discuss how you might use these ideas in your own classroom, even if the ideas presented are not in your content area - find a way to apply them to your future classroom (be creative).

Response:

Video Title: Virtual CEO
Video Location: http://www.intime.uni.edu/video/036iahs/0/
Summary: Teacher Chris Hungerford at EXCEL Alternative High School teaches business classes to grades 9 through 12. Students use Capitalism Plus to first work through tutorials that will prepare them to build their own virtual business. The students then use the program to produce and sell their product along with investing money in the stock market. Finally, students display their knowledge by creating a company website displaying their business details including graphs of information such as their revenue.

The main strength of the teacher using this particular technology is that the students are students that have previously had problems in school. By allowing the students to create something of their own and track the success, the program helps indulge the students in the learning. The tutorials also provide a structured learning system that would allow students to move at their own pace. Finally, creating a website gives the teacher something to evaluate and allows the student to have a finished product of which he or she can be proud. These uses of technology are exemplary because they provide the students with motivation they otherwise may have lacked. It also allows the students to participate in pretend realistic situations that would normally be far too complicated to actually complete in read life. As a result of this video I may consider using more technology if presented with a "problem class." Also, by working with a program that provides each student with his or her own tutorial, the students may be able to spend more individualized time with the teacher. As a teacher, I would enjoy having a structured lesson that I would not necessarily have to lead. I particularly like the idea of the business software because the students were doing a lot of math analysis. This particular software would be an excellent curriculum wide project. The students could use their knowledge from the business class to determine how to create their corporation. Then the students could use the math skills (particularly relevant to the new integrated math programs in schools) to analyze the information and determine what the data means. Finally, the students could use their English skills to form business-like web pages with appropriate form and language. The students could even expand the project to a history class by studying famous corporations and the effects of corporations on a country or the world.