Casey+Keller



Hello, my name is Casey Keller and I am a first year graduate student at The University of Cincinnati. I am in the Masters program for Education, with a specialty in Mathematics and Science subject ares. I am a graduate of The Ohio State University where I studied Middle Childhood Development in the spring of 2010. I am from the Cincinnati area, about 20 miles north, in Lebanon, Ohio. I was born and raised in Lebanon and graduated from Lebanon High School in 2006. I have one sibling, a younger brother, who is currently living in Indiana and going to school for a business degree. As children we loved going to the nearby amusement park, Kings Island, and would spend many summer days running a round and riding all the rides.

 I enjoy nature and the beauty it provides. I especially love trees. If you were to see the background on my computer or even my phone it is usually of a tree. I love trees because of the many things. I like the way their branches twist and reach out. Trees are usually very strong and rooted into the ground. I love the changes they go through in the different seasons. My favorite color is green, so I especially love the green of the leaves in the spring and summer, but I also enjoy the oranges, red, and yellows of the fall, along with the bare limbs in the winter.  When I was attending The Ohio State University as an undergrad I did a semester of student observation in a 4 th grade classroom. I enjoyed it and really got a feel of what it is like to be a teacher. Other than this I have had a lot of experience working with children of all ages in camp and childcare through YMCA programs.

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April 17, 2011

It can be rough for a teacher to use technology in classrooms that are only provided one computer. If teachers take the time to prepare accordingly they could make use with one computer by doing many things, so that each child in the classroom get time to use it. It seemed that, from the readings, it just takes some planning ahead to properly use one computer in a classroom. I feel this prep could take more or class time, but it can be very easy to do things such as make a schedule for computer time, and a checklist to keep the students on track and use their time at the computer to the max. I also feel it is really important for the students to be prepared for their computer time to get the most use out of it by writing drafts and knowing what they need to do beforehand. The use of computers could be used to facilitate learning because of the many uses of the computer. Students could learn from online interaction of games to master a math concept or use it to put their thoughts into words by writing a paper. When writing on the computer it can help students with correcting spelling issues and making the writing legible. Instructors can use the computer as an assessment. Many programs would even generate scores of tests and track a students learning. One question I thought about while reading is how do we know what types of activities that are important enough that we would want to save for computer time? I feel like some instruction could be done just as well without the use of a computer and the hassle of getting everyone a chance to work at a computer in a room with a limited amount of computers. As a teacher with limited computer access I would probably want to have a detailed schedule for use of the computers and make sure I pick relevant activities that will help the students gain knowledge.

May 1, 2011

This weeks readings all suggested that using web 2.0, webquests, and blogs could all be very useful ways to engage in professional growth and leadership as one of the performance standards. Web 2.0 made way for uses in writing blogs rather than just reading information through the internet with web1.0. The through the use of webquests students are able to explore and create their own understandings of information given to them rather than the teacher just telling them directly. The students may use the webquest to find information that they are most interested on but the teacher could provide focus questions or guides to keep them on track. Through this process the teacher is using the performance standard to facilitate and inspire student learning. their learning. Finally, i like that with the use of blogs students are able to connect with others outside of their group and connect to the rest of the world for a more rounded response. Through blogs students are able to speak more freely and see how their leaning has progressed in a more organized fashion compared to the use of discussion boards. With this I ask if the students should be educated on how to take opinions and how to respond? I feel like there may be people with strong opinions and with blogs being open to many people and it could get out of hang with nasty remarks. If I were to use blogs in my own classroom I would be sure to incorporate rules to follow when using them, and to let the students know exactly what is expected of them when using the discussion board. I think that they would be very useful for questions about assignments and to further talk about an issue or concept brought up in class.

May 8th, 2011

In the article providing information about how using video in the classroom was very interesting. I liked that the article was about graduate students such as we are because it is easier to relate to the information in the article. The process provided was very specific and useful in learning to use video in the classroom. The process allows students to reflect and create a great understanding of the different uses of video. By doing all of this the future teachers were able to also become more comfortable using these tools in the classroom. In the second article the uses of podcasts in the classroom and how to implement them for teaching and learning were described. I have used podcasts in a couple courses and have seen the uses first hand. I used the podcast to read a paper I had written to use to revise it be hearing it read aloud and for others in my course listen and comment on revision recommendations. It is easier to hear the story aloud and make revisions rather than silent reading, and it is more personal if others are able to hear your voice and the way the story of paper is meant to be read. I also use many podcasts in online courses to learn information without the need to physically be in class. Both of these items used in the article could be used to facilitate and inspire student learning in and out of the classroom, Design and develop learning experience and assessment, and be used to engage in professional growth and leadership, among being able to apply the usefulness to other standards mentioned. The only question I have is if the students or yourself are teaching/learning in a low income area where many students cannot use a computer how can I as the teacher make it possible. I know there are grants that could be given to schools for supplies and things but computers and camcorders can be very pricey to get for a school. I would use video in the classroom for the students to be able to be creative and possibly research a topic in math. For instance they could look into how a concept was found by reacting the events that led up to the exploration.

May 15. 2011

Mobile technologies are expanding the classroom from just being a room in the school to being anywhere where service is provided. There are programs that extend the concepts learned in class and the use for instant messaging between classmates for social interaction. Mobile devices allow the students to be creative through exploration of activities and to learn about concepts on their own and at their own pace. The devices can allow the teacher to assess the students and digitally record the students progress for the teacher to see, such as the use of clickers and multiple choice questions. This could help guide the teacher to expand on topics as needed when they are teaching. I would use clickers in my classroom to check for understanding. If it seems as though there is a large amount of students understanding then I would know it was okay to move on, but if many students answer incorrectly then I know to spend a little more time on that topic. Clickers could help teachers use their time wisely and to be able to expand on concepts that need to be expended based on student responses rather than wasting time on a concept that the students do not have a problem understanding. The students would also be experiencing responsibility with the use of mobile devices. They would be held to the constraints of social interactions and mature conversations such as through the use of instant messaging. As a teacher using instant messaging for educational purposes I would make sure to set expectations when using it as well as the reasoning for using it. I wouldn't want the students using it for the wrong reasons, such as personal conversations. How can lower income communities get these technologies, such as clickers for an entire classroom? I feel like lower income communities would not feel that clickers would not see their importance and usefulness and therefore not want to purchase them, as well as other mobile devices.

May 22, 2011

Virtual Reality is an interesting concept to apply to educational purposes. When I fist heard that they could be used for educational purposes, I was surprised. I have always thought that using these types of sites was odd because I do not know much about it. After reading more about SL I began to understand the usefulness that can come from using virtual reality as a teaching tool, especially in distance learning situations.SL grant the students and teacher to be very creative while learning. They are able to manipulate the meeting into whatever they want and customize their appearance. There are many ways to use SL as a learning tool in distance learning such that the class can meet in a virtual classroom like setting as well as go on field trips to any place and experience situations that would happen in real classroom such as working on chem experiments. Many of the studies suggest that the virtual meeting is almost identical to what the students would experience in a real life meeting as long as they are comfortable with navigating and using the program, or are not experiencing technical difficulties. Digital responsibility is learned through use of the site. The students will have to interact maturely with one another as they would face to face. The instructor would have to create their own restrictions on how the site should be used as they see fit. Through the use of SL students are able to engage in professional growth as they would in a face to face interaction with the group. They are able to do much more with the site to grow because of the versatile conditions of being able to explore things that would otherwise be costly or impossible such as recreating Pavlovs' experiments. A question again for this type of activity is what guidelines and restrictions should be in place for the use of SL? Another question would be how much experience would these students need to operate the program of SL? I know some people might be overwhelmed with using SL and navigation through the site. I would love to use SL in my own classroom now that I have learned a lot more about it. I feel like the best use for me would be to travel to other cultures and museums that would be otherwise pricey for the students or to recreate situations that have already happened in the past to allow the students to experience it first hand.