8 Ways Technology is Improving Education

Here is the website with the article and the picture put :http://mashable.com/2010/11/22/technology-in-education/: 
http://angaran0814.blogspot.com/2011/04/ipads-for-kindergarten-children.html

Technology is helping teachers to expand beyond linear, text-based learning and to engage students who learn best in other ways. Its role in schools has evolved from a contained “computer class” into a versatile learning tool that could change how we demonstrate concepts, assign projects and assess progress.

Despite these opportunities, adoption of technology by schools is still anything but ubiquitous. Knezek says that U.S. schools are still asking if they should incorporate more technology, while other countries are asking how. But in the following eight areas, technology has shown its potential for improving education.

1. Better Simulations and Models

These can help teachers better explain something by slowing it down or speeding up the process. It also can draw the students attention in and if they are visual learners, this will help them.

2. Global Learning

You can now go online and practice a language you are trying to learn by speaking to someone who can speak it fluently. You can find out anything about the world right at your finger tips.

3. Virtual Manipulatives

This is used for math classes a lot. My Math for Elementary Education teacher used this a lot to show us fractions and things like that. You can figure out what the answer is and then ask for it to show you the correct answer or if you got it right.

4. Probes and Sensors

Here is a video example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h14-sDplrww&feature=player_embedded

5. More Efficient Assessment

You can make tests online and enter the answers and the computer will correct the students scores for you! That way you never mess up your grading!

6. Storytelling and multi-media

You can find anything on You Tube now. Our math teacher used youtube a lot of times tables and counting by numbers!

7. E-books

You can find books online now and its a great way to find a good book fast, instead of having to go to the library or store!

Despite students’ apparent preference for paper textbooks, proponents like Daytona College and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are ready to switch to digital. And electronic textbook vendors like CourseSmart are launching to help them.

E-books hold an unimaginable potential for innovating education, though as some schools have already discovered, not all of that potential has been realized yet.

“A digital textbook that is merely a PDF on a tablet that students can carry around might be missing out on huge possibilities like models and simulations or visualizations,” Dorsey says. “It takes time and it really takes some real thought to develop those things, and so it would be easy for us as a society to miss out on those kinds of opportunities by saying, ‘Hey look, we’re not carrying around five textbooks anymore. It’s all on your iPad, isn’t that great?’”.

8. Epistemic Games

These put students in roles such as an engineer. Lets them try out real life positions. I think this is the most interesting one because how do you know if you like doing something until you try it!

Goals and Success

Fun Fact of the Day: "The hottest temperature recorded in the United States (and in North America) was in Death Valley, California on July 10, 1913. The temperature measured 134F (56C)" (http://geography.about.com).

/http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T_tA1CN4LEA/SwQ0KuGr-gI/AAAAAAAAAfk/6aLluCpT6OA/s1600/sucess.jpg/

What one change can you make to dramatically increase your success? Learn how to set specific goals when goal setting and use specific goals in all your business planning. Goals need to be specific if we have any chance of accomplishing them. Setting specific goals when we're goal setting sets us up for success rather than failure. Before you can set specific goals designed to increase your business success, you need to know what you mean by success /http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/successprogram/a/week2.htm/.

Topic: Goals and Success

1. How important is it to have solid goals for the future? Do you consider yourself as a goal-oriented person or one who plans ahead? If so, how far in advanced to you tend to think? What is the difference between short-term goals and long-term ones? 

2. What does the term "success" or "being successful" mean to you? Does it lead to personal satisfaction with a job or in your studies? Is it related to financial success? What does it take to become a 'successful" person?

3. What is one of your biggest goals? Do you need to set goals in order to become successful in your future career, finances or personal life? 

4. Do you have a "five-year" plan or know anyone else who does? What are the positives and negatives of planning that far in advance?

5. Are your successes and failures in reaching your goals tied to other people, such as family or friends? Do you care what other people think of your accomplishments, both professionally and personally?

6. How would you feel if you failed to meet one of your goals? To feel successful, do you have to meet all of your goals or can they change over time?

Schedule: Thursday 22 September at 5:30, Saturday 24 September at 10:30

Discussion of "Parents and Children" with Yana Meleshko

 Fun Fact of the Day: “The first successful English settlement was at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607” (http://awesomeamerica.com/usa/).

Topic: Parents and Children

1. 

   /Wikipedia/

   In your opinion when does a child become an adult? Do you remember when you started to consider yourself an adult? What inner changes do you think are central in the growing-up process? (Mental changes, differences in knowledge, a number etc.). What do you see as some main differences between a child and an adult?
2. How would you describe your relationship with your parents when you were a child vs. as an adult? Would you describe your relationship as warm? Do you argue often? How do disagreements alter relationships between parents and their children?
3. 

   /Wikipedia/

   Do you have any regrets about behavior as a child or a teenager? If you could go back in time, would you change anything from your childhood or teenage years? Would you appreciate anything more? Or are you happier now?
4. 

   Think about the following expression: “Our own mistakes teach us best of all”. Do you agree with this statement? Can you relate any of your own experiences to this phrase? What is the difference between improving yourself based on your own mistakes and making conclusions based on the mistakes of others / following others’ advice?
5. 

   Is it a good idea to give a lot of personal space and freedom to children? If you have children or want them someday, do/would you let them choose their own paths in life, such as their occupation and university studies?
6. 

   Were you independent as a child and a teenager or did you follow others, such as parents or your peers? Why or why not? Would you raise your children the same way you grew up?

English Club on 'Honesty' and More

/URL of a pic: Wikipedia/

Fun Fact of the Day: The typewriter was first invented in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1867 (http://www.infoplease.com)!

TOPIC: HONESTY, TRUTHFULNESS AND LIES

1. What does it mean to be honest? How can you tell if a person is honest? Is it important to be honest? Is it always easy?

2. Do you always appreciate when people are honest? Is there ever a time when you wish someone had been less honest? Is it ever okay to only give a partial truth instead of full honesty?

3. How is truthfulness different than honesty? Do you always tell the truth? Is there a difference between telling a partial truth and lying?

4. Is there a difference between telling a partial truth and lying? 

5. What are 'white lies"? Is there a difference between a white lie and lying in general? Is it okay to tell white lies if they will protect someone's feelings? If you tell white lies, does this make you a dishonest person?

If time, games: "2 truths and a Lie"

Schedule: Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 5:30, Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 10:30

English Club with a Leader from Odessa

LAW AND MORALITY

Fun Fact of the Day:  "Not only was Ronald Regan the oldest person ever elected president at age of 69, he has lived longer than any former president ever has, and has died at the age of 93" (http://www.stephencarr.com).

 Does breaking a law mean that you have done something wrong?
 Is being unlawful the same as being immoral? 

We may feel that it is our obligation to obey the local laws, but in reality they are nothing more than concepts that a few people agreed upon at some point. Many times they don't even make a whole lot of sense. There is no universal morality, only a subjective crack at keeping us happy and organized. 

Discussion Topic: Law and Morality

1. What are morals? How do morals appear in everyday life? Do you consider yourself a moral person? Do differences in morals affect relationships between people at work and in personal lives?

2. What is a law? In general, how are laws created? Would you call  yourself a law-abiding person? Woild you avoid interacting with others who do not follow the law?

3. In your opinion, are there any differences between laws and morals? If so, what are some examples of these differences? Do your morals always follow the law? If you had to choose between following the law and honoring your morals, what would you do?

4. How does morality influence society on a larger level? Does morality ever take the form of law? What is the relationship between morality and law?

5. What happens to people who are amoral? Is it against the law to be amoral? Can you have bad morals but still  follow the law?

Next Clubs: Thursday, 08 September 2011 at 5:30

                    Saturday, 10 September 2011 at 10:30

URL of a Picture: http://www.uhd.edu/academic/colleges/humanities/sos/prelaw/images/justice-scale-2.jpg

Презентація «Пошуки американських університетів для проведення досліджень»

Презентація «Пошуки американських університетів для проведення досліджень»

Час

21 вересня 2011 р. · 16:00 - 17:00

Місце

Офіс Програми імені Фулбрайта, Еспланадна, 20, кімн. 904 (ст. метро Палац Спорту), Київ

Організатор: Fulbright Ukraine

Додаткова інформація: Презентацію проводить освітній консультант Мариса Ріверо

Exchange Programs

Fun Fact of the Day: Which state has "the longest coastline in the U.S., 6,640 miles, greater than that of all other states combined"? Alaska (http://www.infoplease.com).

September 1, 2011 became a new starting point in learning of foreign languages for some Vinnytsia English Speaking Club’s participants. This meeting started with an interactive discussion on some facts on the USA: Which states has “the longest coastline in the U.S., 6,640 miles, greater than that of all other states combined”? (Alaska: http://www.infoplease.com).

This time one of the leaders Ihor Strelkov proposed a special topic for a general discussion having a rich experience in it.  Members of the Club discussed how it was important in their life to have a cultural exchange. Most of them had an opportunity to study in the USA at various universities and colleges. It was really worth to listen to them about this positive experience.

 Everybody expressed the same thoughts that it helped broaden education taking into consideration positives and negatives which could exist for studying abroad.

The most controversial among all the questions were the following ones: Are systems of education different when studying in a foreign country? How would these differences affect you while studying abroad? How does daily life differ when living abroad? What day-to-day activities may be more challenging while living in a foreign country? Do all students have a right to work while in school? Do you think it is important to work and study at the same time? Did you /will you have a job while going to school? How did/ will this affect your studies?  

The leader of this activity finished it expressing his ideas how foreign education helped people work for foreign companies and how it helped get a good job after graduation.

Schedule: Saturday, 03 September at 10:30

                 Thursday, 08 September at 5:30