Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Computing

The advantage of mobile computing is that you can take these devices anywhere in the world and still be able to get your work done.  You no longer have to be confined to the workplace, classroom or your home.  With these devices you are able to travel, go the park, or anywhere you choose to go.  This is known as flexibility of location.  You can also save time yourself some time, if you have an appointment or have to go out of time unexpected you can take your work with you.  Having a mobile device enhance productivity by allowing you to work from anywhere in the world.  This is one of the main reasons why some companies are offering their employees to the advantage of working from home.  Think about it, if you have a sick child you are still be able to do your work and take care of your child at the same time.  Even when you are on the go you can research any subject or topic that you are working on. 

The only disadvantages that I see with mobile computing is running out of battery power and not being in a place where you are able to recharge the device.

Delicious

I had to create a Delicious account for class as an assignment this week. At first, I was like not another account to keep track of passwords, username, and just another account.  At first I had a hard time adding the tags to the site, but then I realize I had to bookmark the page first then add the tags.  I like the way it keeps my classmates information also, I can just click on their names and look at their web sites.  This also helps me from using the same website and getting the same information for a project we might be working on as a group or just a class assignment.  The tags are so useful it lets you see other information that is available to you without really searching the web for it.

Nursery Rhymes

Website Evaluation Checklist

Student Name: Eve M. Clifton                                                               Date of Evaluation:  February 14, 2011

Name of the Website:  Zelo.com

URL of the Website:  http://www.zelo.com/family/nursery/index.asp

Accuracy of the Web Page	Yes	No	Notes
1.  Can you find the author of the page? Hint:  Scroll to the bottom of the page.  It may be an institution.	x		Author Name:zelo
2.  Can the author be contacted: Hint:  Look for an “About Us” or “Contact Link”	x		Author email: webmaster@zelo.com <webmaster@zelo.com>
3.  Do you think this person or institution is qualified to publish this webpage?	x		Why or why not? They have more than one site and they offer you a way to contact them.
Authority of the Web Page
1.  Check the domain of the URL, particularly the extension.       Is this a commercial site?   The URL can give clues to the authority.		x	What does the extension tell you?
2.      Are there credentials listed for the author(s)? If not, try Googling the name of the author or the institution.		x	What did you find? It just links you to other sites that they have.
Purpose of the Web Page
1.  Read over the information on this website carefully.  Can you determine the purpose of this web page?	x		Why is this web page on-line?  Think critically about possible opinions or bias? This web page is on line to help people with a number of nursery rhymes.
Currency of the Web Page
1.  Can you find a publishing date?	x		When was it published? 1996-2011
2.  Can you find the date it was last updated?	x		When was it updated?  2011
3.  Are the links working and current? Click on some of the links to check.	x		What do you think about the links?  It is a link about first names.
Looking at your answers, do you think this website would be a reliable, credible source of information?	x		Why or Why not?  This is a reliable website for someone who is planning on doing a lesson on nursery rhymes.  It has a wide variety of nursery rhymes.

Adapting Instruction

There are times when teachers will find it necessary to make changes in their lesson plans for children with disabilities but are able to be mainstream with regular children and  just need a little extra help.  When it comes to adapting instruction it can be simple things that need to be added to the classroom for all children to have equal access what is being taught.  Sometimes these adaptations can be modifications and accommodations. 

Modifications can be support or services that relates to a child’s disability.  It can be something as simple as changing the directions or the length of the test to meet the needs of that child.  The teacher might have to give the student an oral test instead of a written test, or the child might have to be given extra time on a timed quizzed.  When it comes to making modifications in the classroom the teacher would have to know the needs of the students and add the changes to her lesson plan to meet the needs of all the children in the classroom.

Accommodations can be anything to make the student learning easier to understand, blackboards, a video, and an overhead.  Support or services that a student also need to help them with their disability.  These services might include speech, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.

Information-Processing Model

Information-processing model is how we retain, acquire, and use information.  We are not really aware of most the things that we know, we are only aware of the things we know and give our direct attention to.  When our attention is focus on them, they are stuck in what is known as the working memory which is also known as short-term memory.  Since we are working with a limited capacity in our working memory, we have to rehearse the information so that it will stay in our long-term memory or just forget the information.  The difference between short-term and long term memory is that once information is store in long-term we do not have to rehearse the information, it will just stay there.

Learning Characteristics

It is important for a teacher to see how the children are receiving the information that is being taught.  If children are not paying attention to the information it goes into what is call the short term memory and the infromation will be quickly lost.

The teacher might even try to connect the new information to prior knowledge when teaching something new to the children so that the children can remember the information easier.  The teacher will continue to find ways that she can teach the children effectively and also so that they are able to retrieve the information even after they leave the classroom.

Content Standards

When it comes to reading, math, science, and language arts all states have content standards in these areas of study.  The state decides what is going to be taught specifically in these areas of study.  They also have a clear outline of what the children should master in the content area.  Instructional goals are also included in the content standards.

Benchmarks are used to monitor the progress of students.  They also show a student weakness and their strengths.  Benchmarks can also be used to show what grade level a student is working on at the time of the test.