After exploring in class the following Emerging Technologies: a) Games, b) Interactive Whiteboard Activities, c) Simulations/Role Playing, & d) Virtual Reality/ Worlds (links found HERE), discuss whether or not you see a use for each of these four technologies. Then, pick two different, specific activities (a game, a simulation, an interactive whiteboard activity, or a Virtual Reality or World) and discuss in detail how it engages students in their own learning.



After I got to play around on the different types of games I think that in some situations it will be a good thing to use in class. Sometimes playing a game with the children to help them learn is a better wat for them to remember then just telling them how it is. If you play a game then the students have something that they can relate the subject to when they think back and remember what it was.
One activity that i chose to try out are the math mahjong game(http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/mahjong/mahjongMath_addition_easy.htm). If you have ever played mahjong then you know that it is a matching game However in this game they give you addition problems and the answers to the different problems.In order to get rid of the mahjong blocks you need to match the problem to the correct answer. This game is a good way for students to learn how to add because it adds competition to it so they want to learn the answers so they can win the game. The second activity i chose to try out is the tree count activity(http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/christmas/tree%20count.html) under the white board links. You can do this activity on the smartboard also. Pretty much you pick the number of trees and by either taking one away or adding on in you can have the kids count to tell you how many trees there are. It will help them see the difference inbetween subtracting and adding.

Reflect on how teachers could use databases and/or spreadsheets to either engage their students in their learning and/or use either(or both) of these programs to create materials for visual learners. Cite specific exampls from your DB and SS Projects to illustrate your points.



I believe that teachers now-a-days use databases and spreadsheets to help students see the things they are learning about and how they are the same or different or even how they relate to each other. For my database assignment i had identify what things are living or non-living. I used the chart to show how you know things are living and if they can't reproduce , grow , move, eat by themselves then they aren't living. By having that database and the graphs to go along with it. It is an easy way to help students visualize and learn about it.