March 4, 2017

ABC COMMUNITY
SCHOOL

TAYLOR VELARDE
EDU 214
To the School Board and anyone this may concern:

If we, as educators, decide to cut out technology in educational purposes we will be doing
a disservice to our students and the generations to come. Technology is at the forefront of the
upcoming generations and for us to not educate ourselves and students on technology would do
no good.

Technology was infused with educational purposes in the 1920’s, which started a
movement to make abstract ideas more concrete by using audiovisuals. In WWII, our military
used videos to train large groups in short periods of time. I found in my research that
audiovisuals are valued in the educational process. It was also said that, “They can facilitate
perception of the most important features, can be carefully organized, and can require the student
to use more than one modality.” (Infobase Learning) Why, if back in the 1920’s we talked so
highly about using technology in educational settings, are we now in 2017 deciding to ban
technology for educational purposes. If we let this happen we will be moving back in time by a
century.

Kids these days have phones by the 1st grade, giving them the ability to record videos and
voices, take pictures, use the internet, etc. Some of these 1st graders are even more advanced with
technology then some teachers. We need to educate ourselves now before it’s too late.
Technology will never stop advancing, it’s just a fact. And if we don’t want to change with the
times, the times will be changing without us and we will be left in the dust. There are so many
advantages with using technology in the classrooms, I’ve seen it firsthand. These students need
interaction that keeps them involved and focused on the lesson. From my own experiences, I can
stand by that, by saying technology helped me with my education, it was only a benefit to have it
so accessible to me.

Sincerely,
Taylor J Velarde
Identification of Standards

Content Standard 2.0 (exceeds standard)

Productivity Tools – Use tools including but not limited to word processing,
spreadsheet, database, multimedia, and telecommunications
Locate and use letters, numbers, and special keys on a keyboard using correct
finger placement with speed and accuracy.

Technology Standard
Creativity and Innovation – Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct
knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology
8th Grade Indicator: Apply existing knowledge to independently generate new
ideas, products, or processes with digital tools.

NETS (National Educational Technology Standards

First version of the student standards in 1998 focused on technology skills in
students

After researching through the District, State, and National standards I have come to
the realization that all of them just must do with educating others and ourselves
about technology. It is a standard and should be recognized by all educators as a
duty to their students. The differences in the standards have to do with how they
educate the students and what the students will take from it.
Technology Lesson Plan

Name of Lesson: City of Champions

Grade Level: 6th grade

NETS: Standard 1- Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity

Content Standard: Content Standard 2.0 - Productivity Tools – Use tools including but not
limited to word processing, spreadsheet, database, multimedia, and telecommunications

Objective: Students will be designing their own presentation about their favorite sport player,
his team, and the home city of the team. They will be asked to research, organize the information
by using PowerPoint, and most of all be creative with the information and design.

Materials:
 Computer*
 PowerPoint*
 Internet*
 Camera
 USB
 Email

*Required

Group Size: 1-3 (depending on how many computers are available)

Procedure:
 Depending on classroom size and computer availability, kids may work separately or in
groups of 3, at most
 Students will pick their favorite sports player (decide fairly if in groups) for a
presentation that will include information about the player, his team, and the home city
for the team
 First, you will need to hand out the papers I left for you. The students may use this to
help them keep track of what they will be required to have in the presentation.
 They can start by researching for the slides info and fill it out. Once they have it filled out
they can begin to open PowerPoint
 This project should include a minimum of 5 slides
 Slide 1- Title Page- should include students name(s), Athletes name, and an image of the
athlete
 Slide 2 – Players Info – should include the age, Pro team, the year the athlete turned pro,
and why the athlete is your favorite
  Slide 3 – Team info – should include the year the athlete joined the team, any significant
teammates, and a fun fact
 Slide 4 – Home City info – should include the typical weather, a fun fact, and whether
that would be some place you might like to live
 Slide 5 – Your Image – Image of the student(s) representing the player, team, or city
anyway they can. ex: postcards, jerseys, décor, game tickets, etc.
 Allow them two full class periods to finish this project

Assessment:

0 1 2 3
Slide 1 No slide Includes student’s Includes students name Includes students name, athletes
names and athletes name name, and an image of the
Title Page athlete
Slide 2 No slide Includes athletes Includes athletes name, Includes athletes name, age, pro
name and age age, and pro team team, what year he/she turned
Players Info pro, and why he/she is your
favorite
Slide 3 No slide Includes when the Includes the year Includes the year he/she joined,
athlete joined the he/she joined and significant teammates, and a fun
Teams Info team significant teammates fact
Slide 4 No slide Includes a typical Includes the weather Includes the weather, a fun fact,
day of weather and a fun fact and if you would ever live there
Home City Info
Slide 5 No images 1 out of 3 have an 1 out of 2 / 2 out of 3 (all) Students image of
image have an image representation
Your Image
TOTAL 0/15 5/15 10/15 15/15

Grading Scale
A = 11-15
B = 6-10
C = 3-5
D = 1-2
F=0