Tech Skills: Database # 5

This summer I took a two hour course on Microsoft Access Database. It was the first time that I had ever had any instruction in Database. Most of the teachers in our district do not know how to use a database. However, Grand Prairie I.S.D, the district that I work for has decided that all special education records will be completed on a database. We are still in the beginning stages of implementing this new record system and so I have not started completing my records on database as of yet. However, I am excited about learning this new technology. I feel that if I am able to learn it well then I will be able to teach it to other teachers and maybe even collaborate with them on some ideas of how to teach database to our own students.

I realize that the purpose of this blog is for me to reflect on the type of instructional technologies that I have encountered with database. Since this is my first year to use database I am finding it hard to reflect on my encounters with it. I decided that the best way for me to be able to reflect on a technology that I have never used before is to go out and find different ways that this instructional technology is being used in the field of education. The first thing I decided to do was to log on to atomic learning so that I could take a refresher course on Microsoft Access. Next, I read chapter 4 in Roblyer’s book that explains in detail how this technology is being used in our schools. In addition to reading the chapter I also logged on to My Education Lab to complete an activity with Microsoft Access. Finally, I did a world wide web search to find out what other instructional technology educators were doing to implement Access into their classroom instruction.

Now that I have taken the appropriate steps needed in order to learn about working with databases I feel that I am more qualified to actually reflect on what I have learned with Microsoft Access. Atomic Learning helped me understand some of the basic functions of a database. I learned that databases are used for organizing large pieces of information into a searchable database. I also learned that the information stored in a database can be transformed into a professional looking report in minutes! Learning this helped me have a better understanding of what I might be able to do in the classroom to integrate access into the curriculum.

In the process of learning about Access I also found two amazing websites that help teachers integrate technology into the classroom. The first website had a project where students must choose their favorite athletes and place them into a database. I thought it was the perfect way to introduce a lesson on Access because it immediately allows the kids to take charge of their own learning, pick and choose the people they want to profile in the database, and because it is sports it engages them. Here is an example of how this lesson was used in the classroom. http://pjnicholson.com/nfl.htm

The other website that I found was called the Techno Kids Computer Curriculum. This can be found at http://www.technokids.com/. You can also find out more about Techno Kids project based learning online at Youtube.com. The Techno Kids Inc. creates detailed technology projects using a variety of different software. Each lesson provides step-by-step detailed directions for teachers and students. I posted a video about Techno Kids (it is right below this blog). Check it out for more information!!!!