Post 1

The ARCS Motivational Model was developed by John Keller who taught that it is most important in a classroom to motivate your students. He developed a learning model that was based around how much effort the students puts into the class. There are many ways to get students motivated. ARCS breaks down the process of getting your students engaged. Digital media can get the attention of students with all types of learning styles. Most students are not just auditory or conventioal learners, but also multisensory. By using exciting lessons with digital media, as a teacher you can get the attention of all students. So, it gets their attention, it is relevant material and important to their lives, it challenges your students to complete the project and then gives them confidence in themselves, finally it gives your students a feeling of success.
There are so many ways to use computers in the classroom. They offer a way of communication outside of the actual classroom, which engages parents and the community. The International Society for Technology in Education promotes the use of technology in the classroom. They support teachers at all level of education and offer ways to improve teaching and learning.

Through the lecture this week and the reading in the book, I have learned about different ways to engage you students in your lesson. One interesting thing I learned was ARCS. It is helpful for me to be able to break down what I need to do in the classroom to get the students involved and motivated. By using ARCS I can make my lesson plan follow the different steps, until I help my students to feel confident with themselves and have a personal success with the end of the assignment or lesson.

I've never really like technology that much, because I thought it was too confusing to really use. I always just did the minimal amount of work on the computer, and the rest in any other way possible. After learning how to do my blog, I am excited to learn new ways to get my students engaged in the classroom. This week we learned how to put pictures on our blog, and this seems like such an awesome way to use my blog. I will be able to post pictures online that have to do with the assignments, and put other things on the blog so parents can stay involved and students can see their assignments in a more exciting way, instead of a white sheet of paper. I think using blogs is the first part of ARCS, because it can grab your students attention in the classroom and at home.