Last Post #10

I hope to use all sorts of technology to support instruction in my classroom! Since I am going to be an elementary school teacher I am really excited because I will have numerous opportunities as I will be teaching every subject area to my students. I think I will probably use power points most, especially the non linear ones. I think elementary aged children would LOVE them and get a lot out of them. I also hope to be able to use technology to communicate with parents as well, be it through newsletters, wikis, or my own class website!

I think the most interesting thing about viewing other students blogs was being able to see all the neat and creative ways they plan to use technology in their own classrooms. It was nice to get ideas from other people. I also liked getting to learn about other people and how they felt about the class and the different things they were going through on their journeys to becoming teachers.

I'm not sure exactly what I would like to learn next about technology. I feel like I learned a little about EVERYTHING in this class. I can't think of anything else that I would need to learn about which would help me as a teacher. I guess I would still like to learn more about excel. Even though I learned a lot of neat things, I felt like we were only able to scratch the surface in this class- and I'm still not super comfortable with it just yet.

I feel like the best way for me to achieve my future technology-education goals is to just keep practicing all the things I've learned. I'd like to be able to use a little bit of everything from this class in my own classroom, and the only way I'll be able to do that is to remember everything I learned. Not only that, but I really want to use non linear power points in my own classroom, however it took me a LONG time to make the one I did for class. I figure if I keep working at it I will become faster and be more effective and better at making them for my own students use in the future.

Oh! And I got accepted into the Elementary Education program!!

Totally Random.

So I was looking online to find an article on environmental issues for my environmental geology class... and I found this article about how IFAW (Internation Fund for Animal Welfare) launched "IFAW island" in that second life thing Mr. Gentile showed us. Kind of random to post this, but I thought it was kind of cool because I'm kind of a nerd like that. I'd never heard of it before today- and all of a sudden I'm seeing it another places. Do you ever notice how that tends to happen?

Blog 9

I have been pleasantly surprised with how much I've learned and enjoyed this class. I came into it a little nervous because I wasn't very familiar with a lot of computer programs, but I've learned so much! I really liked the format of the class, I was worried that having a 3 hour class would be SO boring, but it really wasn't at all. I liked that we were able to work on our assignments in class- so if we had problems it was easy to get help. I also liked that there was a combination of ways which the material was taught- regular instruction, online videos, classmates showing different things, etc. The only thing I didn't really like was when we had to get up and work with partners and discuss stuff sometimes. I'm really not an antisocial person- but some of the activities felt kind of forced and awkward.

I'm really excited to start using all the things I learned when I have my own classroom. Since I will be teaching elementary school I can't wait to use the technology not only with the kids- but to keep in contact with the parents as well. I really enjoyed the newsletters and the idea of having a class website to share information with parents. In the classroom I hope to be able to use activities like nonlinear power points to keep my students engaged and introduce them to technology.

I'm so excited and nervous about starting my major classes this fall! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I even get into the program. I can't wait to be a teacher and have my own classroom! I'm still kind of struggling with what age level I want to teach, but I'm sure that will come as I do my observations and student teaching.

Ch 8

I thought chapter 8 was pretty interesting. I had a pretty basic idea of what viruses, hackers, spam, and the like were- but this chapter went into much more depth about these subjects. To be honest I've never been very careful about protecting my computer against viruses, I rarely ever run scans and my virus software has been out of date for as long long as I can remember. However this chapter shed some light on just how serious viruses can be and how damaging they can be to your computer (even destroying data on your hard disk!) I thought the section on internet ethics was very important as a future educator, particularly with the way the internet has become such a prevalent part of the educational system in recent years. The information on issues such as cyber bullying, and filtering software are important things to be aware of as future educators. Finally the section discussing educational software and web enhanced digital textbooks is important as these technologies are becoming more and more prevalent in this high speed world. It is important as future educators to keep ourselves informed and up to date on the latest classroom technologies so we are able to effectively use these technologies to benefit our students.

I really enjoyed working on the website this past week, although I was a little bit disappointed with the limitations on the free website. However I feel like building a website from scratch would have been FAR too much to effectively fit into one class. I think the free websites are actually probably one of the best options for teachers, because it they have limited experience with technology (or time) it is a simple and quick way to set up a site for use by their students. I had a lot of fun creating my own website and was actually very relieved by the freedom we had to do what we want with it. I feel like I was much more interested and got so much more out of the project by being able to put what I wanted on the site, instead of following a specific detailed rubric.

I hope everyone had a great Spring Break! I can’t believe the semester is over half way through now. I really enjoyed having the week to relax. Now it’s back to the grind- yuck. Now I’m just anxiously awaiting my admission decision for the Elementary Education program- hopefully it will be a good one!

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 focused a great deal on intergrating technology into classroom curriculum. I thought chapter 6 six was especially interesting because I felt like the information was applicable to us as future teachers, regardless of what subfield we are going into (elementary, middle school math, etc.) The chapter discussed different ways in which to include technology in the classroom, even with varying degrees of technology accessible. For example the chapter discussed technology intergration utilizing one and two computer classrooms, multiple computer classrooms, computer labs, media centers, etc. The chapter also touches on KWL charts which I think are a great tool, especially for elementary aged children because it makes them focus on specific areas of learning- what they know, what they want to know, and what they have learned. I am always interested in looking at the assistive technologies section at the end of the chapters because I am interested in teaching special education. This week they discussed using inspiration maps to help organize information for children with dyslexia, which I thought was pretty interesting.

I LOVED learning about the interactive power points this week!!! I think they are so cool and I'm excited to make them and use them in my classroom. I made mine on different animals, and I think it's a great, interactive (and fun!) way to teach children, and incorperate technology in the classroom. Plus, I really had fun making the power point! I thought it was really cool how you can make the power point transition and move from slide to slide without it appearing as though it's moving at all.

Hmmm... I'm not sure what to share with the class. I have to the the GKE tomorrow morning... from 8 am until around 2... not so much fun. I'm also really frusterated with the budget cuts and how they went from admitting like 80 people for the fall and spring semsters down to 30 for only the fall for the elementary education program. I'm applying for next fall so hopefully I'll get it. Ahhhh! So frusterating!

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 was about multimedia. I really enjoyed this chapter because the technology discussed was very useful to me as a future teacher. I had heard the term "multimedia" before but I didn't know the exact meaning of it. However, I learned that a power point presentation which incorporates "more than one media" such as audio, text, and video could be considered a multimedia presentation. One of the most interesting things I learned about was E-books. It's so interesting to me to think that e-books will probably one day soon be the primary way for students to read books. I for one have a hard time reading things online. I usually print articles I have to read on the computer, but a whole new generation of kids will probably grow up using solely e-books. I also thought the information on distance learning and online courses was particularly informative, as they seem to be a growing trend in education. I remember reading a fictional book in elementary school about students in the future who went to school on their computers. It seemed so far fetched at the time, but only 10 years down the road it's already a reality. I also really liked the idea of educational games. Kids seem to really connect and focus when they work with computers. Educational games would be a fun "reward" for students, while introducing them to technology and educating them!

I really liked learning about the wikis last week. I've used wikipedia before and had a basic idea of what a wiki was, but I learned a LOT more about it from the lesson. I am studying elementary education so I'm not so sure that a wiki will be the best resource for my students- but I thought it would be a really great way to get parent's involved in the classroom! I can post about what we're doing in class and they can respond with any ideas, comments, suggestions or concerns they have. It would also be a neat way for the parents in the class to interact with each other and share their comments, advice, and concerns about their children with other parents. I'm really looking forward to using wikis in my classroom!



I was actually rather surprised with how much I learned from this week's lesson. I was able to put together a very basic power point before the lesson, but I learned a lot from it as well. I also found that power point 2007 is SO much more user friendly than the earlier version. I learned how to do so many new things and learned a lot of new terminology about power points. I learned how to insert hyperlinks (which would be a really great to reference other webpages in a lesson!), put "animations" or transitions between slides, and a number of other things! Last semester I had a hybrid class where we met one day a week and did some stuff online, however most of the learning took place in the classroom and pretty much the only thing we completed online were discussion boards and assignments. I was pleasantly surprised by how simple the online material was to access and how much I learned. I am relieved now because I am taking two entirely online classes this summer at a community college back home in Orlando- so this online lesson helped to ease some of my fears about those classes!

Chapter 2

The primary focus of chapter two was communications, or telecommunications. The chapter discussed the variety of ways computers communicate via communication networks. I learned about LAN networks, which I was already familiar with, WAN networks, and home networks. Chapter 2 illustrated the ways that schools use networks for communication. Something I found interesting was Internet2. I had never heard of it before and I didn't know that there was any other kind of internet other than the kinds available for home use such as broadband and dial-up. I was also interested in the section about how webpages work. I'm really excited about getting to make our own webpages in class! I think the most useful part of the chapter to me was actually a section after the end of the chapter. There was a section on Assistive Technologies that discussed how disabled persons utilize technology. This is interesting because I am interested in teaching special education.

This week I learned about the different resources available for educators on the internet. I already knew how to perform searches online but I was unfamiliar with all the different useful resources available on the web for teachers. I think that the lesson plan websites will be the most useful for me as an elementary school teacher. I also learned about igoogle which is a really cool google program. You can add all sorts of applications and personalize the page you see when you open google. It will be useful as a teacher because I can add rss feeds for different education websites or blogs and use this program to keep up-to-date with these various sites.

I was wondering if anyone else had started their service learning yet. So far I've worked at a special needs school and an elementary school. I've really enjoyed the experience so far. I think the coolest part was seeing the various ways that the special needs kids were all incorporated into different activities. I worked with the drama class after school and there were kids who were in wheelchairs and were nonverbal but they still managed to find ways for them to participate by recording their lines beforehand and having the kids push a button when it was their turn to "speak". The service learning has really helped me to confirm my decision to be a teacher. I was originally a nursing major and wasn't 100% sure if I wanted to switch at first, but now I know teaching is definitely where I belong!

Post #3

Ummm... wow. Chapter four had so much information in it I think my brain might explode. To be completly honest I had a VERY difficult and not so much time getting through the entire chapter. I feel like it's important to have a decent foundation and understanding of technology, but chapter three went into WAY more detail then I have ever cared to know. On the bright side however, with so much infomation I definitly learned a lot. I learned about the different parts of the computer and what they do to allow the computer to function. I learned more about things I already thought I understood. For example, I knew that I plugged my mouse into a USB port, however I learned the technical name for it is a Universal series Bus port and that it can connect up to 127 different peripheral devices with a single connector type. (...what?) Like many other chapters in this book Chapter 4 took simple things and made them far more complex than I feel they need to be. For example, I feel like learning how to effectively USE a printer (change ink cartridges, fix paper jams, trouble shoot problems) would be far more beneficial as a teacher than learning the different methods by which different printers transmit ink onto paper.

At first I HATED the inspiration program we had to use last week. I felt like it was a waste of time and that concept maps were derived from satan. After complaining about it to my roomate however, she told me that concept maps are the easiest way for her to understand information. I guess I hated them because my mind doesn't work that way. I'd rather see information written in a paragraph and decipher it myself than have someone create a map of it for me. So I've had a change of heart about the whole project. I feel like concept maps will be benificial to students (particularly elementary school students) because it simplifies information and breaks it down into more manageable pieces. I'm glad I learned to use this software in class because if someone were to show it to me as a teacher and I had never been introduced to it, I'd be totally lost. I've struggled with how to break down information to make it into a useful and easy to understand concept map, but at least I won't have to worry about figuring out how to use the software.

So since most of this post has already been rather negative (my appologies) I figure I'll continue with the theme. I HATE THIS TEXTBOOK. There, I said it. I feel like I learn SO much in class by actually doing things and having them explained to me. But when I get home and read the information in the textbook it pains me. As a teacher I don't feel like I'm going to need to understand the specifics of how a computer functions, but moreso how to work it. I feel like instead of learning all the technical details about how every piece of technology works, we could be learning things that would be more relevant to the teching profession. I feel like sometimes I'm taking a class on how to TEACH technology. I understand that the textbook is part of the class and you can't just stop using it... but I wish you could.

Post #2

Honestly, I felt like a lot of chapter three was a lot of very basic knowledge made more difficult than it needed to be. It discussed many of the basic software applications I have used for school over the years such as word processing software, database software, and presentation graphics software. I was actually pretty interested in the database software section because it discussed programs such as Excel. I think it is going to be helpful for me to be familiar with the technical terminology of excel for when we start learning it in class. A lot of the information I didn't find particularly relevant such as PDA and video/audio editing software. I thought the most useful thing I learned from the chapter was the School Use software. Particularly I found the special needs software very interesting. I plan to get my masters degree in special education after I finish getting my BA in elementary education so this information was particularly useful to me.

I learned SO much last week about Microsoft Word. I learned how to insert and use shapes to enhance a document and the different ways to fill the shapes, how to insert a hyper link and add columns, and different features for inserting graphics. I think learning how to make the newsletter was a great learning experience. As a future elementary school teacher I feel that good teacher/parent communication is essential. Because elementary aged children often are too young to appropriately relay important information to parents, I think sending home a newsletter would be a great way to maintain parent/teacher communication. Also I think it would be a fun way to involve students. The students could write articles about things they are doing in the classroom which could be compiled into a newsletter for parents. This expands the communication to not only parents and teachers, but students as well.

One thing I've been struggling with since starting my education classes is whether or not to get my master's degree out of school or wait. I know a LOT of teachers go back to school for their master's degree because the pay is significantly better. I've heard some people say to get it straight out of school because it will be easier than going back to school years down the road. However I've also heard people say you need to get your feet wet first and make sure it's something you really want to pursue before you spend two more years in school, then realize teaching isn't right for you. I think I want to get my master's degree right out of school because I'm going to be graduating a year early so I'd only be in school for 5 years to get my masters degree... but I'm still not sure. I was wondering if anyone else plan's to get their master's degree, and if so when?

Post #1

In reading chapter one I found the ARCS Motivational Model to be very useful. Although some ideas in the model may seem to be common sense (for example, holding a student's attention) I feel it would be helpful as a teacher to have a model to look at when evaluating your teaching plans or methods. While it may be easy to plan a lesson that is relevant to the subject material, it may not be engaging enough to hold a student's interest, or it may not challenge a student. This model encompasses all vital aspects of learning and is a good resource for future (and current) teachers. Another interesting thing I learned from chapter one was what an integral part technology has become in the education system. Of course I realized that student's use computers for homework assignments, and teachers use them for inputting grades and attendance; however, I did not realize to what level technology has become integrated into education. In the teacher section I learned about transmedia stories. I thought that would be a great and interesting way to involve media in the elementary classroom, which is interesting to me as I am an elementary education major.

I have learned a LOT about Microsoft word through this class. While I was relatively proficient with the old Word program, I had very limited knowledge of Word 2007. I feel the Microsoft Word is one of the most essential computer programs you will need as a teacher. You can use it to make up tests and worksheets, write up documents to send home with students, type up letters to parents, administrators, and fellow teachers, as well as a myriad of other uses. In order to make a document either interesting and engaging to students, or professional looking you must know how to incorporate things into the document other than just text. In class I learned to insert pictures and clip art (which would be helpful when making engaging worksheets for students) as well as learned how to insert a header and footer (which would be useful when typing up more professional documents).

To be honest I didn't think that this course would be of much use to me as an elementary education major. I felt that most technology was reserved for upper levels of education such as middle and high school. I had NO idea how I would be able to incorporate technology into the elementary school classroom. However already this class has provided me with a variety of ideas, such as the transmedia stories I mentioned earlier, and I'm sure it will continue to throughout the class. I learned that technology in the classroom does not simply mean that a student sits at a computer and does an assignment. Even if I am in a classroom of very young children who have limited computer proficiency, as the teacher I can use different computer programs to enhance their learning. The use of technology is not limited to the student sitting at a computer.

First Post

This is my first experience using blogger, so please be patient with me. I have pretty limited formal experience with technology. I somehow managed to wiggle my way out of every computer and typing class I've ever had to take. However, I have experimented with different programs and learned some very basic HTML on my own. I am familiar with the basic features of power point and how to set one up. I have also played around with different website building programs such as geocities, and have a basic idea of how such programs work.

In this class I hope to gain a better understanding of Microsoft excel. I had to do two projects using it last semester in my sociology class and it was a HUGE struggle for me. I also hope to learn different ways that I can incorporate technology into the younger classroom. I am an elementary education major and would like to learn different ways to use technology with elementary aged children.

From the learning styles activity I learned that I am an active learner. This seems very accurate as I am the kind of person who likes to DO things to learn rather than just listen and take notes. I also enjoy hearing the opinions of others and working together to come to a conclusion. This activity said that I am an intuitive learner which seems accurate. However my results showed that I was right about in the middle of the two which surprised me. I also learned that I am a visual learner by a significant amount. I personally tend to learn something better when I am able to either see it in person or through charts and diagrams, as opposed to just text. Finally I learned that I am a sequential learner which surprised me. Although the results showed I was almost right in the middle. I would definitely consider myself more of a global learner.