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.