Technology Inquiry Wiki Reflection

When completing this task I probably took more time than necessary. I put a lot of effort into my wiki and hope that it shows. The part that took up hours of my time was my screencast. For some reason I could not get through the entire thing without messing up even though I had a script prepared. Then the microphone I was using was not allowing me to increase its volume so it wasn't picking up my voice well. I had to talk into the microphone while it was an inch from my face to get the volume that I wanted. Overall I am pleased with the final product. Doing this assignment will make my life so much easier when creating a wiki for my future classroom. I now know firsthand how it works and its capabilities. I think having us as students create a wiki was more effective than just telling us how it works because we were able to interact and manipulate it ourselves.

IWB Reflection

I feel as though I spent lots of time creating and revising my interactive whiteboard lesson. I made sure to consider what students at the second grade level are capable of reading and doing. Creating a lesson using the Smartboard made me want to have one in everyone of my classes! Making the lesson was fairly simple and picking a standard to form the lesson around was the most time consuming. I was overwhelmed with the program at first because I was unfamiliar with it. Now I feel extremely comfortable using the Notebook software thanks to this assignment. I thought it was useful creating this lesson because this is likely a program that may be included in my future classroom. I look forward to utilizing interactive whiteboards in my classroom.

How Will You Teach? Incorporating Technology

A few ways that I plan on using technology in my future elementary classroom are:

• SMART board - having an interactive whiteboard in the classroom expands so many new possibilities for lessons and ways to keep students intrigued. I hope that this tool is included in my future classroom, but if not I will do my best to find a way to get one into my room. By the time I have my own classroom, hopefully the interactive whiteboard programs will improve and become even better than they are now.
• Classroom Wiki - In the older elementary grades allowing students to be in charge and manage a classroom wiki can have lists of benefits. I want my students to know how to use this technology, but also be able to share what they are learning with others globally. Had this been included in my elementary education I would be much more comfortable using different forms of technology today.
• Skype - I love the idea of communicating with other classrooms and possibly even influential people over the internet. If my classroom is doing a reading unit, for example, the opportunity to talk to the author in real time would be exciting for me and my students. Communicating with other classrooms across the world when working on a unit and collaborating on a project would make the information more real and tangible for students.

Professor Boyer stressed the use of Scratch in the classroom because it is so simple to personalize games for students who need extra practice. I'm not opposed to using Scratch in my classroom, it was just not in my top 3. I think that Scratch program would allow teachers (and students) to develop games that apply to their interests even outside of school while including educational information. A resource that we talked about was "iTunes U". The iTunes application allows teachers to listen to educational podcasts that can help with professional development. Another interesting point brought up was that many textbook publishing companies are introducing online textbooks. I personally do not want to read information on a computer screen and I'm sure some students may find that difficult as well. I do think that it is worth it though to invest in these online books. I loved the idea of having students record screencasts documenting their reading levels at different points of the year and sharing that with parents. Students could be able to examine how they have progressed which I think would prove very rewarding for everyone involved.

Exit Post 12-9-10

How had my thinking about technology's role in teaching and learning changed over the semester?

My thinking about technology has expanded exponentially this semester. I learned many new tools that will fit in perfectly with my future classroom. I am glad that we were required to use all of the tools rather than just be lectured about them because that would not have been as effective as actually trying to figure it out later on in our careers after only being lectured about it. I enjoyed this course and feel as though I'm coming away with many new tools to make my classroom a better learning environment.

PSA Reflection

I feel as though I exerted lots of effort into this PSA assignment. It took a while to come with an idea for a video that was something other than cyberbullying so that took the longest. I felt a bit silly when producing this video, but still had fun with it. The whole editing process with the transitions was tricky to figure out at first because the video order kept jumping around. I was unfamilar with the Windows Movie Maker technology prior to this project, but now that I have the basic skills I can use it in other classes for projects as well. Creating and sharing a PSA is beneficial to my future teaching because I am aware of the technology tools for editing and creating a professional video presentation. I thought that this assignment was a fun way to learn how to use technology that I was not very familiar with previously, while relaying an educational message.

PSA Checking Your Sources

12-2-10 Exit Post

In class we watched a Youtube video about education technology integration in a teacher's classroom. She used to use traditional methods of teaching, but found that students were disengaged and not wanting to learn. After integratign technology she found that her students came to class excited to learn. Having students access homework over the internet provides a paperless classroom which is important and then students have less materials to forget at home. We talked about using a site called EPal where classrooms worldwide are looking for other rooms to interact and correspond with. I would definately use this website in my future teaching in order to expose my student to different cultures and improve writing skills. We all participated in a jigsaw activity with articles about dumb things teachers do with technology and the best things teachers can do with technology.

11-18-10 Exit Post

Today in class the presenters focused on the last chapter in the Rethinking Education book. The group used the jigsaw method of discussion so we each got to meet and discuss with different people. I liked the way that the group divide out the class with the colors and shapes of cut outs. Professor Boyer went over how a Smartboard is a brand name for an interactive whiteboard and how an ELMO is a specific brand of document camera. We went over again how important it is to avoid saying “um” in presentations. When I looked at my screencast evaluation it was mentioned that used an “um.” We talked about the three R’s of Education which are: relevence, rigor, and relationships. Professor Boyer stressed that simply using technology in a classroom is not enough. It is the way that the technology is used to aid the teacher and engaging students. We then searched for media items that apply to a grade level or content area and post them on our delicious account.  The purpose of this assignment was so we all saw how simple it was to find specific materials that we can use in our classroom.

11-11-10 Exit Post

                Today in class the group presenting discussed Chapter 9 from Rethinking Education. I was excited when we were going to use Scriblink to talk about our questions. I had mine all ready but others computers were not working with the programs so we had to just verbally discuss. Professor Boyer gave the class the opportunity to use part of the class period to get things done. I thought this was great and it came at the right time. With all of the projects and assignments being due within the next few weeks I was glad to have the opportunity to complete things that I would have had to focus on after class. In this worktime I was able to get my podcast reflection completed and my exit post for the day. I think we should have worktime more often in this class!

Contemporary Issues Podcast Reflection

                When creating the contemporary issues podcast this week I feel as though I produced the best podcast to my capabilities. The most difficult part of the process for me was creating a script and editing the podcast using Audacity. It turns out that I downloaded the wrong application for converting the Audacity file to the mp3 file, so I wasted lots of time trying to figure that out. I also experienced difficulty finding an appropriate sound effect that I was able to include into the presentation. Using the plug-in microphone with my computer was difficult at first with changing sound settings. During this project I realized that my computer does not function well with certain technologies. If I am going to produce more podcasts, screencasts, iRLO’s, etc. I should invest in a higher quality computer.

                Podcasts would effective in the classroom especially with students who own iPods or mp3 devices. I would use these with an older audience because as an elementary educator I do not plan on giving many lectures that would be recorded as a podcast. I do think that podcasts are a useful tool for educators because of easy access to current topics discussed. And they are free! I looked on iTunes at podcasts that are available and there are thousands of options and types. Being able to listen to a podcast when working out for example would be a way to get multiple things done at once.

Rethinking Education Chapter 10 Reflection

The last chapter in Rethinking Education focused on its title name. The chapter provided conclusions and things to think about after reading this book. The author claims that technology is leveling out the playing field as far as careers as concerned on the first page of the chapter. I would agree more with this statement if it was the case that everyone had access to all the same technology and could all afford it. This not being the case, I would not claim that we are all going to be at the same level anytime soon. I thought the book did do a sufficient job pointing out that educators need to reconsider the learning process. If all different kinds of beneficial technological tools are available for us as teachers, why are we ignoring that? I do not think that there is any excuse why educators are not incorporating more technology into the classroom. I would recommend this book to any of my future colleagues who are stubborn to changing their methods of instruction.  The whole life-long learning concept brought up numerous times in this book is something that we as teachers also need to consider.  How are we preparing our students for the real world? I was glad that the book also mentioned that technology has been a tool that some people are using to escape from poverty. I am thrilled about this advancement because it means this will hopefully help some of my future student’s have a better life provided for them.

                Under the “Rethinking Motivation” section in the last chapter, some disturbing statistics were brought to attention. 50% of high school students are bored in their everyday classes. I have to admit that I was part of the half that was bored in class. The majority of my teachers in high school were older and I think had more traditional ways of how they thought students should be educated. Thinking back, my teachers that were more engaging were my business and marketing teachers, whose classes were held in computer labs. Also with this study I think that high school students especially feel as though they can’t take enjoyment in their classes because that is not socially acceptable. By using not just technology but other creative teaching methods, we can increase the level of interest in our classrooms. I loved the idea of including fantasy sports in math class because that is something many students participate in and do in their own time anyways.

                An important thing for educators to think about is that with technology, the level of challenge is set to the individual. It is impossible for one teacher in a classroom of 25+ students to address every student’s level of capability. By giving them each a level to work at that challenges the individual, no student will be bored because of being under stimulated.  

Rethinking Education Chapter 9 Reflection

                Chapter 9 was a relatively short chapter that focuses on the meaning of everything presented in the book thus far. In the beginning of the chapter the author mentions the use of video games and how as teachers we should keep up with what student’s are doing outside of the classroom. A large issue with integrating video game play into a classroom would be the argument about how children become violent and are wasting their time. In response to this, there are many alternative games to play that are not violent. Some games may be violent, but are suited to teach about historical events and wars. The game called Making History which is a WWII strategy game. The game comes with a curriculum, supporting materials and tools that allow teachers to customize the game to their lesson plans. I would definitely consider using this video game in my classroom, but I would want to of course play the game first. Another thing I would check for when bringing a video game into the classroom is its appeal to both sexes. If a game is important enough to bring into the classroom, it should be a learning experience for everyone.

                The book brings up the point about how parents express concern that their children are not spending time reading books. This is something that I hope to address in my future classroom. I love books and love to read, so I admit that with this topic I may be a little biased because of that fact. I strongly believe that reading is something that should be done by students on a daily basis. I am uneasy about allowing students to use video games for reading practice because although most games do include text, most include audible directions so students are not even paying attention to what the text says. I would be more comfortable providing a broad range of books that would appeal to any interests, or be willing to suggest books that students may be interested in.  When playing video games the focus is on progress made in the game rather than reading skills. If a video game was designed for the sole purpose for students to engage in reading I would be more willing to integrate it into my classroom.

                A third point I would like to address from the chapter is the topic of budgets being cut. With all the funding for schools on the decrease it will be more difficult to bring the best technology into the classroom. I will apply for any grants that I can, but there are only so many grants available to apply for. I am optimistic that funding will be able to be raised in order to bring more effective teaching practices into place for our future generations.

Chapter 10 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts

                The final chapter of blogs, wikis, and podcasts sums up everything that was said throughout the book. I thought the point made on the first page of the chapter about how collaborative technology is being used in the vast majority of jobs so why not expose our students to similar technology? I plan on introducing these different forms of technology to my students so that they are comfortable using it and can figure out how it works. The chapter also talks about the “Big Shifts.” The first shift rang true to some of my experiences in school about how students had limited access to more information about what they were discussing in class. In elementary school if I found something to be interesting and I wanted to read more about it I had to go to the library and look up information in the card catalog. I did not have the time during or after school to tediously go over all the cards that I could dig up related to the information I was looking for. This is an enormously positive change that technology has brought us. Now when I see a topic that interests me I can look it up by simply typing the subject in on Google and have thousands of results at my fingertips in a matter of seconds. The second shift intrigued me as a future educator. The thought of interacting with other figures that children may be studying is just fascinating to me. In my classroom I would love to talk to an author of a book we are reading in my class and let the children ask questions. What an opportunity! Including the third shift in with this idea, having students receive input from other people in the world and not just their teachers would be incredibly valuable. In the past student work has seemed to be for the teacher’s eyes only, but now with the chance of having work put on the internet student’s will likely take more pride in their work. Big Shift number 6 brings up the point about reading on the internet. The author points out the fact that readers are unable to assume that all the information they are receiving is correct. I am unsure if this is a positive or negative.  Should students have to wonder whether the information they are reading is correct? The eighth Big Shift is a bit controversial for me. It involves the forms that writing can take. I agree that writing is now able to take different forms, but in my classroom I will include some of those new forms along with “old-fashion” writing skills. Writing is essential to a student’s future! Even if a student is using audio and video to write, the basic skills are still necessary.

                Near the end of the chapter it is mentioned that educators need to become skilled with these tools if they are requiring their students to use them. I know that when including different forms of technology in my classroom I would master the tool before introducing it to my students so that I would be more capable of dealing with any issues that may arise. It goes back to the saying “practice what you preach.”

11-4-10 Exit Post

Today in class the class group presented the last chapter. Something Professor Boyer stressed about the presentation is that when dividing groups it is important to assign what groups should discuss before groups gather. Expectations should come first followed by dividing into groups. Another thing to keep in mind is the sizes of groups in order to provide opportunities for everyone to participate in the discussions.

After the presentation we read an article from Professor Boyer’s Twitter account. The article discussed a charter school that has no designated classes and surprisingly functions without teachers. I am worried about this type of schooling because that means that I will be out of a job in the future.  Looking past the fact that this could potentially limit my opportunities for employment, I think this idea is well thought out and is obviously successful. I think that the school day should not be 100% on computers. Students need to have hands on activities and physical movement during their school day. The health of America’s youth seems to be declining rapidly and if in school students are only sitting on computers for their entire school day this would increase the severity of health issues.

We talked about Scratch and how we need to improve our iRLO for our final products. Professor Boyer went over common problems that he saw in everyone’s iRLO. We discussed how long the text on the screen should be visible, and it should be visible for the time it takes you to read through it twice. We discussed how our peers are a great resource to use. If we see something we think is neat and would like to add into our iRLO we should download their project and see how they did it, or just ask them.

I was glad that we talked about our technology inquiry wiki in class because there are lots of things that I realize I need to work on and improve.  I need to add more to my annotations when describing what the source is focused on and why it is applicable to my wiki. Of all the projects so far this technology wiki is becoming my least favorite.

Rethinking Education Chapter 8 Reflection

In Chapter 8 of Rethinking Education the chapter determined three categories that are driving the technological revolution in schools. They are: customization, interaction, and learner control. The chapter talked about how progress is usually measured by standardized tests. I was also surprised that teachers can “game” the system and cause results without making a difference in student learning. I am uneasy about this and the fact that teachers would actually consider doing this. “…Schools need to embody more individual support and choice in how and what students learn.” This statement causes many concerns with my view of teaching. I do believe that students should have some control over what they are able to learn about, but if we give too much power over to the students how do we know that we are helping children become well-rounded with knowledge in more than one subject? If students are allowed to choose what they want to learn, those who dislike reading or math would likely not choose to learn further about those subjects. I do not think that is an acceptable approach to learning. Another statement the book makes in this chapter bothered me. “Kids today spend over 6 hours per day interacting with television, video games, the Internet, instant messaging, email, and other media. This is more time than they spend in school or with friends, and almost as much time as they spend sleeping.” I thought this statement was NOT supporting technology being integrated into schools. If students are already spending that much time using different forms of media, then why should we encourage that they use more? If anything that statement would convince me to incorporate less technology into my students learning than more because of all the time they already spend using it.

                A credentialing system was also discussed in this chapter and would be divided into three categories: academic, generic, and technical skills. I think that this system would help for focusing on skills required for certain career plans, but most middle school and high school students are still in the process of finding what they want to do with the rest of their lives. High school is already stressful enough and throwing in job training certifications may be too much. If this was more of an option rather than a requirement I think it would be successful and is overall a great idea.

                Under the new curriculum design section the authors bring up the point of self paced learning. They propose the fact that some students may attend college at age 15 or 16. I think there are many different things to consider when looking at this prospect. On one hand this would allow students that are more advanced to move at their own pace, rather than being bored and stuck in one grade for a year. Alternatively, should students as young as 15 be exposed to the college environment? There are multiple pros and cons to all of these issues and it’s difficult to make the decisions that will be the best for all students.

Chapter 9 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts

                Chapter 9 focused on ways to include social networks into the classroom. The chapter defined two different ways youth use social networks, friendship based use and interest based use. In the interest-based kids are using networks to find more information that they are unable to share at school, or in their local community. When using social networks for interest based activity students are engaging in “self-directed, peer-based learning” that differs from their experiences in the classroom. The author mentions that teachers should explore the potential of this interest-based learning in schools because of the numerous possibilities. When bringing up the most popular social networking site, Facebook, the author mentioned that as teachers we are responsible to investigate what all the fuss is about because it is such an integral part of our student’s lives. I think this is something all future teachers should think about. In my future teaching career there will be so many more technological advances coming out that students will be interested in. If I am able to keep up with these popular advances and integrate them into my classroom, hopefully it will be beneficial to all of my students. The book talks about teachers having a Facebook profile so we are able to “model our experiences there in appropriate ways so kids at an early age have some context for what the expectations and roles are that await them there.” A few pages later the book advises against adding students as friends on Facebook. How could we be a role model for students on the internet when they are not able to see our profile? As a current Facebook user I was unaware that a group can be monitored as far as “closed” where everything is open only to users (except cover page) or “secret” if a group does not want to have anyone see anything about their classroom. I think this is a great idea especially for high school students because the wide majority of them already have a Facebook page and are on Facebook most of the time they are not in school. I know had I had course material on Facebook it would have been easy to contribute to discussions or anything else. At the same time that I think using Facebook in the classroom is great, I think many students would start their homework on Facebook and then play around instead of doing homework not available online. From past experience I have found Facebook to be very distracting when trying to do homework.

                In the chapter Ning is also brought up as an additional social website to use in classrooms. I had never heard of Ning prior to this reading and thought it sounded like a good alternative to Facebook. When visiting their website however, there is a fee of $3 per month to use the website. I did like that once you prove to Ning that your pages are used for educational purposes only, the site removes the ads seen on your site. I thought the quote by Kevin Honeycutt on page 145 was a great way to address poor behavior shown by students on the web. He says “Some people feel that even one negative event on a network is a reason to shut it down, but I would offer that when kids cross behavioral lines in schools, we don’t shut them down, we address the issue and try to learn from the experience.” I think that behavioral lines are frequently crossed in classrooms and in front of other students. When students break rules on the web they would be dealt with in the same manner. I thought this would be an explanation to give to anyone who thought a social network should not be used because of inappropriate comments made online.

Exit Slip 10-28-10

Today in class we started off by reviewing our midsemester evaluations of the class and Professor Boyer. I appreciate the fact that he showed us the results and explained some methods of his thinking. We talked about our Delicious accounts and what the expectations are for this point in the smemester.  Using a Google survey in my classroom would be a great way to find out information from my students. I liked the  way the group presenting today set up the discussion where we were all across from someone with the opposing viewpoints.  We talked about how taking initiative for grants is important especially if your school does not have the funding to integrate the technological tools that you want to use in your class. I have been thinking about funding for all these technology applications so I was appreciative that we discussed this in class.

We talked about a synchronized program called “Elluminate” which allows our whole class to interact with one another. When Professor Boyer was talking about the program it was a little distracting that everyone was playing around with the application, but it was so entertaining. After playing with Elluminate we discussed our podcast assignment and how it has to focus on an issue directly for K-12 age students. Finding an article with be simple but finding one that is appropriate that we can discuss with be more time consuming. We talked about the importance of having a script before beginning our podcasts. We need to have a summary of an issue, find an article, and give our opinions and reflection about the issue. Professor Boyer stressed that the most important part of the podcast is how we feel about the issue. We need to develop an engaging script. The most important item for the week is the Cool Tools Screencast.

Rethinking Education Chapter 7 Reflection

In Chapter 7 the author discusses the pros and cons of including technology in education and an education community without technology. In the chapter the author says that modern media sources “have had a very strong homogenizing effect on the population, which ensures a common culture without depending on schools to produce one.” I do agree with this statement, but would it be the school’s duty to create a common culture had the media not provided one? I am worried that if different groups take over the education of children that the minority students and those living in poverty will suffer greatly. When technology is incorporated into my classroom I will make sure that each my students will be able to access it. In all classrooms there is a wide range of living situations and students should not feel unfortunate because they do not have different technology tools in the classroom. I am disturbed by the fact that parents are paying for educational services for their students more and more frequently, because those without the finances to do so will only expand the ranges of learning levels in the schools. Technology is causing a greater inequality amongst students rather than decreasing it.

 I thought the study referred to in the chapter on home computer users who had begun using the internet seemed to be unsettling. When I thought about it more, I remember when I first started using the internet. I thought it was the neatest thing ever and wanted to be online all day long. After the first week however, I got sick of sitting at the computer so I started using it less often. I know some people have issues with computer usage and lack of socialization, but that’s why in the classroom it is important to allow socialization, when appropriate, into school.

On the side of what may be gained from technology the main point is that it is engaging. Education can be focused on what students are interested in so they will be more interested in learning. Technology can help customize education and give support to students in areas that they need extra help. The students also feel as though they have power in their education which is important as well.

Chapter 8 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts

                When beginning to read this chapter about podcasting and other types of casting I was not even sure what the words meant. I found out that podcasting is creating radio sessions. I think that podcasting would be efficient for college classes in particular because most of them consist of mainly lecturing. I am not opposed to using podcasting for my own personal use to hear about education topics and apply them so I can better my classroom. I did appreciate that the users can use an iPod or mp3 player, but if they do not have either they can have the same connection using the internet. Having students that are unable to afford a personal music device is likely so I think it’s great that there is another option available. I like the idea of the student’s radio show, but if it were to be an on running show I think it would fit best as an extracurricular. I loved the idea of the “Coleycasts” by Brent Coley where students create podcasts with slides relevant to what they are learning. I think it would be fun to create different podcasts to help future classes learn about a topic, or even another class that hasn’t been taught the information yet.  I liked that the chapter included information about the Audacity tool because it seems that it would really be useful if using podcasts. 

                The chapter also talked about different video tools that can be used. I love using YouTube because you can almost always find what you’re looking for.  I do not necessarily agree with YouTube being blocked in schools because I think that it offers many opportunities to be used in education. I agree with the author’s point that we should prepare our students to deal with content because when they get home and go onto the internet there is usually no limitations on what they can see. I am undecided about the video uploads because I know there would be concern with parents having their children on video. Using podcasts or screencasts would be more acceptable and less likely to be questioned.

                I think screencasting is something I would include into my classroom.  It would be perfect for showing how something is done on the computer. I am excited about the idea of having students narrate their own work as it is shown on screen. Some students may be anxious about speaking in front of the class, but using a screencast could help them ease into it. Screencasts are something that would excite students while letting them feel less pressured when developing it.

Book Presentation for Chapter 6 Reflection

    I felt that my group put forth a large amount of effort for this presentation. We met together more than once to develop and practice our presentation. I thought that everyone did a great job at splitting up the work evenly and doing their parts. I made sure I had prompts on notecards that I could use to promote discussions when my peers where in groups. I think its valuable to present to our peers because that is something we are going to be doing daily when teaching, only to our students rather than our peers. It's likely that we will be presenting to our fellow collegues at times too when we come up with creative teaching practices we want to share. I was extremely nervous prior to this presentation, but once we got it started I felt more comfortable. When discussing our pluses and deltas in class I thought we had a positive reaction from the class. One of our negatives was not being loud enough. Professor Boyer also mentioned different discussion strategies that we could have used during our presentation, but since we did not know these methods we weren't able to implement them.

Exit Post 10-21-10

       After presenting our Chapter 6, we talked about ways that we can improve our interactive whiteboard lessons.  We talked about locking things in place so students won't accidently (or intentionally) move items around on the board. Another tool that I thought was useful for us to know is the infinite cloner tool. An object can just keep being dragged out an infinite number of times. We also discussed color choices on the background and text. In my lesson I just kept things in black and white which may seem boring, but I wanted to keep things simple and not create any visual complications. We talked about how the text involvement can hurt your lesson because of the grade level. My lesson is for a first grade classroom so I should review how much text I am using and make any changes necessary. The smallest we should go is 24 size font, but 36+ is the best usage. We talked about rule of thumb when teaching a lesson of 6 x 6 is ideal for a presentation. Professor Boyer also went over how we could use Skype when contacting him for office hours, which I thought would be a good idea for students who live far from campus. I personally with not be doing that because I would feel uncomfortable talking to a professor when I was in my house. I need a division between school and home. There are so many different things going on in this class that sometimes I get overwhelmed and concerned about what I need to be doing. Although I am stressed, I am learning so much.

iRLO Reflection

          I found the iRLO project to be a valuable experience with the Scratch program. I never would have known how to develop something like this without this assignment. When completing the assignment I had many challenges. My microphone on my computer would record my voice, but would cut out every once in a while so that I was unable to put in the voice recordings that I had wanted to include. Also it was difficult for me to figure out how to include the last part of my iRLO because I wasn't sure how to connect the broadcasting Scratch tool with other tools in the lesson. I would say that I exerted significant effort on this assignment. I chose not to include mathematics in my lesson or an underwater game because I felt as though that would be something everyone would be doing.  I went to ask for help with certain things I wanted included and that proved to be a smart decision. In my final draft I would like to include another standard with a level 2 and 3 with possibly verbs and adjectives. I need to learn how to transition from one level to the next though. When designing the iRLO I found that once I figured out how to do something for one sprite I was able to duplicate it for the remainder of my sprites which was extremely helpful. With the Scratch program, once one project is done I think it will be significantly easier to do more. After doing this assignment I could easily see myself developing more activities in my classroom because with the Scratch program it is easy to tailor what you want focused on in the lesson. I think children would respond well to this activity and I am proud of what I was able to accomplish. I am curious to hear my peer's feedback and make alterations to my project to make it even better.

Chapter 7 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts

Chapter 7 was all about digital images and how Flickr, the photo sharing website, can be used in a classroom. The chapter raves about all the possibilities using Flickr in the classroom. It would be possible to photograph pictures from daily events or field trips, guest speakers, and projects. Flickr is a free website for anyone’s use. When first beginning this chapter I was concerned about inappropriate pictures that students may run across. According to Chapter 7, Flickr’s members are responsible for sifting out the inappropriate pictures along with filters that have changeable settings. If students were to create their own accounts I am uncertain how they would be monitored easily. I would choose to create one user and have the class all share one account. I am glad that restricted access is available because that would be a huge concern for some parents if their child was in a picture. I think it’s neat that Flickr uses a tagging process similar to Delicious because I think that method is very successful when trying to locate a specific picture.

                I thought the idea of using Flickr to identify features of a model a third grader had made was great! If all students were working on a project, pictures could be taken and annotated so others could view them. I loved the idea of being able to take images and annotate them, such as the Civil War battlefield or fetal pig dissection examples in the book. The ability to take pictures and annotate them could help facilitate a lesson or even a study guide for an exam.

                I love the idea of using Flickr to connect teachers and students during the summer. My main concern with this would be if every child had access to a computer, or even a camera for that matter. I would never want to make any of my students feel incapable of completing something because they were not able to access the appropriate tools. When first coming to a new school I think it’s important to keep in mind what type of home each of them may live in and to not make assumptions that everyone owns certain items that we take for granted.

                I like that there are different tools available for use with Flickr. I already like the “Flicktion” tool because it would be fun for students to pick a random photo and use it as inspiration for a story. An activity such as this would help writing skills develop and allow students to be creative.

Exit Slip 10-14-10

     The Chapter 5 presentation was done well by the girls that presented. I liked that they seperated groups by the color squares rather than just dividing us all up by where we were sitting. The group allowed us as students to pick out the main ideas rather than just tell us what to think. My group presents next week and I hope we can do as well as the group presenting today did.
     I was relieved that we talked more about using the Scratch program and were able to learn the basic starting steps. I feel so much more comfortable using the program and am excited to get started making my iRLO. I would like to do something other than math, but I think other subjects are going to be more challenging to create a lesson for. I feel a bit overwhelmed with everything going on right now. The technology wiki, the interactive whiteboard lesson and the iRLO.

Rethinking Education Chapter 5 Reflection

Chapter 5 revolved around how technology is assisting the change of the educational system.  I found it interesting that the history of American schooling was “marked by an early flexibility” because today when thinking about the educational system flexible is one of the last words I would think of.  Home schooling has been on the rise and proves to help improve student learning. I had never realized that there was a branch of conservative homeschooling and liberal homeschooling.  I also never knew that parents do not have to be certified as teachers to home school their child. This concerns me because if a parent suddenly decides they do not want their child home schooled, I may get the student in my classroom. It would be hard to help the student adjust to regular schooling especially if they have been raised in a particular way with their family’s value integrated in their schooling. I was also surprised to know that parents only spend about 3 to 4 hours a day working with their children.

In the category of workplace learning, I thought it was interesting that workplaces are now putting employees through simulations to deal with situations that they may realistically run into in their profession. The same thing could be done in the classroom when showing students how a task should be done. If my school lacks the funds to do a science experiment with hands on tool, I would look into an online simulation that shows my students how to conduct the experiment and what would happen. I do not think that online simulations should be used all the time because of the importance of hands on learning. In regards to distance education I think it would be great to if possible Skype with another teacher from a different culture, let’s say Costa Rica, and show the different types of plants that are native there versus the types native to Wisconsin. The experience would be beneficial for both classrooms and I think students would be excited to see students their age from another country.

Online courses can be of great assistance to many people who can’t find the time or money to attend a university. A good friend of mine had back problems that prevented her from attending school in her regular classroom so she enrolled into online classes.  I hope that elementary schools will not start holding classes online because I think fewer children would be motivated to learn. Regarding the educational television and videos, I am not supportive of the idea. If kids are allowed to just sit around and be educated that’s contributing to the child obesity rate which is already much too high. I thought that the computer based software section was reaching a bit far to connect education and the Sims programs. The programs were not meant to be educational tools but are provided more for entertainment purposes. When using computer programs I think that programs that target the subject more and are suited for an education purpose would be more effective.

Chapter 6 Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts

"All roads now point to a Web where little is done in isolation and all things are collaborative and social in nature." There are so many ways to connect and socialize online. Twitter is a ttool that was introduced in 2006 and it allows mini-blogging. I personally do not have a Twitter account because I think other socialization networks provide what Twitter has to offer and more. I personally would not use Twitter in my classroom because if my students have blogs and use wikis, Twitter is just an unnecessary piece of technology. The ways Twitter can be used as stated in the book are: to communicate with parents, daily notices, links to student work, relevent articles for parents. If a blog is used in my classroom Twitter does not need to be used because all these things and more can be done in a blog. As far as social bookmarking is concerned I am a fan of the Delicious tool. It provides teachers with a spot to keep all the sites we may forget about and look at other educators accounts in order to see what sites they found useful. I find social bookmarking more of a tool for teachers rather than students. I may consider it if I had an older elementary aged group, but for the younger grades I feel as though having a classroom blog is enough work. The Diigo website seems to have more add ons to use than the Delicious site when watching the video on Diigo.com, but Delicious seems to be easier to operate. I’m glad we are using Delicious! I’m glad to be learning more about all these different types of technology in class because on my own I doubt that I would have ever know what a social bookmarking site was.  I appreciate all the knowledge about different technology tools, but in all honesty there is no way that I am going to use all of these in my classroom. It would be much too hard to keep up with everything and involve the students as well.

10-7-10 Exit Post

Today in class the discussion group for Chapter 4 presented about the development of schooling. The group did well encouraging us to all critically think about what was being discussed. After the presentation we talked about text books and the environmental and cost of them. Textbooks are always being revised and improved upon so it is impossible to keep up to date with all the subject's books without spending an obscene amount of money. The group used the SMARTboard as a presentation tool which was a nice changre from the groups that have been using Prezi. Providing specific directions for activites was noted, and is something I will keep in mind for my chapter presentation.We looked at the iRLO assignment on the Scratch program. It seems to be complicated, but Dr. Boyer assured us that it was an easy program to use. The examples we were shown were for elementary age math learners and I thought they were well done. The iRLO can help a student target a particular skill that a student may be having difficulty with. I am looking forward to experimenting with Scratch and figuring out how it works especially because I know how important it would be in my future classroom.

Rethinking Education Chapter 4 Reflection

                 Chapter 4 focused on the development of schooling over the past years. The enthusiasts think that technology is “becoming central to all of life” which I definitely agree with. They also say that “school will become less and less important as a venue for education.” I am confused as to what the authors were trying to get across. If they are trying to say that we should find other ways to educate children, I want to hear more of those options. I think that there will always be some form of schools available for education. I am not a supporter of schools online because so much valuable interaction is lost. Educators would not be able to take students outside for a lesson or let them physically experiment with chemicals and witness reactions, to name a few things. The students would lose out on vital social interaction unless they meet people on their own time when not “attending school.”

                The chapter addresses steps taken in the evolution process of a school system. There are certain pieces of the system that I think should stay put such as; compulsory attendance, graded schools, Carnegie units, and comprehensive high schools. Tests and textbooks do not have to be included into a classroom to make it a learning environment. Students can be evaluated in many other ways other than a paper and pencil tests, which in my experiences, causes students unnecessarily high amounts of stress and anxiety prior to the test. After tests students wipe their memories clean and forget any information that is not relevant to their lives as they see it. Textbooks are not always the best resources for information when teaching a classroom. I think that presently teachers are not following the books as much as they have in the past, and are using more hands on activities to help students learn.

                The authors included one quote that bothered me a bit. “The pervasiveness of television and other new media helped produce a youth culture that is increasingly complex and sophisticated – what might be called the ‘adultification’ of youth.” Is this really a positive thing? I want my students to get outdoors and not be sitting inside playing video games or watching television. There are so many benefits to spending more time outdoors, not to mention the obesity issue that technology has contributed to along with other factors. I am all for students using technology to help them learn, but I do think it is important to have time when technology is turned off. It’s hard to keep them in check, but it is possible.

                The educational system is constantly changing in some way or another. I think we should pressing for positive changes that benefit students, but by doing so in a gradual fashion. The changes will be more acceptable for everyone if they are not all thrown in at once.

Chapter 5 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts Reflection

                Chapter 5 was all about RSS or Really Simple Syndication. The author said, “I think it’s the one technology that you should start using today right now, this minute.” I was surprised at this statement of RSS being so valuable because I have never heard of it. Then an RSS is explained as being a tool that lets you know when new information is put on sites of your choice. I am puzzled as to why that tool is so valuable, maybe because I think it could have been explained better in this chapter.  Personally I would think that using an RSS would only clutter everything up and make things overwhelming.  I am not opposed to teaching students about it, but I just don’t think that it will be a tool that will be useful to me. The one case when I would consider using it would be if my students were blogging, it would be perfect to be alerted when students posted new blogs. Using an RSS may also be useful when writing informational or research papers, but I wonder how much new information would be found.  The chapter provided many tips for using an RSS and steps to take for specific applications, but I still find myself confused as what it really is and how it works. As far as the author using RSS for news updates, how is that useful when the news is constantly being updated? It would just keep adding more and more notifications to an aggregator.  Then when reading the feeds its necessary to make “Pageflakes a part of your daily practice,” and what are pageflakes?  The details described in the chapter made it hard for me to follow too. I’m sure if I had more experience with this tool, or a better explanation of what it is I would be more apt to use it.

Chapter 4 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts Reflection

                In Chapter 4 the focus was placed on using Wikis. I like the idea that every person who goes uses a wiki has the power to be the “editor in chief” because I think that that is a powerful component of the success of sites like Wikipedia. Everyone has the opportunity to alter anything on the site that is seen by the whole world. I think that students would feel more responsibility having their own wiki that they are in charge of and can update when necessary. If I did use a wiki in my classroom I would definitely use a password protected one in order to make sure my student’s work would not be interfered with by someone outside of the class. I love the idea of having a wiki for students and being able to add my input as needed. I do think that it would have to be monitored very closely because students may post inappropriate content that is unrelated to school. My biggest issue would be students using the wiki more as a social networking place rather than a tool for their education. I would also consider using a wiki to work with students globally because I know it is something that everyone could be excited about and participate in. When the author referenced a teacher from Georgia connected with a teacher in Bangladesh I became immediately interested and think it would be a valuable learning experience for my students. The level of involvement with a wiki would vary according to what grade I taught.  I do think that it can be incorporated into every age group in some way.

                When the author of the book said that Wikipedia is a “really incredible” site I was a bit surprised. All that I heard when in high school and even in college from teachers is, “No using Wikipedia because it’s not a good source of information.” I have not used Wikipedia much and have only been told about the negative aspects of the website. Now knowing that people are working on the website all the time checking the credibility of the information presented, I feel more comfortable going to Wikipedia for information.

9-30-10 Exit Post

In class when discussing the technology skeptic’s argument we split into groups according to our beliefs about technology use in education. Professor Boyer again went over how we should “tell what you’re going to tell us, tell us, tell us what you told us.” I thought the group did well presenting equally and giving us their own opinions along with the information being presented. I am not a big fan of us splitting into the three groups because I personally like to hear everyone’s opinion and I don’t like to affiliate with one group over another. I felt uncomfortable when there was a disagreement when a student became offended by a statement made by a presenter. In the classroom teachers need to be cautious about how they phrase things in order to avoid conflict and allow students to have their own ideas. The quotes in the chapter were discussed and how parallel the school’s arguments back in the early 1900’s are the same arguments  being used against technology present day. We also discussed student to student interaction versus teacher facilitated discussion. How can we encourage the student to student discussion? We can build on each other’s input and add things to it. I wasn’t a big fan of discussing everyone’s question in front of the entire class because it made me uncomfortable to be put on the spot. Professor Boyer mentioned that I should narrow my focus from learning disabilities to a more specific issue, so I chose to focus on students with ADD and ADHD in the elementary grades. We discussed making interactive lesson plans which I think will be fun and a valuable experience to learn as a future elementary education teacher.

Rethinking Education Chapter 3 Reflection

The technology skeptic’s argument in chapter 3 was less convincing than the supporter’s chapter. In the beginning of the chapter when the quotes from different decades of teaching were presented I thought that that was only hurting their point. In the 1815 quote when a principal was expressing his dissatisfaction about students not being able to use slates properly and depending too much on paper, I became convinced that technology needs to be applied in classroom settings. The time periods of the quotes show how quickly new items were integrated into classrooms once given an opportunity. If something is beneficial to learning why shouldn’t we apply it in our classroom?  I can’t decide if the chapter was actually skeptics trying to convince people of their point or if it was technology supporters trying to write from a skeptic’s point of view.  

                In the book one particular quote really made me stop and think. “Although computers can open up new ways of teaching and learning, they can also be used to replace typewriters and file cabinets in schools dedicated to preserving a paper-and-text culture.” I never thought that schools were actually using typewriters still! The only time I have ever seen a typewriter is in my grandmother’s basement, and even she is computer literate today. Even if the skeptics think that schooling should “inspire students to understand the great products of human thought, think deeply about issues,” and “consider different viewpoints” who is to say that technology can’t be incorporated into those goals? In my classroom I will not use technology for every topic being taught. I will likely incorporate it into my everyday teachings however as a support for what students will be learning. I see technology as a tool that will be helping support learning rather than replacing it. Every student’s needs may be able to be addressed more effectively by using technology in the classroom.

Exit Post 9-23-10

 In class today the first chapter group presented. I thought it was helpful that we discussed the positives and things we should change after the presentation. I feel like I understand more about what is expected of us in regards to this presentation. I am concerned about my "ums" and "likes" because I do tend to get nervous when presenting in front of large groups of peers. I will also try not to rush and focus on using wait time even if it does feel a little awkward. For the upcoming week we need to develop a question we are interested in researching for the technology wiki assignment focusing on a tool or a population, or both. I think it will be interesting to look at the autistic population finding technology that will help them learn. I know many autistic children and using those relationships when thinking about this assignment will hopefully help me come up with creative ideas. All of the tips when using the Smart Board are greatly appreciated by me because of presentation required in Education 381. I thought the Smart Exchange website was fantastic and would be something that students would be able to get involved in. There was a fun way to take attendance using balloons so when students came to class they could touch and pop their balloon. I am anticipating using the Smart Board more in class especially because it may be something I will us daily in my classroom.

Rethinking Education Chapter 2 Reflection

               The book stated “Basic composition is being replaced by production of multimedia documents, which include text, graphics, photographs, video, animations, simulations, and visual displays of data.” I do not think this is necessarily a positive thing. Not all work should necessarily be replaced by technology as soon as possible. There needs to be a break from technology at some point in the day. When children are always doing writing assignments in Word documents they will be unable to develop writing skills necessary for life skills. With spell check and auto correct features there is less opportunity for learning. I do see the counter argument of students only using Word similar programs in life, but we shouldn’t dumb down learning just because technology may be available. What happens when students have to take assessments that require a writing portion? True they may resort to putting them on computers for students to take, but they would not have a spell check or grammar check included.

                “No one will be able to solve complex problems or think effectively without using digital technologies.” This is supposed to be a good thing? I don’t understand how. We will not be able come up with our own thoughts without technology in the future. Resorting to technology for thinking seems to make us a pathetic world if our thoughts need to be manufactured for us.

                In the chapter computer games were discussed. I completely agree with using certain computer games to assist students with learning. However I would not use all mentioned in the chapter like World of Warcraft or Neopets. I do believe that games such as Math Blaster and typing practice programs are undeniably helpful and students love to use them! I have played similar games and actually looked forward to it. I would definately take the time to find some games that I thought would effectively help my students learn and that they would enjoy as well.

                The Just-in-Time learning approach is something I do agree with. In actuality, students do not remember most of what is taught in schools and end up looking it up anyways if it’s needed. I think it would be difficult to determine what will be cut from the curriculum. I like that skills are more important than facts in this approach because it is ultimately the skills that stay with us more so than the facts we learn.

Chapters 1-3 Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts Reflection

            When reading the first three chapters I was shocked at how blogs are being integrated into education. I have never heard of this being done before. I think there are so many possibilities with having a blog integrated into a classroom and it sounds like a fantastic idea that students would certainly be interested in. I am however skeptical about school administrations accepting this idea. I think using blogs would take lots of discussion and time to get approval to use them in classrooms. Parental permission would also cause some issues, especially in the elementary grades. I liked how the book explained that many people and organizations are allowing their followers to contribute to blogs or other websites. I think it was a genius decision by President Obama to have a MySpace and Facebook because it puts him into the “real person” category. The author point to an important statistic that 97% of seventh to twelfth graders think that “technology use is important in education.” This speaks volumes about the expectations that students have in regards to technology being integrated into their classroom.  If we as educators are able to bring technology into the classroom we may be able to receive a more enthusiastic group of learners. When the topic of what websites a school should block (if any) comes up I am all for the blocking of websites that could affect a student’s education in a negative way.  I agree that sometimes quality information does get caught by website blocking programs, but there is always an alternative source of information available for use.

            As a teacher I would consider using a blogging program as a means to interact with interested parents. Posting a schedule of what happened that day could allows parents insight to what their child has been up to. I loved the idea of the author, Sue Monk Kidd, being able to respond to the student’s reactions. The interaction between the students and author would be something to be excited about for the students and the teacher!  As far as going to blogs for information I would likely discourage my students from doing so. The author provides good points for this, but I think that the information on blogs is mostly opinions rather than facts. I would not be opposed to students using links that they found on blogs for information. These chapters on blogging were informative and very thought provoking.

"Growing Up Online" Reflection

           The Frontline video “Growing Up Online,” portrays both positives and negatives of technology, but I find the negatives outweighing the positives in this video. Nothing in the video shocked me because I have grown up with the internet and I’m aware of what is out there. Many teens need more attention so they resort to posting pictures and recording videos and others comment on them to give them the attention they crave. The point of the internet assisting with cheating is accurate based on my experiences. In high school and college Sparknotes is a commonly visited website to get of doing an actual reading. I think that students should have the opportunity to express themselves but I am undecided whether the internet is the best place for that. When the video focused on Sara and Ryan it was heartbreaking to see their struggles, but again I’m not surprised. Sara found support for her eating disorder and Ryan found support for his suicide. With Sara she seemed to have identity issues and was just able to be her “real” self online because they “won’t judge” her. She had relationships online with boys she had never actually talked to in person. I never think that socialization online should replace talking to others in person. Many jobs do require social interaction and without it early on it may never develop.

            As a teacher I will do my best to educate my students about the internet and its good and bad qualities. Giving assignments that involves a student teaching something new to a parent or showing them a website they found that they liked would likely be a positive experience. Programs involving internet safety would get my support because it is an important issue that needs to be talked about. Parental involvement may also help the issue as well, even if it didn’t help in Evan Skinner’s situation. I hope my students will feel that I am a safe person to talk to about any troubles they are having and that I will help them in any way I can.

Exit Post 9-16-10

In class when we discussed the statements in our first chapter readings, we were all forced to really consider how we felt about technology incorporated in education. “Technology makes life more difficult for teachers,” is a statement I was in the middle about. When weighing the pros and cons of teaching with technology I think they come out about even. Being a teacher learning new methods of how to teach is an ongoing part of the job. I do think it is important to take the time to consider what tools will be used efficiently in the classroom and which ones will just be a distraction.

The second statement we discussed had discussed is: “If educators cannot successfully integrate new technologies into what it means to be a school, then the long identification of schooling with education, developed over the past 150 years, will dissolve into a world where the students with the means and ability will pursue their learning outside of the public school.” In regards to this statement I was in the middle once again. I think that it is vital to incorporate technology into schools, but I would not say that students will learn outside of school. Students don’t go home and print out math sheets for fun. Students are online with social websites or playing video games. A small percentage may go on the computer to learn more, but they may be curious about things that do not pertain to schooling. For example a student may go online to learn about the legend of Bigfoot because they are curious. They are in fact learning, but the learning is not likely to help them in the school environment. I was in the “no opinion” group for both of these statements but I think that it is a positive thing to be able to see multiple points of view for these statements.

I was glad that we talked about using the SMARTboard in class because I had a presentation to give in Education 381 for my next class.  The tips were useful but I did still have a difficult time using the board.

I was glad that we were introduced to the website Prezi. I thought it was a fun way to steer clear of the typical Power Point presentation that we’ve all become so comfortable with.

How to Find Out if a Website is Credible

What process/procedure will your students follow to ensure they will determine that sites are not credible?

      I will tell my students to first of all use common sense when looking at a website. Common sense comes into play when finding websites such as the tree octopus because anyone can tell that that is false information. The Dihydrogen Monoxide also requires common sense because dihydrogen monoxide is water, which would be hard for elementary age students to figure out but it can also be weeded out by other methods.
     A website should have clear contact information and a clear author. On all four websites when clicking on the author link it becomes clear that the websites are not valid. When clicking on the organization that supports the tree octopus website, the sponsor is Zapato Productions Intradimensional whose home page says "your source for conspiracies and other diversions" along with "serving the paranoid since 1997." On the Martin Luther King website the sponsor organization is Stormfront. When clicking the Stormfront link it turns out that it is a White Pride organization so the information on the website is obviously biased and not credible. Allaboutexplorers was the hardest one of the four websites. When I clicked on the author page the authors were named and described as: custodian, voice-over actor, doughnut glazer, etc. They also advertise having "every explorer who ever lived" which is not a true statement considering information about only 14 explorers was given.
     I would tell my students that absolutely no chat rooms or blogs are considered valid because people could be saying anything on sites like that. The same rule applies for wiki applications. In my classroom I would definitely include an activity where students have to identify valid websites along with websites that are not credible. It was interesting to see examples of invalid websites in this activity.
    

Chapter 1: Rethinking Education Reflection

·         How does this reading impact your thinking about technology’s role in teaching and learning?

·         What will you do differently as a future teacher as a direct result of this new thinking?

                I found the first chapter of Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology very informative. I thought the individual’s stories at the beginning of the chapter showed how technology played a significant role in each person’s future. The reading made me think about how we all have traditional views about how a classroom is run. We all seem to picture a teacher standing in front of a group of students talking and writing on a board. We need to expand our views concerning how teachers are supposed to teach to how effective a method is. I had never realized we are going through the “Knowledge Revolution,” where new technology is being developed at a fast rate. When the authors mention how students are “more and more likely” to learn more after high school because of computers, which is true. Online classes are most of the time less expensive than classes taught in person. Having the opportunity to take courses on a computer allows people to take classes even if they have a job because they get to learn on their time. 

                As a future teacher I will do my best to try and rethink methods of teaching and how I can help my students learn in the best way possible. There are so many learning opportunities that can be driven by technology that previously would have been inaccessible. The sentence “Technology makes life more difficult for teachers” rings true but I think that technology also makes many things easier on teachers as well. Teachers have a much easier line of communication with their student’s parents via email. Prior to computers parents would have to call in to get a hold of the teacher and keep calling back if they didn’t get a hold of him/her but now email is much more convenient for both parties.  Another example is that teachers are provided with many programs to help with lessons, grading, and attendance which is easier to access at home using a computer than having to carrying everything home where something could be forgotten.  There is no excuse for not incorporating technology in some form into a classroom because it is beneficial to students in a world where technology is vital for their future.

Exit Post 9-9-10

What new thinking did I take away from class today?

Today in class I started thinking more about all the technological tools that I am unfamiliar with. Right off the bat I made a fool of myself when writing my name on the smartboard but everyone else seemed to have troubles too. I had never heard of social bookmarking until class and would have never even considered creating a blog for everyone to see. I did not even know what a wiki was until it was explained in class even though I have used Wikipedia many times. I began relating the technology tools we are learning about to my future classroom and how this is the perfect time to practice using these new gadgets and will make my life a little less stressful during my first year teaching. More and more new technological advances are going to keep being incorporated in classrooms and I have to do my best to continue learning new applications and devices for the benefit of my career.When I reflect upon this class during my teaching career I will remember to be extremely patient with my students when using technology because it takes me a while to understand these new things.I will have no problem repeating directions or assisting children when they need help. When linking sites to our class organization wiki and double checking to make sure the links worked I had some issues but by going back and tracing my steps I was able to figure it out. I am excited to learn more in this class!

LINK TO AUTOBIOGRAPHY

http://www.vuvox.com/collage/detail/02cd848415

Digital Autobiography

1) How much effort did you exert on this task?

• I feel as though I did the best I could possibly do on this assignment. I had to get photos from many different places to put my collage together, and I spent lots of time trying to upload music to my autobiography but was unable to find the right music file on my computer.

2) What is the value in completing this course task?

• I think its an interesting way to get acquainted with someone else and find out so much about them in such a sort amount of time. This assignment was a good way to get me using applications and technology that I was not used to working with. I fumbled around a bit but through trial and error was able to figure everything out.

3) How does completing this course task impact your student teaching?

• In schools that I would be working for classrooms are going to continue to advance in the technology category. As a future teacher I should get used to figuring out how to use new programs and being able to adjust to them.

Technology Definitions

1. Technology: interactive electronic tools that assist the user with a task


2. Technology integration: different types of interactive electronic tools available for student/teacher use