blog #12

I really enjoyed reading my classmates blogs this semester because it was interesting how much some of us related and how much some of us differed. It was also interesting to see the different ways people plan to use technology in their varied classrooms and I think I will walk away with some borrowed ideas to use in my own career. I really enjoyed all of the snapshots from everybody's powerpoint presentations and seeing all of the different creative ways everyone can use one piece of technology. I also enjoyed listening to everyone's podcasts and hearing all of the different stories that could be written for one title. 

I would like to learn how to operate a smartboard. I know that more and more schools are getting them, especially elementary schools, and I think I will need to know how to use them in my career. They seem very neat but also overwhelmingly foreign and difficult to operate. As far as computers, I would also like to learn how to use audacity. We were briefly introduced to the program in my high school and it was so interesting, I would love to learn more about it. 

I cannot wait to incorporate technology into my career. Throughout this course I've learned so many interesting ways to use technology, and programs I had once thought to be simple have proved to have so many complex functions that can create such entertaining classroom aids. I definitely plan on using Inspiration in my classroom as well as interactive, non linear power point presentations to spice up my classroom. 

blog #11

I honestly didn't really use the twitter we made in class at the beginning of the semester. I genuinely just forgot that it existed, on top of all of the other technologies we were using (blackboard, blogspot, etc.). I feel like (even though a majority of us neglected it) it was a really good idea and if we had all committed to it it would have really helped us out. I didn't necessarily need it because I came into the class with some of my close friends so if I needed help I could just text or call them and ask, but it would have really helped me if I didn't know anybody and I had a question about the assignments. It could have also helped us when collaborating on our group projects, but my group members all had facebook so we added each other and communicated through that. 

I think that twitter is a really cool website, and I might take up using it in my every day life, just because I like to follow celebrities and people I find interesting. I don't think it's a very relevant tool for everyday communication because not everybody has internet on their phones and not everybody accesses their twitter accounts super often and they would receive a text message or email faster. But for sheer entertainment (again, following celebrities) I might use it. 

If I were planning to teach high school I would definitely consider using twitter because I think at that point it would be age appropriate and most students would have one. I think it's important to show high school students that you're on their level with technology and it would make school a little more interesting for them. However, I don't think I will use it in my elementary aged classroom. I think the technology in that case isn't very age appropriate. I think it may be too complex for them and if not, it would become easy to abuse and I wouldn't want them getting out of hand or following twitters that again, weren't age appropriate. 

blog #9

A web based resource I might use in my classroom is Ning.com. This was a website I became very familiar with in high school. It is another networking/blog styled website where students can practice their writing, either in english or a foreign language. It is an extremely helpful when teaching a foreign language, because students can blog in the language and comment each other, encouraging them to communicate in the foreign language. As an english teacher I would encourage my students to keep up a blog on the ning because it is a good habit to write everyday, no matter what it's about. It would also be nice to have a year or semester's worth of writing saved in an organized way online so that the students can go back to it whenever they want and won't accidentally throw it away.

I honestly don't think I will use Excel in my classroom. I plan to teach elementary school aged students and if I do teach an older age group, I would be teaching english. If I do use excel in my career, it would be to calculate grades and keep a grade book, which I think is a really great tool excel has to offer. 

blog #8

I think that I did a good job with my powerpoint 2 presentation, making an interactive jeopardy game. A critique may argue that it's a little dull or too simplistic, but I really like how clean and professional it looks. I think it's simplicity adds to it because it is very striking and easy to read and understand. 

The pictures I included show the game board and an example question. 

As far as non-computer audio-visual technologies, I am partial to projectors, and would use them alongside power-points in class. I also like when teachers incorporate pop culture in class, and would consider bringing my ipod into class to use it in select lessons.

I think the new skills we've learned will be extremely helpful in the elementary aged classroom I plan to teach in. Now that I know how to make powerpoint presentations interactive instead of just linear, my students will be more engaged in the lesson and will want to play and be quizzed instead of just sleep trough a lecture. 

My Awesome Podcast

blog #7

I think that presentation software, when used appropriately, can be a huge advantage in a K-12 setting. Especially with older students when lessons are handled in more of a lecture style, they can provide a great visual aid and really add to what a teacher is saying. However, some teachers don't use presentation software very well and their presentations can be far from ascetically pleasing and can overwhelm students, distracting and taking away from the lesson. In most classroom situations I think that presentation software can be a huge help, provided they are used skillfully. 

I would use powerpoints in my classroom to pinpoint highlights in lessons/lectures so that students have notable information in front of them in writing. I would also use it as a visual aid and add pictures and maybe video clips to make my lessons more engaging and appeal to visual learners. I would be very careful to not put too much information on powerpoint slides, so that students are actually listening instead of frantically copying down information. I would also be very conscious of how ascetically pleasing it is and make sure it's not an overwhelming mess of words. I want the slides to help students, not intimidate them. 

blog #6

I think that web 2.0 technologies can be extremely useful in the K-12 setting if they are introduced delicately and at the appropriate age. I don't think it is in students best interested to overwhelm them with intense technology at a young age but if they work their way up and learn it in their daily lives during school, it could be very helpful to them in the long run. 

I think wikipedia is a fine learning resource for people who get curious throughout their day and want to look up something simple, I rely on wikipedia more than I'd like to admit if someone references something I'm unfamiliar with. The information is probably more or less correct and will give you the general idea about something you're interested in. However, I do not think it should be used as a research tool. It should not be relied on to be 100% precise. There are so many more reliable resources that could be used in a research setting, wikipedia should be avoided.

I love the idea of using wikispaces and I cannot wait to incorporate them into my career as a teacher. I used them so much as a high school student and saw just how helpful they can really be for the students who use them. I love that students can collaborate on them and help each other study and understand material. I also have enjoyed applying all of the google search techniques we've learned and they've been very helpful to me! I was amazed at how much easier google searching has become and mad that I'm just learning those shortcuts now when I could've been using them for years! 

blog #5

I think the internet is a wonderful research tool and it is very useful for students of all ages. Younger students may not have a ride to the library or access to many book sources but a majority will have a computer in their home and it's probably easier and more fun for them to research topics online. However, it is very important for students to learn at an early age the dangers of trusting everything they read online. They need to know how to evaluate web sources and know how to judge whether a website is presenting reliable information or not. Internet research loses it's usefulness when students aren't looking in the right places for information. 

Students in a social studies setting could use the internet to go on virtual tours or virtual field trips to give them a more hands on, creative approach to the lesson. It also can help put things in perspective. Science classes can do virtual labs online if actual labs aren't plausible (for cost purposes, or if they're simply too dangerous).

If I were teaching high school I'd be very afraid of students abusing technology in the classroom, messing around on the internet when they aren't supposed to, not paying attention to the lesson because they are too tempted by games or facebook. Also, in my high school there was a big legal issue because a student put offensive/blatantly incorrect information on a wikipedia page using a school computer and it was a nightmare for the teacher. I'll always be worried about something like that. 

blog #4

I think I will require my students to practice making outlines, idea maps, and using story-boarding skills.  These are all wonderful study habits that they will use throughout their entire educational career and I think it will develop their thought process and organizational skills which can be used throughout their entire lives. It is important for a student at a young age to practice and familiarize themselves with using both outlines and idea maps so they can discover which one is more natural or comes easiest to them so they can utilize it down the line. 

This section we learned inspiration which is a concept mapping software. I think it will be especially useful for me because I plan to teach elementary school aged kids and I could design age appropriate handouts that would really help in my lessons. Now I know how to make them colorful and fun with images and shapes to hold students attention. I think that the concept maps I can make on inspiration will really illustrate the more mundane lessons and keep younger students engaged in lessons as well as put it all in front of them in a comprehendible format. 

blog #3

I think I could utilize technology many ways in a lesson plan. I could involve a smart-board in class everyday, invite kids up from the class so that they feel comfortable using the smart-board. Also, when I give students assignments, such as vocabulary words, they could put them on a class Wiki to prompt a class discussion. I could also use podcasts during class, or have students create their own podcasts. 

I haven't had much experience with copyright other than the disclaimer most teachers say before handing out a photocopied poem or picture. As a teacher, I would make sure my students know the importance of copyright and the danger in copyright infringement. I would definitely devote a lesson to making sure my students are in the know and don't abuse any copy right rules.

Get fluent with Inspiration

blog #1

I agree that computers are an important part of the educational experience and it is very important for both teachers and students to be able to use computers competently. A person will need to use a computer for countless things throughout life especially as technology becomes more prevalent in our society so it is important to introduce them to computers at a young age. In addition, it helps illustrate lessons and is a wonderful tool in the learning process. The third grade students I observed last semester utilized computers for math and reading comprehension practice a little everyday and it made them very excited about the lesson. 

I hope that this class will teach me the computer skills I'll need to confidently include technology in my lessons. I've used wikis as a student and I've seen what a wonderful learning tool they are and I hope I will be able to use them to help my students. I also hope to become more comfortable with Microsoft PowerPoint because I feel it is an extremely useful tool in the classroom setting. 

I'm not trying to suck up or anything, but I think that I'm already learning a lot in this class and it just started. I'm also excited because I feel like it's all very useful, I can see how the things we're learning (mail merge, word) can be used in everyday life, especially as a teacher. Anyway, I see now why it's a prerequisite to enter an education major and I'm glad it is because we're learning things we're going to use in our classroom and we're going to be better teachers because of it. 

MS Paint practice

#0

I think I have about as much experience with technology as any average college freshman. Throughout high school I became familiar with Microsoft word, excel, and powerpoint. In class we also used movie maker and wikis a ton. In addition, we used smart boards and did a little with podcasts (but they weren't very good.) Since arriving at FSU I've become vary familiar with blackboard and been involved in many discussion boards. 

In this class I hope to learn appropriate ways to integrate technology into a classroom setting. I also hope to gain confidence in classroom technology so that I feel more comfortable using it in my classroom correctly and effectively. I hope I can use this technology to keep student's interest and protect my lessons from becoming mundane or out of date. 

The learning styles questionnaire taught me that I am reflective, intuitive, verbal and sequential. It taught me to write summaries and make outlines when I study so I can rethink and absorb what I've just learned and to double check that I've read everything thoroughly on tests. I learn best when things are taught in a step by step manner and I am given time to think through things. 

Playing with Picture

Embeding a Video