Monday, February 22, 2010

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.

Monday, February 1, 2010

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.