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.