I have always believed that we should be educated on the newest forms of technology. Obviously it's here to stay and there will only be more improvements made in the future. We are starting to see technology everywhere: the workplace, homes, and also schools. I am a firm believer that we need to educate our student on real world experience and knowledge, including technology.
I think using technology in the classroom is essential. For one, I think it is eye catching for students and it helps hold their attention. It can also be relatively easy to use, especially for kids because most of them have been exposed to technology at home. For those who haven't, it allows them to try something new and have the opportunity to use technology they would have otherwise never seen. I also think using technology can be very time effective for teachers. It is much quicker to do things on the computer rather than doing them by hand.
I think as educators, it is our responsibility to prepare our students for the real world. By teaching them the basics of using technology and how to use "the spirit of discovery" when they learn something new, we will help them to become productive citizens. Technology truly is the wave of the future and it is important the we recognize this.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Lessons Learned
Whenever I'm dealing with new technology, I always learn a few things by trial and error. I have never made my own videos before and the idea of creating a digital story was completely foreign to me. It took a lot of practice to figure out how to arrange things properly and make sure the music looped well. It also took a lot of patience to make the digital story because it is a lengthy process to plan and then create.
The main thing I had to remember throughout this process was not to get frustrated when something didn't work. Often times, we had to adjust the music settings or fix the pixelation on some of our pictures and it was difficult to be patient and try to figure it out. It really helps to remember to have "the spirit of discovery" and look at making mistakes on a project like this as a learning experience.
It was extremely helpful for me to partner with Trevor on this project because he has a lot of knowledge about making videos and using YouTube. I think it is always helpful to have someone who knows more than you help you learn about something new, especially when it comes to technology. It was really nice to be able to have him help when I messed up on something and needed to fix it or when I was totally clueless.
The main thing I had to remember throughout this process was not to get frustrated when something didn't work. Often times, we had to adjust the music settings or fix the pixelation on some of our pictures and it was difficult to be patient and try to figure it out. It really helps to remember to have "the spirit of discovery" and look at making mistakes on a project like this as a learning experience.
It was extremely helpful for me to partner with Trevor on this project because he has a lot of knowledge about making videos and using YouTube. I think it is always helpful to have someone who knows more than you help you learn about something new, especially when it comes to technology. It was really nice to be able to have him help when I messed up on something and needed to fix it or when I was totally clueless.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Strengths & Weaknesses
I have always felt as if I am rather knowledgeable when it comes to technology. I enjoy learning about what's out there and educating those who are less informed. I think this can definitely apply to my abilities as an educator. It is important to continue evaluating and increasing your knowledge when it comes to technology.
It was really interesting to read through the NET standards and decide which of the described statements applied to me. There were several that I immediately recognized as describing my ability when it comes to technology such as applying technology to increase productivity and identifying or locating technology resources and evaluating them for accuracy and suitability. However, with technology being such an ever-changing part of our lives, there are always areas that need more attention or improvement. Learning to manage students while they are participating in technology integrated activities is an area that I would love to learn more about. UEN's Professional Development link shows many technology related courses that could assist in educating teachers about these important points. Two of the offered classes that I think would be extremely helpful to me as an educator include "Internet Safety for Educators" and "Use Technology to Teach". By reading the course descriptions, you can tell that though these classes provide a lot of basic information about teaching with technology and also about how to help your students navigate the technological world.
It was really interesting to read through the NET standards and decide which of the described statements applied to me. There were several that I immediately recognized as describing my ability when it comes to technology such as applying technology to increase productivity and identifying or locating technology resources and evaluating them for accuracy and suitability. However, with technology being such an ever-changing part of our lives, there are always areas that need more attention or improvement. Learning to manage students while they are participating in technology integrated activities is an area that I would love to learn more about. UEN's Professional Development link shows many technology related courses that could assist in educating teachers about these important points. Two of the offered classes that I think would be extremely helpful to me as an educator include "Internet Safety for Educators" and "Use Technology to Teach". By reading the course descriptions, you can tell that though these classes provide a lot of basic information about teaching with technology and also about how to help your students navigate the technological world.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Service Learning Project
Our field assignment was to teach with Ms. Hunter in her 4th grade classroom, at Legacy Elementary in American Fork. We will be working with Ms. Hunter from 11:45-3:30 every day of the week. During these times the students work on writing, journals, read aloud, social studies, and reading. The school is an extended day school, we have 35 students in our class, and our classroom is located in a small trailer outside the school. The students are all very well off, money is not an issue for any of the families of the children in our classroom. The classroom has one computer which is the teacher’s laptop that the children do not have access to, there is also one TV, with an attached DVD player that is shared between the two teachers that teach in this small trailer.
We have forged a very good relationship with Ms. Hunter, she seems to trust us and will often times just have us teach all of her lessons. Ms. Hunter has a lot of things going on right now, it is also her first year in 4th grade so a lot of the time she puts her lessons together the day of the lesson. We are very glad that she trust us though, because so many teachers would not trust us with their lessons, so many other teachers just treat UVU interns as if they were children.
Ms. Hunter loved our digital story, she requested the DVD so that she can use it in other years. She liked that we used the students to narrate the piece, she agreed with me that by having the students narrate the piece the students would be more interested in the content material. Having them narrate the digital story also provided me a great opportunity to teach an individual voice lesson to every student.
Ms. Hunter really enjoyed our lesson. The object of our lesson was to get the kids to think about the mountain men, to get them excited about the mountain men rendezvous that they would be having the next day. I think the kids got really excited when they heard their own voices to the music and pictures. The digital story also opened up a discussion about mountain men after the video. The kids came up with so many questions that the wanted to ask the mountain man. It was great the next day when the mountain man was there to see the students asking the questions that they had posed the day before.
Our training session was changed multiple times, as Ms. Hunter came down with a cold, and missed two days in a row when we had planned the training. We decided to take that time to teach some of my students about why we were narrating the story, and to teach them a little about imovie. Many of them have Mac’s at home, and were really excited when we showed them how easy it was for them to create a movie of their own, and how easy it was for them to put it on YouTube. They loved it because they know that if you’re on YouTube everyone in the world can see your work. We have not gotten a chance to teach Ms. Hunter how to make a digital story, and at this point it does not look good. She has to many other things she is doing. After we presented the the digital story lesson though she was very interested in how she could use her mac to teach a voice lesson. So we had a very short lesson where I showed her how she could use the digital recorder on imovie, and how she could save it as a mp3 file and use it on either a cd, or a video.
This service-learning experience was hopefully beneficial to all of those involved. Being a member of Americore has shown me how important it is to not only learn while I am in school, but to teach people along the way. I would have loved to have had more time to work with my cooperating teacher, I believe she could have gotten a lot of great knowledge that she could combine with her teaching skills to really make some amazing vidcast, and podcasts.
We hope that our cooperating teacher gained the knowledge to successfully incorporate using imovie to teach about voice. We hope that she will use that knowledge to make the class room more exciting, to get the children more excited about reading, and to publish voice works that her students will create in the future.
We gained a lot of different things from this experience, the most glaring would be flexibility. We found out that no matter how well you think you have planned that things always change. People get sick, technology does not work, fire alarms, birthday parties, mountain men rendezvous, thanksgiving parties, all of these things we have found out are going to affect your teaching. It was a great experience to learn that sometimes things do not work out how you plan them, it has better prepared us to teach our own class.
We truly believe that this service learning project was worth it, even though we did not get to teach everything to our cooperating teacher, I think we showed her enough things that she is now excited to learn more about how she can use technology in her classroom. She knows that if she ever has any questions about digital stories, vidcasts, or podcasts that she is more than welcome to email or call us. I hope that our presence in her classroom was a positive one for her, and showed her some of the new technologies that are out there, and how she can utilize them in her everyday teaching routine.
We have forged a very good relationship with Ms. Hunter, she seems to trust us and will often times just have us teach all of her lessons. Ms. Hunter has a lot of things going on right now, it is also her first year in 4th grade so a lot of the time she puts her lessons together the day of the lesson. We are very glad that she trust us though, because so many teachers would not trust us with their lessons, so many other teachers just treat UVU interns as if they were children.
Ms. Hunter loved our digital story, she requested the DVD so that she can use it in other years. She liked that we used the students to narrate the piece, she agreed with me that by having the students narrate the piece the students would be more interested in the content material. Having them narrate the digital story also provided me a great opportunity to teach an individual voice lesson to every student.
Ms. Hunter really enjoyed our lesson. The object of our lesson was to get the kids to think about the mountain men, to get them excited about the mountain men rendezvous that they would be having the next day. I think the kids got really excited when they heard their own voices to the music and pictures. The digital story also opened up a discussion about mountain men after the video. The kids came up with so many questions that the wanted to ask the mountain man. It was great the next day when the mountain man was there to see the students asking the questions that they had posed the day before.
Our training session was changed multiple times, as Ms. Hunter came down with a cold, and missed two days in a row when we had planned the training. We decided to take that time to teach some of my students about why we were narrating the story, and to teach them a little about imovie. Many of them have Mac’s at home, and were really excited when we showed them how easy it was for them to create a movie of their own, and how easy it was for them to put it on YouTube. They loved it because they know that if you’re on YouTube everyone in the world can see your work. We have not gotten a chance to teach Ms. Hunter how to make a digital story, and at this point it does not look good. She has to many other things she is doing. After we presented the the digital story lesson though she was very interested in how she could use her mac to teach a voice lesson. So we had a very short lesson where I showed her how she could use the digital recorder on imovie, and how she could save it as a mp3 file and use it on either a cd, or a video.
This service-learning experience was hopefully beneficial to all of those involved. Being a member of Americore has shown me how important it is to not only learn while I am in school, but to teach people along the way. I would have loved to have had more time to work with my cooperating teacher, I believe she could have gotten a lot of great knowledge that she could combine with her teaching skills to really make some amazing vidcast, and podcasts.
We hope that our cooperating teacher gained the knowledge to successfully incorporate using imovie to teach about voice. We hope that she will use that knowledge to make the class room more exciting, to get the children more excited about reading, and to publish voice works that her students will create in the future.
We gained a lot of different things from this experience, the most glaring would be flexibility. We found out that no matter how well you think you have planned that things always change. People get sick, technology does not work, fire alarms, birthday parties, mountain men rendezvous, thanksgiving parties, all of these things we have found out are going to affect your teaching. It was a great experience to learn that sometimes things do not work out how you plan them, it has better prepared us to teach our own class.
We truly believe that this service learning project was worth it, even though we did not get to teach everything to our cooperating teacher, I think we showed her enough things that she is now excited to learn more about how she can use technology in her classroom. She knows that if she ever has any questions about digital stories, vidcasts, or podcasts that she is more than welcome to email or call us. I hope that our presence in her classroom was a positive one for her, and showed her some of the new technologies that are out there, and how she can utilize them in her everyday teaching routine.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Field Experience #2
What: It has been really interesting to enter the typical classroom and see what type of technology is available to students and the teacher. I always imagined each class as having at least minimal technology such as a television, DVD player, or VCR. However, this class was different. Though it was a more wealthy area, there really was not much technology available in the classroom. The technology that was present was shared between several classes so the teachers often had to work out a schedule for using it.
So What: It's difficult to plan to use technology in the classroom when you aren't sure that the school you will be teaching at will have a wide array of technology available for your use. I am assuming that technology should be becoming more readily available with all of the advancements being made, but it seems as if schools are often one of the last places affected by this. I am hoping that by the time I begin teaching, there will be more opportunity to use technology in the classroom. I think regardless of what you are able to use in your classroom, it is still our responsibility to make sure students know how to safely and responsibly use technology. With the internet becoming so easy to access and more students having it at home, it's important that we address this in a classroom setting, even if it is not something used in class.
Now What: The biggest thing I have come to realize is that you have to be prepared to deal with whatever kind of technology you are handed as an educator. Sometimes you have grand ideas for what you can do with computers in your classroom, but if those computers aren't available, you have to change your plan. This comes with learning to be flexible, something I think is really important for teachers.
So What: It's difficult to plan to use technology in the classroom when you aren't sure that the school you will be teaching at will have a wide array of technology available for your use. I am assuming that technology should be becoming more readily available with all of the advancements being made, but it seems as if schools are often one of the last places affected by this. I am hoping that by the time I begin teaching, there will be more opportunity to use technology in the classroom. I think regardless of what you are able to use in your classroom, it is still our responsibility to make sure students know how to safely and responsibly use technology. With the internet becoming so easy to access and more students having it at home, it's important that we address this in a classroom setting, even if it is not something used in class.
Now What: The biggest thing I have come to realize is that you have to be prepared to deal with whatever kind of technology you are handed as an educator. Sometimes you have grand ideas for what you can do with computers in your classroom, but if those computers aren't available, you have to change your plan. This comes with learning to be flexible, something I think is really important for teachers.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Field Experience #1
What: This week, Trevor and I started our field experience at Legacy Elementary School in American Fork. We have mostly been observing the classroom and have also taught several lessons so far.
So What: We have been spending a lot of time in the classroom and because of this class, I was really interested to see what kind of technology is present in the classroom as well as the entire school. Our class is actually in one of the extension buildings off the back of the school. I think this makes it difficult for the teacher to use a lot of technology. She does have a standard overhead projector and several tape/CD players used for reading, but that seems to be the extent. I haven't really been able to see how she uses any other technology yet. It would be interesting to see just how much experience these particular fourth graders have with any kind of technology.
Now What: I am excited to introduce the use of technology in education (i.e. digital stories) to our cooperating teacher. I think the class size and transition time are both big reasons as to why she doesn't use a lot of technology. I do think using computers or captivating videos would be a great management technique for her, especially with a class of thirty five kids. It will be interesting to see how using technology will impact the students.
So What: We have been spending a lot of time in the classroom and because of this class, I was really interested to see what kind of technology is present in the classroom as well as the entire school. Our class is actually in one of the extension buildings off the back of the school. I think this makes it difficult for the teacher to use a lot of technology. She does have a standard overhead projector and several tape/CD players used for reading, but that seems to be the extent. I haven't really been able to see how she uses any other technology yet. It would be interesting to see just how much experience these particular fourth graders have with any kind of technology.
Now What: I am excited to introduce the use of technology in education (i.e. digital stories) to our cooperating teacher. I think the class size and transition time are both big reasons as to why she doesn't use a lot of technology. I do think using computers or captivating videos would be a great management technique for her, especially with a class of thirty five kids. It will be interesting to see how using technology will impact the students.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Digital Story Reflection - Work Day
What: Today we were given a work day to put together information for our digital stories. Trevor and I worked on compiling some facts and pictures. Since we are doing our field experience in fourth grade, we have decided to use mountain men as the subject for our digital story.
So What: I spent a lot of time looking for pictures of mountain men in action as well as portraits of famous mountain men such as Jim Bridger and Jedidiah Smith. While doing this, I was reminded of when we learned about mountain men in fourth grade. I am really excited that we will get to participate in a mountain man rendezvous at our school.
Now What: I really like that we have been able to learn about using digital stories in the classroom. It's such a great way to introduce a new subject or topic. I think it's something that can really help get kids excited about learning. I am really interested to see how the kids in our fourth grade field experience classroom will react to the digital story.
So What: I spent a lot of time looking for pictures of mountain men in action as well as portraits of famous mountain men such as Jim Bridger and Jedidiah Smith. While doing this, I was reminded of when we learned about mountain men in fourth grade. I am really excited that we will get to participate in a mountain man rendezvous at our school.
Now What: I really like that we have been able to learn about using digital stories in the classroom. It's such a great way to introduce a new subject or topic. I think it's something that can really help get kids excited about learning. I am really interested to see how the kids in our fourth grade field experience classroom will react to the digital story.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Digital Story Reflection - Copyright
What: This week in class, we focused on the many copyright laws that are in place for media sharing and what led to them be created and enforced. We used the jigsaw method as a means of researching and teaching each other about each section of the copyright assignment.
So What: I was absolutely amazed at all of the events that have occurred in the past that have involved copyright infringement. It's easy to see why there are so many laws centered around copyright. I was especially interested in learning about Creative Commons. It sounds like a great website for licensing and sharing media with others without having to be so concerned about the laws. I know that when I begin teaching, I will want to be able to share information and use other teachers' material without being worried about breaking copyright laws. By learning about websites like this, I know that there is collaborative information still out there that isn't surrounded by copyright issues.
Now What: After learning about the many laws involving copyright, I know that I will be much more careful about obtaining information or media off the internet. I will also be sure to educate my own students about the importance of these laws. It is so crucial to understand copyright because it is part of internet etiquette. I am interested in learning more about specific situations that led up to each of the copyright laws.
So What: I was absolutely amazed at all of the events that have occurred in the past that have involved copyright infringement. It's easy to see why there are so many laws centered around copyright. I was especially interested in learning about Creative Commons. It sounds like a great website for licensing and sharing media with others without having to be so concerned about the laws. I know that when I begin teaching, I will want to be able to share information and use other teachers' material without being worried about breaking copyright laws. By learning about websites like this, I know that there is collaborative information still out there that isn't surrounded by copyright issues.
Now What: After learning about the many laws involving copyright, I know that I will be much more careful about obtaining information or media off the internet. I will also be sure to educate my own students about the importance of these laws. It is so crucial to understand copyright because it is part of internet etiquette. I am interested in learning more about specific situations that led up to each of the copyright laws.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Digital Story Reflection - Part One
What: This week, we learned about how to use digital stories as an effective tool for introducing a new topic in your classroom. We watched some great examples of digital stories. We also discussed what criteria is necessary for a good digital story.
So What: I was really interested in learning about digital stories. I think it is such an effective use of technology in a classroom as long as it is age appropriate. These stories can serve as a great introductory tool for many subjects. It is a great way to catch students' attention and make them wonder what comes next. I really enjoyed watching the examples in class, especially the Holocaust one. It really caught my attention and kept me watching the entire time. I think using digital stories is a great way to get students interested in learning.
Now What: I am really excited to start creating my own digital story and possibly using it during my field experience. Since we will be in sixth grade classrooms, I know that technology will be involved and definitely something that kids will be interested in. I can definitely see digital stories being effective in younger and older classes. By using digital stories, we can implement technology into our curriculum and get students excited about learning a new skill or about a new topic.
So What: I was really interested in learning about digital stories. I think it is such an effective use of technology in a classroom as long as it is age appropriate. These stories can serve as a great introductory tool for many subjects. It is a great way to catch students' attention and make them wonder what comes next. I really enjoyed watching the examples in class, especially the Holocaust one. It really caught my attention and kept me watching the entire time. I think using digital stories is a great way to get students interested in learning.
Now What: I am really excited to start creating my own digital story and possibly using it during my field experience. Since we will be in sixth grade classrooms, I know that technology will be involved and definitely something that kids will be interested in. I can definitely see digital stories being effective in younger and older classes. By using digital stories, we can implement technology into our curriculum and get students excited about learning a new skill or about a new topic.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Vidcast Reflection
The name of our podcast/vidcast series is Utah’s National Parks. We selected this topic as part of the fourth grade core curriculum. It is covered throughout Standard 1, which focuses on Utah’s geography. Though this series was created mostly for use in fourth grade, it is definitely something that students grades 4-6 would likely enjoy and be interested in.
Part of the reason we chose to use this topic was because it is something that many grade levels could be interested in. It is something that is part of Utah’s culture and something that many students will probably get to see at some point. I think that’s part of what make learning about the national parks so exciting for elementary age students. By learning about the national parks of Utah, students will be able to understand the impact Utah’s geography has on the local economy as well as tourism.
This particular subject is definitely supported by the INTASC standards. Section one of the teacher standards discusses teaching culture to help create an engaging classroom environment. This lesson could be great for students from diverse backgrounds, especially those who aren’t from Utah. It provides a great opportunity for those students to understand more about Utah’s geological wonders. Section two of the ISTE standards talks about using digital age learning tools and assessments. Using a powerpoint to display this information for students provides them with the chance to see pictures and hear information about the parks all at the same time. It provides a much more interactive experience than reading the information in a textbook would.
I don’t see many drawbacks to using this as part of a Utah geography lesson. I think it would be a great introductory tool. The only issue I could see potentially would be not having enough time to cover each of the national parks. There is a lot of history as well as geography to cover when it comes to one national park so five parks could definitely makes things a little more challenging.
In the future, I would use this lesson in any upper elementary class for social studies. I feel that it is very important for students to be aware of the geography in their own state as well as being knowledgeable about their surroundings. This lesson provides a captivating experience and also give students a great variety of knowledge about Utah.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Reflection #5 - Vidcasts
What: Today in class, we began gathering information in our groups that we will be using to create our own vidcasts. We also viewed examples of vidcasts and examined why they can be useful pieces of technology to incorporate into your classroom. Throughout the week, we have been gathering information to create our own vidcast in class.
So What: I have really enjoyed learning about the components of vidcasts. I feel like the possibilities are endless and you can use vidcasts in many subjects. We have been learning about using vidcasts as an introductory tool, something that I think will help to get students excited and interested in learning about a new subject. I also think it would be helpful to use vidcasts as a collaboration tool. Teachers could share with each other the vidcasts they've created and use them in their own classrooms.
Now What: I am really excited to use the vidcast in the digital story we are creating for field experience. I loved using all the programs that were available to create vidcasts such as iMovie and Garageband. I can't wait to use vidcasts and podcasts in my own classroom, especially as in introductory tool. I think it's such a great way to get students excited and make them wonder what will be coming next.
So What: I have really enjoyed learning about the components of vidcasts. I feel like the possibilities are endless and you can use vidcasts in many subjects. We have been learning about using vidcasts as an introductory tool, something that I think will help to get students excited and interested in learning about a new subject. I also think it would be helpful to use vidcasts as a collaboration tool. Teachers could share with each other the vidcasts they've created and use them in their own classrooms.
Now What: I am really excited to use the vidcast in the digital story we are creating for field experience. I loved using all the programs that were available to create vidcasts such as iMovie and Garageband. I can't wait to use vidcasts and podcasts in my own classroom, especially as in introductory tool. I think it's such a great way to get students excited and make them wonder what will be coming next.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Reflection #4 - Podcasts
What: This week in class we learned how to used podcasts as an educational tool. We recorded our own podcasts using audio equipment and then uploaded them to our classroom websites.
So What: I really like the idea of using podcasts in my classroom, especially for announcements. I think it's a great way to get information out there and it would definitely be cool for kids to hear their own teacher's voice online! We used 'bullying' as the subject for our podcast, but I can definitely see the wide array of subjects you could use for podcasts. I can imagine using them on my own class website to let parents know about current happenings in class and also upcoming events. It would even be fun to use a vidcast to share information with students and parents as well.
Now What: The best part of this assignment was learning about another piece of technology that can contribute to me being a better teacher. I was so surprised by the different audio equipment you can use to record these podcasts and I definitely will be looking into what kind would work best for me.I think communication with students and parents is such a key factor in having a successful school year and it's technology like this that makes that possible. I look forward to recording my own podcasts in the future.
So What: I really like the idea of using podcasts in my classroom, especially for announcements. I think it's a great way to get information out there and it would definitely be cool for kids to hear their own teacher's voice online! We used 'bullying' as the subject for our podcast, but I can definitely see the wide array of subjects you could use for podcasts. I can imagine using them on my own class website to let parents know about current happenings in class and also upcoming events. It would even be fun to use a vidcast to share information with students and parents as well.
Now What: The best part of this assignment was learning about another piece of technology that can contribute to me being a better teacher. I was so surprised by the different audio equipment you can use to record these podcasts and I definitely will be looking into what kind would work best for me.I think communication with students and parents is such a key factor in having a successful school year and it's technology like this that makes that possible. I look forward to recording my own podcasts in the future.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Reflection #3 - Google Sites
What: This week in class, we learned about Google sites and how creating one for your classroom can be a great communication tool. Our assignment was to create our own site and include several resources that would be useful for parents and students to access from home.
So What: Because technology is becoming so popular, I think using Google sites to communicate with the parents of our students is an awesome idea. I loved using the different sidebar options to add things such as announcements and a class calendar. Using a Google site for your class allows parents to know what we've been doing in class and also informs them of upcoming events. The only thing I didn't enjoy about doing this assignment was the time commitment. Usually, computer skills come very easily to me, but I had trouble navigating the layout and design of Google sites. I had to play around with it a lot in order for it to work properly and look the way I wanted it to.
Now What: I do like the idea of having a webpage for my classroom one day. I love that any announcements or upcoming events can be posted there to inform parents. It would be so much easier than having to send a note home every time I need to communicate with them. The possibilities with Google sites seem pretty infinite. I love that there is so much storage space available with the file cabinet option because that is a great tool to share with students. I'm not sure if I like using Google sites, but I definitely do like the idea of a classroom website.
So What: Because technology is becoming so popular, I think using Google sites to communicate with the parents of our students is an awesome idea. I loved using the different sidebar options to add things such as announcements and a class calendar. Using a Google site for your class allows parents to know what we've been doing in class and also informs them of upcoming events. The only thing I didn't enjoy about doing this assignment was the time commitment. Usually, computer skills come very easily to me, but I had trouble navigating the layout and design of Google sites. I had to play around with it a lot in order for it to work properly and look the way I wanted it to.
Now What: I do like the idea of having a webpage for my classroom one day. I love that any announcements or upcoming events can be posted there to inform parents. It would be so much easier than having to send a note home every time I need to communicate with them. The possibilities with Google sites seem pretty infinite. I love that there is so much storage space available with the file cabinet option because that is a great tool to share with students. I'm not sure if I like using Google sites, but I definitely do like the idea of a classroom website.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Reflection #2 - Google
What: This week in class, we were introduced to numerous Google programs including Gmail, iGoogle, Google sites, Google documents, and several others. By experimenting with these programs, I was able to see how each of them would benefit me as an educator.
So What: I never realized all the things that were possible with Google before using these programs. There are so many things that Google offers as great communication tools for teachers. For example, Google documents could be used for teachers to share documents back and forth. Each educator could add or change things on a lesson plan set up in Google documents and then use it in their own classroom. This would be a huge time saver! iGoogle is also a great tool that could allow teachers to more closely manage their time. I love the idea of making a class calendar public for parents and students to view that shares due dates as well as upcoming events. Google programs offer so many opportunities to share ideas and collaborate with others.
Now What: Learning about the programs that Google has to offer makes me feel confident in my ability to incorporate technology into my classroom. I also think that Google has numerous great programs that could be extremely useful to me as a teacher. Google documents is going to be such a time saver that will allow me to collaborate with other educators in my school and iGoogle is a great resource that will allow me to communicate with my students' parents. I'm excited to see how using these programs will make me more efficient and organized in my own classroom.
So What: I never realized all the things that were possible with Google before using these programs. There are so many things that Google offers as great communication tools for teachers. For example, Google documents could be used for teachers to share documents back and forth. Each educator could add or change things on a lesson plan set up in Google documents and then use it in their own classroom. This would be a huge time saver! iGoogle is also a great tool that could allow teachers to more closely manage their time. I love the idea of making a class calendar public for parents and students to view that shares due dates as well as upcoming events. Google programs offer so many opportunities to share ideas and collaborate with others.
Now What: Learning about the programs that Google has to offer makes me feel confident in my ability to incorporate technology into my classroom. I also think that Google has numerous great programs that could be extremely useful to me as a teacher. Google documents is going to be such a time saver that will allow me to collaborate with other educators in my school and iGoogle is a great resource that will allow me to communicate with my students' parents. I'm excited to see how using these programs will make me more efficient and organized in my own classroom.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Reflection #1 - Why Be A Teacher?
When people ask me why I'd like to be a teacher, a million thoughts float into my mind. There are so many ways I can answer that question, but I often find it difficult to make others understand why teaching is so appealing to me. The best way to describe the experiences and feelings that led me to wanting to teach elementary can best be grouped into three categories: creativity, love for learning, and desire to improve.
I have always been a creative person. I love to write and scrapbook, often putting my own twist on things. I feel that this is a quality that most of the best teachers I know have. They use creative ideas to make even dull subjects exciting and find way to reach all students through creative integration. I have always felt that my creative nature will make teaching a fun and rewarding career choice for me.
I'm always learning. Whether I'm watching shows on the Discovery channel or surfing the web for facts on a topic I've recently discovered, I'm always finding out new things that I didn't previously know. Because of this, I love watching others learn and I enjoy being part of the process that teaches them. I think part of my love for learning is taking what I've learned and teaching others to love it too.
My desire to improve the education system is also a key factor in my wanting to become an educator. People are constantly complaining about how inferior the school system in America is compared to other countries, but none of them ever do anything about it. Though I had many great teachers throughout my own public school experience, I also had some that made me think "I know I could make this class or subject so much more engaging and entertaining than they are". This belief has led me to hope that by being a teacher, I can make parents and students believe that our education system is not worse, but different than those of other countries.
I believe that all of these factors will play greatly into my success as an educator. I am always excited to see the way these traits will affect my role in new classes and this is no different. I'm excited to use my creativity and love for learning in this class. I know that by doing this, I will awaken my desire to use technology with my own students and implement it to improve their public school experience.
I have always been a creative person. I love to write and scrapbook, often putting my own twist on things. I feel that this is a quality that most of the best teachers I know have. They use creative ideas to make even dull subjects exciting and find way to reach all students through creative integration. I have always felt that my creative nature will make teaching a fun and rewarding career choice for me.
I'm always learning. Whether I'm watching shows on the Discovery channel or surfing the web for facts on a topic I've recently discovered, I'm always finding out new things that I didn't previously know. Because of this, I love watching others learn and I enjoy being part of the process that teaches them. I think part of my love for learning is taking what I've learned and teaching others to love it too.
My desire to improve the education system is also a key factor in my wanting to become an educator. People are constantly complaining about how inferior the school system in America is compared to other countries, but none of them ever do anything about it. Though I had many great teachers throughout my own public school experience, I also had some that made me think "I know I could make this class or subject so much more engaging and entertaining than they are". This belief has led me to hope that by being a teacher, I can make parents and students believe that our education system is not worse, but different than those of other countries.
I believe that all of these factors will play greatly into my success as an educator. I am always excited to see the way these traits will affect my role in new classes and this is no different. I'm excited to use my creativity and love for learning in this class. I know that by doing this, I will awaken my desire to use technology with my own students and implement it to improve their public school experience.
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