I have many beliefs about technology. The first belief I have is that I need to always be up on the most up-to-date technology so that I can share it with my students. I feel that the generation of children we will be teaching probably knows as much as I do about technology already. I have learned so much about the use of technology during this class and am excited to share what I know with my students. I have shared our vidcast and our digital stories with my children and they love them. Our students in the field loved our digital story about WWI. They wanted to learn how to do it too. Had we had more time, we could have taught them how to do it. Being knowledgeable is the key to having a successfully up-to-date classroom where the students can flourish and be creative through technology.
I believe that in the world that we live in today we need to have people that are able to easily use technology without problems. It is impossible to get a job in most fields without some knowledge of technology. Things have changed tremendously over the last 10-15 years and if a person doesn't have technical skills, they will be passed up for someone who does. It is essential that we teach our students the skills to be competitive in the work force. I know that we are teaching young children but it is important that we teach them early. Technology is part of every day life now and we want the children to use it for good.
I am a firm believer in allowing children to be creative. It's very important that we give them the tools to use that creativity. It makes me sad when I hear that some of the kids today don't know how to properly communicate or write because they are so used to abbreviating words and not learning to properly spell and use correct grammar. It is my goal to teach my students to be able to do both since I don't think that texting and social networking is going to decrease but will only increase in the future. There are tons of ways that students can express themselves through technology. I want to show them how they can do just that! Technology is an amazing thing that can make life so much more beautiful! Who doesn't love movies, games and talking to their friends? All of these things use technology!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Lessons Learned
I enjoyed watching and reading the videos and articles that were provided to us for this assignment. Each of the articles and videos made me really think and reflect on the technology that we currently have and how it has changed over the years.
The article called "The New WWW" made me reflect upon how technology has changed over the last ten years. The article was written in December 2005 and it discussed the many changes that were coming. It also discussed the fact that we live in an age that wants instant gratification and we get that with the technology that is available to us in this day. The article spoke of whether we should embrace this new technology and use it to enhance our future classrooms or if we should just keep the technology out of the classroom and keep things how they have been forever. I feel that it is very important to take advantage of the great technological advances that are being made. They can enhance the level of learning that we are able to offer our students. Just like we have learned in this technology class as well as the class we had before this one, we have learned about the great things that technology can do to make our classroom better and the creativity that we are offering our students to have. I love the idea of blogging in the class, the idea of videoconferencing with students from other cities or even countries and the idea of having students create their own digital stories or movies for reports. The great thing is that these things are not only ideas anymore! They are realities! We can use this technology for so much good!
The video called "Did you know?" hit home! It had so much information in the six minutes that it lasted that I can't even recall everything but I do remember that it compared England to China and India. We are in the same boat as England. We need to make sure that we are up to par and are preparing our students with the technological information and skills that they need to be successful in this competitive world that we live in. I liked the part of the video that said we are preparing our students for technology that hasn't even been invented yet. I was reminded how important it is that I continue to educate myself and keep up on the newest technology. By doing this assignment I now know several different classes and workshops that I can attend to keep up on this information.
The other article that I really liked was titled "Study: Teens See Disconnect Between Personal and School Writing". I really worry about how our youth today because I feel that many of them are losing the ability to communicate with others. So many of them are online and texting so much where everything is abbreviated such as lol and say things like U2 rather than writing you too. I feel like we need to allow the students to be creative and the article stated that many of the students feel that they are not able to be creative in their school writing but they can be creative when they are writing on facebook, in texts or other non-school writing. We CAN allow the students to be creative! We have been learning in this class how to do that by teaching them to blog their thoughts as a journal, to create their own websites and to create digital stories are just some examples. There are endless ways for our youth to be creative now. Let's encourage creativity and show the youth of today that we are ready for them!
The article called "The New WWW" made me reflect upon how technology has changed over the last ten years. The article was written in December 2005 and it discussed the many changes that were coming. It also discussed the fact that we live in an age that wants instant gratification and we get that with the technology that is available to us in this day. The article spoke of whether we should embrace this new technology and use it to enhance our future classrooms or if we should just keep the technology out of the classroom and keep things how they have been forever. I feel that it is very important to take advantage of the great technological advances that are being made. They can enhance the level of learning that we are able to offer our students. Just like we have learned in this technology class as well as the class we had before this one, we have learned about the great things that technology can do to make our classroom better and the creativity that we are offering our students to have. I love the idea of blogging in the class, the idea of videoconferencing with students from other cities or even countries and the idea of having students create their own digital stories or movies for reports. The great thing is that these things are not only ideas anymore! They are realities! We can use this technology for so much good!
The video called "Did you know?" hit home! It had so much information in the six minutes that it lasted that I can't even recall everything but I do remember that it compared England to China and India. We are in the same boat as England. We need to make sure that we are up to par and are preparing our students with the technological information and skills that they need to be successful in this competitive world that we live in. I liked the part of the video that said we are preparing our students for technology that hasn't even been invented yet. I was reminded how important it is that I continue to educate myself and keep up on the newest technology. By doing this assignment I now know several different classes and workshops that I can attend to keep up on this information.
The other article that I really liked was titled "Study: Teens See Disconnect Between Personal and School Writing". I really worry about how our youth today because I feel that many of them are losing the ability to communicate with others. So many of them are online and texting so much where everything is abbreviated such as lol and say things like U2 rather than writing you too. I feel like we need to allow the students to be creative and the article stated that many of the students feel that they are not able to be creative in their school writing but they can be creative when they are writing on facebook, in texts or other non-school writing. We CAN allow the students to be creative! We have been learning in this class how to do that by teaching them to blog their thoughts as a journal, to create their own websites and to create digital stories are just some examples. There are endless ways for our youth to be creative now. Let's encourage creativity and show the youth of today that we are ready for them!
Strengths and Weaknesses
The field experience that my partner (Sarah-Jane Martin) and I had with technology was great. I feel that I learned a lot from the experience. I have a Dell laptop and Sarah-Jane has a Mac. We did a lot of the planning and making of our digital story with Sarah-Jane's Mac because that is the system that the school uses as well as our cooperating teacher. We made our digital story in iMovie because it was very easy to use. It was discouraging to realize that in order to show the students the information that we wanted them to know and see, I needed to have a Mac, not my computer. The classroom used an Elmo which was great and the only hook-ups we had were for a Mac.
In order to make this weakness a strength, I feel that if I had more knowledge about Mac's I could have been more confident in the use of the technology we had available for use in the classroom. I found a video on http://www.apple.com/ that goes over the basics of a Mac's anatomy and how to use one. I also found a free workshop that is called Getting Started with a Mac. The workshop goes over the ease of using a Mac, the benefits of using a Mac and basic applications. I like my PC but I am definitely wishing that I had spent the money to get a Mac since it has so many great uses. I felt a little handicapped since I wasn't comfortable using a Mac like my partner was and the cooperating teacher. Sarah-Jane was great at showing me how it all works but I think going to a workshop as well as watching the video mentioned above would be very beneficial to me.
One of my weaknesses from the UNI survey was demonstrating awareness of resources for adaptive assistive devices for students with special needs. As I was searching for information on learning more on Mac's I found that Apple has a section called Apple in Education - Special Needs where it discusses the special features that Mac's have to help students with the following disabilities: Literacy and Learning Disabilities, Vision Disabilities, Hearing Disabilities and Physical and Motor Skill Disabilities. It is an online tutorial that explains things like the iChat where hearing impaired students can see others using sign language to speak to them. As a teacher, I could have the lessons put into sign language and the student could understand what is being taught along with the rest of the class as long as he/she had access to a Mac computer. This is just an example of some of the information that is on the online tutorial found at: http://www.apple.com/education/special-education/.
One of my strengths was being able to easily learn how to use the technology that was available such as Elmo at the school that we were at. It was difficult at first because it wasn't something that I was used to but once I had used it a few times, I really loved it! I think it is a great tool because we were able to use it to show pictures from our books on WWI and WWII rather than having to print them on a transparency like we had to do in the past. I may not know how to use the technology initially but I am able to learn how to use it quickly.
In order to make this weakness a strength, I feel that if I had more knowledge about Mac's I could have been more confident in the use of the technology we had available for use in the classroom. I found a video on http://www.apple.com/ that goes over the basics of a Mac's anatomy and how to use one. I also found a free workshop that is called Getting Started with a Mac. The workshop goes over the ease of using a Mac, the benefits of using a Mac and basic applications. I like my PC but I am definitely wishing that I had spent the money to get a Mac since it has so many great uses. I felt a little handicapped since I wasn't comfortable using a Mac like my partner was and the cooperating teacher. Sarah-Jane was great at showing me how it all works but I think going to a workshop as well as watching the video mentioned above would be very beneficial to me.
One of my weaknesses from the UNI survey was demonstrating awareness of resources for adaptive assistive devices for students with special needs. As I was searching for information on learning more on Mac's I found that Apple has a section called Apple in Education - Special Needs where it discusses the special features that Mac's have to help students with the following disabilities: Literacy and Learning Disabilities, Vision Disabilities, Hearing Disabilities and Physical and Motor Skill Disabilities. It is an online tutorial that explains things like the iChat where hearing impaired students can see others using sign language to speak to them. As a teacher, I could have the lessons put into sign language and the student could understand what is being taught along with the rest of the class as long as he/she had access to a Mac computer. This is just an example of some of the information that is on the online tutorial found at: http://www.apple.com/education/special-education/.
One of my strengths was being able to easily learn how to use the technology that was available such as Elmo at the school that we were at. It was difficult at first because it wasn't something that I was used to but once I had used it a few times, I really loved it! I think it is a great tool because we were able to use it to show pictures from our books on WWI and WWII rather than having to print them on a transparency like we had to do in the past. I may not know how to use the technology initially but I am able to learn how to use it quickly.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Field Experience Service Learning Project
a. Fox Hollow Elementary Has an enrollment of 916 students. Fox Hollow has 204 students that receive free lunch and 86 students that are on the reduced lunch plan. The school is located in a mixed economic area having students that live in both single family and multi-family homes. The racial demographics for Fox Hollow is predominantly white at about 95%. The next to largest race represented is Hispanic or Latino at about 3.0% . The remanding 2% is made up of Black or African American, American Indian &Alaska-Native, Asian, and Pacific Islander. Most grades in this school are represented by a multicultural group of students.
b. Our relationship with Mrs. O’Very is one of mutual respect and friendship. We found her to be open to letting us try different management tactics. She gave us good advice and then an opportunity to use the advice she gave. She understood that we had certain goals and objectives we were trying to achieve and gave us every opportunity to reach them. When we had completed our field experience and were leaving she told us she thought with a little more practice with pacing our lessons and classroom management we would make great teachers.
c. Our cooperating teacher loved the digital story and more importantly so did our students. We were asked by Mrs. O’Very to teach about WWI and WWII and so we made a digital story on WWI so that we could open our unit with it. When we finished our unit on WWI and started on WWII both Mrs. O’Very and our students asked if we had made a second one for WWII. So we made an additional one and played it at the end of our unit to tie everything up. It was great.
d. Mrs. O’Very said our lessons were wonderful thought out and put together. She said that we had covered things she hadn’t considered and used approaches that she thought added to the students learning and their deeper understanding of the material. She emailed us yesterday and asked for copies of everything we did in her classroom.
e. The training session went well. Mrs. O’Very is a recent graduate from UVU (she graduated a year ago) so she is very aware of how a digital story is created. She allowed us to explain the process of creating a digital story and then we showed her the one that we created. It was helpful to reteach her the process because it helped us to remember all of the steps and to have a better understanding of the whole process as well. She loves our story so she was very pleased with the work that we did on it and was thankful for the retraining session.
f. We enjoyed this service-learning experience. It was a great learning experience for both of us. We learned a ton about classroom management because we had quite a rowdy group. Even the principal told us that it was a great opportunity for us to see that not every class is an easy class. It enhanced our desire to be teachers and to help educate the children of the future.
g. Our cooperating teacher gained two excited students thrilled to be in her classroom. She was also given some new ideas for the future when she teaches about WWI and WWII. She has asked us if she can keep the copies of all of the handouts, digital stories, Power Points and information that we used. She enjoyed watching us teach and it gave her new insight on how her class responds to teaching. She said it was a great time for her to reflect on her use of technology, classroom management and a reminder of some of the things that she learned while at UVU. We were able to learn from her and she also learned from us. It was a great experience for all involved.
h. We gained an even greater appreciation for teaching and teachers. We used the information that we have learned in our classes this semester and recognized the things that we have been taught. It was a time of learning and trying to improve. We learned that perfection isn’t required, just the desire to do our best and act upon it. We gained a strong desire to be in our own classrooms but understand that we still have much to learn. Our cooperating teacher was a good example to us and was always excited to share new things with us and to help us learn as much as we could.
i. The Field Experience Service Learning Project was definitely worth every minute. We feel that we have a better understanding of curriculum, classroom management and use of technology because of what we learned in the field. We look forward to our next field experience with excitement.
b. Our relationship with Mrs. O’Very is one of mutual respect and friendship. We found her to be open to letting us try different management tactics. She gave us good advice and then an opportunity to use the advice she gave. She understood that we had certain goals and objectives we were trying to achieve and gave us every opportunity to reach them. When we had completed our field experience and were leaving she told us she thought with a little more practice with pacing our lessons and classroom management we would make great teachers.
c. Our cooperating teacher loved the digital story and more importantly so did our students. We were asked by Mrs. O’Very to teach about WWI and WWII and so we made a digital story on WWI so that we could open our unit with it. When we finished our unit on WWI and started on WWII both Mrs. O’Very and our students asked if we had made a second one for WWII. So we made an additional one and played it at the end of our unit to tie everything up. It was great.
d. Mrs. O’Very said our lessons were wonderful thought out and put together. She said that we had covered things she hadn’t considered and used approaches that she thought added to the students learning and their deeper understanding of the material. She emailed us yesterday and asked for copies of everything we did in her classroom.
e. The training session went well. Mrs. O’Very is a recent graduate from UVU (she graduated a year ago) so she is very aware of how a digital story is created. She allowed us to explain the process of creating a digital story and then we showed her the one that we created. It was helpful to reteach her the process because it helped us to remember all of the steps and to have a better understanding of the whole process as well. She loves our story so she was very pleased with the work that we did on it and was thankful for the retraining session.
f. We enjoyed this service-learning experience. It was a great learning experience for both of us. We learned a ton about classroom management because we had quite a rowdy group. Even the principal told us that it was a great opportunity for us to see that not every class is an easy class. It enhanced our desire to be teachers and to help educate the children of the future.
g. Our cooperating teacher gained two excited students thrilled to be in her classroom. She was also given some new ideas for the future when she teaches about WWI and WWII. She has asked us if she can keep the copies of all of the handouts, digital stories, Power Points and information that we used. She enjoyed watching us teach and it gave her new insight on how her class responds to teaching. She said it was a great time for her to reflect on her use of technology, classroom management and a reminder of some of the things that she learned while at UVU. We were able to learn from her and she also learned from us. It was a great experience for all involved.
h. We gained an even greater appreciation for teaching and teachers. We used the information that we have learned in our classes this semester and recognized the things that we have been taught. It was a time of learning and trying to improve. We learned that perfection isn’t required, just the desire to do our best and act upon it. We gained a strong desire to be in our own classrooms but understand that we still have much to learn. Our cooperating teacher was a good example to us and was always excited to share new things with us and to help us learn as much as we could.
i. The Field Experience Service Learning Project was definitely worth every minute. We feel that we have a better understanding of curriculum, classroom management and use of technology because of what we learned in the field. We look forward to our next field experience with excitement.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Field Experience Week 3
What?
What have I learned this week? I have learned that I LOVE teaching! I have learned that it's not the end of the world if your lesson doesn't go how you hoped it would go. I have learned that sixth grade math isn't my favorite thing and that I need a review course on fractions and decimals. This week has been bitter sweet because it was our last week in the field.
So What?
I didn't think that I would become so attached to a class after just three weeks in the field. It makes me so sad to leave the class of sixth graders that Sarah-Jane and I have been working with. It has been a trial in some ways but one that I have learned from. I have learned that no matter how much you want to help some students, sometimes there is more that needs to be done to help him/her than you can do alone. I am thankful for programs that are available for schools to send students that are unable to control themselves in the classroom. One of the students that we work with has ADHD but isn't medicated because the medicine is too expensive for his parents to afford right now. I normally don't feel that kids should be medicated but I believe that this student should and life would be much easier for him, his parents and his teacher. He is going to be sent to a special school in Provo that works with students that have behavioral issues for 8 weeks and helps to teach them to be able to control themselves and to be able to function in society. It's so hard because when this student isn't misbehaving, I really think he's a great kid but when he's misbehaving, it's so hard to deal with him. He is famous for doing a "belly dance" while the teacher is teaching. She has his desk in the front of the classroom against the wall so that he is less of a distraction but sometimes I feel like it backfires. He's a pretty funny kid and sometimes it's hard not to laugh along with everyone else. He has taught me so much during this field experience! I have learned that you can genuinely like a kid even when you don't feel like you like him very much.
Now What?
I will really miss this class of 34 kids. I have so much enjoyed the time that I have sent with them. I have learned so much from them and from the teacher that we worked with. I have also learned so much from Sarah-Jane. She has been an awesome person to work with. It's nice to know that your partner is a hard worker and is as excited about teaching as I am! I am so thankful for the wonderful experiences that I have had and can't wait to do it again next semester. Now I get to use the things that I have learned from my experience to become a better teacher. I look forward to being the best teacher possible.
I hope that I have made a difference in the lives of these students. I know that they don't want us to go which really makes me feel good. We even got a little goodbye gift from one of our students! I love these students and the experiences that I have had teaching them!
What have I learned this week? I have learned that I LOVE teaching! I have learned that it's not the end of the world if your lesson doesn't go how you hoped it would go. I have learned that sixth grade math isn't my favorite thing and that I need a review course on fractions and decimals. This week has been bitter sweet because it was our last week in the field.
So What?
I didn't think that I would become so attached to a class after just three weeks in the field. It makes me so sad to leave the class of sixth graders that Sarah-Jane and I have been working with. It has been a trial in some ways but one that I have learned from. I have learned that no matter how much you want to help some students, sometimes there is more that needs to be done to help him/her than you can do alone. I am thankful for programs that are available for schools to send students that are unable to control themselves in the classroom. One of the students that we work with has ADHD but isn't medicated because the medicine is too expensive for his parents to afford right now. I normally don't feel that kids should be medicated but I believe that this student should and life would be much easier for him, his parents and his teacher. He is going to be sent to a special school in Provo that works with students that have behavioral issues for 8 weeks and helps to teach them to be able to control themselves and to be able to function in society. It's so hard because when this student isn't misbehaving, I really think he's a great kid but when he's misbehaving, it's so hard to deal with him. He is famous for doing a "belly dance" while the teacher is teaching. She has his desk in the front of the classroom against the wall so that he is less of a distraction but sometimes I feel like it backfires. He's a pretty funny kid and sometimes it's hard not to laugh along with everyone else. He has taught me so much during this field experience! I have learned that you can genuinely like a kid even when you don't feel like you like him very much.
Now What?
I will really miss this class of 34 kids. I have so much enjoyed the time that I have sent with them. I have learned so much from them and from the teacher that we worked with. I have also learned so much from Sarah-Jane. She has been an awesome person to work with. It's nice to know that your partner is a hard worker and is as excited about teaching as I am! I am so thankful for the wonderful experiences that I have had and can't wait to do it again next semester. Now I get to use the things that I have learned from my experience to become a better teacher. I look forward to being the best teacher possible.
I hope that I have made a difference in the lives of these students. I know that they don't want us to go which really makes me feel good. We even got a little goodbye gift from one of our students! I love these students and the experiences that I have had teaching them!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Field Experience Week 2
What?
This is our second week of field and it has been a great learning experience for me. I LOVE being in the classroom! It's exciting and great to see the students actually learning and retaining what we are teaching them. We have a great cooperating teacher that is teaching us a ton including things that we want to do like her and things that we don't want to do like her.
So What?
Our class of sixth graders is teaching us as we are teaching them. I feel like every minute I am there I am learning something new from them. Many of the things that I learn from them have to do with classroom management. I think that our cooperating teacher is great but there are a few things that she does that I don't like. She is a yeller. Her students don't listen to her unless she is yelling. She also likes to publicly embarrass the students which I totally disagree with. I think that she feels that if she does it, they will stop misbehaving but usually it backfires. Sarah-Jane and I try to find ways to get the students to pay attention by using other ways. So far, it seems to be working well. The students seem to behave better when they are treated with respect knowing that we expect the same in return.
Our teacher has taught some awesome lessons that I want to do when I teach. She did one where she taught the students about the moon phases. She used a big light that was like the sun and Styrofoam balls on popsicle sticks and they turned around using their head as the earth. It was really cool and the students understood it. I wrote the experiment down so that I can use it for my future classes.
Now What?
We have one more week in this classroom. I hope to use every second to learn more. Our cooperating teacher is sharing lots of ideas with us and giving us lots of hints on what we can do to improve our teaching. This week we will teach five more times and we will help the students understand WWII. There is so much information though that I am not sure we will be able to get through it all. I am so excited to teach this topic to these great sixth graders!
This is our second week of field and it has been a great learning experience for me. I LOVE being in the classroom! It's exciting and great to see the students actually learning and retaining what we are teaching them. We have a great cooperating teacher that is teaching us a ton including things that we want to do like her and things that we don't want to do like her.
So What?
Our class of sixth graders is teaching us as we are teaching them. I feel like every minute I am there I am learning something new from them. Many of the things that I learn from them have to do with classroom management. I think that our cooperating teacher is great but there are a few things that she does that I don't like. She is a yeller. Her students don't listen to her unless she is yelling. She also likes to publicly embarrass the students which I totally disagree with. I think that she feels that if she does it, they will stop misbehaving but usually it backfires. Sarah-Jane and I try to find ways to get the students to pay attention by using other ways. So far, it seems to be working well. The students seem to behave better when they are treated with respect knowing that we expect the same in return.
Our teacher has taught some awesome lessons that I want to do when I teach. She did one where she taught the students about the moon phases. She used a big light that was like the sun and Styrofoam balls on popsicle sticks and they turned around using their head as the earth. It was really cool and the students understood it. I wrote the experiment down so that I can use it for my future classes.
Now What?
We have one more week in this classroom. I hope to use every second to learn more. Our cooperating teacher is sharing lots of ideas with us and giving us lots of hints on what we can do to improve our teaching. This week we will teach five more times and we will help the students understand WWII. There is so much information though that I am not sure we will be able to get through it all. I am so excited to teach this topic to these great sixth graders!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Field Experience Week 1
What?
What did I learn this week? Wow... I learned that you are never really prepared for what is to come when it comes to field in the Education Program. It has been an interesting three days in field. Sarah-Jane and I are in Mrs. O'Very's sixth grade classroom at Fox Hollow Elementary School. The class is full of 34 students who are full of energy. There are 21 boys and 13 girls. So many boys in the class give it an interesting dynamic.
So What?
Interesting dynamic is how I'm putting nicely that the teacher has her hands full! There are several boys with ADHD who either are on or probably should be on medicine. I normally don't think it's good to medicate if there are other ways to work around it but our first day in class about scared the pants off of us! There was a student that was dancing in front of the class while Mrs. O'Very was teaching. He is actually such a problem that the school is sending him for 10 weeks to a school in Provo where they teach students to behave and be able to control themselves. Generally, the girls don't cause any problems in the classroom. There is some talking that is distracting but overall, they are easy to handle.
We got to teach our first lesson on Thursday! We actually put together a "get to know you" game so that the students would feel more comfortable with us and so that we could get to know them too. It went well. I think we had a pretty good handle on classroom management. I thought that I could handle pretty much anything that came my way but this class has opened my eyes! I still feel that I can handle what comes my way but maybe now with a little more preparation, I will be able to do a better job of it. Our second lesson was Friday and I feel that we did a great job. Mrs. O'Very uses a microphone clipped onto her shirt so that she is heard but Sarah-Jane and I aren't comfortable with using it yet. Sarah-Jane noticed that the class has a way of quieting down that we have been using and it works great so far. If it's too loud in the classroom, the students begin to raise their hand. As the other students notice, the room quiets down. So, we've been using the same method when we teach. When Sarah-Jane is teaching, I am helping with classroom management and visa-versa.
Now What?
We will be teaching everyday that we are in field for 30 minutes. We are teaching Social Studies and the subject is World War I and II. We have already shown our digital story and the students LOVED it! They asked many questions about it and learned a lot. It is so great to see that their interest was peaked. We also are using a Power Point Presentation that the teacher already had made and we are enhancing with pictures and music.
So far, so good! The class is a hard class but that doesn't mean that the experience has to be a hard one! It's so great to be out teaching in the schools! What I learn now will help me to be a better teacher.
What did I learn this week? Wow... I learned that you are never really prepared for what is to come when it comes to field in the Education Program. It has been an interesting three days in field. Sarah-Jane and I are in Mrs. O'Very's sixth grade classroom at Fox Hollow Elementary School. The class is full of 34 students who are full of energy. There are 21 boys and 13 girls. So many boys in the class give it an interesting dynamic.
So What?
Interesting dynamic is how I'm putting nicely that the teacher has her hands full! There are several boys with ADHD who either are on or probably should be on medicine. I normally don't think it's good to medicate if there are other ways to work around it but our first day in class about scared the pants off of us! There was a student that was dancing in front of the class while Mrs. O'Very was teaching. He is actually such a problem that the school is sending him for 10 weeks to a school in Provo where they teach students to behave and be able to control themselves. Generally, the girls don't cause any problems in the classroom. There is some talking that is distracting but overall, they are easy to handle.
We got to teach our first lesson on Thursday! We actually put together a "get to know you" game so that the students would feel more comfortable with us and so that we could get to know them too. It went well. I think we had a pretty good handle on classroom management. I thought that I could handle pretty much anything that came my way but this class has opened my eyes! I still feel that I can handle what comes my way but maybe now with a little more preparation, I will be able to do a better job of it. Our second lesson was Friday and I feel that we did a great job. Mrs. O'Very uses a microphone clipped onto her shirt so that she is heard but Sarah-Jane and I aren't comfortable with using it yet. Sarah-Jane noticed that the class has a way of quieting down that we have been using and it works great so far. If it's too loud in the classroom, the students begin to raise their hand. As the other students notice, the room quiets down. So, we've been using the same method when we teach. When Sarah-Jane is teaching, I am helping with classroom management and visa-versa.
Now What?
We will be teaching everyday that we are in field for 30 minutes. We are teaching Social Studies and the subject is World War I and II. We have already shown our digital story and the students LOVED it! They asked many questions about it and learned a lot. It is so great to see that their interest was peaked. We also are using a Power Point Presentation that the teacher already had made and we are enhancing with pictures and music.
So far, so good! The class is a hard class but that doesn't mean that the experience has to be a hard one! It's so great to be out teaching in the schools! What I learn now will help me to be a better teacher.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Digital Story 3
What?
We are still working on our Digital Stories for class. We have been working on them for the last three weeks off and on. We are making our Digital Story about WWI and WWII. We have been asked by our cooperating teacher to teach on the two world wars during the time that we will be in her class. She is giving us 30 minutes a day for the whole three weeks to teach. I'm very excited!
So What?
I have watched several of the Digital Stories of people from my cohort and am amazed by the job that they have done. Just from watching them, I have learned a lot on the subject that they are teaching. The videos are very informative and I think that the students that they are teaching will enjoy them too. It is exciting to see what is out there to use to teach my future students as well. It's wonderful that we can share the projects that we are working on so that they can be used by us in our future classrooms. It is going to make me a better teacher to have these great resources so readily available. It will help the colleagues that I work with at the new school because they can also use them. I plan to share them with my sister in Idaho too that is an elementary school teacher.
Now What?
What does this mean for my students? It means that there will be more variety in the lessons because there is more for me to work with. It means that we get to watch and put together some pretty amazing things because of the new things that I am learning to use in this class. It means that I can better my colleagues by sharing what I have learned with them so that they can use it too. I am even teaching my family all about Photo Story and the great things that can be done with it. It's so easy to use that I plan on teaching my students how to use it too. It makes collaborating with my fellow teachers more productive because I will have ways to enhance the use of technology in our classrooms. It is really quite exciting to be part of the amazing world of technology. I wouldn't have thought a year ago that I could do all of the awesome things I know how to do now. I feel empowered!!!
We are still working on our Digital Stories for class. We have been working on them for the last three weeks off and on. We are making our Digital Story about WWI and WWII. We have been asked by our cooperating teacher to teach on the two world wars during the time that we will be in her class. She is giving us 30 minutes a day for the whole three weeks to teach. I'm very excited!
So What?
I have watched several of the Digital Stories of people from my cohort and am amazed by the job that they have done. Just from watching them, I have learned a lot on the subject that they are teaching. The videos are very informative and I think that the students that they are teaching will enjoy them too. It is exciting to see what is out there to use to teach my future students as well. It's wonderful that we can share the projects that we are working on so that they can be used by us in our future classrooms. It is going to make me a better teacher to have these great resources so readily available. It will help the colleagues that I work with at the new school because they can also use them. I plan to share them with my sister in Idaho too that is an elementary school teacher.
Now What?
What does this mean for my students? It means that there will be more variety in the lessons because there is more for me to work with. It means that we get to watch and put together some pretty amazing things because of the new things that I am learning to use in this class. It means that I can better my colleagues by sharing what I have learned with them so that they can use it too. I am even teaching my family all about Photo Story and the great things that can be done with it. It's so easy to use that I plan on teaching my students how to use it too. It makes collaborating with my fellow teachers more productive because I will have ways to enhance the use of technology in our classrooms. It is really quite exciting to be part of the amazing world of technology. I wouldn't have thought a year ago that I could do all of the awesome things I know how to do now. I feel empowered!!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Digital Story 2 Copy Rights
What?
This week in class we learned about the Creative Commons. The Creative Commons are part of the infrastructure that enables collaboration in the digital medium. It's licensed resources are legally and technically interoperable on a global scale which enables teachers and learners everywhere to work together. We are learning this to make sure that when we are doing our digital stories we don't copy something that is copy righted and use it illegally.
So What?
What does this mean to me as a teacher? This means that I will need to always be very careful to only use information that is okay to use for educational purposes when creating lessons and digital information (Vidcast, digital stories, podcasts, etc.). I learned that there are certain guidelines that I must follow as a teacher, student, and colleague.
I also learned that there are sites that I can go to that help me to know what information is okay to use and what isn't. I know that I must get permission to use any photos that have watermarks on them. The watermark shows who legally owns the pictures. I think it's great that there is a place for educators to go to get lessons, info and other educational aids to use and share with other educators. It's amazing that we can share information with people from all around the world and even have that information translated into our own language. Creativity is key but no one said that we can't share with one another and work together to make things better or make things work for your needs. These things work well for me as a student, teacher and colleague. There is a lot of information and it's good to know that I can go to one place to find what I need.
Now What?
What does this information mean to my future students? It means that I can teach my students how to put projects together such as vidcasts, podcasts, etc. together legally without using anything that they can't use legally. It is a great way to teach them about honesty and plagiarism too. It's a great way to teach values and how to be a good citizen. I love that one is still able to be creative and use aids from others without it being illegal. I have always been worried about using things that I find on the internet because I wasn't sure if it was something that I could use legally. You can pretty much find anything on the internet nowadays so you have to be so careful.
This lesson was very helpful and interesting to me. I wasn't able to be in class for this lesson because I had a sick child, my cute Sidney. I am thankful for technology because I was able to see what we did in class and understand it even though I wasn't physically there. Thank you Google docs and thank you friends for sharing it with me! This information has helped me to understand the laws of copy rights and make sure that I know where to look when ever I am unsure of how the laws work.
This week in class we learned about the Creative Commons. The Creative Commons are part of the infrastructure that enables collaboration in the digital medium. It's licensed resources are legally and technically interoperable on a global scale which enables teachers and learners everywhere to work together. We are learning this to make sure that when we are doing our digital stories we don't copy something that is copy righted and use it illegally.
So What?
What does this mean to me as a teacher? This means that I will need to always be very careful to only use information that is okay to use for educational purposes when creating lessons and digital information (Vidcast, digital stories, podcasts, etc.). I learned that there are certain guidelines that I must follow as a teacher, student, and colleague.
I also learned that there are sites that I can go to that help me to know what information is okay to use and what isn't. I know that I must get permission to use any photos that have watermarks on them. The watermark shows who legally owns the pictures. I think it's great that there is a place for educators to go to get lessons, info and other educational aids to use and share with other educators. It's amazing that we can share information with people from all around the world and even have that information translated into our own language. Creativity is key but no one said that we can't share with one another and work together to make things better or make things work for your needs. These things work well for me as a student, teacher and colleague. There is a lot of information and it's good to know that I can go to one place to find what I need.
Now What?
What does this information mean to my future students? It means that I can teach my students how to put projects together such as vidcasts, podcasts, etc. together legally without using anything that they can't use legally. It is a great way to teach them about honesty and plagiarism too. It's a great way to teach values and how to be a good citizen. I love that one is still able to be creative and use aids from others without it being illegal. I have always been worried about using things that I find on the internet because I wasn't sure if it was something that I could use legally. You can pretty much find anything on the internet nowadays so you have to be so careful.
This lesson was very helpful and interesting to me. I wasn't able to be in class for this lesson because I had a sick child, my cute Sidney. I am thankful for technology because I was able to see what we did in class and understand it even though I wasn't physically there. Thank you Google docs and thank you friends for sharing it with me! This information has helped me to understand the laws of copy rights and make sure that I know where to look when ever I am unsure of how the laws work.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Digital Story 1
What?
We are learning about Digital Stories. We are performing several different tasks to prepare to make our Digital Stories. The end result of the tasks we perform will be a wonderful, insightful Digital Story on World War I. We (Sarah Jane and I) are planning to make a trailer like the one that Doc Waters showed us in class. We loved that idea!
So What?
We are learning about how music affects the mood of your story, how the pictures affect the mood and how the wording used also affects the story. It is important that you chose the type of music, pictures and wording to get the point across that you want to portray. Fast wording and switching of pictures shows urgency where slower wording and switching of pictures and movies gives a calmer feeling and can give a more dramatic affect.
We also learned about storyboards and how to use them in preparing a Digital Story. Storyboards are great because they give the general idea of what you want your Digital Story to be about. A storyboard can be written on a poster board, on butcher paper, post-its or pretty much anything. This is a great way to teach the students to prepare for writing a paper or outlining a project such as a vidcast or digital story. This is a great way to get ideas across to colleagues too when we are working on a project together or planning a lesson.
Now What?
This new knowledge changes a lot of things that I can do for and with my future students. It will allow us to make Digital Stories of the subjects that we are studying. It allows the students to be creative and to think out of the box. This changes the current schema of the way that I planned on teaching. Every time we have technology class, we learn new and better ways to use technology and it usually beats the awesomeness (if that's a real word) of the last thing we learned. I think Digital Stories will greatly enhance the quality of learning and teaching that will take place in my future classroom. I am really excited to get working more on Digital Stories and learning how to do them. I can see awesome ways to use them for my personal life, in the classes that I am currently taking and also in my future classroom! I think technology is an amazing thing that is making life a more creative, inspiring thing!
We are learning about Digital Stories. We are performing several different tasks to prepare to make our Digital Stories. The end result of the tasks we perform will be a wonderful, insightful Digital Story on World War I. We (Sarah Jane and I) are planning to make a trailer like the one that Doc Waters showed us in class. We loved that idea!
So What?
We are learning about how music affects the mood of your story, how the pictures affect the mood and how the wording used also affects the story. It is important that you chose the type of music, pictures and wording to get the point across that you want to portray. Fast wording and switching of pictures shows urgency where slower wording and switching of pictures and movies gives a calmer feeling and can give a more dramatic affect.
We also learned about storyboards and how to use them in preparing a Digital Story. Storyboards are great because they give the general idea of what you want your Digital Story to be about. A storyboard can be written on a poster board, on butcher paper, post-its or pretty much anything. This is a great way to teach the students to prepare for writing a paper or outlining a project such as a vidcast or digital story. This is a great way to get ideas across to colleagues too when we are working on a project together or planning a lesson.
Now What?
This new knowledge changes a lot of things that I can do for and with my future students. It will allow us to make Digital Stories of the subjects that we are studying. It allows the students to be creative and to think out of the box. This changes the current schema of the way that I planned on teaching. Every time we have technology class, we learn new and better ways to use technology and it usually beats the awesomeness (if that's a real word) of the last thing we learned. I think Digital Stories will greatly enhance the quality of learning and teaching that will take place in my future classroom. I am really excited to get working more on Digital Stories and learning how to do them. I can see awesome ways to use them for my personal life, in the classes that I am currently taking and also in my future classroom! I think technology is an amazing thing that is making life a more creative, inspiring thing!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Vidcast Reflection
Vidcast Reflection
Julie Roberts
Shantel Bernabeu
The name of our Vidcast is The Animal Kingdom. The core curriculum used was Utah State 2nd Grade, Language Arts, Standard 3 Objective 1. The lesson plan is titled: Plant and Animal Communities. Our vidcast can be found at: The Animal Kingdom
The Animal Kingdom is a great topic to present to a 2nd grade classroom using a vidcast. We knew that teaching this subject of the animal kingdom, would need visual aides to build schema and would allow the students to see images from each animal classification. Using a vidcast is a great way to introduce a new topic and is also a visual and audible tool in teaching concepts and skills. After introducing the animal kingdom topic with a vidcast, students will have the basic knowledge to begin other learning activities on this subject. It is a great tool to use as an introduction to a new chapter or area of learning.
We created our vidcast in the Photo Story 3 program. This program is a free download and was very user friendly. We were able to find great pictures of different animal classifications to add to the photo story. Once we added and edited the photos, we added background music and recorded audio facts teaching the characteristics of each classification, to each slide. To provide text information for the viewer, we created two Powerpoint slides at the beginning and end of the vidcast.
Our vidcast follows the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers. We used the standards in the following ways: 1-a. & d., 2-a & d, 3-a, c & d, 4-a & c, and 5-a, c & d. In creating our vidcast, we modeled collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with the students in the vidcast (a virtual environment). We also used several different sources to find the pictures, information, and we used Youtube to post our vidcast as well as posting it on our Resources/Tools page on our classroom website where it is available for our students, the parents and other teachers to view. We used the Utah State Core Curriculum on which to base our vidcast. The program that we used, Photo Story 3, is a great way to teach the students digital-age technology. It is a tool that they can use to create a report or project for assignments. This tool will allow them to transfer their current as well as new knowledge to new technologies and situations. When teaching our students how to use this form of technology and any other form, we will teach them the importance of always citing the sources used. We clearly stated where we found the information for our vidcast at the end of the vidcast, which promotes and models digital Citizenship and Responsibility. The information on our Animal Kingdom vidcast is easily understood by the 2nd grade students in a fun technological way.
Utah Professional Teachers Standards are based on INTASC standards. When creating our vidcast, we incorporated these standards:1-b & e, 2-b & c, 3-a & b, and 5-a & b. A vidcast is a teaching tool that engages all students and enhances their learning through visual aides, while using time effectively in the classroom. This vidcast was designed grade appropriately and aligned with Utah Core Curriculum standards. The information on the Animal Kingdom was given clearly and accurately, providing visual and audio for diverse learners. The vidcast was created to follow Utah’s educational laws and demonstrates ethical and moral conduct in providing learning material to a 2nd grade classroom.
Drawbacks to using this technology would be when teaching a curriculum that would be greater understood as an inquiry based lesson. Inquiry based lessons are lessons that are taught in a way so that the students are able to do things hands-on to better learn a concept. The vidcast is teaching the students about the Animal Kingdom but they are not able to interact with it in anyway.
Vidcast is a great digital tool to use when teaching a concept that is best taught using many pictures and audio. It works well for most subjects such as teaching math concepts, science, history, geography, and as we have done with our vidcast, language arts. It can be used in conjunction with hands on activities as well, by showing a vidcast and adding an additional hands on activity afterward. We plan to use this series in our future classrooms as a teaching tool as well as teaching our students how to use the tool so that they can also use it to create their own projects.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Vidcasts
What?
In class we learned about vidcasts. Vidcasts are videos posted online that are meant to teach or share something. We learned about four different tools to make vidcasts which are by using the Flip, making a PowerPoint, making a Photo Story and by using Jing. We have the following options to use to teach for the vidcast. There how-to do something, tutorials, public service announcements and intro to content.
So What?
What does this mean to me as a teacher, student and/or colleague? Learning how to make a vidcast is a great tool to use to teach my future students the concepts that we are learning through fun ways rather than just standing in front of the class and lecturing. The vidcasts can be put to music along with video to make the subject exciting. As a student, this helps me because I can use this tool for presentations in my other classes. I think that this is a new and exciting way to present any topic in education! As a colleague, we can share our vidcasts with each other and share our ideas with each other. I know that in my children's school the teachers take turns teaching certain subjects so it would be great to do vidcasts for it. Like everything that we learn in this class, this is another way to make our lives as teachers easier and to find ways to be more creative for our students. I loved learning about the different tools that are out there for our use. The Flip is amazing! It's very easy to use and easy to upload. PowerPoint is always a great tool to use for presentations. Photo Story is awesome and I can't wait to use it for our vidcast! There are so many things that we can use it for such as to teach a lesson, to tell a story and to explain something step by step too. Jing is still something that I need to investigate a bit more to understand. I liked what Doc Waters showed us.
Now What?
This technology means that my students will have access to information that I wouldn't have been able to give them had I not learned it in this class. They will be able to learn the subjects that we are working on in forms other than direct instruction. The vidcasts make learning and teaching much more fun. How does it change my current schema? It makes a ton of difference! It means that I get to be creative in my teaching. I can teach the students new concepts with pictures, video and music. I know that I learn visually and through music. I can use this to teach students that weren't able to come to school. They will be able to access the information on the web so that they don't get behind. This way their parents can help them too. The parents will also know what we are doing in school. I can't wait to work more on this assignment and show my kids. They are always to excited to see what I learn in Doc Waters class. They love to go to my other stuff online and play around on it. They'll love this one for sure!
In class we learned about vidcasts. Vidcasts are videos posted online that are meant to teach or share something. We learned about four different tools to make vidcasts which are by using the Flip, making a PowerPoint, making a Photo Story and by using Jing. We have the following options to use to teach for the vidcast. There how-to do something, tutorials, public service announcements and intro to content.
So What?
What does this mean to me as a teacher, student and/or colleague? Learning how to make a vidcast is a great tool to use to teach my future students the concepts that we are learning through fun ways rather than just standing in front of the class and lecturing. The vidcasts can be put to music along with video to make the subject exciting. As a student, this helps me because I can use this tool for presentations in my other classes. I think that this is a new and exciting way to present any topic in education! As a colleague, we can share our vidcasts with each other and share our ideas with each other. I know that in my children's school the teachers take turns teaching certain subjects so it would be great to do vidcasts for it. Like everything that we learn in this class, this is another way to make our lives as teachers easier and to find ways to be more creative for our students. I loved learning about the different tools that are out there for our use. The Flip is amazing! It's very easy to use and easy to upload. PowerPoint is always a great tool to use for presentations. Photo Story is awesome and I can't wait to use it for our vidcast! There are so many things that we can use it for such as to teach a lesson, to tell a story and to explain something step by step too. Jing is still something that I need to investigate a bit more to understand. I liked what Doc Waters showed us.
Now What?
This technology means that my students will have access to information that I wouldn't have been able to give them had I not learned it in this class. They will be able to learn the subjects that we are working on in forms other than direct instruction. The vidcasts make learning and teaching much more fun. How does it change my current schema? It makes a ton of difference! It means that I get to be creative in my teaching. I can teach the students new concepts with pictures, video and music. I know that I learn visually and through music. I can use this to teach students that weren't able to come to school. They will be able to access the information on the web so that they don't get behind. This way their parents can help them too. The parents will also know what we are doing in school. I can't wait to work more on this assignment and show my kids. They are always to excited to see what I learn in Doc Waters class. They love to go to my other stuff online and play around on it. They'll love this one for sure!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Podcasts
What?
This week we learned about Podcasts. I thought that I knew what they were but I learned that they are audio casts. I thought that they also included video but I should have known that from last year. The ones that include video are vidcasts. We made a public announcement for our Podcast.
So What?
The podcast was fun to do. We worked with our partner to come up with an announcement for our school, community or class. We chose to make a podcast for our classroom teaching them how to do the Pledge of Allegiance. We also explained what the flag represents and how we show respect for our flag and country. It allows us to get information to many students at once and if a student isn't at school for some reason, they can go to the podcast to see what was covered so that they don't fall behind if the teacher keeps a quick podcast made daily. We are doing this to help us to become better teachers and to also be the most efficient teachers possible. The podcasts will make my life a lot easier as a teacher and will make it so I don't have to waste paper because I can direct the students to the podcast for the info. This is another way to make our lives easier which I will never turn away.
Now What?
I am always looking for ways to be more organized and the podcasts will help with that. I can add it to my classroom website so that the students can refer to it from home or school. Hopefully, this will also help so that I won't have to repeat myself over and over because they can go to the podcast if they didn't hear or understand. It will make me a better teacher. I can make assignments where the students have to go to the podcast to find out what the assignments are in detail such as reports or step by step assignments. They can rewind if they don't understand something. We can also do this for our colleagues so that we don't have to waste paper since we can do it all verbally.
I like the podcast idea but I don't like my voice so that's something that I will need to get over. I think it will become very helpful in the classroom and will eliminate extra work for me as the teacher. I had a lot of fun working with Julie on this project.
This week we learned about Podcasts. I thought that I knew what they were but I learned that they are audio casts. I thought that they also included video but I should have known that from last year. The ones that include video are vidcasts. We made a public announcement for our Podcast.
So What?
The podcast was fun to do. We worked with our partner to come up with an announcement for our school, community or class. We chose to make a podcast for our classroom teaching them how to do the Pledge of Allegiance. We also explained what the flag represents and how we show respect for our flag and country. It allows us to get information to many students at once and if a student isn't at school for some reason, they can go to the podcast to see what was covered so that they don't fall behind if the teacher keeps a quick podcast made daily. We are doing this to help us to become better teachers and to also be the most efficient teachers possible. The podcasts will make my life a lot easier as a teacher and will make it so I don't have to waste paper because I can direct the students to the podcast for the info. This is another way to make our lives easier which I will never turn away.
Now What?
I am always looking for ways to be more organized and the podcasts will help with that. I can add it to my classroom website so that the students can refer to it from home or school. Hopefully, this will also help so that I won't have to repeat myself over and over because they can go to the podcast if they didn't hear or understand. It will make me a better teacher. I can make assignments where the students have to go to the podcast to find out what the assignments are in detail such as reports or step by step assignments. They can rewind if they don't understand something. We can also do this for our colleagues so that we don't have to waste paper since we can do it all verbally.
I like the podcast idea but I don't like my voice so that's something that I will need to get over. I think it will become very helpful in the classroom and will eliminate extra work for me as the teacher. I had a lot of fun working with Julie on this project.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Google Sites and Research
What?
What am I learning? This week was a little bit crazy because we didn't have class last Monday so we had to squish two class periods worth of information into one. It was a great class though. We are learning to make a Google Site for our class. There is a lot that goes into it but once it's done it's pretty awesome. We also did research on a topic from the Utah State Curriculum so that we can begin putting information together to make our digital stories.
So What?
So what does this mean to me as a teacher, student and colleague today? It means that I have learned how to make a class website for my students and their parents to find out what our class is studying and what homework there is. As a teacher, this is a great thing to have for the class because it shows the parents that I am organized as a teacher and I have made an extra effort to put a site together just for the students. There will be no excuse for homework not being done or for students to forget what the homework is. It is accessible to them anytime. As a student, it is helping me to become more organized and to find new resources to help the students (the resources page was difficult and took a long time to do but is well worth it for all of the information and resourceful links that I was able to find. As a colleague, it means that I can be prepared ahead of time and don't have to feel like I'm running one hundred miles a minute. I can help them to create their own classroom sites if they don't have one yet. I will have time to help my team do well and work well together because I won't have procrastinated.
Now What?
I have already discussed in the above paragraph what this means for my future students but I want to reiterate that having the classroom site is only going to enhance the way my classroom is run and the organization that I will have. This new information changes my current schema because I now know that I have a place where parents can go to make sure that their child is getting the homework done that is assigned. I really love that the students can access great resources directly from my classroom site. They can play games and learn new things which makes me really happy! This will help me to become a better teacher in the future because I will always be organized with the homework because the students will just have to get onto the internet to get their assignments and I can print out the homework page from the site for the students. As a team, we can make sure that we are on track with our teaching and homework by using the calendar that is public for all to see.
This assignment took me a long time but I am very happy with the end product. I feel that the site is such a great resource for the parents, students and teachers. I enjoyed finding resources and playing around with them to see if they were age appropriate and testing to see that the students would enjoy them. I showed my children the site and they loved it. They wanted to get right onto the resources page and play the games and do the activities. I think that's a pretty good indicator that the students will like the site since my children are around the same ages as my target grade. I had lots of fun with this assignment!
What am I learning? This week was a little bit crazy because we didn't have class last Monday so we had to squish two class periods worth of information into one. It was a great class though. We are learning to make a Google Site for our class. There is a lot that goes into it but once it's done it's pretty awesome. We also did research on a topic from the Utah State Curriculum so that we can begin putting information together to make our digital stories.
So What?
So what does this mean to me as a teacher, student and colleague today? It means that I have learned how to make a class website for my students and their parents to find out what our class is studying and what homework there is. As a teacher, this is a great thing to have for the class because it shows the parents that I am organized as a teacher and I have made an extra effort to put a site together just for the students. There will be no excuse for homework not being done or for students to forget what the homework is. It is accessible to them anytime. As a student, it is helping me to become more organized and to find new resources to help the students (the resources page was difficult and took a long time to do but is well worth it for all of the information and resourceful links that I was able to find. As a colleague, it means that I can be prepared ahead of time and don't have to feel like I'm running one hundred miles a minute. I can help them to create their own classroom sites if they don't have one yet. I will have time to help my team do well and work well together because I won't have procrastinated.
Now What?
I have already discussed in the above paragraph what this means for my future students but I want to reiterate that having the classroom site is only going to enhance the way my classroom is run and the organization that I will have. This new information changes my current schema because I now know that I have a place where parents can go to make sure that their child is getting the homework done that is assigned. I really love that the students can access great resources directly from my classroom site. They can play games and learn new things which makes me really happy! This will help me to become a better teacher in the future because I will always be organized with the homework because the students will just have to get onto the internet to get their assignments and I can print out the homework page from the site for the students. As a team, we can make sure that we are on track with our teaching and homework by using the calendar that is public for all to see.
This assignment took me a long time but I am very happy with the end product. I feel that the site is such a great resource for the parents, students and teachers. I enjoyed finding resources and playing around with them to see if they were age appropriate and testing to see that the students would enjoy them. I showed my children the site and they loved it. They wanted to get right onto the resources page and play the games and do the activities. I think that's a pretty good indicator that the students will like the site since my children are around the same ages as my target grade. I had lots of fun with this assignment!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Chronology of Technology
I was in school back in the dark ages! I remember my school getting new computers for us to use when I was in fourth grade which would have been in 1984. It was so exciting to get to learn how a to use a computer. They were Apple computers and the monitors were huge but so cool! The screen was black and the text was green. I remember the first thing that we got to play was The Oregon Trail game. It was a very basic game that taught us how the pioneers made it across the country to the West on the Oregon Trail. I remember also playing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.
I don’t remember learning very much about technology in school. I never had a computer in my classroom growing up. In high school I took a keyboarding class where we used computers but in school that was really the only access we had to technology. My teachers would use overhead projectors which was about as exciting as it got.
I had a word processor when I went to college the first time. Ricks College had a computer lab but I didn’t know how to do more than type a paper on the computers. I didn’t get an email account until after I got home from my mission in 1998 and I just got a Facebook account in 2009. I didn’t know how to do a Power Point presentation until a year ago when I came back to college. It’s pretty sad but after spring semester in Doc Waters' class I feel that I actually know something about technology.
Now, my children have had a totally different experience than I did with technology. They have a lot more knowledge about computers and technology. They have computer class for three months out of the year but my children are able to pretty much find anything on the internet without very much of my help. Their teachers use computers for many of their assignments as well as for class presentations. It’s a totally different world than the when I grew up. I am excited for the technology that we have now and for the tools that we have at our fingertips to enhance our lives.
I was in school back in the dark ages! I remember my school getting new computers for us to use when I was in fourth grade which would have been in 1984. It was so exciting to get to learn how a to use a computer. They were Apple computers and the monitors were huge but so cool! The screen was black and the text was green. I remember the first thing that we got to play was The Oregon Trail game. It was a very basic game that taught us how the pioneers made it across the country to the West on the Oregon Trail. I remember also playing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.
I don’t remember learning very much about technology in school. I never had a computer in my classroom growing up. In high school I took a keyboarding class where we used computers but in school that was really the only access we had to technology. My teachers would use overhead projectors which was about as exciting as it got.
I had a word processor when I went to college the first time. Ricks College had a computer lab but I didn’t know how to do more than type a paper on the computers. I didn’t get an email account until after I got home from my mission in 1998 and I just got a Facebook account in 2009. I didn’t know how to do a Power Point presentation until a year ago when I came back to college. It’s pretty sad but after spring semester in Doc Waters' class I feel that I actually know something about technology.
Now, my children have had a totally different experience than I did with technology. They have a lot more knowledge about computers and technology. They have computer class for three months out of the year but my children are able to pretty much find anything on the internet without very much of my help. Their teachers use computers for many of their assignments as well as for class presentations. It’s a totally different world than the when I grew up. I am excited for the technology that we have now and for the tools that we have at our fingertips to enhance our lives.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Reflection #13 and Video Reflection
What?
This week we didn't have class because we covered everything the week before. I met with my team, Kristina and Matt to work on or vidcast and also worked on finding videos for the Video assignment. There are two assignments due this week (on the 15th). We will be doing our podcast/vidcast and also finding an educational video to post on our UEN site.
So What?
I enjoyed taking a look at the educational videos that are available through Youtube and Teachertube. There a many good videos as well as videos that I didn't care much for. How can this help me as a teacher? I will post one educational video on to my UEN page so that I can use it in my lesson plans. Once the video is downloaded and saved onto my page, I have access to it for as long as I want. Videos may be taken off and I wouldn't be able to access them anymore if I didn't download them. We have been shown how to convert files so that we can use them on other sites like UEN. One of these programs is Zamzar which is a free online file conversion site. My students will also have access to the videos that I choose to post on my classroom site and it will work the same way.
My colleagues and I will be able to share videos that we use for our lessons through this site. Some of our best lesson plans can come from the colleagues that we work with and by collaborating with each other. Having this technology, I will be able to access information that may otherwise disappear. I like it!
Now What?
What does this technology mean to my future students? There are hundreds of great educational videos that I have access to which will help me teach the core curriculum. Many children are visual learners so seeing a video that also explains what I am teaching can only help. In my search for a video to add to my UEN page, I found many videos that teach an idea or lesson through music or movement that I may not have ever thought of.
Having the ability to download and convert these videos is going to make my job as a teacher easier. I believe that teaching through different learning styles is very important and this will help me to do that. I know that I learn better by seeing something step by step or visually seeing it rather than just through lecture. I plan to use videos to help me get through to students of all learning styles. Plus, it's nice to have a change from the ordinary lecture and spice it up with something that will draw the students attention.
The videos that I find may also give me new ideas on how to teach a subject in a way that I hadn't thought of. We are blessed to have so many amazing people to learn from and get ideas from. I think that by watching and learning from the videos that I find and by adding them to my UEN page, I will become a better teacher with more creative ideas to help my students succeed.
Video Reflection
The video was short but I liked it. I feel a bit like the parents that the high school students were talking about. They said that the parents often have to go to their children to get help with the computer or with their cell phones. Okay, I'm not that bad but I am still learning to use much of the technology around us. The new technology that is made available to the general public amazes me! I still have a plain old cell phone, it's not an iPhone or a blackberry but it works fine for me right now but who knows if it will in the near future. Things are changing so quickly.
The students talked about having all of the media you need accessible to you at all times. Many phones already do that and I am guessing that a good portion of the population has laptops now days. The media that they mentioned are things like having access to your photos, email, the internet, social networks, etc. As teachers we had better be prepared for the technology that is coming our way. We need to know how to access the information (media) that the young people have access to. Yikes, I feel really old! At 35, I'm feeling like a grandma! I'd better get learning quickly! Luckily this class is helping with that.
This week we didn't have class because we covered everything the week before. I met with my team, Kristina and Matt to work on or vidcast and also worked on finding videos for the Video assignment. There are two assignments due this week (on the 15th). We will be doing our podcast/vidcast and also finding an educational video to post on our UEN site.
So What?
I enjoyed taking a look at the educational videos that are available through Youtube and Teachertube. There a many good videos as well as videos that I didn't care much for. How can this help me as a teacher? I will post one educational video on to my UEN page so that I can use it in my lesson plans. Once the video is downloaded and saved onto my page, I have access to it for as long as I want. Videos may be taken off and I wouldn't be able to access them anymore if I didn't download them. We have been shown how to convert files so that we can use them on other sites like UEN. One of these programs is Zamzar which is a free online file conversion site. My students will also have access to the videos that I choose to post on my classroom site and it will work the same way.
My colleagues and I will be able to share videos that we use for our lessons through this site. Some of our best lesson plans can come from the colleagues that we work with and by collaborating with each other. Having this technology, I will be able to access information that may otherwise disappear. I like it!
Now What?
What does this technology mean to my future students? There are hundreds of great educational videos that I have access to which will help me teach the core curriculum. Many children are visual learners so seeing a video that also explains what I am teaching can only help. In my search for a video to add to my UEN page, I found many videos that teach an idea or lesson through music or movement that I may not have ever thought of.
Having the ability to download and convert these videos is going to make my job as a teacher easier. I believe that teaching through different learning styles is very important and this will help me to do that. I know that I learn better by seeing something step by step or visually seeing it rather than just through lecture. I plan to use videos to help me get through to students of all learning styles. Plus, it's nice to have a change from the ordinary lecture and spice it up with something that will draw the students attention.
The videos that I find may also give me new ideas on how to teach a subject in a way that I hadn't thought of. We are blessed to have so many amazing people to learn from and get ideas from. I think that by watching and learning from the videos that I find and by adding them to my UEN page, I will become a better teacher with more creative ideas to help my students succeed.
Video Reflection
The video was short but I liked it. I feel a bit like the parents that the high school students were talking about. They said that the parents often have to go to their children to get help with the computer or with their cell phones. Okay, I'm not that bad but I am still learning to use much of the technology around us. The new technology that is made available to the general public amazes me! I still have a plain old cell phone, it's not an iPhone or a blackberry but it works fine for me right now but who knows if it will in the near future. Things are changing so quickly.
The students talked about having all of the media you need accessible to you at all times. Many phones already do that and I am guessing that a good portion of the population has laptops now days. The media that they mentioned are things like having access to your photos, email, the internet, social networks, etc. As teachers we had better be prepared for the technology that is coming our way. We need to know how to access the information (media) that the young people have access to. Yikes, I feel really old! At 35, I'm feeling like a grandma! I'd better get learning quickly! Luckily this class is helping with that.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Reflection #12 and Video Reflection
What?
What did we learn this week? We actually learned quite a bit. We covered two weeks in one class period and still had time to work a bit on our PowerPoint project with our group. We covered podcasts/vidcasts and also video simulations. Again, I am amazed at how much information is out there for us to use as teachers! I love it!
So What?
I will start with the podcasts and vidcasts. We discussed what podcasts and vidcasts are. I felt a bit dumb for not knowing what they are but there were several other classmates that were in the same boat. I knew that you can download podcasts onto your iPod from iTunes but that's about all that I could have told you. I, now, know that a vidcast is a video recording of you or anything that can be put onto your iPod or anywhere else. A podcast is the audio part that you can record and then download.
There are great uses for both podcasts and vidcasts as a teacher, student and colleague. In class on Thursday, we discussed the ways that we can use the podcasts and vidcasts in our future classrooms. Some of the things that we came up with are, for the vidcasts, we can create short lessons on a vidcast so that the student can learn by watching a short video of a lesson and he can do it at his own pace. Some of the things that were suggested were sign language lessons where they can learn at their own pace by pausing the video when needed, etc. We can also create step by step activities that they can follow on their own time. It seems like it will be quite simple. Many phones, computers and video recorders are able to record the short video and then they can be downloaded to the computer desktop and then added to youtube or teachertube.com or even on our UEN site.
Podcasts are kind of the same idea. They consist of the the audio part. You can record things like sound, simple instructions, a song that your class may be learning or a read aloud book. Doc Waters informed us that podcasts are popular for those learning a foreign language. That makes tons of sense! It never hurts to know more than one language and being able to listen to it on the go. We are such busy people now days that it would be ideal.
As colleagues we can share the different vidcasts and podcasts that we make and collect with our teams and other colleagues. More than one person working toward an idea will give us other avenues to follow and new ideas to pursue. I think that it's a great way to work as a team.
Now What?
Everytime I go to class I learn more ways that technology enhances our class and teaching. I love the idea of podcasts and vidcasts. They are still personal because you are on there and are their teacher. I am excited to learn how to do vidcasts and podcasts. I would also like to make one with my children so that they can see how things work in the classroom and we can also do it for fun to use in our homes. I may be able to use this technology for other classes as well. I think that it opens up a whole new bunch of ideas for me and for my students. I think that it would be a great independent study activity to have the students learn on the vidcast or podcast rather than drill information into their heads all of the time. They can go at their own pace this way too because they can pause or stop the video or podcast. It opens up new opportunities to use technology in the classroom that I hadn't thought of before.
I also plan to use these different forms of technology in my teams with my colleagues at school. We can brainstorm and pick each other's brains so that we can help the students to be the most effective learners. I am always excited about new ideas on how we can work together since that is such a vital part of teaching. I look forward to learning how to use this new technology in my own classroom!
Video Reflection
I really enjoyed the short but sweet video for this week! It answered the question, "Why Let our Students Blog?" Allowing our students to blog allows them to be creative and express themselves in writing on the internet. It also allows them to voice their opinions and have a "voice" in our society. It allows them to reach out to other students their age as well. The video showed students blogging and having friends in other parts of the world that follow their blogs. I think it's such a great idea to open up their eyes to other cultures and ideas by doing this. It's also a great way to keep a journal. I for one, am terrible at this and try to do a better job by doing it on my blog.
It also engages the students in other types of learning besides that traditional way of sitting in your desk for hours on end. They can be creative with their blogs and I will definitely encourage blogging with my students!
What did we learn this week? We actually learned quite a bit. We covered two weeks in one class period and still had time to work a bit on our PowerPoint project with our group. We covered podcasts/vidcasts and also video simulations. Again, I am amazed at how much information is out there for us to use as teachers! I love it!
So What?
I will start with the podcasts and vidcasts. We discussed what podcasts and vidcasts are. I felt a bit dumb for not knowing what they are but there were several other classmates that were in the same boat. I knew that you can download podcasts onto your iPod from iTunes but that's about all that I could have told you. I, now, know that a vidcast is a video recording of you or anything that can be put onto your iPod or anywhere else. A podcast is the audio part that you can record and then download.
There are great uses for both podcasts and vidcasts as a teacher, student and colleague. In class on Thursday, we discussed the ways that we can use the podcasts and vidcasts in our future classrooms. Some of the things that we came up with are, for the vidcasts, we can create short lessons on a vidcast so that the student can learn by watching a short video of a lesson and he can do it at his own pace. Some of the things that were suggested were sign language lessons where they can learn at their own pace by pausing the video when needed, etc. We can also create step by step activities that they can follow on their own time. It seems like it will be quite simple. Many phones, computers and video recorders are able to record the short video and then they can be downloaded to the computer desktop and then added to youtube or teachertube.com or even on our UEN site.
Podcasts are kind of the same idea. They consist of the the audio part. You can record things like sound, simple instructions, a song that your class may be learning or a read aloud book. Doc Waters informed us that podcasts are popular for those learning a foreign language. That makes tons of sense! It never hurts to know more than one language and being able to listen to it on the go. We are such busy people now days that it would be ideal.
As colleagues we can share the different vidcasts and podcasts that we make and collect with our teams and other colleagues. More than one person working toward an idea will give us other avenues to follow and new ideas to pursue. I think that it's a great way to work as a team.
Now What?
Everytime I go to class I learn more ways that technology enhances our class and teaching. I love the idea of podcasts and vidcasts. They are still personal because you are on there and are their teacher. I am excited to learn how to do vidcasts and podcasts. I would also like to make one with my children so that they can see how things work in the classroom and we can also do it for fun to use in our homes. I may be able to use this technology for other classes as well. I think that it opens up a whole new bunch of ideas for me and for my students. I think that it would be a great independent study activity to have the students learn on the vidcast or podcast rather than drill information into their heads all of the time. They can go at their own pace this way too because they can pause or stop the video or podcast. It opens up new opportunities to use technology in the classroom that I hadn't thought of before.
I also plan to use these different forms of technology in my teams with my colleagues at school. We can brainstorm and pick each other's brains so that we can help the students to be the most effective learners. I am always excited about new ideas on how we can work together since that is such a vital part of teaching. I look forward to learning how to use this new technology in my own classroom!
Video Reflection
I really enjoyed the short but sweet video for this week! It answered the question, "Why Let our Students Blog?" Allowing our students to blog allows them to be creative and express themselves in writing on the internet. It also allows them to voice their opinions and have a "voice" in our society. It allows them to reach out to other students their age as well. The video showed students blogging and having friends in other parts of the world that follow their blogs. I think it's such a great idea to open up their eyes to other cultures and ideas by doing this. It's also a great way to keep a journal. I for one, am terrible at this and try to do a better job by doing it on my blog.
It also engages the students in other types of learning besides that traditional way of sitting in your desk for hours on end. They can be creative with their blogs and I will definitely encourage blogging with my students!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Reflection #11
This was our first week back after spring break. It was nice to be back in class. It felt like we were gone too long! Somehow I missed a blog too. Darn it!
What?
What am I learning in class? I am learning how to prepare a PowerPoint Activities for my future students. We are working in our groups and creating an activity that will teach the students a concept as well as teach them how to use PowerPoint.
So What?
What does this mean to me as a teacher, student and colleague? As a teacher, this teaches me how to create good instructions on how to create a PowerPoint as well as how to create activities that are grade appropriate and clear to understand. We have chosen to have the students learn about the human anatomy. The teacher will assign a part of the human anatomy such as the heart and the student will gather information about the heart and by following the directions that we are creating, will be able to create their own PowerPoint presentation to share with his/her classmates. We are collecting pictures of various body parts such as the heart, lungs, bones, etc. from which the students can choose pictures for their presentation as well as giving them some ideas of good(clean) websites that they can get info from.
As a student, this project is helping me to learn new things about PowerPoint. I have only used it a few times. It is a great tool for teaching a concept or for lecturing. Matt is in my group and he is learning a ton about what we can do with the program such as mousing over something and having the information come up. He is teaching us as he goes which is great! It is also helping us to think like a third grader and decide what they will understand and how to make the project work at their level.
As a colleague, this project will help me to be able to share some of the projects that I will create in the future with their students. Hopefully, it will go both ways and the other teachers will also share with me. As a team, my colleagues and I can come up with some great ideas and activities for our students that will not only entertain them but also teach them some new concepts and how to use PowerPoint.
Now What?
Each time I'm in this class I learn more about how much amazing technology we have access to. I know that there are probably many children that know more about this technology than I do but I am learning and I know that it will benefit my future students as well as myself as I learn more. I want to have a classroom that is technically savvy. It is important that the students know how to get around on a computer as well as on the internet. I wish that I had someone that could have taught me this information several years ago.
I will be able to have my students create projects using PowerPoint in groups or individually. I know that once they have learned how to use it, they will be able to really create some great things. The projects where they create their own presentations will also allow them to become more confident when being in front of their peers as they explain their project.
I know that as I learn more about the technology that is out there, I feel more confident with my ability to teach it to my students. I am excited for all of the great things that I can do with what I learn each week.
Video
We have already watched the video that is assigned for this week. I know that I enjoyed it. As I watched it again, I remembered the feeling of awe at the student that was speaking because he was so confident in himself as well as in his future. I with that all students would feel the way that he did. I love his enthusiasm!!!
What?
What am I learning in class? I am learning how to prepare a PowerPoint Activities for my future students. We are working in our groups and creating an activity that will teach the students a concept as well as teach them how to use PowerPoint.
So What?
What does this mean to me as a teacher, student and colleague? As a teacher, this teaches me how to create good instructions on how to create a PowerPoint as well as how to create activities that are grade appropriate and clear to understand. We have chosen to have the students learn about the human anatomy. The teacher will assign a part of the human anatomy such as the heart and the student will gather information about the heart and by following the directions that we are creating, will be able to create their own PowerPoint presentation to share with his/her classmates. We are collecting pictures of various body parts such as the heart, lungs, bones, etc. from which the students can choose pictures for their presentation as well as giving them some ideas of good(clean) websites that they can get info from.
As a student, this project is helping me to learn new things about PowerPoint. I have only used it a few times. It is a great tool for teaching a concept or for lecturing. Matt is in my group and he is learning a ton about what we can do with the program such as mousing over something and having the information come up. He is teaching us as he goes which is great! It is also helping us to think like a third grader and decide what they will understand and how to make the project work at their level.
As a colleague, this project will help me to be able to share some of the projects that I will create in the future with their students. Hopefully, it will go both ways and the other teachers will also share with me. As a team, my colleagues and I can come up with some great ideas and activities for our students that will not only entertain them but also teach them some new concepts and how to use PowerPoint.
Now What?
Each time I'm in this class I learn more about how much amazing technology we have access to. I know that there are probably many children that know more about this technology than I do but I am learning and I know that it will benefit my future students as well as myself as I learn more. I want to have a classroom that is technically savvy. It is important that the students know how to get around on a computer as well as on the internet. I wish that I had someone that could have taught me this information several years ago.
I will be able to have my students create projects using PowerPoint in groups or individually. I know that once they have learned how to use it, they will be able to really create some great things. The projects where they create their own presentations will also allow them to become more confident when being in front of their peers as they explain their project.
I know that as I learn more about the technology that is out there, I feel more confident with my ability to teach it to my students. I am excited for all of the great things that I can do with what I learn each week.
Video
We have already watched the video that is assigned for this week. I know that I enjoyed it. As I watched it again, I remembered the feeling of awe at the student that was speaking because he was so confident in himself as well as in his future. I with that all students would feel the way that he did. I love his enthusiasm!!!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Reflection #9 and Video Reflection
What?
Doc Waters was sick this week so we didn't have class. I Facebooked her and she told me to just blog about everything we have done thus far. There is so much information that we've learned in this class so far that it's a bit overwhelming but good at the same time! I feel that I am learning great tools that will make me a better teacher and also make my classroom a great place for learning and teaching my future students.
So What?
All of the information that I have learned so far in this class has been very helpful and I know that I will use it when I am a "real" teacher! I don't want to have my students know more than I do when it comes to technology. Unfortunately, I thought I knew more than I do. This class has opened my eyes to all of the information that is available to me. It has helped me not only as a teacher but also as a student. I have been able to do presentations and papers for several of my other classes using the information that Doc Waters has taught us. I used information and tools that I didn't know existed or would have had a really hard time figuring out if it hadn't have been for this class.
I also feel that I will be a better colleague because of the information that I've learned in this class. I have used the Google Docs and Presentation sharing or collaborating tools in other areas of my life such as for meetings. It's a great help because I don't have to be in the same location as the other people I'm working with to get projects finished. I plan to use the tools that I've learned the same way as a colleague.
Now What?
This technology that I've learned about this semester means that I will be a more knowledgable teacher as far as technology goes. I will be able to open my students eyes to many more avenues of information. I will be able to get great lesson ideas from the UEN Website as well as find great interactive games and activities for my students to learn from. I will know how to teach my students how to keep safe when they are on the internet. The technology that is available to us now is amazing. I think back to when I was in elementary school and the most exciting thing we had to do on computers was to play a game called The Oregon Trail. It was so lame compared to what the students of this generation have and I look forward to teaching them as many of the good things that are out there as I can.
I also look forward to using this information to better our communication as colleagues. Our teams can work on similar projects with our students and we can encourage our colleagues to learn as much about the newest technology that is out there and we can share it with each other. I'm very excited about what my future holds as a teacher and what the information that I am learning about technology so I can share it with my students.
Video Reflection - The Connected Classroom
I really enjoyed the video, The Connected Classroom. It focused on the differences between the classrooms from the early 1900's to the classrooms of 2010. The differences are huge. There was very little information to teach about. They had basic curriculum but we have endless information because of technology. We as educators have a huge responsibility to teach the future leaders and business people about the great things that they can learn and become. I loved this video so much that I posted it on my facebook page so that my friends and family could take a look at it. I feel proud to be part of the great and important movement to teach the people that will make a difference in the future. I hope to also make a difference in their lives! My goal is to make a positive impact on each and every student that I teach.
Doc Waters was sick this week so we didn't have class. I Facebooked her and she told me to just blog about everything we have done thus far. There is so much information that we've learned in this class so far that it's a bit overwhelming but good at the same time! I feel that I am learning great tools that will make me a better teacher and also make my classroom a great place for learning and teaching my future students.
So What?
All of the information that I have learned so far in this class has been very helpful and I know that I will use it when I am a "real" teacher! I don't want to have my students know more than I do when it comes to technology. Unfortunately, I thought I knew more than I do. This class has opened my eyes to all of the information that is available to me. It has helped me not only as a teacher but also as a student. I have been able to do presentations and papers for several of my other classes using the information that Doc Waters has taught us. I used information and tools that I didn't know existed or would have had a really hard time figuring out if it hadn't have been for this class.
I also feel that I will be a better colleague because of the information that I've learned in this class. I have used the Google Docs and Presentation sharing or collaborating tools in other areas of my life such as for meetings. It's a great help because I don't have to be in the same location as the other people I'm working with to get projects finished. I plan to use the tools that I've learned the same way as a colleague.
Now What?
This technology that I've learned about this semester means that I will be a more knowledgable teacher as far as technology goes. I will be able to open my students eyes to many more avenues of information. I will be able to get great lesson ideas from the UEN Website as well as find great interactive games and activities for my students to learn from. I will know how to teach my students how to keep safe when they are on the internet. The technology that is available to us now is amazing. I think back to when I was in elementary school and the most exciting thing we had to do on computers was to play a game called The Oregon Trail. It was so lame compared to what the students of this generation have and I look forward to teaching them as many of the good things that are out there as I can.
I also look forward to using this information to better our communication as colleagues. Our teams can work on similar projects with our students and we can encourage our colleagues to learn as much about the newest technology that is out there and we can share it with each other. I'm very excited about what my future holds as a teacher and what the information that I am learning about technology so I can share it with my students.
Video Reflection - The Connected Classroom
I really enjoyed the video, The Connected Classroom. It focused on the differences between the classrooms from the early 1900's to the classrooms of 2010. The differences are huge. There was very little information to teach about. They had basic curriculum but we have endless information because of technology. We as educators have a huge responsibility to teach the future leaders and business people about the great things that they can learn and become. I loved this video so much that I posted it on my facebook page so that my friends and family could take a look at it. I feel proud to be part of the great and important movement to teach the people that will make a difference in the future. I hope to also make a difference in their lives! My goal is to make a positive impact on each and every student that I teach.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Reflection #8 - Picassa and Video Reflection
What?
This week we learned about Picassa and how it is used. We took pictures last week with our digital cameras to add to Picassa this week. In class we learned how to make a presentation in Google Presentations using Picassa. Kristina, Matt and I created out presentation and finished it during class.
So What?
Picassa and the presentation project that we did are going to be great resources for my future as a teacher, student and colleague. As a teacher, I plan to use Picassa for our classroom projects where we use digital cameras so that we have a place to store our pictures. We can also use them to create presentations on different subjects that we are studying at the time. I found many websites that give ideas of lesson plans that can use digital cameras and then I can incorporate Picassa and Google Presentations.
As a student, I plan to use this program instead of Power Point. Power Point and Google Presentations are new to me. I had used Power Point twice before this class and just learned how to use Google Presentations. They work very similar but I now know how to use presentations and Picassa together and it was very simple. I plan to use Google Presentations for any future presentations that I have to do for my other classes as well. I feel more confident using Google's tool.
As a colleague, I plan to use Google Presentations and Picassa when I have to do a presentation in front of my other colleagues in meetings. One of the huge benefits of using Google Presentations is that we can work on this project with our team because we can add whomever we want so that they can also work on the presentation. So, any presentation/project that has to be done can be done on our own time if we are working with others because we'll all have access to it. I think this is an awesome feature!
Now What?
This technology means that I can put pictures that we've taken in class (my future class)and make a presentation about whatever project we were working on. This information allows me to use more technology in my classroom and I can involve the students in the projects (picture taking, adding them to Picassa and then making the presentation). I can put the students into teams and have them create their own pictures and presentations on a given topic. I think that they will enjoy doing these assignments plus they can collaborate with the other students in their teams when they are at home since they can work on the projects even if they aren't together.
I feel that this information will help me to be a better teacher because I will be more aware of the many different types of technology that can enhance my student's learning. It also allows them to do some hands on work which is how some of the students do their best learning. It will also prepare them for the future and they will be confident in their technical abilities in the future. It will help me to be a better colleague because I have knowledge of the different technologies available. I can bring more knowledge to the table that will benefit out team. Like I stated earlier, it will help us to create better presentations as well.
I am really excited about Picassa because I can use the program for my own family as well as for my future classes. Each week I am surprised at how much information is out there that I don't even know about. This class is definitely good for me because I am learning so much and plan to use it all.
Video Reflection
The video was pretty funny! I think the guy that was presenting had some good pointers and did it in a way that was entertaining. Some of the pointers that I got from him were:
1. You don't have to put every word that you are going to say on the slide. I have noticed that a lot of people try to pack too much info into the slides and it looks really messy and boring.
2. Make sure you use spell check. He said that spell check is there to help you find the words that haven't been spelled correctly, use it! It cracks me up when my professors spell things wrong on their presentations because they require that we have everything spelled correctly but they don't. (Not all of the professors, just a few of them...)
3. Avoid excessive bullet points. This is a good reminder. I sometimes do this and need to remember that not every bit of information needs to be on the slide. I can verbally tell the information to the class too.
4. Bad color schemes. So many times I've seen presentations that are hard to read or see because the person used yellow or too light of a color. Stick with darker colors which are easier to see.
5. Too many slides. Keep the slides to a minimum. If you are switching from slide to slide and there are too many, your presentation can quickly get boring.
6. More data doesn't equal a good presentation. Enough said.
7. Too much animation. Too many things happening on a slide can be confusing.
8. The type of font you use says something about you. He mentioned that if you use the default font it looks like you're boring and can't make a decision. It was pretty funny. He says that you should choose something easy to read but fun.
I liked the video for this week!
This week we learned about Picassa and how it is used. We took pictures last week with our digital cameras to add to Picassa this week. In class we learned how to make a presentation in Google Presentations using Picassa. Kristina, Matt and I created out presentation and finished it during class.
So What?
Picassa and the presentation project that we did are going to be great resources for my future as a teacher, student and colleague. As a teacher, I plan to use Picassa for our classroom projects where we use digital cameras so that we have a place to store our pictures. We can also use them to create presentations on different subjects that we are studying at the time. I found many websites that give ideas of lesson plans that can use digital cameras and then I can incorporate Picassa and Google Presentations.
As a student, I plan to use this program instead of Power Point. Power Point and Google Presentations are new to me. I had used Power Point twice before this class and just learned how to use Google Presentations. They work very similar but I now know how to use presentations and Picassa together and it was very simple. I plan to use Google Presentations for any future presentations that I have to do for my other classes as well. I feel more confident using Google's tool.
As a colleague, I plan to use Google Presentations and Picassa when I have to do a presentation in front of my other colleagues in meetings. One of the huge benefits of using Google Presentations is that we can work on this project with our team because we can add whomever we want so that they can also work on the presentation. So, any presentation/project that has to be done can be done on our own time if we are working with others because we'll all have access to it. I think this is an awesome feature!
Now What?
This technology means that I can put pictures that we've taken in class (my future class)and make a presentation about whatever project we were working on. This information allows me to use more technology in my classroom and I can involve the students in the projects (picture taking, adding them to Picassa and then making the presentation). I can put the students into teams and have them create their own pictures and presentations on a given topic. I think that they will enjoy doing these assignments plus they can collaborate with the other students in their teams when they are at home since they can work on the projects even if they aren't together.
I feel that this information will help me to be a better teacher because I will be more aware of the many different types of technology that can enhance my student's learning. It also allows them to do some hands on work which is how some of the students do their best learning. It will also prepare them for the future and they will be confident in their technical abilities in the future. It will help me to be a better colleague because I have knowledge of the different technologies available. I can bring more knowledge to the table that will benefit out team. Like I stated earlier, it will help us to create better presentations as well.
I am really excited about Picassa because I can use the program for my own family as well as for my future classes. Each week I am surprised at how much information is out there that I don't even know about. This class is definitely good for me because I am learning so much and plan to use it all.
Video Reflection
The video was pretty funny! I think the guy that was presenting had some good pointers and did it in a way that was entertaining. Some of the pointers that I got from him were:
1. You don't have to put every word that you are going to say on the slide. I have noticed that a lot of people try to pack too much info into the slides and it looks really messy and boring.
2. Make sure you use spell check. He said that spell check is there to help you find the words that haven't been spelled correctly, use it! It cracks me up when my professors spell things wrong on their presentations because they require that we have everything spelled correctly but they don't. (Not all of the professors, just a few of them...)
3. Avoid excessive bullet points. This is a good reminder. I sometimes do this and need to remember that not every bit of information needs to be on the slide. I can verbally tell the information to the class too.
4. Bad color schemes. So many times I've seen presentations that are hard to read or see because the person used yellow or too light of a color. Stick with darker colors which are easier to see.
5. Too many slides. Keep the slides to a minimum. If you are switching from slide to slide and there are too many, your presentation can quickly get boring.
6. More data doesn't equal a good presentation. Enough said.
7. Too much animation. Too many things happening on a slide can be confusing.
8. The type of font you use says something about you. He mentioned that if you use the default font it looks like you're boring and can't make a decision. It was pretty funny. He says that you should choose something easy to read but fun.
I liked the video for this week!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Reflection #7 Digital Cameras and Video
What?
This week we are learning about digital cameras and how we can use them in our classrooms. We are also learning about how we can encourage creativity and learning through technology and the use of digital cameras. We read a couple of articles that discussed this in the classroom and the experiences that the teachers and the students had.
So What?
How can I apply what I have read and learned during this week to my classroom as a teacher? I have seen some of the advantages using digital cameras has in the classroom. It is amazing how much can be done with just using a digital camera and the enthusiasm that the children have in being able to see what they have created. It not only helps them with their creativity and being able to bring the experiences to life through pictures but it also helps them to become more comfortable using the computer which will help them in the years to come. As a student this information is helpful to me for several reasons. One of the reasons is because I am still learning how to use the camera and then being able to download the pictures onto the computer. During this week's assignment and next week's I will learn how to be more confident in using my camera and putting the pictures to good use instead of just staying on my memory card which is what happens a lot. As a colleague I can use digital cameras and the pictures for team projects such as scavenger hunts for the students to teach them different concepts such as healthy eating habits, the food groups, or shapes for example.
This technology will be very helpful in my classroom. I know that each student learns differently and I know that some of my students will be visual learners. Using a digital camera to get them to use their imaginations or to understand a point that I am teaching might be exactly what they need to fully understand something that they wouldn't have understood otherwise. The same goes for students who learn better through moving and doing hands on activities. They will also benefit from these activites using digital cameras.
Now What?
This technology means that my future students will be more comfortable using a digital camera to take meaningful pictures rather than pictures of things that aren't important because they will be using the pictures to create something that is important to them. They will also be able to use basic digital photo software for projects and that will help them out while working on projects as well as in the future they will be one step ahead of many other children their age. It enhances their creativity which I believe is very important in a well rounded student because it helps in reading, writing and even math. It helps them to think out of the box.
This information will open up a whole new world to these children as well as to me as the teacher. It encourages us to see the things around us in a different light. I plan to encorporate the use of digital cameras into my classroom. I hope that the school that I teach at will have access to cameras for the students. I really think that any projects that encourage the students to do hands on work and to work in a team is going to be beneficial. I plan to have the students write stories using pictures that they have taken and also to divide them into teams and have each team work on a topic and take pictures that support that topic that they are given. An example of this might be to have one group take pictures of things around them that have to do with fractions or another group could work on taking pictures of things that are healthy for their bodies. Then they can share what they have gathered with the rest of the class. They can also use the pictures for projects that they are working on in groups by using Google Docs which means that they can have access to the information and pictures from home.
This information will help me to become a better future teacher because I will know how to use the digital cameras and the software to its full potential. One of the articles that we read gave some great tips on what we can do to always be prepared so that we can snap pictures at the perfect moments and so that we can use the digital cameras to enhance the teaching that we are doing. It will also allow me to create assignments where the children can be active in creating something that can be shown to their parents and other students and they can be proud of the work that they are doing.
Learning about digital cameras and what they are capable of doing will help me not only as a teacher and colleague but also as a mother so that I can be more creative with the pictures that I take of my children. This is important information that will help me to become a more well-rounded person both at home and at school. I look forward to learning more about digital cameras.
Video Reflection
The first video was short and to the point. It was Top Ten Things You Do Not Learn About Teaching in College. I enjoyed the video because it was funny but also so true. I liked how they used David Letterman's Top Ten Countdown list that he uses on his show but changed it up to talk about what what no one tells us to prepare us for teaching. It was fun to see "real" teachers giving the countdown. It made fun of the difficult things about teaching such as not calling in sick to work because it's easier to go than to prepare sub lesson plans or that the difficult kids never get sick. I enjoyed it!
The second video or set of videos were interesting. I wasn't quite sure what we were supposed to learn from it but as I watched the videos I started to understand a few things. First of all, if we are working well as a team and each doing our part, every thing flows and can "create great harmony". Also, the section called "About" was interesting because the person that created the videos explained how he put them together. He didn't know the people in the videos instead he searched youtube and found things that could go together. He used many different resources to create amazing music none of which was meant to go together. We can do similar things with the many resources that we have as teachers. We can combine different techniques or resources to teach concepts to our students through the access we have through the web as well as UEN and youtube to mention a few just as the gentleman did when creating the music videos. We need to make sure to take full advantage of everything that is out there for us to use.
This week we are learning about digital cameras and how we can use them in our classrooms. We are also learning about how we can encourage creativity and learning through technology and the use of digital cameras. We read a couple of articles that discussed this in the classroom and the experiences that the teachers and the students had.
So What?
How can I apply what I have read and learned during this week to my classroom as a teacher? I have seen some of the advantages using digital cameras has in the classroom. It is amazing how much can be done with just using a digital camera and the enthusiasm that the children have in being able to see what they have created. It not only helps them with their creativity and being able to bring the experiences to life through pictures but it also helps them to become more comfortable using the computer which will help them in the years to come. As a student this information is helpful to me for several reasons. One of the reasons is because I am still learning how to use the camera and then being able to download the pictures onto the computer. During this week's assignment and next week's I will learn how to be more confident in using my camera and putting the pictures to good use instead of just staying on my memory card which is what happens a lot. As a colleague I can use digital cameras and the pictures for team projects such as scavenger hunts for the students to teach them different concepts such as healthy eating habits, the food groups, or shapes for example.
This technology will be very helpful in my classroom. I know that each student learns differently and I know that some of my students will be visual learners. Using a digital camera to get them to use their imaginations or to understand a point that I am teaching might be exactly what they need to fully understand something that they wouldn't have understood otherwise. The same goes for students who learn better through moving and doing hands on activities. They will also benefit from these activites using digital cameras.
Now What?
This technology means that my future students will be more comfortable using a digital camera to take meaningful pictures rather than pictures of things that aren't important because they will be using the pictures to create something that is important to them. They will also be able to use basic digital photo software for projects and that will help them out while working on projects as well as in the future they will be one step ahead of many other children their age. It enhances their creativity which I believe is very important in a well rounded student because it helps in reading, writing and even math. It helps them to think out of the box.
This information will open up a whole new world to these children as well as to me as the teacher. It encourages us to see the things around us in a different light. I plan to encorporate the use of digital cameras into my classroom. I hope that the school that I teach at will have access to cameras for the students. I really think that any projects that encourage the students to do hands on work and to work in a team is going to be beneficial. I plan to have the students write stories using pictures that they have taken and also to divide them into teams and have each team work on a topic and take pictures that support that topic that they are given. An example of this might be to have one group take pictures of things around them that have to do with fractions or another group could work on taking pictures of things that are healthy for their bodies. Then they can share what they have gathered with the rest of the class. They can also use the pictures for projects that they are working on in groups by using Google Docs which means that they can have access to the information and pictures from home.
This information will help me to become a better future teacher because I will know how to use the digital cameras and the software to its full potential. One of the articles that we read gave some great tips on what we can do to always be prepared so that we can snap pictures at the perfect moments and so that we can use the digital cameras to enhance the teaching that we are doing. It will also allow me to create assignments where the children can be active in creating something that can be shown to their parents and other students and they can be proud of the work that they are doing.
Learning about digital cameras and what they are capable of doing will help me not only as a teacher and colleague but also as a mother so that I can be more creative with the pictures that I take of my children. This is important information that will help me to become a more well-rounded person both at home and at school. I look forward to learning more about digital cameras.
Video Reflection
The first video was short and to the point. It was Top Ten Things You Do Not Learn About Teaching in College. I enjoyed the video because it was funny but also so true. I liked how they used David Letterman's Top Ten Countdown list that he uses on his show but changed it up to talk about what what no one tells us to prepare us for teaching. It was fun to see "real" teachers giving the countdown. It made fun of the difficult things about teaching such as not calling in sick to work because it's easier to go than to prepare sub lesson plans or that the difficult kids never get sick. I enjoyed it!
The second video or set of videos were interesting. I wasn't quite sure what we were supposed to learn from it but as I watched the videos I started to understand a few things. First of all, if we are working well as a team and each doing our part, every thing flows and can "create great harmony". Also, the section called "About" was interesting because the person that created the videos explained how he put them together. He didn't know the people in the videos instead he searched youtube and found things that could go together. He used many different resources to create amazing music none of which was meant to go together. We can do similar things with the many resources that we have as teachers. We can combine different techniques or resources to teach concepts to our students through the access we have through the web as well as UEN and youtube to mention a few just as the gentleman did when creating the music videos. We need to make sure to take full advantage of everything that is out there for us to use.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Addition to Reflection on Internet Safety
The following is additional information that I found while finishing this week's project. This goes with the Sunday night reflection.
There are many reasons that we should use the internet in education. The internet has many tools that are great for helping students to improve their learning skills. Some of the reasons to use the internet are because we have access to real time data which is information that is happening "right now". An example of this is to take a look at the Weather Channel to see what is happening in real time any where in the world. We could use this as a Social Studies lesson with the students. We can get original sources about famous people so that the children can hear and see what the people were all about. As educators, we have endless resources that will help aid our lesson plans as well as great activities that will go right along with the lessons we are teaching.
It is VERY important that we evaluate the websites we use for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is to make sure that the information that we are using is valid and legitimate. The internet has information that is opinion as well as information that is correct so it is important that we identify which it is before using it as a tool in our classroom. We can teach our students how to figure out whether a site is legitimate or not so that they can use it for reports and to learn. We had some great examples in this week's exercises of valid information and bogus information. We also have guidelines now from the exercises that tell us how to decipher the correct information. It is also important that we use sites that are safe for the students.
What questions would I use to evaluate the websites that I will use for the class?
1. Is it a credible website? Where does the info come from? What is the URL?
2. Do I believe what I am reading? Is it bogus info?
3. Who is the author and what additional information can I find on him? Look for his biography.
4. When was the site created and last updated? Is it old information?
5. What does the author say is the purpose of the site? Is it what you are looking for?
6. Is the site safe?
The ways that I can keep my students safe while they are searching the internet are by using the online tools for internet safety. There are many sites that teach children and adults internet safety. Some of the ones that I found are the following:
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/safety2.htm
http://www.netsmartz.org/index.aspx
http://www.kidscom.com/games/isg/isg.html
There are many reasons that we should use the internet in education. The internet has many tools that are great for helping students to improve their learning skills. Some of the reasons to use the internet are because we have access to real time data which is information that is happening "right now". An example of this is to take a look at the Weather Channel to see what is happening in real time any where in the world. We could use this as a Social Studies lesson with the students. We can get original sources about famous people so that the children can hear and see what the people were all about. As educators, we have endless resources that will help aid our lesson plans as well as great activities that will go right along with the lessons we are teaching.
It is VERY important that we evaluate the websites we use for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is to make sure that the information that we are using is valid and legitimate. The internet has information that is opinion as well as information that is correct so it is important that we identify which it is before using it as a tool in our classroom. We can teach our students how to figure out whether a site is legitimate or not so that they can use it for reports and to learn. We had some great examples in this week's exercises of valid information and bogus information. We also have guidelines now from the exercises that tell us how to decipher the correct information. It is also important that we use sites that are safe for the students.
What questions would I use to evaluate the websites that I will use for the class?
1. Is it a credible website? Where does the info come from? What is the URL?
2. Do I believe what I am reading? Is it bogus info?
3. Who is the author and what additional information can I find on him? Look for his biography.
4. When was the site created and last updated? Is it old information?
5. What does the author say is the purpose of the site? Is it what you are looking for?
6. Is the site safe?
The ways that I can keep my students safe while they are searching the internet are by using the online tools for internet safety. There are many sites that teach children and adults internet safety. Some of the ones that I found are the following:
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/safety2.htm
http://www.netsmartz.org/index.aspx
http://www.kidscom.com/games/isg/isg.html
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Reflection #6 - Internet Safety
What?
This week we are learning about Internet Safety and what we as educators can do to keep our students safe when they are online. Another thing that we are learning is how to help our students decifer good information on the web versus bad information and sources. We are also adding more information onto our UEN classroom website.
So What?
This information is very important to me as a teacher, student and colleague. As a teacher it is very important that we keep our students safe when they are on the internet. We have the responsibility to teach them how to safely use the internet for projects and activities. There are many dangers on the web that children are unaware of and unfortunately can be sucked into some very bad and dangerous situations. There are tons of great information that is very useful and educational as well as fun if used correctly and it's my job as a teacher to show them how to find it and stay away from the bad things.
As a student, I learned how to find out if information on the internet is helpful and correct such as when I am searching under a specific topic and pages and pages of websites come up, I can know how to tell if they are legit and worth looking into. This is helpful for projects that I will have in the future as well as for me as a parent so that I can keep my children safe when they are on the internet.
As a colleague, we need to make sure that we are all teaching internet safety to our students. We can work together with the computer teacher, if there is one, to find ways that we can encourage safe surfing. My kids were with me as I looked at the different websites and they told me that they had been on all of the internet safety websites that Doc Waters had us look up. It makes me very happy that they are being taught about this at their school. In fact, we have one of the websites in our favorites from a while ago, NetSmartKids.org.
Now What?
What does this technology mean to my future students? The internet is used by the majority of the families in the United States which means that the children are using it. It's important that they are aware of the dangers that can be found there but also understand how to be safe. We may be the only people that teach them about it.
I can assign the students to play on some of the internet safety games that I have found. I can also have them work on projects using the internet. There are several great websites that have worksheets that the students can fill out as they do searches on the web. I will be a better teacher by making sure that my students are safe when on the net.
As a parent, I would hope that my kids are learning internet safety at school as well as at home...which they are and I am very thankful!
Video Reflection
The video basically went over internet safety and had rules that are helpful for students as well as teachers. I enjoyed the pictures that were there as well because the kids can relate to it. I liked that there were parts for the parents, teachers and students! I will be sharing it with my future students for sure!
This week we are learning about Internet Safety and what we as educators can do to keep our students safe when they are online. Another thing that we are learning is how to help our students decifer good information on the web versus bad information and sources. We are also adding more information onto our UEN classroom website.
So What?
This information is very important to me as a teacher, student and colleague. As a teacher it is very important that we keep our students safe when they are on the internet. We have the responsibility to teach them how to safely use the internet for projects and activities. There are many dangers on the web that children are unaware of and unfortunately can be sucked into some very bad and dangerous situations. There are tons of great information that is very useful and educational as well as fun if used correctly and it's my job as a teacher to show them how to find it and stay away from the bad things.
As a student, I learned how to find out if information on the internet is helpful and correct such as when I am searching under a specific topic and pages and pages of websites come up, I can know how to tell if they are legit and worth looking into. This is helpful for projects that I will have in the future as well as for me as a parent so that I can keep my children safe when they are on the internet.
As a colleague, we need to make sure that we are all teaching internet safety to our students. We can work together with the computer teacher, if there is one, to find ways that we can encourage safe surfing. My kids were with me as I looked at the different websites and they told me that they had been on all of the internet safety websites that Doc Waters had us look up. It makes me very happy that they are being taught about this at their school. In fact, we have one of the websites in our favorites from a while ago, NetSmartKids.org.
Now What?
What does this technology mean to my future students? The internet is used by the majority of the families in the United States which means that the children are using it. It's important that they are aware of the dangers that can be found there but also understand how to be safe. We may be the only people that teach them about it.
I can assign the students to play on some of the internet safety games that I have found. I can also have them work on projects using the internet. There are several great websites that have worksheets that the students can fill out as they do searches on the web. I will be a better teacher by making sure that my students are safe when on the net.
As a parent, I would hope that my kids are learning internet safety at school as well as at home...which they are and I am very thankful!
Video Reflection
The video basically went over internet safety and had rules that are helpful for students as well as teachers. I enjoyed the pictures that were there as well because the kids can relate to it. I liked that there were parts for the parents, teachers and students! I will be sharing it with my future students for sure!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
UEN Reflection
The UEN website is an amazing tool for both educators and students. I will definitely use UEN in my future classroom. The Pioneer Library is very beneficial because it allows the students and teachers access to a wealth of information so that they can do reports and projects on pretty much any subject. It is a great place for students to go to work on group assignments as well as individual assignments. In the Pioneer Library, students have access to articles, encyclopedias and books. They have access to this information without even having to leave their homes. I will also use the Pioneer Library in the classroom so that the studens are familiar with the site and can use it to it's full potential.
Interactives are also a great resource for the students as well as me as a teacher. There are programs that allow the students to learn by using learning aids with links to PBS activities. Many of the students will be familiar with the characters from these programs so they will enjoy the many different interactives. Some include Reading activities with Clifford and Word World. There are also math, social studies, health and several other interactives which the students can use at home as well as in class. My goal is to use these interactives during individual study time or in centers.
The lesson plans that are found in UEN are going to make my life much easier because there are hundreds of lesson plans which all go along with the State Core Curriculum. I can use the lesson plan exactly as it is on the UEN site or I can change it up a bit to meet the needs of my class depending on what the subject is. I am also excited to be able to use it in the classes that I am taking now and will be taking in the future at UVU. The Core Curriculum is explained and ideas are given for lessons so there shouldn't be any confusion on what should be taught throughout the school year. The UEN site is a treasure trove of information that I can't wait to use!
The Scavenger Hunt that we did this week has been very helpful and has allowed me to become much more familiar with the resources that UEN offers to both students and teachers! I also love that we have access to eMedia where we can find videos to go along with the lessons that we are teaching. We can also save them to our classroom site and even if they are taken off of the UEN site, we will have them forever. My own children have seen me working on this project and have told me that several of their teachers have used UEN with them in their classrooms.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Reflection #4 - UEN
What?
This week we learned about the UEN website. UEN stands for Utah Education Network. Doc Waters showed us all of the great resources that are available to us through UEN. Our assignment was to create our own account on the UEN site. There is a two part assignment which will take two weeks to complete. First we will finish setting up our account with the tabs and thing things listed on the rubric. Then, next week we will do a scavenger hunt. The UEN site is going to be very helpful and I look forward to using it often!
So What?
So what does it mean to me as a teacher? As a teacher, UEN's site will be a treasure box of resources from lesson plans to online classes. I love that other teachers have put lesson plans on there for other teachers to use. I am still learning more about the site but I am excited about it and the information that is there for me to use. As a student it will help me to come up with ideas for lesson plans as well as getting ideas of what is required for curriculum. It also helps me to create my own account where I can organize the information that I am getting from this class. I took a look at some of the links to past student's pages and there are a lot of things that can be done with UEN. As a colleague, the site and account is helpful because we can use the information as a team for lesson plans and I also love the interactive activities that are on there. We can also take some of the continuing education courses as a team or with the other teachers in the school and can encourage each other to reach our teaching goals.
Doc Waters has told us that we will use the UEN site a lot in the next two years. I know that I still have a lot to learn about it but know that it will become a very useful resource. I am sure that it will come in handy with all of the team projects that we will be doing in the Education Program too. It makes me excited to be learning the things that will be a "life saver" when I am actually in my own classroom!
Now What?
What does this technology mean to my future students? In playing on the site, I found many fun activities that I can use as teaching tools in my classroom. There are also some activities on the site that I can have the students do when they have finished their work but others haven't. This is if I have access to computers in my classroom. We were able to "play" on some of the interactive activities in class and there are tons of activities that teach the concepts that we are teaching as core curriculum. I had a class last semester where I had to come up with several lesson plans but I hadn't ever made lesson plans before. I struggled to put together lessons that would be good. Had I known about this site, I wouldn't have had such a hard time. It will save me a lot of time to be able to use the resources on the site.
I can even assign homework to the students from the site. I just found one that will be very helpful to my own children about counting money. I can send the link home with their homework packet or a note and as long as everyone has access to the internet and a computer, they will be able to do the homework. There are activities from math to reading and spelling and much more that will be great practice for the kids as well as homework ideas for me as the teacher. I shouldn't have any problems knowing what to teach or finding something to teach because there is a plethera of information on all subjects that we will cover in the classroom. As teachers we will all have access to this site and can get packets or lesson plans together so that we, as a team, can all be on the same page.
I not only plan to use this site in school but I am also going to have my kids do some of the activities on there. Both of my girls struggle in school and it will help them to get to where they need to be. As a parent it is important that I do all that I can do to help them. I know it sounds silly to be so excited about this site but I really am because I feel like it is a treasure box of information that will help me to be the best teacher I can be!
Video Reflection
I am so glad that Doc Waters had us watch the video called President Obama's Speech to Children because it caused so much controversy back in September when he spoke to the children of America. I had not had the opportunity to hear the speech until now. I had my nine year old daughter sit and listen to it with me. It was great to talk to her about the things that President Obama had to say. He encouraged students everywhere to take advantage of the opportunities that they are given to improve themselves. I love that he used examples from his own life growing up so that the children can relate to him. He listed the responsibilities of the parents, government and that of the student. He said that the one responsible for learning and being the best that they can be is them, the student. He told them that they ALL have something special to offer those around them as well as their country. So many young people think that they can drop out of school or just graduate from high school and a great job will drop into their laps. President Obama explained that it doesn't work that way! He encouraged them to take responsibility for themselves and their education and to also set goals that will make them strive to be better. I was very impressed with his speech. Thank you, Doc Waters, for having us watch this video!
This week we learned about the UEN website. UEN stands for Utah Education Network. Doc Waters showed us all of the great resources that are available to us through UEN. Our assignment was to create our own account on the UEN site. There is a two part assignment which will take two weeks to complete. First we will finish setting up our account with the tabs and thing things listed on the rubric. Then, next week we will do a scavenger hunt. The UEN site is going to be very helpful and I look forward to using it often!
So What?
So what does it mean to me as a teacher? As a teacher, UEN's site will be a treasure box of resources from lesson plans to online classes. I love that other teachers have put lesson plans on there for other teachers to use. I am still learning more about the site but I am excited about it and the information that is there for me to use. As a student it will help me to come up with ideas for lesson plans as well as getting ideas of what is required for curriculum. It also helps me to create my own account where I can organize the information that I am getting from this class. I took a look at some of the links to past student's pages and there are a lot of things that can be done with UEN. As a colleague, the site and account is helpful because we can use the information as a team for lesson plans and I also love the interactive activities that are on there. We can also take some of the continuing education courses as a team or with the other teachers in the school and can encourage each other to reach our teaching goals.
Doc Waters has told us that we will use the UEN site a lot in the next two years. I know that I still have a lot to learn about it but know that it will become a very useful resource. I am sure that it will come in handy with all of the team projects that we will be doing in the Education Program too. It makes me excited to be learning the things that will be a "life saver" when I am actually in my own classroom!
Now What?
What does this technology mean to my future students? In playing on the site, I found many fun activities that I can use as teaching tools in my classroom. There are also some activities on the site that I can have the students do when they have finished their work but others haven't. This is if I have access to computers in my classroom. We were able to "play" on some of the interactive activities in class and there are tons of activities that teach the concepts that we are teaching as core curriculum. I had a class last semester where I had to come up with several lesson plans but I hadn't ever made lesson plans before. I struggled to put together lessons that would be good. Had I known about this site, I wouldn't have had such a hard time. It will save me a lot of time to be able to use the resources on the site.
I can even assign homework to the students from the site. I just found one that will be very helpful to my own children about counting money. I can send the link home with their homework packet or a note and as long as everyone has access to the internet and a computer, they will be able to do the homework. There are activities from math to reading and spelling and much more that will be great practice for the kids as well as homework ideas for me as the teacher. I shouldn't have any problems knowing what to teach or finding something to teach because there is a plethera of information on all subjects that we will cover in the classroom. As teachers we will all have access to this site and can get packets or lesson plans together so that we, as a team, can all be on the same page.
I not only plan to use this site in school but I am also going to have my kids do some of the activities on there. Both of my girls struggle in school and it will help them to get to where they need to be. As a parent it is important that I do all that I can do to help them. I know it sounds silly to be so excited about this site but I really am because I feel like it is a treasure box of information that will help me to be the best teacher I can be!
Video Reflection
I am so glad that Doc Waters had us watch the video called President Obama's Speech to Children because it caused so much controversy back in September when he spoke to the children of America. I had not had the opportunity to hear the speech until now. I had my nine year old daughter sit and listen to it with me. It was great to talk to her about the things that President Obama had to say. He encouraged students everywhere to take advantage of the opportunities that they are given to improve themselves. I love that he used examples from his own life growing up so that the children can relate to him. He listed the responsibilities of the parents, government and that of the student. He said that the one responsible for learning and being the best that they can be is them, the student. He told them that they ALL have something special to offer those around them as well as their country. So many young people think that they can drop out of school or just graduate from high school and a great job will drop into their laps. President Obama explained that it doesn't work that way! He encouraged them to take responsibility for themselves and their education and to also set goals that will make them strive to be better. I was very impressed with his speech. Thank you, Doc Waters, for having us watch this video!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Reflection #3 - Google Part 2 and Video
What?
This week's class was again, very informative. There is so much that I am learning in such a short time. I am really excited about it and how these tools that I'm learning about can help me now and in the future. We learned about some more of the tools that are offered through Google such as Google Spreadsheets, Google Forms and Google Presentations.
Google is amazing! I really had no idea how many things are offered for free. In class on Thursday we learned how to use Google Spreadsheets which is very similar to Excel. It is very easy to use and has many applications for teaching such as keeping track of grades, attendance and can even be used to make seating charts which is what Doc Waters does for our class.
Google Forms is another thing that we learned about in class. I always wondered how questionaires are done and now I know how to do it and even posted one on here as a trial. Forms can be used for many things such as class surveys, parent questionaires, testing and even for making permission forms. You can create forms with multiple choice, fill in the blank, fill in the bubble and you can rate something. This is great to get parents involved in the classroom and to get them onto the class website/blog. I also liked that once a form has been completed on the blog, a notification is sent to you. That way I will be able to keep track of who has filled it out and who hasn't.
Google Presentations is similar to Power Point. It is easy to use and is very useful for class presentations and team meetings. Our assignment for the week is to create a presentation with our team about class rules. I am excited to work on it some more and learn about all of the ways that we can share different ideas with the class. We have to have a picture as well as a rule on ten slides. I look forward to learning something new that will benefit my classroom!
So What?
So what does this all mean to me as a teacher, student, colleague today? Well, as a teacher it will help me to be more prepared and will ultimately save me a lot of time in the end. For example, with the spreadsheet, it can calculate percentages for grades which is very helpful since math is not a stong point for me. The forms tool will save a lot of paper if I post it on my classroom blog/website rather than making copies and having to send it home to be filled out. Then when they are returned, I would have to enter it all into the computer or onto another paper to keep track of the answers and who turned it in. The presentations are pretty self explanitory. I will use it to present lessons to my students and I can teach them and add fun pictures to get them excited about the subject. As a colleague, it will help me to be more organized for meetings because I can keep all of my information in one place or in one document. I can use the presentation tool for meetings to teach a concept to the team or to share ideas. We can do surveys with the forms tool and compare our answers between the classes. As a student, the spreadsheet can help me keep track of books that I am reading for my literature class or assignments and the grades that I get on them. The presentation tool is helpful because we are often asked to present ideas or projects to the class and it is so much more professional to do it in a slide show. It shows that I have taken the time to get the information and it can be presented in a very creative way that will keep the attention of the class.
I know that I can definitely use the spreadsheet tool in my personal life. Some of the ways that I plan on using it are by creating a chore chart for my kids, keeping track of the books that I own because I lend them out to friends and sometimes forget who has them and I can use it to keep track of my budget. It will help me to be more organized at home and will help me to feel less overwhelmed. Maybe my kids will actually start helping me around the house!
Now What?
This technology is going to make for an organized teacher who can devote more time to each individual. It will also allow me as the teacher to be more creative than if I were just in front of the class lecturing. I am excited about the presentation tool because it will involve getting the attention of the students by using fun colorful pictures and colorful slides. I can even have the students make their own presentations or have them do it as a group. They can do reports on it or projects and then they can share it with the class. It will allow them to be creative and keep them from just standing in front of the class and reading their paper. We can use the forms tool for math by having the students create a questionaire and then tallying the answers and figuring out averages and we can create story problems that they can relate to. Since all of these Google tools allow collaboration, I can assign some of these things as homework and they can work on it at home too and with a partner who is at his/her own home.
I can work with my department or team to collaborate on presentations. For example, if the second grade team has to present an idea to the rest of our colleagues, we can work on the slides together as a team or we can indivually work on it from our homes and get ideas by sharing our ideas for the presentation when we are not physically together. We can also pass the ideas/information on to the principal to review if we add him/her as a collaborator and then we can get his/her feedback. I think from what I have learned so far, the presentation tool seems to be the best one at collaborating with my colleagues. We are all busy and these tools allow us to work on things when we are able to. There is not as much pressure because it can be done from the comfort of our own homes if we don't get a chance to work on it in school.
I think that what we learned this week will help me to be a better teacher, mother and student because it will help me to be more organized. I can have all of the information that I need right in my computer rather than carrying around a gradebook or wasting paper on more handouts. My goal is to be really organized so that I can focus on other things and I also want to be able to be creative and catch the students attention which I believe these tools will allow me to do. It also brings in more technology and less lecture time and more visuals. I want to try to focus on each student's learning style.
VIDEO
I am impressed with the enthusiasm of the young man in the video. He is smart and has things figured out. The key to making your goals in life a reality is by getting an education. He said that by focusing on our education and working really hard, we can become whatever we want. Decide what your passion is and go for it. Don't waste the opportunity that we have to better ourselves and become what we want by valuing our education. It's important that we decide where we want to be and do what it takes to get there. He used the names of some famous directors and said that they didn't just become directors over night, they had to take the proper steps to become directors by going to schools that offered that kind of training. It was only through hard work and determination that they were able to accomplish their goals. Education is the key to reaching our highest potential!
This week's class was again, very informative. There is so much that I am learning in such a short time. I am really excited about it and how these tools that I'm learning about can help me now and in the future. We learned about some more of the tools that are offered through Google such as Google Spreadsheets, Google Forms and Google Presentations.
Google is amazing! I really had no idea how many things are offered for free. In class on Thursday we learned how to use Google Spreadsheets which is very similar to Excel. It is very easy to use and has many applications for teaching such as keeping track of grades, attendance and can even be used to make seating charts which is what Doc Waters does for our class.
Google Forms is another thing that we learned about in class. I always wondered how questionaires are done and now I know how to do it and even posted one on here as a trial. Forms can be used for many things such as class surveys, parent questionaires, testing and even for making permission forms. You can create forms with multiple choice, fill in the blank, fill in the bubble and you can rate something. This is great to get parents involved in the classroom and to get them onto the class website/blog. I also liked that once a form has been completed on the blog, a notification is sent to you. That way I will be able to keep track of who has filled it out and who hasn't.
Google Presentations is similar to Power Point. It is easy to use and is very useful for class presentations and team meetings. Our assignment for the week is to create a presentation with our team about class rules. I am excited to work on it some more and learn about all of the ways that we can share different ideas with the class. We have to have a picture as well as a rule on ten slides. I look forward to learning something new that will benefit my classroom!
So What?
So what does this all mean to me as a teacher, student, colleague today? Well, as a teacher it will help me to be more prepared and will ultimately save me a lot of time in the end. For example, with the spreadsheet, it can calculate percentages for grades which is very helpful since math is not a stong point for me. The forms tool will save a lot of paper if I post it on my classroom blog/website rather than making copies and having to send it home to be filled out. Then when they are returned, I would have to enter it all into the computer or onto another paper to keep track of the answers and who turned it in. The presentations are pretty self explanitory. I will use it to present lessons to my students and I can teach them and add fun pictures to get them excited about the subject. As a colleague, it will help me to be more organized for meetings because I can keep all of my information in one place or in one document. I can use the presentation tool for meetings to teach a concept to the team or to share ideas. We can do surveys with the forms tool and compare our answers between the classes. As a student, the spreadsheet can help me keep track of books that I am reading for my literature class or assignments and the grades that I get on them. The presentation tool is helpful because we are often asked to present ideas or projects to the class and it is so much more professional to do it in a slide show. It shows that I have taken the time to get the information and it can be presented in a very creative way that will keep the attention of the class.
I know that I can definitely use the spreadsheet tool in my personal life. Some of the ways that I plan on using it are by creating a chore chart for my kids, keeping track of the books that I own because I lend them out to friends and sometimes forget who has them and I can use it to keep track of my budget. It will help me to be more organized at home and will help me to feel less overwhelmed. Maybe my kids will actually start helping me around the house!
Now What?
This technology is going to make for an organized teacher who can devote more time to each individual. It will also allow me as the teacher to be more creative than if I were just in front of the class lecturing. I am excited about the presentation tool because it will involve getting the attention of the students by using fun colorful pictures and colorful slides. I can even have the students make their own presentations or have them do it as a group. They can do reports on it or projects and then they can share it with the class. It will allow them to be creative and keep them from just standing in front of the class and reading their paper. We can use the forms tool for math by having the students create a questionaire and then tallying the answers and figuring out averages and we can create story problems that they can relate to. Since all of these Google tools allow collaboration, I can assign some of these things as homework and they can work on it at home too and with a partner who is at his/her own home.
I can work with my department or team to collaborate on presentations. For example, if the second grade team has to present an idea to the rest of our colleagues, we can work on the slides together as a team or we can indivually work on it from our homes and get ideas by sharing our ideas for the presentation when we are not physically together. We can also pass the ideas/information on to the principal to review if we add him/her as a collaborator and then we can get his/her feedback. I think from what I have learned so far, the presentation tool seems to be the best one at collaborating with my colleagues. We are all busy and these tools allow us to work on things when we are able to. There is not as much pressure because it can be done from the comfort of our own homes if we don't get a chance to work on it in school.
I think that what we learned this week will help me to be a better teacher, mother and student because it will help me to be more organized. I can have all of the information that I need right in my computer rather than carrying around a gradebook or wasting paper on more handouts. My goal is to be really organized so that I can focus on other things and I also want to be able to be creative and catch the students attention which I believe these tools will allow me to do. It also brings in more technology and less lecture time and more visuals. I want to try to focus on each student's learning style.
VIDEO
I am impressed with the enthusiasm of the young man in the video. He is smart and has things figured out. The key to making your goals in life a reality is by getting an education. He said that by focusing on our education and working really hard, we can become whatever we want. Decide what your passion is and go for it. Don't waste the opportunity that we have to better ourselves and become what we want by valuing our education. It's important that we decide where we want to be and do what it takes to get there. He used the names of some famous directors and said that they didn't just become directors over night, they had to take the proper steps to become directors by going to schools that offered that kind of training. It was only through hard work and determination that they were able to accomplish their goals. Education is the key to reaching our highest potential!
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