Reflection week #15

This class has been very enlightening for me. I learned a new definition for the word "journey" and how to love it. Along my journey I learned many new technologies that will enhance my teaching career. The uen.org site is a tremendous tool I will use when I do my lesson plans. I believe that children learn better when they are taught in many different learning styles. My favorite way to learn is the hands on approach. I like to see it, feel it, smell it, hear, it ect. There are many great tools such as kidspiration and education games to help with this task. When I was Elementary school age I watched Saturday cartoons. School house rock aired inbetween cartoons. I still remember conjunction, conjuction whats your function. For my generation this was a creative way of teaching. I could hear it and see it in an fun way. It is amazing how smell could add to teaching also. When I was in Kindergarten my class got cookies and milk with brown paper towels to wipe the crumbs. Thirty years later was my first day working at an Elementary school. When I went in the bathroom I noticed a smell that took me right back to Kindergarten. It was the brown paper towels. Amazing what smell can do. Someone should create a program that has smells. For instance one of the educational games I found while taking this class was a pirate game. The game could smell like the seashore because the pirates were on the seashore.
There are so many great opportunities for technology in education. My hope is that schools will be more accesible to the opportunities. A district in Utah recently had an incident with computers in a school. Two fifth graders typed a word the filter didn't recognize and saw porn. This is an incident that could keep more technology from the schools because of the controversy it has caused. I believe that technology takes education to great strides and should not be banned because of some mischief makers.
This past week as I learned about microsoft word and its templates, I marveled over this technology that makes our lives and jobs easier. This class is the bomb! At first I wondered if I would enjoy the journey because looking ahead it seemed overwhelming, but now looking back the journey has been a pleasant one. Sometimes we have to take classes and we wonder why? This class was very useful, I will use what I learned over and over.

Video: School House Rock: Nouns

This video brought me back to my childhood. Every Saturday morning my sisters and I got up early to watch cartoons. This video played inbetween cartoons sometimes. I loved it as a kid. I think the younger aged students K-2 would think it was cool but it might be a little old fashioned for the older kids. When the song talked about how the Beatles, Monkeys and Chubby Checkers were nouns, I wondered exactly what kids in this generation would think the song is talking about. Beatles and Monkeys would be passed off as a bug and animal, but Chubby Checkers, hum, maybe big,fat toy checkers!

Reflection: Power point

The book we used in class to create our power point activity was frustrating at first because the instructions didn't do what they were supposed to. Fortunately, we have great team work in our class. Another pod was trying to do the same thing and they found intructions in the back of the book that work. The instructions we needed were for microsoft powerpoint 2007. I hope in my teaching career I have the same kind of good kind people as in our class. I have seen first hand when teaching teams don't treat each other with kindness. One instance there was a new teacher who thought the team leader was purposly taking advantage of her. I was supposed to work evenly with both teachers as the aide. The new teacher felt the other teacher was taking me during her her alloted time. It caused quite a rift between the two. The principal even apologized to me for having to deal with it. As the outsider looking in, from my point of view is was all a misunderstanding.
Another team I saw struggling was in one of the lower grades. Two of the three teachers do the same thing each year. The third teacher hasn't been at the school as long and wanted to try a new thing. She wanted to have a program with the kids singing and a slide show at the end. She invited the other teachers to join. One didn't want to but felt like if she didn't she would look bad, so she unhappily joined and caused tears and frustration. The next year the teacher who wanted to do the program didn't know what to do because it is such a touchy subject with her team. She didn't know if she should just do it on her own and not tell the others or let them make a choice. The point is there were many frustrating, stressful moments for this team because of a lack of kindness or tolerance. I hope when I am the new one and join a team we can work well together like my classmates.

Video: Do you Believe in Me?

This video was very motivational for me. I even got a little choked up listening to it. Many times I hear the phrase being a teacher is a thankless job. Every teacher needs a boost every once in awhile. The kid is an amazing speaker. I am amazed at his composure, voice reflection, and lack of fear. This video brought to my realization just how much a teacher can impact students. When he said that for some a teacher is all we got. Wow! Powerful!! I think it should be a requirement for every district to provide a motivational assembly for teachers once or twice a year!

Bring on the Technology

What an amazing time to live! There are endless amounts of creativity an educator can use to help students thrive. I wonder what really makes a good teacher. I am now convinced using technology is an important step in becoming the teacher that I want to be. I am amazed each week as I take in the video of the week. The videos and this class have given me great knowledge of things I didn't know before. As I watched the video this week I wondered if any schools were using the technology the author promoted. I know Oprah uses Skype and it is a free service. I would love to see these tools actually used in the school setting. I feel like I have all these big dreams for my classroom but how much am I really going to be allowed to use. Where there is a will there is a way. It may not be a reality for each student to have their own computer but I will have one. Hopefully it will work with some applications to hook up to the projector, and do things together as a class.
Even young students are ready for technology. I work with a Kindergartener. Everyday we play a number game on the computer. I usually set the computer up for her but a few times she wanted to try to set it up. With a few instructions she set it up perfectly. She likes to explore with the computer. For instance she types the wrong numbers in the answer on purpose just so she can use the backspace button to erase it. She isn't the least bit afraid or intimidated by the computer and she is a tiny little thing. This generation is more than ready for technology tools. I sure hope we can give the technology to them. Education continues to get the axe with budget cuts! It will be up to us, as educators, to find ways to fund these tools. Maybe we could start a pilot program and compare results of the students that use technology tools vs old fashioned learning. If I am going to dream I may as well dream big. If it becomes too much of an obsticle someone should start a school that utilizes all the wonderful tools there are available out there.

Video: Three Steps

This video was fun to watch. I think the author is on to something. I loved the quote about how the students are learning when the teacher stops talking. I will have to remember that tip when I am a teacher. I also love the idea of global peers. I have always wanted to travel but don't have the time or money. My students could learn abouth other cultures without needing extra time or money. How awesome for my future students! This would give them a great opportunity to learn from others that are different than they are. I sure hope I get to see these great tools in my education career. Sometimes I worry that our classrooms will continue to look like the 1960's.

Video: The Connected Classroom

The connected classroom brings up the idea that we as teachers need to "connect" with our students. I love watching the old movies. Singing in the Rain with Fred Astair is one of my favorites. Sometimes it seems so much easier before all the technology yet this day and age is so exciting! I loved the comparison the video made to the juke box and the ipod. I am sure many people in the day of the juke box wouldn't believe such a thing as an ipod. Imagine trying to explain it to someone in that era. Teaching the rising generation has completely different techniques than those of our ancestors. "Connecting" our students will be important for their success. As a teacher I will strive to help my students be a success.

Kidspiration and Inspiration

This week was fun checking out Kidspiration and Inspiration. The site was easy to use, no perspiration needed! I really enjoyed kidspiration because it had so many fun things for kids and I proclaim to be a kid at heart. Kidspiration was definately inspired. One of the main things I hear from the teachers I work with is how they hate writing lesson plans for substitutes. With Kidspiration planning a lesson would be so much easier. Every math page was warm and inviting, which for math is exciting. A few weeks ago one of the teachers I work with was on a measurement unit. I thought about how fun it would have been to use the pages on Kidspiration where students measure things in the house. The graphics and color of the pages are very inviting for kids. When I was in Elementary School I had a hard time with math because my teacher didn't explain things very well. I got stuck on the alligator concept for less than and greater than. Anyway, looking at the basic concepts of math on Kidspiration would help my students understand better. I loved the sheet where it broke down the number in ten's and one's etc. It seems people either love math or hate it. I believe students hate it because they haven't been taught the best way for them. Everyone has different learning styles. Because I struggle with math I want my students to conquer it. Using these great programs such as Kidspiration will help in reaching this goal.
Another subject I really liked on Kispiration is Social Studies. There are some great maps that excite the senses. There are also some great games to see what you know about the branches of government. Knowing the branches of government and what they do will help students all the way up to High School. My own kids who have taken Citizenship and Government, a required class to graduate, have to know what the different branches responsibilities are. Now, High School students can look to their younger brothers and sisters, who have an amazing, engaging teacher that uses Kidspiration in the classroom.
Another thing I liked about Kidspiration are the charts that you can create and the clip art that is available to you. Inspiration had some neat features for creating charts, like the fire button (I think that is what it was called)that creates several caption circles. I wish I could play around with the programs longer. I am sure I just touched the surface. Thanks to those who were inspired to create Kidspiration and Inspiration!

Voki Reflection: Week 11

Get a Voki now!

I am excited to use digital camera's in my classroom to enhance learning. Digital camera's are a great tool to use for teaching in many ways. I really like how we can use pictures from our camera's for a power point presentation. You can be so creative with powerpoint. We didn't have very much time in class to learn how to use power point and be creative so I just did the basics but I know the possibilites are endless. This week in class was the first time I have ever used powerpoint but my husband and even my 14 year old knows how to use it. My husband used powerpoint for online presentations when he was doing his masters degree. He went to University of Phoenix online. He had to do a power point presentation with other classmates from around the world. Everyone in the group did 2 or 3 slides on their own and that made up the entire presentation. Just think how cool it would of been if they could have used Google Presentations so they could work on the slides together. Knowledge is power! I also thought it was fun using picasa for my pictures. Picasa is another tool I want to play with. There are some fun ways to change pictures. Today at work the teacher I am an aide for asked me to color pictures of emotions. For example one was happy, one was angry, etc. I have been looking for ways to use a digital camera in the classroom setting. While I was coloring I thought about how fun it would be to take pictures of the students emulating these emotions. The teacher was using these pictures for the students to use when they read. I think using a real picture of the student showing that emotion would be even more effective. I love how this class has given me a chance to get my creative juices flowing.

Video Reflection: Digital Cameras

I thought it was funny when Doc. Waters asked the class if everyone knows what a digital camera is. If someone raised their hand I would be worried if they were from some other planet or came here from another dimension in time. When the first digital camera came out I didn't want anything to do with it. I wanted to be able to hold a picture in my hand, not just store it on my camera card. As time went on I got used to the idea. I made a goal to print pictures every month so I could have the physical product. I haven't met my goal as of yet. As more time went on I realized how much money I was saving because I didn't have to develop every picture. Also I realized I could take 100's of pictures just for fun without having to worry about the cost of developing every picture. For instance today I went to my son's school program. I took a lot of pictures, some weren't so great but it was okay because I can pick and choose what I keep. Since the digital camera other great products have come out to help utilize pictures. My son is on a mission. He sends pictures home on a camera card and we save them on a CD. I am going to make a scrapbook online with his pictures that will end up looking like a picture book. Of course there is other great technology like facebook etc. where you can download your favorite pictures on your site. The digital camera has made that task much easier. All of the uses of the digital camera for personal use could also be used in the classroom. I think it might be a good idea for me to take a picture of my students to help me learn their names. It also would be fun to take pictures of memories through the year to put in some kind of a memory book at the end of the year. I look forward to learning more about how to use digital cameras to help with my curriculum. I am sure the possibilities are endless.

Video: Top 10 Things Didn't Learn about Teaching in College

This video was hilarious! I loved every minute of it. Even though I don't actually have a teaching career yet, I have heard teachers express some of the things that were on Dave's top 10 list. One I hear a lot is that it is easier to go to school sick than to make up lesson plans. My favorite one was "The Principals office is still scary". The principals I have worked for as an aide are very nice and easy to work for, but I have heard stories of others around the district. I shared this video with a Kindergarten teacher at work. She didn't know teacher tube existed. She wants to share the video at faculty meeting. I love spreading the knowledge!

We Didn't Start the Fire Video Reflection

What a fun video. I like the song. I remember when I first heard this song in the late 80's, it has a catchy, fun beat. When this song came out I had no idea what it was talking about. I didn't know it was a history lesson. The song is so fast with so many words, I didn't catch all of them years ago. In fact when the song says "Trouble in the Suez", I thought it said , "Trouble in the sewers. " This video would be a blast to show to a upper elementary or secondary class. It is eye catching and nicely done. I wonder if Billy Joel knew his song would be used for educational purposes. I can't imagine writing the song. They did a fantastic job with it!

Reflection for the Week

To Surf or Not To Surf

I think the internet is a great tool to use in Education. There are endless sites out there for teachers to use in curriculum and to help them in teacher development. I have found the UEN Website to be very useful already in my journey of becoming a teacher. I remember my younger years when there was no such thing as the internet. I spent a lot of precious time in the library. Sometimes the local library didn’t have what I needed so I had to travel to a University, which was very inconvenient. The internet offers great convenience to educators who have very little extra time on their hands. The internet is also a great tool for students. My daughter, who is a senior has put the internet to use several times through her years of school. Interestingly though, she had a research paper for her AP College Writing class and was required to go to the BYU Library for her research because her teacher said that the internet is not always reliable. I believe with the information we learned from Kathy Schrock we can navigate our way through the internet’s viable sources.

We should evaluate the internet sites we use because we don’t want the information we get to be wrong or biased. There are sites out there that have an agenda. When teachers or students are looking for information it is important to follow the steps to properly evaluate each website we use. If we use information that is invalid it could end up being like a piece of juicy gossip. We all know the advertisement slogan, “you tell two friends and so on and so on”. Pretty soon George Washington had ten wives or Abraham Lincoln had a lisp. Some people believe all information from the internet is gospel truth.

A good source to use to evaluate a website is from Kathy Schrock. She asks herself five questions when using a website. The first question is who is the author? Are they an expert? The second question is what is the websites purpose? Are they trying to sell something? The third question is when was the site created, updated and last worked on? The fourth question is where did the information on the website come from? The last question is the information useful for my purpose? One other evaluation I would use is to look for the ~mark in the URL. If that mark is in the URL it isn’t a valid resource.

I have a great responsibility on my hands as a teacher to help my students be safe surfers. First of all any computers used at the school should be protected with firewalls etc. so my students aren’t a victim to something they don’t want to see. Or some students might want try to see something they aren’t supposed to so it is vital that the school has those safeguards in place. It is also important for me to teach internet safety in the class. The school where I work just had internet safety week with many activities. The theme was Crash and Tell. It is very important to get this information to my students because unfortunately there are many predators, cyber bullies, etc. lurking. I was appalled at how many predators are on myspace. I am sure it is only going to get worse. If my students know the safety issues, they will be protected and won’t get burned!

Reflection Week 8

This week I would like to reflect on my journey so far. When I sat in my interview today for the Education Department this class came to mind many times as my group discussed current topics. The question was asked about budget cuts and what our views were on cutting the arts. This question made me think about how diverse a teacher needs to be to be successful. As teachers we may have to teach art, and music in the classroom if the specialists are cut. Someone in the group asked, "But what if we aren't good at art or music?" I thought about this class and the UEN Scavenger Hunt. If you aren't good at music there are plenty of music games and interactives specific to the grade to help you teach in music. I didn't explore the art subject on UEN as well as the music subject but I am sure it is the same. Then, there was another debate on the subject of interns. One person in my group strongly opposed interns. She thinks interns are used for the purpose of saving money only. She thinks they aren't as well prepared as student teachers. I disagree with her because interns are going to use every tool they can to do a good job so they will be hired the following year. I think one way to be a good teacher is to use the technology that is available to them. I didn't realize how much technology supports teachers. The school I currently work at only has computers in the library and the typing classroom but I am excited to know that there are elementary schools out there that have a computer for every student right in Alpine School District. We need to find out how they got their computers and follow their example because I am now a technology believer for the classroom!

Video relfection for the Week: Did you Know 3.0

The ending sentence in this video puts what I was thinking into words. "So what does it all mean?" I was asking myself the same question and here is what I came up with. The windows of knowledge are wide open for technology. If you think about how far the world has come from the horse and buggy, it is amazing, but then you think how far the world has come since even five years ago and it is astounding. Something I learned from this video is how far other countries are coming into knowledge also, the windows of knowledge are opened for the entire world, and the US better keep up or we will fall behind even more. Since texting has become so big, I just hope the English Language isn't changed to all acronyms. I also wish I could download one of the chips for the computers that will be smarter than humans in my brain. Okay, in all seriousness, it is exciting to live in a time of change. Bring it on!

UEN Reflection Paper

UEN will be a part of my daily classroom core curriculum. This website is an outstanding tool that I will incorporate throughout my teaching career. I will use UEN to help me write curriculum that has many facets to it. UEN lesson plans are fun and creative. My curriculum will include a lesson plan and an interactive to help my students understand the concept. For example in math my students will learn about fractions. There are several interactives available to enhance the student learning. There were other things I found interesting. I will utilize the Themepark for teaching ideas in social study subjects. I love the idea of doing a service project once a year. I will use UEN to find ideas for my class service project. I will use the Pioneer Library to research a topic I may not be familiar with. I would also like to spend a few minutes a day on a fun fact which I can get right out of Pioneer Library. I have always been intrigued by the how and why of things in this world, I hope to give some of that excitement to my students. I will show my students how to use the Culture Grams, World Book, and SIRS database for reports or research. One of the great tools specifically for fourth grade is the Counties of Utah. My students will use Counties of Utah found in Pioneer Library to enhance their learning.

I am astonished as I have shared what I have learned in UEN with my co-workers. I thought UEN would be used by those in the teaching field. The teachers I work with have heard of UEN but do not utilize it in their classroom. In the course of two weeks there were several times when I got on the UEN website to help a teacher come up with a game on math or a lesson plan on writing. I am amazed UEN isn’t used more. I am impressed with UEN and what it has to offer. Why reinvent the wheel when it is right there at your fingertips? I am excited to use UEN! UEN will give me the keys to be a successful teacher. Thank you to whomever made the UEN website possible!

Week 7 Video: Surface Computing

This video blew me away. I have seen this kind of technology in the movies. I just saw a movie where this mega computer tries to take over the world called Eagle Eye. The movie used surface computing. These guys were bringing up all kinds of information on this big screen with their hands. I remember when I saw the movie wondering if there really is technology that exists like that. Now I know the answer to that question. The part of surface technology that really got me was the "Intelligent Surfaces". Anything can be intelligent, even the surface of your favorite furniture. I loved the part in the video when they put the camera on the table and the picture appeared on the surface! This technology would be fun to use in home decorating. Maybe I could have "intelligent walls" in my home. I could change the interior walls whenenver I get tired of them. Wow, this idea is cool, I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Video Reflection: Week 6

The video called "A Vision of K-12 Students today was interesting. At first I couldn't believe that only 14% of teachers let their students use technology. That means that most teachers aren't using technology in the class room. As I thought about it I began to believe because a lot of teachers aren't technology savvy. Many teachers are between 40-60 years old. I am assuming the teachers in that age bracket are doing things the way they did when they started teaching. I am in that age group but I am beginning my career so I want to learn all the tools that are available to me. I would assume that when a teacher has taught for many years they just do the same things they have already taught. Curriculum does change over the years but how the teacher presents probably doesn't. Another reason I believe only 14% of teachers use technology is because I work at a school. There are a few that use technology, all teachers use e-mail but other than that I haven't seen technology. Some of the problem could be funding. Maybe the teachers don't have the money to have access to the tools they need. Every teacher has one computer but for a entire class to play games, etc on computers they would need a lot more. There may be mountains I have to climb but I will do my best not to be one of the teachers in the 86% that doesn't use technology.

Reflection: Week 6

This class has given me a good basis to reach one of my goals as a teacher. One of my goals as a teacher is to make learning fun. I am now convinced to accomplish this goal I must engage my students. The question is, "How do I engage my students?" This class has given me many tools already to help me reach this goal. Using technology in the class room will help engage my students. From experience I have seen two different ways of teaching. I worked as a 504 aide for three years. One class I worked in was rowdy, the teacher had a difficult time keeping the students in control. I really didn't blame the students for being rowdy because the class was somewhat boring. Boring is an interesting word, it is overused by many students. But in this case it was the truth. I was an adult yet the lessons made me sleepy. If I am sleepy imagine how 28 pre-adolescents felt. The same teacher gave an engaging lesson once, when she was being evaluated by the principal. She was very prepared for the lesson that day. She used interesting props to prove a point. It got the students attention. I don't think teachers should have to entertain their students for six hours everyday, but teachers need a good lesson plan with hands on activities. In a class room down the hall the teacher had a high energy level. I worked in her class during math time. Almost everyday she had a math activity to help her students understand. This is the teacher who made me want to become one. She had a passion for the subject and the students.

Through the years of working in a school I have observed and watched teachers. Since I have taken this class I am more aware of the technology teachers are using. I noticed the Speech Therapist's laptop computer. Right there on her computer screen was google calendar with three different scheduling colors, red for work, blue for personal and green for her husbands schedule. I got a little excited when I saw the calendar because it is fun to see people using what I am learning. I even told the Speech Therapist about the phone feature, she didn't know about that. Another experience I had was with one of the resource teachers. She taught 4th grade last year so I thought she would be the best person to ask about tools she used in her class room. She took me to uen.org! She went on and on about UEN and how awesome it is. You can imagine how I am feeling now about the UEN scavenger hunt. I want to learn all about UEN! The resource teacher told me that she taught science to both fourth grade classes. She took the students outside with tools to find out what the weather was going to be like. She used videos in UEN to help her students with math. She engaged her students. I can't even begin to say how thrilled I am to live in the age of the internet. I have so many great tools at my finger tips.

Reflection 2: The Search for Similes, Metaphors, and Idioms

The Search for Similes, Metaphors, and Idioms

The game called “The Search for Similes, Metaphors, and Idioms is an interactive game created on PowerPoint by two fourth grade classes. There are two reasons why this game is a good choice for students. The first reason is for the learning process the student utilizes by using this PowerPoint. The second reason is because the PowerPoint was made by fourth graders. It is fun to see what other fourth graders around the world are doing. The students in my class may also want to venture out and come up with an interactive PowerPoint game. The game has a “Winnie the Pooh” theme. The game uses bright, colorful cartoon graphics and a few of the familiar characters we have all grown to love. At the beginning of the game the student reads the definition of similes, metaphors and idioms. Similes, metaphors and idioms can be confusing because they are alike, yet they have their own distinct characteristics. The student must click on any button on the keyboard to go to the next slide. The game allows the student to read one question at a time. For each question there is a choice of three answers. The three choices are similes, metaphors and idioms. The student must choose one answer by clicking on it. The game has fifteen questions. If the student answers correctly Tigger will say something. If the student gives the wrong answer Piglet will say something. It is a cute game, very simple and to the point. All this game lacks is background music. Some students may find this game boring because it isn’t all bells and whistles but it does teach the subject well. The Search for Similes, Metaphors, and Idioms game will be used by each student during the language arts unit that introduces this topic. The game will be used the last 10 minutes of language arts during free time. Research has shown that when the student learns a subject with manipulatives, the student tends to retain what he or she has learned. Students can work on this game at their own pace without feeling pressure. With the help of this game the student will have a much better understanding of the subject.

Reflection 1: Place Value Pirates

Place Value Pirates

Place Value Pirates is a fun interactive game to help the student understand place value with decimals. The object of the game is to identify the pirate that has the correct number in the right place value. The number the student must identify flashes on top of the screen. The student has a time limit of two minutes to click on one of the five pirates. The student must click, on the pirate with the correct place value number. If the student is correct the pirate disappears and another pirate takes the place with a different number. If the student is wrong the pirate strikes his sword a few times with yours (the clicker) and grunts at you. The student must identify at least one pirate correct to move to the next round. Each round is harder with larger numbers. This game is very pleasing to the senses. The graphics are very well done, from realistic looking pirates to sparkling treasure. The music is exciting and exhilarating, although it would be wise to invest in earphones for each student so the room is not echoing with 28 theme songs going at the same time. The music is the theme song from the Disney film “Pirates of the Caribbean”. The pirate theme, music and the time limit enhances all elements of excitement to the user. The only thing missing is the smell of the seashore and sweaty pirates. One negative thing about this game is the numbers on the pirates are a little small. Another negative aspect is that the game could be frustrating for students that are slow. On the other hand the time helps competitive students want to do better. The developer could have put a flag in the game so the teacher could set the time for each individual student. Place Value Pirates will be used in the place value math unit. Math time is approximately 65 minutes each day. Students will play Place Value Pirates as a self starter for math. The students will play for 10-15 minutes before the lesson begins. Practice, practice, practice is a must in math. It is essential that concepts are repetitive so the brain can absorb it. This game will allow the student to remember the concepts taught on place value. For those students that are interested we will have a “Place Value Pirate Tournament” at the end of the unit.

Video Week 5: Millenial Generation

This video brought up some good questions and statements. The idea of having everything you want to do accesible with no limitations sounds amazing and we aren't far from it. When I think about it, it seems that the world is more like Star Trek than ever. I remember the first time I saw someone with a blue tooth in a store. I thought the person was talking to himself. Imagine what the pioneers would think. Even my generation can get overwhelmed by new technology if they don't have an open mind. I laughed when the kid in the video told about how he has to help his mom with her cell phone because I can relate. I haven't got the texting thing down yet and my kids have been showing me how but I am S--L--O--W! I love the idea of not having a credit card too, as one of the kids in the video mentioned, since mine was hacked into over three weeks ago and the new one still hasn't arrived! I would also love to see voice activated computers, keyboarding would be obsolete. The millenial generation will be the ones to bring us these cutting edge technologies because they have open minds and are excited about technology.

Week 4: Reflection

When we were asked to create a document together in microsoft, I thought that microsoft must have a cool tool like google docs. As my pod started to work on it, we realized that microsoft didn't have a tool where we could each work on the paper and our work would appear like google docs. Working with microsoft is okay if we are creating a paper by ourselves but when working together I would much rather use google docs. In my class room I will probably use google docs more often because it can pretty much do everything microsoft word can. I didn't know there was such a thing before this class. I told a coworker about google docs and he just recently was introduced to it too. He also thinks it is awesome.

Since most people are familiar with microsoft, it would be good for my students to use if they need to type a report. I think it would be fun to introduce them to google docs though for assignments that require more than one student. I think my students would enjoy watching their friends work appear on screen.

I think my students would enjoy learning new technology but some parents might be reluctant to help them. Some people are afraid of changing from something they are used to. For example, the media told the American people months ago that their rabbit ears will not work after a certain date in February. The media used all kinds of communication to let people know so it wouldn't be a surprise when it was time to change. Amazingly, there are a good number of people that aren't ready for the change. In fact there are so many that congress is trying to push the date back. This is a nation wide example of how people deal with change. When they are used to doing things a certain way sometimes it takes a bull dozer to get them off the couch.

Video Week 4: Did You Know 2.0?

Wow! This video gave me something to think about. There were so many facts that I had no idea were out there. I love how the video presented the information. It really got my emotions going. I have mixed feelings about technology taking over. I love new things and think it is great to have "shift happen". On the other hand sometimes technology has it's cracks. I haven't had a credit card for a few weeks because of a hacker. It has been totally inconveniant without a card. Many businesses don't accept checks anymore and who carries cash anymore? Very eye opening video.

Video #3: Pay Attention

The video Pay Attention got my attention. The music in the background was soothing. The words that appeared on the screen brought emotion. I also think that educators could use the technology students use each day to enhance the learning environment. I agree that students would be much more engaged in learning. I think education is far behind in using technology. The facts were eye opening. It would be great to see a school opened that specialized in using technology. The possibilites are endless and the students learning would be endless because they can relate. This is a good idea for secondary education but I wouldn't suggest if for the elementary level.

Reflection: Week 3

In my teaching career it will be important to stay up to date with current technology. There are many things available that I was not aware of. I work at an elementary school as an aide. I have introduced some of what I have learned to my colleagues and they think it is awesome! They want me to show them how to make a google site. My husband was also looking at the google pages I am working on and he wants to learn how to use it too.

The google pages we learned about will be great to use to keep in touch with my students and parents. It will help my class run more efficiently. The school I work for just recently hired a new teacher for resource. She hasn't kept up with technology. She has a big piece of paper with her lesson plans on. She makes many changes so she has to erase alot. I wonder to myself how much more efficient it would be if she used technology instead of paper and pencil. I don't want to be the teacher that uses the old fashioned, dinosaur method, so I am excited about this class.

One great reason to use technology is because of the cost. For instance the school I work for just recently changed their newsletter from paper to online. The parents can read the entire newsletter on line. It saves tons of paper and postage. It is much more cost effective. The google tools are free which is great for teachers. I like the idea of being organized so of course I need a schedule. The google calendar will help me be organized and creative.

The google docs is something I would love to implement with my team. It is cool to pull up the document and see what my classmates have done. Collaboration is important with my team, so this would be great tool to use for something like an assigmnent that we want to create together. Usually one person has a strength that is anothers weakness. Using each others strengths on a document would make it better than if only one person worked on it. I vote yes for google tools!

Reflection Week #2

Why are communication tools/social networking tools so popular with my students? My son is twenty years old. When he was only two years old he would get excited about technology. He loved to put his hands on the keyboard and pretend he was a typing, clicking keys randomly. When he heard the printer he would get excited and kick his feet to the rhythm of the paper shooting out. The generation of children we will have in our classrooms have been bombarded with technology. Technology is in their homes, school, libraries etc. It is just a acceptabale way of life for this generation.

I attended a conference last year about how the children in my classroom will learn. Studies have been done and it has been found that the children we will have in our classrooms learn best when taught with the arts. This is why children love technology. They love creativity. Students love to be able to express themselves.

It has been said that this generation is not "social" because of technology but the word "social" may have to be redefined for this generation. Students of this generation are very social when it comes to using blogs, texting, facebook, chat rooms, cell phones, e-mail and instant messaging.

My future students enjoy feeling special and loved. These social networks give them an opportunity to feel like they have a friend. I have seen teenagers compete in who has more contacts in their texting network. Why do they make it into a competition? It all comes back to feeling important. Children long for relationships and these social network tools and communication provide that.

Video Week 2: Dewy Fractions

The Dewy Fractions video is a strange yet interesting tutorial on decimals. It was cheesy, yet entertaining. Parts of the song were hard to understand because of the quickness and lack of precise pronunciation of the words. The dance moves in the video were amateur. The floating fractions were eye catching. I think students would get a kick out of it. It would be a good way to introduce the topic just to get the kids excited about fractions but I don't think it teaches well enough alone. I would start the lesson with it and show it again later for a review.

Video Week 2: Dewy Fractions

The Dewy Fractions video is a strange yet interesting tutorial on decimals. It was cheesy, yet entertaining. Parts of the song were hard to understand because of the quickness and lack of precise pronunciation of the words. The dance moves in the video were amateur. The floating fractions were eye catching. I think students would get a kick out of it. It would be a good way to introduce the topic just to get the kids excited about fractions but I don't think it teaches well enough alone. I would start the lesson with it and show it again later for a review.

Video Reflection #1

The New Tech Trendes Video was very interesting. I don't like the idea of setting monthly limits on the internet unless it is cost friendly. Usually big companies are just looking for another way to make a buck. I do like the online program that Sandra Day O'Conner helped put together. The program seems like it would be a fun way to learn about our court system. Students in this generation like to use the computer so I think they would be more intent in learning from an online program rather than a dry history teacher. I am also fascinated with the multi touch screens. They will make using computers even easier and faster. "Computers for Dummies" may become obsolete. What a great idea! Technology is great! I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

post #1

My ideal classroom will be a safe, fun, and learning environment. I want my students to be excited to come to school each day. In order to do this I will have to incorporate many things.

First of all my classroom will be visually stimulating. To set the mood I will use bright and cheery colors. I want many things on the walls but not so many that it is distracting. I think an organized room is also a must. A clean and tidy room is a happy room. I want my students to enjoy reading. I would love to have a special place just for reading with bean bags or something comfy the students can sit on.

I want my classroom to be inviting to all my students. I want them to feel that it is a safe haven. I know for some students my classroom will be the only place they feel safe and cared about. I will have a no tolerance policy for students being mean to each other in any way. I would like to have a family feeling, where the students can share with each other. I will do this by encorporting family circle once a week. The students will move their desks to the sides of the room and sit in a big circle. We will share with each other anything the students want to talk about. (Within reason)

I am not really aware of all the teaching techniques yet, but I do know I want to teach in a creative way. I want to make learning fun. I want to do as many hands on projects as possible and use the creative arts to teach.

I don't really have a preference of what grade I want to teach except I don't want to teach first grade. I have mixed feelings about extended day and traditional schedule. Extended day is nice because you don't have to prepare a lesson for every subject. On the other hand traditional would be nice because I have the same class all day.

As far as technology goes I want to be up to date with all the things that are available to me for the classroom. I hope this class will help me use my creativity with technology and bring it into my classroom. I am excited to find out all the tools I will have available.

I am very excited for my future classroom. I want to make a difference in the lives of my students. After all, like they say, "It takes a village to raise a child". I will be a huge part of that village and a big part of the students day. I want each day to be a pleasant experience for both of us.