Week 15

I've learned so much in this class over the course of the past semester. A few of the major things I've learned include:

-How to use powerpoint
-How to create a classroom website
-How many different things Google has that I could use in my classroom
-How to use Microsoft Word

I will be able to include so much more in my classroom because of this class. I will be able to use technology to keep my students active and involved.

The video for this week was the Schoolhouse Rock. I really love this video because it uses a fun and creative way to help students remember the importance of a noun. The students will be better able to remember what a noun is and how to use it in a sentence because of this video. What a great way to teach your students!

Week 14

We learned a lot about Powerpoint and Google Presentations this week. I really enjoyed working with Google Presentations. It is so cool that we can collaborate together to create a presentation. There's a variety of tools and options provided that give the presentation so much character.

I've really enjoyed learning more through this class. I've learned so many things about Google that I never knew existed. They will really help me in my future teaching career.

This week's video was great! I remember watching it when I was in elementary school. I love this video because it is very educational while still being interesting and fun. They present the information in a song and by doing so they give their viewers a better likelihood of remembering what they have seen. It is a fun, upbeat video that is very memorable.

Week 13

I am really enjoying this course because I am learning so much. I am learning how important technology is in education. The world is changing and there is so much more we need to be teaching the future generations.

There are many applications we've looked at. A few of my favorite include kidspiration and powerpoint. I love these two because they give such a variety of tools. It allows for creativity while learning.

I viewed the video, The Connected Classroom this week. It really put things into perspective for me. In our world most people have 5.5 oz news in our pockets, iPods. I must create a classroom full of tools that will help students learn the best way they can. I need to prepare them for the world that lies ahead of them.

Week 12

Today in class we had the opportunity to play with the Kidsinspiration application. I loved it. It was so fun and had so many different tools to use. I can definitely see myself using this activity in my future classroom. I will be able to create presentations, homework, and quizzes through this application. It included clip art of all kinds of animals, places, people, and things. There was a search tool at the top left corner which helped me locate specific pictures I was looking for.

The more I learn about the many different tools online and that can be bought and installed on my computer the more excited I am about teaching. Teaching is much more than reading from a textbook or talking in front of the class for hours. It's about keeping it fresh and staying creative. That is what Picasa, Powerpoint, Google Presentations, and Kidsinspiration will do for me.

This week's video gave three steps.
1. Give my students a creative learning space.
-By doing so it will allow my students to talk, build, create, and collaborate.
2. Teach my students competition, coopoeration, and collaboration.
3. Introduce my students to their global peers and to use collaboration.
-There are many ways to do this. Many include things we have learned in EDEL 2200. Such as facebook and blogging.

I enjoyed the video. It got straight to the point and told us what students need to learn in order to be literate in the twenty first century. I enjoyed the movie. I always learn something from our weekly videos. What stood out in this one was that we must know how to learn, unlearn, and relearn. These things are so important not only for teachers or for students, but for everyone.

Week 11

Picasa, Powerpoint, and Google Documents will be very useful in my future career as a teacher. By using these guides they will provide me with variety of teaching tools. It will open the way for those students who learn using different senses.

Picasa; a photo editing and webalbum posting application will create a fun bond in the classroom. As we post different pictures from the past summer, thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break my students will be able to learn more about each other. More importantly, my students will learn the different ways they can manipulate photos to show the emotions they felt during the exact moment they took their photographs. I will be able to show my students photos I've taken that apply to certain lesson plans.

Powerpoint is a wonderful application that can be used in the classroom. It is used to post pictures as well as important text and used to teach a specific idea. By using powerpoint I can truly affect visual learners. I can show examples of the subjects I am teaching and make the lesson more personal.

By using Google Documents I will be able to better collaborate with coworkers and students. By using Google Documents as a POD we worked together to create a slideshow. It was so convenient and quick. I look forward to using this application more in the future.

I loved this week's video. It was so funny! And I have to say, I completely agree with the things the man was talking about. I absolutely hate it when teachers make powerpoints and put up their exact words; so boring. This man says the bad things about using powerpoint, while giving hidden pointers at what makes a powerpoint slidshow good.

Week 9

Digital Cameras will give a fun and exciting spice to teaching. There are so many creative things that can be done while using a digital camera. My top five favorite ideas include:
1. Have students dress up as what they want to be when they grow up, take pictures of each student, and have them write career reports.
2. Within a few weeks have students take turns taking the camera home. They will take pictures of their favorite things in their home.
3. Take a picture of each student with their family at the open house.
4. Write a class novel with live-action pictures.
5. Take photos on field trips and then write about them.

There are so many way include digital cameras in my curriculum. I will be able to teach specific subjects to my students and have them grasp the ideas more fully through photos. My students will be required to take photos and then write about their photo. By writing about their photo it gives them a better insight into their writing and they can think more specifically.

Digital Cameras a very expensive, and it is important that as I allow my students to use a classroom camera that they are being careful and using the device properly. It is also important that each student has the same opportunity of using the camera. I will need to write out a plan for which days each child will be able to use it.

In all, the use of digital cameras in the classroom will open a door for me. I will be able to teach my students the use of pictures, the ways of uploading pictures on the computer, the way they can treasure their memories, and much more.

There were two videos this week. The mashup video was so fun. I loved watching the video and listening to the incredible sounds that can be created through combining different instruments and tunes. It looks like a lot of work to put together, but what a neat video.

Week 8

Internet Safety Reflection
We should definitely use the Internet while teaching. Although the Internet has its risks, it holds so much creativity for our students. The Internet can keep my students involved and interested in learning. It will give new ways of learning that students really need. They will be able to have hands learning.

It is vital that as teachers we evaluate the sites we include in the classroom. Although the Internet has incredible tools, it still has inappropriate material just a few key types away. It is important that we know the information on the site is accurate and important for the knowledge of our students.

The questions that I will ask myself while determining websites I will use in my class include:

1. Who wrote the pages and are they an expert?
2. What is the purpose of the site?
3. When was the site created or last updated?
4. Where does this information come from?
5. Why is this page better than others?
6. Why is this information useful for my purpose?
One way to insure safe Internet surfing is to put Internet filters on each computer that will be used. I will also talk with my class about being careful while searching the web. Before using the computers my students will need to take a paper home and have it signed that explains the things we will be doing in class on the computer. Each student will also have to sign the paper, by doing so they commit to only surfing appropriate sites.

This week I viewed the video, "Did You Know 3.0." I found this video very interesting. I really enjoyed learning so many facts that I didn't know in just five short minutes. It is incredible how much the world will be changing in the next few years. We have come so far in technology, and things will only get better. I look forward to all of the incredible ways that technology will influence the classroom.