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.

Week 8

Web 2.0 tools will be a great help to me as a future teacher. All I need is a computer, access to the internet, and a browser. By using these tools I will be able to captivate my students. We will be using blogs and podcasts. I will be able to teach my students in more creative ways than I had ever thought possible. I will be able to show my class many different podcasts of places around the world that I would otherwise only be lecturing about.

Children find these tools appealing and that is what makes a difference in their learning. Children will become more interested in learning while using these tools. Students will be able to better communicate their emotions and respond to the emotions of others through online blogging. Students will be able to interact and create new information and communication. They will be able to show this to a real audience.

Through using these tools I will be able to collaborate with my colleagues. We will be able to respond and reflect to the different podcasts or wikis that our classes might use. We can share our favorite ones and base teaching off of them.

I loved the video this week. It was so fun! The video shows different clips that are all important to America. Many famous people to the United States are shown. Many different countries and events are shown. Famous cartoon characters are shown as well as sports. The clips are shown very quickly and are sang about in the song, "We didn't start the fire" This film shows American pride. It teaches us to be proud of our country while realizing that no one is perfect.

Week 7

UEN and Pioneer Library will greatly help me while teaching my students. I will be able to refer to the websites information and use it in my teaching. I will be able to use their lesson plans and their interactive tools while planning my specific lesson plans. By doing this my students will receive a variety of learning patterns, much further beyond than my personal capacities.

Through using virtual tours, I will be able to take my students to see many different places around the world that they otherwise would never see. These will be in class field trips that can keep my students involved and triggering their curiosity.

The different ideas given concerning service learning projects will help me stay fresh. I will be able to continue being creative and keeping my class involved.

Through using UEN and Pioneer Library I will be able to collaborate with my coworkers. They will have full access to these materials, just as I do therefore it will making it much easier for us to work together. We can use the ideas given, to generate new and even more creative ideas.

Together we can find the most informative and fun ways of learning from the UEN website. Personally I can do my best to be creative and fun within the walls of my classroom, but by using the UEN website I will be able to continue learning and teaching my students with new ideas. By using these websites my students will receive a much better teachers.

I really enjoyed watching this week's movie about the Surface Computing Device. This device is a large hands on computer. It has a multi touch screen which gives direct manipulation. If this device was used in schools it would give these students a great opportunity to learn more, and in an extremely new way. This device is incredible. I can only imagine all of the incredible technologies I will someday be able to use in my classroom.

Week 6

I've learned of many different resources that will greatly help with communication in my classroom. I will use my classroom website to communicate with the parents of my students. I will use Microsoft Word to send letters home with my students. I will use technology as a way to better teach my students and to better inform them of the information being taught.

The video this week was very inspiring to me. The students in the film are expressing their need for hands on learning. They need to create and to analyze. My one year old nephew is comfortable using the iPhone. It's amazing how children these days are such digital learners and it is important that as their teachers we continue to grow and teach in ways that will best inform our learners.

Week 5

Through using TeacherTube I will be able to help my students understand and truly grasp ideas without boring them with a lecture. They will be able to have hands on learning of different areas of the world while sitting in their seat looking at the computer screen.

I will be able to achieve more classroom objectives through emphasizing instructional games and tools than ever before. I will be able to have my students full attention as we experience new ways of learning.

I have talked about the pros of these tools in the paragraphs above. The cons of such tools might be that they aren't receiving the feedback that they can receive from the teacher. Students need to know that they are improving and doing a good job. Some instructional tools give feedback (in fact most of the tools I provide will) although receiving such feedback from a computer and from a person can be much different. If not watched, students may become distracted while using the computers. In all, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

The video this week was very interesting. I enjoyed hearing what the students of this age have to say about technology. They believe that in the near future all media will be on the go. It will be accessable anytime and anywhere with no limitations. It is amazing how far technology has come and it's easy to believe that it will only improve. The students talked about how their parents can't quite grasp technology the way that they can. Through this video I was able to see how much students understand and thrive off of technology.

Week 4

Through using Microsoft Word I will be able to better communicate with my students and their parents. My students will receive different assignments and worksheets in class that I have created using Microsoft Word.

I will be able to create documents using Word that will inform my students' parents of many different events. I will send them an outline of the students' curriculum, field trips, assemblies, and any other important information.

I will use Microsoft Word as one of my rotations in my classroom. I will use it to help my students learn to type. They will type their spelling words and stories they've written. They will be introduced to typing through using Microsoft Word.

Microsoft Word is a very convenient tool to use within a classroom. It provides many different options of fonts, colors, and sizes. Something that is difficult when using Word is that it tends to overcorrect documents being made, which can be very frustrating. All in all, it's a good resource to use while teaching and in everyday life.

The videos for this week really made me think. Education must grow and develop. Shifts need to take place as the world is changing and technology is taking over. Students need new and exciting ways of learning to stay interested in their subjects. The themes of these videos were, "Shift Happens" and "Force Teachers to Move." I don't think there are any other words to better describe what needs to take place.

Week 3

The tools learned in class will help me immensely in my future career as a teacher. Through using Google Sites I am able to post a variety of classroom information. I will be able to communicate to my students by posting reminders, homework assignments, and congratulate specific overacheiving students.

Through the Google Calendar I will be able to plan ahead and better prepare the parents of my students. They will feel involved in my class and know they are always welcome. I would like to post invitations for parents to come to class and share their knowledge and special experiences. I want the parents of my students to feel greatly involved and know how much I care for the success of their children.

I would also like to use the Google Calendar as a way to communicate with my colleagues. Through the calendar we will be able to work together. We will be able to better collaborate and become better teachers.

The applications we have learned will really help me stay focused and organized as a future teacher.

I absolutely loved this weeks video. This generation of students throughout the world are driven by technology, so why not use this interest as way of intriging our students? Why not make teaching more effective? This is something that teachers will soon have to incorporate into their teaching methods in order to keep their students interested and involved. Teaching techniques must keep up with todays students.

Week 1

Within the walls of my future classroom, I imagine an organized room. A bright room. A room that will be full of fun, respect, and most important, learning. I will have many different bulletin boards posted on the walls throughout the room. There will be a board for each subject being studied. Much of the students work will be posted on these bulletins. I will set up my chairs all facing the front, to help prevent disruption.

In a perfect world my students will be well behaved, but will also bring some fun into the classroom. They will be motivated and determined to learn. Parents will respect that I am doing my best, and in return I will respect their parenting. Together we will work together for the success of their children.

As I hope to teach either second, or third grade; I will use many different creative ways to teach my students. I will rarely use power points. I will use hands on activities that will get them thinking. I would like to have computers in my classroom to help the children receive a variety of learning tools.

I not only hope to teach the criteria give, I hope to teach the children to show respect and kindness to others. I hope to teach honesty and determination. My ultimate goal is to have my students leave my class knowing that they are capable of greatness.

While watching the video portion I was impressed with the technology that students may someday receive. I believe that the touch interface would be a great tool for teachers. It would give the students a hands on learning experience. I think the idea of, "Computer Game Court Students" is great. Many of today's young learners will enjoy these hands on tools as they relate to them in this new technology driven generation.