End of the year Reflection

This semester has been very eye opening to the world of technology and education. I had no idea of all the different tools that teachers can learn about. There are so many different websites out there that it can become really overwhelming and this class helped me see some important ones that I can use when I become a teacher or later on in my education. For example, I learned how to create a web page, weebly account, delicious account and research many new websites for teachers and students alike. A big bonus to this class was learning how to operate a Smartboard. It was very helpful going into a real classroom with an elementary teacher and see how she uses an active board in her own classroom. I think it will be more beneficial to see kids in a classroom while using an active board instead of my own classmates. Throughout this semester I have become a lot more comfortable around technology and I have a little bit of a better idea of how to use technology when I enter my own classroom.

Progress on the Nets for teachers:
at the beginning of the year I chose Net number 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. I think after this semester I feel like I am able to qualify for number two. I have a better understanding of different technology tools and I feel like I would be able to help my students or other teachers more efficiently. I am able to send students to websites that have educational information or design projects with using technology. Also after watching the different videos for the conference online I have a better idea of what other teachers are doing around the world to incorporate technology into their classrooms.

Overall, I enjoyed this class and I think that it has prepared me well for the future. I just have to make sure I keep myself updated because so many new tools and websites come out each year to help teachers become more organized and give students new ways of learning.

Refelection 12

In class we talked about Collaborative Literature Project for ninth graders. I went and looked at the website to investigate it even more. This website is designed so that any classroom from around the world can collaborate together and learn about each others culture in a more personal way. The send videos to each other classroom with field trips that they went to so that other classrooms can see it to. I think this would be very beneficial for any classroom even if they are not in 9th grade. If I did this in my classroom I believe students would become more excited to learn because they are actually talking to students their own age. Overall I think this a great way to use technology and learn in a more active way.

Reflection 11

During class last week Dr. Kowalski came into our classroom with the new ipad. He explained to us some of the features that comes along with it. Something that I found interesting was that it was really easy to figure out. My brother has a iphone and I have played around with that for a little while. The iphone and the ipad are very similar. Dr. Kowalski said that the ipad was very handy when it came time to teach and keep all of his same documents on it at the same time. after he explained about for awhile we all were able to touch it. It was fun to put my hands on the smooth surface and navigate around like it was a normal computer. I tried typing on it and it would take a little while to get use to it. I think the ipad while continue to grow in popularity as time goes on and costs drop. Education wise I think that this ipad will make its way into the classroom for the students and the teachers.

Assignment #4

http://melissanewhouse.weebly.com to look at my project-Classroom Website
Here is a list of technologies that I learned how to use:
-Flip Camera
-learning how to add clips to youtube
-tabs
-uploading onto my weebly account
-Flickr Account
-adding pictures
-putting it into a slide show
-Picture slide show using photo story
-Editing pictures
-picking music for the slide show
-text box
-Pod Cast
-Adding Pictures to the website
-Websites for research
An issue that I encountered while doing my project was being able to upload everything that I wanted onto the website. Because this is a free website it only allows you to upload certain tools. Some of the tools that would have made the assignment run more smoothly cost money. The ways that I solved this was by using other tools that were free. For example I was not able to just upload my video onto the website. I had to first upload it to youtube because the website allowed you to upload youtube for free.

This project was engaging and fun because I learned how to build a website and use many different tools that I have never used before. When I become a teacher I can use weebly or another website user but I will already have experience going into it. As a teacher I hope to use the classroom website to display pictures of projects that the students have accomplished so that parents are able to see them too. Also parents are able to see all of the homework assignments without having to ask their students for information.

The main NETS that the students will use is number three: Research and Information Fluency. This is where students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students will also be locating, organizing, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, and ethically using information for a variety of sources and media. On the class website students have to click different links to finish their homework assignments. Also number six: Technology Operations and Concepts. This is where students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students will be able to understand and use technology systems. Because I am using many different types of technology tools the students will become familiar with different types of technology tools that they can use on their own.


For the teachers NETS:
My classroom website covers number one: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. I enable the students to use different technologies for their learning process including the pod cast for spelling words and the mummy game. I also use number two letter "a": design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. This can also include the pod cast and the picture slide shows. The website also show that it has NTES number three: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning because it demonstrates fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. This includes the video clip.

After completing this project it gives me a better understanding of how a classroom website works. I am excited to use a classroom website in the future!

Reflection 10

It was interesting because at the end of class we were discussing what the future of books will be. The next day I was waiting for a doctors appointment and I picked up an May 2010 Oprah magazine. I was flipping through the pages and I found an article on what the future of books will be. The author was talking about how libraries give character to a person's house and the feel of a room. When a person opens a book there is a certain smell and memory of reading that book when you are done. Most of the time when people read information on the computer it is something they will soon forget or it was something quick they just wanted to look up. But after reading your favorite novel one will not forget the powerful words that were on each paper page. The author went on to say how much joy there is when one reads a good book. No one really knows what the future of books will be, but hardback and paperback books can never be replaceable.

reflection 9

Ebeam:

During class last week we were brought to attention the ebeam.
I had never heard of it before so I decide to look it up and find some more information on it. The ebeam is another type of interactive Whiteboard. It is the most fully-featured mobile interactive white board system on the market. The three things you need to activate this product is a computer, projector, and a wall to shin it on. It includes stainless steel mounting plate for no-fuss installation on non-magnetic surfaces. eBeam software offers multiple formats, including jpg, pdf, and PowerPoint, in which to save and distribute captured data. Teachers re-use and share content via e-mail and the web.

Students can self-assess their understanding of concepts with authentic and familiar visual artifacts. Parents and administrators can get a window into the classroom by viewing a virtual version of what happened on the board.
The cost of the ebeam is $899.95.

Something new to add to the ideas of how to add technology into the classroom.

education and technology

Its really hard to say what the future of education in going to be with technology. Many of the websites that I came across addressed the importance of using technology in the classroom and how it helps the students and that they know in the next five years technology will do another drastic change. However, they don’t know what they changes will be. People are taking steps of progress but no one can see say what the new technology will be to help out education more than it already has. Everything in the classroom that is technology is so new that people still have not had enough time to see the affects of it in the long run. However, they can see the progress in the short run too.

One website that I found interesting was http://www.nmc.org/pdf/Future-of-Higher-Ed-%28NMC%29.pdf. Its focus was more on technology in higher education. This article is based off of a series of surveys that have been conducted all over the world about higher education and technology. From the article it states, “Technology has had-and will continue to have-a significant impact on higher education. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of survey respondents from both the public and private sectors say that technological innovation will have a major influence on teaching methodologies over the next five years. In fact, technology will become a core differentiator in attracting students and corporate partners. “ For higher education online classes is the biggest step towards advancement.

Overall it is hard to say what the changes will be in the next five years. However, this doesn’t mean there are people out there working on ways to improve technology in classrooms around the world.

Reflection 8

About two weeks ago I used the Flip Video for the first time. I was amazed by how easy it was to use. I checked it out of the Education office and brought it home. At first I went around videoing different things at my house to learn the basics of the camera. I then when I showed them to my friends it was so simple.

Then in class today our professor video our presentations with using the flip camera so that they can send the video to ourselves and do a self critique on our presentation. When Professor Newbill first got the camera out he was like, "does anyone know how to use this?" I quickly said it was super easy and showed him the two buttons you have to push to make the whole thing operate. It was fun to see the professor use the camera and how easily anyone can use one.

Before class

Features on Word
-Word Art
-Inserting text boxes, page numbers, pictures, copy and pasting, effects (to pictures like color, and adding 3D effects)
-Spell Check
-Fonts

Power Point
-quick styles
-shape effects
-charts
-slide show (animation)
-Design (for the slides)

Excel
-font
-page layout (backgrounds,effects, colors, and themes.
-graphs/charts (pie charts, bar graphs)
-

What students can do with these features:

-With Word the students can create brochure about a place that they want to travel. They can insert pictures and use different fonts to make the brochure look appealing to the eye.
-Power point: Students could create a slide show about certain animal. They could insert sound affects, pictures and descriptions about their animal and present it to the class.

Excel: I would have the students learn about different features. They could pick five features that they though would be useful for themselves and present them to the class while demonstrating them.

Online Conference

Before I talk about each individual presentation I watched I would like to say how interesting these videos were! Each one was very unique in its own way and gave very interesting ideas to use in future classrooms.

The first conference I saw was titled "Thinking outside the box"-Skateboard
This is probably the least creative out of all three of the videos that I watched. The teacher wanted to give the student a project that would be more exciting to create in wood shop. The teacher Keith Kelly taught the students all the safety rules through online quizzes the students had to take and if the students missed a class they were able to watch a video online about the topic in class. This project was for sixth-eight graders. The students learned how to design their own skateboards during their computer classes and then use a power point thing to project it onto their board and draw it. The students learned every step of creating a skateboard. It was really cool to see the different student’s designs and how excited they were when they were creating their own skateboard. They also intergraded this into gym class with the safety of riding the skateboard. They learned how to ride it in gym class and had high school students come into the school and demonstrate and help students learn how to ride the skateboards. Every day the students had to blog their progress and what they did while making the skateboard.


The next video I watched was titled "Using Computer Games as a Context for Learning and Social Interaction." Their slogan was 'Good teachers' use 'Good tools.' This whole project is surrounded around the video game guitar hero. I believe is how the game first became popular. This project was used between elementary to junior high and then into high school. So each kid experienced it in three different spots in their school career. In the elementary schools they learned about the history of all different rock bands, designed logos for tee-shirts that they actually made, learned about marketing and how they would financially be able to tour in their own little band (students were in groups of four called a band). The stuff they showed on the video of what the kids were doing/learning was incredible! At the end of the time they put on a parent show case where they played music that they had all wrote and they all wore their different designed tee-shirts.

The second stage was for junior high age students. They used this guitar hero and the beginning of the year when all the new students were in new classrooms. The high school students made little 20 minute sessions where they taught the younger students different things (I think the junior high and high school students are on the same campus) like guitar lessons, scavenger hunts about the different songs so that the students became familiar with the campus in a fun way. They got to design CD case covers and compete against people in their class at the actual game.

Then in the third state the designed a post card with features of guitar hero on it and sent it to their elementary teachers. This enabled their present teachers to see what stage they were in writing because most students wanted these cards to look nice so they did their best work.

Overall it is too much to explain everything that I learned about in the video so I would encourage you to watch it because it was really interesting!


The third session I watched was titled "Remixing History: The Cigar Box Project"
This was a history teacher in Canada. The students learned about the history of each Cigar Box and the panel that was created on it. The students learned how to design their own cigar box with graphic design techniques. They had a college professor come in to teach the students about graphic design. They also talked to a collector of Cigar Boxes through a web camera and the students were able to ask him questions like he was in the room. The students were able to go their person’s archives and read their personal journals and letters. The students created their own scripts, imoves, sketches, and pod casts. After they designed their panel they made their own cigar box out of wood. So they learned how to use tools and saws to create them. Their end products were shown on the video and they were amazing.


After watching all of these It shows how much more creative people can be able learning different subjects in school. Very interesting and liked it a lot!

Educational Blog week 11

Here is the Educational Blog that I posted my comment on.

From this blog I learned that there are blogs out there to help intergrade technology into the classroom. This blog is a helpful tool to people who are on the look out for new websites to use in the classroom. Also what is nice is that it gives you step by step instructions on how to access and use the websites that she has listed. Each week this lady adds a "New" technology to the blog. Some of the new technology is just for teachers and how to use it more efficiently in the classroom. For example, short cuts on Power Point or interactive whiteboard resources. So far she has 83 different websites you can click on her home blog.

My comment was kind of like an encouragement to the lady who does the blog. I told her that this was useful for me and many others who plan and are in the education field. Just encouragement to keep doing what she is doing so that others can benefit from it.

Reflection 7

I know this was a while ago but it was still something that I learned about in technology.

When I visited the elementary classroom and we learned about the active board. It was interesting to see the differences between the active board and the Smart board. Which on is smarter?? :) It was encouraging to hear that the teacher was not able to learn everything really quickly and that it took her about a year before everything was second nature. The active board had a few different techniques. You were not able to write on the board and it uses something called a flip chart to present information. Also the main difference was that it was not connected to a computer. Everything was done on the board. I don't know if I like this more or not. When people use the smart board in class and it is not working they can easily walk over to the computer and use the mouse to make it work.

I think these two different boards have a lot in common but for now I like the smart board better just because I think I am more familiar with it.

Classmates' posts that I have commented on

Jordan H
Natalie D
Ashley P
Ashley P again
Kacie S
Alice L

3 questions for Educator Panel

Questions that I can ask the Educator Panel

1. Do you have meetings with all of the teachers on campus about how they could add technology in their classroom or how it could be added. Because in our education classes they are always making sure we are adding that into our lessons.
2. What are some ways that you personally use technology to engage your students or other teachers when having a meeting or teaching a class?
3. What are some new ways that the education program will stay up to date with the changing education all around us?
4. How many students that student teacher get a job at that school?
5. How many students are not able to find work right after graduation?
6. What previous jobs had you had before this and is this what you want to do until you retire?

Technology Project Plan

For my project I will be creating a class website on the program called Weebly. On this weebly I will be adding information as though it is a real class website. Including what homework assignments will be for the week. Also, I will be adding information about the basics for what we will doing in each subject for the next month. My plan is to look for a couple of games that I can add to the website to make it more interactive and fun. I will also being using a flip camera and voice recorder so that students can see and hear me on the website. I will also be using a program that will enable me to make a slide show on the home page. It should also be a helpful place for parents to see what is going on.

podcast

beginning of the semester reflection

I know this is in the wrong place but here it is:

Technology has such a major impact on k-12 classrooms that as teachers we need to make sure that we are using it to our fullest potential. Before this semester started I had no idea all the different ways technology could be use. First of all I had not heard of over half of all the little tools and websites you can use that add technology to the classroom.

As a teacher technology help you stay more organized and keep students attention longer. Students keen in on lessons that have the use of technology in them. Teachers need to use this to their advantage. Teachers are able to add different out looks of lessons when they add technology to it. Technology is not just computers. There are so many different ways technology can be used in the classroom and I am excited to learn more of them this coming semester.

week 9 "Caught on Video"

I really enjoyed this blog. It gave me so many different ways to use a flip camera. At the beginning of the year when we were talking about using the flip camera I was kind of skeptical about how it could be used in the classroom, but after reading this blog it made me a lot of excited to use them in the classroom. One of my favorite ideas was videoing the steps of math problems so that the students can re-watch a math problem. I also liked the idea of catching what the students made in class so that either the parents can see it at home or so the teacher can keep record of what the students made throughout the year. Overall, this was a really good website and has lots of great ideas for the classroom.

Assignment 3

For my tool box I choose Delicious. Delicious was the most organized and the easiest for me to get started. Everything is labeled well so that I can follow the directions. This is the URL to my Delicious web page. http://delicious.com/newhousemelissa Delicious is also helpful because you can look at recent or popular bookmarks which gave me ideas for websites that I might look for. Overall I liked how clean cut and organized the website made me feel.

The websites that I found aren't really organized in any way because Delicious doesn't let you organize them however (as far as I could tell). They are in the order that I bookmarked the website. One way that helped me find these websites was looking on last years classmates ones. This helped me get an idea of what I was suppose to be looking for. The other major way that I found the websites was just typing in the topic I was interested into Google and then I found websites from there. I choose a lot of websites that can be used by either teachers or students. I like the idea of having both of this information on one website. However, most of the websites are geared to kids. I think websites can be a great tool in learning because you can have students discover on their own too.

I think this tool box is very useful for the future. It's a place where you can keep all of your favorite websites without having to write them all down. This toolbox is easy to access and you can always keep updating it. One way that you could share this toolbox with other teachers is having a link on your class website or share it at teacher meetings.

Here are a few of the websites that I found which you can also find on my website:

Probably my favorite website out of all the ones I found was http://www.kidsites.com I actually used this website to find most of my other websites. There are three major categories in this website: Educational, fun sites, and grown ups. Under each of these categories there is another list of words. For example, Animals: if you click Animals you get a list of different websites that go along with animals. As a teacher you could send your students to this website and have them to a research project on a certain topic and everything would be available for them.

Another website I found interesting was Amazing Space. In this website you can check out features on the people, from scientists to science writers, who play a role in the Hubble mission. You can learn about what is suppose to be visual in the sky during that month. There are also online explorations. I think this website could be used throughout the whole year. Teachers could have an emphasis on space and learn about a new formation in the sky for each month. Teacher can gain information that they can use in the class but also could send their students to the website to explore themselves.

Education World is the last website that will be shared here today but you can find them all on my Delicious page :). Education World is very helpful for teachers. There are many different lesson plans, school issues, new technology for the classroom all listed on this website. The website is cheerful with bright colors which makes learning even more fun. Its pretty much an amazing page for all of the teachers needs. Whats nice about the lesson plans is that you can click on a general topic and it keeps getting narrower for you.

This assignment made me a lot more aware of the thousands of websites that are out there.

Reflection 6

My mom is a Sub for para-educators in the Northshore School District. One day a couple of weeks ago she was helping in a 3rd and 4th special needs class. This class was using the interactive white board to help with the lesson. The first activity was that the teacher had sentences on the board with blanks that the students had to fill. The students would come up and drag the word that would fit into the sentence. For example what day is it today or what is the weather like today.

The students also had to find their name in the schoolhouse and put it in the in or out column. This represented if there were absent or not. The also had a story read to them out loud from the white board with pictures that were in motion.

A few of the students weren't able to participate at all because their were not able to move. However, the students that were able to walk up to the board felt really part of the lesson and were super proud of what they had accomplished.

Reflection 5

So far in this class I have been given many opportunities to learn about how to use the technology that is around us. It is so much fun to be able to learn how the Smartboard works. In many of my classes my professors have the chance to use the Smartboards. It is fun to be able to teach them something new because we just learned it the night before in this class. However, it does make me realize that when I am a teacher I will have to keep up to date on new technology all the time. Otherwise the students will be able to out form you (however, they might be able to any ways). learning all this new technology makes me realize that I did not know much before hand. But that means that I have to keep learning so because someone is always inventing something new. Learning the basics about Smartboard and many websites makes me more aware of my surroundings when it comes to technology.

week 8 Activboard

Activboard is a lot like smart board however; from the small amount of research that I conducted there seems to be more lesson plans with Activboard. Some ways that Activboard has impacted the classroom is with children who have special needs. Activboard helps with multi-sensory teaching and dyslexic children. Using these Activboards in the classroom generates a more fun atmosphere.

What I found interesting is that they have special classes for teachers. However, it cost $138 if you’re a member and $214 if you are not. In this class, you’ll discover how to develop lesson plans that make use of it and motivate students to learn. This class is for beginners; no prior knowledge of Promethean Activboards required. Terms and concepts covered include basic tools, like the magnetic pen, flip charts, menu bars, pop-up menus, and the resource library.

The Activboard includes: Videoconferencing, wide format displays, solutions for presentations, education, training, collaborative working, and distance and flexible learning.

I believe students are gaining from the use of interactive whiteboards because everything is more visual and everything is new and exciting.

Reflection 4

I was listening to the radio and the station had a guest speaker. The speaker was talking about this new social networking website. However, I can't remember the name of the site. It was either "Life Language" or Language Life...I think. The site was all about video recording your daily life and then posting it on the website. When I heard this I thought why would anyone want to watch other peoples lives when they don't even have enough time for their own. But on the other hand if a teacher wanted to use this it could be a handy tool. However, there could be safety concerns.

I was curious with what other social networking sites were out there so I found this list from Wikipedia. Whats so cool about this list is that is shows where in the world it is most popular and how many people use it and what the main focus of the website is. I believe facebook was the most used one. Take a look its interesting.

Week 7

Maltby Elementary School

This is the school that I did my 40 hours of volunteering in last school year. I enjoyed my time there so I decided to look at their school website.

The first thing that caught my eye was that you could change the whole website to Spanish. I remember when I was volunteering, there were quite a few students that spoke Spanish as their first language so this would be helpful to parents at home that have a difficult time reading English.

What was interesting about this school’s website was that it was connected to the whole school districts website. Parts of this I like and other parts I don’t. I like it because you can easily find your way from school to school but it doesn’t give each schools website as much school spirit.

My favorite part about this school’s website was the news link. It is a news letter that is geared for parents that is sent out three to four times a month. It gives information about up coming events in the school and in the community; including advertising Northshore soccer and Woodinville football. The new letter was around 17 pages long. However, it was pleasing to the eye and easy to read.

A few teachers had links to their blogs under their contact name on the website. It was fun to look through the blogs to see what the students are doing in the classroom through the pictures and posts. A few of the posts were specially for parents too.

Over all the website was easy to navigate and was very organized.

Week 6-What We Learned

I learned that the smart board has endless ways to teach all subjects. I felt that some lessons could be done more effectively without using the Smart board however overall it is productive.

I think that it is challenging using the computer to figure out your whole lesson and then have to perform it on the smart board because everything works a little bit differently. And I found that something that worked on my computer wasn't working for me when I tried it on the smart board.

Its hard to ask questions about the smart board until you discover them when you are trying to prepare something. Each time I figure out a problem and I think its going well something else gets in the way. Everything is so new that its all like a BIG question. Its exciting learning all the techniques about the smart board.

Assignment 2 tech education

Assignment 2 tech education
adverb lesson (have to use internet explore to open it)

SMART Board features
· Pod cast
· Balloon chart
· Invisible pen
Students Nets
Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

I think this student Net works for this project because students have to individual think about the letters they could pick for adverb soccer game but then also has to communicate with classmates to see what they think the letters might be. Students have to think own their own but be able to agree with others.

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:


a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

I think this student net fits with the adverb lesson because again students have to decide which letters they want to pick and what words fit into each column.

Teachers nets
Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

With this lesson teachers are incorporating a technology based lesson while getting students involved. With this lesson I am incorporating technology enriched learning environment with using invisible pen and sound with the SMART board.
How interactive white board improves classroom
I think that the interactive white board will improve student learning in my future classroom because it is interactive. Students can feel more a part of the lesson that they teacher is teaching. Because it is a new technology I think students are excited to learn with the interactive whiteboard. The interactive whiteboard gives teachers so many new ideas with all the resources that it gives.

Reflection #3

Pod Cast

I learned how to do my first pod cast! They are really easy and fun. It was funny hearing my voice played back to me. However, I think especially elementary students would enjoy hearing their voice played back to them. Teachers can use this as a tool when teaching history or other subjects. Its like the students can put on a play using their voice. Also this could be helpful with spelling. The teacher could record the words so that the students could also listen to them at home while they practice.

There are endless ways to incorporate pod casts into the classroom

Week 5 Blogs for Educators

Melissa's Secondary Education Blog

(Yes she does have the same name as me)

Melissa's Secondary Education Blog is very informative and interesting to read. The topics that she chooses to blog about are important for teachers. A lot of her posts have to do with frequent questions that educators ask themselves. What I like about her posts is that she gives her own opinion but then she also sites articles with other people's opinion that backs hers up. Some of my favorites were "I have to go to the bathroom" and "Creative Effective Field Trips."

For the "I have to go to the Bathroom," the first question is what does the teacher do when a student continually has to use the bathroom? And does the teacher need to take an interest in this "problem". Then if so what is she going to do about it. I have often thought about this when I was volunteering in elementary classrooms. Often times when a students asks to go to the bathroom at least one or two more hands shoot up at the same time too. This blog gives teachers ideas on how to handle these students and ways they can do it.

Very interesting blog that would be useful to look back on.

Reflection #2

Something that I found interesting since most children are using computers these days

On T.V. I was watching the Disney channel (yes I was for a couple of minutes) and there was an advertisement given by the T.V. show Phineas and Ferb. During the little commercial Phineas was saying that because everyone likes to go online we need to make sure that you wouldn’t say anything that you wouldn’t say in person. Also, Pnineas’s older sister (I think, I have never seen the show) said that once you put something on the computer it never goes away so be careful what you put on there. The last announcement was that not everyone is who they say they are online so be careful to who you talk to and what you hear because it might not be true. The language and graphics were geared for younger kids so that they would be able to understand everything that they were saying. Also at the very end of the commercial it said don’t forget to go outside and play with real friends. I don’t know if these commercials come often on the T.V because I have not had T.V. for two years, but I thought this was a very informative safe way to inform kids about the internet.

Assignment #1 Technology Literacy

I would choose standard four, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, as the most important standard for the students that I would plan to teach.
I believe this standard is important to teach because students will always be faced with problems that they do not know how to solve. When students are taught how to use critical thinking, problem solving strategies, and decision making skills they can begin to figure out the problem that is set before them. Furthermore, students will be able to use their knowledge outside of the classroom.
First assignment: for higher elementary grades
For a science experiment
· In groups of 3 or 4 begin an experiment for growing an unfamiliar plant.
· Have the students write about the plant without knowing anything about it (A hypothesis). Example: I think it is going to grow seven inches high and the plant is going to be green with a yellow flower.
· Then after the group has written what they think is going to happen they will research the plant buy using the computer. Example: find where it’s natural habitat is, does an animal eat it, when does it flower ECT…
· Then have the students make two charts on the computer. One with what the plant is suppose to do according to the research they found on the Internet and another Chart with their findings. Example: on the fifth day a little sprout started to push its way out of the earth.
· Have the students take pictures of what they have to do to maintain the health of the plant and the growing process of the plant.
· Have them set up a blog with pictures and the entries about how their plant is coming along.
· For a twist in the experiment have the students plant three of the same plants but give the plant different liquids for survival. Example: #1 plant: water, #2 plant: soda, #3 plant: juice. This way the students would have to think about why each plant grew the way they did.
For Geography project (going to the Grand Canyon)
· Have students figure out which way they are going to get there. (for a car using google map or other websites to know how long it will take them).
· Have students figure out where they are going to stay, what sit seeing events they are going to do while they are down there.
· Produce a brochure of all that they want to do and where they are going to stay.

The NETS I would choose is number two, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. I think this standard is important for me as a teacher because I do not want to behind my students in the technology world. If students have questions I want to be able to help them with the adequate information. Furthermore, if I as a teacher is familiar with modern technology it will be easier to create lesson plains that incorporate technology for my students. This will be helpful for my students because they will become familiar with technology because I as the teacher will be assigning them assignments with the usage of technology. Three ways that will help me fulfill this standard:
1. The first way that will help me carry out this standard is by doing all the assignments in this class with the best of my ability. With doing all the assignments I am learning many different technology terms/ways that I can incorporate it into my classroom.
2. The second way that will help me fallow through with this standard is by knowing what the new technology is that is coming out to help students succeed in their studies. One way that I can do this is by reading information on the computer or talking to friends of mine that are in the technology industry. Most of the time I have no idea what new technology is being brought to the table until a couple of years later. Therefore, I think I need to learn to become more observant.
3. Be willing to try new ideas or ways. I often become stuck in my old habits and don’t want to try something new. This class is helping me see new ways of doing activities. If I can try a find new technology that I can try out on my own I think this will be a benefit.
This is my article: “Using Technology to Support Interdisciplinary Learning”

Dorfman, Jay. "Using Technology to Support Interdisciplinary Learning." Education Research Complete. April & may 2007. Web. 18 Jan. 2010. .

Summary
The article talks about how technology can help a classroom learn more efficiently and productively. Throughout the article there were three ideas that teachers can use in the classroom to help it become a technology friendly place which included Creation of Multimedia Artifacts, Display and Delivery of Multimedia Content, and Supporting Asynchronous Learning. The articles focus was more on how a music teacher could incorporate technology while having the students learn about music, but I think that most of the information given can apply to any classroom project.
This article gave me an understanding of how students can become involved with their resources while learning and doing it in a creative way. I think technology lets students use their own talents to create while reaching the goals the teacher has placed before them. I learned that even in music class teachers can incorporate their lesson plans with technology.

The article gave an idea that would utilize the teachers time and the students time. The teacher can assign listening guides with visual aid for homework instead of lecturing in class. As a teacher I would not have to hand out papers or pictures of articles but instead the students are read them online or watch music videos on the topics given. This way it is letting your students discover for themselves. The Students become more independent and excited when the find information on the given topic. Multimedia content is an efficient tool in the classroom. The article gave ideas about creating multimedia artifacts by adding music to a visual aid or staring with a musical work and adding visual elements that the student interprets.

Generation IM

The article “Generation IM” informed me of new social networking sites that I have never heard of before. I believe in high school or junior high one class used moodle, but I have never heard of the other two. I think it is important that these websites are safe for all elementary students. Facebook is more careful about what aids they put on their sites, but Myspace has a lot of graphic advertisements that I would never want my child looking at. I agree with the teacher that was talking in the article about how using the website to post syllabus is a way to incorporate parents at home who want to be more involved in their child’s learning process. However, sometimes I think teachers can become a little too carried away with using websites such as blogs. Teachers need to make sure that what goes on, on the website is also talked about in class. Otherwise two classrooms start to form; one face to face and another online. This article was very informative and gave teachers ideas on how they can associate these online resources into their classrooms.

white boards and how they help teachers around the world

http://education.smarttech.com/NR/rdonlyres/C399AB73-E2CB-4236-AD50-727DA0D86319/0/reducing_stress_wp.pdf

This article informed me about what teachers think about white boards. Throughout the article there are statistics about how much the white boards help the teachers in the classroom. The article received its data on research from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia teachers. The researchers wanted to know the teachers working conditions to demonstrate the positive impact they have with using this interactive whiteboard. The main theme about the article is how much stress teachers have and how this new technology helps them relive some of it. Secondary teachers have said that it saves them two hours a week and primary teachers state that it saves them more than two hours per week. “Saving and revising digital lessons and sharing them with other teachers are, in many cases, reducing planning and preparation time for teachers, particularly those in primary schools” (Kitchen, Finch and Sinclair, 2007). However, if teachers are not given sufficient training this new technology can cause additional stress for these busy teachers. But on the other hand these white boards have been shown to have a positive influence with planning and delivering lessons of material. Teachers can use the white boards for every subject. From graphs in math and sentence structure in English the white board helps in every way. Overall, the white board gives the teacher new ways to prepare lessons in a more efficient way.

Classmates' posts that I have commented on

Bethany
Jordan H
Natalie D.
Alice
Devon C
Inna

1st Reflection Regarding Technology

Already in the first week I have learned that teachers need to adjust their teaching to associate technology in the classroom. I was not aware before this class how much technology can be used in the classroom. So much of the time my first thought about technology in the classroom is negative. I think it is this way because I have such a negative feeling about students who abuse technology in the classroom when they log onto websites that are not associated with the education topic being taught in the classroom. However, by reading the first article in our assignments it has changed my mind about how I think technology should be used in the classroom. Now I see how important technology is in the classroom setting. In the elementary classroom, I believe students need to begin to use the fundamentals of technology. Each student will be at different levels of knowledge just like students are with reading levels. Therefore, the teacher will have basic concepts for some while others more difficult challenges. Teachers can assign assignments require students to use the computer to find research. Technology can be intertwined into most assignments in school subjects. I believe the same technology can be used in the elementary school as high school just in different emphasis and levels of technique in the classroom.

Turning on the Lights

In the article "Turning on the Lights", it was interesting to see how the students so casually said that their classes were so boring without even having to think twice. While reading this article it made me think of something my pastor said during church one Sunday. “People come to church ready to be entertained and if they are not then they think the sermon was not interesting/worth their time.” Sometimes I think students/kids these days think they have to constantly be entertained. For example, I was babysitting four kids the ages five through ten. During the five hours I was there, they were not able to be on the computer or watch any TV. After three hours went by, the two older boys were starting to get out of hand, because they did not now what do with their minds. The eight year old boy started going a little crazy. They were all so use to being entertained all the time. I think students have to realize that not everything in life is just going to be handed to them in a fun and exciting way. Yes, if it does enhance their learning it is beneficial but at the same time not everything in life is going to be exciting and entertaining.

Last spring when I was volunteering in a 5th grade classroom the teacher was having the students make videos with a flip camera about what they were learning in class. The students were really enjoying their project because they were able to be with their friends while using technology. After they made the video they were able to edit it and add music. After the movies were all complete different awards would be handed out. Sometimes I get the feeling from these articles that there are no teachers that are adding technology into their classrooms, but there are.

The article also mentioned that when students enter school they have to power down. I think students abuse the technology that they have for school. For example, students are not paying attention in class because they are always texting; therefore, that is why teachers want their students to put their phones out of sight. Computers are very helpful with learning about new information, but especially in high school, students log onto sights that have nothing to do with the education process. Therefore, I think this might be a reason why students have to “power down” when they enter their classrooms.

My Decision to be a Teacher

When I was around the age of 10 a missionary came to my church and talked about being on the mission field in China. I went home and felt really touched by God. I prayed to God as a child and I felt that God had called to me to become a missionary. When I went on a mission trip in sixth grade we worked in an orphanage and God kept confirming to me that this is what I was called to do. I have been involved when kids my whole life because my mom ran a home day care. Also, because I was homeschooled I was able to help teach a preschool that my mom, sister, and I held at our house for two years. Throughout the years my passion for being a missionary has only grown. Therefore, I wanted to pick a major that I could use on the mission field. Since I have been surrounded with children my whole life and have had many opportunities to teach, I felt teaching fit my goals for the future. My goal is to teach first in the United States until I become married (if that is what God has in stored) and then in the future join a Christian ministry to teach over seas. When I teach in the United States I would like to teach to the grades 3rd through 5th. This semester I hope to learn how to feel more comfortable in front of the classroom, be able to equip myself with useful tools for the future, and became familiar with new technology that with help my future students be able to learn to their full potential.