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!