LAST BLOG!

What I found most interesting from reviewing my classmates' blogs was how most people used Google to research. Whenever we were asked to find a websource, most people went through Google to find it. I prefer yahoo, but either way, so many people usethose sources to discover other sources.
The technology skill I would like to learn next is one that can include all of my pictures I take from my digital camera. Many people have differentsoftware programs that can organize, edit, & fix your pictures. I would love to have that and learn how to use it, especially since I love to take pictures!!
I know that everything I learned in my class will be useful for my future, which is mainly why I took the class. From excel to Inspiration to Word, all of those tools will be an asset to teaching or even something else that I might get into. Technology is rapidly improving and I believe it is important to keep up with it. This class was excellent in giving us the basics and helping us to learn how to use the very popular web sources and software.

POST 9 BABY!

The Web-based resource I found most interesting was one that was aimed at creating effective learning resources in the geosciences. If I were teaching an elementary school class, I would choose one that focused in the area of science, being that my favorite subject. Geoscience revolves around the study of the Earth. The web-based tool is perfect for this. In fact, it is designed just for geosciences.
This site contain information, activities, references and links to help faculty creating on-line teaching materials in the Geosciences. With this, I would be able to post my information that I want my class to know on the site, and they could easily access it and learn what they need to know. The site that I found was: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/webdesign/index.html
If I were to use Excel in the future, it would be for a gradebook. To me, that is the easiest form to use in Excel, and using Excel for other things, like charts, appears confusing. However, it is excellent for a gradebook. I can't really be specific, because I would use it for all grade levels. The program is not just good for numbers, but also recording things like grades.

Post Numero EiGHT!

My Powerpoint 2 project, a game based on the Incredibles movie, was a difficult task for me. I am just now becoming familiar with the powerpoint program, so including all the graphics and sounds,etc. was a challenge. However, I believe the overall assignment turned out well. As for the concepts: the writing/grammar in my game was appropriate for the age-level I was shooting for, which was elementary. The content it contained had to do with the movie as well as stuff I made up. I would say things like "Click here to go..." which I used as some of my navigation moves, or I just put a "next/previous" button. The screen design was very appealing and was made so it would focus the student's attention to what was going on in the game. The development of the presentation was that of a game.
(I was unable to perform a screenshot for this..)

I would definitely integrate peripherals in my classroom. Sometimes it is easier to do work away from class and then show it later to your students. So, in this case I would use my zip drive. Using your camera is another good idea. It would be useful in showing pictures from various things that maybe are on your computer at home, but not at school. Peripherals will also teach students that another great use of the computer!

In the past week, we have learned about Excel & Powerpoint presentations. I already knew pretty well how to work Excel, but once again, Powerpoint was something new to perform. Acquiring this skill has helped a great deal in that I will be using this program for teaching lessons, presenting various information in my future. I believe PP will be most useful to me because it is most aesthetically pleasing. You can decorate it in many ways, and it is good to use for all sorts of information. Since I hope to be working for younger kids, a.k.a. elementary level, PP will be the easiest for them to read and understand.

POST 7 =)

Presentation software can have advantages and disadvantages. Using it with k-12 graders is a challenge in itself because different students are on different levels of computer knowledge. So that can be a disadvantage when you are not sure how advanced everyone is with what you may be presenting. It also takes away from the "old-fashioned" way of learning which some students may learn better with. However, it is advantageous because students are learning early on how to use technology that they will more than likely use all throughout life. It can prepare them for the tasks they might need to learn to do in their future.
PowerPoint is a great way to teach students lessons and is highly supported. The knowledge dimension shows facts, concepts, and procedures. These three things help a student learn exponentially. They not only learn a fact, but also how to use it and ideas that come with it. Flow charts and concept maps are perfect for displaying such information. For example, I might pick 8th grade history. While they are learning a topic such as WW2, I could give them a list of facts, and with those facts they would have to present concepts and procedures that follow such facts.
After researching some issues that are currently present when it comes to educational technology, the one I found the most interesting was about keeping kids safe on the internet and its legal issues. This website discusses the legal issues schools face regarding the internet and also talks about filtering. You do not want a student wandering off into a website that is not appropriate and that should not be a worry when doing technology in a classroom. I would like to know how individual school's deal with this problem. The website I found this at was http://www.mcmel.org/tech/issues.html

Post 6

Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom is a great learning tool for students K-12. It has many useful purposes including inforrmation, sharing, and a way to show creativity. I would definitely use Web 2.0 in the classroom if I were teaching. I would first make sure the website I was to use was appropriate for the ages in my class as well as the information.

Wikipedia is another great learning tool. However, it is best not to rely on it too much for information. Anyone can post anything on Wikipedia so it might be necessary to check other resouces to make sure the information given is accurate. Wikipedia has tons of useful information, but should not be the only source you go to when trying to collaborate information on a subject.

Something that I learned this week that would enhance my teaching abillity is the use of Powerpoint Presentations. It is an excellent way to present information, and you can decorate it so it is aesthetically pleasing, which is very important when teaching. I hope to learn more about it so I can teach it later on in life.

Post 5

Using the internet to support student research is an excellent idea. It gives way to tons of useful information that students can use in the classroom as well as outside the classroom. It is especially useful when trying to find information that that student may not know, or for looking up information when doing a project. It is not so useful in the aspect that there is a lot on the internet that can draw a student's attention away from learning.
Some other ways you can use web-based resources for student learning is for learning in other special areas such as art, cooking, etc. For example, if a student is in a home-ec class, I would suggest using www.joyofbaking.com for some great examples of things to cook. There are other websites similar to these, that provide useful information on learning other things instead of the basic subjects used in school.
There are many concerns that follow teaching in a technological environment. Especially for teachers teaching at the elementary school age, technology can be a confusing, and even dangerous thing. Using the computer is a tool that takes quite a bit of time to learn, and should be taught thoroughly for such young children.

Post 4!

Chapter 7 covers information needed to know to present idea maps and outlines. I think using outlines and concept maps are an excellent way to show information to a classroom full of students. As a teacher, I would make my own concept map (like the book suggests) and show and explain it to the class. My map would be colorful and aesthetically pleasing, but also carry necessary information that needs to be taught. This way, the students will see that learning does not always have to be boring like reading a paper, but rather it could be fun!
I would definitely encourage my students to acquire the skills to make outlines and story boards, etc. I would not make it mandatory because I believe the students should learn information in the best way that they individually can. However, by using these skills in class, they learn that there is more than one way to learn something, which in the long run can broaden their thinking abilities.
Learning about Inspiration really gave me new ideas on how to teach something! I loved learning about this software, especially since I had never even heard about it before this class. There are so many things you can do with this program, and I will definitely be trying it out more and consider using it in the future for teaching. It really is not that difficult to use, once you have had a tutorial, and is for sure worth using in a teaching environment.