I feel that this course has made me feel much more comfortable with technology. Before I took this course, I felt quite timid about integrating technology into my teaching and working with technology in general. I was unsure about my abilities and felt incompetent even at times. As a result of this course, however, I came to appreciate technology and all it has to offer. I am now familiar and comfortable with the Smartboard, photostory, Google Earth, and all of the "Tech of the Week" topics. In addition, I realized that teaching with technology is very much possible and gets students excited about learning.
I plan on integrating technology into my teaching quite often next year. I just took a job at a school district that has great technology. There are Smartboards in every room, computer labs, and iClickers. These technologies are all things I am familiar with now and will be able to use often when I teach.
The one thing I learned about myself and technology through this course is that before learning a technology have to tell myself that it is okay not to know everything about it right away. I have learned that in order to learn technology you must play around with it first before you will master it. I look forward to using it into my classroom next year!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
End of the semester
This class has been great in introducing me to a bunch of educational technologies that I did not even know existed. I am now really excited to use some of these technologies in my future classroom. As I continue through my curriculum courses I hope to be able to use some of what I have learned in this class. I have discovered a lot of way to introduce subject matter that I really think elementary students would find fun!
I do feel more confident in my computer and technology skills, although I still think that there is always a lot more that I could learn. More than once I had a project not upload or transfer correctly, all learning experiences.
I do feel more confident in my computer and technology skills, although I still think that there is always a lot more that I could learn. More than once I had a project not upload or transfer correctly, all learning experiences.
Final Thoughts
While sitting here recalling the past 4 months of this class, I realized I have learned a lot of useful information. I have become more comfortable using programs such as Google Earth, Smart Board, and Photo Story. I can definitely see myself using these types of technologies in the next few years when I get my own classroom. I have seen an improvement in my willingness to try new things. I was skeptical to use some of the technology, but found out that after I gave them a chance and put some work into them, I really enjoyed them. I plan on continuing to expand my knowledge in the use of technology by possibly taking future classes about it. Additionally, I hope to just constantly be aware of up and coming technology in the classroom. I think this class is a great idea for future educators because it really opens up your eyes to millions of possibilities. Technology definitely makes learning more exciting, even if there are a few glitches involved. I hope that in the future I can use technology to help my students learn and become more educated about the world around them. I am excited keep up with many of the technologies we've utilized and will be more than willing to help others learn about them along the way. I have gained so much knowledge in this class and am really glad I decided to take it.
End of Semester Reflection
Although this class was a challenge for me, I learned a lot of new information. I think my overall computer knowledge and skills have increased a lot, simply because I had the opportunity to be constantly learning new applications and tools. I am much more advanced at using the specific technologies we have worked on throughout the semester and I feel like I am much better equipped to learn new technologies in the future.
My plan for the future is to continue learning about new technologies. I will definitely incorporate some of the technologies we have learned about in my teaching. For example, if I ever was going to assign a powerpoint presentation to my students, I think I would switch it up and have them do a prezi. I think that not only knowing the technologies myself, but sharing that knowledge with my students and colleagues, is an extremely important part of teaching and constantly evolving.
Overall, I am really happy I took this course. It was frustrating at times and I generally hate relying on technology to do everything. However, it was extremely beneficial. I loved how each project was geared toward each person's content area---I now have projects that I can practically use in my classroom.
Thanks for helping me learn more about technology and become a better teacher because of it!
:)
My plan for the future is to continue learning about new technologies. I will definitely incorporate some of the technologies we have learned about in my teaching. For example, if I ever was going to assign a powerpoint presentation to my students, I think I would switch it up and have them do a prezi. I think that not only knowing the technologies myself, but sharing that knowledge with my students and colleagues, is an extremely important part of teaching and constantly evolving.
Overall, I am really happy I took this course. It was frustrating at times and I generally hate relying on technology to do everything. However, it was extremely beneficial. I loved how each project was geared toward each person's content area---I now have projects that I can practically use in my classroom.
Thanks for helping me learn more about technology and become a better teacher because of it!
:)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Webquest, Google Earth, and Tech of the Week
As I have completed the last couple projects, I have really come to realize there are so many possibilities with English Language Arts that I had not considered before. The webquest was a really interesting activity as I had to basically do the project myself to make sure it would be something that my students could do. Adding that element to an assignment makes it all the more effective and engaging. I also think it makes the teacher-student connection stronger because everyone in the classroom has done the same work. My tech of the week was also really enjoyable, and I definitely see myself using Jing in my classroom. Screen capture software makes it possible to give students corrections on his or her paper in a more personal way, once again enhancing the teacher-student relationship. My Google Earth project proved to be the most challenging. While I see how Google Earth could be extremely useful in contextualizing novels or author's lives, the limited amount of projects created in relation to English Language Arts made my project that much more difficult. Overall, I am excited to culminate the semester with my final project and continue to learn the new and different ways in which technology can enhance my classroom.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Reflections on Webquest, Google Earth, and Tech of the Week
The past few weeks have given me a lot of ideas for using technology in my future classroom. Webquest was a very interesting project for me. It allowed for work to be done in a few subject areas rather than just one. My project used math skills, as well as social studies. I think it really gives students an opportunity to push themselves while seeing how the skills they learn in the classroom can work together in the real world. The only hesitation I have in using Webquest is that the activities seem to be geared more for older students, perhaps at the middle school and high school levels. Some of the material available to incorporate is a little too dense for elementary school. But there are certainly ways to make a Webquest activity more age appropriate. I think it is a great way to push critical thinking skills as well as allowing students to be independent in their work.
Having worked with Google Earth before during the Smart Board project, I enjoyed exploring the program in more depth this time around. I think that this is a great tool for giving students a chance to learn about the world around them, not only in a geographical sense, but also about culture and landmarks. Google Earth can provide basic information about places around the world if links are incorporated in the right way. It was actually enjoyable for me making the worksheet and learning about different places. I think Google Earth is an excellent tool for helping students relate one geographic location to another and be able to see actual satellite images of these places they are learning about. It gives them a deeper understanding than what they might get from a simple two-dimensional map in a textbook.
Tech of the week has continued to be very enlightening for me. I never knew that there were so many different tools out there that can really enhance lessons and be applicable to the school setting. I really like the iClicker. I have seen them used in classrooms in my observations so far and the students really seem to enjoy using them. It gives everyone an opportunity to be involved in a lesson or game, and that makes everything more exciting. I think Dipity is a great interactive tool for any age with virtually any subject area. It can really be beneficial in helping students organize thoughts, ideas, events, etc. The Java application provides interactive games as well that can present material in a new way that makes learning more enjoyable for students. I think my lessons will be able to reach the next level so I can engage my students much more easily than with a simple chalkboard and overhead projector.
Having worked with Google Earth before during the Smart Board project, I enjoyed exploring the program in more depth this time around. I think that this is a great tool for giving students a chance to learn about the world around them, not only in a geographical sense, but also about culture and landmarks. Google Earth can provide basic information about places around the world if links are incorporated in the right way. It was actually enjoyable for me making the worksheet and learning about different places. I think Google Earth is an excellent tool for helping students relate one geographic location to another and be able to see actual satellite images of these places they are learning about. It gives them a deeper understanding than what they might get from a simple two-dimensional map in a textbook.
Tech of the week has continued to be very enlightening for me. I never knew that there were so many different tools out there that can really enhance lessons and be applicable to the school setting. I really like the iClicker. I have seen them used in classrooms in my observations so far and the students really seem to enjoy using them. It gives everyone an opportunity to be involved in a lesson or game, and that makes everything more exciting. I think Dipity is a great interactive tool for any age with virtually any subject area. It can really be beneficial in helping students organize thoughts, ideas, events, etc. The Java application provides interactive games as well that can present material in a new way that makes learning more enjoyable for students. I think my lessons will be able to reach the next level so I can engage my students much more easily than with a simple chalkboard and overhead projector.
Webquest, Google Earth, and Tech of the Week
These past few weeks have really opened my eyes to all the technologies available to classroom teachers. Webquest, Google Earth, primary sources, jing, and iClicker are all sources I plan on using when I become a teacher. The webquest is particularly helpful becase it incorporates higher order thinking skills as well as requires students to become familiar with navigating the web. For my webquest, I had students creating a monument for an Egyptian pharaoh. I could have had them look at books to complete this project, but making it into a webquest made it so much more interactive. They were able to go on online tours, watch videos, and had immediate access to a wide range of information. I feel that my students would benefit greatly from webquests and plan on incorporating them into my insturction.
Google Earth really amazed me in terms of what it had to offer students. There is so much information available at students fingertips on Google Earth. This is both good and bad. It is good in the sense that there is a lot to explore and choose from when planning lessons, but it is bad because students may get lost, overwhelmed, and confused when working with Google Earth. That is why I think it is so important to create a recording to show students exactly where they will be going and what they will be doing. This eliminates confusion and provides clear direction to students.
Primary sources, jing, and iClickers are all excellent technologies that will be beneficial to me as a teacher. I liked primary sources because students get to work with real documents, letters, and sources that affected history. I believe that primary sources have the power to have a real affect on kids, especially in social studies. Jing is an excellent writing tool that I would most likely use if I taught older students. Elementary students typically do not submit papers electronically or type them out, but if they did I could see this tool being very beneficial. Finally, I liked iClickers because they have the ability to provide immediate feedback and encourage all students to participate. Too often students do not participate because they are embarrassed about not knowing the answer, but with this, no one has to know how others responded.
I am so glad to have learned about these technologies. It is so much easier incorporating technology into the classroom after you have a firm understanding of how they work. It is nice that I am getting this knowledge now as a pre-service teacher instead of having it all thrown at me my first year of teaching.
Google Earth really amazed me in terms of what it had to offer students. There is so much information available at students fingertips on Google Earth. This is both good and bad. It is good in the sense that there is a lot to explore and choose from when planning lessons, but it is bad because students may get lost, overwhelmed, and confused when working with Google Earth. That is why I think it is so important to create a recording to show students exactly where they will be going and what they will be doing. This eliminates confusion and provides clear direction to students.
Primary sources, jing, and iClickers are all excellent technologies that will be beneficial to me as a teacher. I liked primary sources because students get to work with real documents, letters, and sources that affected history. I believe that primary sources have the power to have a real affect on kids, especially in social studies. Jing is an excellent writing tool that I would most likely use if I taught older students. Elementary students typically do not submit papers electronically or type them out, but if they did I could see this tool being very beneficial. Finally, I liked iClickers because they have the ability to provide immediate feedback and encourage all students to participate. Too often students do not participate because they are embarrassed about not knowing the answer, but with this, no one has to know how others responded.
I am so glad to have learned about these technologies. It is so much easier incorporating technology into the classroom after you have a firm understanding of how they work. It is nice that I am getting this knowledge now as a pre-service teacher instead of having it all thrown at me my first year of teaching.
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