Picking the Tool...

I know right now we are doing many tutorials having to do with expanding our use of technology in the classroom, however I find it really difficult having the tool and then picking a subject mattter in the curriculum that we can use with that tool. For example, I found it difficult applying a subject matter to the use of spreadsheet just because we had the tool, but we hadn't been studying anything in context with the tool. It was hard to pick a subject matter to fit the tool design. I think it will be much easier and beneficial when you know the subject you wish to teach then you can find the best form of technology that will really enhance the lesson.

However, learning about all these forms of Word is beneficial because knowing and understanding the product, you can then decide which program will benefit what you wish to teach. I had never really used Excel before and I enjoyed the interactive choices to have students involved in the lesson. I don't know if I was the only one, but it had been a while since I had learned anything about Excel and it is always nice to have a refreshing view of programs.

I was talking to my mom about my friend student teaching right now. My friend mentioned that many of the teachers she went to high school with didn't enjoy student teachers. My mom was shocked (being a fellow educator) and said that she loved having student teachers in her classroom because it is refreshing and keeps lessons from becoming stagnant. She especially looks forward to learning new ways to incorporate technology because it has advanced so much at universities compared to public high schools. I didn't really ever think that the tools we learn in college not only benefit our ability to incorporate technology in the classroom but maybe help teach new uses of technology to our cooperating teachers in the field. With such a rapid increase in the use of technical based projects, it is good to always be refreshed in the field.

More with Excel

Coming into this class, I felt as though I knew a good amount about the program of excel and a variety of ways to use it. However, it was not until we started to work on our first project that I learned even more ways I could use this program and find something that I could incorporate into my future career. For my project I have done a calendar that will allow for the patients I will be working with to plan out their meetings based on the surgery date and then plan for their follow up meetings as well. It gives the kid a visual for the next couple of months they have ahead in their life. I had been so used to using this program for the same things over and over that I never really tried to find other options to use it for but this class has helped me to do that. I think with the more time I spend with the program, I will learn even more about excel and the different features it has. I also think I will be able to discover ways for me to incorporate it into being a child life specialist and find projects for the patients I am going to be working with to do that will also meet the learning standards that the state of Illinois has set for children. I thnk this class has been very useful and will continue to be as I spend more time learning about it.

Teacher Tube

I just watched the videos that were linked from our course page and I am really excited about watching others. While some of the videos move too slow and some move too fast, in general, you can learn a lot from them. Watching the videos gave me some new ideas on how to implement technology in the classroom. The videos also save me time so that I do not have to figure out how to do certain things, I can just learn from people that already know how to do it. This is such a comprehensive site that brings together any teacher that has an idea. It is a great way to learn from one another. These videos could also be useful for students who are assigned a project that must use technology and must be creative. I think that this site is a really good resource and I'm really glad I was told about it.

Excel

To be perfectly honest, I was apprehensive of Excel when we first started it in class this week. I felt like it didn't pertain to me as much as it did to others, like math majors. I was interested to see what it did have to offer me. There is a lot more to the excel program than just spreadsheets. I've realized that it's a great program to make worksheets such as timelines with. I have also learned that the "help" tool is a great asset because there are a lot of templates available and the help tool makes those templates accessible. For my project I started making a timeline which I was pretty unhappy with because I didn't think it looked clean or professional, then I learned that there were templates that would help organize me and outline my timeline and I was thrilled, thanks Tim! I thought it was really interesting that you could make interactive assessments using Excel as well. I had no idea such a feature existed, and such a feature could be relevant to any subject matter, which is great. I hope to learn even more about Excel that will help me in the classroom. I think the more information I learn the more of an asset I can be to my future students. And in the end that's the most important think to me.

New Tools

After learning the ins and outs of Microsoft word this past week, I found that they have already been greatly helpful. Since I am an english major, my 17 year old brother always sends me his essays so that I can proof them. Understanding how to use the comment tool has been a major help. Teachers have used this before on my essays, but I could never figure it out on my own. Now that I have the knowledge, I was able to comment, highlight, and completely edit his papers in an easy, visually appealing way.

I also took some time to explore other tools and options in word to refresh my memory. For example, I used to have a hard time with adding columns, or text and pictures. It is definitely important that as teachers we are more than familiar with Word because this is a key program for writing. Most likely, Word will continue to develop and add new features that we must continue to learn. We need to make sure that we attend technolgoy workshops as teachers so that we can stay updated. My mom is a teacher and she is constantly trying to stay knowledgeable with Word and other technologies, but her knowledge and familiarity are no where near younger teachers because she did not grow up around these technologies. We have to be prepared for all other tools and programs that our future students will be growing up with.

A Little bit of Technology...

While preparing to take on the role as an educator as we become closer to commanding a classroom on our own, we have this necessity to use our resources to benefit our curriculum. The idea of technology can be overwhelming with all the opportunities and chances we have to bring new ideas to the classroom, however what is too much and is there such a thing? I find it hard sometimes to keep track of all the web based demands that all the professors ask us to do. Especially when I have to actually find time during the day to make it to a computer. I find that there is more balancing and scheduling that must be done in order to maintain assignments and due dates. I am not saying it is necessarily a bad thing, just different.

So, while thinking about my problems that I have with technology it reminds me what problems some students may have with certain assignments, ideas, or projects if they are not used to the concepts or practices. I am just used to doing many things by hand or hard copied that I sometimes forget the benefits of a web-based world. Maybe I just have to get used to the demands of technologically advanced professors and keep in mind of all the user names, passwords, shortcuts, web pages, links, and many other things. Sometimes having a problem of ones own helps in the long run because I will always be reminded of struggles that some people may have when it comes to the concept of using certain kinds of technology.

My Experience Thus Far

After two weeks of class, I think that I have learned a significant amount of new information, especially about Microsoft Word. I always knew that there were many features of this program, but I just never really took the time to explore any of them. In such a short amount of time, I have already learned not only how to use a number of different tools, but also how to implement them into teaching. I think that being able to utilize technology in teaching is extremely important in this day in age. I am looking forward to learning more about other programs I am already a bit familiar with as well as programs I've never even heard of.