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.

Word 2007

I was talking with my mom about technology because she teaches the technology courses at my old high school and she told me that a new Microsoft Office came out. The most impressive change, she thought, was the new Microsoft Word 2007. After taking about the various tools that I have been discovering rediscovering in Word 2003, she informed me that in the new version, Word has become even more efficient and classroom friendly. There is a function that allows you to scan and transfer script into type. There is also more templates, help/troubleshoot options, as well as an updated thesaurus and dictionary. I was wondering though, with these new improvements to Word, do you think it is still advantageous to study the functions of and use Word 2003. I feel that it is very useful to study the functions of 2003 because these functions have only been improved upon, their cores left alone. However, there are arguments that would say using an outdated technology or technological program is, for lack of a better phrase, a waste of time (those who argue for Vista over XP or Macs over PCs for example).

Is it appropriate for teachers to have Facebooks or personal websites?

Recently, a friend and I found some Facebook pages and personal blogs of professors on campus. There were some very personal comments and pictures of these people. I know that college professors have different standards and regulations in terms of their relationships with students. But I wonder if I could find any personal pages for teachers from high school or middle school. Class websites and blogs can be very useful tools for students, but do teachers have certain responsibilities when it comes to posting personal information online? Should I get rid of my Facebook when I am a teacher? Is it enough just to remove any very personal information? Where do you draw the line? Should students be able to "friend" me and see what other people have written on my wall? What rules are there in regard to this? Would having appropriate online relationships actually help to foster relationships with students in person? Would they feel more connected to the teacher and see the teacher as a mentor? And again, is that even ethical?

Microsoft

From browsing the other blogs the general consensus seems to be people thought they knew a lot about Microsoft Word, I have to say I am in that same boat. Before this class I believed that I knew most of the important features of Word, I never knew it was capable of doing so many things. However, I am not yet convinced that I'll ever feel the need to use some of the features. To me, the readability analysis seems like an unnecessary feature. The reason I say this is, I believe as an English teacher I feel that I should be able to analyze how appropriate a document or book is for my students. I think it's an interesting feature but I don't feel that it is reliable enough to use in the classroom setting. I also fear that some teachers, not all or the majority, but some will rely too heavily on it and become lazy. I feel that it is a disservice to students. I can't see myself using it in the classroom because I would need to read documents, books, and papers anyways so I feel it might waste my time to run it through Word. However, now that I know this feature exists I may run it on some documents just for fun, to see how they are analyzed.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed learning about the electronic editing. I have had professors here at IWU use that feature while editing my papers and I really like it. I think it is neater, and it ensures that I am able to read their comments without difficulty. I can truly see myself using this in the classroom. Especially because I will inevitably be reading many papers and editing for my students as an English teacher. As our professor said during class, it is much easier to edit on the computer than it would be to carry a lot of papers home and edit them by hand. The only flaw in this plan is if I work in a school or district where students don't always have access to computers. If that is the case I'm sure I will be able to figure something out. But, I look forward to making good use of electronic editing. I think this class will offer many useful new features and tips that will be very useful to me in the future.

New Ideas

So far, this course on technology and learning has been very humbling to me. Before starting the course, I felt that I was very knowledgeable on most Microsoft office computer programs because I have been using them for so long. However, each day in class I realize more and more how much I did not know and how many more helpful tools there are in Microsoft Office. I have discovered that these tools, such as electronic editing, can really facilitate and simplify your writing and editing process. I only wish I could have learned to use these programs more extensively in the past. It is my hope that I will be able to master these programs so that I am able to effectively use them in the classroom and pass on my knowledge to my future students. The effect and impact of technology is unavoidable in our society and I am so thankful for this class because I learn more and more everyday how important it is for students, who ultimately are the future of our nation, to be well trained and knowledgeable about what technology can do for them.

Microsoft Word

I was sure that I knew a lot about Microsoft Word and I find that I do know a lot about the basics. But there are several things that I didn't know. Doing this exercise of trying to find new tools has really helped me. There are a lot of tools that can be quite helpful that most people don't know about. I think that programs such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint should be taught at a younger age. In elementary school and middle school, they have computer class but from what I can remember, I didn't learn very much. In elementary school I remember playing Oregon Trail as a part of computers. If schools could start teaching programs like these at a younger age, I think students might be better off. I don't mean to suggest that a first grader should be learning how to write formulas with Excel or how to define Macros with Word, but they should at least be introduced to these programs. With our society becoming so technology-oriented, I think it is important to teach kids at young ages to be accustomed to technology since it is easier to learn at a younger age instead of being a late teen or twenties or even older. And as children begin to learn, there is a good chance that they will be able to teach their parents which would help to make everyone feel more comfortable with technology.

Calculator: Friend or Foe?

One of my classmates in another education course made a comment that got me thinking. She said that basic math isn’t as important as it used to be because students of all ages have calculators available to them. She proceeded to say that she would much rather just give her students calculators and have time to teach them other things, than concentrate on simple math which they don’t really need to know.
I completely disagree. Even though, calculators will most likely always be available, it is still important that everyone be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide when they have to. Just like people are expected to be able to read and write, they should know simple math. Not to mention that math is a very vertical subject. If you want to do any kind of higher computation, you must know the basics. I think calculators are a great tool to make things easier AFTER you have learned the math, not in place of it.