Weekly Reflection(going into finals week)

As I am approaching finals week, there is much happening as I am trying to finalize all my lose ends. I will be very pleased when next week is over and I am able to relax a little. Although not too much as I need to prepare for the holidays.(I would rather just go and lay around on a tropical beach) Oh well, I feel quite confidant that I will be able to get through this week and make sure that all my assignments are finished for my courses.

What does all this mean to me, well I feel that for the most part this semester has been fairly productive and I feel that there has been much that I have learned. I do feel that I could have learned a little more as some of my courses could be extended for another semester. But that is o.k. as I am sure that my next set of courses will be beneficial. As far as my class in technology, I am getting more computer literate with each technology class that I take, but with advances in the technology world moving so fast, I feel that the only way to stay on top of my game is to continue taking classes throughout my career.

So what does this mean for me and my colleagues? Well, once again I must continue to take classes as I move through my profession. After I finish with my degree, I will be moving onto my next goal of attaining a masters in (I am not sure what) but something that will benefit me as a teacher. Te more classes I can take will only help me prepare and become a better instructor in the future.

My Beliefs

My beliefs in the classroom are to remain balanced. This is my philosophy on all things in life. I believe that we should integrate technology into the classroom at an age appropriate level. K-3 is not necessarily appropriate. 4th-6th is definitely more appropriate, but I do believe that this should be more of an introductory age for students. Teaching them the basics, ethics, benefits and usefulness, but also the downside of technology. As we advance in the technology world we need to stay up with the advances, but we also need to have boundaries. Keeping yourself completely immersed in technology I feel is not necessarily a good thing. As I view the younger generations there are many problems because of the use of computers. One that particularly bothers my is the lack of movement. Overweight, unhealthy, lack of muscle tone, these are all problems I see with our youth and common sense should tell us that the human body is made to move and work, not sit and sit and sit. As I finish with this blog, I myself am feeling restless to just sit here and type. My eyes are bugging, I need to move, my wrists hurt and I would really like to get outside and walk. This is what humans need to be doing. Moving not sitting and staring wondering who's on facebook. Yes, technology is a good thing if used correctly and this is what needs to be taught at home and in the classroom.

Lessons Learned

After watching the videos, reading material, and websites, I have learned alot about our technology based world. I am even more aware of the growth and extensiveness of technology. There is still so much for me to learn with what is happening right now, I am concerned about being able to keep up and then once I catch up how far will I be behind with the new advances. I also have concerns for our future students using too much technology and becoming so overloaded that students begin to have a hard time focusing especially when it comes to literature. The other concern of mine is the advancement of other countries and the inability for our country to keep up. There is so much information out there available, is this always a good thing? In some ways I feel yes it is and in other ways it is not. Where do we find balance? I have many concerns, questions, and what do I do next?

Strengths & Weaknesses

Within the UNI survey and Net Standards I have many weaknesses and some strenghts. I feel that I am capable of operating with computers and software as well as set up some technology devices. I feel that I also have the ability to demonstrate technology within society and business. On an introductory level I understand basic concepts, I can plan and provide effective learning environments, implement some curriculum that includes technology and use technology to assess learning. My goals as a beginning teacher are going to include many advances into the technology world on my part. Designing appropriate learning material to support diverse learners is definitely something I need to learn and understand in order to accommodate all students. I will also need to enhance my technology skills to develop the students' higher order skills and creativity. Another goal that is very important for my to acquire in the technology area of learning is to know all the legal issues involved with technology and be able to teach that to my students. I understand the basic issues, but I feel that I need to be well versed on this topic to protect my students and teach them well.

There are many classes, tutorials and information available to increase your understanding and awareness of computers. One that I would like to take would be the Presentation class available at MAC stores. I feel that with this course I could learn how to better present material to my class in ways that would be beneficial to them and provide them with more ideas for creativity. I would also take the PBS online teacher course for supporting culturally and linguistically diverse students. This is something I need more expertise in to help with the diversity of students that I may get in a classroom.

As I further my professional growth, I will need to become more diverse and knowledgeable in the field of technology. At this point in my studies, I have already made some major leaps as I do not use the computer much and for the past 10 years I have been a stay at home mom with little knowledge except for writing emails and looking up information on the computer. The more courses I take the more I will be able to keep up with our technology changing world and stay on top of my profession.

How Not to Use Powerpoint

A funny comedic reflection on how boring powerpoints can be. This video gives you a good perspective of what not to do. And this would be especially true when you are teaching elementary age students.If long drawn out powerpoints will not keep the attention of an adult then you know it would never keep the attention of a student. Powerpoints need to be quick, informative, interesting, and use good visuals. If your powerpoint just lists a bunch of graphs, bullets, and paragraphs, then there is no point to a power point. Remember the word power.

Did You Know? 3.0

This was a great video of interesting facts. The idea that technology is growing and changing so rapidly that it is almost impossible to keep up with. The facts here were astounding. If these are the facts today, then what will they be another ten years and where we the world be with technology. Is it really possible that we could change so much more at such a fast rate, or we will eventually slow down with technology? Only time will tell.

Millenial Generation

This is a great video from the view point of the next generation. Even I feel behind in the technology world and am trying to catch up as fast as I can. But, there are certain things within this technology world that I do not care to do. Being in front of the computer or having access to the computer at all times is not for me. I choose not to go on facebook unless I need to get in touch with someone, or I do not always like to be accessible to people. I like my privacy and I choose when to talk or even carry a cell phone. The younger generations are completely addicted to technology and I would not say this is bad unless you let it be. I do feel that it is a good thing to have knowledge and be informed on the topic, but I do not like it to control my world at all times.

Final Field experience reflection

Now that I am finished with my field experience, I do have to say that I will miss my class. It was a very beneficial experience. I only wish that I had more time in the class. I learned quite alot from this opportunity, teaching lessons in social studies, language arts and math. I also had the opportunity to work individually with students that needed extra help and I also did small group work with a reading group.

There was much to be learned from this experience and many things that I will take with me. Probably the most important learning experience I had was on classroom management. Both teachers I worked with had excellent classroom management skills and just the observation of them managing their class was beneficial. When I taught my lessons, I was able to continue using the management skills that I observed and I actually was quite successful.

With this experience, if I can take the knowledge learned and build upon that with future experiences, hopefully I will be successful in the field of teaching. If I am so lucky to be paired up again with such master teachers when I go into field in the spring, I will also be able to gain more expertise.

Weekly Reflection

I have just finished my third week of field(2nd full week) and my learning experience has been awesome. Working with 4th grade students is much more fun and interesting than I expected it to be. These students are a mix of great personalities, with great attitudes. The teachers also have a lot to give and share giving me many opportunities to get a few great tips.

Working with this particular classroom and having the opportunity to work with two teachers has given me more of an experience. I am able to see two different styles of teachers with both having great ideas for the students and excellent teaching skills. I will able to take all information with me into my new career.

As I move thru this field experience and take these learning opportunities with me, all will benefit my future. I do hope that next semester I am just as lucky to get another great opportunity with teachers that are so good at what they do. If so, I will have even more information to take with me into my classroom.

Weekly Reflection

So what is happening right now? I am going into my second full week of my field experience and my experience so far has been a great learning experience. I have been fortunate to be able to observe two different teachers with two different styles of teaching. Both are excellent teachers and I have been learning a lot as well as having fun in the class. As I go into this next week I will be observed by my cooperating teacher while I teach two different lessons. One lesson will be in math and one in language arts.

Now what does this mean to me and my colleagues? Well, I am also by myself during this experience which makes it a very unique learning experience. Hopefully when this is all finished I will be able to share my experience with my fellow colleagues and they will be able to share their experience. With this in mind, we should all learn something new.

This entire experience will have an effect on me and my future career. The more experience I am able to get in a classroom experience the more I will have to take with me as I begin my career teaching. Taking notes, writing, pictures, lessons, and any other way I can take and keep information from these experiences will be beneficial to my future.

Field Experience Week #1

What is happening right now? I just finished my first week of my field experience in a 4th grade classroom at JR Smith. A great couple of days getting to know my teachers and students. I am very impressed with the teacher's classroom management skills, classroom set-up, and classroom teaching styles. I am working with two teachers on this assignment which I find very valuable. This opportunity will give me the benefit of observing two different teaching styles, both of which are very impressive.

So what does this mean to me and my colleagues? With being able to get into a classroom where I am observing teaching styles and teaching lessons, I will be getting hands-on experience and also have the opportunity to share my experiences with my colleagues. The more time spent in a classroom setting is probably the most valuable information and learning experience that I will be able to get out of my degree.

How does this affect me in the future? I do hope that having these multiple experiences in classrooms will help to give me ideas for my future classroom. The information, styles, ideas, and teachers I come in contact with will all be beneficial to my future classroom. As I work toward this degree I hopefully will come out with some new, fun, and exciting ways to present lessons to my future students and also be developing excellent classroom management styles along the way.

Weekly Reflection-Digital Story Telling

This week in class we are learning about digital story telling. A new topic for me, as I had never heard of this type of technology. As I viewed the many examples, I found them to be quite interesting and informative. A great use of technology with many possibilities for teaching.

So what does this mean to me and my colleagues? I am seeing an expanded way of learning and teaching. Just opening up more possibilities for my teaching future. This also creates a great opportunity to work with my colleagues and collaborate on a project. As we generate many ideas for the story, we will be able to find a great variety to choose from. And after we choose a topic, the other ideas we can put in our notebooks for future use.

As I move into the future with my teaching career, I will be able to develop many projects and come up with newer and more interesting ways to teach my future students. Being able to learn all the new technology available for educators is such a great resource to be used in my future classroom.

NASA Digital Story-Video Reflection

This was an interesting digital story on NASA and their accomplishments. Going into the story, I thought that it was going to be on all the positive aspects of NASA and its achievements. But a large portion of the story looked at all the life's that have been lost due to space travel. And it was quite a large number. The video made me more sad than proud of NASA. All the money that we have spent trying to find out what is in space and all the lives that are irreplaceable makes me think is it all worth it? I suppose it is all how you perceive the story and with the end focusing on the positive outcomes of NASA gives you may feel otherwise.

Weekly Reflection-vid cast/pod cast

What is happening right now is that we are learning some fun new techniques in technology using video and pod cast. With the pod cast, we are learning how to make short audio instructional procedures for our future students. With this knowledge we will be able to download them onto our classroom websites for our student to listen and learn from. With the video casts we are learning how to make short instructional videos that can also be downloaded onto our classroom websites for our future students to view and learn from

What this means to me and my colleagues is that now we have another great way to teach our future students. Something that they may be able to use when in the class or not in the class. Maybe to even use when they are absent. If used correctly, students may find this to be an interesting and fun way to learn and retain information

How does this affect me in the future? I will be able to use this technology with my future students and they may too even be able to make podcasts and vidcasts to be used for homework and assignments. This may even be a useful tool to use over an even larger audience. Say possibly student who are in another country. Now thats something to think about.

Video Reflection-Education for All

An education for all, what a concept. I really liked this video and what it was saying. If we are having difficulties educating our children and there is a lack of teachers, why not open up the classroom using technology. Offering children all over the world education through video cams. With the Internet there are so many possibilities with education and this is by far one of my favorites. I suppose to make this work you would need to have some supervision over the class that is being taught via web cam, but this would be easy to do with multiple volunteers and parent supervision. Or, as I have seen in some places around the globe, children are so eager to get educated they will do anything for the opportunity.

Weekly Reflection-WebQuest

As I have now completed my first WebQuest, I feel that this was actually a fun and productive project. Working as a team was helpful for the first WebQuest and collaborating on ideas seemed to work fairly well. I do feel that after completing this project, I could come up with some good ideas to do on my own.

Being able to learn how to work on technology projects and using a team is worth while to learn. It definitely helps to get more ideas flowing and also learn more about your colleagues. Who you work well with and who you would like to do more work with.

Learning different ways to use the computer will help me in my future as a teacher. Especially learning how to come up with a website my students can interact with and learning how to make power point presentations. The more I can learn about the use of technology in the classroom, the more ideas I will be able to come up with and use to teach. Definitely preparing me for the future classroom experience.

Schoolhouse Rock-Video Blog

This was a blast from the past. I remember these from watching cartoons on Saturday morning. They had an impact on me when I was young and I still think they rock. I feel that kids will have fun watching this type of cartoon video and actually remember what is being said. Especially when it is played over, and over again. They are not too fast and have fun characters to watch. Kids need to keep seeing this type of video.

Weekly Reflection

As this week is slowly going by, What is happening right now? I am in the process of learning about webquests and how to put one together. They seem to be pretty straight forward and in the end quite useful. The ones that I have viewed have been mostly fun and quite interactive and for a student's use it may be a very useful learning tool.

So what this means to me and my colleagues, is that once again we have another great technology tool at our disposal. Working together as teams, we should hopefully get a lot of useful ideas and be able to come up with a great webquest. Then after it is all said and done, we will hopefully be able to put together these webquests to use in our classrooms as we become educators.

For the future, I do hope that either I will be able to use the webquest as a learning tool for me and my students. They will be useful in the class as well as in the home. They also should be useful just to get ideas for lessons.

Surface Computing-Video Blog

Surface computing is an extremely interesting new technology that possibly may have a future in the classroom. The video was new information to me. If this type of technology could eventually make it into the classroom, it would be so useful. Having a google type map that was on the wall and students could just touch it and move into new areas around the world with a large view. To me this whole idea will possibly the new chalkboard for our students and teachers classroom. I do hope that as an educator I will be able to be a part of this future toy.

Why Let Our Students Blog? Video Reflection

Why let our students blog? A good question with a good answer. This video is very simple with a few comments about the question of blogging. Letting our students blog opens up the opportunity for them to have a large audience. It gives them the ability to express their feelings or work without a face to face audience which is sometimes intimidating for students. It opens up the whole world to them. It gives teachers the opportunity to view a students work and progress and give feedback. There is also no time constraints on students when they use blogging, helping to work with peoples tight schedules. These are just a few notes addressed on this simple quick video on why to let students blog. A great idea. Yes!

Weekly Reflection

Unfortunately class was canceled in technology this week, so I was not able to get new information on creating websites. So, I will take the initiative and research topics I think are important and view examples on our classroom website so that I can get more ideas for my future projects. As I move along in my studies, I continue to get new information that I will be able to find useful in my profession. This is always a good thing. Learning to create web pages for my students and parents to view or learning how to create lesson plans. The more information I receive, the better I will be able to teach.

So what does this mean to me? Well, I will be better prepared for field work, something that is coming upon me and my colleagues very quickly. Also, I should be better prepared as each week passes and then semester, and then year. Working up to my final accomplishment of graduating and then pursuing a job in my profession.

With the future in mind, learning as much as possible in the field of technology will be extremely important for my future career. I must be able to keep up with the changing world so that I am capable of keeping up with my future students. I definitely do not want to start a teaching career and not know as much as my students. So, I must move forward, take in as much as possible and then some. Jumping into the next new phase of the technology world and being aware of what is available and what is coming. This will be my future.

Video Blog on Web 2.0

The video Web 2.0 was a video that did a quick overview of the new types of technology available on the internet. It did not go into much detail as to how everything actually worked. The video seemed to just introduce what is available and what maybe you would like to look into on a deeper level. The one thing that I did not know of was tagging. This was a new topic to me and with the help of the video, I will now have to look at this in more detail.

Classroom Reflection on Google Sites

Over the last two classes, I have been learning about google sites and how to make a classroom website. This application and knowledge will help me both as a student and teacher. Learning how to use this site and not only build a fictional site for my classroom as well as learn how to build projects with collaborators is an excellent tool. Not only in the field of education, but also as an overall tool with an indefinite amount of possibilities.

As a teacher, being able to create a site that my students will be able to access and view is a necessary component for teachers in our technology world. With google sites, I will be able to post announcements, homework, and any other classroom information that may be needed by the students. Not only will I be able to give information, I would also be able to have my students use the site to do homework and I would be able to give them input on projects and schoolwork as needed. This alone could be very helpful for many students giving them greater abilities in education.

The amount and types of technology available to students and teachers is unbelievable. The possibilities keep expanding and if you don't stay up with the new technology being developed you can definitely fall behind. As a future teacher, I feel that staying ahead or at least with the technology advances is necessary to become the best available teacher for your students. There are many teachers today in our classrooms that have no idea as to what is available. They may have been teaching for a long time and have not kept up on what is up and coming, but that is definitely not helpful to the student. As a future teacher, I would want to gain all possible knowledge available as well as continue to take technology courses so that I do not fall behind on new teaching strategies.

Mr. Deuy Fractions

Watching this video, I found it entertaining yet possibly more of a distraction then a learning tool. Although the video is trying to reach out to young people and make learning interesting, the excess background noise makes it difficult to actually hear the rapping. But on the otherhand young students who are trying to grasp their fractions may want to take the time and they may learn a thing or two. I do think the video would be more enticing if the rapper looked not so geeky. Students may be more receptive to a more hip rapper. So, I had my 10 year-old daughter watch the video to find out her response. She and my 5 year-old daughter found it a bit entertaining. They thought that maybe it would help them to learn their fractions (my 10 year-old already knew most of the information in the video. But the one problem they seemed to have, as well as me was being able to hear everything that was being said. So, in the end I feel that this was not such a great learning tool.

Week Reflection

As this week is going by very fast, I am reflecting on all my studies. Getting my life organized is my first priority. As I begin to do this, I begin to take a look at what is in my week for EDEL 3250. A fun and interesting project on google sites. What a great way to communicate with my colleagues and accomplish things on a more flexible level.

So what this means to me and my future students and colleagues is that communication is possible from most location as long as there is internet access. The ability to share ideas and help eachother with projects. With students on google sites you could actually be helpful on more levels than just in a classroom setting. I do hope that I will be able to use google sites throughout my teaching career.

The affect that all this new technology has on me, is that it opens up many more possibilities for my present and future positions. Creating different sites, free of charge, that other people can access and either use to their benefit or create is an awesome feature.

Techwatch Video

After watching the ESN TV video blog, I found it to be useful information for the technology world. The quick bit of news recieved from the video gives people the lastest news available on the subject of technology. The news on charging people extra for excessively using computers was interesting. I am not sure if this could actually be possible and if it were, how would that affect most of the population. Probably not a great idea at this point in time. Maybe it could have worked if it had been implemented from the beginning. But to try and impose such an idea at this time in our technology world would be quite difficult.

Holiday Blog for the Week

As I have come to the conclusion of another week, I am finding it challenging to keep up on all aspects of my life. As to summarize just my technology class, only having one actual session of class has been very frustrating. I feel that I am slipping behind in this course, yet I am not sure how I am slipping behind.

What I am to learn from this frustrating week would be to try and keep everything in perspective. Don't try and bite off more than I can chew. And take everything one step at a time. If I try and swallow my whole work load into one sitting I will then just go crazy. I have my plate full with school and family so I must prioritize keeping family first and hopefully all else will fall into place.

The affect this will have on me in the future remains to be seen. If I play my cards right and don't freak out, I suppose I will accomplish all my tasks and then some. This of course means to take care of my children first and foremost. And of course my spouse. Then I have to take care of myself mentally. This requires exercise (running, biking, hiking, or skiing) and then I will probably need that added outside release. A nice dinner, a good show, or a good glass of wine. Well with all that said my school work will have to fall in this mix somewhere. But if I can keep myself balanced, that should not be a problem.

An Ideal Classroom

If I were to come up with an ideal classroom, I would want to start by having it located next to the beach with views of the Northern Pacific coastline. I would have plenty of windows in my classroom with great views and natural lighting. One wall of my classroom would open up so that on warmer days me and my students could have the air, sounds and smells circulate around the classroom.

The students in my classroom would come from families of average income, so as to be not too privelged. The parents would be outdoor enthusiasts and care about the environment. This being said so would the students. My colleagues would be friendly and easy going. They would also be hard working and helpful.

My teaching techniques would involve alot of hands on teaching and many outdoor activities. I would teach very little from textbooks and only use them as a guide and when necessary. Using computers in the classroom would be necessary in our technology world but not in excess. I would try to incorporate art and nature into my topics as much as possible. I would also add environmental education into my curriculum as I feel this is very important for our future. In this ideal setting I would prefer to start with kindergarten students and stay with these students thru their elementary years.