I strongly believe that technology is a vital part of education and that we as teachers need to do our best to make sure that we are exposing our students to it and also teaching them how to use it. In a world that is based in technolgy, it is imperative for students to be knowledgeable about it and be able to use it. For our students to be successful as adults, they need to be able to be efficient and able to use technology. It has been a while since I have graduated from high school and alot of my friends still do not use technology. It has put them behind and it is more difficult for them to learn it now than it would have been when they were younger.
I believe that we have a responsibility as teachers to use all of the resources out there to give our students the best and most recent information. This can be done very easily through technology. Using technology offers so many benefits and opportunities for students and it would be a shame for us to take that away from them.
I am grateful for the many things that I have learned in these 2 technology classes that I have taken at UVU. They have given me the tools that I need to be succesful at integrating technology into my classroom. I am so excited to be a teacher and I can't wait until I finally have my own classroom.
Monday, April 18, 2011
21 April - Lessons Learned
Wow! Those videos and articles were very informative. They didn't actually tell me anything that I haven't heard before, they just brought it to life and made me think about it in a different way. Since I am getting closer to having my own classroom it is important for me to be aware of these things and relate them to myself as a teacher and how it will affect my students. I learned that the 4 key elements of Integrating Technology are active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback and connection to real-world experts.
These 4 components are important and necessary for integrating technology. Active engagement is so important for students. It keeps them interested and give them a more active role in their education. It gives them responsibility for learning and makes them accountable. I believe that it is important to students to participate in groups and learn how to work this way. Although it is difficult at times, this is they way the world works and the more exposure that students can get in this area, the more successful they can be in their adult lives. When students are using technology it gives the teacher frequent interaction with the students and provides more feedback. It helps the teacher to know exactly where the student is with the content and allows her to be able to provide feedback to the student to further his learning. The final component is giving the students a connection to real-world experts. This is an important aspect. I think about how much more knowledge is available to students now than when I was in high school. It is so easy to find answers to questions and become knowledgeable about a subject. Students need to know that this is available and have the tools to take advantage of it.
I learned many things during this assignment. It was great to put it into context and think about how it will affect me as a teacher.
These 4 components are important and necessary for integrating technology. Active engagement is so important for students. It keeps them interested and give them a more active role in their education. It gives them responsibility for learning and makes them accountable. I believe that it is important to students to participate in groups and learn how to work this way. Although it is difficult at times, this is they way the world works and the more exposure that students can get in this area, the more successful they can be in their adult lives. When students are using technology it gives the teacher frequent interaction with the students and provides more feedback. It helps the teacher to know exactly where the student is with the content and allows her to be able to provide feedback to the student to further his learning. The final component is giving the students a connection to real-world experts. This is an important aspect. I think about how much more knowledge is available to students now than when I was in high school. It is so easy to find answers to questions and become knowledgeable about a subject. Students need to know that this is available and have the tools to take advantage of it.
I learned many things during this assignment. It was great to put it into context and think about how it will affect me as a teacher.
21 April - Strengths & Weaknesses
I feel that I have many strengths when it comes to technology. I have integrated technology into all areas of my life and enjoy learning more things about technology. As I reviewed the NET Standards, I would consider myself a Level VI. I am aware of technology resources and while I do not have very much experience in using it in a classroom, I have every intent to do so and have appreciated learning all that I have learned about integrating technology. As I reflect on the UNI Survey, I noticed that I am considered an apprentice in almost every category. I can see that this means that I am weak in actually designing my own technology and using it with my students. I feel that this will come as I become a teacher and have the opportunity to use all of the things I have learned so far. My weaknesses would be that I do not know as much as I would like to know about integrating technology into my classroom and teaching my students to use technology. I plan on doing everything I can to become more informed and I am not scared to try new things for my students.
I found a couple of workshops that I could attend online to help me learn more ways to integrate technology into the curriculum. There are 2 classes listed on the UEN Professional Development page called "Integrating Technology & Curriculum I and Integrating Technology & Curriculum II." I believe that a teacher should always be learning and trying their best to reflect and make changes as needed with their lessons. A podcast that I found online is called "Moving at the Speed of Creativity" which would teach me more about technology and how to stay current with all of the new things that come out so quickly regarding technology.
These workshops and podcasts will be very helpful to me as I become a teacher. I can take these courses and watch the podcast when I can use it in my classroom and know exactly what it is that I need. As a student it's hard to know what I do not know and once I am in the profession as an actual teacher, I will know better the things that will help me and benefit my students. While I know that I am not a computer or technology expert, I enjoy learning about it and am willing to make the changes necessary to incorporate it into my life and career. I am absolutely for using technology and know that it is important for my students to be exposed to it and learn how to use it themselves.
I found a couple of workshops that I could attend online to help me learn more ways to integrate technology into the curriculum. There are 2 classes listed on the UEN Professional Development page called "Integrating Technology & Curriculum I and Integrating Technology & Curriculum II." I believe that a teacher should always be learning and trying their best to reflect and make changes as needed with their lessons. A podcast that I found online is called "Moving at the Speed of Creativity" which would teach me more about technology and how to stay current with all of the new things that come out so quickly regarding technology.
These workshops and podcasts will be very helpful to me as I become a teacher. I can take these courses and watch the podcast when I can use it in my classroom and know exactly what it is that I need. As a student it's hard to know what I do not know and once I am in the profession as an actual teacher, I will know better the things that will help me and benefit my students. While I know that I am not a computer or technology expert, I enjoy learning about it and am willing to make the changes necessary to incorporate it into my life and career. I am absolutely for using technology and know that it is important for my students to be exposed to it and learn how to use it themselves.
Monday, April 11, 2011
14 April - Field
I had a great experience with field. I learned so much about so many different things. It is so wonderful to be able to be in a classroom and actually watch an experienced teacher teach elementary school students. Alyse and I had a great time teaching the students and trying out all of the fun things we have learned this semester.
The students loved it when we used technology in their classroom. We showed them our digital story and they absolutely loved it. They watched it very attentively and asked some great questions afterwards. We gave them a worksheet with a few questions to answer as they were watching it and it worked like a charm. They were listening so well and writing in their answers.
Our cooperating teacher uses a document camera alot and it was so useful to us, as well. He also had a projector in his classroom. He told us that it was the only one for that grade level at the school, but he had it in his classroom almost the entire time we were there. There were a few students who helped him get it setup each time he needed to use it. They loved to help and knew exactly how to use it. They were also very helpful to us as we were trying to figure it out.
During field, it just made me realize even more how I want to use all of the cool technology I have learned about when I have my own classroom. It is such a useful tool for a teacher and I hope to take full advantage of it. All of our lessons in this class and computer technology in education were so helpful to me and I am so glad that I have learned it all. Field was so amazing and I cannot wait to have my own class.
The students loved it when we used technology in their classroom. We showed them our digital story and they absolutely loved it. They watched it very attentively and asked some great questions afterwards. We gave them a worksheet with a few questions to answer as they were watching it and it worked like a charm. They were listening so well and writing in their answers.
Our cooperating teacher uses a document camera alot and it was so useful to us, as well. He also had a projector in his classroom. He told us that it was the only one for that grade level at the school, but he had it in his classroom almost the entire time we were there. There were a few students who helped him get it setup each time he needed to use it. They loved to help and knew exactly how to use it. They were also very helpful to us as we were trying to figure it out.
During field, it just made me realize even more how I want to use all of the cool technology I have learned about when I have my own classroom. It is such a useful tool for a teacher and I hope to take full advantage of it. All of our lessons in this class and computer technology in education were so helpful to me and I am so glad that I have learned it all. Field was so amazing and I cannot wait to have my own class.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
10 March - Digital Stories 3
The production process of my digital story has been a little slower than I actually thought it would. It has taken quite a while to come up with a good idea and find the resources to put it all together. I can see how these projects will probably get easier each time that you do them. I think that Photostory is a wonderful tool for teachers and I look forward to using it more and more in the future.
Our cooperating teacher has asked that we teach his 4th grade students about the government in the State of Utah and how a bill becomes a law. We are using our digital story to explain to the students how a bill becomes a law. I think that it will be beneficial to the students and it will help them remember this important concept.
I am excited to be able to give our digital story to our cooperating teacher and hope that he will find some use for it in the future. I am excited to get into the classroom and try out all of these great things that I have learned in my first semester in the program. I am a little nervous, but really excited for this experience. I can see that the more experience we get, the better teachers we will become.
Our cooperating teacher has asked that we teach his 4th grade students about the government in the State of Utah and how a bill becomes a law. We are using our digital story to explain to the students how a bill becomes a law. I think that it will be beneficial to the students and it will help them remember this important concept.
I am excited to be able to give our digital story to our cooperating teacher and hope that he will find some use for it in the future. I am excited to get into the classroom and try out all of these great things that I have learned in my first semester in the program. I am a little nervous, but really excited for this experience. I can see that the more experience we get, the better teachers we will become.
Monday, February 28, 2011
3 March - Digital Stories 2
I thought it was really interesting to learn about the copyright laws and issues that we face as teachers. I really would not have thought that teachers would be bound by these laws, but I am glad to know about them and to be aware of what I can and cannot use in my classroom.
It is so important for us to be informed of the different copyright rules that will affect us as teachers. With all of the technology that is out there, it would be easy to ignore these laws. It is very important for us to be aware of and use good digital citizenship and make sure that everything we use off of the internet and other digital technology is appropriate and legal. I was surprised to learn about Disney and Pixar and how tough they are about copyright issues. That is very useful information for me to have in my teaching career, as well as my personal life.
I want to make sure that my students are aware of and use good digital citizenship. They need to learn what is allowed and what is not so that they will never get themselves in a situation where they have used something that they were not suppose to use. I think we need to teach our students that just because it is on the internet, it doesn't mean that it is fair game. Someone produced these things and we do not have the right to use them without their permission. We teach them not to steal from the store and it is the same thing regaring digital technology.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
24 February - Digital Stories 1
I really enjoyed learning about digital stories. The examples that were shown in class were very moving and amazing to watch. I am surprised at how powerful a digital story can be and the importance of getting everything just right, like the music, pictures, timing, etc.
I have not heard back from my cooperating teacher. I emailed him on Monday and am waiting for his response. We are doing our field in a 4th grade classroom, so we know that we will be doing Utah history for social studies. We are hoping that he will get back to us soon so that we can begin working on our digital story and other lesson plans. I like the way that you are guiding us step by step through this process. It seems really overwhelming when you look at the examples that you have shown us, but I think if we do it step by step it will help make it a simpler process.
I am excited to work on this digital story. It looks like such a fun tool to use in my future classroom. I was talking to a friend of mine who is a semester ahead of me in this program and she has already made a few more digital stories just because she loves to do it and wants to get ready for her field. I love using technology in the classroom and I know the students really enjoy it too. I hope to be able to get pretty good at making digital stories so that I can implement them into my curriculum and use them over and over again. What an awesome tool for a teacher to have. I am so glad that I am learning how to do this.
I have not heard back from my cooperating teacher. I emailed him on Monday and am waiting for his response. We are doing our field in a 4th grade classroom, so we know that we will be doing Utah history for social studies. We are hoping that he will get back to us soon so that we can begin working on our digital story and other lesson plans. I like the way that you are guiding us step by step through this process. It seems really overwhelming when you look at the examples that you have shown us, but I think if we do it step by step it will help make it a simpler process.
I am excited to work on this digital story. It looks like such a fun tool to use in my future classroom. I was talking to a friend of mine who is a semester ahead of me in this program and she has already made a few more digital stories just because she loves to do it and wants to get ready for her field. I love using technology in the classroom and I know the students really enjoy it too. I hope to be able to get pretty good at making digital stories so that I can implement them into my curriculum and use them over and over again. What an awesome tool for a teacher to have. I am so glad that I am learning how to do this.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
17 February - Vidcast Reflection
The vidcast that Alyse Starley and I prepared together is called "Order of Operations." Our vidcast goes along with the math curriculum for the 4th, 5th and 6th grades. We chose this subject for our vidcast because we think it is important for our students to understand the order of operations in a math problem. It is something they will be using during their many years of math study. We also really liked teaching the acronym of PEMDAS ("Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally") and thought it would be helpful and useful for them throughout their lives.
The potential drawbacks for using this vidcast would probably be that we could only use it once per year. Once they have seen it, they probably would not be interested in seeing it again. It would work well for a quick review of the concept and maybe refresh their memories as they move on from year to year.
I would love to use our vidcast in my future classroom. I would like to teach 5th grade which will be the second year of them learning and practicing this concept. Our vidcast could be used to help them to refresh their memories so that it will be easier for them the second time around. I remember learning the acronym for the order of operations and it has stuck with me for a very long time. Anything that we can do to trigger their memories or help them memorize something will definitely benefit the student. There are a lot of students who really struggle with math and I think that if we can make it fun and give them fun ways to remember, the students will be able to learn the information better and it will be more likely that they will actually retain it.
Alyse and I really enjoyed making the vidcast. It was a fun and easy project. We recorded it with my blackberry phone and uploaded it directly to youtube. It was a very slick and easy process. I am planning on doing as many vidcasts and I possibly can to help teach my students.
The potential drawbacks for using this vidcast would probably be that we could only use it once per year. Once they have seen it, they probably would not be interested in seeing it again. It would work well for a quick review of the concept and maybe refresh their memories as they move on from year to year.
I would love to use our vidcast in my future classroom. I would like to teach 5th grade which will be the second year of them learning and practicing this concept. Our vidcast could be used to help them to refresh their memories so that it will be easier for them the second time around. I remember learning the acronym for the order of operations and it has stuck with me for a very long time. Anything that we can do to trigger their memories or help them memorize something will definitely benefit the student. There are a lot of students who really struggle with math and I think that if we can make it fun and give them fun ways to remember, the students will be able to learn the information better and it will be more likely that they will actually retain it.
Alyse and I really enjoyed making the vidcast. It was a fun and easy project. We recorded it with my blackberry phone and uploaded it directly to youtube. It was a very slick and easy process. I am planning on doing as many vidcasts and I possibly can to help teach my students.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
10 February - Vidcasts
I am really excited to be learning how to do vidcasts. I thought photostory was a fun and easy to use tool. It will be of great use to me in the future. I was also happy to learn that I can upload videos straight from my blackberry to youtube. That is very cool.
I am excited to finish my vidcast. It is fun to do things that you do not normally do. I hope that we will be able to use our vidcast during field and that it will be useful to our students. I'm not sure how I will continue to use vidcasts while I am in the program, but I intend to use them alot in my class. I can totally see why we are learning to use this valuable tool. Anything we can do to be more of a help to our students is important. I really love technology and appreciate learning all of this fun stuff.
I love doing vidcasts and will be using them in my classroom alot. I think it will be fun to teach my students how to do vidcasts and I was thinking we could do one as a class for a younger group of students. They could teach them how to do something that is difficult for them. I also will be uploading vidcasts to my website to show parents and students how to do different tasks. I think the parents will greatly appreciate this tool because it will be a great tutorial to help them to help their students.
I am excited to finish my vidcast. It is fun to do things that you do not normally do. I hope that we will be able to use our vidcast during field and that it will be useful to our students. I'm not sure how I will continue to use vidcasts while I am in the program, but I intend to use them alot in my class. I can totally see why we are learning to use this valuable tool. Anything we can do to be more of a help to our students is important. I really love technology and appreciate learning all of this fun stuff.
I love doing vidcasts and will be using them in my classroom alot. I think it will be fun to teach my students how to do vidcasts and I was thinking we could do one as a class for a younger group of students. They could teach them how to do something that is difficult for them. I also will be uploading vidcasts to my website to show parents and students how to do different tasks. I think the parents will greatly appreciate this tool because it will be a great tutorial to help them to help their students.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
3 February - Podcasts
Podcasts are very cool and can be very useful. I had a lot of fun making my podcast. I had no idea that I could make a podcast on my cell phone and that it would be so easy. It was a really fun and interesting class.
In my life today, I can see that podcasts can be very entertaining and fun. I'm not sure how I would use it with the other students in my cohort, but I know that I will be teaching my own children how to make them and they will absolutely love it. My 11 year old son loves computers and all kinds of technology. He will think that this is the coolest thing ever. I can't wait to help him make his own podcast.
Using podcasts could be very useful to me as a teacher. I love the idea of giving students instructions through a podcast, or if I am going to be absent from school, I could give my sub information through a podcast. I think I could use it to help my students understand something a little better. It would be great to give them step by step instructions for a project. Technology is so amazing and I intend to use it in every possible way in my classroom. I can't understand why a teacher would not learn everything they could about different types of technology because it can absolutely help them teach their students. I would love to teach my students how to make a podcast. I know that they will enjoy it and it can be useful to them as well. I plan on using it on my website to help give instructions for homework and other projects and it will be a great tool for the parents to know and understand what I expect from the students.
In my life today, I can see that podcasts can be very entertaining and fun. I'm not sure how I would use it with the other students in my cohort, but I know that I will be teaching my own children how to make them and they will absolutely love it. My 11 year old son loves computers and all kinds of technology. He will think that this is the coolest thing ever. I can't wait to help him make his own podcast.
Using podcasts could be very useful to me as a teacher. I love the idea of giving students instructions through a podcast, or if I am going to be absent from school, I could give my sub information through a podcast. I think I could use it to help my students understand something a little better. It would be great to give them step by step instructions for a project. Technology is so amazing and I intend to use it in every possible way in my classroom. I can't understand why a teacher would not learn everything they could about different types of technology because it can absolutely help them teach their students. I would love to teach my students how to make a podcast. I know that they will enjoy it and it can be useful to them as well. I plan on using it on my website to help give instructions for homework and other projects and it will be a great tool for the parents to know and understand what I expect from the students.
Monday, January 24, 2011
27 January - Google Part 2
This week I learned how to create a classroom website. It is a great place to tell my students and their parents about me, post announcements, keep a classroom calendar, provide resources for my students and many other things. It is awesome and something that I intend to keep up throughout my teaching career.
I'm not exactly sure how this will impact my life currently, but I know that when I become a teacher and have my own classroom, this type of website could be a great asset for me to use to communicate with my students and their parents. I do not see how I will currently use this site as a student, but the potential for my future is great.
I am so excited to learn about google sites. I am excited about how I am going to use this in my future classroom. I intend to keep this website current and use it to communicate with my students and their parents. I love the idea of being able to post announcements, quick surveys, homework and the calendar on this site. How awesome is that to be able to refer them to the website for alot of their questions? I know that as a parent I would love to have something like this so that I do not have to bug the teacher for my little questions. I think the parents will really appreciate the simplicity of it and being able to look and see what is going on in the child's classroom whenever they can.
I'm not exactly sure how this will impact my life currently, but I know that when I become a teacher and have my own classroom, this type of website could be a great asset for me to use to communicate with my students and their parents. I do not see how I will currently use this site as a student, but the potential for my future is great.
I am so excited to learn about google sites. I am excited about how I am going to use this in my future classroom. I intend to keep this website current and use it to communicate with my students and their parents. I love the idea of being able to post announcements, quick surveys, homework and the calendar on this site. How awesome is that to be able to refer them to the website for alot of their questions? I know that as a parent I would love to have something like this so that I do not have to bug the teacher for my little questions. I think the parents will really appreciate the simplicity of it and being able to look and see what is going on in the child's classroom whenever they can.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
20 January - Google Part 1
This week I learned about googledocs which includes documents, spreadsheets, forms and presentations. It is really cool how you can collaborate with someone else on the same document. I was amazed at how it all works and how helpful it will be for me.
I think that I will be using this resource alot in the next 2 years as I complete this program. It seems that we are required to work alot on group projects and presentations and this will be such a time-saving resource for us. We will not have to meet in person and can work on the same documents at the same time. I am excited to get better at these tools so that they will be even more effective in my schooling. I can also see how convenient it is that you can access these documents from any computer. I have a laptop, but am reluctant to drag it around to each class and now I know that if I save something in googledocs I will have access to it from any computer. I also think that I will save my key assignments on google, as well as on a flash drive and my hard drive. It just gives me another place to keep my portfolio so that if I have problems with my computer or flash drive, the documents will be safe.
I think google will be a great tool for me as a teacher. I would like to use it as a way to have my students collaborate on documents, but also as I work with other teachers on different things. We can work on them from home and not have to carry a flash drive back and forth. We can work on things simultaneously, saving a great deal of time. I also intend to use google forms as a way of surveying my students, giving them a quick test to see if they understand something and possibly getting feedback from parents. I think it is an awesome way to have them respond quickly and easily to a question without having to have them sign and return another sheet of paper. It is also very environmentally friendly to do things electronically and without wasting paper.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
13 January - Introduction...Special topics blog
I have two educational heroes that have meant alot to me and who I respect very much . The first is Mrs. Warenski, a 2nd grade teacher who has taught 2 of my children. I have been extremely impressed with her and her ways of teaching. She genuinely cares about each student in her class and it is obvious to the students and the parents. At a parent teacher conference for my son, she actually got teary-eyed and emotional as we discussed my son. I honestly do not think she only did that for my son. She sincerely loves each of her students and wants them to succeed. She is an example of an amazing teacher and the kind of teacher that I want to be.
My other educational hero is my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Hansen. She was so important to me and I admired her so much. She made me feel important and like I really had the potential to be anything that I wanted to be. She was the sweetest and most beautiful lady, inside and out. She made me want to learn new things and had a great way of teaching. When I have seen her around, through the years, she always remembers me and even knows my name. That has had a definite impact on my life and I hope to be the kind of teacher that she was to me to my future students.
My other educational hero is my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Hansen. She was so important to me and I admired her so much. She made me feel important and like I really had the potential to be anything that I wanted to be. She was the sweetest and most beautiful lady, inside and out. She made me want to learn new things and had a great way of teaching. When I have seen her around, through the years, she always remembers me and even knows my name. That has had a definite impact on my life and I hope to be the kind of teacher that she was to me to my future students.
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