post #10

While reviewing my classmates' blogs I noticed that many people wrote about how videos and visual aids enhance a lesson plan. I agree with this. I think some students do learn better when presented a visual aid. It gives another way of explaining a subject that maybe not everyone understands or the video can be just a fun side note for a lesson. Everyone put a lot of effort into their blog posts and I think the assignment was successful.

The technology-related skill I would like to learn next would be learning how to use a scanner. I have a scanner on my printer and I have never used it. I think it could come in handy for the classroom. You can scan pictures into the computer to add into handouts and worksheets. You can also combine things by using a scanner. Sometimes it could be more effective than just a copy machine. I would like to know how to properly use my scanner and how it could benefit my classroom.

In order to achieve my future educational technology-related goals, I can ask someone who specializes in educational technology for help. I can also read articles on the internet for help, advice, and inspiration. Also, my classmates and colleagues are great resources. We can all work together and help each other benefit from things we know and others may not.

post #9

This website allows you to create word puzzles, quizzes, calendars, surveys and much more. The site was organized and easy to understand. When learning how to spell, crossword puzzles and word searches are great ways to identify words. You look at the spelling and also have to write it out. The website has fun activities and also tests.

Students can create their own puzzles or quizzes or the teacher can do it and print it out or display over a projector to do as a group activity. Worksheets will keep students busy if you are absent and have to have a substitute. You can easily create a word puzzle and leave it for a substitute if you don't plan on being absent in advance.

I think I will use Excel in my classroom to keep record of students progress and their grades. For 2nd grade reading, you can chart students reading development and level through Excel. Also, you can create a chart of how many books students have completed and do a reward system for who reads the most books according to their reading level. With Excel you can calculate the average reading level or your students and see who needs extra help and who could read more challenging books. At the end of the school year, you can see who had the most reading improvement throughout the year.

The plan for my final project is to take an 8th grade class on a nature walk. Students will be placed in groups and each group will be given a digital camera. They will photograph pictures of plants and animals we see on our walk. When back in the classroom, students will upload their pictures onto computers. The next step would be to project the images onto the walls where the students will paint nature murals on the walls to decorate the classroom.

post #8

Overall, my PowerPoint 2 assignment follows the criteria for an excellent presentation. My spelling and grammar was correct, it followed the guidelines given by the instructor and it was easy to navigate. My slides had images that correlated to the text. If I could improve on something, it would be the aesthetics of the slides. I did very simple slide designs and I could have spent more time using different fonts and colors and slide backgrounds to make it prettier and less boring.

In teaching a lesson, instead of using computer based technologies, you could bring in a movie that correlates to the lesson and let the students watch a clip of it. If you are learning about the human body, you could show the Magic School Bus video where Ms. Frizzle takes the class on a filed trip through someone's body. The students will learn while also being entertained. After seeing the video, students could create a presentation based on their favorite body part they just learned about.

I learned so many new things on PowerPoint that I did not know about. I really liked the game we created in class. I think I will use hyperlinking to different slides in my educational career and use the game. In my high school English class, we would study for our finals with a similar game but it was on the chalkboard. This way is more entertaining with pictures and audio.

post #7

There are many advantages and disadvantages of using presentation software in the K-12 classroom. Presentation software can be used to enhance a lesson plan. It can help students to understand the concept you are trying to teach. Trying a different approach to teach a lesson can help students learn. Some students learn better by interactive lessons. Using pictures and video clips help students visualize what is being taught. Some disadvantages of presentation software is some students may not learn better this way. Some students grasp lessons better by just reading the book or taking their own notes. If there is a technological error, your lesson plans will have to be altered for the day.

I would use PowerPoint in many lessons. An example would be teaching students states and capitals. You could create a game on power point in which you show the state and the students have to answer what the capital is. If they answer correctly you can give a prize or extra credit points. Interactive learning will help the students memorize the answers for a test.

The stuff we learn in class is geared towards Windows computers. Some schools use Apple computers. I have been an Apple user for over 5 years so I sometimes get confused when using Windows as I am not accustomed to it. I feel like in elementary classrooms not all students will be Windows users and they might feel confused having to adjust to different computers on a regular basis. Sometimes I have problems opening files on a PC from my Mac. I wonder if by the time I am a teacher, they will have both Apple and Windows computers in the classroom.

post #6

I read about what Web 2.0 was and I found it confusing to understand. I do not think I would use in in K-12 education. It says the government uses it and it is used in higher education such as the university level. The world wide web is very popular and Web 2.0 is a continuation of WWW. I would not use it in my classroom because I do not feel well enough educated on the product.

Wikipedia is a great source when looking up common knowledge or something that cannot be easily mistaken. Anyone can create and edit information so it is definitely not a good source when doing a research paper or project. If you want to know the birthdate of a President or the habitat of a lion it will provide this information but it is always important to double check the answer no matter the source.

Powerpoint will be very useful in my educational career. It is a great tool to create presentations for the class and also when purposing an idea to your boss. Information is neatly organized and you can also be creative with the program. It is a great way to present notes to students because they can copy your bullets off the slides and they can follow along with you as you teach. Students can use Powerpoint as well to do projects so it can be a lesson taught in class. Powerpoint can be interactive learning. You can incorporate video clips and pictures that will enhance your lesson. As long as the images are not distracting and sway from the lesson, they are a great tool to amplify the presentation.

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post #5

I think the Internet is very useful to support research.  There are millions of sources at your students' fingertips.  Although, it is also hard to determine what sources are credible.  When doing a research project, finding reliable sources on the Internet is great because you can print out the article and high light the necessary information.  When you check-out a book from a library in order to high light the information you have to photocopy the source.  The Internet has some books available online that you can sometimes print.  The Internet is not useful when you want students to strictly use their own ideas.  They can always "google" the question and different cites will come up with other people's opinions.

In Palm Beach County, the school district has a website that has links of credible search engines that students should use.  They district funds these websites and makes them available for students to use in the classroom and at home.  Some of these cites include eLibrary, Literature Resource Center, SIRS Discover, and many more.  The school district filtered through many cites to find appropriate ones for students.  

It is very important to supervise students use of technology.  The Internet is filled with inappropriate websites that students could easily access.  In the classroom, schools usually block websites that are not suitable for students but there are ways around the system.  High school students are normally more technologically savvy than the teachers.  It is harder to monitor their Internet access but it can be done.  While in the classroom, teachers can walk around and make sure students are on task. You can keep a sign-in and out log for each computer to keep track of who researched each topic.    Also, they can check the computer history to see what websites have been logged on to and report the students who been using the Internet wrongly.  

post #4

Chapter 7 discusses using concept maps, outlines, and storyboards to develop presentations.  Audio, video, text, graphics, and animation also help enhance a presentation.  As a teacher I could use these elements with Inspiration, Powerpoint, and Podcasts.  I think it is important for information to be presented in a clear, organized manner in order for students to grasp the topic.  Inspiration organizes the information very neatly and is great for making concept maps that contain text and graphics.  

I would encourage my students to make concept maps and develop outlines.  Concept maps are great for studying as are outlines.  When you are reading in your textbook making outlines and concept maps are great note taking forms that you can use later on to study from.  You can also use these concept maps and outlines to create a research paper or narrative.  

I think that Inspiration is going to be a program I use a lot when I am a teacher.  It organizes information so clearly and displays it in a readable manner.  You can format the program to fit your specific needs for the lesson you are teaching.  Inspiration can also be taught in the classroom at the high school level.  I wish I had access to this program when I was in high school and making outlines and concept maps.

post #3

In a 4th grade language arts class I would use Inspiration to create an outline for essay prompts.  This is the year that students do FCAT Writes for the first time and need to learn how to pre-write their papers in a short period of time.  A web, or concept map, is a quick and efficient way to do a pre-write.   I will use Inspiration to make clear examples for the students to have a firm understanding on how to start their essays.

     

The website I am going to critique is Perez Hilton.  This website is easy to navigate and the information is organized.  The highlighted information is in the center of the web page.  The fonts and colors used are limited and readable.  The website uses a pink color scheme.  Graphics of celebrities discussed in the blurbs enhance the articles.  The website follows all of the rules of text.  The audience is women and girls who like to read celebrity gossip.  I think the website calls out to its audience beautifully.  

I think students should be able to use outside sources in their own works as long as it is cited and receives the credit it deserves.  Teachers can use outside sources for guidance on how to create their own lectures, tests, and assignments.  If an assignment seems extremely helpful for the lesson, I think it is okay for the teacher to use it in their class even if it is not their original idea.  As a student, we are not allowed to use materials without stating where we got the information from and who the original author is.  I don't think teachers have to justify their sources like students do.

post #2

I have learned many new skills so far in this class.  I was never taught how to use all the functions Microsoft Word has to offer.  I just taught myself as I created a document.  The new skills that I have acquired that I think will be useful in my educational career are mail merge, columns, tables, lists, and equations.  Mail merge was so fascinating.  I never knew that Microsoft Word had the capability of saving addresses and making personalized letters more efficient to send out to multiple people.  It is great for news letters, asking for classroom donations, and to send announcements to parents.  I always get confused when making columns, but today I finally figured out how to do it.  Columns, tables, and lists are a great ways to organize information and in a clear and readable manner.  The equations function on MS Word is very helpful.  It has the standard formula and the teacher just has to replace the numbers they want into the formula and they can create worksheets and tests.  

I use Microsoft word almost every day.  I use it to write papers, do homework assignments, copy and paste information, make signs, create banners for poster boards, and much more.  I have seen my teachers use MS Word to post assignments to Blackboard, type up hand-outs for the classroom, type up notes, and teach students MS Word skills.  

When I am a teacher I am going to use Microsoft Word to make newsletters, permission slips, worksheets, and decorations for my classroom.  I am going to use the Mail Merge to personalize letters to parents.  MS Word is a great tool for teachers and students.  It is very user-friendly and has so many options.  

post #1

I think computers are an important part of the educational experience because they offer so many tools and resources for students and teachers. Students will not only use the computer skills they acquire in the classroom, they will also use them in their daily activities. Teachers need to set boundaries when teaching computer skills because a more advanced student may get bored and a beginner student may not be able to follow along. Students become distracted and discouraged easily. I agree with the textbook when it says to separate students into groups based on skill level when teaching lessons about the computer. It will make it easier to answer questions and help those students who need extra guidance. I agree with the issues raised in Chapter 1. It was helpful and discussed ways you can incorporate computers into your classroom.


I think I will use computers in my classroom to teach my students very basic skills. I would like to teach kindergarten or first grade. At this age, students are just learning to read, spell, and write. I will teach them how to turn on a computer and use basic functions such as the mouse. When the school year progresses they can play learning games that incorporate spelling and basic math skills. In this class I hope to learn how to make grade sheets through the computer. You can find averages of your class's progress and see which students are doing struggling or succeeding easier when the grades are done through the computer.

My birthday is this weekend!! In my classroom I would like to celebrate all students birthdays. Using the computer, I can make banners and a birthday bulletin board. I think birthdays are very special occasions.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Molly. I am a theatre major. I love going to the beach and the mall. My favorite foods are french fries and strawberries. I enjoy going strawberry picking with my friends at home.