End of Semester Reflection

I cannot believe that it is the end of the semester! It feels like we only just began (and yes, I not have Karen Carpenter going through my head). I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. I have learned so much about technology, teaching, and life in general. Thanks to this course I am significantly less overwhelmed (still overwhelmed, but not as much) now about having to integrate technology into my classroom and teaching. I am actually excited to do so. This class has showed the benefits of integrating technology into the classroom. Using technology in your teaching increases student learning and participation. What I learned in this course will not only help me when I am in the classroom, but they will also help me as I am finishing school and throughout the reset of my life outside of the classroom. Thanks Prof. Sorenson for a great semester!

Reflection #10

What exactly is technology? When I think of technology, computer and such come to mind. Is it more, though. Of course it is. In our Instructional Design Microteaching we must you at least one form of technology. Prof. Garrett gave us a list of technological devices; the whiteboard was included in the list. I was surprised to see it on the list. I do not view the whiteboard as a technological device, but I guess it is. After thinking over this, technology, in my opinion is anything that makes life in general more efficient; it is anything we humans have invented. The computer, the TV, the car, the typewriter, the pencil, the wheel are all technological devices. I feel like I am rambling, perhaps I am, but I just thought I would record my thoughts on the matter. To others, this may seem like common sense, again, perhaps it is, but it is something I had to think about it. Enjoy my thoughts - I hope I don't bore you!

Reflection #9

I really enjoyed learning about the different forms of technology through other's technology project presentations. Even though we have gone over all the information and programs before, seeing actual examples of them made by us was quite beneficial. I especially enjoyed Cathy's presentation about the movie. After seeing her sample movie I see how simple (I use this word somewhat loosely) it can be for students to make a video as a unit project, a book report, learning progress report, etc. no matter what grade level. A video project can be made more difficult with more requirements for older grades and rather simple for younger grades. Thanks Cathy for presenting your project! I am so excited to use this form a technology in my classroom one day!

Reflection #8

I love being in class with other people! You all have such great ideas, ones that I would never think of. This is why the classroom set up an environment is beneficial and should always be an option. I think that online classes take away from that human interaction that is key to learning. I know for me, if I was taking all the classes I am currently in now, I would not learn as much. The presentations other students give, the comments they share, the critiques (both positive and constructive) are so incredibly helpful. All this would be lost, at least for me, if I took all online classes. I do see the benefits (few) of online schooling, but I do not think that it should ever replace the actual classroom, never ever never! : )

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Reflection #7

I visited my classroom that I will be student teaching in last week to get to know my CT better. She is great! I know I will learn a lot this coming year. One thing she showed me was a type of literacy test/evaluation for students who struggle in reading. The evaluation is done on a palm pilot. The student reads a selected text and that same text appears on the palm pilot which the teacher has. Every time a student misses a word, says it incorrectly or asks for assistance the teacher can touch the word on the screen and it is highlighted. The palm pilot program also keeps track of how many words per minute the student is reading. When the evaluation in over, the teacher transfer the information from the palm to the computer. It is all there, from the whole year. The program keeps track of the student's progress in the form of charts and graphs. This is great to be able to show parents their child's improvement or their child's lack of improvement. It is concrete information. I had the opportunity to view the evaluation of one ELL student. He was new at the school in the beginning of the year and had just moved from Japan. He did not know any English. At the beginning of the year, my CT said he was reading less than 5 words per minute. This time, he read 113 words per minute (The benchmark for 2nd graders is 90 words per minute). What an improvement! The evaluation looks at fluency and comprehension. Another student was still struggling very much in reading. He is reading 9 words per minute (This student is not ELL and does not have a learning disability, but social/behavioral issues). My CT was meeting with his mother after school. She had all the print offs of charts and graphs ready to show the mother. This program is great for meeting with parents because like I said before, it is concrete information, it is not an opinion. I am looking forward to using this program in the fall!

Reflection # 6

I think it is funny how we, sometimes, think things will never change. I think this mentality is changing due to the increasing amount of change in our society; however, I know for myself, sometimes I think everything will remain the same. The chalkboard. I suppose that back in the day no one ever thought that hardly any chalkboards would exist in future classrooms, but it is now reality. Same with overhead projectors, they are now becoming obsolete (if not already). It makes me think of certain things we have/use today that may disappear over time (TV, refrigerator, microwave, etc) and be replaced with different objects that are bigger and better. It's the same with fashion. When you put on an outfit, you don't think "Oh, this will be out of style in a few years". It is hard to imagine how fashion will change. We can see the changes retrospectively, but not before they happen; poodle skirts could not envision bell bottoms. I hope this makes sense. I feel as though I am rambling. Actually, I know I am. Sorry! : )

The Classroom in 5 Years

Times are changing. We are at a pivotal point in history. So much of our society will be different in the coming years. Certainly, technology will change. I believe that technology will become more accessible to the general public. Classrooms will have more and more technology in them. After being in a few different classrooms this semester, I can see how much classrooms have changed within the last 5-10 years. I know for certain, that they will continue to change in the next 5. Just how chalk boards are a thing of the past, overheads now are, and I think that white boards will become obsolete as well. Document cameras and interactive boards are up and coming. More and more schools have them in every classroom. Technology does make teaching easier, especially with this gerneration of students. However, there is a large margin for problems. How many times have you gone to use some technological device for a presentation or just or fun on your own and it won't work? It can be very frustrating. In the classroom, though, when you are using technology for a lesson and it won't work, you then have 20 some youngsters starring at you, attention span waining. Technology should be a first choice for teaching, but you should always have a technology-free back-up. I don't know if the role of teahers will change in the coming years. I hope a teacher's role always is to teach, encourage, inspire, and guide. How teachers do that may change, but their role should always remain the same.

Technology Project

For my technology project I chose to create a website. Prof. Sorenson had mentioned that students in the past found it frustrating to create a website for a class they did not have, but I found it extremely exciting! For one, you could do whatever you wanted to do. Secondly, your class could be studying anything. I found it exciting because I could imagine having my own class in the not so distant future. I am so looking forward to being a teacher - I can hardly wait!

My main piece of technology was, of course, the website. I used webs.com. It was somewhat difficult at first to get started, but I think it was simply because it was unfamiliar territory. Once I got going, though, I learned the ropes. For my two minor pieces of technology, I added a google map to my website and also a delicious account (Not to self: make sure to type in the 2nd i; 'delicious' spelled just 'ous' is, well, let's just say it is blocked on the Northwestu network). The wesite builder also offered a blog and calendar. You could also post pictures (I would use that to post pictures of the class and what we were doing, but I don't have any to use). You could also add widgets. I used this feature to add class polls (i.e. your favorite sport, food, color). My big acheivement of this project would be with my google map. I could not figure out how to get on my webpage. I knew it involved the html. I copied and pasted until I was blue in the face. I even asked Prof. Sorenson for help. We struggled with it for a while, but then we found this little button in the editing section 'html'. We did it! Of course the map was too small, but at least it was now on the webpage. Later that night I was playing around with it and discovered I could change the size of it in the html. So, I re-wrote part of the html (really, I just fiddled with the numbers until it was the right size) and made it the appropriate size.

One aspect of the project that I did find to be frustrating is having all these great ideas of what to do on my website but not knowing how to do them. I overcame some of that frustration, with the google map. One thing I would like to fix is the location of my class polls. I would like them to be all three next to each other in one row. It sounds simple, I know, but no matter what I tried, it wouldn't let me.

Ok, let me talk about the NET Standards.
Students: 2. Communication andCollaboration -> There is a blog page on my website. I did not develop it, but I would use it with my real class. This blog would allow students to interact with myself and other students. The google map on my page helps reiterate the global atmosphere in the class with helps students develop a cultural understanding and global awareness. I have not mentioned this yet, but on the calendar (I know you all read every word on my page :) )there is a Pen Pal Surprise. What that would be is the chance to talk with their penpals in Brazil. I have connections with several schools in Brazil and it is my hope that we would be able to do a pen pal thing during the year and then use Skype to chat with them "face to face". This, too, would again reinforce the global environment and create a cultural awareness with my studnets. 3. Digital Citizenship -> All the components of this standard apply. All of these are so important, no matter what age. Like I metioned before, about the delicious web address, it is so easy to make a mistake on the internet and go to a wrong page. It is important in this day and age to discuss safety precausions when using the internet.
Teachers: 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning and 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility -> it is so important for a teacher to model what is expected, appropriate, etc. By creating and maintaining a class website, you as the teacher are modeling digital-age work and learning as well as promoting/modeling digital citizenship.

This was such an enjoyable and beneficial project! Honestly, I do not know why more classes do not have class websites?! There are so incredibly useful for multiple reasons, but the main one is that it is a permanant line of communication between the classroom and the home. It is a great way to keep the parents constantly up to date on what's going on. I will definitely have a class website for my future class!

Enjoy my site!

http://missottsclass.webs.com

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

I use Word almost every day for school assignments. I usually just type, change the font/size, spell check and cut/copy/paste. I don't think I ever use Excel. I actually can't remember the last time I used it (I know I have though). PowerPoint I use to make slide shows (usually with pictures from trips I have been on).
For Word, students could write a short something (story, letter, or paper). As for excel, that could be used to a science or math assignment involving graphing. PowerPoint could be used at the beginning of the year and have students create a slide show about themselves so that we could all get to know each other better.

K12 Online Conference 2008

I listened to two different session: one about assessment and the other about global learning. Both were really interesting. It was hard, though, to focus for both because the speakers were speaking to a slide show; that is all I saw, a slide show as opposed to a person speaking (I guess that's the concept of an online conference).
The one about assessment was thought provoking. The speaker really took the concept of assessment to it's original purpose - having students prove what they know/have learned. He looked at all the different ways to do such. He went over the history of assessment. He states that he learned all he knows about assessment from Shakespeare (Midsummer's Night Dream, the Tempest, Othello, and as he put it, CSI: Denmark, a.k.a. Hamlet). His main point was that assessment must be purposeful and be effective. Assessment is a difficult task. There are so many different ways to assess and different students require different means of assessment. It is a grey area, but one that needs to be explored more.
The second session I looked at was about global learning. This one provided many suggestions and tips for implementing this style of learning in your own classroom. This one was much easier for me to pay attention to because it had much more engaging slides. Because of this class, I was familiar with many of the tools they mentioned for making your classroom globally connected. This session was a lot more inspiring, in my opinion. The assessment one was a lot of talk and ideas to get you thinking, but nothing that made you get excited or feel motivation to assess better. The global session made me see how easy and effective it is to make your classroom globally connected.
Asking Bigger Questions about Assessment: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=301
Connecting Classrooms Across Continents: Planning and Implementing Globally Collaborative Projects: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=335

Gradebook Software

Playing around with the software tonight was rather fun. Chalksite was quite easy to navigate, of course, though, I had written directions to help me through. Personally, I don't think that gradebook software should cost anything; it is one of those 'necessities' in life that costs when it shouldn't. Kidspiration is so incredibly neat! I can totally see myself using this almost every day in my future classroom. I think this is a great tool to pair with the smartboard. I feel as though students could learn better because the activities are designed similarly to the way young children think and process information. Also, with anything on the smartboard, the students are actively involved in the learning process, therefore learning more. I am really excited about this software. It is something that I can use right now as a student preparing to be a teacher. To put it briefly, I love this program! It is so easy to use and so fun. I sure hope my school I teach at has kidspiration!! : )

Blogs for Educators

Cool Cat Teacher Blog (Wiki Wiki teaching 9/12/05) In general, Cool Cat Teacher Blog is super cool. Vicki Davis seems to be a very neat individual. I read a few of her posting, but I found the 'Wiki Wiki Teaching' post to be especially interesting. We talked about wikis in class, but I was under the impression that they could only be used for sign ups (That was a silly assumption of mine). After reading this post, I am full of ideas of how to use a wiki no matter what grade level. It was so neat to hear about how excited her students were about the wiki spaces . . . that's what it is all about: getting students excited to learn and getting them to want to learn more and more!
EduBlog Insights (Beginning blogging sessions with elem students 28/8/08) What a great idea - using blogs to connect with classrooms around the world! I love it! What a great way for young students to be introduced to other cultures and people groups from various parts of the world. I think a lot could be taught from this experience. I know I for one would love to implement this in mt future classroom. There were also many other interesting and intriguing posts on this blog. Must go back and spend more time browsing! : )

Assignment #4 Part #1

For my Technology Project I will create a website. I will you one of the web 2.0 sofwares made to create websites. At the present I do not remember what those programs are, but I will ask tonight in class and update this blog as soon as I find out the name of the project. : )

This will be a class website. I know students in the past said it was frustrating to create a website for an imaginary class, but I think that would be fun. You have no limits on your creativity and you can do anything with you 'class' and what 'they' are learning. I will also use Google maps on my website. If I can swing it, I will also post a podcast as well. And if I am really lucky, I will add more to it. The website will be for a 2nd grade class. At this point in time I plan for there to be as much information for parents as for students.

I think that in today's society and culture it is positively crucial for each classroom teacher to have a class website. A class website can provide so much important information to both students and parents. A class website is a good way to fill the gaps between the classroom and home. A website is also a great way to reach people in this day in age. When people want to find information on basically anything, their first stop is the Internet. Why not let the Internet be the first stop for people for find out information about you class? A classroom website is a great way to integrate technology into your classroom because you can take it and use it wherever you teach regardless of the school or district's budget; it is free and effective!

So I've found the name of the sofware for the free website formats; surprise, surprise, it it called free webs. It was pretty easy to get started, but I was unsure of what to do on some of the pages.

I think it is hilarious that I've created a website. I never would haev guessed that I would have done such a thing. The problem that I am running in to is that I have all these wonderful (well, I think so) ideas of what to do and how to make my site better, but I do not know how to do so. I end up getting frustrated and giving up. Lukily, I am pushing through, since I actually have to turn this in. : )

SMARTBoard Reflection

I had a lot of fun doing my SMARTBoard presentation. Of course, it was a little strange doing a primary level activity with my peers, but it was fun. Here are a couple of things that I would either need to work on or take into consideration when I begin teaching: 1. I need to practice not facing the board but rather facing my students for classroom management reasons also so they can hear better; 2. SMARTBoard activities work better with the lights off and I can see this posing a small issue perhaps (children loosing interest, classroom management issues, and for older grades it would be hard to take notes); 3. sometimes it is hard to do what the activity is asking you to do because the board is so touchy. Anyways, regardless of these "issues" the SMARTBoard is a wonderful invention and should be utilizes effectively in the classroom.

"Caught on Video" by Bob Spankle

I really enjoyed this article. It is astonishing to me how far we have come in the realm of technology even within the past 10 years. The concept of videos in the classroom is revolutionary just like Spankle remarked. When I first heard of this concept, I could not think of very many ways to use a video camera in a classroom for fun or for educational purposes. However, after reading this article my mind is reeling with various ways to implement this form of technology. My favorite way to use the video camera in the classroom is to record students' progress and then to show it to the parents in conference or email it to them regularly. This is a great idea, but it will only work with families who have access to email/computers. Also, sadly, some parents simply do not care about their children's progress. I know these two examples are rare occurrences, but they should be taken into consideration. Nevertheless, these video cameras are amazing and should be implemented.

Impact of Technology on Learning - Reflection #5

I am shocked how much of a difference technology makes when learning basically anythings. For example, tonight with the SmartBoard presentations, I learned so much . . . and I think I will retain it as well. I now know all the phases of the moon and interesting facts about the Potsdam Conference. I think that because the way I was raised and the time period during which I was raised I almost need technology to solidify something (I know I don't need it, but sometimes it sure seems like it). Technology seems to make things click. With the SmartBoard activities, I think it is because I was physically involved in my learning process. Also, the way the material was presented was unique and for lack of a better term, not boring. If the use of technology will help me learn better, I can only imagine how much better it will help my students learn and retain information.
With this realization, I am so much more motivated to learn as much as I can regarding the integration of technology in my lessons and classroom in general. The more I know and the more I can do, the better I will be as a teacher and the more I can help my students.

Assignment #3

http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Notebook+activities/Browse+Notebook/United+States/Elementary/K-3/Social+Studies/Chronological+Order+Part+1+SMARTcreated.htm

For my SmartBoard activity, I chose to do a 1st grade social studies activity. This activity's focus is on historical chronology. It is extremely basic (today, tomorrow and yesterday), but it involves what all children need to learn. We do not inherently know what past, present and future mean; we must be taught.

This activity meets NET Standard #6 for students (Technology Operations and Concepts). How does this activity meet this standard? Well, to go forward in the activity, we must click the forward arrow and if we want to go back we must press the back arrow. This action models that of turning pages in a book; therefore students are transferring current knowledge to learning of new technologies. Also, there are "rules" to each slide and the students must follow those rules by doing certain actions; this the students are understanding and using technology systems. As for me as the teacher, I think that this activity allows me to facilitate and inspire student learning (1); this activity is a groups activity that I think 6 and 7 year olds would find engaging.

There is no need to twist my arm - I am completely sold on the SmartBoard or any interactive White Board. I find this to be such a unique way to engage students visually and physically. Through activities and games where students participate, I think students will better retain the information due to the fact that they are physically involving themselves. I know that this would be that last place they would turn up due to funding, but I think Christian schools would greatly benefit from an interactive White Board, especially those Christian schools that are located in churches and share classes with Sunday school classes. The SmartBoard allows you to save what you have done as opposed to erasing it every time class is finished. This is the same case in schools that share classrooms with other classes. I know in high school, our Math class was in the classroom as our history class. An interactive White Board would have been very useful to say the least.

Blessed - Reflection #4

I just must say that I feel so blessed to be able to be in this class, be exposed to a vast array of types of technology and have access to them. There are so many regions in the world, within our country as well that do not have the ability or the resources to access any type of technology, let alone the amount that we do in our weekly class. Technology opens up an individuals world. Thinking of my English classes in Brazil, I want so badly to be able to bring technology to my students. My students are extremely poor and have basically nothing; the path to their future is restricted due to their economic status. For these young students, I believe that the three best skills they can be taught are reading (in their native language), the ability to speak, read and write in English and technological skills. I believe that with those skills, they could go much farther in life regardless of their economic status. The laptop program that is working to give low economic students across the globe laptops is an outstanding and wonderful project! When teaching English, or any language for that matter, technology is a huge help. By bringing technology to my students in Serrote dos Bois, Brazil, they could not only learn English more proficiently, but they could also develop the skills needed to be successful in the real world later in life.

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Assignment #2

According to Education World, this website is the educator's best friend. At first I thought that was a cute little slogan, but after browsing teh site I realized that their statement was absolutely true and in no way an understatement. This website has so many free resources just a click away. On this website you will find lesson plans, technology integration, a professional developement section and a school issues section.
URL for Education World = http://www.educationworld.com/
Teaching Today is an absolutely fabulous webiste! I found so many useful resources and tips or suggestions here. Particularly, I found a lot a great suggestions for teaching ELL as a whole (which I will do eventually) as well as helping ELL students in your regular classroom. The suggestions and tips are just "here, try this", they are proven techniques that are effective as well as ones that work just as effectively with native speakers. Also on this website are ways to integrate technology, free downloads, lesson plans and teachers's blogs.
URL for Teching Today = http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/
At Teachnology you will find many of the same resources found on Education World's website. Lesson plans, teaching tips, worksheets, and theme ideas are available to use within your classroom for free. The lesson plan resources are categorized by subject area. They also include an ELL section (YAY!). This website and Education World are very simliar. If you cant't find what you need here, search Education World and vice a versa. I would start at Education World; in my opinion, Education World seems to be a bit better.
URL for Teachnology = http://www.teach-nology.com/
My fourth choice is Bookhive. I found it through a county library's website. This website is valuable because it provides a list of books by various categories. You can search books by grade level or by genre. I know for me personally, I have a somewhat hard time deciding what age/grade level a certain book would be appropriate for. This website takes the guesswork out of choosing an appropriate book. Whether you need a book to read for a read aloud, for pure enjoyment, or a book to coincide with a lesson, this is the website for you.
URL for Bookhive = http://www.plcmc.org/bookhive/
Delicious is an interesting tool that can be used for personal use or public use within the classroom. For example, if your students were doing projects on a historical figure, a state or country, or basically anything, a delicious account can be used to collect websites that would be beneficial and relevant to the student's projects. A delicious account can also be useful with any lesson to help students understand a concept better and if they wanted to learn more about something discussed in class.

Enterprise Elementary School's Use of Technology - Reflection #3

Last Friday, Feb 20th, I went and observed at Enterprise Elementary School in Federal Way. I arrived in the morning just as their day was beginning. School announcements were done on television. Upper elementary students, probably 5th or 6th graders were in charge of it. They had this cute news center set and news desk they stood behind and read the daily announcements. They had special guests, like the librarian to discuss some reading suggestions and the principle to encourage the students for the day. I thought this was a very neat and fun way to use technology. While the announcements were going on, students in the 3rd grade class I was in were working quietly on a math journal. You could tell that the students were paying attention though; every so often they would look up when something was of interest to them. This reminded me of the article we read recently, "Generation IM". In the article, the journalist remarks how children today can be listening to music, doing homework, and im-ing their friends online. I also think that this is a good outlet for children who are very dramatic and love being on stage. It also gives students practice speaking in front of others (i.e. enunciation, voice projection, presence, etc.)

Children and Technology - Reflection #2

I was watching TV tonight (Yes, while doing my homework) and I saw this commercial for the first time. It was promoting a camera and a HP photo imaging program where you can upload photos, edit them and send them via email all in one location. So far, not too amazing sounding. However, the individual who was demonstrating it was a 4 1/2 year old girl (super cute, by the way). She uploaded pictures to a laptop, edited one (she enlarged it) and then she emailed a couple to her grandparents. The advertisement said: "so easy, anyone can do it." At first I thought that was clever advertisement, but after I thought about it, it is sort of misleading. Just because a 4 year old can do it, doesn't mean everyone can do it. The 4 year old in the commercial probably is very familiar with computers and technology. This commercial demonstrates the fact that this up and coming generation is extremely technologically savvy. It this 4 1/2 year old can do this at her age now, imagine what she will be able to do by the time she is in 5th grade. As teachers we need to cater to this 'way of life' of our future students and integrate as much effective and relevant technology into our classrooms and instruction.

Web 2.0 - Reflection #1

I looked at two things on Web 2.0. First I played around with Flickr. I spelt my name. I have always liked collage style things. Here is my name:
I don't think that I would use this during class, but I think that I would use it on my own to enhance a lesson or presentation. I might also be fun to make name tags for the students' desks or something similar to that.
I also maede a google map. I titled it "My Travels". Here is my map:
View Larger Map
I think that this would be great to use when studying abouut anything related to other countries (sports, languages, geography, etc). You can upload pictures, videos, basic facts, etc. I think this is a great way to get students involoved. This is also nice because they can access it anywhere not just at school - a great way to get parents involved too.

Reflections on "Generation IM: Getting through to today's teched-out children"

This is sooo true! Children today have grown up in a completely different world from their parents and their teachers. I do agree that children's' brains most likely have developed differently from their parents due to how they grew up. How to effectively teacher today's students is a huge dilemma today for teachers. Fortunetely, we are closing the gap on the technological divide. New teachers from here on out are more similar to today's students because they too grew up in a world full of technologies (grated, not as much). The 13-year old describes as doing research on the computer, IMing a friend and listening to music all at the same time was supposed to sound somewhat shocking, but to me it did not. That same description fits me too. Right now I am writting this blog (homework), listening to music (Michael Buble), and talking to my friend overseas via IM. I guess this is a good thing beacuse it means I am similar to my future students to some degree.
Today primarily everything is done on the internet regarding research. I remember when we did use encyclopedias (all the way back in 5th grade). I guess that is going to be one of the fun things I will be able to tell my grandchildren . . . "When I was your age we had to look facts up in a book." And then they will reply "What's a book?"
Beacuse of the way children are today, it is important to integrate technology into the classroom and into lessons. Students will no doubt be able to understand and grasp the material better and they will be able to relate to it. The key to success with integrating technology is to provide proper training for teachers on how to use all these fancy technologies.

Using the SmartBoard

I thought that the SmartBoard was super fun to work with. It is definitely something that I would need a significant amount of practice with to use it effectively in class. Once I learn the ropes, I am sure that it is simple. One major things that I need to work on is how I position myself. I find that it is rather easy to stand directly in front of the board preventing students from seeing. I think that doing that is natural because we are used to being in front of a computer screen. I think that SmartBoard is a wonderful invention. Every class should have one, but they will only be an effective tool if teachers are trained properly.

"Improving Instruction with Interactive Whiteboards (on the Cheap)"

I discovered the Smart Board, or as they call it and Interactive Whiteboard, for the first time last year in a math class. I was 'wowed' just like the author of this article was. I thought it was to coolest thing ever. I attended a Christian school K-12, so needless to say we did not have a lot of fancy, or unfancy for that matter, technology at my school. I agree with the author -- these boards can and have made a huge difference in students' learning (they understand better and they pay attention more). One thing that makes them so wonderful is their versatility; they can be used for any subject and with any age. Along with improving students' learning, it connects more with the students. By using the Internet in class, whether it be to show a video, do an activity, or disclose facts, the teacher connects with the student by using something that is so central in every student's life. I think that using the Smart Board is a basic and simple, aside from the cost, to integrate technology into the classroom.
Dian Schaffhauser, "Improving Instruction with Interactive Whiteboards (on the Cheap)," T.H.E. Journal, 2/21/2008, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/22082

Assignment #1

I would like to teach a grade at the primary level (1-3). I would imagine that students of that age are on the computer daily. I little girl I babysit is in first grade and loves to play on the computer. She knows how to get the the websites she likes and how to navigate them, even though she cannot read very well. She has been able to do this for at least 2-3 years. Children of this age, 6-9, like to and are used to playing virtual games. If I could implement some activities along the same level, I could probably keep them focused on the task and they perhaps could learn the material better. For 3rd graders who are beginning to learn the names of the states and their locations, I could provide a list of websites with activities related to the states (their names, locations, facts, etc) that they could visit at home to practice. I could also, with the help of the SMARTBoard do activities in class with them. Perhaps not for 1st grade, but for the other two grades, 2nd and 3rd, I could have a class blog where we could discuss what we are learning (of course, I would do this only after having it approved by the parents).
I read an article called "Staff Development to Provide Intentional Language Teaching in Technology-Rich K-8 Multicultural Classrooms". It focused on an 'experiment', for lack of a better word, done in Arizona schools to see how technology improved education, especially the education of ELLs and students of other heritages. In the initiative, pre-service and in-service teachers received training in instructional applications of information technologies and how to develop/implement Unit of Practice (UOP), which is "framework for organizing content and embedding technology into teachers’ classroom instruction." The researchers found that "the UOP addressed the need for incorporating intentional language teaching strategies into content lessons (e.g., social studies) for these pupils." Doing this through the use of technology, a teacher accomplishes two things at once: intentional language instruction and computer literacy instruction. Researchers have discovered over times that it is absolutely necessary for ELLs to receive opportunities to use computers and practice technology skills; both of theses things will allow their proficiency level of English to increase. I chose this article because I want to be an ELL teacher. I found this article to be very relevant to myself and my career goals. I agree with the need to implement technology in regular mainstream classrooms as well as the ELL classrooms. Children who are ELL students are already a step behind the other students. By giving these students technological skills as well as helping them develop computer literacy, on top of furthering their English proficiency level, will allow them to be able to get a job in the future. It is crucial as teachers to remember that we are not only teaching children facts and concepts for the present moment, but that we are also teaching and training children for the future beyond their academic careers. By implementing technology into everyday instruction, whether it be in an ELL classroom or not, we can accomplish this.
I like how the NET standards for both teachers and students are in a way vague. They state what must be acquired, but they leave so much room for you as the teacher to decide how your students will acquire them. I think that the safety precautions needed online should be taight as soon as a student jumps on a computer for the first time. It is certainly the job of the teacher, as well as the parents and other adults in a particular child's life to model appropriate and safe computer ettiquet and usage. As opposed to grading a student on whether or not they got the correct answer, which is important too, being creative and innovative, as noted in the first NET is equally important and can be carried over into all other aspects of life.
http://firma.northwestu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.firma.northwestu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=24601519&site=ehost-live

Using HTML

So, I have decided that writing/reading/using html is the most exhausting thing ever! I created a web page with a few sentences, a background color, and font size/color. Putting a picture on my website is where it ended for me. I just couldn't do it. I think that it was because the picture information was wrong. Oh well, I gave up. Things like this frustrate me. It is fun for a while (like 5 min), but any more than that, no thank you. I have great respect for people who use html on a daily basis and can read/write it like they do their speaking language. This class has been so much fun so far! Everything we have done has been new to me. I now feel very technologically savvy. : )

My Elem/High School's Website

I went to Seattle Christian for both elementary and high school. I can remember when I was in high school going to the school's website and wishing there was more to do on it. Going back to that website recently, I felt the same thing, although that is not to say there has not been some improvements. A couple of the resources that seemed interesting required a log in and password so I could not investigate further. The school has an online grading system called info direct. I think this started either my junior year or senior year. I thought it was rather interesting, but certainly basic. There is no way of communicating with any of your teachers via the website. There were not any teacher profiles either. The website has a nice look to it, but I think there could be more. Like I mentioned before, a way to communicate with your teacher online would be nice. I think I would be neat to have something like the eagle website we have here at NU or a section on their main website for students like at northwestu.edu; they have a link for parents, why not students? In general, it is a nice website, but it certainly could be better.

Turning on the Lights By M. Prensky

Prensky brings up a very valid point: students today are no longer "in the dark" when they come to school. Students learn a variety of things outside of school via technological devices. To many students, the regular classroom may see, extremely boring in comparison to an interactive website or a documentary on the Discovery Channel. Teachers today have the added responsibility of engaging students and making their classroom and lessons entertaining. I do disagree with Prensky on one point though; well, maybe disagree is too strong, but something does not sit right with me about his article. The impression I get from his article is that all "old" or "traditional" ways of teaching are bad or boring and should be replaced with new ones dripping with technology, and that all the traditional material taught is outdated and useless for today's students who will be living and working in tomorrow's society. I don't think we should simply say 'out with the old and in with the new', but rather asses what and how we are teaching and decide how effective our material and methods are. If they are not so effective, then alter them in order to make them effective. When Prensky talks of the students who are interested in becoming an astronaut or wants to know more about an era in history because of something they saw on a video game, the teacher basically shuts them down. I don't think that teachers need to incorporate video games, etc. in their classrooms but rather they need to make the material they are teaching personal. Teachers need to connect the material and information they are teaching to their students and they need to connect themselves with their students. Yes, technology needs to be embraced in American classrooms, but let's not forget to embrace the basics and fundamentals of teaching in the process.

Beginning of Semester Reflection

Technology is an integral part of today's society. It is important as teachers to be familiar with all the different aspects of technology and to integrate them into the school day. Technology is a fantastic way to connect with your students. Today's students, from elementary to college, are constantly using the Internet, ipods, cellular phones, etc. It is important for a teacher today to use multiple forms of technology to present material and content to students. Students learn about the world, events, and people through TV, Internet, etc. outside of school; therefore it should be used in school as well. Using technology in the classroom will engage students and motivate them to learn. I have a lot to learn about technology and am looking forward to doing just that so that I will be able to effectively teach my students in the future.

Why I want to be a teacher

I want to teach at the elementary level, preferably 1st or 2nd grade. My ultimate goal for teaching is to be an English teacher abroad, specifically in Brazil. I decided to pursue teaching when I was fourteen years old. I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the time. While there we visited a school. Walking through each classroom I felt a sense of belonging. The following summer, I went to Caruaru, Brazil, as I do every summer. This particular time, though, I taught English for the very first time. I fell in love with teaching. That was the first time I actual taught anything. A retired teacher, Jan Smith, has gone with me to Brazil almost every time. She is certified and ESL teaching and has helped me significantly. I have learned so much from her. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Suggs, also has influenced me greatly. She has allowed me to visit her class countless times and lets me help out and teach mini-lessons over the years. I have learned so much from these two ladies. I admire them greatly and hope to be like them one day.