Final Presentation Continued

This week, I finally finished my final presentation! It feels so great to have it done and I am really happy with the way it turned out!

Since this past week's class was a lab day, I focused on learning the tools that I did not know how to do before (i.e. button making, video embedding, and adding sound). I have now mastered these tools and plan on implementing them with future Power Point presentations.

I really enjoyed this class a lot more than I was expecting. I learned so many new skills and techniques that will really improve my teaching style once I get out into the field. Who knew just how helpful technology would be with teaching techniques? I didn't think it would be as helpful before, but now, I know how important it is to involve students as much as possible with technology (since that has become their world). I am excited to use these new skills with my future students! Thank you for everything you taught me about the usefulness of technology in the classroom! I really enjoyed this class!

Final Presentation

In our last class last week, we worked on preparing for our up-coming final presentation. I decided to present a Power Point on the process of plant growth - from seed to plant. I'm excited to work on this project and hopefully use it in a class for my future students!

Technology to the Extreme!

Today, we went over to look at the Smart Board in another classroom of the EB. I think the Smart Board would be a great investment for any classroom! The more students can interact with the lesson, the more they will remember what is being taught.

In addition to the Smart Board, we had the opportunity to look and "play" with other fun technological devices to use for the classroom. I really think the Flip Phone would be a great investment to a classroom. Students could capture themselves and classmates on video with projects, presentations, and assignments at the beginning of the year and compare later in the year with future projects. I also think the Digital Overhead ("Elmo") would be an amazing classroom device to have! There are so many ways this tool could be used in comparison to a standard, overhead projector. There are so many ways to use these fun, exciting tools to bring classroom lessons to life and enhance teaching opportunities!

Finalizing the Group Project (Finally :-)

Last class, we learned how to create a poll and place it on our websites. I think next week we will be looking at other students' polls and adding our input (by answering their polls).

In class, I was able to finish everything that needed completion through Microsoft Publisher. I know my brochure and flier contain flaws, but I have to admit that I am pretty impressed by the finished product! If I were to see the brochure as a parent, I would probably be more persuaded to believe the information it contained because of the professional appearance than if it was just a handed, typed up paper. I think it looks great - it's definitely something I plan on using when I have my own "Open Houses" and parent/teacher conferences!!

Group Project Continued (Internet Safety)

Today, my group and I finished creating our chart of characteristics for finding credible Internet sources. Working on this project has definitely given me a greater perspective of the proper qualities an accurate and credible website should entail. Some qualities (such as an, "About Me" page and links to similar sites) I had not thought of to relate in reference to a credible source. This project so far has given me more ways of finding useful, truthful, and reliable information for future research.

Group Project

During this week's class meeting, we formed into groups to work on an online project. In this project, we will be putting together ideas of internet safety tips for our future classrooms. Internet safety must be used by all teachers.

Currently, I am observing a Kindergarten classroom this semester where computers are used daily. The students have been assigned to work on math and reading assignments which are found online. As I have watched these students, I have noticed them strictly following their teacher's instruction and sticking to the programs/websites assigned.

What if these students were a little older and tried venturing off to different websites? What if these students noticed their parents and/or family members surfing inappropriate material online and wanted to search for similar material on their own at school? As teachers and parents, we must do all we can to protect the safety of our students and children while using the world wide web. Inappropriate material viewed online can damage the innocence of any student and cause future addictions such as pornography. Internet safety can be learned not only in the classroom, but in the home as well. We must be willing to use Internet safety tips on our own if we expect our students and children to abide by the rules as well.

Continuing the Use of Picasa

This week, I have been focusing on editing my 15 pictures to prepare for my Powerpoint presentation. I have really been having fun working with Picasa and trying out different editing options. I tend to use similar editing options for the pictures because I like a certain style of look for my photos. Without realizing it, I'm trying to take the different pictures and make them all appear similar by cropping them a certain way and adding specific touches of color.

This is a program I would really love to use in my future classroom! I think my students will have a lot of fun working with it as well. I could provide them with specific assignments as we have been provided with in this class (i.e. cropping and editing in various formats).

Exploring Picasa

In today's class, we discovered the many fun ways to alter photos. We learned techniques such as cropping, straightening, retouching, contrasting with color, and more! We have been assigned to take 15 - 30 photos (for an educational purpose) and alter them with the free software Picasa.

I am already loving Picasa! On my personal computer, I have mostly worked on iPhoto and Kodak software that have been provided with the digital cameras I have purchased. I think I could easily spend an hour or two having fun trying out the different tools Picasa has to offer, which are similar to iPhoto and Kodak.

I can see how this can be effective in my future classroom. I think it would be fun to assign upper elementary students a project where they have to take specific pictures and then alter them like the way we our altering our own photos for this class. Kids are creative and can easily make this type of learning really fun.

Going Digital

During Tuesday's lecture, we watched a mini video that taught the usefulness of having kids use digital cameras.

I had never really thought of what it would be like to have an eight-year old play around with a digital camera for a class project. I'm used to saying (or hearing) words as, "Careful, easy now...oh, not that button, oh please don't smudge the camera lense with fingerprints...steady, gentle now..." whenever a child is in possession of a camera. However, I am beginning to have more faith of the tender care of a child. Sometimes, they tend to be more careful than adults and less accident prone...sometimes. As we begin to trust children more and allow them to care for items with value, I think we will experience something remarkable. The world seen through the eyes of a child couldn't even be compiled into one picture book! There are endless possibilities of creativity as we allow children and students to experience the adult world with direct supervision and trust.

Diving into Kidspiration

In yesterday's class, we spent time exploring an amazing program for students, "Kidspiration." This program focuses on main subjects including reading/writing, math, science, and social studies. Each subject includes multiple activities students may work and reflect on in order to learn and apply topics they learn in class.

It was easy to spend more than 20 minutes on one activity. I can only imagine how much fun students would have working together on fun learning activities through Kidspiration. This is a program that is worth the investment! I would love to have this program (or something similar) in my future classroom.

From Culture to Culture

In today's class, we took the opportunity to become familiar with Microsoft Excel. Although I learned how to master Excel years ago, it was great to have a mini refresher course (I forgot almost everything I learned!)

After figuring out information for spreadsheet, we worked on the CultureGrams site for our my.uen webpage. I chose to make a portlet for Japan since my best friend is from there. She has taught me so much about her culture and family life in Japan already, and it was great to learn more in addition to what she had taught me. I hope that my students will find my site to be fun and entertaining as they learn more about me through what I love most.

Sites 4 Kids

In today's class, we went over specific websites that may be useful to our future students in the classroom. One particular website in which I showed interest was in the World Book for kids. I remember having multiple sets of different types of encyclopedias as a child. Although I loved looking at the pictures and using the information for school projects, it was a hassle trying to locate the specific volume I needed. We never had the volumes organized in order. I always took the different volumes around the house and placed them in various locations. Now, with the Wold Book for kids online, students have easy access to updated information with the click of a mouse (this sounds like a catchy advertisement to promote internet resources for both students and parents). I could see myself using this website for many different projects and research papers in my classroom.

Extra Curricular!

In today's class, we focused on finding a lesson plan of interest and adding details to our public my.uen page. I started mine, but am thinking of changing to a topic of mathematics. Many of my elementary math teachers were creative in preparing fun activities and games with math. I would love to have at least one lesson that I am already familiar on my website for future use.

When I registered for this class, I wasn't exactly sure what we would be learning. I wondered whether we would learn how to keep track of an online grading system or classroom websites for students and parents. So far, this has been better than expected! I am enjoying this class and the many technological tools we are learning to apply. The websites we have been creating are a great tool to advertise ourselves in a marketable way when interviewing for future teaching positions. I think it will help interviewers learn more about their interviewees in terms of personality, lifestyle, and quality. Some of these traits might not come across to an interviewer if an interviewee is anxious or nervous in the interview. At least, I am hoping that my.uen will help me stand out more in a positive light to those whom I will be interviewed.

Life in a New Light

In class, we focused on the "All About Me" assignments on our my.uen pages. We learned how to create portals on our page, copy and paste images/links from other websites, and organize the layout.

This type of assignment seems like a project that could take weeks (and would without the use of technology), but is fast and efficient with the use of the Internet. Although I use my personal computer and Internet on a daily basis, I am still amazed with how much information can be provided to students in the classroom in a fast and organized manner.

On the first day of this class, I voted for using technological resources on a weekly basis. I am already beginning to see why it is important for these resources to be used on a daily basis in the classroom.

The First Day of School

On the first day of class, we went over the syllabus and became familiar with websites that will aid us in the profession of teaching. The site http://www.my.uen.org, provides the opportunity in promoting our class work and projects as a source of resume display. I'm excited to familiarize myself more with its use so that I may continue to utilize it when the time arrives to interview for teaching positions.

I believe that we will be learning skills for computer programs and tools in this class that I may already be familiar. It will be great to brush up on my technological knowledge for the use of teaching. In addition, I am interested in learning more about computer programs to my advantage as I prepare to educate my future students and keep up with parents' questions and concerns with their child's learning.