My Beliefs

My Beliefs

I think technology in the classroom is very important.  It helps in productivity, in helping students learn in different ways, and is helpful for teachers to keep organized and communicate with parents and students.

I am excited to learn more about and experience technology in my classroom.  I am hopeful that my students will have access to computer laptops and that I will have the necessary equipment to create an effective learning environment.

I plan on learning more about technology and keeping up with the changes in education.  I want to instill a desire for my students to learn more about technology and be able to use computers in helping them learn and succeed in school.

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

I was amazed at how fast technology is growing as I watched the video clips.  It was kind of scary learning about how fast things are changing.  It also made me a little anxious to know that computers will be more efficient than the human brain.

It is also a concern that students are exposed to so many things on the internet that can be harmful to them.  I think that kids today will be lacking in many social skills because of email, texting, etc.

It was interesting to me that students can benefit from “Twitter”.  I do believe having computer skills can be beneficial to them for their future careers, but also think that they are going to have a hard time in Literacy.  I thought the website called “Shorthand” was really funny.  It makes me wonder how students will do at spelling in the future.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths and Weaknesses

In most areas on the UNI survey I would rate myself as a novice/apprentice.  I would say my strengths are the basics that I have practiced for some time.  For instance, I worked on computers (databases and word processors (#16, #17) when I was employed in the business field, so I am aware of the impact of them (#5).  I have used the internet for research for papers and lesson plans (#9).  I have had an email account for at least 12 years, so I am familiar with the process (#11).  Instructional Technology has helped me in several areas also, such as personal websites, podcasts, digital stories and copyright laws (#10, #13, and #14). 

I can improve in all of the above areas, but there are some things that I really lack the experience and knowledge in. There are at least two things I would like work on and learn more about which will be very helpful to me as a new teacher.  I am not familiar with adaptive assistive devices for my students who have special needs such as learning disabilities, impaired vision, etc. (#7). There is an online tutorial that will help me learn about resources for these special students.  It is called, “Assistive Technology Training Online Project” (ATTO.buffalo.edu/registered/tutorials.php).

One of the tutorials is for a program called, “Write.Outloud” which speaks letters, words, and sentences.  This is helpful for writing and reading activities.  There is also a tutorial for “BrailleNote” in case I have a student who needs to use this program.

The other area I would like to learn about is video conferencing- what it is and how I can use it in my teaching.  “HighTechLearning” provides a course in which I can learn about this and other skills that will benefit me as a teacher.  The website is:

http://eduscapes.com/hightech/index.htm

I need to continue to grow in knowledge and skills in technology according to the NETS and there are many resources that I can turn to help me.  I just need the desire, the time, and the confidence to achieve success.

Reflection #11

Last week, I forgot to blog.  I know it is too late for this assignment to be accepted, but I wanted to include our experience that we had for my records.

Sarah taught a concept lesson on Lewis and Clark's Expedition.  It went well.  We had to split our lesson plan in half because of the time limit. The second day of our lesson, we started off showing the students our digital story on I-Movie about facts pertaining to the expedition. The students really enjoyed it. It was a good activity for reviewing our subject. I made little journals out of paper bags and twine for the students to write entries about Lewis and Clark's journey as if they were traveling with the group. I found an awesome website with actual journal entries and the students read some of them that I had printed out, and wrote in their own journals about these experiences.  We also gave them snacks of Swedish fish, gummy bears, and fruit shaped gumdrops. It was an awesome lesson!

Reflection #12

SERVICE LEARNING ASSIGNMENT

Sarah Taylor and I  completed our field work at Ridgeline Elementary in Highland, Utah.  Our cooperating teacher was Miss Reinhart.  There are 34 students in the class and the majority of them come from families who are from the middle to upper class.

We had a really good relationship with our cooperating teacher. She was willing to share her knowledge and resources with us. She helped us in getting involved with her students by inviting us to play games, letting us tutor her students as they completed writing projects, and giving us the opportunity create a bulletin board in the hall. She let us teach her students without interference and instructed her students to be on their best behavior for us. She also helped boost our confidence in teaching.

Miss Reinhart liked our digital story (I-Movie) on “The Lewis and Clark Expedition”.  We used the digital story as a review on the second day of our lesson. She really liked our lesson and we were successful in teaching our students about Lewis and Clark.  The students enjoyed watching the movie, also, and were able to learn some important facts about Lewis and Clark’s Expedition.

    Miss Reinhart uses a MacIntosh and actually had a digital story of a relative’s wedding on her computer. She has never taken the time to learn how to use I-Movie.  Sarah taught her the basics of the program as I observed.  We think Miss Reinhart might create a digital story in the future, providing she finds the time to do so.  Sarah told her that she could do a story on anything she wants, such as an end of year video of her class.

    This was a good opportunity for us to help our cooperating teacher learn in a more convenient way. Teachers don’t have much time to spare, so service-learning lessons are very helpful. We don’t think that Miss Reinhart had the desire to create digital stories before we taught her, and now she might find the time to do so.  We think it was worth the effort, even if she doesn’t create digital stories, because at least we were able to teach her something to help her in her profession, just like she did for us.

Reflection #10-Field Experience

This week in field, we got the opportunity to go to Computer Specialties with our 5th graders. They were learning how to type on the keyboard with a fun computer program. They had little black box type shields that they put over their hands so they couldn't peek.  Sometimes it didn't really work because it was too tempting to look at the keys. The students also researched something about a state and printed out information on it.

We get one more opportunity to go to Computer Specialties and it will be interesting to see what they get to do next. We have had a lot of experience using Google.docs this week while preparing our lesson plans. I love the chat feature while working as partners.  It gets a little frustrating to me though, because sometimes things don't work out how I want them to.  Somehow the keys and the typing don't quite mesh.  Worst of all, I am still struggling with alignment of columns etc. It bugs me when I try to print something and things are all out of place. I think I'm starting to figure it out a little better now.

This week we will be presenting our digital story on Lewis and Clark. We still have to finish it up. Sarah will be using it in her lesson as a wrap up of the subject.  Since we are not doing it in Photo Story 3, I am going to brush up on how to use it so I can teach our cooperating teacher sometime soon. 

Instructional Tech Reflection #9

This has been quite a frustrating week with our digital story on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We had copied most of our images to google.docs to be able to transfer to our digital story, however we won't be able to use some of them because of copyright laws. I wrote National Geographic asking permission to use some of their photos and we don't know where to turn since Creative Commons doesn't really have what we are looking for.
As for field, we have had a fun experience so far. We still need to talk to our cooperating teacher about our inservice lesson on learning how to create digital stories. We also need to show her our creation, that is if we could get somewhere on it. Doc Waters, PLEASE HELP!!

Reflection #8 Digital Story Week #2

Unfortunately this week I was sick and wasn't able to come to class. I communicated with my partner Sarah, via googledocs during the last few minutes of class. She found more information to add to our digital story and we discussed our plans with it.  I worked on it a little tonight and Sarah and I plan to use I-Movie for it.  She has experience in this and I am interested in learning how to compile our digital story this way.

We spoke with our cooperating teacher and she is going to let us show our digital story in class. She has the proper equipment for us to use to present it to her students. Also this week as I was looking for lesson plan ideas, I came across another digital story on the internet and I think that they are such great tools for learning things. They are interesting and can contain a lot of information in a short time period.

Reflection #7 Copyright Laws/Creative Commons

This week we learned about and reviewed copyright laws. We also discussed an internet site called "Creative Commons" which will help us copyright our own materials.

We have to be careful of the materials we use on the internet. There are laws that protect authors, artists, musicians, composers, etc. I have always thought of copyright laws as protecting other people. Now I know that I can produce something and when I have it copyrighted, I will be able to have these same rights.

I like the idea of being able to access the work of others to help aid me in teaching my students. I also think it is cool that other people can add to my information, improving it by providing additional insights. I printed out a copy of the copyright laws and will keep it as a reference for me as a student and as a teacher. I will teach my students about copyright laws, so that they will know what is legal and what is not. In addition to this, I will teach them how they can protect their own work.

Reflection #6 Digital Story

This week we learned about digital stories. It was really fun to see examples of them and to note the ways that images, music, and text can send a powerful message to those who view them.
I have been working on plans for a digital story for use in the classroom during my field experience. I enjoy learning by watching movies and slides and believe my students will feel the same way.  The skills we are gaining in Instructional Technology will be a great benefit to me as a teacher. I would also like for my students to get excited about creating reports and projects by computer. This will provide a way for them to use their higher order thinking skills and increase their creativity.
We were told in class last week that we are supposed to show our teachers in field how to create a digital story. I am noticing more and more of the importance of being experienced in technology. Students are so far advanced in this field and should also be given the opportunity to create digital stories and other multimedia.  I hope that I can be experienced enough with these computer applications so that I can not only be a better teacher, but I can have an edge over other applicants when it comes time to interview for a career.

Reflection #4 Instructional Tech

I watched the video about Vidcasting and teleprompting.  It was cool to see how the process works.  In class we learned about the different tools for creating Vidcasts.   A Flip Video device can record the material, powerpoints can be created, and also PhotoStory 3 or Jing can be used to create a digital story. 

We decided to use PhotoStory 3 for our vidcast project because it seemed to be less complicated than Jing and more interesting than a powerpoint.  We have not yet started the process of actually using PhotoStory 3 because we are still gathering information for it.  Hopefully it won't be too hard. 

Vidcasts will be really useful in teaching my students.  Not only can they view my vidcasts, but they can make some of their own.  The Public Service Announcements were really fun to do in podcast, but I think the students would have a blast acting them out on a vidcast.  Even assignments on "how to do" something would be fun to tape on a flipvideo.  Not only would it be fun for students to create, but it would be interesting, even entertaining for the class to watch. 

I hope to have a good experience as we create our vidcast on PhotoStory 3.  Maybe sometime, I will take the time to figure out Jing.  As technology keeps on improving, my students and I will have many options for activities in teaching and learning by the use of computers and other devices.  I just hope I can keep up.

Reflection #3 Instructional Technology

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Reflection #3

We learned how to make podcasts in Instructional Technology this week.  We made a public announcement and recorded it.  It was a really fun project.  This activity would be great in a classroom for reports.  It would be a really good way to include announcements in our class websites.  This project would also be fantastic in presentations.  The ideas are endless.  I am glad I learned about how to make a podcast and plan to use this technique and idea in my future as a student and as a teacher.  I appreciate being able to work in partners, so I don't get so frustrated and lost.  Thanks!

Reflection #2

This week has been a real challenging one in Instructional Technology.  We learned so much in a very short time and my head is still spinning.  We learned what Google Sites has to offer.  We had experience in documents and creating our own class website.

Google docs will be helpful in working in groups and partnerships on projects and lesson plans.  It was a lot easier to work on the document when I had time to do it, instead of finding time when Debbie and I could get together.  I believe these creations will impress others and it will seem like I'm organized and on top of everything.

My class website will be beneficial to parents and students in informing them of activities and provide opportunities for the students to practice what they are learning at school.   Our websites look professional and I'm sure it will save time in phone calls and emails.  The links to games is really an awesome feature.  The games and other resources can make learning more fun.  Also if students have to be absent, they will know exactly what they are missing and will be prepared when they get back. As I get the chance to collaborate with other teachers in my career, it will be easier to work together using these features of google sites. 

I just wish I would have had more time and more background knowledge of this technology so it would have been an enjoyable experience.

Reflection #1 My Educational Hero

Three years ago, I applied for and obtained a job as a teacher's aide for Mrs. Richey's Kindergarten class.  Mrs. Richey was an awesome teacher.  She involved the kids in fun activities and knew what would be fun, because she could get on their level.  My favorite thing I saw her do was to imitate characters as she read picture books to them.  She made the stories even more interesting that way.  At the end of the year, she let each student know how much she cared about them.  Many of her students, years later, like to visit her in her classroom and they talk about how Kindergarten has been their favorite year in school.

I applied for the aide job to better decide if I wanted to be a teacher.  Mrs. Richey's example and the experience of working with her students and watching them succeed gave me the desire to teach. 

I want to be a teacher like Mrs. Richey.  I want to make a difference that will be a lasting impression on my students for a long time.  I appreciate her example and the opportunities she gave me to be involved with her students.