A final reflection on technology... I sure did learn a lot!

My thinking about using technology in the classroom has definitely changed for the better. I used to only think that technology involved computers and that you could use it sometimes to supplement curriculum or for a special project. I now know that technology can be used every day and that there are many different forms and ways to use it. The internet is a huge resource and there are so many tools out there that I had no idea existed, things that I didn’t even know where possible. I still think that all of the things I said in my first blog post:
• Technology’s role is to supplement a curriculum.
• Teachers can use technology such as computers, Smart boards, etc. to help students learn in different ways.
• It can be used to help students practice and understand a concept from a lesson better.
• Different Resources (i.e. internet)
• Giving students a different hands on experience
• Helps teachers to branch out and change teaching habits
• Communication
• Global Networking
Are true, but now I know there is even more that technology can offer. I am making a blog for my summer trip to Europe this summer and this is something that I would have never thought to do before this class. I am excited to be able to integrate technology into my classroom and I hope that I can continue to expand my knowledge of technology and probably have my students teach me a thing or two as well!

Inquiry Project Reflection

I think that this project was very interesting and has helped me to gain a lot of information on a topic. I put a lot of work into the information that I put on my wiki page. I wanted to find out as much information as I could on my topic because I wanted to be informed and also because I thought it was interesting. I would find different things in resources and would explore further into my subject, which was using technology to aid students with hearing impairments.
After this project I know more about the needs of students with hearing impairments and how technology can be useful to them in the classroom. Something interesting that I learned was that by changing teaching techniques to help those students with hearing impairments, you can help the entire class to gain a better learning experience. This is what will impact my future teaching the most, the small things that I can do and technologies that I can use that will help my entire class in the future.

You learn something new every... well minute in this class!

Today we learned about assessment in technology and with technology. I like the idea of using technology to assess students, I think that it is more effective and shows better what students have actually learned. I really enjoy using the clickers.
We talked about a contemporary issue, using technology in science, which was a really great idea and one that I think can help students to become more interested in science topics.
We also learned about Wordle, Flikr, and of course Ning... all were good resources and definitely things that I will continue to explore.
We have to edit our Stop Motion Animation to make it AWESOME.
Next week is our last class, which is sad, but we are playing Dodge ball apparently... all I am going to say about that is be afraid Jeff... be very afraid...

Assessment and Technology

The thing that I like most about the assignments in this class is the outcome. I like that at the end not only did I learn something, but I have something that I can show off and be proud of. I think that this is the most unique thing about technology assessment, it lets you create and not just duplicate. You have something to show at the end and often times, at least in my case, it is something that I never thought I would have been able to do.
I really like the idea of electronic portfolios I think that these are a unique way to be able to see just how much you have learned over a time period and you can keep it forever. They can also have other things besides just paper and writing, they have music clips, video clips, media presentations, etc. I like that adds "autonomy to the students".
I also liked the clickers, these are a way to assess that can have instant results. They can also be a way to assess the teacher and see if there are areas that you need to go back and clarify if enough students got it wrong. It can also help students to see if there is an area that they need to study more. It is anonymous so that students don't have to worry about being made fun of when they don't get the answer right.
I like the variety that assessing with technology offers and I also like that technology can allow students to be assessed in different ways.

Exit Slip 4/1

Happy April Fools! Today we learned about using visualization technologies in the classroom. I think that these are really neat tools that are definitely use able and useful in the classroom. As usual, the presenters did a really good job presenting information and giving us good resources to delicious and use in the future.
Marrissa and Tassie presented their contemporary issues. Tassie's was about using technology to cheat and Marissa's was about proper etiquette online. Both are real issues that will need to be addressed in the classroom.
Erica, Carlee, and Kathleen did cool tools and all of them were really... cool! Twiddla was really interesting and distracting.
Now we have to go do our stop motion animation... wish us luck!

I can see clearly now that I am Visualizing with Technologies!

When I first read the chapter title, Visualizing with Technologies, I immediately thought about computers and calculators and graphs. After reading further though I realized that I use some of the things that apply as these visualizing technologies I have used before and didn't even know it! Things like cell phones and digital cameras... who would have thought! I like how this chapter talks about things that we use all the time and our students will definitely be informed on how to use these tools and much more. I think that video has become a major part of our students' cultures. Teachers are using video more and more to help students see and understand concepts in a way that is different and much more interesting than reading and seeing it in textbooks. Programs such as youtube, teachertube, and brainpop are making it even more easy for teachers to access visual aids for teaching lessons. This is a big change even from when I was a student, we watched videos sometimes and most of the time they were old and outdated, now students have the chance to view interesting videos and even make them themselves. These tools are useful to our students and I know that I will implement the use of these things in my future classroom.

Exit Slip 3/25

Today's lesson was about using simulations. I think that this was an interesting chapter and I liked the websites that were presented to us. I think that simulations are a good way to have students interacting in their work and doing things that wouldn't normally be done in the classroom. I got really distracted by the Science Simulations website, I like the way it was organized and I think it would be interesting for students to see some of the simulations that they presented.
Tiffany showed us a cool tool, simbaloo, that I thought was really neat. I like the idea of having a page for your class and bookmarking things for them. I think this would be a good way to have students learn information and contribute information to the whole class.
I really liked Kathleen's Contemporary issue that she talked about today, I liked that it was a global issue. It made us aware of the issues that go beyond the classroom ad the country and that some of these issues can affect our multicultural students.
We also learned how to use Garage Band today. I liked this program a lot and might try to convince my friend to let me use his Mac so I can use this program. I liked all of the sound effects and so I might need to change my topic so that I can add more of those.
We then talked in groups about our stop animation project that we will be working on next week. Ours is going to be funny and I am looking forward to learning a new computer skill.
In all it was a good class, we learned a lot, even a new word... Construtonism!