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!

Exit Slip 3/18

Today we talked about Chapter 7 which was about Communicating with technology. Kathleen and Loren did a really good job of talking and discussing the ideas in this chapter. We were given some valuable resources that I will definitely try to utilize in my classroom.
We learned about some cool tools from Tricia, Loren, and Katherine, those will also be useful int eh future. I liked Christine's contemporary issues discussion, I think that it brought a lot of different perspective to something that we don't always think about using as a teaching resource. Sarah also talked about Tweeting in her issues discussion and I think that this was also a very different approach to something that our students will be using in the future and something that, as future educators, we can use to our benefits. I also talked about a contemporary issue, Kelsey said I talked really fast, but honestly I was making a conscience effort to talk slower.
We learned how to do a podcast today and I think that this project is going to be fun and interesting. I am excited to think of a topic and to work on it and hopefully learn enough to use it in the future.

Taking Pen Pals to a New Level

I remember when I was in grade school how absolutely awesome I thought it was whenever we were given the chance to have a pen pal. Getting to talk to a person in a different place, with different friends, maybe experienced different seasons, or even lived in a different country, was something that I thought was fascinating. Back in those days we used pen and paper though and I can also remember waiting and waiting to hear back from my far away friend. After reading this chapter I can again feel the excitement of getting to talk to someone far away, but with technology I can get a response the next day! I think that it is important for students to get to discuss things with other kids and see a world outside of their own and with technology this is becoming more and more common place. In my classroom someday I hope to be able to let my students talk to other students in different towns, states, or countries and using technology will make my childhood excitement even more exciting for my students.
I also think that discussion boards are a great resource for classrooms. I think that this allows students that are a little nervous about speaking in class to have a chance to voice their opinions and ideas on a subject. Blogs are another way for students, teachers, and parents stay connected. Teachers can post about what was done that day, what's coming up, assignments, etc. Parents can have discussions and students can comment on what they learned so the teacher can get a better feel about how the lesson went.
Of course there are always things to consider when using technology in the classroom. Not all students have access to computers and may be left out of discussions, discussing also wouldn't necessarily be an effective plan for younger students. Also, when using pen pals teachers need to make sure it is through a school or trusted organization so that they know who exactly the students are talking to. I think that the pros far outweigh the cons in using technology to communicate in the classroom though and I hope to be able to use these tools in my future classroom.

3/4/10 Exit Slip... Spring Break here we come!

I peeked over at Kelsey's exit slip as I was writing mine and I am going to echo her statement, "Today was hard to focus because after today, it's spring break!!" Today was a little difficult because we all already have one foot on the beach so to speak.

Having said all that, we still learned a lot today and we gained a lot of useful information. Tricia and Katherine did their presentation on Chapter 6, which was all about learning communities and technology. I think that this chapter provided a lot of good resources that I will definitely use in my classroom. They did a really good job at presenting a lot of information!

I liked all of the cool tools presentations, they were interesting and I deliscioused all of the tools so that I can find them later! We had good talks about some issues that we might have in our future classrooms like sex on TV, these issues are good things to bring to our attention because they are real issues that we will have to deal with! It has made me see how much we are expected to teach our students.

We also were introduced into stop animation. I think this looks like a cool project, but I think it also looks like a challenge. Katie, Kelsey, and I are all going to to be thinking about a funny topic to do for our PSA, it's going to be awesome, look forward to it :)

Well that's all I ca focus for right now since I am already thinking about being in Key Largo for the week! YAY! Spring Break 2010!!! :)

Communities Beyond the Classroom

This chapter was about community building with technologies which I feel as though is something that is a relatively new concept. When I was in school we didn't have the means to communicate instantaneously or through computers at all and now students, teachers, and parents can all communicate though computers on a regular basis. My favorite quote from the book,"the internet enables communities to move beyond geographical boundaries and provides a vehicle for people around the world to interact and learn together," I think really shows the full potential to which we can stretch the idea of making use of the technology that we have. I think that students can learn a lot from these kinds of experiences and that as teachers we should offer them to students as often as we can.
I also liked the knowledge forums. I think that this is a unique way for students to show what they know and simultaneously learn from their peers. I also liked the fact that it is web based so that students can access their forum from anywhere. It also requires them to research their own topic of inquiry which helps them to learn the subject matter more.
I think that I will use many of these tools in my classroom. I find them to be not only a good way for students to learn (and in different ways than lecture and worksheets) but it also helps them to build social skills and communicate with others. These are important skills and in a changing world linked to technology it is important for them to be able to know the way to communicate on the internet as well.

Exit Slip 2/25

Today was a short class! I was in charge of doing the what we did in class wiki. This was an interesting experience and it definitely made me pay close attention in class, since during Katie and Rachel's presentation I learned that I have ADD. I also learned by doing this that I need to learn how to pick and choose information. I have a tendency to think everything is important and so on the wiki I wrote a lot of stuff down.
Rachel and Katie did a good job with the presentation, they made the chapter more relatable.
We have some work to do this week and I am a little nervous about the inquiry question project, but hopefully I can get a better handle on it.
I really liked Carlee and Tricia's contemporary issues presentations, I think that they were interesting and well presented and that they are issues that we will have to deal with.

Modeling with Technology: SEE it to Believe it!

The first thing that I do when I read chapters in a text book is flip through and look at the headings and pictures to s get a general gist of what the chapter is going to be about. I must admit that when I looked at the pictures in this chapter I felt a little bit scared. They started out easy enough with concept maps, no problem! I know what those are, but then there was the super crazy picture of the sun, that picture made me nervous to find out what this chapter was really about it.
After reading the chapter I think that it’s amazing to think about how far things have come, who would have thought that we could be making these crazy looking models on our computers and projecting them for tour classroom to see? I love the idea of using concept maps in the classroom; I think that it is a great way for the whole class to be involved in something together. I also think that these concept maps are more engaging on the computer for students because you can make them as big and complex as you want or your conversation allows. Students then get the chance to look at a final product on the computer and marvel and physically see what they learned.
My thinking about using these kinds of programs in my classroom has definitely changed. I can see myself using a concept map program in my classroom to talk about subjects we are learning in class in anything from reading to science. Some of the more complex programs I don’t see myself using in my classroom, but I can see how they can be used and helpful in other classrooms.

Reflecting on Our Prezientation

Overall I felt that Kelsey and I put quite a bit of effort in preparing for our presentation. We wanted to make sure that we were comfortable with the material we were presenting and that we could give our classmates as many useful tools and resources as possible. I also wanted to make sure that everyone was interested in our presentation, that it was visually pleasing and easy to understand. Kelsey and I liked the layout of Glogster a lot and how it looked like a scrapbook page, but we also liked the way Prezi moved. Our challenge was to find something that worked with both. I figured out a way to make our Prezi look like Glogster, which we were excited about. We then planned what each of us was going to talk about and what things we could incorporate with each to make it interesting and to give our classmates some helpful things to use in their classrooms. In the end I am glad that we took time to really make our presentation one that we liked, that fit into the chapter, and that would keep everyone engaged. I think we accomplished all of these.

There are a few things that I think make presenting to our peers valuable. The first thing is that it helps us to learn the information. It’s one thing to read the chapters and post about them, but a completely different thing to have to teach them to others. It requires that we know the information and really look into it and examine it. I think that this made us excited about things too because we had to go and explore and find things to present. I also think that is helps to get peer feedback after a presentation. It was helpful to hear what they had to say about the way we presented. I think that since they were the ones being given the information it was good to hear what they had to say. I also think that it is helpful to see the chapter presented in a different way every time and from a different prospective, this is a unique and valuable experience for us to be able to receive and give!

Presenting this chapter has definitely made me think about future teaching. It has made me realize how prepared you have to be with your information so you don’t get nervous and forget what you are talking about and also you have to be prepared for the things you can’t prepare for. It has also showed me how using different kinds of technologies can be useful and keep things interesting for students. It also made me realize how often I say the word “umm”. I have even noticed it in conversation, it’s something I hopefully can break myself of!

Lots of New Information... as usual 2/18

Today we earned a lot, which is the norm for this class.
Kelsey and I did our presentation which went well, I was pleased with the way our presentation turned out. I hope that everyone learned something new and that they will be able to use some of the resources and tools that we presented.
Jeff then presented us with some resources that would also go along with Chapter 4 on writing. There were some really good resources and ones that I bookmarked on delicious and will use later when I teach. Kelly, Christine, and Sarah showed us some cool tools that we can use in our classroom. I liked their presentations and the information that they presented us with.
Erica and Katie talked about some issues that can be encountered when it comes to technology. These are important things that we should remember when we become educators. Cyberbullying and Obesity are issues that I think all of us have thought of and Katie and Erica presented us with some tools that will help us to tackle these issues.
Overall we were given a lot of great resources today and thanks to Delicious I will be able to go back and use them in my future classroom.

Chapter 4 Prezientation

Please click on the link below to view our presentation of Chapter 4:

Chapter 4



Click on this link for our presentation on presentations:

SlideRocket

Technology Supports Writing

I really enjoyed this chapter because it was involved writing, which is something that I enjoy doing and also because it relates to other subject areas in school. I like using technology in the classroom and I think it is something that is inevitable, so this chapter showed how integrating technology is a way to make those other subject areas more useful, more effective, and more interesting for students.
I think that concept maps are a good way for students to see connections in reading, writing, and really just about anything in any subject. We did a concept map in our science class this semester and I thought it was a good way to get us thinking about what we had read and a good way to have us share our ideas. I liked the part in the chapter that talked about using PowerPoint. I think that is has it’s uses, but that is also has it’s downfalls and I am glad that the book talked about those downfalls so that teachers can be aware of them and address them with students or maybe use other programs.
I thought that Kidscribe was an interesting web site. I think that it is important for students to publish their work and have other students read it, with today’s technology this is becoming increasingly easier to do. I think that as teachers we should take advantage of this and websites like Kidscribe. It can also be a way for parents to read students’ work at home.
I think that this chapter was interesting and provided me with a foundation and ideas for using technology with creative writing. I think as a student I would have loved to see work that I wrote on the internet. I get excited about my learning log being on the internet. While books are still god things to make as a class, it can be even more rewarding to share their book with other students at other schools and in turn see what they are learning and writing about. I definitely will use technologies in my classroom to help support writing.

Clear as Mud

Today's class there was a lot of information. The chapter on exploring other technologies was very interesting and eye opening. I liked that we learned about different programs to use in the classroom. I think that we get stuck in a rut and we only think about using computer software programs or educational programs. The programs we saw today during the presentation were necessarily made to be educational, but if used and developed the correct way could definitely be educational. Like I said in my earlier post on this chapter, I think that it is important to learn about new games and programs so that we can connect with students and make information relevant.
We also talked about our Scratch projects. I like this project and it's fun to play around on it. I like having those "aha" moments when I finally get it to do what I want or when i find something new. I feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of information that came with the project, but I will definitely be using the how to video. I hope that by watching the video and just tinkering a little bit I can learn what I need to know for my project. Hopefully I will go from Clear as mud to clear as glass.

Experimenting with Technologies

This chapter was interesting because it talked about different programs available, how to use them, and what kind of students they will affect or help. There were a lot of programs that I had never heard of and I found them to be very interesting. I liked that it talked about using these programs in different subjects. I think that this helps teachers to know that first there are a lot of programs that offer different activities for a subject and second that programs can be used for all subjects.

The program that interested me the most was the simulation program. I think that this technology is intriguing because it can let you do things that you wouldn’t necessarily get to do, even if it is only simulated. I remember in high school doing a dissection through a simulation. It was different because we got to do it on different animals and we still got to see the main idea. I think that these programs are good alternatives for schools that might not be able to afford some activities, like dissection. By using these simulations students are still able to have that learning experience. I also remember playing the computer game, SIMS. It never occurred to me until a saw it in this chapter, that this was a simulation as well.

This chapter definitely changed the way I view technology in teaching. I never knew there were so many technologies out there that can assist students in learning. These programs are a good way to supplement a lesson. It also helps to make a connection with students. Since these students are very connected to technology, they will be able to use the kind of programs in this chapter to help them understand and practice a lesson taught to them in class.

Cool New Tools

Today we learned a lot of new things.

Tiffany and Kelly did a really nice job on their presentation and teaching us how to recognize whether a website is credible or not. I think that this is a very useful tool because as a student, I was never taught that. AS an adult now I am able to identify whether a website has good information, but children will not have as much knowledge as we do. I think that this is a very valuable thing to teach students.

I really liked the Scratch website as well. This website is a really fun place and it can help students create interactive projects that they feel proud of and are also fun. This project will be a learning experience for me and I think that I will gain a useful teaching tool. It would be good for students to be able to play a game made by their teachers or themselves.

I liked that we went over our inquiry questions in class today. It was nice to have validation of my question that I chose and also nice to hear from my fellow students about ideas on it or ways to make my question better.

Watching the Autobiographies was an interesting thing, I enjoyed learning more about my classmates. Rachel's was a surprise when my face showed up on her important people in her life. I was surprised and very touched. I think these are a unique way to see and learn more about my fellow Cohortians.

Fact or Fiction?

The book states that there are two areas to evaluate when you and your students are determining whether a website is credible or not. These two areas are relevancy and credibility. How well does the website relate to the question you are asking?
Evaluating the credibility of a website involves evaluating the source of the information and evaluating the treatment of the subject. The book suggests asking some questions when evaluating the sources of the information provided on the website. Some examples of these questions are:
• Who provided the information? Why?
• Does the author of the site have credibility in the field?
• Do you recognize the organization the published the site?
• Does the organization have a vested interest or bias in the information presented?
• Is a bibliography or resource list included?
• Can we check the sources?
The next thing to do is to evaluate the treatment of the subject. The book provides a list of questions to check into this as well. Some of these questions are:
• Is someone trying to sell us a product or point of view?
• Is the intended audience clear?
• Does it follow a logical presentation of sequence?
• Are there ideological or political biases?
• Is this primarily advertising or marketing website?
• Are there any gaps in logic, or is there missing information that is relevant to the subject?
A final step is to find two other sources on the same subject and see if the material on the websites is the same. This process is very important for students to know so that they know when a website will provide them with credible information and when it will not.
*Questions taken from “Meaningful Learning With Technology” by: David Jonassen, Jane Howland, Rose Marra, and David Crismond

Lets Talk Books: Booktalk

At first I didn’t know what to do for my Booktalk. I wanted to do something interesting, but I couldn’t think of anything to do. I read and re-read my book a few times. It was a book from my childhood, so I didn’t mind reading it a few times. Something that I like about the book that I chose, Eloise, is that she is different. She isn’t like other six year olds; I mean she lives at the Plaza! She does kids stuff, but she does it her way, I think children can really relate to that and I wanted that to be come through in my Booktalk. I think that by making the narrator Eloise it showed her spunky and sometimes eccentric nature. I put a lot of work into my Booktalk and I am proud of my finished product.
I used Photostory to make my Booktalk and I think it was an easy to use program. I had never used this program before and I learned a lot by using it during this program. I think that this program could be useful in class. I think that I could use this in class. After reading a story children could be asked to tell the main character, plot, main theme, conflict and as a class we could make a Booktalk together. Not only would this be a good way for students to practice main ideas in a story, but it would also introduce them to new technology. Students would love this and they could share with other classrooms, which would give them a sense of ownership with their work.

Investigating With Technologies

This chapter talked about how to search. Initially I didn't think that I was going to gain a lot of new information, I can't count the number of times I have searched for something on the web, but after reading I have found that I learned a lot not only about my searching techniques, but also how to help my students gain knowledge in searching the internet for information.

I liked the four-step process that the book suggested using. I think that these steps:

1. Plan
2. Use strategies to search the web
3. Evaluate
4. Triangulate sources (Jonassen & Colaric, 2001)

Help to focus students’ search and keep them on the right track. The Internet is a big place and sometimes you can get lost in trying to find what you are looking for. I think that these steps can help guide a student towards the information that they want.

I also liked what the book said about browsing not being thinking. Students need to keep thinking about what it is they are trying to learn. “The educational secret to the Internet is intentionality,” I think this quote is important to keep in mind when we are searching the web and when we are teaching our students about the Internet.

From this chapter I learned that students can use the internet to gather information, conduct experiments, and use others to help them in their investigations. Previously I knew that the Internet was a valuable resource, but I didn’t think about students gathering information from it in my classroom. I thought that they would use the Internet at home and that I wouldn’t have to teach them. Now I know that I will have to help my students learn how to search the Internet and teach them ways to use it in learning.

New Thinking from Class Today 1/14/10

I thought today's class was very interesting and I learned a lot of new information. The video that we watched for homework was very informative and provided an insight into some concerns that society has with the amount of technology being used today. I think that my thinking on this definitely changed, being proactive instead of reactive in keeping our children safe and honest online. I think it will be better to embrace the new changes instead of fight them, change is inevitable. Which leads me into our nest topic that I found to be very interesting, Kindle.
I think that this is a new way of books, text books. We grew up with physical books and so this concept seems to be foreign and not as intimate as reading hard copies. I think though, that it is something that is going to be beneficial.

A new technology that I really enjoyed today was Prezi. I have always used powerpoint and so this new way of doing presentations was a refreshing change. I think that it is better way of presenting information and I can not only use it in this class, but in my other classes and in my future classroom. My thinking about presentations changes today by seeing this because it showed me that the information I give as a teacher should be accessible for students and not hidden, which is sometimes the case in powerpoint.

The Matrix that we were shown today also helped me to change my thinking about learning from and with technology. I really liked this matrix because it showed where using the with and from are appropriate.

Growing Up Online

I think that this video made me realize even more that students today rely heavily on the internet and all of the things that are associated with it. I knew that kids today used technology more than their parents and teachers, but I didn’t realize how young it started. I think that the teacher that talked about cheating and the internet had a good viewpoint. It is a change in times and there is no way to fight it, only to modify and change things to fit in with the changing times. I think that as teachers we need to do several things:

1. 1. Modify our teaching to incorporate and use technology so that students learn the most in the most effective way.

2. 2. To lay down new rules. If we don’t want students to plagiarize from the internet then we need to teach them how to correctly site things from the internet. Instead of banning the use of these materials we need to make them useful to the students and in a way that will benefit them.

3. 3. Make them aware of the safety issues of the internet and keeping their information private. Explain to them the dangers of the internet and predators. Let them know where they can go to get help if a problem arises.

I think that if as a teacher I am able to keep learning about new technology and adapt my teaching to fit with these then my students will also benefit from the new ways of teaching and technology.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, than 10 pictures must be worth 10,000 words!

I really enjoyed this assignment. I found it to be very interesting and something that I not only liked doing, but also something that I have connection to. It helps my classmates learn something new about me or just see something that they didn’t before through pictures. It also helps me learn about my classmates. People tell stories all the time, but seeing a story through pictures adds another dimension. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I think that this project helped to support that theory. I think that it was also a unique project because I could only use 10 pictures. This meant that I had to pick the ones that I liked the most and the ones that were the most meaningful for me. Because of Facebook and other technologies, such as digital cameras, there are many more pictures out there available to view and use. This made it necessary for me to only pick one event for me to focus my video on, this was difficult! I could make hundreds of videos with my pictures and did in fact make a couple of extras.

I feel that I put the most effort into picking the pictures I wanted to use in my video. After that I spent a good deal of time trying to make the order appropriate for my pictures and the captions had to be important and short enough, but still get the point across. I had to go back and take some pictures and captions out so that the video was a better quality and everything fit into the allotted time. The music was another thing that I had to decide on, it had to match the theme of my pictures and convey the mood I was striving to achieve.

I think that this would be a good assignment to use at the beginning of the school year. It can be a unique way for teachers to get to know their students. You could ask them to do one on their family so that you could learn about the relationships there. More importantly by assigning these kinds of projects it gives students a sense of accomplishment. I know that I am proud of my mini movie and I can’t imagine the joy that an elementary student would get out of making their own movie. I think that this would be a very rewarding experience for students.

A New Generation Means a New Role for Technolgy

This chapter has put a different look on technology and its role in the classroom and also the role of students and teachers. I really liked the new roles of the teacher and student laid out in the preface. I think it provided unique reflection for me and other future educators. I liked how it talked about teachers giving up some of their authority so that students can learn and explore on their own. This is different from the way that most of us learned; teachers are seen as the primary knowledge holder and give the information that they have back to the student.

Since we have these preconceived notions about teaching and the roles in the classrooms it will be difficult for teachers to change, but it will be beneficial for the students and teachers. I think that teachers have as much to learn from the students as the students have to learn from the teacher, especially in the field of technology. By letting the students explore on their own teachers can learn with the students.

As a future teacher I am going to try and learn to let my students have some of the authority and be in charge of their own learning experiences. I want their knowledge of technology to help the in learning. I want them to be able to use the tools that are out there and available to them so that they can learn and grow more.

New Thinking from Class Today 1/7/10

Today in class was a little overwhelming! There is so much new technology out there that I don't even know about. I am excited to learn more and be able to do more with my future class. I never really thought about how much kids today know even more than we do, it's a really different kind of learning, that can be a bit daunting.
In order to be a successful teacher, though, I know that it is important for me to adapt and change as both the technology and my students change. In order for me to make connections with my teaching an my students' learning, I need to be able to change and adapt my knowledge of technology.
My thinking has changed from viewing myself as "in the know" to viewing myself as "in the constantly learning". Technology is constantly changing and in order for me to be a great teacher instead of a mediocre teacher I need to change with the times.

Technology's Role in Teaching and Learning

What is technology’s role in teaching and learning?

• 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