Final Reflection

It's the end of the semester, and I feel very accomplished. I have learned so many things related to technology and I cannot wait to use these new ideas in my future classroom. I am so proud of my classroom website, and I cannot wait to share it with friends, family, and future parents of my students. I do feel that I will continue using many of the various Google tools introduced this semester, especially the presentations and Google docs. Overall, I have enjoyed the semester and feel much more confident in my technology ability.

Reflection over iMovie

The process of creating an iMovie was very labor intensive for me. I had never completed anything like this and there were many components to work through. I especially had trouble adding captions to each slide and the transitions were a little confusing too. Part of the trouble was probably due to the fact that I am not very familiar with using a Mac. Next time, I think I will use the Movie Maker on a PC instead. Upon completion, I feel very accomplished and I definitely feel that I will use my "About Me" video when introducing myself to future classes.

Digital Story

Interactive Spreadsheet Activity

Creating an interactive spreadsheet provided an opportunity for me to see how to effectively use worksheets to produce questions at a higher level. Because so much of what children see in classrooms today is basic skills, this provided an opportunity for me to see how to create a worksheet that is truly beneficial. I do believe that this activity was time consuming and I am not sure if I will actually be able to implement these when I am a classroom teacher. On the other hand, the Google design templates shown to us in class was very interesting and I am sure I will use those in the classroom as a great time saver!!

Reflection over Inspiration Activity

I really enjoyed creating the writing process diagram using Inspiration. The tool was fairly easy to navigate and I can see myself using this tool for the upper grades. However, the application would be a little confusing for 2nd or 3rd grade; therefore, I would probably use this as a teaching tool for introducing a new concept or skill.

Inspiration: The Writing Process

Reflection over Google Presentation

As I reflect over the scavenger hunt and Google presentation activity, I feel very accomplished after completing the presentation. Taking the pictures outside was a fun way of taking digital images and uploading them to Picasa. I also really liked how simple and easy the presentation tool was. There were not many bells and whistles to learn and I believe children in my future class could use this tool with little practice.

Scavenger Hunt

Digital Images Activity

As I reflect over the digital image activity we did in class, I most enjoyed finding the different pictures and uploading them in different ways. I had never before used a scanner and I was a little nervous about how to figure that out but I did and now feel better about using them. I also learned what a screenshot was and that is a neat way of capturing a photo on a webpage. Overall, finding and uploading those pictures was a fun assignment.

Slideshow

Reflection over Google Docs

At first, I was intimidated by the application Google Docs. However, after working with the program several times, I have learned how to use this program and I love the features. I especially like how a person can work on the same document and share it with others. When working on my lesson plan with my partner, it was very nice to be able to share ideas through the computer. I hope to use this feature of Google even more as I learn more about it.

Reflection over iGoogle

I really like the application called igoogle. My favorite applications are the to-do list and the cooking/recipe links. igoogle allows me to access a lot of information such as the weather, current events, and music from one source. Therefore, I do not have to type in several different websites to find out the information I am looking for. I do intend on using this feature even after this class.

Reflection over WebQuests

Upon completion of the Web Quest exercise, I feel that Web Quests are definitely something I could incorporate in my classroom in the future. However, I am going to be very selective on the ones I choose to use in my classroom. I was most impressed with those very clear, concise, and to the point. They are a great resource for those students who can work independently on the web to learn a particular concept or content. I look forward to looking at more examples.

Reflection over PB Works, Wikis, and Google Docs

As I reflect on my new knowledge of PB Works, Wikis, and Google Docs, I come away with very confident feelings about using these tools to collaborate with fellow teachers as well as with my students in my future classroom. In regards to PB Works, I really like how you are able to share information and useful resources with other teachers in your same field of study. As for the Wikis, the capability to share work with others without constantly e-mailing will save me large amounts of time once I get used to using them. I also like how other people can edit your work making it more professional and correct. Lastly, I was very excited to learn about Google Docs and how you can save documents on the computer, which definitely comes in handy when working off of several different computers. Overall, all three new tools will definitely save me time and help me collaborate with others in regards to teaching.

Reflection over Website Evaluation

The website evaluation activity was very beneficial and gave me great insight into how to properly assess whether a particular site is appropriate for the children in my classroom. I had never before considered how important researching an article or site is before allowing students to explore the site. Checking for the author, publishing body, and biasness of information is all very important. In addition, the design of the site such as the animated parts is important to consider. A site with a lot going on might interfere with a child's learning. Also, after completing this exercise, I realized how important it is to make sure the computer has the appropriate software installed to run certain applications. No doubt, evaluating websites before letting children view or use them is a great practice to develop.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! This blog discusses my journey learning more about technology and how to utilize it in my future classroom. I am excited to learn how to integrate technology in the classroom and how to better meet the needs of my students who are advanced in using computers.