Final Reflection

At the very beginning of this class, I was a little overwhelmed and wasn't sure if I would enjoy this class because I didn't think I would understand how to do all of the projects. Even though I was overwhelmed at first, I have really enjoyed this class. I have learned how to use various technologies that I never would have thought that I could use, and I feel very competent with using them. The way that this class was structured made it easy for me ask questions if I didn't understand what to do, and this class allowed me to work at my own pace.

I really enjoyed learning to use all of the technology and will definitely use this technology in my own classroom. It is crazy that all of this technology has existed for a little while and I had no idea how to use it. Working with Inspiration and making an Interactive Spreadsheet have given me an idea of how I can use this technology to assess student's knowledge and what they are learning in the classroom. I think the students would really enjoy using this technology, and it would be a fun and interactive way to do assessments.

I have also learned how technology, such as Twitter can be used in the classroom in order to effectively communicate with families and students without being in the classroom. Also, programs such as Wordle and Taxgedo are creative ways to put words together in an interactive and appealing way. These programs might be used when first introducing a book or a new concept, or the students could even create their own with words they have just recently learned.

My favorite part of this class was creating an iMovie; it was so much fun to find pictures and create a digital story and add music too. I would really love to have my own students try to create their own movie or even show my friends how to create their own digital story. All in all, this class has been very enjoyable, and I'm glad that I have had the opportunity to take this class.

Using iMovie

I thoroughly enjoyed working with iMovie and creating a digital story about me. It was really fun to find pictures from when I was little and add them to make my own movie. I also really liked being able to add music to my movie to make it more interactive. I have learned a lot through using this program, and I really liked being able to learn about all of this on my own. By learning to use this on my own, I feel more prepared to use this kind of technology in the future. I will be able to use this in my own classroom and even teach my students how to use it.

About Me

Animoto

I really enjoyed learning how to use Animoto. Even though I probably will not use it very often, it is a tool that I can definitely see myself using in the classroom. I think it would be really good to use in the classroom for presentations and also for slide shows for my own classroom website. Also, for children who learn best with pictures and modeling, this is a really good resource.

Interactive Spreadsheet

By doing the practice activity, I felt much more confident with doing this activity.  Even though it was a little confusing at first, I think I understand it much more after creating my own activity. I think this is a program that I will use in my own classroom, and it is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom.

Interactive Spreadsheets

The step-by-step directions for the spreadsheet were extremely helpful, it was much easier for me to complete this task with the help of these directions. Parts of the activity were a little confusing, but for the most part I understood what we were doing. Even though I do not know a lot about the program excel, I feel that I am much more prepared to work with it. I think doing this exercise will better prepare me to complete the assignment that is coming up. I think that this program will be extremely beneficial to use in the classroom.

Google Forms

I think that Google Forms would be very useful to incorporate in the classroom; as we discussed in class, it is an easy way to see what your students interests are and even create quizzes and surveys. Also, I like that with this program you are able to put the information into a graph, which makes the information a little bit easier to understand. This might also help students who need visual representations of things in order for them to understand the content better. I had never heard of Google Forms before, but I am glad that I have been introduced to it because I think I will use it in my own classroom.

Inspiration

I really enjoyed working with Inspiration, it is a great way to organize ideas. This would be incredibly beneficial to use in the classroom, and I think it would help children learn about different topics.

Wordle and Tagxedo

I think that Wordle and Tagxedo are very fun to use; they are very similar, but I think both of these would be easy to use in the classroom. This would be an interactive way to use words, and for children who are learning to read this could even be used as some sort of word wall. I really like that you are able to edit the colors and fonts in these programs as well.

Twitter and Delicious

Even though I had never heard of Delicious before, I really enjoyed learning about it. I think this site would be incredibly beneficial to bookmark sites and have all of your favorites in one place; it seems like it would make things a whole lot more simple. It would also be helpful to use this in the classroom with projects. Since Haley and I were assigned to Twitter, I now have a Twitter. Before doing this presentation, I never planned on having a Twitter, but after having one for a little while I really enjoy it. It is so easy to navigate, and I really like seeing the funny things that people say. Even though I do not use it for educational purposes right now, I think it would be easy and fun to use to communicate with parents and students in the classroom.

Smilebox and Storybird

I really enjoyed learning how to use Smilebox and Storybird; I realize that these two web tools have very different uses, and since I am more interested in taking pictures than writing, I found Smilebox more exiting and fun to use than Storybird. I will probably use Smilebox in the future to make collages and even invitations, and I am very glad to know that web tools like this exist. I think Storybird could be very useful in an elementary classroom; this would be a very interactive way for children to create stories on the computer. As we discussed in class earlier, this web tool probably would not be as effective in high school classrooms.

ABC Scavenger Hunt

Slideshow

Glogster and Picnik

Today we learned how to use Glogster and Picnik; I find both of these very useful. I think Glogster would be a good way for students to be creative; also, I think students would have a lot of fun creating their glog. I enjoyed learning how to use Picnik too; it was really fun editing pictures. In the future, I know I will use Picnik. This can also be used in the classroom, and I think students would really enjoy this.

Reflection on Evaluating Websites

When I first looked at this website, I assumed that it was a great resource for children. It provides children with many engaging activities that help them with their reading skills. Once I started examining this website, I found that some of the aspects seemed a little strange. I found that this website is highly recommended by homeschool.com and when I looked at that website, all it contained was articles about homeschooling. Therefore this did not seem very reliable to me. Also, the website provider the reader with many quotes from parents about how good the website is. I felt that educational institutions should have reviewed the website in order to see how beneficial the article really is. 

After reading the information provided on this site I would recommend this website with reservations. 

Through evaluating this website, I have realized how important this process is when picking out websites for children to examine. There are so many websites available to children; however, it is incredibly important for children to be using quality websites in order for children to get the most out of the activities. As a teacher, it is essential to explore the websites in depth before sharing them with the children. I feel much more prepared to share websites with children now that I know how to fully evaluate a website.

Website Evaluation

I found this site from Lesley University; it appears to be a valid website that outlines the criteria for evaluating web resources. This website provides a list of other websites that are hoaxes. At the bottom of this website, a list of references are provided citing other websites.

My Learning Goals for this Course

There are many goals that I hope to accomplish throughout this course. Since I am not too familiar with how to use all of the technology that is available, I hope to learn how to use a lot of new technology effectively. Also, I hope that I will come away from this course with an understanding of this information and be able to explain to other people how to use other technology. Throughout this course, I hope that I can find easier ways to do the tasks that I already know how to do. I hope that this course will allow me to think about how I will incorporate technology into my own classroom when I become a teacher.

Introduction to the Class

Informal Introduction to class
I’m from Knoxville, TN and have lived here my whole life. I went to Karns High School, which is a fairly small high school compared to the other schools in the area. I have wanted to become a teacher for as long as I can remember, and when I became a teacher’s assistant for the classes with the younger students at my dance studio during my senior year of high school, this helped to confirm my decision to pursue education. I would like to become a first or second grade teacher; after spending so much time with children of varying ages, I have realized that I enjoy working with children of this age group the most. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends; in September, I am going to become an aunt for the first time, so I am spending a lot of time helping my brother and sister-in-law prepare for their baby. I have a lot of experience with computers, but I do not know too much about all of the technology that is available. I am very excited about learning how to use technology and being able to use this technology in my own classroom.