Skills Learned

I am very happy about what I learned while taking this course.  First of all, I have to admit that I would have not learned most of the tools on my own, or through just catching on as in the past.  I learned the terminology and simpler programs first, they were built upon later in the semester.  The most important skill of all was the ability to problem solve and not give up.  I gained some confidence as a result of my teacher's expectations and assignments.  There were many sources of technology introduced and covered during this course.  Staying willing to investigate and try new things was crucial.  I liked the idea of having a choice when we set up various sites or accounts.  I chose what I felt more comfortable using.  I am looking forward to during this break, practicing and spending more time developing the skills that I have learned.  Like my teacher said, I have to plug away at some of these tools inorder to become faster and more knowledgable.  I feel very comfortable using Excel, Powerpoint, blogging, and using the Whiteboard.  If it were not for this course I would have not known that bookmarking and free websites exsisted.  I believe I have come to a place where I would be willing to use technology in the classroom because it is challenging and rewarding.  Students could benefit as a result of learning through technology, just like me.  They can develop skills beyond the classroom, that will assist them in life.    

E-Portfolio address/ What did I Learn?

My address is http://edufortomorrow.webnode.com/  I have learned from this class how to persevere and problem solve better.  I believe this will make me a more effective teacher because I will be willing to go the extra mile for my students.  I believe that the perfect lesson plan and the time involved in creating one, that will be effective, is worth the time and effort.  I will make a conscious effort to integrate technology, mostly because I know that this is something that will engage students and make learning interesting and fun.  I have learned that today's students are requiring more initiative from the teachers to be willing to include technology into the classroom.  Students use technology everyday and since there are so many creative ways to teach through technology, I say "why not"?  I feel comfortable with alot of different ways of using technology to teach.  I will need to continue to investigate and stay willing to learn new methods and techniques thay will teach and engage students.

Peer Presentations

I enjoyed the peer presentations because they demonstrated everyone's creativity and interests.  Based on the articles people chose, they presented the information to us through mostly Powerpoint.  I especially enjoyed seeing what different people did.  My favorite was when a student used the Interactive Whiteboard to get the information across to us.  I learned the importance of knowing your technology tool well when you are presenting, the importance of practicing a presentation, and picking topics that are not wordy and complex, would be a plus when delivering information to others.

Another Look-Interactive Whiteboards

I really enjoy using the Whiteboards because of the many uses and creative ways you can display your ideas. They are fun and can be very engaging and interactive for your students. This particular form of technology could have been very useful in my past learning experiences. I wish I had access to it when I was young. That's it, children growing up today are so very fortunate for the various technologies available at their disposal. I will definitely benefit from using the Whiteboard in my classroom and as a teacher overall. I was told that this is a great time to be a teacher and it should be just as exciting to use technology for them as it is for the students to learn. I agree with this and am looking forward to learning more about ways to integrate the Whiteboard into my classroom when that time comes. I hope whenever I chose to work can afford to use the Whiteboards, and recognize the benefits for their use in the classroom. One benefit would be the exciting and interactive possibilities for the teacher and student. It really does get the attention of the students and has the capabilities to keep their attention provided it is used effectively.

Interactive Whiteboards

I can't really comment to much on the video project. I will say that I noticed how engaging and fun everyone was having. This is a group project, and everyone should participate and do their part. The time and effort it took to make it good is well worth it.
I read the articles and listened to the demo about the interactive whiteboard. They can be a very useful tool in the classroom.  Students who are not paying attention and the misbehaved seemed to become very interested. In fact, grades went up and school suspensions went down as a result of using this technology. The boards are very important to teaching as one explained.  It can be as important as the curriculum itself.  The demo showed how to change handwriting to actual text. I especially was impressed with how using colors and the eraser is known from removing the item. The studies that were done were important to find what progress is made by using this tool.  Information and knowledge seemed to help everyone understand more and to get on the same page.  I would definately be willing to use this in my classroom because it engages the students and they seem more interested in learning.

Video a Powerful Tool

I could have used videos to do class presentations that I had.  I used power point however the videos would have been more engaging and interactive.  Videos tend to be more personal as well.  This makes it fun to use because you're using your own material from pictures on digital cameras, music, and to saved clips that you stored previously.  Today podcasts are used and recommended for classroom use.  This engages the students and changes the audience, making learning a lot more interesting.  The techniques that were mentioned helped me alot to know better ways to make videos. The way to use tripods for interviewing and time frames.  The lighting and effects make a difference when you consider where you are shooting.  I could incorporate into my classroom by allowing my students to edit their pictures from digital cameras and to change the backgrounds and effects.  The students could create a podcast and share it with another class across the country. they could be creative and work in groups to make videos on safety, learning, and how to do guides.   

The Net Generation

In order for me to be sucessful with the net generation I will need to be able to access the tools that are readily available for me to use.  The net generation thinks and acts alot different from my generation.  I want to be able to adapt and communcate with them through technology.  Today's views are headed more and more towards communicating through texting, emails, blogs, twittering, and various other methods.  The RSS feeds and social bookmarking are very convenient ways to save information and help assist with websearching.  I have found that all of these new technolgies have increased my social communication with others and I have found what we may have in commom via websearches,  research, and books, etc.  If I do not have the tools needed to keep up with technology and my peers, I will fall behind and not be a good and interesting teacher. I look forward to learning more about the net generation and what they could offer me .  I wiil continue to try and keep an open mind about ways to use these technologies in my classroom and life.