Thursday, April 1, 2010

Reflection 11

What?
This week we learned about Vidcasts and Podcasts. Our assignment was to pick either one and then create one that is somthing educational.
So What?
I think that this can apply to me today in a few ways. First that they can be a teaching tool to me as well as my colleagues. If we don't fully understand a concept then we can most likely find a vidcast or a podcast to better explain what it is that we are learning. I think that this is awesome and very helpful.
As a future teacher i think that we are learning what podcast and vidcasts are as well as learning how to create them so that we can better teach our students. Also to make learning a little more enjoyable for the kids. I think this is great technology that we should all be learning and taking advantage of. (in a good way)
Now What?
Now for my future colleagues i think that this concept of podcasts and vidcasts can help us to get together and maybe make some to post so that if our students are having difficulty they can go on the internet and get help from what we have posted. Also for us teachers to come together and come up with new ideas and ways of teaching something and sharing our ideas or sharing what we already have.
I think this concept of podcasts and vidcasts will help me as a teacher become more efficient in teaching. I will be able to show my students these so that they can get the full experience. I can also do that with an assimulation, which is a great way to show kids what they can't go experience for themselves. All in all i think that this is a very effective thing for the students and the teachers.
Video Reflection
Why should we let our students blog? There are so many reasons why blogging is such a good positive thing for students. I really liked this video clip because i am not much of a blogger at all, and this showed me a little bit more of maybe why i should expose my kids to it, so that they can grow, learn, interact and express themselves in ways that they didn't really know existed. From watching this video i am going to look at blogging differently, that it really is a helping tool for kids to grow, have fun, be excited, creative and give them these skills for life.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Reflection 10

What?
This week we are creating an activity that students could do on powerpoint. We as the teachers are creating step by step instructions so help the students understand what they are suppossed to be doing.
So What?
I am so glad that we are doing this activity. I think that it is for us to be able to see how teachers to create the step by step instructions with hyperlinks in them so that we can see exactly what they want us to do.
Learning how this process is done can help me in my classes that i am taking and going to take in the future, because i now better understand how to do hyperlinks and put them onto a word document. I just really like this technology that i learned this week.
Now What?
This technology means a lot to me, i am so glad that i know how to do it. I know that it will help me when i am a teacher. It will help me with my co-workers because we will be able to make these rubrics and instruction sheets and them share our ideas with each other. Also they aren't that hard to do, so if i want to make something a little more fun i can make up the rubric using hyperlinks and then the kids will have fun playing and creating their own game/activity.
For the kids i think that it can make learning more fun and personal for them. I just want the kids to like to learn and have fun learning. My passion is to teach kids and to make learning fun, and memorable. School should be a place that kids like to go, because they enjoy what the teacher is teaching and the way it is taught.
Video Reflection
This short video is somthing that everyone should hear and listen to. I do believe in me and i believe in the people around me, that they can become all that they want to become. We all need to believe in ourselves or else life can be really hard if we don't think we can succeed. I think that we all need to support each other and help one another or else not a lot of people will make it. It is the constant love and help that we get from those around us that will help us to be all that we can be.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Reflection 9

What?
This week is just an overview of what we have learned so far. We didn't have an assignment, so i am just going to recap all all that i have been learning.
So What?
All this new technology that i am learning is helping me in a few ways already. I am able to do more on the computer for starters, and find good information. I find all this very helpful when i am looking up things, or working in a group. I like that i can be in a group and contribute good ideas.
I think all the technology that i have learned is and will continue to help me in the groups that i am in. I think that I-Docs and presentation are wonderful ways to display something to infront of a class. Having all the information organized on a powerpoint is a great way to show and express what you know and are trying to teach.
Now What?
Everything that i have learned and will learn will help me in my classroom when i begin teaching. It will help me be more organized, so that my class can easily follow along with what i am doing. I also like that my class can be more involved in the learning themselves. It isn't just me up front teaching, it's my kids helping out too.
I also think that this technology will help me as a teacher as well as my team of teachers that i will be working with. Everyone will have there own ideas and ways of teaching, but we can all get together and make new and improved ideas on how to teach and run the classroom. So yes, i have learned many things so far that will and have helped me already in my schooling and in my preparation to becoming a teacher.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Reflection 8

What?
This week I learned how to make a presentation with the pictures that i took last week. My partner and i chose the topic living and non-living things. So we had pictures that went along with that and put them into a slide show.
So What?
Well with what i learned it can help me as a student these next few years. I will be able to make good presentations for groups that i am in as well as for different classes. I also think that it will benifit the people that i am going to work with in the program. So that they know that i am good nd confident in using a camera and making presentations.
I think that by learning this technology i will be able to preform better in my classes and put pictures on assignments to make them more enticing. The technology will be good for me now as well as when i am in the schools teaching. I think i can help the other teachers that i will work with and show them a new for of teaching.
Now What?
As for my future career in teaching i think that i will be able to use this in the classroom for sure. I don't think that i will be able to have my third graders use cameras and make a slide who out of them. But i do think that a class project would be really fun for the kids. If i brought in my camera and let each kid take pictures of certain things to teach them about a certian subject would be a really good and effective way of teaching.
I just find that teaching with pictures is so powerful. It engages the students when they can see what the teachers are talking about. That is so important to me, to have my kids understand what they are being taught.
Video Response
Ah i loved it! Everything that was said was such good information. I love powerpoints but they can get overwhelming with to much on them. I really liked when he pointed out that people have to much bullit points on one slide. I think my favorite was spell check. I mean really, we have it so why don't some people use it?! I am glad that i watched that clip and will always remember what he said. With that, i really hope that i have spelled everything right...:)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Reflection 7

What?
This week i am learning that i can take pictures to help teach my class a core subject. We are specifically learning how to take pictures, upload them onto the computer and eventually make a slide show with them.
So What?
This can apply to my life right now in a few ways. By knowing how to do this i can take pictures and put them on projects to make them look more professional. I can also do this with group work to make something look more presentable.
Learning how to use this technology can help me, not only now in school or when i am a teacher, but for the rest of my life. I now know how to take pictures and put them onto my computer so that i can always have them. I can also make a slide show of my family this past year to remind them of our fun times.
Now What?
I am pretty confident that this technology will help my students in the classroom and make learning and teaching more fun. My kids will enjoy having student of the week and having a picture of that classmate on the board instead of just his name. Also i think that learning can be more fun and easier to understand when you associate it with a picture. That way the kids can visualize what i am trying to teach them.
I also think that with this teachnology i can bring it to my department and show them how cool and effective using pictures can be. Then as a team we can come up with a few different assignments of fun things that we could do with taking pictures. Like i said earlier student of the week. Also you can do a slide show teaching the students something, or the students can make their own slide show for a book report, or any other project. There are so many fun and different ways that the students can learn through pictures.
Video Reflection
I really liked this weeks video. I think that the top ten things were really funny and somwhat very true. I also think that it is really good to hear the truth about what does go on in the schools. Like they said, why are the bad kids never sick, and that the pricipals office can still be scary, and that you just might have to go into work on the weekends. I just thought it was a good thing to hear and know that it does go on in the schools, and it's the truth.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Reflection 6

Why we should or should not use the internet in education?
I think that we as teachers should us the internet for education. The kids are going to need to know how to use a computer and how to use it in a safe way. They need to know that they shouldn't put information out on the internet, as well as many other things.
Why should we evaluate the sites we use?
We should evaluate them for a few different reasons. First so that we know that our student is looking at appropriate things, that doesn't have any bad content in it at all. Secondly we need to evaluate our sites so that we don't get compliants from the parents because their child is looking at bad sites on the internet. Lastly so that we know that what we are having the kids look up has good content and information that they need.
Questions to ask yourself when evaluating a site?
The questions that i ask myself when evaluating a site is first, does this article come from a credible source? Is it something that i can trust? I also like to ask myself the 5W's. Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Who wrote this, isit reliable? What is this site saying, is it pertaining to what you are searching? Where did the information come from, is it from a person or a book that you trust? When was it written? Why is this information helpful to you?
Ways to keep your students safe?
There are ways as teachers that you can keep your students safe. Make sure that they know about internet safety, to not give out their information. Make sure that you evaluate and check the sites that you are having your kids go to. Take the iniciative in making sure that what you have the kids do is safe for them.
Video Reflection
I liked this weeks video. It was straight to the point and exactly what everyone needs to know. I am going to tell my kids that the internet is great if you know what you are doing and you know what not to do while on the internet. I think that i will keep this movie as one of my favorites to show others and my kids so that they also know more about internet safety.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Reflection 5

For this UEN scavenger hunt i really enjoyed getting better aquainted with this website and all that it has to offer. I really liked using Pioneer Library, seeing the Interactives, Lesson Plan, Core Curriculum, and everything else that this website has to offer.
The fist thing that i really enjyed a lot were the interactives. They really do and can help students learn different concepts. I really want and will use this in my classroom. I will ihave my UEN website and have different interactives for my kids to do at home. I like that i can also post a movie like The Magic School Bus and have my kids watch that at home and even watch them in class. I find the interactives very effective.
I also really liked looking through the Curriculum and Lesson Plans. I can see how those will be really effective when i am teaching. To be able to go on UEN and see their lesson plans or activities for different topics is really great. I am excited to use this in the classroom.
Pioneer Library is also a very neat tool to use. It has so much more information than i could hope for. It is all easy to find and gives you what you need. I will use this as a student to look up information as well as tell my kids to use it to look up information. I also like it for teachers. It has so many different i-cons that you can use to find sound/songs that might go with what you are teaching, as well as movies that can go along what the different subjects. I really like this new thing that i have learned.
Everything that i learned these past two weeks are going to help me with the rest of my schooling as well as my job. I am excited to explore Pioneer Library, the Interactives, Lesson Plans, and Core Curriculum more. I know that they will help me as a teacher and they will help the kids that i am teaching as well.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Reflection 4

What?
We are preforming the UEN assignment. I am learning how to work and create my own UEN page.
So What?
Learning about UEN can help me in my time right now as a college student because i am able to go to UEN and check out all the wonderful things that it has one it. Because i am learning how to work UEN now it can change how i might teach. I now have all these wonderful resources to help me teach different subjects. I also have moveis that can go along with what i might be teaching.
UEN is helping me and my colleges get ready for our own teaching careers. It is more of an individual project, but we can always check out colleagues UEN page out to compare it with ours and give each other new ideas.
Now What?
This new bit of technology that i am learning about can help me as a teacher in many ways. First with my colleagues i can help them have easy access to the movies, so they don't have to struggle in trying to get it on the day they want it. Alos the different lesson plans that it has covering every subject, as well as the movies.
This can also be benificil to my kids. Of coures they can learn and watch great movies to help them understand what i am teaching. But also, there are games on UEN that correspond with the different subjects. So i am able to post one of those games on my UEN website for my kids to play on at home.
Videa Reflection
This weeks video is President Obama's speech to the children. I found it interesting. He talked to the children about fulfilling the responsibility for their own education. He went on to tell them to not give up, to do their homework, pay attention in class, work just a little harder on something, to make themselves better individuals. I thought it was good that our President talked to the children about being the next generation to invent new things, and keep the world spinning. He gave a good speech that i feel like needed to be heard.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Reflection 3

What?
This week i learned different techniques that can help me in a classroom. I learned how to use Spreadsheet, Form and Presentation in IDocs. With all that i learned we are using Presentations to make a chart of classroom rules.
So What?
So what does all this mean to me today? It means that i have found easy and fun ways to create things to make projects for this class as well as my other classes that i am taking. I can easily go into IDocs and create something then send it or share it with anyone so that they can quickly see what i have done, and help me.
This feature of being able to send and share projects helps my colleagues a lot. We are able to do projects without ever meeting together as a group. We can do everything over IDocs. It truly is amazing and very helpful when everyone in your group has different schedules, and can never find a time to meet.
Now What?
With this new technology that i am learning how to use, i can believe that i can become a better teacher. I can use this with my students or my colleagues. I wouldn't give my third graders a project like this but i would definatly show them what i have done and teach them using Presentation. That way they can see everything that i am using Presentation for and they will be excited to one day have a project where they themselves can use Presentation.
With colleagues i think that Presentation and Form are great tools to use and share with one another. We could easily use Form and each make our own chart of the different activities that we are doing during the year with the different subjects and share them with each other. That way we all have a few ideas of things we could do. These programs are easy to use and can help you be more organized.
Video
I liked the video this week. It really helped me see and know that everyone, to be succsessful, needs an education. You can't really get through life unless you do have an education. I know that i am following a dream of mine by becoming a teacher, and helping kids learn. This is what i want to do and i am so excited to be learning different ways to bring what i know and what i am learning into the classroom.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Sunday, January 17, 2010

What?
I am learning a lot about technology and everything you can do with computers. Right now we are doing a group project without getting together and talking about it, we have to do it all just using IDocs.
So What?
So what does learning about the new technology mean to me? It didn't really mean anything to me until i learned what it can help me with in the future. It will help me over the next few years while i am in the education program. I will be able to do projects with my group members without really having to get together.
It will also help me when i am in the schools teaching. I will be able to make letters for my parents using IDocs. I can also make calenders for the parents as well as the teachers so that they can all know what my class schedule will be for that week.
Now What?
Now with what i know i think that i will be able to be a better more organized person, which i think is needed when being a teacher. I will be able to bring what i know to my fellow teachers and maybe even show them something new that they didn't even know about.
I do think that the biggest thing for me now is to keep using the new programs that i am learning about. To keep playing with them and making sure that i know how to use them efficiently.
Video Review
I liked this weeks video. I know and have always known that school and knowledge is so improtant in life. By having knowledge you can actually get somewhere in life and make something out of yourself, but this video made it more real to me.
We all go through hard times in life, and some of us more than others. Just because our life is a rollar coaster doesn't mean that we should give up, it only means that we should be doing that much more to continue in learning. The one thing that we can control is ourselves and what we do. I do believe that if we are spending our time and money, whether it is our parents or not, we need to study and use the books we buy and gain something from it.
I guess i think that the moral orthought from the movie was to just keep moving forward no matter what happens. We can always learn and grow into something better.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Reflection 1

My ideal classroom will be held somwhere here in Utah. It will be a public elementary school holding many kids all with different lives and stories. Everything that i will explain will be taking place with my twenty five students, in my thrid grade classroom.
We will have many windows that cover the walls letting the sun light stream in throughout the day giving the class room a nice warm feel. Inbetween these window there will be art work that the kids have done during the year so that all the classmates can see each others work. Against one of the walls i want to have an upright piano so that i can teach my kids songs to help them learn certain things. In one corner of the room i will have a rocking chair. This corner will be the reading corner, with book shelves full of different books that i can read to my kids as they gather around my rocking chair.
The school that i will be teaching at won't have all the money in the world, but they do have a nice play ground for the kids to play on at recess. I will have some sort of budget that the school can give me. Other times i will have to go out and spend my own money and buy things for my kids.
My kids will all come from different life styles. Some of the girls will be coming in beautiful dresses while others just have hand-me-down sun dresses. They guys will all be dressed in jeans, yet you will be able to tell that some are new while others are worn out. Even though the kids are different they will still treat each other with resepct and all get along.
I really love my kids and i love the people that i work with. My colleagues are great people and become good friends of mine. We share stories and help each other out with different situations in the class room. The hard part is that some of the parents are either to busy to help their child with homework or just don't care. So me, as the teacher, has to be the one that cares and lets those students know that they are smart and can become all that they want to be.
My job is the best and one that i love. My class room has the feeling of home and happiness, so that the children always feel welcome and exctied to come to school and learn.