What did you learn??

I feel like I have learned a lot in the ways of technology.  Before this class, I was hesitant to use technology.  I could pick up and Ipod or Smart phone and know what I was doing but to actually use something on my computer that a whole class of student would be watching was a little scary to me.  What if the technology didn't work?? What if I messed up?? What if the kids were bored?? What if the kids didn't understand??  After this class, I feel like I have answers to those questions and I also feel "OK" knowing that I will not always have the answers to my questions about technology.  There are always going to be times that it doesn't work the way that I want it to, duh it's technology!

In the future, I see myself using more technology in my lessons and in my classroom.  I also see myself taking my class to the computer lab and not just sticking them on some website to play a game but actually teaching them how to work something or how to use something that they may have never used before.

Get on Board!!

I think that the best way for me to encourage my colleague to learn about and use technology in their classrooms is for me to use technology myself.  If I use something and can get excited about using it in my classroom it may encourage others to use the same things.  If I can show them the neat things that I have done, they may want to do it in their classroom too.  I also think it may help if I can become the teacher to my colleague's and show them how to use technology.  If there is something that I know how to use, why wouldn't I teach the other's around me so that they can get the same benefits that I am??

I would love to show the teacher's at my school how to set up and use a Web quest.  The website that I used to make my web quest was so easy and user friendly.  I think that if I can show the teachers around me the web quest that I made, I think they will get excited and want to make one of their own, especially after I show them how easy it is to set up and how much fun their students can have completing the assignment. If I can the teachers around me on board with using technology, we can all begin to share the tools that we are using and things that we have created!

Internet Techology

When it comes to using the Internet in my classroom, I sometimes get quite frustrated.  My school systems has gone so far to keep our students protected when using the Internet that many sites I try to use get the dreaded "Access Denied".  Just last year my students were reading a story in a book about the little boy that fell in with the Gorilla's at one of the Chicago zoos.  I was talking to my class about how I remembered when it happened and they were so intrigued.  I wanted to show them the news clip but of course...YouTube is blocked!  Lesson connection fail!!  There are many other possibilities that I could use.  The web quest that we had to create is something that I am considering using in my class this year.  It is something different for them to do and I think it could have some real benefits when it comes to our Indiana History unit.  I would love to use the Internet for various things in my classroom, I would just have to work around the "Access Denied" that is most often my biggest road block!  Another fear that I have is that I do not have much experience when it comes creating assignments on the Internet.  Prior to this class, I had not experience with a web quest. 

To help with these issues, I would need to gain more experience myself.  I would need to spend some time preparing myself to make sure that I have the experience that I would need to help my students with their assignments. 

What's your plan??

In my classroom I currently use PowerPoint for morning announcements.  I put anything that I want them to do when the come in the classroom, reminders, or things that they need to know about our day.  Not all of our students arrive at the same time so it seems to keep the early arrivers a little more focused while we are waiting for the others to get there.  I also use PowerPoint to put my focus statements for each lesson then it is easy to just change slides for each lesson and they are already there.  I also use Word.  I use Word for many things: sub plans, letters that I want to go home, my weekly homework page, and, simple games or worksheets that I want to make quickly.  Lastly, after this week, I am going to start using Publisher so much now.  I already have a list of things that I want to create using Publisher and I have my newsletter started for next week!
I have lots of work to do to improve my use of lots of different things.  I loved that we did this assignment this week and were introduced to many different things that our classmates took the time to learn about.  There were quite a few things that others talked about that I had never heard of before or had never used before.  I was intrigued by the reflection that I read about "mail-merge".  I am still not sure if I totally understand what it is because I am such a visual learner.  I feel like if I was able to actually see it instead of just reading about it, I would feel a little bit better.  To learn more about "mail-merge" I am making it my personal goal to do the research that I need to do to learn what this is and how I can best use it in my classroom or everyday use.  Now if I can only find the time to do that!  

21st Century....Are You Ready??

When I think about how I feel about the 21st century as an educator, I feel a little overwhelmed.  There is so much new stuff that needs to be incorporated into the classroom how will I ever have the time to learn about it and then use it?? AAAHH!!!!  Being that I come a "technology" generation, I do feel capable of learning about new technology and feel that I will function well.  I have no problem working with the "newer" pieces of technology such as smartphones and ipods, I find myself struggling with "older" things like using excel to make a spreadsheet and making the cute little powerpoints.  Sure, I can make a powerpoint but I can't make it do all of the fun stuff and add in all of the little pictures.

When I think about how well my students are prepared for the 21st century, I feel like they will fare pretty well.  They are exposed to so much by way of video games, the internet, and the different things that we use in our classroom.  But yet there is so much more.  I think in the grand scheme of things, they will be okay but along with that , we could take them so much farther if only teachers would not be so hesitant when it comes to something new.  Trust me, this is something that I work on myself.

I think that one of my strengths for the 21st century are the fact that I have been raised in such a technology forward generation where I am exposed to technology in just about everything that I do.  Another strength is that I am a fast learner so when I am introduced to something new, I can get the hang of it pretty quickly, especially if I am given time to "play".  One challenge that I face when it comes to my classroom is that I do not have access to A LOT of technology.  Sure, we have computers, projectors, clickers, mobi's, and an ipod touch lab but there is more out there!   

Technology.....

When it comes to the use of technology in my classroom, I know that I have some work to do.  There are many things that I could be using but I am not.  I have access to mobi's and clicker's but I have never used them before.  I have access to an ipod touch lab but have only used it one time last school year.  I have however used my overhead projector to show movies, virtual field trips, and websites to my students many times.  I also have a point-2-view camera that connects to my computer that I can use to display worksheets or student work through my overhead projector.
The barriers that I feel I am facing are in the form of education for myself.  I do not use many of the pieces of technology that I have access to because I do not know how to use them or I do not know how to integrate them into a lesson.  I feel that if I was educated more about the various pieces of technology, I would be more willing to use them on a regular basis. 
I definitely think "fear not" could apply to me.  "Fear not" is the approach that I need to take when it comes to using technology in my classroom.  We most often learn from our mistakes but you have to be willing to make the mistake if you want to take away any learning from it. 
My goal for this technology class is to learn how to use different pieces of technology and how to use other items in a different or better way.  I am sure that are many other things that I could be doing with the things that I do use, I just do not know how.  My other goal is to become less fearful and to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to new pieces of technology.