And so it goes...

Well, it has been quite an informative semester. I didn't break any computers, which makes me very excited...and I'm a little shocked. This semester has really been an eye opener on ways in which I can incorporate technology into the classroom, besides with calculator, of course. There have been so many examples of ways to get the students involved, such as creating movies, or having them create their own collections or scavenger hunts. This could really help getting the students more excited about learning. They are also ways to make school more accessible to parents and students who may have been absent with websites and blogs.

To be honest at the beginning of the semester I was skeptical about how useful the class would be, or even how much I would want to use any of it in my classroom. But this is a class I feel everyone should take, just so they can be exposed to all the resources and tools that can be used with computers and the internet. Overall, great semester!

For the Parts: Digital Story

Digital stories...love it! I have always loved putting together slideshows and movies, so this was no hardship at all for me. When I was at BYU I had a friend who put together wedding videos and commercials and I was able to help him out some. So I have a little experience with it, but am no expert by any means. I also like these movies because they can really liven up the classroom. I don't know how they would be especially educational, but they would definitely add a little fun to the day.

Spreasheet interactions

I was a little skeptical about the spreadsheet when I started following the directions and noticed what looked suspiciously like programming code. But, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not bad at all. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of applications I would use this for as a math teacher as I will want to see my students work so if they miss something I can see where they went wrong. However, I do think it was useful to know HOW to do this type of thing for future reference.

Prezi

I like how Prezi creates a new way of presenting information. It gives a teacher more options to create and make a presentation more interesting than just talking, or even through a powerpoint. My only problem with it is that it is much more time consuming as well. For someone like me who is slightly technology challenged, it was almost a little overwhelming. I would have to go through all the helps and tutorials in order to create something very basic. On the other hand, once you had a prezi completed, you could keep it for future use as well. So I haven't really decided if I really like it or not, but I am willing to experiment and see what I can do with it.

Animoto

I like Animoto, of course, that could be because I really like pictures and slide shows. I also think this tool is very useful for the classroom, though. It's something fun that you can use to showcase what your class has done throughout the year, or for a specific project. I don't necessarily think it would be especially useful for educational purposes, but it does create motivation to do the work and participate to be a part of it. It also could be used to break up the monotony of everyday learning and work. So, all in all I do believe I would use this tool.

Concept Map

Oh, the concept map. I find I actually enjoyed creating this map, and I imagine it would be a very helpful tool for use in the classroom. It is a visual way to group and show relationships between concepts. In this way, for those students who may be struggling, they are provided a different and creative way to "see" how concepts are linked. Especially in math where most of the curriculum builds on other parts of the curriculum.

Scavengar Hunt

And just for fun!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Website

So I started my website, but I haven't done a whole lot on it. I feel a little overwhelmed when I think about it so I have procrastinated to this date. I used a teacher template, which I think might have been a bad idea because there were so many links and so much on the home page that it kind of scared me. I think I might go back and start over creating my own links instead. All I know is that when I go work on the website I cringe with fear. I know it really won't be that bad, I think I am just psyching myself out, but I sometimes I feel that every time I try and do something on it, I just make it worse. Then, I delete what I have done and I have nothing accomplished. So, I have a new plan. I am going to start over from scatch and take it a step at a time. That way it won't be so overwhelming and I can slowly piece together what I want. I am already feeling better about this.

Digital Image Collection

Lesson Planning

I am not going to lie, I was not excited about writing a lesson plan. They are very tedious to do, and I had a ton of things do last week, but it ended up being an interesting experience, and not a bad one.

Colleen and I had decided to do a variation of a webquest we had found online. We ended up getting a little done in class, but not much. The hard part was that we really didn't have a time when both of us were able to meet up, so we decided I would work on some of it, then when she got off work she would continue. What ended up happening was we finished it together.

We had used a google doc to write our lesson plan so we could each work on it when we had time. I was actually at work when I decided to see if Colleen had had a chance to get anything else done on the plan yet. I was surprised to see she was on at the same time! We got to use the google doc chat, and notes to finish the plan fairly quickly after that. It was actually neat to be able to work on the same document at the same time from different places. We could adjust the rubric or the worksheets and comment on how we thought something might be better.

Anyway, the whole point of this long rambling is we were able to use google docs and it helped tremendously. I will definitely be using this feature in the future.

Twitter

So I am going to be honest here, I don't really like Twitter. I think it is redundant. There are already so many applications, or networks that essentially do the same thing. For example, there are status posts on Facebook, blogs are essentially really long status updates. So really, you could also us a blog as a twitter, and end up getting more information. I can see how you might want to use it in the classroom, but in my opinion, it would be more efficient to just have a blog.

Not that I don't like, technology, because I do! I think email and the internet has changed the way people are able to communicate and made it much easier and quicker to get in touch. However, sometimes I wonder if there will ever come a time when we never meet face to face anymore. There is so much to do on the internet, and a lot of it is redundant...but we do it because all our friends are doing it, or because it is new. I think Twitter is one of those things. I think it would be more time efficient to just embed the twitter mechanisms in other applications, for example like they have on Facebook. That way we can do all our networking in one place without having to find yet another network to put it all together, like iGoogle.

Rock Star Activity

So I actually really liked the Rock-Star Activity. I don't necessarily think that it a lot different from the Webquest activities, however. In fact, I feel as if it was more of a less structured webquest. I guess when I think of what a webquest is, it is using the web to find information and colate that data in some way to hand in for a grade. Now the webgarden quests where very structured, with given websites, helpful because the teacher knows from where the the information is coming. It has set guidelines, a rubric, and detailed instructions on how to go about the activity. The rock star activity was similar, but less structured. There was an assignment that needed to be carried out using the web. The differences arise when the student has free reign to find whatever they want wherever they want to find it. I think this is good because it allows the students more room for creativity and individuality. It also, however, might cause difficulties in keeping track of what the students are doing, or where they are getting their materials. Are the websites reliable. So I feel as if there are strengths and weaknesses to both forms of internet activity, and I do feel as if they are similar in form.

Webquests

So we have been working with Webquests and I find them very interesting. I like that thy are something different to use in the classroom. It is an option that is both creative and productive that students can do. We often want to engage our students and these not only help do that, but they also help apply the principles being learned to real life. I have never really done a webquest myself, except for the one we did in class, but I still think students will enjoy them. I definitely think this is something I can integrate into my own teaching. I also really liked the webquest I found today because it applied more than one mathematical concept. It used both geometry and algebra, and it also had different parts for students, so they could work with their strengths to help the group. Another reason why I think webquests are good is because they allow students to work on their own to get their answers and work at their own pace. That is something we strive for as teachers.

Webquest: Magical Popsicle House

Smartboards

So this weekend I was at my boyfriend's house and I was going to help his sister with some of her algebra homework. She had notes she had taken in class...but the coolest part was that her teacher has a smartboard. Therefore, all the notes from class were available online. It was really neat that she, or her parents, could get on the internet and remember what was said, or if she missed class, what was covered that day. It is neat to see the technology in an actual classroom, not just theoretical.

Reflections

Ever since I started this class I have been thinking a lot about using technology in the classroom, a no brainer, I know, since that is what this class is all about. Anyway, my mother use to teach fourth grade, although she is now working as an Assistant Principle, and won a grant at the time to have her classroom be a 21st Century classroom. It must have been around 1994 or thereabouts, and then it was a big deal. Having 21 computers in a classroom was very different from the norm.

However, I remember really loving it, and the other kids loving it (yes, I was actually in my mother's 4th grade class). It brought a completely different way of thinking to us, and it provided a plethora of new and exciting ways to learn. I imagine it might be a little different today since most kids use computers at home, as well as ipods, phones and whatever else that has games and entertainment. But I think using technology in the classroom helps the students now relate better because they understand computers. It is something familiar that might even help give them more confidence in what they are doing.

Anyway, the point I am actually trying to get across with this little bit of rambling is that I hadn't necessarily thought of using a lot of technology in the classroom, besides a calculator, but I do think it could be a great resource. I do believe I might be coming out of my apathetic attitude a bit about it.

Website Evaluations...what to use and why

While I was doing an evaluation of the web site, I realized that I don't really know where to find a lot of things that I should look for in a website to even know if it is legitimate or not. For example, updates and site refitting. However, i do think this exercise was very helpful, and would actually benefit everyone to do. I think students also need to know where this information is. Another point that i think is interesting, though, is that even though a site might not legitimate to use in a paper, you can often find good links and information that could get you started in the right direction. Maybe the first site you look at won't be credible, but it may link to one that is, which is what I found on the website I was looking at.

In conclusion, I think everyone needs to be more aware of what makes a website credible, and that includes the students I teach. However, they should also realize that they can still "use" non credible websites whens stuck or as a starting point.

Help! Websites are invading! (How to find a safe site)

After exploring a variety of websites on how to evaluate what makes a good site. I think there are a couple that might be very helpful. First is Evaluating Web Pages . I really liked this site because it is simple and helps you think about why a website might be good or bad. It does not require to link to a lot of different places, you just go to this page and it presents what information you need to know about each webpage as well as what questions to ask yourself and you continue to browse the web.

Topics which are addressed are a) Is it a personal page? b) Who wrote it? These two things can vastly change how you view the page as well. Opinion is not the same as researched fact. It also suggest you c) look at the date, is the information current? and d) does the author have any credential. Again, when looking for the accuracy of information, we want to make sure that information you are looking for is reliable. That means the author needs to also be reliable.

However, I also really enjoyed another source called Internet Detective. I really liked this website because it presents evaluating web pages in a more enjoyable way, as if you are a detective ferreting out the truth. The problem with this website is it is a little more advanced, you are required to actually navigate the web page to find out what you need to know. Nevertheless, if you are trying to keep your students interested in learning about this topic. I think that the presentation of the information could help you do that.

To wiki or not to wiki...

This week we worked on wikis in class, and it was an interesting experience. Well, acutally it was fairly standard...but I learned a lot how we can use wikis within a classroom. I actually used a wiki in one of my classes last semester, so i was a little familiar with them...although how to wrap the words around the pictures really stumped me for awhile.

I think the thing I am most worried about on wikis, is the use of them within the classroom. I think they are a great tool, but my concern is that I don't know if I would want to use them during class a lot, but is it fair to have it as an outside resource if some students do not have access to it? I know not all students have computers, so it seems others would have an advantage if I used a wiki. Although, I guess it could be that I use a wiki and also give all the same information in class to make sure everyone gets the same material. It is something I anticipate pondering for awhile and may try out a couple times to see how it goes.

Expectations and Realizations

I really like technology, I do. The problem is technology doesn't like me. I am excited to see what can be done in the classroom using computers, internet, etc. My only fear comes because I have this weird aura surrounding me that causes projects/assignments that have to do with computers take three times as long as everyone else. I'm not sure if this is because I have no idea what I am doing (which I don't think because I'm pretty sure I'm not a complete novice when it comes to computers) or if I really am unlucky in tech stuff. My dad happens to be a computer science professor and he usually tells me to keep that on the down low since I'm so incompetent when it comes to that.

Anyway, I am hoping that this class might help alleviate some my stress/time consumption when it comes to using technology in the classroom. I think it is something that can be very beneficial as I begin teaching in schools.

Who am I?

C’kemi! I’m Jessica Nix, but I mostly go by Jesse, no “i”, I know, like a boy. I claim Knoxville as where I’m from, but I am actually an Army brat. I was born in Athens, Greece, and lived in a variety of places including Korea and Texas before finally settling here when I was around 8 or 9. I went to high school at South Doyle, in South Knoxville...I hear it is kind of ghetto now, though. I began my very long, drawn out college career at BYU in Provo, UT. However, after a couple years I took two years off to serve a mission for my church in Tirana, Albania, so I lived there for about a year and a half. I returned to transfer to UT setting me back, oh....to a freshman. Lame? Agreed.

I am now about to obtain my BS in Math this May (um, so please don’t fail me...). I will, hopefully, be teaching high school mathematics after I do my student teaching next year. I am not sure where that will be yet, I’ll find out at the end of this semester. I actually never really wanted to teach. Both my parents are teachers and I remember all the work they did for, it seemed, not much payoff. Alas, while I ran from my calling there was no hiding. I eventually succumbed to the inevitable and started my education courses.

In my spare time I mostly do two things. I read and take care of my dog. We go to the dog park, walk around the block, go running, whatever we decide sounds like fun. I do enjoy being outside and just about anything that lets me remain there, including, sports, hiking and eating chocolate...yes, eating chocolate is always better when doing it in the sun.

Anyway, that’s about all there is to know about me. I am excited about the new semester. Just a cautionary note, computers don’t particularly like me. If something can go wrong, or break, it will while I am around...not sure how that works. Nevertheless, I am excited to learn how to incorporate technology in the classroom. While I may not be able to always enjoy the comforts of a computer due to their lack of faith in me, I’m happy to allow students to increase their own knowledge with their use.