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.