Reflection on what I have learned in Instructional Technology

Throughout this course, I have learned a great deal about using technology within my future classroom in ways I never thought possible.  I learned that many pieces of technology I use everyday can be useful in the classroom such as using Google Docs, wikis, and even using blogs to allow students to communicate with others in an educational way.  Also, through the use of podcasts and other recording devices, I can record my lessons, so students can go back and listen to them.  However, there are aspects of this course that were not new to me, such as using Movie Maker and PowerPoint for educational purposes.  Before this course, I honestly had little intention on using technology within my classroom.  I figured I would use a smart board from time to time and maybe show a few Youtube videos occasionally.  However, throughout the course of this class and even within my field experiences, I see how important technology is within the classroom and how I need to become savvy in multiple areas of technology. I feel more confident in furthering my pursuit in becoming an educator from my new knowledge of the technology around me.

Online Conference

In this online conference, I was able to hear from two middle school educators named Paula Naugle and Jan Wells, who worked together to establish the Four C’s in education: creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.  They worked together to use different forms of communication such as Skype, Blogster, Google Sites and Twitter to help broaden their students' education.  Both Paula and Jan brought their classes together via Skype and to do projects together and teach lessons.  They would also use Skype to listen to speakers and talk to other classes around the United States. Miss Naugle also explained the way in which she uses sites like Kidblog.org to allow her class to reflect on topics they learned in class and were able to read other people's comments from around the world in response to their post. 

            From listening to this online conference, I have become so much more educated on how to use all of the different forms of technology I have learned throughout my Instructional Technology course in my future classroom.  I did not realize the impact Skype could have within a school, and I will most certainly use this form of communication and collaboration within my classroom.  Students need to see that other students around the United States or even around the world are learning the same material they are and they can learn new things from each other.  Also, I did not know there was a blogging site for kids that is safe and does not require them to use email.  Through the use of Kidblog.org, I will ask my students to blog about what they learned in class and respond to other people’s posts, so they can broaden their learning as well.

            There are so many pros to using the various forms of technology listed in this online conference that are suggested by Paula and Jan.  They informed me about so many forms of communication and collaboration that I was not aware of, and there are so many benefits to having students collaborate with other children their age who are not in their school.  We live in a technology driven society, so it is important to allow students to use the technology around them to in an educational manner.  However, some negatives to using some of these forms of technology are students may become distracted by being on the computer so much, and it could be dangerous allowing people from around the world see students' blogs. Unfortunately, even though the class has good intentions while blogging, other people who are commenting on their blogs may not, so it is important to keep a close eye on all the comments made on students blogs.

Online Conference
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Pod Cast

A podcast is a series of digital media fields that are released episodically and often downloaded through syndication. Within my future classroom, pod cast will allow me to leave messages for my students such as class announcement or lessons for them to listen to if they were absent or just need a refresher on what I taught in class that week.  There are many benefits to pod cast because messages can be saved and re-heard for student. Also, student can create their own messages for me to listen to and help better my classroom. However, some cons that come with using pod cast is it loses face to face contact with students and some students could choose to listen pod cast instead of coming to class, which is not beneficial to the students learning.

How to Make Cake Cookies

Ethics

Ethics are the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc. As a future teacher, it will be greatly important for me to show good ethics when it comes to grading my students test and the way in which I treat them in and out of the classroom. Also, it is important to teach my students about ethics, so they learn to show honesty when doing their homework or how to act appropriately to their classmates. When it comes to working with colleagues of mine,  having good ethics will create a level of trust between me and my co-workers, and will help make our working environment more helpful to students.

I think there are many pros to instilling ethics within students because they can learn to be honest and hold themselves to a higher standard.  Unfortunately, some negatives that come with having to high of expectations, as a teacher, when it comes to ethics is students may not always show good ethics all the time, so teacher should not get mad rather, teach them how they should act next time and create a learning opportunity for the student.

Virtual tour

Virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of video images. They also may use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text.  In my future classroom, I intend to use virtual tours for upcoming field trips or events the class may be taking part in.  Being able to show a class exactly what they will be doing on a field trip is very beneficial to their learning because they will have more of an idea of what they will be learning on a particular field trip, and what to expect when they get there.   However, some cons to using virtual tours is they are time consuming to make and there may not already be a virtual tour for an event a I wants to do with my class.

Teacher Web Page

A teacher web page allows teachers to give information about their classroom, communicate with absent students, community, share links and communicate with parents and students. As a future teacher, I plan to create my own web page to inform both parents and students about homework for the week, upcoming events, class projects and evaluate me on my teaching, at the end of every quarter. Being able to have one form of communication where families can find information about my class is a huge benefit and helps connects parents to events going on within their child’s class. Students can also check that their homework is complete and find links to help them with their homework, which is equally beneficial. Unfortunately, teacher web pages do have some negative qualities. If teachers are not careful they can give too much information about their students, which could make parents uncomfortable. Also, communicating with parents only through a website can seem impersonal to parents.

Webquest

I have learned through my Instructional Technology class that a webquest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. Within my future classroom, I could use webquest as a project for any content area that I want my students to gain more knowledge on, weather that would be in a history, science or an english class. I feel that webquest can be useful in helping students gain more information on particular topics in a fun and interactive way. However, if students are not familiar with using the web or distinguishing what sites are reliable and which ones are not, they could have trouble using webquest.

Network Students

Ipod

My first ipod cast

The use of Technology in Education

I am here to write a blog about the use of technology in the classroom. From what I have seen in my own education and now taking part in field experience, I have had the opportunity to see how technology is used in the early childhood settings in a positive way. Students seem learn in a more fun, interactive and hands on way through using technology. I'm excited to learn new ways to bring technology in the classroom through this class.