Class as of 12/5/09

What?

In class we are continuing to work on our digital stories. John, Kelly, and I have been working on our project and are mostly done. We have got all of our pictures and information on our project done, but we have little kinks and finalizations to work out.



So What?

This will be a great help to a faculty's overall lesson plan and teaching production. By having new ways to introduce elements to a class, teachers will be able to help students learn more and get them more excited about learning new elements. This will also keep students' attention longer and give more ideas about what is ahead for them. This will also give me more tools in which I can teach my peers more tools.



Now What?

This will help me to have another tool under my belt that will help me to feel more confident with using technology in my classroom. This will also give me more of a reason to use technology. I can teach students how to do digital stories or something similar with the technology found in today's schools. In the school I did my field work in, the students had a program called iMovie which woulod be perfect for students to create their own digital stories. This would also help with other projects such as programs the faculty was embarking on.



Video
"Mellenial Generation"
This video was really interesting to me. I echoed a lot of things that the students said, and could see where they were coming from. Part of me began wondering if I was going to be a parent like theirs someday-one who needed help with technology. I hope this isn't the case, but at the same time, technology has changed so dramatically in just the last 10 years that I wonder if I will easily fall behind. I think the teaching profession will help me a lot in being up-to-date with the latest and greatest. On the other hand, I'm excited for what is to come. If technology is what it is now, I'm excited for what the future holds!

Class as of 11/28/09

I can't believe it's already over!!!!

It's definitely going to be weird going to school on Monday. I'm having a hard time being away from my students and becoming a student again myself.
Our lessons this week went really well. I taught a lesson about the different styles of music and how the elements of music have an effect on our emotional states. We talked about why that is, and the students took notes and were assigned to complete a homework assignment that was similar to what we did in class.
On the last day, all of the students made each of us cards to let us know how appreciative they were for our efforts. The cards were very cute and some of them talked about their life in general after saying "Thanks." It was very cute. The teacher was kind enough to give us cards and gift bags. In the bags were cute notepads and $10 gift cards to Barnes and Noble. We couldn't believe it! She also brought donuts for us and the class to munch on. We were able to give the students a card we wrote for each of them and a bag of cookies and candy. We gave Mrs. Lindsey a card and plate of cookies as well.
Overall, it was a great learning experience for me because I was able to do a full-on lesson plan and experienced a lot of last minute adjustments, trial-and-error situations, and I learned a lot about myself and my expectations for students. This has definitely been a valuable experience for me and has helped me to improve my teaching greatly.

11/21/09

Field!

Field is going great! I'm not looking forward to returning to school in a couple of weeks. I love our fifth graders and they are wonderful students who are really behaved.

So far, I have headed up a newspaper lesson. For it, I created a GooglePresentation that talked about Newspapers and showed an example of what we expected from our students. We broke the students up into groups and each group was assigned an inventor/invention. They wrote a main article about the invention, one about the inventor's life, and two about cultural events happening. We then had the students use the classroom set of laptops and classroom set of books to do research for their paper. They created the papers and then presented them to the class.

Adriana did a lesson about Civil Rights and the accomplishments of those in history. The students worked in groups and read a section of the textbook. Then, those group members went to different groups and shared their information. Students then created a fold-able for their information.

Monday I have a music lesson that I'm very excited for and on Tuesday we will be doing a PE lesson as well! I'm definately going to miss the students when we leave!

Class as of 11/7/09

What?
Adriana and I have been student teaching at Herriman Elementary with Michelle Lindsay as our cooperating teacher. So far, we have just been observing and helping to grade homework as well as taking students aside one by one when they need extra help.

So What?
We are student teaching now in order to give us a head-start on our teaching careers and learn more about how the classroom works, what to expect, and the work we have to put into it. This also helps me to keep the classroom in mind a lot more while I plan lessons for classroom use while attending UVU.

Now What?
We have learned a lot about what to expect from students when they turn in their papers! This will help us both a lot to understand the different levels our students may be on, and what to expect from students in that age category. This experience has also taught me a lot about working with a partner. I have so many ideas and things I want to incorporate, but I have to work with Adriana in order to complete a small task or even an overall large one. This will be very helpful as a teacher one day because I will know what things I need to do to "back off" and let someone else help out and give ideas.

Class as of 11/1

I'm really confused as to whether or not we are supposed to do a normal blog post on top of the other 3 so I'm doing this just in case. In class I thought we were told to just do the 3, but then the website still has the questions so...?

WHAT

We are learning about digital stories and the best way to present them to the class, as well as the most useful tactics and elements to include in them to make them effective.

SO WHAT

This helps me to have more capabilities and skills as a teacher. It will prepare me for the future to give more variety to my lessons in class and in every-day presentations. It also will help me to have more skills to teach my students.

NOW WHAT

Learning how to use new technology and software helps me to be more valuable to the staff. It also will help the students to learn how to use different software and programs as I teach the different concepts to them and they complete different tasks using all of them. This kind of project has to be worked on in class, but if they ever wanted to use the information for out-of-class projects, they can easily download the free software to do so.

VIDEO

The video "Did You Know" about technology and corresponding numbers was very interesting. However, the most interesting was "A Vision of Students Today." It was COMPLETELY true and I could relate to it 100%. It's true that technology may help us, but it sure distracts us as well! I know plenty of people (including myself) that are on Facebook instead of in class. I know texting is probably even more prevalent. It's more important to socialize than listen to the 2nd hour of a boring lecture, especially when it seems like the class does not pertain to you or your future at all. I think some of this occurs just out of habit of checking email and Facebook all the time, and then the urge of needing to continue to check it even during class. It can be very helpful, but very distracting at the same time.

My Beliefs

Technology in the classroom is very important, especially in our day and age. I believe that it can really improve learning, especially for those who are impaired or who have difficulty learning things by staying in their chair and listening to a lecture.
While technology can be an incredible help, it should not be used too much, and create an even bigger dependance on something besides a human brain. It's sad when people can't add simple problems without a calculator. Technology can be useful, but too much of it is a bad thing.

Lessons Learned

There was a lot of information in these sites and videos that opened my eyes, or held concepts that I agreed with. I thought a lot of the data was interesting, especially the numbers, especially the idea that if MySpace was a country it'd be the 8th largest. It makes me wonder what Facebook would be like! I also once again felt like technology was flying in progress! Even thinking about my life 2 years ago with technology has changed pretty dramatically! The future will be amazing!
Although there are a lot of good things about advancing in technology, I'm a little concerned because it will increase the "right here right now" attitude that we have. However, increased technology will help us do more, help more people, and reach others. It can also help to improve the health and living conditions of others as well. It's very important to keep up to date with these concepts and use/teach them in the classroom.

Strengths and Weaknesses

I feel as if I complete all ISE Technology Standards except for the last one because I haven't ever worked on diverse learning with technology. The only "if's" or concerns I have about them are that I haven't implemented them in the classroom (only because I'm not a full time teacher yet), but I plan to or have completed activities that show that I know how to.
My UNI wasn't surprising. Especially the spreadsheets question! But mostly overall, I was right about my abilities. Overall, I know how to do a lot of things and how to incorporate them into the classroom. The UNI survey showed me that working with Spreadsheets are actually pretty important. So far I've gotten by without them pretty well. However, I wouldn't have realized this unless I had completed the UNI.
As a beginning teacher I will have to implement goals on how to use a spreadsheet. Although this is higher technology than elementary school, I could probably show concepts such as creating simple formulas in cells.
I would have them listen to podcasts that told them about the usefulness of spreadsheets, then view an online tutorial about how to create formulas in cells. We would then work as a class to create assignments and data for a project.

STRESSED

Honestly, this class is stressing me out. This is a 2 credit hour class and I'm spending hours upon hours on it-much more than other classes-only to receive harsh grades. I know that I'm not the only one that feels this way because I've talked to other classmates and they also feel overwhelmed. Not only that, but during field we have huge assignments to do. One is finishing our digital story-which will take forever and you can't collaborate it like a google doc. Not only will I be teaching at a school and doing lesson plans, I also have to find a way to travel from Salt Lake to Orem to work on our project when I wasn't planning on having to do this. Plus my team members are teaching at their own schools and our schedules are different. To me, this class is getting ridiculous. I feel like there are SO many assignments, and as much as I appreciate the technology, the class isn't fun anymore and I feel like I'm drowning. Instead I dread it and dread learning. I feel like there is SO MUCH being packed into this one course that I can't have a chance to breathe or really soak stuff in. It's frustrating because I don't have a printer right now that will print off the stuff for the PDP (my laptop is still in the shop and I have to borrow my grandparents' computer with a printer that doesn't work), so doing that part of the assignment is difficult and I can only print at school. But since I won't be at school for a while...
I'm just stressed and frustrated. Any suggestions or help? I'm sorry for being a little bit harsh, but I'm so overwhelmed now! I'm not trying to hurt feelings or anything, I'm just frustrated! Is there any way to take on this course and become less stressed?

Class as of 10/24/09

What?
We are learning about Digital Stories and how to use them in the classroom. Digital stories are a collaboration of photos or videos and music and/or audio that introduces a school topic or teaches a lesson to students. Often it is used as a "hook" to get students interested in the lesson.

So What?
This is a wonderful way to bring education into the classroom! So often lessons go on in a normal, boring fashion, and often students aren't interested in learning what the teacher has prepared-not even giving the information a chance. We are learning about this so that we can use it in our classrooms to help our students learn information in a new way. This is also a great skill to have in order to be able to prepare stories about our personal lives, our families, presentations, school events such as graduation, and so many other areas.

Now What?
This technology will help improve my schema greatly! This will be a fun skill to master. I've done a similar assignment on Windows Movie Maker, but had several complications with the sound, so I'm excited to be able to use higher technology to complete this assignment. This will help me to incorporate more technology in the classroom than I could before, and will give me sklls to make me more valuable for the school and staff. I can also teach other colleagues how to create digital stories as well, and perhaps even teach my students how to do one for an assignment themselves!

Video reflection?
The video was very interesting. I was suprised at all of the lives that have been lost. I knew of the shuttle Columbia and Challenger-but not the others. The music and tone appropriately paid tribute to those people. The video was very impactful but I felt like there were a few glitches and it didn't flow very well. Over all though, it was a very good video. It's a great example as to how to involve peoples' emotions and give them information at the same time.

Class as of 10/18

What?
Our group is still working on putting the finishing touches on our WebQuest Assignments. We didn't have class this week, so we didn't really work on it yet, but we will have it completed by Thursday.

So What?
It will be interesting having to work on it when we aren't together. It will give us some practice so that if we are ever in a situation were we are on vacation or something we can be able to talk to each other and learn how to get things done!

Now What?
The WebQuest is a super cool assignment that will be very useful for my future class. I think it's a really cool and creative new way to have students learn. I like how the assignment has us incorporate different elements-not all just online stuff. This will be useful as technology advances, and if there are any state requirements to use different media to learn, this will help!

Video
NONE

Class as of 10/10/09

What?
In class we were given more time to work on and finalize our WebQuests with our group.

So What?
It is helping me to collaborate with others to work on an assignment for students. Using the technology to create an assignment for students while working with others is tricky, but it's helpful because it gets us trained to work on collaborative assignments that we will most likely have to do when we are teachers.

Now What?
This is great to be able to work on a big assignment with group members because it will give us practice for later in the work place. We will all know what to expect more from others, and how to work with people no matter what their work type is-whether they like to be in control of everything or if they don't like doing much, etc.

Video reflection
I clicked on the link and was not able to pull up the video. I also did a search for it on Teacher Tube and it would not come up. I searched it and found a link for the School House Rock video, and when I clicked on the link, it would not pull up. Instead it brought up other videos that had nothing to do with School House Rock.

Class of 10/3

What?
In class we learned more about our Web Quests and were able to work more on them. We began our PowerPoint and typed up part of our layout for our project. We also learned how to link all of our slides, and Jonathan worked on that while Kelly and I did our layout.

So What?
We are learning this in class because it is a further extension of our education in ways that technology can help us in the classroom, and help our students to learn. This is also a great ability to have because it will help when I do presentations. I also learned how to link on our slides, something that I did not know before. This will help my presentations to become more proficient and useful.

Now What?
This is a great way for students to use technology to learn. Not only does it incorporate the internet and different education web sites, but it helps students to learn by using PowerPoint to link them to the internet.

Video
THAT IS SO COOL!!!! I can't believe that kind of technology is available! Just in my lifetime, it's amazing to look back and see the progress we have made! I can't believe it! I'm only 20, and yet when I was born, computers were just transitioning from being the size of an entire room, to being able to own one in your own home! Let alone being on a table! It amazes me! I was really floored when I watched how they downloaded a picture to a phone in 2 seconds and without any downloading to computers or emailing! I couldn't believe it! This will definately change the way a classroom works, probably in the next 20 years. I may have students' desks which are no longer desks! They'll probably be giant computer screens! This could really help children to get a hands on concept of things that they otherwise would not be able to.

Class As Of 9/27

What?
This week in class, we learned about WebQuests and how to use and create one for your classroom. Our 4th Grade Group is doing our lesson based on fossils to fulfil a Standard requirement.

So What?
This will help me in my teaching career greatly because it not only gives a fun, new, and innovative way for students to learn something, but they are using technology to learn, which helps them to keep familiar with new technology and the current times. We are learning these tools in class to bettter help us to be prepared for the future and learn more about how we can keep out students' knowledge growing in more ways than a simple lecture.

Now What?
This is an excellent tool to use for the future because it brings a variety into the classroom. Plus, although the method of learning changes, the learning is still streamlined and controlled. Students will look at specific web sites, do specific activities, and yet be able to learn. This is also great because it gives students a chance to work hands-on, and can be used in a group setting or in a singular setting.

Video
Unfortunately, the video would not open on my computer. I downloaded it, but it would not open so I could not watch it.

Class as of 9/19

What?
In class we learned about creating Podcasts and videos for classroom use. We uploaded our video of showing students how to make bubble makers onto YouTube and then downloaded a link to our web page. We also figured out our basic idea for a script and have recorded it.

So What?
We collaborated together to find out what kind of information we could give to our "Fourth Graders" and had to come up with uniform ideas.

Now What?
We learned and used great new tecvhnological advances that will be very helpful to our students. Not only will these be accessable to all students, but it is also a new, fun way to integrate knowledge.

Class as of 9/12

What?
In class, we worked on our "Rules" of the class with our groups. We made a Google Doc equivalent to a PowerPoint that displayed each of our rules with a title page and six graphics. We then were given extra time to work on our Google Sites, or just jump on Facebook or whatever.

So What?
We learned how to work as a team and talk to each other about formatting ideas, uniformity, etc. so we could publish a document for parents/guardians, students, and even administrative staff to see.

Now What?
Knowing how to do this type of slide show is very valuable because not every computer has access to Microsoft Power Point. Plus, by using this slide show there can be more than one creator/editor on at once, and it helps with time as well as being able to see everything right then and there as it is being created.

Class as of 9/5/09

I cannot get up the class website in order to fill this out correctly, but I did take some notes the first day of class, so I hope this is right!...

What?
In class, we worked on our group assignments and discussed the criteria for the newsletter. We dubbed John our "Principal" since he's been in the class before, and Kelly and I are teachers. We began a discussion page, but did not finish since we went on in our class discussion and talked about the classroom site and its criteria.

So What?
We'll learn how to work as a team over long distances and without even seeing each other by using Google Docs. We also will be able to communicate with parents and administrators through a classroom website that will have all of the information (current and past) in one location.

Now What?
These tools and ideas are fabulous tools and resources for teaching. It is an easy way for parents to constantly be "In-the know" about what is happening in their child's classroom. Often kids lose their papers or parents don't understand things completely. This is a great way for parents and students to learn a little more about myself, my background, and also to have access to classroom announcements and homework.