That's a Wrap!!!!!

WOW I can not believe this class is already over! :( The amount of information and new knowledge I acquired in this class was absolutely amazing. I literally walking away knowing 100% more than I did in the first class.

I learned about how to set up a blog, wiki, personal website, how to evaluate websites, make podcast, use Inspiration, different search engines, slideshare, make videos, and that is just a pinch of what I've learned! I can now make my ppt visible to the world of I want to and reflect on daily things on my blog. I can also post links and use the ppt so much faster than I ever could before. Oh...I almost forgot. I can also take a snapshot a post it to my blog or website! I also can not wait to use ENgrade for when I have my own classroom one day. Just another thing I got excited about using from this course!

I am such a different learner now than I was when I started this course. I know an incredible amount of technological information that I will use in my future classroom. Just because this class is completed with, I will by no means stop broadening my horizons about what other great technology tools are out there. There is an unlimited amount of information relating to the WWW and I have just learned a little piece of it. I am excited to introduce Technological learning skills to my students and teach them all that I have learned and how much I have grown. I will be sure to incorporate technology in my classroom on a daily basis. Students are like sponges, if it has to do with something technology based, they absorb the information and learn from it. Why would I not want to have 20+ sponges in my classroom learning as much as they can and making the most out of school?

I want to take a brief moment and thank my professor and peers. If it was not for my professor pushing me to stay in this class, I would not have learned anything about technology. I want to thank her for believing me and convincing me to stay. Thanks to my peers as well. I learned much more from you all because we were constantly in contact with each other close to a daily basis. I learned how to collaborate on a professional level to achieve class goals and outcomes! Once again-Thank You:)

Reading Reflectively & Final Projects Culminating Consensus

The first video was a very important one because it deals with understanding how students learn. That is the most important component for teachers to address. When teachers understand different ways students absorb and comprehend information, lessons will be delivered and acknowledged more effectively. Are my students interpersonal learners, kinesthetic, tactile, visual, etc...These are all important questions teachers should ask themselves before planning any kind of lesson. However, one commonality among all learners, which was talked about in the video, is that they all learn digitally. I was not at all shocked at the statistics from the video-most college graduates spent more than 10,000 hours on the cell phone and computer and double that watching T.V. I can relate to these kinds of students because I am one; I am a digital learner. Teachers have to relate material and lessons to what the students are exposed to and relate it to what they know and understand. So what do these students know and understand...TECHNOLOGY!

Weather it be the newer Web 2.0 version, or still underdeveloped remains of Web 1.0, students understand technology. In order to properly implement technology into a classroom, teachers have to learn about technology as well. In the long run, students and teachers will be learning simultaneously about technology,which may be a shift on paradigm in the normal every day classroom.

After many tries at yuuguu, I finally got it to work! I thought this is another great tool for communicating purposes. Again, teachers can access this site and have conferences with colleagues near and far, and still learn a tremendous amount of information. There are so many different social networks out there, yuuguu is just another form of communicating via the Internet. I will most definitely consider using this one day to chat with fellow teachers and colleagues.

My link to my Final Project slideshare PPT

http://www.slideshare.net/secret/qpdUsIZDYkHiGp

I thoroughly enjoyed working on my final project. Cognitively, I worked at higher levels because the majority of the information I learned was all new to me. One of my neighbors is a speech pathologist and is a pro at using and understanding different assistive technologies that are out there to aid in students communication and literacy skills. I learned a lot not only from her, but from my research as well. The powerpoint presention I put together was another enjoyable experience. I worked on it for about 5 hours and learned how to set each slide differently and how to add new color and boarders around the frame. I had a lot of extra time, so I played around with the ppt software and learned many useful strategies that I had now idea even existed. Slideshare is so so great! Not only is is extremely easy to use, all you have to do is upload a file and there it is, but every person on the Internet, depending on if you set it publicly, can view your work. It is a great way to get feedback on assignments as well as give reinforcement to others.

After completing this final project, I would love to learn more about assistive technology. There are so many different kinds out there that aid in all different types of cognitive learners, I would like to educate myself on more of them. My future goal as a teacher is to eventually work as a special educator, and what better way to incorporate technology into a special education classroom, than by using different types of assistive tech? I learned a lot from this experience, and enjoyed creating my ppt, and writing my lesson plan. I can not wait for my peers and professor to see the hard work I put into my project!

This is a wonderful YouTube site where a teacher explains how she uses assistive technology in her classroom. Take a look!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT2pJrArbWs

Evaluating Engrade Software...Making Teacher's Live's Easier...One Step At A Time

http://www.engrade.com/teacher-gradebook.php?c=1 (my online grade book, as well as the snapshot above)

I have to be honest and admit how excited I was to be evaluating a grade book website. I know of many teachers out there that still manually input grades into their green covered grade book and only use pencil because they always go back and fix mistakes. However, now teachers have the option to use online grading software, where all they have to do to record grades is click a few simple buttons.

* Tell what features you liked, disliked, and why.
I loved every feature that Engrade had to offer. I liked how there was a male teacher who gave a tutorial for others to follow on the how to's of this software program. I watch his 12 minute video and knew that this process was going to be easy and enjoyable. I liked how teachers have the option of converting numbers to percentages after they manually click on options such as custom, manual, etc...This gives teachers more freedom with how they want their grading criteria to look like. Engrade also offers teachers to separate assignments, depending on subject, and if an assignment is worth more, less, or even extra credit. When teachers put grades into their Engrade grade book, and have a student that was absent or one that missed an assignment, a simple "m" for missing, or "e" for excused is placed. However, those letters can be made up and put into number form if the assignment is submitted. It does it all for the teacher, no calculators or anything. I also really admired how to involve students and parents by giving each individual student a secret access code. This is for the student to access their grades, as well as their parents, and to keep the parents in the loop. This keeps both parents and students engaged and involved. By viewing grades online, may be an added incentive for students to do well or to work harder, especially when they know parents can view them as well!

The option of rounding is also given to teachers. I love teachers who round up to the next whole number and believe it is a fair way to grade. Dropping the lowest grade was another thing teachers can do on Engrade. I like this because some teachers give a lot of tests and quizzes, and by dropping the lowest grade can take some strain off of students.

I also loved the comment part of Engrade. Parents want to see how their child is doing by teacher-made comments. Seeing this can ease doubts and/or possibly schedule a conference to talk about why a student is struggling with school and what can be done to help.

After reviewing and looking at different links in Engrade and other grading sites, I realized that Engrade lacks some features. For instance, two other websites I explored were called Chancery and Powerschool. Both were more visually appealing and had more options to make a grade sheet appear better. The process was a bit more comprehensive and detailed. However, Engrade is still a wonderful user friendly grading site, and I will most definitely consider using it in my future as an educator.

I also believe that students may not be too keen with Engrade because parents can access grades and see what his/her child has been doing and not doing. Students may want the old paper, pencil, calculator way of grading used again by his/her classroom teacher.

* Provide some ideas or features that you think would improve Engrade.com

I tried the printing section of Engrade and found that even though I only wanted ONE assignment printed, every assignment was printed. I found this to be a waste of paper and ink. Maybe if there was a section at the top of the tool bar, like in a Microsoft Word document, where I can select a section that I want to be printed, would be more appealing. Changing grades also seemed time consuming. I only saw one student at a time, not the whole class. Maybe if there was a "Select All" button where every student was selected, I can then change grades there and then instead of closing and opening each student.

* Tell why you think this software would or would not be useful for classroom teachers.

I believe that by taking advantage of any technological advance is a wonderful opportunity. Engrade offers teachers just that. I think that by using Engrade can take a load off of teachers busy schedules and have more student involvement. However, one has to know how to use a computer. If a teacher does not have this prior knowledge, it may take a while for mastery to develop. I also think that the attendance section of Engrade is more time consuming than taking it manually and sending it to the office. A computer has to be turned on, then the teacher has to wait for the Engrade site to come on the screen. This can take several minutes. If a teacher is in a push for time one day, taking roll manually is faster. I will, however, take advantage of online grading. I like how it is fast, simple to use and user friendly. Engrade has the capability of engaging students and keeping them involved inside the classroom and at home.

* Tell why students and/or parents would like this online grade book software, or why not.

I am kind of on the fence with this one. I think online grade book software can be beneficial for any student, however, there are always going to be students who do not want his/her parents seeing their grade. Students may like this online grade book because it allows them to access their grades without asking the teacher. It allows the student to see their progress, or decline in grades. By assigning a special code to each student, gives ownership to that student. They may feel special and feel more inclined to do better and push themselves harder in school. Parents stay involved when they can view their child's grades online. Instead of waiting to the end of a marking period, they can see if their child needs help or not. However, not all students want their parents to see his/her grades. This can cause problems at home, which can result in bad behavior and/or bad grades in a school setting. However one looks at it, I do not believe online grading will ever be favorable by every student, but I do believe every teacher should take advantage of it and learn to use technology to his/her benefit.

Overall, I learned a lot by researching this online grade book site. I learned that doing grades online can be easy and fun. Involving students in the process of learning about technology by viewing their grades is a great way for them to stay engaged and enjoy school. I am looking forward to the day when I have my own classroom and can not wait to see if my school offers online grading.

Wednesday's Weekly Windup

We started out discussing the TED video. It was one of the most innovative and amazing thing I have ever seen with technology. How did this guy figure out how to use a WII controller and use it effectively with a smartboard? I love that this gives opportunities to low income schools to incorporate this effective form of technology. I just have to wonder that the WII people can not be too pleased with TED. Who knows, maybe the prices of smartboards will decrease and more schools will start incorporating them into their classrooms.

Groups presented their chapters last night as well. My group presented our chapter 5 topic on digital and multimedia. Chapter 4 was next. I liked how some areas addressed was the fact that students use texting and more faster forms of communicating now rather than e-mail, because e-mail can be a bit slow. The WWW, search engines were talked about and how to do a successful search on a computer. For instance, the different kinds of searches like basic and advanced, depending on how narrow you want your search to be were addressed. I also enjoyed when the group talked about how teachers need to figure out who the learners are and how they learn. It all starts with understanding the students, which ultimately starts the learning process. What is the best learning environment? The group discussed that it needs to be learning centered where students are actively involved and engaged in the learning process where they learn with different sources of technology. An inquiry-based learning environment is a wonderful place to learn and educate!

The chapter 6 group presentations were also excellent. It started off with talking about all of the advancements in technology and later moved into the discussion about all different standards being addressed by using technology. Technology needs to be addressed in classrooms, not ignored. Many different types of technology that aid in the learning process of students with special needs were also discussed. I really liked the enthusiasm one of the presenters had about assistive technology devices that are out there. One source was called uptoten.com where there are games geared to students with disabilities with different learning levels. The plethora of technology geared tools that are out there today is amazing and exciting. I really can not wait to start my teaching career and start using all of these devices to help my students learning abilities flourish!

I learn a tremendous amount of information from our whole class meetings. Bouncing ideas off each other and listening to group presentations, is a wonderful way to learn material. Next Wednesday is our last whole class meeting, and I am quite sad about that. However, even though class is ending soon, I will not stop educating myself about technology because I know that the more know, the more my students will as well!

Video Project--I finally got a microphone to work!

I was nervous seeing this assignment earlier this week. I knew I had some problems with microphones and was hoping I did not need one. But I did. I went right to the curriculum library in hopes that Brett and Mark could help me. Mark was on my computer for over an hour trying to figure out where my microphone was or if I had one at all. After much investigating, Mark realized I did not have one. However, Brett looked and played around with my computer and finally got a desktop one to work! Yayy!
So I went into the back room and began to record my voice in PhotoStory 3. It was a lot of fun. I edited my voice, music, and altered the frames and entrances of each picture. I learned a lot as well. For the HA assignment, I used the voicethread website. I had completed this the day before thinking I was only going to submit this one being that I had no microphone, but was able to complete both. I liked the voicethread website, however it was a bit confusing to edit. I kept editing, but it wouldn't save. I finally realized I was doing it wrong, and after watching a video tutorial, it was a breeze to complete. I took many pictures I had from my vacation in Cancun, Mexico last year of underwater sea life, and put them in many photos. Each photo had a caption which I thought was cool.
Overall I learned a lot by doing both of these related assignments. I pushed myself to get the regular assignment completed by asking for help from the Mount computer geniuses! Thanks to them, I now know how to use photostory and record my own voice on the computer!

Week 4 group get together

My group met on Tuesday this week instead of Monday. I went away for a few days and asked if we could meet on Tuesday and we all agreed on a time and met! It went very smooth with no problems at all.

We began the session discussing the WebQuest assignment. My group gave our PowerPoint slides to Jen and she submitted them to the class wiki website. Jen graciously did this and did a wonderful job! After WebQuest questions were cleared up, we discussed some of the class videos and readings we had to do for class. We briefly talked about the video where a smartboard was created by a WII controller. I thought that was amazing. I can see something like the WII becoming means of educational use in the future. The topic of how tests will be given 10 years down the road was also discussed. Some thought that a classroom may be a thing of the past or that coming to a class may be limited to only a few days a week. Lessons and discussions would be given via the Internet. How realistic is this? I do not know, but many things out there about technology seem to boggle my mind everyday so I believe anything is possible.

Standardized tests and authentic/performance based assessment was also talked about. We all agreed that authentic/performance based tests are better for students because the tests allow to measure student ability rather than measuring how well one takes tests. We all believe too many standardized tests are given, rather too many overall tests are given. An article talked about how many tests a students takes in a given school year and the number was a couple hundred! I mean is that fair? Are we putting too much stress on these students? I believe we are, and we all came to the consensus that performance based tests are more student friendly and a bit fun.

We also talked about the opportunities for professional development for teachers. The 21st century is a computer savvy one, and teachers need to know the proper usage of computers and how to successfully incorporate it into a daily classroom. There are tons of teachers, many of them in my district, that do not utilize computers or any kind of technology for that matter in the classroom at all. There are 8 veteran teachers in my middle school district, who do not use computers, smartboards, or anything educational for student use. It is sad because I know if these teachers went to mandatory professional development seminars on technology use in a classroom, that would chance in a heartbeat.

The last thing we discussed was the final project. We all seemed a bit confused and nervous about this assignment. Some people, one being myself, did not know the criteria of what needs to be included and discussed in it. However, another group member did. She told us where to go to find the information, and with that cleared up, I now have a better understanding of what is expected from me. Again, this is why group meetings are so wonderful. If one person has a problem or question about an assignment, most likely somebody in this group will know the answer and help out the other group members. We are a wonderful, hardworking team, and each week it shows more and more!

Reflecting on all things abbreviated...BM, IPM, SIM, PM...

There are many different technologies that are aligned with these four models. For the behavioral model, it deals with more direct learning and instruction. The teacher usually teaches a concept, then gives examples for the students to make an appropriate and cognitive connection. Critical thinking and interpersonal skills are used by students when the BM is presented. IPM is the opposite of BM because it deals with indirect teaching techniques. Students inquire and learn by doing. Allowing the students to learn at a cognitive level is the main component of the IPM model. WebQuests can be a great and wonderful tool for students to do when focusing on the IPM. Here they can explore links and navigate other sites to think at higher levels. The SI is a great way for students to interact and practice social skills. Societal activities that will make them socially acceptable and knowledgeable are wonderful things to do in a classroom. For instance, Student Government, practicing proper interviewing skills, and/or how to interact with another individual in society. The final model is known as the PM. This is where students independently study, analyze, and reflect on information and use their knowledge for cognitive opinions. Self concepts are used. A great way to focus on this skill could be to do an "about me" mind map on inspiration. This allows students to focus on themselves and list components of their life they feel comfortable about and are proud of.
I think the BM is overused and used the most in schools because it is the most common form of instruction used by teachers-direct instruction. It also deals with computer-assisted instruction rather than having students mastering the skills they need to know to use it independently. The IPM and SM are all models that teachers, especially older and less computer savvy ones, consist of using computers to students advantage. To instruct computer generated instruction, teachers have to be the ones knowledgeable about different kinds of assignments and instruction to have students work successfully and independently at a higher level. All types of learning, such as indirect, direct, inductive, deductive, experiential, interactive, social, and the rest are all different ways these four models are related with both Web 1.0 and 2.0 features. This is a computer savvy generation and the BM, IPM, SIM, and PM, are all used effectively on the computer by many different teachers and students. Computers are a source of many different types and ways for learning, and with the great Web 2.0 features of this generation, students now have the ability to be more creative, stimulated, involved, and interactive with learning.
To diversify pedagogy to enhance my teaching with technology, both the IP and SI models are great ways to incorporate technology. WebQuests, Web Bits, and WIP are all great online tools to use with students. When I know and learn how to use these advances in my classroom, I have the ability for my students to work at higher levels and use different uses of the classroom environment to learn. It diversifies my pedagogy because when I involve technology; I am not boring my students with the everyday monotonous teaching to the text instruction. When students learn a different form and method of instruction, I am learning as well. As a result, we are learning as a class, together and are using social interaction, and cooperative learning skills; some that were never used or addressed before.

Crossword Puzzle Reflection-Puzzled my brain!

We were told to create a crossword puzzle for class on Microsoft Excel. I did, however, I had a very hard time completing it. There were directions, whcih were great and helpful, but I still had many difficulties with this assignment.
1) This project exhibits how teachers can use technology and infuse it in the Literacy curriculum, instead of just teaching Excel as a stand-alone software. Give some thoughts/ ideas about using software in context of teaching subject areas instead of just teaching software separate in a computer lab. Teaching software in context of teaching subject area is important to incorporate into a classroom because it exposes students to more uses to learn other than the boring reading and writing. When they master the skills to navigate and learn on the computer, they become more knoweledgable about other things they can do to reach higher level thinking skills. It is important to teach different subjects on the computer and making sure students use those higher level skills to make them life long learners.
2) Do you think this project would help students to learn to use Excel and to learn vocabulary? I have to be completely honest, and say that this can have the ability for students to learn vocabulary, however, it was very difficult to complete for me. I got easily frustrated and had to walk away from the computer a few times to cool down. Once students know and master the art of using Excel to make crossword puzzles and complete them, this is a wonderful and different way for them to learn.
3) What would you do differently next time? Hopefully next time that I create a crossword puzzle on Excel, I will have my own classroom to use it in. I hope to be more understanding and knowledgeable about how to use Microsoft Word, as I have only used it a few times in the past. I would use this for many different units for my students to practice their vocabulary and math skills.

Creative Newsletters...

LETTERPOP!

http://letterpop.com/newsletters/?id=92796-e2d630

http://letterpop.com/newsletters/?id=92759-1f1659

Above, are the two Newsletters I created using Letterpop. I loved this site and found it very easy to create a creative template and to upload pictures/images.
1) Why is communication important between teachers and parents? I believe communication between teachers and parents is key because it keeps the parents in the loop about what is happening in the classroom. Teachers should make it possible whenever they can to send newsletters home with students because it keeps the parents involved. It can ease any worries, and answer questions that parents may have about the classroom environment and atmosphere. It also allows for parents to participate in the class for certain activities where the teacher may need help and/or assistance.
2) In what way will you communicate with your students’ parents? After seeing how simple it is to create a newsletter, I will most definitely use this site as a source of communication with parents. Not only is it easy, but it is fun! I can also use this site with my students so they can also use the Internet and learn the basic skills, as well as higher thinking skills, on a computer.
3) What new communications software applications would be fun to try to communicate with parents? I think blogging and using WIKI's will be fun to use with parents. Also, this Letterpop website is great because it allows me to post newsletters publicly, so all I have to do it keep the parents informed and tell them to keep in contact with my newsletters postings on my website or blog. It allows parents to learn and engage in technological advances, just like their children are doing in the classroom.
4) What software did you use, why did you choose to use it? The software I chose, after a while of searching, was Letterpop. I watched the brief tutorial and it looked very simple and easy to follow. I liked how the presenter walked through all of the steps to how to make a newsletter and how to upload files and pictures. It was very simple and extremely fun. I now have to learn to take more pictures so I will have a lot to choose from when I continue to make these newsletters to keep in touch with parents and colleagues.
5) What would you do differently if you did a Class Newsletter again? If I did another class newsletter, I would use more pictures from previous years as an exemplar just to inform parents and colleagues what my anticipated goal of the newsletter is. I will also make it a habit of doing it often as possible because it is a great source of communication and it allows for creativity and fun! In keeping with the fun and creativity theme, I would also involve my students as much as possible in the creating of newsletters because it allows them to think outside of the box and work and learn at higher levels of thinking.

Wednesday's Reflective Elluminate Discussion...

I really enjoy Wednesday whole class meetings. They are extremely educational because we receive many different opinions about all the topics for that week. Dr. S's blog was reviewed, and it discussed how students are not at all happy with the curriculum and how it is taught in schools. Even though that is something they do not decide, they are still the ones who are at risk. Is that fair? Why not involve something that it educational AND something that promotes creativity? When students are placed in an environment where different strategies that are fun and new are presented, they will have fun. When students have fun, they have the power to understand easier and like learning.
We briefly talked Webbits, which are smaller, yet effective, WebQuests. Webbits still require critical thinking and actively engage students to explore and investigate information at higher levels of thinking. The discussion about the Textbooks of the Future article was also very interesting. We are headed in the direction of everything becoming technologically-based, so seeing educational material such as an e-book, or a CD-Rom in a book bag instead of a 500 page book is something to expect in the future.
Inquiry-based learning was another thing discussed and something that I believe in tremendously. There is a quote from the article that I loved. It said, "Tell me and I forgot, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." That quote was so powerful because when students are engaging in learning they are likely to understand more easily and effectively. Inquiry-based learning is a big picture of concepts that students need to be lifelong learners. When students are involved in the learning process, understanding is sure to follow.
The Ken Robibsin video was great. He was very funny, but so knowledgeable. I loved how he discussed linking creativity to learning and how they are very connected. Some on-line tools that promote creativity that I learned in this class are, Gliffy, blogging, WIKI, and Letterpop. The Gliffy site was very confusing. I tried using it and submitted a MindMap, but had a lot of trouble creating the big picture. However, I loved the Letterpop site. I was on it for about 2 hours and loved my finishing product. Tools like these are great educational opportunities where students can have the chance to show their creativity all while learning and understanding.
Are WebQuests Direct or Indirect instruction (or Inquiry)? I believe that they are Inquiry based where students have the freedom to search and explore the site, but the lesson and assignments are very directly given. Lessons are already planned around the WQ, however if there are many links, it allows the student to explore outside the given site and think at a higher level.
This was another successful class meeting where I learned a lot and am excited to get back to working on another creative newsletter!

Reflective Reflections...

Instructional Systems Design Models are a wonderful thing for teachers to use as a source of evaluations. It assesses students needs that also provide teachers with training so they can evaluate properly and efficiently. By creating training programs, ISD can inform and enhance instruction because the teacher will assess the exact material he/she says they would assess (validity) by designing the appropriate instructional models. The article by Kevin Kruse explains the "ADDIE" model. Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation are the 5 components. They all enhance instruction, again, because the person developing the assessment will be focused on these 5 criteria . Goals and objectives need to be met and when following the 5 steps, educators stay focused on the intended target and goal and therefore, deliver effective instructional systems. The article also talks about how the instructional methods can be created right off the bat (rapid prototype) and then receive feedback from the students. Again, this makes for an effective learning and instructional tool and encourages teachers pedagogical inquiry. For inquiry-based instructional models, teachers have to be trained in order to deliver them successfully. They can be trained by using technological advances and tools. When rapid prototypes are used, as Kevin Kruse states, "Instructional designers and writers are able to proceed more efficiently since they know exactly what the program will look like and what it will be capable of doing."

5E Lesson Plan Design: This is aligned with the inquiry process because it actively involves students to explore and search for the answer. It involves hands-on learning by students where they seek their own answers and grasp concepts themselves. Together, both student and teacher reflect, analyze, investigate, and interact with each other to derive at answers. Active involvement by both teacher and student leads to understanding. If I was a principal, I would most certainly encourage my teachers to use this 5E lesson plan design. It has great successes and outcomes. Teachers and students are INVOLVED-sometimes together, sometime, not, however, active involvement promotes understanding, and with understanding comes confidence. The five E's, which are engagement, exploration, explanation, extension (expansion/elaboration) and evaluation are all needed in order to make for a successful lesson. I would encourage my teachers to use this in their classroom whenever they could as it promotes learning because it is involving students to be not only learners in the classroom, but active educators as well.

Monday Mania!! Too Much Strain for My Brain!

Soooo another Monday has come and gone. Many questions were asked, and most of them were resolved. My group, Literacy Learning Ladies talked about a lot. We started talking about the You Tube video, "Education, A Lesson in History," on how they predict that in a few years down the road, China will be the largest nation in the world that will speak the most English. WHAT!!! Is that even possible? It also talked about how in our schools, we are training and teaching students things required for jobs that do not even exist yet. This video was very eye-opening and a bit scary.
My group is presenting Wednesday and finished up some final touches for it. Then we discussed the WebQuest assignment due Sunday, which made everyone fluster. We divided the constructivist questions up between all of our group members and decided who was working with who. After it was all said and done, I believe everyone felt a bit better about what is to be expected in this upcoming week. There are a lot of different assignments due for this class, but I be live that because of our weekly group meetings, questions get answered and doubts erase. I still feel overwhelmed with this course, but am feeling better every week with it. Too bad it is only a five week course!

Del.icio.us, diigo, slideshare, mind-mapping tools...OH MY!!! What are all these things??

Every week I am learning something new. The learning never stops. All things online are extremely interesting and cool, and every day I am finding out that there are more and more of them. Diigo is cool because I can highlight something that I feel is important in an online document. Instead of wondering where the important fact was, I can highlight and know exactly where it is when i need to go back and reference it. It is also a wonderful way to create groups for a project where every member can log on and discuss important things about the assignment. This is another thing I will use in my future and help educate my students on about collaborating with peers. Mind Mapping tools are real cool. I had a great time creating my own MM this week. It can be on and about anything, and will definitely use this with my students. They can create an "About Me" MM where they put information about them in it, what they like, dislike, etc... It is a great icebreaker to use in the beginning of the year. Del.icio.us is another great online tool. Here, students can exchange websites and get feedback from peers. If a students is searching online for something, he/she can narrow the search on del.icio.us and make the process not as arduous and time consuming. I tried registering for it, and had some trouble and had no idea where to go for help. That was the only downfall about it. Due to this, I could not set up an account because I kept running into many problems with the website. Postings seem to be very simple, from what i read from the link from class, and does appear to be quite easy to use. The final tool is called slideshare. The sign up was quick and easy, as with most others we had to do for this class. I think it is neat to upload slide shows to share online with peers and friends, or whomever. Again, all of these are great social and educational networks for students (and teachers) to advance technological knowledge and further learning. I hope to become more familiar with them all to successfully implement them in my classroom one day.

Standards, Standards, Standards...I never knew there were so many!!

The 2007 National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) are:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
I am not a teacher yet, however, I have seen some classrooms use technology to benefit instruction and learning, and I have also seen teachers not use this wonderful source of teaching at all. I believe all six standards have the ability to be implemented successfully with the appropriate use of a qualified teacher. All six must be practiced and effectively carried out to see whether or not the process is working. From the classrooms i have seen, Standards 1, 2, and 4 have been implemented well. Every student has their own ability to be creative and they believe what they create is great. I have also seen students take part in the collaboration process and use it to his/her benefit. Students that are not used to or like working with others find themselves in a different but enjoyable place when working with technology. The last one, I have also seen students problem solve-together-and work through questions to derive at an answer. I feel that I am still learning a lot about technology and I still have a lot to learn. Doing anything on a computer, especially educational activities, has the ability to be groundbreaking. With the practice and help from colleagues and students, I will be able to meet all these standards in my future as an educator. I am still learning and hopefully after the completion of this course, I will be much more ready to implement these standards in my classroom one day.

Net Generation? How is this generation different from the past?

The Net Generation can be best described as this current technological era. The 21st, century has become immersed in all things tech, and some have forgotten about the basic practices and requirements that individuals need to have to become lifelong successful learners. These digital students are used to waking up in the morning, checking their email, blog, myspace, facebook, doing their homework in front of the television with their ipods on and learning. This new age of learners learn from and by a computer and do not solely rely on teacher instruction. In the past, teachers did all of the instruction. They did not have the access to resources like today, and the normal school day consisted of doing homework in silence, no television before all homework is done, reading for a certain amount of time and going to bed early-without falling asleep, or staying awake, to the TV. Not only have times changed, but they have changed tremendously. Reading and writing have become secondary and almost been put on the back burner to learning. Teachers are still teaching to the standards, because they have to, but they are finding themselves getting away with doing more things with the help from technology. Even those who are using technology to their (and the students) advantage, teachers have to teach themselves and learn about the information highway in order to keep up with their students. Teachers, new and old, have to develop different instruction strategies to incorporate the use of technology because this is how the children of today are living and learning. There is no changing them, and there will be no change in the future. So what can teachers do to make sure they do not fall behind? It is not what they CAN do but more of what they HAVE to do...which is learn about technology! If this does not happen, more teachers are going to be finding themselves receiving the "F" rather than his/her students!

Wacky Wednesday's Weekly Windup...

Well, we just completed our second class meeting. I really enjoy these because I get to hear different views and opinions about certain topics regarding this course. The question we spent some time on was who really are the illiterate ones in this generation? People who do not know how to work on a computer and use it to his/her advantage really are the ones who are not empowering the children of this generation. This is the 21st century which is a technological generation. We need to focus on computer skills and what students can use to their benefit. However, with that said, we can not forget the basic skills that go back generations and generations. We can not overlook the fact that reading and writing are still and will always be the building blocks to understanding.
I believe that change is good and we should all embrace it. Literature and technology is something we need in our society! By incorporating the use of technology into the classroom, will only engage students more which will ultimately lead to comprehending and enjoyment. In this day and age, it seems like we are the ones having to keep up with the students, not the other way around!

The presentations on Ch 7 and 8 toight were great! I knew a lot of the information they covered, but still found it to be extremely informational and comprehensive. Group 1 talked about using back-up files, the different kinds that are out there and how to use them properly. They also discussed, as did group 2, the importance of protecting and safeguarding your computer. There are many harmful viruses out there that are "bogus" ploys that can ruin a computer forever. Group 2 focused on evaluating technology and how to go about it properly. Again, they emphasized on the need to be careful because some can be detrimental to a computer. How do we know if something is safe to use or open? Group 2 said that if it is from a governmental source or professional organization, then it is usually safe. They also talked about creating evaluations like rubrics, and webquests. Getting students involved in this process keeps them engaged and excited. One last point i want to focus on is the idea of some of the awful things that can happen to children on the computer. Just another reason to make sure you are informing them of all the right things to know when talking or searching online. Dont we all want the best for our students/children. It all starts with giving them information, which will ultimately lead to power!

Reflection of Redefining Literacy video-an eye-opening experience!

This video was extremely informational. I enjoyed every minute of it and found it to be very empowering. Is too much information a good or bad thing? I think that the more one knows, the more capable and self-reliant that person will be. Gathering and using technology will become normalcy at work because that is the direction that this generation is headed. The video talked a lot about literacy and knowledge, and when one has a lot of knowledge, that person has the capability to change lives and be very powerful.
I thought the acronym of the word DISCOVER was great. It stood for:
D-efine
I-nquire
S-earch
C-ollect
O-rganize
V-erify
E-xpress
R-eflect
People are constantly searching for something,whether it is knowledge, information, or sense of self. Whatever it is, discovering new information has the ability to be extremely empowering.
The video focused a lot on guiding students, and teachers, to appreciate digital literacy by teaching the act of discovering. Discovering is fun, at at times can be very easy. It is what you do with your discoveries that is the important part. That is where the DISCOVER acronym comes in handy.
I also liked how the video takes the word DISCOVER and walks you through the process of research step by step. This process teaches great collecting, organizational, and research skills, skills that both teacher and student will benefit greatly from. It also teaches students to become more self-sufficient researchers, discoverers and learners.
Marc Van Doren, a poet on this video, states, "The art of teaching is the art of assisting." This is a great quote because I believe that literacy is our most invested tool...one that has the ability to take you anywhere!

Web 1.0 and 2.0-difference and shift of paradigms in classrooms...

WOW! I never knew there were such things called Web 1.0 and 2.0. I had no idea what they were or that they even existed until last week. I am glad I researched though because I realized that there is a huge difference between the two.
Web 1.0: These are mainly the websites made between 1994-2004. Web 1.0 was dial-up and very slow. This was the primary use of navigating the Internet before things were put into the digital form. In schools, the Web 1.0 years were very boring. Teachers did not have the chance to explore different methods and uses of assessments. They were left with boring test material and never really tested students abilities that were outside of the box. Sites that were used in the Web 1.0 era were static and updated rarely. Tests, assessments, activities, etc, were more teacher directed. Web 1.0 was single media, and only allowed for ability grouping and individual work by both student and teacher.
Web 2.0: Boy have the times changed! Web 2.0 allows for more interactive, creative, collaborative and information sharing. It is evolving very quickly and effectively. Web 2.0 has led to different types of networking, such as the ones we are using for this class like, blogs, wikis, and web pages. It is also very business oriented. Web 2.0 has been building off of Web 1.0 features, and is much faster, as there is no dial-up. Different social networks like Facebook and Myspace are also Web 2.0 features. In school, there is a plethora of uses with Web 2.0. More authentic assessments are made, like online portfolios for both students and teachers. More Internet and software features like blogs and wikis allow for shared writing and reading. For example WetPaint. This is a great wiki site that allows people to go on it and share information with whomever they choose. Web 2.o also allows student exploration, is multimedia, enhances collaborative work and encourages performance-based assessments.
From what i have learned, I wish I had Web 2.0 when I was a kid. Who knows where I would be today, bit I'm sure I would know a little bit more about the information highway that I do now!

Sleeping Skeptical...and a bit Reflective

Soooo...after last night's emotional group meeting, it took a while to get my mind back on track. I kept wondering if there was something I was doing wrong, or just was it the fact that I did not know that much about technology. Well unfortunately, it was the latter...I went to sleep worrying about this class and woke up to nerves and hesitation. Well that is how my morning is going so far, however, i thought the video clips and reading were very educational.

The article titled "Portrait of a Digital Native" I found to be very good. I love how it starts out with a girl who has many word and websites open-it sounds like me on both a Monday and Wednesday night! I have on average, 10-12 websites open each time, maybe that is why my computer is so slow! Meredith Fear then says that technology is the "gateway to the world." She could not be more right. Technology has the power for any individual to communicate to different parts of the world at any given hour of the day. It really is a beautiful thing. One thing I found to be very interesting, but not at all surprised with the statistic of "one third of young people say they either talk on the phone, instant message, watch TV, listen to music, or surf the Web for fun most of the time they're doing homework." I can remember back to highschool and college, i did those same things-and that was years ago. Meredith Fear said that this is what she and her generation is used to, and doing these things are not at all uncommon in this "digital world." I quote this next part because I find myself agreeing with what Marc Prensky states. Prensky believes that children of today have"had digital technology surrounding them from the time they were infants," he says. "That digital world affords them many things that the previous world didn't." In his article, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," Prensky describes these students as wanting their information extremely fast and being experts at multitasking and networking. Yet he sees schools lagging behind, still tied to an antiquated system that rewards staying on task and on pace with others above more individualized education plans. He says children want to be more engaged in school. Yet despite such calls to action, no clear agreement exists on how to meet this generation's needs, what those needs actually are, and how they differ from those of previous generations." I think Mr. Prensky hit the nail on the head. Children of today are used to fast moving world of tech and expect things to happen at the drop of a hat. The other part i agree with is the fact that school's are lagging behind in the technology part. I can not tell you how many times i have gone into a classroom and have seen students sitting behind computers and the teachers are the ones being taught the different ways to navigate the computer. Not many classrooms even have computers that are highly accessible and that are constantly being used by students. In a world and generation of the computer highway, this has to change. It also goes into how Meredith Fear knows how to study-she likes for there to be a bit of noise around her. If that is something that she does well and, I think she should be able to do it.

In the Marc Prensky article, "Digital Native vs. Digital Immigrants," he brings up some startling points. He mentions that children of today are not getting that quality education that we all received when we were younger. The stat that college grads of today spend less than 5,000 hrs of reading and over 10,000 playing video games and double that amount watching T.V., does not surprise me at all. I grew up in this technological age and am part of that statistic. These DN, like myslef, really do appreciate less and are quickly resorted to technological powers. The DI, are who and what we should be like, ones that used to read for fun because they WANTED to-not because they HAVE to. I liked the line when it mentioned that kids born into the world of today learn the languge of today, therefore, resisting the old. I believe that is so true. Kids learn what they need to know, not what used to be-right? In a world where there are so many single parent households and full time working parent(s), does anybody really have the time to go back in time and teach the way language really should be?

Manic Monday Group Meeting!

I am so stressed with this course! I feel like when I grasp a concept about something and take a step forward, I take two steps back. However, the group meetings are always good and I am always learning something. My group talked a lot about how to get started on our PPT presentation for next week. We could not figure out how to get into our classroom wiki for a while, but after a little break where we all researched how to find the site, we figured it out. I found it frustrating because I kept getting kicked off Moodle and lost a lot of the conversation with my group. I found myself asking questions that probably were already answered and almost felt like a pain. I really am trying here, but I feel like everybody knows so much more than I do.

I find it to be helpful when we all collaborate on certain topics and issues. For instance, we talked a lot today about how children of the 21st century are so technologically informed, and are in turn not reading or using certain skills anymore. We all kind of had the same opinion about why this is, and believe that it is just the age and generation that we are all living in. I wish i had gotten more chances to learn more about technology because I would have been better suited for this course-guess I never got the memo...

Ooolala...Overview and Outcomes for week One

I spent a lot of time this week setting up my blog, website, and wiki. I probably never spent so much time sitting in front of the computer and not really getting that far. I have come to realize that doing things on the computer is a tedious task. I studied all the tools on Moodle and applied them in all that i did this week. Teaching literacy with technology has become a great tool to use in a classroom. Even though i do not have my own right now, everything i learn from this course will help me in my own class greatly.
The moodle site is great. I love how you just click on the link and help is on its way. I also liked how we all had to introduce ourselves to each other on the Moodle site. By doing this, i found that i got a bit more familiar with the site and was better prepared for future assignments. The Educational Philosophies Self Assessment was a neat little test. I found myself answering many of the questions with a "strongly agree" answer. I firmly believe that students should be the number one concern and priority to all teachers. They are the future and it is important to instill qualities in them to make them lifelong readers, writers, and learners. All of my scores for this assessment were high, which i guess indicates that i have high educational philosophies. I guess that is right. I believe strongly in many things and educating students to the best of my ability is just one of them.
Overall, i believe that i met all the outcomes for week one. It was a tough week and have been reflecting a lot but know that i have learned a lot as well. I already know that my knowledge has enhanced about different ways to teach technology to children, and this is only the beginning!

Reflections on Posted Assignments-Can't believe i am really doing this!

There were a few video tutorials that i looked at during my first week. The first one was from Will Richardson's Understanding Instructional Technologies. I thought it was a great way to introduce the different things we will all be experiencing throughout this course and was a little excited to get started. I liked how he gave insight about how far technology has come in the 21 century and presented different instructional strategies that technology can be used for. It was a great introduction for this TWT course.
The next video was titled "Learning to change, changing to learn." It shocked me to hear that education was ranked so low, at #55 to be exact. I was floored, but after listening to the video i came to realize why that was. Children are learning so many more things outside of the school environment and are constantly surrounded by technology everyday. Technology should not be a choice, it should be a requirement in school. I think back to when i was in grade-school and realize that if i were presented with all these different forms of technology, i would probably be more comfortable using it. Technology has become second nature and part of a community and relationships. It is a great world for learning, not to mention a huge one. Technology is everywhere like schools and communities and many speakers on this video believe that children should be learning as a community rather than just in a classroom atmosphere. I also loved the part when one speaker talked about how unrealistic standardized tests are. Now a day students have to take so many tests in order to get accepted into college or to become certified in a profession. He them talks about how unnecessary they are because not all jobs require the passing of tests in order to get hired. Being successful in the working world call on different abilities like multi-disciplinaries, how well one works in teams, collaborate and problem solve. Overall this video was very informative and gave me much insight into the world of technology.
I believed that all the tutorials were very helpful. I used just about all of them and found my job to be much easier than i anticipated. The links to how to set up a website, wiki, and blog were very helpful. I came to realize that i knew a little bit more about how to use a computer and how to navigate it than i had originally thought. I also found the group and class meetings to be a help as well. I found that some of my questions were answered without me even having to ask them because some of my peers had the same ones.
After reading the syllabus, i believe all the expectations are fair. I think there is a lot of work, but that comes with any class in grad school. We are now at a different level and are adults. It just takes good time management skills and not putting assignments off in order to get things done on time. I also like how we will all be working collaboratively as a group. I believe that different levels of abilities are great ways to see the different levels of learning and to see how far some students have come. Learning with different students and abilities has the chance to enhance learning for other students who may not be as technologically savvy like myself!

Here is a great YouTube clip about teaching with technology and great websites to enhance teaching strategies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZbkz3stWMg

Group and whole class meetings/Most memorable moments with Mila(I just got tongue tied)-How did week One go?

Our first class and whole group meeting went very well and was very memorable. I was a bit nervous entering it on Wednesday, but after the session was completed, i felt much better with the material. Questions were answered, nerves were gone, and relationships were made. My first group meeting was very informative. We all introduced ourselves briefly and asked a lot of questions. And believe me there were a lot. I still am a bit nervous about this course because i do like to have that one-on-one relationship with my professor, but after my group and class meeting, my nerves were calmed. I felt very relaxed while in my class and group chat. Everyone was very informative and nice. I think we all have some type of hesitation when learning with technology, but hopefully this course will ease my trepidation with it and be a catalyst to trying to learn with it even more in the future.
Learning with technology is a very empowering tool, one that i wish i had realized years ago. I find it unbelievable the different amounts of things that i can do on a computer. I can watch movies, download different types of software, talk to people that live in different parts of the world, and not to mention shopping. Technology is also a great tool for learning-one that was practiced this week as well as the upcoming ones. I am very excited to start on this technological adventure and believe i will walk out of this class with so much empowering information and knowledge from not only my class meetings but from my peers in my group as well!

About me...

Cornwall NY has been home to me all my life. I know nothing else, but want to travel and see and do it all. I love to met new people and learn about them at the same time. I am a family person who also loves to hang out with her friends. I am pursuing my master's degree at the mount for literacy, and have my undergraduate degree from here as well. I graduated last year with a major in English, minor in Psych, and a certification in Special and Elementary education. I have one more semester to go until the dreaded comps exam and practicum. (Whoever is in the same boat, let me know so we can maybe study and get ready for it together!!) I have a wonderful family, including two brothers whom i consider to be my best friends. I love the Yankees, some may call it an obsession, which i definitely inherited from my mom. I also love to stay active, do new things and SHOP!! That is me in a nutshell, and i hope to learn more about you as well!

Emotions about this course...

I have never taken an online course in my life. Entering our June 18th meeting, i was very nervous and skeptical about this class. I am not computer savvy at all and do not know the first thing about computers. I learn what i need and have to know to get things done...which is a limited amount! Microsoft Word, Excel, PPT, and the Internet is as far as my knowledge about computers goes. With that said, i am extremely nervous about this class. I have many mixed feelings about how i will do and whether or not i will get it all. However, i am also excited to expand on my limited computer horizons and to learn new and beneficial ways to navigate and explore technology. I hope to walk away from this class and experience with a newly founded confidence in the technology world and instead of being the student trying to learn, i will in turn be the teacher. I believe computers and any type of technology is a great form of instruction and learning for every person out there, and i am excited to embark on this scary, but exciting adventure!!