Week Ten

The end of the term is here! It seems to have FLOWN by!! This week we were given time to finish up any project that we had left to do. I was done with my website, so I decided to work on my lesson plan during class instead. I was able to complete my lesson plan, and it was actually not as bad as I thought it would be. I was really stressing over it, but it ended up being quite fun to do. It is a lot simpler to incorporate technology into my classroom, and after doing this lesson plan I think I will be using technology in my classroom more than I think I will. Well I guess that is only if the resources are there! Anyways, this has been a great term and I have learned so much!

Week Nine

I was extremely anxious this week to come to class. In fact, I was not looking forward to it at all after my experience last week with the different programs available to design your own websites. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Dreamweaver was much easier to work with. I was able to do exactly what I wanted for the most part, and am very pleased with how my website turned out.

Week Eight

This week in class we went over different ways to design a website. We looked into all different ways the internet has to offer for free, or maybe a slight fee. We were able to explore from a list of website design websites and were able to create a one page website to just get the feel of how the different programs work. I got extremely frustrated this week in class. I did not do well with any of the websites. None of them seemed to do what I wanted them to do, and that led me to be so anxious about class the following week when we were to make our own websites through Dreamweaver.

Week Seven

This week in class, we worked with mobile devices and became more familiar with the SmartBoard and all the equipment in the front of the room. I personally have always felt that hands on activity and less screen time in the classroom, because at home students are most likely getting only screen time, so my thought is why feed them more in the classroom. I also think that their communication skills go down the drain when they are simply only using different technologies. After looking through the IPod, I actually found an application that would be very beneficial to students. My group and I found a Spanish application that allowed the users to become more familiar with the Spanish language both visually and gave them the chance to listen to it being spoken. This would not be something that I would using to teach the language, but I do think it would be a nice reward for the students to be able to use!

Week Six

This week in class we searched through different podcasts, and actually made our own. I had heard of podcasts before today in class, but I never really knew what exactly it was. I quickly learned that podcasts were something kind of like videos, or sometimes just audio sounds teaching anyone about a variety of different subjects. To look for the subject, you simply type in the topic you want a podcast on and then look through them. For me personally, I had a specific image in my head of what I was looking for and I could not find it, but I did find other things I could use in the classroom. Instead of a video of the water cycle I found a simple song that would help students to learn the water cycle easier. The podcast was really fun and simple to make, and would be something that I could possibly use in my classroom.

Week Five

Today in class we learned about using clickers in the classroom and other options of the same idea of clicker that do not cost as much money. One option for a cheaper way to do clickers is doing m.socrative.com for the students, and the teacher has to be at t.socrative.com.

We also spent a lot of time looking at different websites, and seeing that even though they look valid, they may not be. When we have students do research we need to give them websites to search instead of letting them just google anything that they want to.

Week Four

This week in class we worked with Google Maps!! I think this website is SOOO cool. I can see though how someone can get easily frustrated, as I did while working with this program. This again is a website where you have to get familiar with how to maneuver your way through it, and then after that point it becomes much easier. As we discussed in class, Google Maps can be used in the classroom in a variety of different ways. You can use it in social studies, history, math, geography, physical education, and many many more ways! In lower elementary, I would control the website, but take ideas from the students as to what we should search. In upper elementary, depending on my class, I would possibly let them work with the website individually or in pairs.