Reflective Post

What a semester! I had learned so much! I really enjoyed learning about new technology and how it can incorporated into the classroom. I must say that I use Google Docs more than anything- I love it! I also really enjoyed making the iMovie and playing around with Glogster. Webquests are also an AMAZING addition to classroom learning! I thought that the way we presented the Web 2.0 tools was a great way for everyone in the class to learn about all the tools. However, I wish we had more time to play around with all of them. I did struggle the most with the classroom website. I also was not a big fan of wikis. I can't see myself using them in the classroom. I am usually pretty technologically savvy, but google sites had me all confused. Navigating around the site was difficult and I had a hard time in the beginning with creating pages and not knowing where they went. After a few classes I was able to figure my way around the site and will definitely be using this in my classroom! I think it is a great way to involve students and parents. We are living in a technology driven world and it is important for my professional development that I stay aware and on top of what is up and coming. Students need to be active in their learning and sites that allow them to blog, post, be interactive will help them thrive! I will definitely be using many of the Web 2.0 tools and I am so thankful this class showed me how!

My Life Movie

I enjoyed this project! I love making movies and will definitely be using this in my classroom! The movies are so smooth and a picture really does say a thousand words. Students will get to learn about my life whenever they want by watching the video! I would also love for students to be able to make these videos, however, I know how limited technology can be in the classroom. Hopefully one day all of my students will be able to work on Apple computers and make iMovies!

This is a screen shot of my excel spreadsheet! I chose to do this on the same topic as my Inspiration activity. I really enjoy teaching clouds and think everyone should know the different types! I will definitely use this tool in the classroom if I have enough time. I feel as if it took me a decent amount of time to create this spreadsheet, however, with practice it may not take as long. This is a great and easy way for students to know immediate results of their knowledge. I definitely would have enjoyed this as a student.. I still would!

Clouds Inspiration

Here is a screen shot of my Inspiration activity! Of all the technology tools we have learned about this semester, this one is my least favorite. I like how easy it is to create webs, show connections, etc., but I just don't see myself using it very often. However, it is a great tool to keep handy in the case that I want to make a web like this. Students may like the graphics and colors involved!

Glogster Slideshow

http://erinkaty.edu.glogster.com/colors/

Picasa

Using Picasa is a great way to share with the world your experiences and pictures. It is easy to use and even more easy to edit pictures through Picnik. I will absolutely use this not only in my personal life, but in the classroom as well. Picasa is an accessible tool to share pictures with students, parents, and anyone else who wants to view what students have been doing in the classroom. This is also a great website for students to scroll through pictures and view exactly what you want them to. I really enjoyed it!

Glogster

I really enjoy Glogster! I think it's a great way to present information to the class. Students are easily able to create "about me" pages or describe a certain event, book, or experiment. It can be used in ANY subject. You can also post links, pictures, and unlimited information. I also think this is a great tool to post weekly updates in the classroom for parents to see. This keeps them involved and interested!

Wordle and Twitter

I really enjoyed Wordle! I don't necessarily think that it is an extremely helpful tool in the classroom, but I think it is a great way to put together a list of names, verbs, etc. As a teacher, this would be a fun way to put all the names of my student's in one document and have Wordle create a fun way to display them. I also like the idea of using Wordle to see if I have been using a word like "good" too much. Overall, it's a fun and creative tool!

I love Twitter! It is a great way to communicate with your friends what is going on in the world. I mainly like it because we are always kept up to date on new information. It is fun to follow celebrities, but it is also very beneficial to follow the news, UT, and health magazines to see the latest news. Twitter is a great tool to use in the professional world and academic world as we always want to communicate with our followers. Twitter is also a great tool to use in the classroom. As teachers, we can keep our students up to date with assignments, field trip information, etc.

WebQuests

WebQuests are a great tool to use in the classroom. At first I was a little confused as to how it could be used in the classroom, but it is basically a lesson plan given right to you. WebQuests divide up every aspect of the lesson plan (the before, during, and after parts). It also allows students to be hands-on with technology. There are also SO many options of lesson plans. Today I found multiple WebQuests on health, nutrition, and the environment. The one I chose to write about focuses on cleaning up the environment, as well as coming up with an idea as a group on an actual plan. It is a great way to get students out into nature and making a difference. These are all crucial lessons that are important in student development. They are all also lesson plans that are often overlooked. These WebQuests encourage students to collaborate in groups and think outside the box. They aren't just handed worksheets and told to "learn something." Students are being active in their education!

Evaluating Websites

The internet is so accessible these days that almost anyone can post anything on the internet. With so many student projects that require internet use, I want to make sure that my students are finding reliable information. These websites are a great way to help students sort through the bad websites. If I end up teaching 5th or 6th grade classes, I would post these criteria for reliable websites around the classroom so students can constantly view how to judge a websites reliability and when not to trust a website. I've learned a lot through these websites, especially the Duke website, and will apply these to my own life while doing research!

Evaluating Websites

 Duke University Libraries has a great website concerning evaluating how reliable websites are. This site is very helpful because it considers the following criteria:

• Authority
• Purpose/Intended Audience
• Currency
• Objectivity
• Support

The website is accessible and easy to read. It not only goes beyond explaining the definition of these criteria, but it goes into depth about strategies the author of the website may have used to trick the researcher into believing the website is reliable. For instance, with currency, Duke Libraries discusses how a recent date does not necessarily mean the website is up to date. The last update may have just been the author fixing a typo or updating an email address. Overall, this is a great website and I will continue to use these criteria to judge the reliability of websites!

 http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/libraryguide/evalwebpages.html

Wikis

I love wikis! I think they are an amazing idea. There are so many different ways that we could use wikis in the classroom. I like the idea of using wikis as a "showcase" for students' work. Parents love to see how their children are doing and this would be a great way to show off their work! I also think wikis are a great tool in college. Working on study guides and papers as a group are usually difficult with so many files, but using this is a phenomenal way to eliminate all the extra files. Students can easily add on without having to go through so many emails. Using wikis was something new to me, but it was very easy to pick up on. I didn't have any problems with creating a new page or editing another student's page. I like how easy it is to add pictures, links, and documents. It is also a great way to get to know other student's in your class!

Learning Expectations For This Course

I'm excited for this class! I've always liked technology and I want to learn how I can incorporate it into the classroom. I want to learn more about things I've never used like wikis, blogs, and podcasts. I also want to learn how those can be helpful in the classroom. I am a little nervous about getting behind somehow and losing foundation on how to do something. Technology is very step by step, so I always need to pay close attention! I also want to learn new things in regards to technology. I've used macs since I can remember, so that shouldn't be a problem- but I want to learn more than just the basic things!

About Me

I am from Cincinnati, Ohio and attended Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. I came to UT on a complete whim for warm weather and a big football school. I am a psychology major and an elementary education minor. I want to teach first or second grade! I volunteered at inner city schools throughout high school and that’s really my passion. If teaching younger children doesn’t work out then I want to go back and get my masters in psychology and take that route. I also wouldn’t mind living in a place with warm weather!