This past semester...

...I have learned so much from our class. I remember at the beginning of the year being so scared of the class, but in the end it has been one of my favorite classes. I have learned so much from great free websites to use, using a SMART Board, creating a blog, a wiki, and my own website! Wow!! Who would have thought that I would be able to do all of that? (Well, definitely not me!). I know the importance of technology in education, and before I was only scared of technology, but knew I could not hide from it; now I am able to look at it without feeling so intimidated. I do want to incorporate as much technology as I can within my classroom, because I know the difference it can make in my student’s education. I am proud of all that I have learned and am capable of doing with technology. Thank you professor Sorenson for a great semester and helping me realize that technology really is not as scary as it may appear!!

Technology in Education

Being that we live in such a technology generation; it is rather sad seeing a lack of technology in schools today. I do think that technology should be more visible within classrooms to help the digital natives learn in a way that better suits the time. Students today spend hours watching tv, playing video games, or on the computer. Expecting students to receive all their education from books and lectures does not necessarily benefit them. Gradually, technology is coming into the classrooms helping students learn their material in fun and new ways where they actually want to learn. Even though technology can make many aspects of teaching so much easier; it does also have its moments where everything feels so much more complicated, such as when the particular technology does not want to work when you need it to. Other than that I am rather excited to see technology in more classrooms in different ways over the years to come!

Classroom Reflection # 10

On my last day in the classroom for this semester, my teacher gave me about a half an hour to share about my life as a missionary’s kid in Argentina. It was fun getting to share with the students with something that is so close to my heart. It was also great to see the students get so excited about Argentina, and asking me questions about the country I grew up in. I was nervous knowing that my cooperating teacher was observing everything I did; however I knew that I could not let that get to me. It was a lot of fun being in front of the class. It was sad saying good-bye to the students. They were a great class to be with for the last few months. It was cute, some of the kids came up to me and asked if I would be moving on to 6th grade with them.

Classroom Reflection # 9

My cooperating teacher participated in the Boston Marathon, and instead of going to her classroom to observe a substitute teacher, I went to observe two different kindergarten classes. One of the kindergarten classes was just a half day class, while the other one met for the whole day. It was so much fun being with the younger kids, however now I know that I would much prefer to work with little older students. Even though the kindergarteners were very cute, and the simplicity in the way they though was absolutely precious, but I do enjoy when the students are able to do a little more on their own, and I do not feel like I am babysitting them.

Classroom Reflection # 8

While my 5th graders were away at camp, I had the opportunity to observe a 3rd grade classroom. The first aspect I noticed about this class was that they were they quietest class I had ever seen! The students seemed to only speak in a tone of whispers. At first I felt bad for these students. I just wanted to these kids to be allowed to be kids. However, I judged too soon. After the students were dismissed for the day, I was able to talk with the teacher for awhile. She mentioned that she had ADD growing up, and now has several students with ADD or ADHD in her class. From her own experience she understands the importance of a quiet learning environment for her students. I am so glad I had the opportunity to observe and talk with this teacher, and get her view point on helping students with ADD/ADHD in the classroom.

Classroom Reflection # 7

The four different 5th grade classrooms were getting all prepared to go to their 5th grade weekend camp. I had the opportunity to eat lunch with teachers as they finalized the boys and girls cabins, as well as organize what was going to go on when each cabin had lunch with their high school cabin leaders. It was rather interesting to see all the thought, and hard work that the four teachers had put into making sure that everything would run smoothly.
The next time I was at my school, was when the cabin groups and their cabin groups were having lunch together. I graded Language Art homework and listened to the different groups get to know each other better. I was in the room with several of the girl groups. It was so cute listening to the girls talk about how they wanted to decorate their cabins. My teacher then encouraged me to go into some of the other classrooms (especially the ones with the boy cabins). The boy groups were so much louder and discussing their cabin names, as well as sharing random facts about each other. It was so nice to return back to my classroom with the girls where the volume was so much quieter. The girls also worked on their name and different chants.

Assignment #5: Technology Project

Here is a link to my project.

This particular assignment most definitely has been a learning experience. For someone who has never really been caught up too much in technology, now has the beginning stages of a classroom website as well as a wiki for the class. Wow!! I am so glad that I was able to accomplish this assignment. I am pleased with how everything turned out; however I want to be able to continue to add more to my webpage. I do want to have a webpage in the future for my students and parents. I could expand on the one I already have, or create a brand new one. Either way I do think it is a very important way of communication with both the students and parents. For this particular reason I wanted to create a webpage. Now I know that it is not impossible for someone with my technology skills to have a webpage. I currently have several different links for students (both fun and educational), parents, and teachers. I want to go back and be able to write little comments about the different links. I would also love to be able to add worksheets, newsletters to the parents, pictures of my students, vocabulary words and much more; however some of this may have to wait until I really do have my own classroom.

Using Page Creator was not too difficult, but it did require a lot of time. I really enjoyed how it is not impossible to create a website with the help of Page Creator. I also started up a wiki space called “Our Spot.” The idea of the wiki is for the class to be able to use as an ongoing class project throughout the school year. After each unit for certain subject areas, the students will work together to select what information they want to post on our wiki. Hopefully it will be a way for the students to review together after a unit prior to a test. Also, the students will be able to go back once they year is over to see all that they had learned. There is a link on the webpage for the students as well as the parents to see “Our Spot.” Parents enjoy seeing what their children are doing at school. This is an easy way for parents to go and see what the class is learning. Right now the class wiki is rather empty, but I do hope that I can at least try out this idea one year to see how it works with a class.

On my webpage I have included several different pages: Home, Homework, Students, Parents, Teachers, and Class Rules. On the Homework Page I included: Language Arts, Bible, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Each of these links can take someone to another page with different links pertaining to that subject. On the Student, Parent, and Teacher page there are different links to for each. I also included both on the Student and Parent Page a link to the class wiki: Ourspot.

The Wiki right now only has three different pages: Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. As mentioned before, the idea is for the students to include the information they want from each unit regarding the subject area.

Here is a link to my project.

Classrooms in 5 Years

In five years I do not see too much change happening in five years. I know that there will be more possibilities and advances in technology available to educators. I just hope with all these new advances in programs, or developing further the technology that already is available, schools will start incorporating more of this new technology for teachers within the classroom. I think it will take time to be able to include whatever technology that is available into the classroom due to money. Right now there are already some great products to include into classrooms, but not all schools are able to due to money. Currently some schools are putting smart boards in their schools, even if it is just for a couple of classrooms. I am at a private Christian school; I think that it will take much longer for schools such as these to have more technology in each classroom other than just maybe one computer for the teacher and an overhead projector. I do know of some schools with several computers in each classroom for students to use, or a microphone and speakers for elementary teachers so that they do not have to tire their voice out as much. I guess I see the technology advancing for students and teachers within five years, and those schools which can afford them will be able to incorporate them into the classroom. I would love to be able to teach at a school that was able to afford and provide these new and improved technological resources; however that may not be an option. I will just have to work with whatever my school provides and make sure that my students get the most out of it!!!

Internet Safety Issues

The internet is a great place to find all sorts of information; however some have taken advantage of the freedom we have to put different things up. One simple spelling mistake can lead someone to a dirty website, instead of the original site they were looking for. I personally, am not very informed of the different kinds of internet safety programs to use in classrooms. I am also not aware of what kind of internet safety rules my teacher has. The classroom does not have any extra computers for students (only one for the teacher). When the students need a computer for a project the class will go to the computer lab. I have only been with the students once while they were in the computer lab. The teacher had given them several websites that they could go to to look up the information they needed for their geography project. I am excited to learn a little more about this topic so that I can help my students be safe on the internet for whatever we may be doing as the internet is such a great tool.

Kidsperation

This is such an wonderful program!! I really enjoyed playing around with this program. I can see how students would enjoy using this for different projects. The quote "we are only limited by our own imagination" comes to mind when I think of all the possibilities for incorporating this program into the classroom. After reading the article prior to class I was very excited and curious to use Kidspiration. I think it is great that it is helping students to get excited about learning. I was very excited to have a link to what I created, but unfortunately I must have saved it incorrectly as I was unable to open it. I guess I will just have to go back and play with Kidspiration a little more to do another project so that I can put it up!