Goodbye

Goodbye Classmates! It was a pleasure to get to know each of you!
Sincerely,
NICOLE HENDERSON

Final Post

This semester has flown by and it's hard to believe it is over. As I look back on all the things that I've learned and how they can be useful to a classroom teacher, I am surprised at how much I didn't know. I composed a list... :)
1. Google Earth - This program has some truely amazing features. There are many lessons that could come from this program and then integrated into other subjects. Literature (Lit Trips), Science (maps, land features, topography), Social Studies, Math. The possibilities go on.
2. Blogging - Teaching a child to publish his own work is very important.
3. Skype
4. iTunes
5. igoogle.
This semester has shown me that as a teacher, the possibilities are endless.

There really isn't any ONE thing that I wish we'd have done. If I had to pick something, it would be - become more familiar with a smartboard and it's programs.
I think that today's classrooms are stocked with machines such as these and if the teachers that are in those classrooms were more familiar with the technology, they would get much more bang for their buck. I feel that we do our students a disservice by having access to technology and not using it to its full potential.

The one thing that this class did teach me was how to make a spread sheet grade book and I don't think I will ever use that. I like the old fashioned way. And most schools now have their own electronic gradebook. SO, that said, I do feel that this was a pointless lesson.

This class did not excite me. There were a few days when I thought "Wow, that's kinda cool." But rarely did I get that feeling. I think one of the main reasons is because I'm fairly comfortable with technology. I felt that everything I learned in this classroom I could have easily taught myself.

The only real challenge this class posed me was the group power point presentation. This activity wsan't particularly challenging other than the group part. I don't like to work in groups and I hate having to rely on someone else for a portion of my grade. Fortunately for me, I had a great partner and she helped me to overcome this feeling of worry early on. :)

I was bored many nights. I think that this could have been prevented or corrected by having more organization. There were many nights that we would get to class and our teacher wouldn't have the necessary materials to present the information by no fault of her own. The material hadn't been made available to her either. This was frustrating. (I do know that this was an issue that could not have been prevented, only corrected by the material being made accessible to our instructor by the department.)

Nothing in particular that I would add, but I would maybe leave out the Comments 4 Kids. I like the idea, but sometimes I felt overwhelmed by having so many different blog posts to do per week, plus other activities.

I think thay my tech-literacy is a bit better than average. I may not know everything about everything, but I am comfortable fumbling my way through until I can navigate a system fairly well. I think that this class has helped me become more comfortable with certain programs. I had never blogged before this class and I'm thinking of creating a personal blog. :)

I love to learn new things. I thinkb between now and the time I graduate I will continue to use iTunesU, google, and blogging. By blogging I mean, updating a personal blog as well as read others blogs. By reading other peoples blogs you are able to stay up-to-date on new technologies that other people post about. This will keep me informed and interested in new things. There are several things that I intend to use in the classroom once I graduate. I want a smartboard in my classroom so that I can use it, but other than that I will probably have a classroom blog, and I will definitely use Google earth!

7 Stupid Mistakes

At The Teacher's Desk

I immediately was drawn to this post by a male teacher. He addresses the issues with having co-ed students taught (generally) by one sex. The statistics that he posts are alarming. We as educators are missing something. In a profession dominated by men and run by women, we are doing our male students a great disservice. Unfortunately, I have no idea what to do to fix it. I am a female. I will be teaching these boys. I don't know what causes the grossly disproportionate statistics, but I will continue to hunt for the answers to it.
I plan to incorporate the use of blogs in my classroom when I graduate. This next post caught my eye for that reason. It is tips to get your blog noticed. This is advice that anyone can take and use, not just educators. I think that this teacher hit the nail on the head with his advice. You have do things to get noticed, make people want to check out what is new, comment on other blogs, and support other educators that are tech savvy.

Michael Wesch

This video was enlightening. He spoke on the difference in our world over the past few decades. There are two types of conversations that are being had. There is the one way conversation that takes place through much of our media. We, the general public, listen to newscasters, radio personalities, and read articles written in journals and newspapers. There is also a two way conversation that takes place. Conversations in which both sides speak instead of only one person speaking. These conversations take place over the internet all the time. People read or get information and then talk about in their blogs. Others then read the reflections and make comments on that. This exchange of ideas is more acurate in the online world.
As a student I feel that these one way "conversations" are phasing out. With the amount of people that are now internet literate and know how to transfer ideas between others, people are becoming more involved with their world. My generation has a attitude that exemplifies "I am the most important person in the world!" Our narcissism is what drives much of today's entertainment. (think reality tv.)

Why is blogging important for students?

This video is only one reason kids' work should be posted online. It is amazing that these kids were just sitting in choir one day and their teacher happened to video something for them and post it to a blog, and now these students are getting an opportunity to perform on stage with one of America's legends.
Students should have an opportunity to express themselves on a daiily basis. If their only outlet is through writing, then they should be allowed to publish those writings. Not everyone has access to a printing press, and the next best way to publish your thoughts is to post them online and allow the world access to them. By having writings posted to a blog, students get a better understanding of their writing can effect others all across the globe. They can also grasp the concept of being "safe" online.
Comments 4 Kids is a great example of this. I was assigned to comment on a particular students blog. He and I have commented back and forth several times. Now he understands that his writings are accessible to all kinds of people and that he should put effort into his work. He should take the time to edit his writing and check for misspellings and improper grammar usage.
I also have had friends in this class that have had "famous" people post on their own blogs. Ashley Lambert wrote a response to something she'd read online and the moderator of the first blog wrote back to Ashley via comment. They were able to express their opinions and thoughts with each other.
I also feel that learning can take place through the exchange of ideas across the seas, not just across the room. If a student takes the time to comment on something that is stated by someone in another town, time-zone, or country, they are able to learn from and possible teach someone else.

Comments 4 Kids

I was assigned to read Chelsey's friendly letter. She wrote a letter to another school to tell them about her school's football team and school rituals. The letter was well written and concise. She clearly stated her topic, and described her story well. I hope that she was excited to see some feedback from somewhere else in the world... :)