Post 10

This class has been very helpful to me through out the semseter. Not only have I been able to apply what I've learned to my teaching career, I've also been able to used what I've leaned in my other classes. It was very helpful to me learning how to properly format a word document and create fun interactive powerpoints for students to use. I also like learning how to create and use a blog and found these journals to be very helpful and reflective about the week. I also never knew what a wiki space was before this class but I'm definitely going to be using it next time I have a group project to do.

I feel that although our project may not have been the most interesting of then all, we accomplished exactly what Ms. Lamartineire wanted and I think she was very happy with our power point. I also really enjoyed working with the members in my group because they were very good at communicating ideas and working together.

I think I will use the information and tools I've learned in this class in my teaching career in many ways depending on what grade I teach. I really liked learning how to use imagination and can see myself using that the most in my teaching career because it gives the students a visual way of representing information that I can print out for the students to take home with them. I also think I'll take what we learned about Excel and apply that when I'm making my grade book. I never knew about the different function formulas which make like so much easier then manually entering in numbers.

I think what I've found in common from my other classmates blogs is the fact that they will eventually take what they've learned from this class and apply it to their teaching careers. I think everyone in this class learned something new and in the end we will all be more professional and creative teachers.

Blog Post 9

I feel that this project is a very hands on way of getting to know how to encorperate technology in the class room. It nice to know that we are helping a teacher out and giving her useful ideas for further lesson plans. Its also fun seeing/remembering what its like to be in middle school.

Every member of my group has an equal distribution of work. Over the past week, I've driven to Fairview Middle School to meet with the teacher, then taken the feedback she's given us and encorperated that into a powerpoint presentation along with Caron and Nicole. I've also been emailing back and fourth with Ms. Lamartinere about what exactly she wants in her presentation.

During the previous week I've learned alot about how to properly and creatively make a powerpoint presentation for a foreign language class. I've also learned how to make creative games such as crosswords using Microsoft Excel.

Blog Post 8

I believe that I can adopt Web Quest in my project (teaching French to 8th graders) because it is a very useful tool when trying to find new information about a topic that one may not be so sure about.  I would like to create a Web Quest for students to use when learning about the object pronouns in French.  I think it would be fun to create and interacting fill-in-the-blank sentence game for students to use when practicing their pronouns. 

A good example of a web quest that I found would be an interactive trip to France.  The task goes as follows: "Your task as a "family" is to search the net for places in France that fit your interests, "visit" these places, gather information, and take "photos" of the places you visit. When you get back "home" you will put all of the information and "photos" into a scrapbook so you can have a place for all of your family's memories of your trip to France."  I think this is a very creative idea and will really keep the students engaged and interested in virtually exploring France.   

I think one of the most important new skills I learned last week would be through the use of Excel.  I was never really very good at setting up spread sheets that actually make sense.  I also didn't know about the various different functions in Excel especially the IF function.  This function will definitely come in handy in my educational career because it will allow me to set up my grade book more efficiently.  

Post 7

The interesting web-based tool I chose to examine is called Teacher's Pet (http://www.teachers-pet.org/whatistp.html). The Teachers Pet tool is a word processor add on that uses 'macros' (facilities for performing a set of actions which then can be performed at the click of a button) to transform text into stimulating classroom resources. The tool bar can create things such as crosswords, bingo cards, jumbles, flash cards and much more.This website and tool bar is extremely easy to navigate and use because it provides step by step instructions. It also has a simple asthetically pleasing layout with all the links working properly.

I think one main way I would use Excel as a teacher would be when keeping track of my student's grades. Spread sheets are a great way to keep track of numerical information and allow for teachers to easily make changes and stay organized. I could also use Excel when teaching 6th graders physical education, specifically, nutrition. I would show the class how to keep track of their caloric intake and daily requirements using excel. This would allow the students to have a visual representation of their calories which could aid them in making healthier decisions.

One great example I found of using Excel in a school setting is creating a timeline for the school year. The teacher mapped out all the various topics and assignments she was going to cover through out the year using a spread sheet and then expanded it and hung it on the wall where all her students could view it. She found that this idea greatly helped the students because they were able to better plan out their time.

Post 6

I thought my powerpoint slides for the first assignment turned out very well although I had some slight difficulties encorperating all the elements of the assignment.  I think I did a very great job at adding visual elements to my slides such as graphics and word art.  I also was sure to make my slides to the point and not too wordy.  I added interest to the slides by changing up the format of some of them and adding transitions and animations.  The one thing that I did have some difficulty with was adding teacher notes and directions to each of the slides.  

I will most definitely integrate peripherals and non computer audio visuals into my classroom through uses of charts posted throughout my class room.  I will also try and integrate music and other forms of presentations into my class.  I will use them with computer bases technologies by encorperating them into my powerpoint presentations and talking about the visual elements of them.

I learned alot in the last week about how to make powerpoint slides more interesting by adding things such as animations and helpful teacher notes on the side.  I think this knowledge will be useful to my teaching career because it will allow me to keep my students interested in my slides and give them more visual elements to look at.

Post 5

For my visual critique I chose to analyze seventeen magazine's website (www.seventeen.com).  By looking at the website one can tell that it fairly closely follows the guidelines talked about in chapter 6.  For instance, rules one and two are present because you can tell that the web artists used the general design principles used for research and one can easily tell that this is the sites main page.  The site also follows rules three through eight because there is a clear and definite color scheme, the text is neatly justified, and there are also pictures and other graphics.  The site follows rules nine through fifteen because the site is specifically designed to catch the eye of any teenage girl and makes it clear to read and provides the information that teenage girls her age would want to read.  Rules sixteen to twenty three are all mostly followed because there are bulleted lists and clear visual graphics through out the page.  Some of the advertisements however are a bit flashy but overall the site is very organized.  

I think that using presentation software in the K-12 grades is always a useful asset.  I think it helps the kids to pay more attention by giving them something visual to look at.  It also helps because there are certain things that can be conveyed better through presentation software rather then through simply lecturing.  I guess the only down side of presentation software would be the kids becoming too dependent on it and not really paying attention to any other methods of teaching.

As a teacher, I will definitely be using powerpoint to support student learning at each dimension in a particular lesson.  Power point is an excellent learning tool because it allows thoughts and facts to be organized in such a manner that captures the attention of all 6 dimensions of learning (visual, interactive, etc).  I think the best way to help students learn is by asking them to make power points of their own and present them to the class.   

Post 4

I think that as a teacher, I would definitely encourage my students to use the outlining technique presented in chapter seven because I feel as though its a great way for students to organize their ideas and understand how things work.  I think one technology I would use to achieve this would be Microsoft Word because it allows for so many tools that can add tables, graph, graphics, bullets, etc.

I would encourage my students to develop, outline, idea map, and storyboard because these things lead to better organization which ultimately leads to better learning.  When ideas are jumbled around in notebooks or random handouts students tend to disregard or even loose important information.  Thats why I feel these concepts make learning so much easier.  

I think that the mail merge tool will be especially useful to my teaching career because it makes letter writing so much easier! I never knew how teachers were about to send home so many notes and address them all correctly (I thought they did this all individually which would be very time consuming).  This tool will be especially useful to my educational career because as a teacher I want to be able to successfully communicate with the students parents.   

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Post 3

I'm very excited about using technology in my lesson plans as a teacher. I think one very creative way of using technology would be in an 8th grade nutrition class. I will first begin by teaching the class about how crucial exercise and a good diet are for healthy living (by showing them a power point presentation with statistics on obesity and the average American's diet). I will then get the class active and involved in the lesson by asking them to participate in some every day stretches that promote better health. For the last 30 minutes or so of class I will them bring them to the school's computer lab for their assignment. The assignment's objective will be to use the internet and spread sheets to find the calories and fat in a typical fast food meal. Students will choose a fast food restaurant (Burger King, Wendy's, etc.) then choose a meal (complete with a drink, french fries, etc.). For each item on the menu, they will record the calories and calories from fat into an Excel spreadsheet. Once this is done, the spread sheets will be printed out, turned in and students will be asked to share with the class their findings. Not only will this assignment provoke students to choose healthier food options but it will also familiarize them with Microsoft Excel.

It's always tricky supervising students when in a computer lab. Especially 8th graders who are constantly concerned with checking things like face book and twitter. I'm concerned that it will be a challenge to keep students focused on the task at hand. However, I will try to combat these other distractions by walking around the class room and making sure students are on the sites they need to be.

One web-based tool I will use when preparing and teaching this lesson will be: http://www.nutritiondata.com/. The website is full of nutritional facts and articles that are very useful for students and any one trying to live healthier. It also provides useful information on reading food labels and helps people customize meal plans to fit into their lifestyles. I will provide this link to my students during the the powerpoint presentation.

Post 2

As a student, I can say that Microsoft Word has really come in handy throughout the years.  I have pretty much used it all the way from middle school up until now in college.  I mainly use Microsoft Word to write papers for school which I either print out and turn in or email to my professors.  I have also used it in the past to copy pictures that I need to print out.  I have also seen many of my teachers use Word as well to send out information like syllabuses, hand outs, reports, etc.  

I think a good example of using Word creatively in a school setting would be in middle schools when students are assigned to write research papers.  I feel as though its very boring for middle school age kids to simply just type up a boring old paper.  I think it's a really good idea for teachers to allow their students to enhance their papers with things such as clip art and word art.  Plus, this also brings out the creativity in the student and gets them more interested in what they are doing.

Before I got into this class I thought I pretty much knew all there is to know about computers.  However, I had no idea there were so many short cuts and other small little things that will make a teaching job so much easier.  I think one thing I will definitely use as a teacher that I got from this class will be using the 'print screen' button.  It's very convenient to use along with paint to cut out different parts of articles online and insert them into power points, hand outs, etc.  

My Drawing

Post 1

I believe that computers and technologies are extremely crucial to enhancing the learning environment. This is because computers can give students better understanding of certain things by providing visual pictures, videos, audio, etc. Before computers, students would simply sit in class and listen to a professor lecture on topics which although it gets the point across, it can be slightly dull. For example, imagine a teacher is lecturing about how the heart works; with the use of the internet he/she can enhance the lecture by finding an actual video online of a heart pumping blood. Although many people think that this use of computers is too distracting for students, I disagree because I feel that if a student chooses to neglect the proper way to use a computer in a class room (and instead goes on facebook or myspace) then that's their own fault.

I think that I will use computers in my classroom as I described above, to enhance what I am trying to teach. I want my students to have the most tools available to help their learning and computers are a big one. I would also love to have a smart board in my class room that students can use to work out problems or watch documentaries on. I feel as though the more interaction students are given the longer their attention holds. I hope this class will teach me how to responsibly get students involved in the class room through the use of computers.

One thing that's new in the computer/internet world that I simply do not understand is the use of 'twitter'. I honestly don't get how people would want to read what other random people are doing through out the day. For example, I really don't care when Lindsey Lohan is going to the grocery store. And second of all, who has enough time on their hands to even have a twitter anyways? And third of all, why would you want people to know what your doing 24/7? I don't get it.

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Blog Journal #0

I consider myself fairly well-versed when it comes to technology. I've done a few projects involing Microsoft Powerpoint and have also written many papers using Miscrosoft Word. Most of my time on the computer is spent on Facebook where I do things like post pictures online and write on my friend's walls. Another experience I had with technology was in highschool when one of my teachers assigned us to use the 'Smart boards' to do a presentation.

In this class I hope to learn more about the small details of technology that can greatly enhance project, presentations, etc. I also want to learn more about useful ways to use technology to present ideas and learning material in a class room. Blogging is another new concept to me so I would like to learn more about what exactly people use blogs for and how to customize them.

I thought it was very interesting taking the quiz today about my learning style. I learned that I'm fairly in the middle when it comes to visual vs. verbal (although I have a slight preference for visual). I am also more of an active learner rather than reflective because I like to learn by doing things. I am also definitely more intuitive than sensible because I tend to prefer discussing ideas and theories rather then straight facts. I'm also in the middle when it comes to being global vs. sequential. I think this is because I unfderstand the big picture in things and I also like learning in steps.