Technology in Education

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Technology Final Project Link to Storybird

http://storybird.com/books/the-true-story-of-cinderella-and-her-evil-stepsist/

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Week 16

This semester I have learned so much about technology and the different ways it can be used within the classroom and how valuable of a tool it can be for teachers as well as students. Before this class I had a basic understanding of technology, but had not really thought about all the ways it can be used in the classroom and had not clue about all the different sites and fun things there are to do with technology. I enjoyed learning about all the different variations for presentations or projects in the class such as Prezi, Storybird, Flipsnack, Vocaroo, etc. This class has really challenged me to think about all the ways I can incorporate technology into my class and the many different variations I can use to make it more engaging and exciting.

Before this class I had never heard of NETS, but now feel like I am fairly familiar with all of them. I have used each of them at some point throughout the semester, but I think the two I am most familiar with are 1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. and 2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

Overall, this class has been a valuable learning experience and I am excited for all the ways I can incorporate technology into my class and make it more engaging and a more effective learning experience for my students.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Week 15

I found a geography lesson where the teacher was planning on having her classroom Skype students from other elementary schools and having them talk about what life is like for them where live. Especially in regards to how geography, such as wheat fields and farms or other things impact their life. I thought this was a neat idea that helps students see not only pictures of different geographical areas, but also talk with students who live there and see how the different geography impacts their life. I would love to use this in my classroom and have my students predict how they think the geographical differences would impact the other classes and then ask and see if their predictions were correct.

Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:

interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.

contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:

a.	apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
b.	create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
c.	use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
d.	identify trends and forecast possibilities.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Reflection 12

While working on a lesson plan for a class I came across this website called Education World. I did not have time to look at all the things the have there, but one resource I found were hundreds of free downloadable templates to use in your classroom. From calendars, to parent newsletters, coloring sheets, and all sorts of other templates that could be used in the classroom. Here is the link if anyone wants to check it out.
http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/index.shtml#miscellaneous

Reflection 11

I recently had the touch screen on my phone break and had only had the phone for about a year and a half. It seems like each new phone I get breaks quicker and quicker. It makes me wonder that although the technology is getting fancier and more advanced, if the quality is dropping or harder to sustain because it is so fancy. Or maybe it is just a trick from the phone company to make you buy a new phone more often.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Reflection 10

Today in one of my classes we had to create a newsletter of sorts to send home to parents and just for logistics of this class made it on paper with markers. It made me think about how thankful I am for technology and that I can create something like this on the computer so it looks nice to send home to parents because I cannot draw at all.

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