Final Media Post

This last week I had the opportunity to learn about and successfully utilize the Podcast; Which is a great way to express what is wanting to be said to your friends, family, teachers, cohorts and everybody else, including those on the web. It was quite fun to do and I think that students would enjoy using the Podcast as a form of homework, in-class assignments, or for communication in general. i like The Black Eyed Peas. I feel that those individuals that have a particular interest in music, gaming, and electronics in general would enjoy this form of technology. Simply because it involves exactly these types of things to create one. It would also be fun for them to experiment with adding music to their voices and other things of that nature. Podcasts can also be utilized for those students who have various disabilities involving reading, spelling and other areas. They're able to express themselves through voice which also takes them to a different place to learn rather than having them do the typical paper and pencil or through a text book.

Through out this semester i have had many opportunities in learning and working with some great technology. It is amazing how many different ways technology can be used in the classroom and in every day life. i am excited to be able to use google sites, pod casts, blogger, emails, web quests, digital stories, excel, power points, vokis, hopefully interactive white boards and many more. I have noticed through out this semester technology can be a lot of fun but at the same time it can very frustrating for those that aren't familiar with all the up grades. It it so important that as teachers we are aware of that and to not over load the way we teach with only technology, because not all students will learn best that way. We have learned ways to use all these different tools of technology in the classroom, we have been able to create things on our own, we were able to apply technology into our lessons and actually teach students with it, we were able to experience how little technology there is in classrooms and in schools, and to be able to be upgraded with the latest technology.

Believe In Me
This video clip was about believing in yourself, believing in your colleagues, your parents, your classmates and pretty much putting your belief in the good of humanity. Children need the support of their adult role models to help them get the proper education and succeed in the work place. For a little boy to stand up and give that kind of speech was very moving in my opinion because it showed that he had all the love and support from his role models that he needed. One of the big things that it showed me was that success comes when there is support, love, and desire is present. It was neat to see someone as little as him with so much power, It was just another example to me of how much one person can do if they put their mind to it. It would be truly amazing if everybody in the world were just like him, in that they had a huge desire to succeed and they followed through with it. I think that this world would be an extremely better place.

Pod Cast

Here is my podcast

Week #13

These past few weeks, there hasn't been much technology use going on, but there has been some communicating through the Internet and writing up papers on google docs. The Internet is a great source of communicating, and for the most part is pretty fast. Being able to communicate in more ways than one is so convenient and helps have things written down and documented. During my Field Experience, our cooperating teacher has been emailing lesson plans, worksheets, links, ideas, and much more for us to have in our future teaching career. It is so great to be able to have them on file, and to also make a hard copy of them just in case. Emailing them to us, instead of finding them in the filing cabinet, making copies, this way just works so much better. Emailing also through this Field Experience has been pretty convenient also, where we didn't see the teachers for three it was a good way to stay in contact. Emailing ideas, worksheets or projects to my colleagues that went well in my classroom is a great way to help other teachers also have great experiences. The other day we needed an immediate answer to a question from one of the UVU instructors so we text messaged them, and got an immediate response, which was so helpful. Emails may take a bit longer, but text messages is a bet faster, and basically does the same thing.

Blogging is also another great way to keep people around you updated, and to send messages, invites, or announcements out to a wide range of people. It's also a great way to post reflections, or learning logs for school, which would be a great idea for younger elementary students to become familiar with. It would be fun to be able to blog some homework or different things through out the week. The kids seem to get more interesting and willing to do the assignments or listen in class if it's just worksheets all day long. Blogging can also be great for journaling, and being able to make a hard copy book of all the yearly events and announcements that were blogged through out that year. Being able to post a Voki onto a post on the blogger was a lot of fun, and made the post a lot of fun. Putting a Voki on the class blog for announcements, would be so fun for the students. You could also do class announcements or an object of a lesson on a Voki to start off the beginning of class is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom, and it's not hard at all.

I hope I have an opportunity to use technology in my classroom, and the students will enjoy the interaction and the excitement it brings. It would also be so nice for schools to get some new technology for the teachers so the students lives can be enriched with technology and so can the teacher as they teach their lessons.

Reflection #12

While doing Field work, I have noticed that a lot of the teachers are still communicating with students through grades on hard copies, and take home notes. It would be so great to see more technology being used, especially from teachers that have been teaching for a while. Not only do the teachers need the update with technology, but so do also the students and parents. There are so many great and effective ways to communicate through technology. There is powerschool, individualized websites, email, and many others. It is also a lot more fun for the students to be introduced to all the technology.

This weekend my husband and I watched LDS conference on the internet, because we were somewhere that didn't have television or cable. It was so great and convenient to be able to still take part in that. The internet is a great source of technology that needs to be used more for teaching tools, and communicating, and discovering. IT seems as though students would get so much more involved in the lessons if they had a chance to do a webquest or research in class. I love the idea of the laptop station for each classroom. It gives every student a chance to use their own computer and have that experience with technology. It seems as though everything is going to start being on computers versus hard copies, so it's great prectice for these younger children.

While teaching our lessons this last week, we did a webquest with our class, and they loved it because it was so interactive and different from what they are use to. Webquests are great for students to get heavily involved in their work, and can explore what they please and learn what is available to them. It is also a fun idea to make one as a class, I think it would get everyone so exciting and they will be learning so much and not even know it. I know as I have done our webquest for class I have learned a ton of stuff but it's been in fun interactive and interesting way. After making one as a class, it's great way to agree as a grade level to have each class make one, and then share them and have each class explore the others. So instead of having just one webquest, each class then has three or four to use for lessons. It's a great way to collaborate with other teachers and classes. While preparing our lessons we also used the internet and sources like UEN for ideas, which was a big help, and helped us make sure we were staying within the curriculum for the students. It was also helpful for the teacher because instead of teaching pointless stuff to the class, we taught stuff they actually need to know.

When I become a teacher I hope to be able to use all the great technology that is out there, it may take some extra money and time to get it, but it's so worth it. Students deserve to learn with technology and now days it's just something they need to know or atleast be introduced to. There are too many great fun and amazing technologies out there that teachers and students aren't using.