What?
I am creating my own site! The process is not confusing or overwhelming and it is totally free.
So What?
Creating my own website is something I thought was completely beyond me. My father was a computer programmer. I remember going to visit his place of work as a child and seeing the huge VAX computers he worked on. I remember him showing me the code he wrote. Talk about confusing. The idea that I need to be technologically hooked up in order to be an effective teacher, is honestly one that worried me. So far this semester we have not done anything that is difficult to grasp or that I couldn't see fitting into my teaching.
Now What?
The video "Pay Attention" gave me a lot to ponder. It is very sobering for me to realize that if I do not take the opportunity to incorporate technology into my teaching, my students could see me (and by extension my subject matter) as outdated and irrelevant to their lives. I think that the creation of a classroom site is a great idea. The majority of my students will have access to the Internet at home. I love that I can post information there about assignments and avoid students saying that they didn't know what was happening. A website is also a wonderful way of keeping parents informed. Having the parents know what is happening/what is expected will be a great asset.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
25 January - Google Part 1
What?
The many and varied ways to use the services offered by google on the internet. We are also finding some of the awesome free resources out here on the web.
So What?
This means that I can now be driven insane no matter where I am or what time of day/night it is. I say insane because up until recently I was not riding the technology train. I used google.docs last semester in two of my classes and I had issues with it. I was used to using word and so there was an adjustment period. That wasn't so bad but working with someone who was viewing what I was writing as I was writing it was something I did not like. It's like the computer had eyes, it was/is intimidating. Also, the other editors of documents I was working on could change or erase my work without my consent or knowledge. It also took away from the people factor. If I am working with someone in person I can read their body language but if it is over the internet Idon't have that ability. Honestly, I miss that. My views are not all negative however. I really like the forms option and the translator option in google.docs and I like being able to access my documents/projects from anywere!
Now What?
I plan on implementing google.docs, or whatever the current version of it is, when I start teaching. I believe that introducing my students to google.docs and its functions will do wonders, especially for group assignments. Most kids are on the computer every day at some point. The tools we leaned about today will streamline their homework process, and I am all for that! If I can take some of the obstacles out of the way for my students then that will make it easier for them to succeed. The sites that I found for the Collaborative Educational Websites assignment were really great, in my opinion, and I am sure that everyone else found similar materials. I love that there is so much out there to help me and that a lot of it is free.
The many and varied ways to use the services offered by google on the internet. We are also finding some of the awesome free resources out here on the web.
So What?
This means that I can now be driven insane no matter where I am or what time of day/night it is. I say insane because up until recently I was not riding the technology train. I used google.docs last semester in two of my classes and I had issues with it. I was used to using word and so there was an adjustment period. That wasn't so bad but working with someone who was viewing what I was writing as I was writing it was something I did not like. It's like the computer had eyes, it was/is intimidating. Also, the other editors of documents I was working on could change or erase my work without my consent or knowledge. It also took away from the people factor. If I am working with someone in person I can read their body language but if it is over the internet Idon't have that ability. Honestly, I miss that. My views are not all negative however. I really like the forms option and the translator option in google.docs and I like being able to access my documents/projects from anywere!
Now What?
I plan on implementing google.docs, or whatever the current version of it is, when I start teaching. I believe that introducing my students to google.docs and its functions will do wonders, especially for group assignments. Most kids are on the computer every day at some point. The tools we leaned about today will streamline their homework process, and I am all for that! If I can take some of the obstacles out of the way for my students then that will make it easier for them to succeed. The sites that I found for the Collaborative Educational Websites assignment were really great, in my opinion, and I am sure that everyone else found similar materials. I love that there is so much out there to help me and that a lot of it is free.
Monday, January 17, 2011
18 January - Introduction
My thoughts on beginning this class...
What?
I think the question above basically covers it for me. I generally use a computer for wordprocessing and paying the bills. My sister coerced me into creating a facebook account a couple of years ago that I check maybe once a month.
So What?
I decided to become a teacher last year. Since I started taking classes, I realized that in order to connect to my students I would need to become a lot more computer literate. I started out last semester in Ed Psych. Using google.docs and creating my first blog. I can't say that I am completely comfortable with blogs. Publishing something to the entire world, even though only a select few may ever actually see it, is intimidating to me. I think that something so public should be carefully created and reviewed before it is sent out. I have been told by many that the purpose of a blog is not to create perfection. A blog can be a work in progress. I will continue to remind myself of that.
Now What?
I am excited to access the technology we will be learning about this semester. I just spoke to my little sister, she will turn 20 next month, about her technology use. She told me about her facebook account and how often she uses it and the many varied functions it has. To me it seemed like facebook is a living part of her life. In order to better understand where my future students are coming from, I need to be able to use the technology that is so much a part of their lives. I hope that this class will give me the window I am looking for and also that I can learn helpful ways to make the teaching process more accessible to my future students.
What?
I think the question above basically covers it for me. I generally use a computer for wordprocessing and paying the bills. My sister coerced me into creating a facebook account a couple of years ago that I check maybe once a month.
So What?
I decided to become a teacher last year. Since I started taking classes, I realized that in order to connect to my students I would need to become a lot more computer literate. I started out last semester in Ed Psych. Using google.docs and creating my first blog. I can't say that I am completely comfortable with blogs. Publishing something to the entire world, even though only a select few may ever actually see it, is intimidating to me. I think that something so public should be carefully created and reviewed before it is sent out. I have been told by many that the purpose of a blog is not to create perfection. A blog can be a work in progress. I will continue to remind myself of that.
Now What?
I am excited to access the technology we will be learning about this semester. I just spoke to my little sister, she will turn 20 next month, about her technology use. She told me about her facebook account and how often she uses it and the many varied functions it has. To me it seemed like facebook is a living part of her life. In order to better understand where my future students are coming from, I need to be able to use the technology that is so much a part of their lives. I hope that this class will give me the window I am looking for and also that I can learn helpful ways to make the teaching process more accessible to my future students.
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