Final Post

In our world today, one blink of the eye and there is some new gadget or program that involves technology. Our society is growing up in the age of technology and the generations behind us will grow up with more technology surrounding them. Even if we are not technology or computer teachers we are teachers and have the responsibility still to educate our students and prepare them for the outside world. Therefore I believe that it is very important to incorporate technology into my classroom.  I can do this through projects and having the students use technology and even through lessons by having myself demonstrate using technology. Students do not always need to be hands on but just be exposed to it at the very least. By incorporating technology myself and the students are following the growing age and always learning new skills that can be helpful and make tasks easier. it also allows use t be creative. We are all growing with skills as technology grows and changes. Yet, that can also be a challenge. With the rapid pace of technology sometimes it may be hard to keep up. I can vividly remember always using PowerPoint presentations and then a couple years go by and PowerPoint seems so out of date compared to all the new software. I felt like I missed a decade and would never learn how to use any of the new technologies. I was to the point I did not want an iphone because it could do to much. But never the less I did learn new software and I did get an iphone and I am comfortable using them all. I am thankful to take this class because I felt like I am up to date with all the new technologies although I know for certain I am not, but I did acquire a new handful of useful skills that I can use in my teaching Cabrera. I also appreciate technology much more than I did and am no longer intimidated by it. I learned so much and I am so glad I needed to take this class for my major because I acquired many new useful and helpful skills that will help me and benefit me in my career before during and after.

Examples of Electronic Portfolios

http://www.teachtech.ilstu.edu/resources/teachTopics/tips/kmckinne.php#tmat- good example
This is an example of a good electronic portfolio. In this portfolio Kathleen McKinney includes her philosophy, responsibility/involvement with students, materials, student outcomes, evaluation, teaching awards, and publications. She includes all things that should be included in a portfolio.If a person were to look at this portfolio they would be able to see how she teaches and what she is recognized for.

http://www.teachtech.ilstu.edu/resources/teachTopics/tips/cdhorva.php-bad example
Christopher D. Horvath's portfolio is not a terrible example but it is missing some crucial things that should be included in a portfolio. He does include his philosophy, responsibility and a thing that McKinney did not include his improvements. he did not include though something I believe is very crucial to have in a portfolio the materials and student outcomes. Examples of lessons and how the students are evaluated are a part of the portfolio that should be included because it allows people to see your work and how you conduct your teaching.

Copyright

All through out middle school and high school my teachers have shown us videos for either a related topic of study or just because it was before a break or the ap exam was over. For example we watch black hawk down in ap us history. We were not studying or even studied the war in the middle east, however it was just the video that the whole class picked to watch. Also before spring break in psychology we watched Forest Gump and then to fill up the rest of the days after we took our final we watched The Simpson episodes. The Simpsons were clearly not related to any course of study. As teachers I do believe that it is our responsibility to teach copyright laws the the students. We can do this by assigning a activity like incorporating a video into a lesson and also just playing a game like jeopardy where there are clips of music. As a history teacher I could also incorporate a court case concerning copyright when and if I am teaching a decade.

Video Scenario

Content Area: US History-Civil War
Project: Interview with a Famous Civil War Figure
Age: 9th grade
Preparations: In order to prepare for this project about four classes would be designated to preparing the project. During this time I would instruct the students on how to use the video camera as well as movie maker. I would also use this time to explain the project to them and the requirements that are needed. I would also split them up into groups of four and let them to pick their person of interest based on picking numbers out of a hat.
Time line: The students would have to conduct and set up an interview of a famous figure who took part in the Civil War.They can ask questions about life, duty, family members, etc. Students may act as the person, interviewer, the person's wife, husband, children and or family members. Every student must have some part. The camera, movie maker, tripod and microphone will be provided by the teacher. Two classes would be designated to planning the script by finding information if need be and planning the outline of the interviews as well as the costumes. The students would need to turn in the script, time line of the shooting and the costume list at the end of the class period.  After the two days the students will start shooting. two whole class periods devoted to shooting. The after the shooting there would be two days in the lab where students could edit their movie. most likely they would need to work after school  and are allowed to to finish. One day will then be devoted to watching the interviews
Challenges: Some challenges that might occur is the time frame, so students will not be able to accomplish all the work in the planned time frame, but to try and accommodate that work for this project may be done outside of class. Also allowing students to shoot during class means that I will have to have enough trust in my students to know that they will shoot during the two days and not just mess around. Time frame though should help that a bit. Also there are also computer problems so making sure I am prepared for the unforeseen problems.

Video Project

Overall I was very pleased and enjoyed the video project. I liked the fact that we were able to use the different music to tell the story and did not need to use any dialogue. We did however have to cut a good deal of film in order to fit in the time limit so probably if we were to do this project again think of something that we could easily do in a small amount of time. Yet, overall I feel that it was very successful. From doing this project I can take away the sole fact that I am able to use a video camera and use movie maker. By obtaining these skills I am able to create simple little movies for class and also assign projects that allow my students to create their own.

EDU 350 Video

How to Switch Roommates 350 Video

Week Six Blog Post- Interactive Whiteboards

Before using an interactive whiteboard I was very timid about it and very confused as well. I felt as though I would never get the hang of it and therefore have so any excellent teaching aids passe me by and I would be at a disadvantage. However after doing my smart board lesson all of those fears and nervous feelings are gone.  I now feel that the smart board is an excellent way to enhance teaching and I plan to use it for some of my future lessons. It is a great way to get students to interact with the lesson and therefore be present for it both in state and in mind.
I also had the fear that I would not be able to learn how to use the interactive whiteboard, however I was wrong. After being walked through it I caught in to all the different ways to create pages and add games and pictures. I was not as difficult as I expected it would be.
I am a big fan of the interactive whiteboard. Some pros to having it in the classroom is that the teacher is able to incorporate the students, have the students be engaged and possible volunteer more. I also captures the students rather than a boring old chalk board and just writing down things that are on it. It is also more exciting than a simple PowerPoint. Some cons though are that some lessons will not always need the smart board as an aid and we cannot always be dependent  on technology.
Thinking back to my previous lessons I would have used the smart board. I always do a warm-up and a worksheet that goes along with the lesson. With the smart board the warm-up can be more inviting and it is easier to guide the students through the worksheet with the help of the smart board.

Week 5 Blog Post- Software Skills

I am glad that the time was taken to be taught how to use the software and also to demonstrate the skills which we acquired. All of the software skills are very beneficial to me and I now have the confidence as well to make an effective and an engaging worksheet, test, hand-out and so on. The software skills that I feel will be most beneficial to me are inspiration and word. I like that I can make charts on inspiration which I can make cause and effect charts, different branches of government and other social studies topics. Of course this could always be hand drawn but with inspiration it is neat and organized and help the students that are visual. Word I can make quick quizzes that are neat and organized and simple to asses my students. These software skills will aid me as a teacher they will allow me to be creative and produce effective items, whether it is a test, flyer or hand-out. I now have the tools to produce something of quality.

Week 4 Blog Post- Inspiration and Web Resources

Through-out my middle school and high school career I have only seen one teacher use Inspiration. This was my 7th grade social studies teacher. Yet, I feel that other teachers could have used this program and seen beneficial results. Once I am a teacher I plan on using Inspiration in my classroom. My 7th grade teacher used it to get the class to brainstorm the main ideas for a chapter before we started it. He would have a different student make the organizer and type the information in each time. I like this idea and would continue it in my classroom. I would also use it to organize the causes and events in history, for example the causes and effects that sparked the American Revolution. It is organized and clear rather than the information just in notes on a notebook sheet. Use inspiration as a chart and give it as a hand-out. When papers are assigned, making an outline of it in inspiration can be worth credit toward the paper and have them hand it in when the paper is due. After a chapter is completed the class can review by discussing the main events. Like the pre chapter organizer a different student will be the one behind the computer. When discussing different type of government or even our own government the different branches and duties and responsibilities can be hard to grasp and remember, but Inspiration can organize the information and clearly show the duties and responsibilities of each branch. There are always famous people in history. A chart can be made to highlight important one in the chapter and explain their accomplishments or contribution.Students can use it to break-down the duties of a group project and make sure that everyone will make a contribution. They can make a diagram and hand it in for extra credit during a chapter. I can be used to see how a chapter will be broken down and taught. With the sections and activities that will be done. An students can also use it to take notes and then change it to an outline form to study. These are a few ideas for Inspiration to be used in a classroom.

My favorite web resource was Rubistar. I used it in my Secondary Methods class last semester after a friend showed it to me. In history there will be presentations and papers, as a result there will be a rubric. Therefore I will be using Rubistar to create the rubrics. I love how it is easy to use Rubistar and the templates. All you have to do is tweak them a little but to create your own. With the assignment of oral and group projects and papers I will always need a rubric in order to grade them.It will allow the students to see the important areas and it will make my job to grade easy as well. Instead of looking at a paper and worrying if I graded one student to hard or one to easy.Which is a worry that I had while completing my early field experience.I really like Rubistar.

Week 3 Post- Social Bookmarking

When I first heard about Social Bookmarking I had no idea what it was and I must admit after seeing what it was I was a bit overwhelmed by it. However after letting it sink in for a few days I had a flood of ideas about it and how I could use in the classroom. It has an application in every classroom, probably more in the middle high school but still in the elementary schools. As a secondary history teacher I would use Social Bookmarking to post sites for the students that would be beneficial for research, extra readings, places for homework, and sites that they can go to to study for tests. I would use it to benefit the students. I would also encourage the students to create their own page as well. They could put up sites that they found beneficial to them so that other students in the classroom could explore it for themselves and see if it suites them as well. I would also post up lesson plans or ideas about activities. In turn I would hope that other teachers would also Social Bookmark  and put up some sites that they have found about activities and lessons.
Social Bookmarking can also be helpful to me now. If I am working on a group project and research is being conducted on the internet then the members of a group could post up sites that they found with good and valuable information. Also I as a student could post up sites where their are practice problems or more information regarding a class to help others, and any other student could this as well. these are no the only potions for Social Bookmarking but these are the ideas that popped into my head on how it could be beneficial.

Week 2 Blog Post

This is the first time every that I had used a blog, let alone even looking at a blog. When I think of how I could use blogs in my classroom one main idea pops into my head. I would use a blog to give an overview or preview of the class and the lessons. For example if we are going to be starting a new chapter I would post a mini paragraph explaining what the new chapter will be about along with the main ideas. I would also post what the class will consist of. If we have a work sheet that is due or post the main points that we will be discussing.I would basically use it to help prepare the class and hopefully incorporate more participation the following day. The advantages of using technology in the classroom are it provides the ability for everyone to participate and the more technology is used the better skills will be developed, therefore producing r more essential and point driven activities and projects, yet, a disadvantage is that technology is not always reliable.

After playing around with Goggle Apps today I must say that I am a fan. The advantages of using Google apps is that it is much easier to create a group project. With this app people can add in their ideas and work without the constant sending and returning of emails. Another advantage is that it doe not require hardware or software it is free. Also it provides many options that can be helpful, such as word documents, spreadsheets, calendars, etc. Disadvantages of Goggle apps are that some other software is more advanced or is better suited for certain function or programs that Google apps include, but that is the only big disadvantage that pops into my head.