My Beliefs

I feel that technology is so import to incorporate into a classroom. On the other hand I was students to be able to think for themselves as well and not lean on technology and use it as a crutch. I think that including technology in the classroom will continue to be more of a necessity and will benefit the student in the years to come. And it is important that I, as the teacher, am up to date and aware of all that is available to me. I think that not only will it help the students and prepare them for the future, but it also makes learning fun. Incorparating new technologies makes a boring research paper fun and when the student is enjoying themselves then they are more likely to get something out of it rather than just fulfill the requirement.

On the other hand, I feel that sometimes students will hide behind this new technology. Students need to learn to balance technology with face-to-face interaction. In the "real world" students will be required at some point or anther to work with other people in some way, that is why I feel that that interaction with others is important. I feel that there is a balance that needs to be met when it comes to incorporating technology in a classroom.

With this new wave of information also comes it's risks. Internet research has brought a whole new set of challenges to teachers. As a history teacher, research is something that needs to be taught at the beginning of a course. This now world of technology now makes research so much simpler for students. However, students also need to be taught about what is a reliable source. If these rules of reliable sources are taught early then including technology in research will make a large research project seem a lot less daunting and more of a fun activity for the students and they in return may enjoy learning about something that without this technology may have lost interest in at the start of the project.

Lessons Learned

I think that the biggest lesson that I learned is how much there really is that is available to students now a days concerning technology. The resources seem to be endless. I remember when I was in high school and I was assigned a research paper, my resources were limited to a short time spent in the library where there were only a few books on obscure topics and the encyclopedia set that my parents had at home. Today research is at the touch of a button.

There was one video that I watched that gave statics of technology today, the question was asked "where would we be without Google?" How true this is! Research has already been done. Now students need to sift through this research and find what works for there needs and learn from that. There is no need to "reinvent the wheel". The problem now is teaching students where to find credible resources on the internet.

Strengths & Weaknesses

I feel that when it comes to technology I have many weaknesses. The fact is is that a lot of in depth technology is very new to me. Before I took this class my knowledge on technology was limited to practically only Google research and email. When I was in high school we still hand wrote our papers out and now everything is done on the computer. Instead of reading a book version of the encyclopedia it's all on the inter net now. I need to learn so much to more for technology to be effectively used in my classroom

I feel that a strength I have is that I want to learn so much more about technology so that I can use it more often in my classroom. There is so much that is available to help one learn to become better. The online tutorial are endless that will help you with internet research and even tutorial with computer terminology. Both are so important and I plan to do partake of to better myself. I wish to a great asset to my students and by becoming more technologically incline is the best way to star.

Digital Camera/Picasa Collage

April 6 - Internet Safety and Cyber Ethics

What:

This past class period we learned about different areas of Internet Safety such as: Sexting, Cyber Bulling and Cyber Ethics.

So What:

For me as a student this is something that I need to be aware of so that I am properly trained in dealing with when I face it in the classroom as a teacher. I think that these topics need to be taught to prospective teachers because for the most part these were not necessarily issues when I was in high school but they are very real issues now. I need to learn about these different areas so that I most importantly know what they are and how to identify a problem when it arises.

Now What:

For me as a teacher, I need to be on the look-out for these kinds of situations. Like I mentioned earlier, these were not issues when I was in high school but for the kids now it is. Teachers need to not only make sure they know about these issues when they arise, they need to know how to contact the parents and proper authorities when needed. This is also bigger then just the classroom. I believe that school should be teaching the parents about what kinds of things they need to look out for at home. The is is that most kids spend more time in the classrooms with teachers then they do at home with their families. Often times parents have no idea what kinds of things their child is up to when they leave the house every morning. I think that if we not only educate the student but educate the parents as well then all will benefit. The line between the students school life and private/personal life is such a thin line. That is why incorporating all who are involved in the student's life will create a positive learning environment for the student both at home and in the classroom.

23 March - Digital Story

What:

This project was to create a digital story that answered a particular question pertaining to our different content areas.

So What:

This is a great tool for doing something creative with the research that has been collected. In general this is a great way for teachers to share their ideas with each other as well. This type of project can be used in so many different capacities.

Now What:

I really enjoyed completing this assignment. This is something that intend to bring into my own classroom. In history we spend so much time researching different topics and if students are simple asked to write paper after paper then they get bored and get less out of it. Having them do something like a digital story will help them put the history that they have learned into action. Essentially, they are bringing history alive. Students only tend to pay attention to information that they can relate to or/and they are enjoying learning.

This is also a great way to bring technology into the classroom. The fact is is that our society is going more toward a technology filled life then ever before. When I was in high school I remember when we got our first computer lab in our school. Now something like that pretty much comes standard. Some classrooms themselves come supplied with enough laptops for everyone in the class. This is such a great opportunity for students to learn about these kinds of technological advancements. This will in turn help prepare them for the ever-changing "real world"

This would also be a great opportunity to unite the department. Often times there are multiple teachers teaching the same subject. This way the teachers would be able to compare and contrast where in the unit each classes are. The teachers would be able to see whether or not they have truly understood the content that was being taught.

2 March - Digital Story part 1

What:

We learned how to create a digital story to use in several different capacities in our classrooms. We learned how to add narration as well as much to add to the emotional effect of the stories.

So What:

This is an excellent way for me as a student to be able to prepare my history projects in a fun and dramatic way. I really liked how in the examples that we saw there was so much emotions that was conveyed. This is a great way for anyone's story to be told.

Now What:

I am looking forward to completing my own digital story. I am very much looking forward to doing this assignment either in my class or for my class. I think that this would be a great way to bring technology into the classroom. If it fit into the curriculum schedule and the tools were available I would love to have my students create a digital story of their own. A story like this require a lot of research with is an important tool for students to learn.