WHAT:
This week in class we started learning about UEN and some of the features that it provides for teachers and students. We created a UEN account and started a personal and a public page.
SO WHAT:
To be honest, I'm still a little unsure how UEN will be a benefit to me in my life. I know that on the main website you can do searches. I know that there is access to distance education, which I did use last semester, but it was from the TV channel and not the website. I am sure that there are many more uses that would be a benefit for me, and I'm hoping that when we continue this subject next week in class and as I use the website, that I will learn more about the benefits.
NOW WHAT:
The one thing that I think is really cool that I learned this week in class, is how a teacher can use UEN to have students do research for projects. I think it is a great idea, to be able to give a topic that has to be researched, and then give a safe place for students to search for information. As a teacher, I can see how that could be really useful. It could be used for projects and research papers. Parents would love the idea of having a safe place for their students to do searches, and may feel more comfortable knowing that their student is on a safe website.
I look forward, this week, to finding out more about the positive uses of UEN, and how it will benefit me as a teacher.
VIDEO:
I watched President Obamas speech back in September, and watching it again this week, I have the same reaction. I'm sure that there was probably some political agenda involved in some way, but regardless, I think he gave a great speech. I think it was uplifting and positive, which every student needs to hear. I thought it was great how he encouraged students to take responsibility for themselves. I think, whatever your political opinion, that it is important to listen to the President, and teach students to be respectful of the office, and I think it is just as important for the President to show respect to the students. He did a good thing by motivating them and telling them that he cares about them and that he expects them to do good things. By speaking to students he showed that he believes education is important, and that can only be good for our country, our teachers and our students.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
REFLECTION #3
WHAT:
In class we continued our introduction to Google. We talked about spreadsheets and their many uses. We learned how to create a form and we learned how to use Google Presentation to create a slide show.
SO WHAT:
I like the spread sheet option. I used Excel quite a bit just in my everyday life. I use it to track expenses, and income and balance my check book. What's great is that Google spreadsheet is just like Excel. I can use formulas, I can keep track of things from year to year and compare them, and Google spread sheet has that same benefit as Google doc in that it can be brought up on any computer. I can see how this feature, like Google Calendar, could help keep my family up to date.
The Google presentation feature is very cool and a little overwhelming for me. I haven't ever made a power point so I was a little nervous. However, I really like it and I as I learn more about how to use it, I think it will really be a benefit to me. I could see how it could help in preparing school assignments or presentations. It would be great if I had to give a presentation at work. It would even help if I had to give some kind of presentation at church. I'm thinking maybe I'll even make a presentation of rules for my kids. When they are misbehaving I can say, "Hey! Go watch the rules slide show." :) The one thing I don't really understand, is how to run the slide show, so a large group could view it. I guess you would have to have some kind of connection.
NOW WHAT:
Hopefully, my classroom would have that kind of a connection. That way, when I prepared a presentation on my computer, I could then have it viewed on a screen up in front of the class. If it did have that capability, I think I would use Google Presentation quite a bit in my classroom. I could teach new subjects with it. I could use it for reminders, or schedules of the day. I could even teach the students how to make their own presentation. It would be so easy for them to start a project at school, work on it at home, and show me the finished product at school. Because it is on the internet, there is no need for saving things, or transferring information. I think it is fantastic that everything you do is just there and ready to be edited at your convenience. This and Google Doc would be great tools to use in any classroom.
Using the spreadsheet feature is really handy as well. As a teacher I could use it to keep track of grades and track progress. I could use it to keep information handy. It would be great because you could have information for every student on one page, or one page for each student with different information. If all of the teachers in the school were willing to use it, then we could track student progress from year to year as well.
I think the form feature is a good feature, but I would have to play with it a little more to decide whether I would use it more or not. Teachers send home forms all of the time for students, so I know it could be really handy. If you had a lot of tech savvy parents who were willing to get on a computer and fill out a form then that would be great. Most probably would be fine with it. I anticiapte that some parents would prefer the old-fasion way. But I do love that the option is there, and I also love that using it would save trees!
VIDEO:
I loved this weeks video, I am what I learn! The filming was so creative. It really kept me watching, to see what the kid was going to do next, as he walked through the house and signed things. I loved when he took a drink and told the kid to get 'get out of here'. He was very confident and sure of himself, and he had a great attitude. Not only was the filming idea great, but his message was wonderful. I like how he talked about how careers in the arts (like film directing) and sports need an education as well. I think a lot of times kids think some kinds of jobs don't require an education. I think this movie reminds us that no matter what dream you have or what career you are choosing, you should seek an education first. That getting a good education will only help you on your way.
In class we continued our introduction to Google. We talked about spreadsheets and their many uses. We learned how to create a form and we learned how to use Google Presentation to create a slide show.
SO WHAT:
I like the spread sheet option. I used Excel quite a bit just in my everyday life. I use it to track expenses, and income and balance my check book. What's great is that Google spreadsheet is just like Excel. I can use formulas, I can keep track of things from year to year and compare them, and Google spread sheet has that same benefit as Google doc in that it can be brought up on any computer. I can see how this feature, like Google Calendar, could help keep my family up to date.
The Google presentation feature is very cool and a little overwhelming for me. I haven't ever made a power point so I was a little nervous. However, I really like it and I as I learn more about how to use it, I think it will really be a benefit to me. I could see how it could help in preparing school assignments or presentations. It would be great if I had to give a presentation at work. It would even help if I had to give some kind of presentation at church. I'm thinking maybe I'll even make a presentation of rules for my kids. When they are misbehaving I can say, "Hey! Go watch the rules slide show." :) The one thing I don't really understand, is how to run the slide show, so a large group could view it. I guess you would have to have some kind of connection.
NOW WHAT:
Hopefully, my classroom would have that kind of a connection. That way, when I prepared a presentation on my computer, I could then have it viewed on a screen up in front of the class. If it did have that capability, I think I would use Google Presentation quite a bit in my classroom. I could teach new subjects with it. I could use it for reminders, or schedules of the day. I could even teach the students how to make their own presentation. It would be so easy for them to start a project at school, work on it at home, and show me the finished product at school. Because it is on the internet, there is no need for saving things, or transferring information. I think it is fantastic that everything you do is just there and ready to be edited at your convenience. This and Google Doc would be great tools to use in any classroom.
Using the spreadsheet feature is really handy as well. As a teacher I could use it to keep track of grades and track progress. I could use it to keep information handy. It would be great because you could have information for every student on one page, or one page for each student with different information. If all of the teachers in the school were willing to use it, then we could track student progress from year to year as well.
I think the form feature is a good feature, but I would have to play with it a little more to decide whether I would use it more or not. Teachers send home forms all of the time for students, so I know it could be really handy. If you had a lot of tech savvy parents who were willing to get on a computer and fill out a form then that would be great. Most probably would be fine with it. I anticiapte that some parents would prefer the old-fasion way. But I do love that the option is there, and I also love that using it would save trees!
VIDEO:
I loved this weeks video, I am what I learn! The filming was so creative. It really kept me watching, to see what the kid was going to do next, as he walked through the house and signed things. I loved when he took a drink and told the kid to get 'get out of here'. He was very confident and sure of himself, and he had a great attitude. Not only was the filming idea great, but his message was wonderful. I like how he talked about how careers in the arts (like film directing) and sports need an education as well. I think a lot of times kids think some kinds of jobs don't require an education. I think this movie reminds us that no matter what dream you have or what career you are choosing, you should seek an education first. That getting a good education will only help you on your way.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
REFLECTION #2
WHAT:
This week in class we learned about some of the great things that Google has to offer. They were iGoogle, Google Calendar and Google Docs. They have many great features, but one of the best ones is that they are free if you have access to the internet.
SO WHAT:
One of the first things that I thought would be the most benefit to me in using these tools, is that they are available anywhere that you have access to a computer. Unless you have a laptop, it is hard to do work at home and then try to bring it to school and use the computer lab. You can transport the information on a flash drive but you take the chance of losing the information, or not having what you need saved on it. Google Doc especially is nice because not only is what you are working on there and saved, but being able to work with others on the same document is very nice. It could save me time with group projects because you don't necessarily have to meet as a group face to face. This is particularly appealing for me right now, because I am not at UVU except for when I have class, and because of my family and other commitments, it is hard for me to be at the school more than I am. This could make group projects very difficult for me, but with Google Doc I don't have to worry about that as much. It really helps to reduce some stress.
I love the Google Calendar feature as well. I could see how my husband and I could easily coordinate our schedule. It is difficult for us to be on the same page some times because we are coming and going and we have different things that we are involved with right now. The family calendar, with my schedule, my husbands schedule, and our three kids schedule, is very full. If he and I used Google Calendar we could both be up to date all of the time, and we wouldn't have to be at home to check things, but could just jump on the computer and look it up. I love that idea. I'm still unsure about using Google calendar for other things, like family reunions. I guess the one disadvantage is that everyone that you need to coordiante with would have to have a Google account or Gmail account. Some people are unwilling to change. Like me, I would never had switched from Yahoo, had I not been required in this course, which is sad because I would have really missed out on some great features.
NOW WHAT:
I definatelty think that using these tools from Google will help as a teacher in the future. Having the same home page through iGoogle, both at home and in the classroom, could save time. Teachers are always short on time. They have so much to do in the day and so many students and parents to think of. Not only that, but they have their own lives and familys and schedules as well. The calendar will be a great tool as well, for keeping things organized. As a teacher, I would use these tools to keep myself on schedule. If my colleagues were willing, we could use Google Calendar to keep our team organized and to keep our schedules in line as much as we needed to. I think these are great features that could benefit me as a teacher if I implemented them.
Choosing to use the other two features is great and could give some benefits, but I think you could get by without them if you needed to. I don't think that is so with Google Doc. I feel like it would really make a team of teachers better if they chose to use and share with this program. Being able to access other information and ideas from teachers in my department and school will save time and stress. It will allow me to be a better teacher, and it will allow all of the teachers on my team and in my school to be better because we will be working together. Also, it will be so fun to teach students how to use this feature. As a teacher of a lower grade, like 2nd grade, I might not require them to do a group project with Google Doc, but I would like them to use it and see how it works. This way, when they get into the upper grades and are required to do a project, they would already have seen it. Plus, I'm 34 now and I got all excited when my document was edited right there in front of me. It was fun, and I know that 7 and 8 year olds would think that was AWESOME!
VIDEO:
I enjoyed the video clip I am what I learn. I think that the young lady who made the video is talented, and that she not only told us that film was her passion, but showed us that passion as well, in her video. I liked how she first talked about what her passion was, and that she wanted to do something with her life. It was after that, when she told about the hard things that she was going through. She is not letting those hardships define who she is. I think she is a great example to other students who also might have difficult circumstances, that they can still have a dream and a desire to do something with their lives. The video would be a great motivator for students. I wonder if you can show things like this in the classroom, or maybe you have to get permission from the principal. I don't know what the rules are on that, but it would be great to be able to show a clip in class that would motivate students to be better, and to do their best instead of making excuses to why they can't.
This week in class we learned about some of the great things that Google has to offer. They were iGoogle, Google Calendar and Google Docs. They have many great features, but one of the best ones is that they are free if you have access to the internet.
SO WHAT:
One of the first things that I thought would be the most benefit to me in using these tools, is that they are available anywhere that you have access to a computer. Unless you have a laptop, it is hard to do work at home and then try to bring it to school and use the computer lab. You can transport the information on a flash drive but you take the chance of losing the information, or not having what you need saved on it. Google Doc especially is nice because not only is what you are working on there and saved, but being able to work with others on the same document is very nice. It could save me time with group projects because you don't necessarily have to meet as a group face to face. This is particularly appealing for me right now, because I am not at UVU except for when I have class, and because of my family and other commitments, it is hard for me to be at the school more than I am. This could make group projects very difficult for me, but with Google Doc I don't have to worry about that as much. It really helps to reduce some stress.
I love the Google Calendar feature as well. I could see how my husband and I could easily coordinate our schedule. It is difficult for us to be on the same page some times because we are coming and going and we have different things that we are involved with right now. The family calendar, with my schedule, my husbands schedule, and our three kids schedule, is very full. If he and I used Google Calendar we could both be up to date all of the time, and we wouldn't have to be at home to check things, but could just jump on the computer and look it up. I love that idea. I'm still unsure about using Google calendar for other things, like family reunions. I guess the one disadvantage is that everyone that you need to coordiante with would have to have a Google account or Gmail account. Some people are unwilling to change. Like me, I would never had switched from Yahoo, had I not been required in this course, which is sad because I would have really missed out on some great features.
NOW WHAT:
I definatelty think that using these tools from Google will help as a teacher in the future. Having the same home page through iGoogle, both at home and in the classroom, could save time. Teachers are always short on time. They have so much to do in the day and so many students and parents to think of. Not only that, but they have their own lives and familys and schedules as well. The calendar will be a great tool as well, for keeping things organized. As a teacher, I would use these tools to keep myself on schedule. If my colleagues were willing, we could use Google Calendar to keep our team organized and to keep our schedules in line as much as we needed to. I think these are great features that could benefit me as a teacher if I implemented them.
Choosing to use the other two features is great and could give some benefits, but I think you could get by without them if you needed to. I don't think that is so with Google Doc. I feel like it would really make a team of teachers better if they chose to use and share with this program. Being able to access other information and ideas from teachers in my department and school will save time and stress. It will allow me to be a better teacher, and it will allow all of the teachers on my team and in my school to be better because we will be working together. Also, it will be so fun to teach students how to use this feature. As a teacher of a lower grade, like 2nd grade, I might not require them to do a group project with Google Doc, but I would like them to use it and see how it works. This way, when they get into the upper grades and are required to do a project, they would already have seen it. Plus, I'm 34 now and I got all excited when my document was edited right there in front of me. It was fun, and I know that 7 and 8 year olds would think that was AWESOME!
VIDEO:
I enjoyed the video clip I am what I learn. I think that the young lady who made the video is talented, and that she not only told us that film was her passion, but showed us that passion as well, in her video. I liked how she first talked about what her passion was, and that she wanted to do something with her life. It was after that, when she told about the hard things that she was going through. She is not letting those hardships define who she is. I think she is a great example to other students who also might have difficult circumstances, that they can still have a dream and a desire to do something with their lives. The video would be a great motivator for students. I wonder if you can show things like this in the classroom, or maybe you have to get permission from the principal. I don't know what the rules are on that, but it would be great to be able to show a clip in class that would motivate students to be better, and to do their best instead of making excuses to why they can't.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
REFLECTION #1: My Ideal Classroom
The ideal classroom for me is a 2nd grade class in a typical American elementary school. It would be the kind of school where the principal is kind to students and staff and involved and approachable. It would be the kind of school where staff and teachers work together, our open to new ideas and who listen without beind defensive and try each day to become better for their students and for themselves. It would not be a perfect school. There would be challenges and difficulties but the teachers, students and parents would work together to get through those challenges so that they could learn. Overcoming challenges would make the students and the school stronger. It would be the kind of school where parents would not only have the desire to be involved but would take action on that desire. They would volunteer in the classroom, they would be involved with the PTA, and they would help their children both in and out of school to succeed academically. My ideal classroom would be full of light. I love light and the feelings that it gives. There would a wall or maybe two walls filled with windows that let in natural light. Those windows would have automatic shades that could be drawn at the push of a button to allow less light as needed. I love organization. My ideal classroom would be filled with colorful cupboards, cabinets, shelves, and drawers. They would be labeled and neatly arranged so students could easily find what they need and then return things to the correct place when done. Each student would have a desk with space that was their own. Giving students their own space will help them feel like they belong and that the classroom is theirs too. The students would use their desks for some work and then their would also be an area with a round or kidney bean table for group work. There would be another group work area that would be comfortable, with a nice rug and bean bag or other soft chairs for group work and reading. There would be a technology corner with a couple of computers, a TV and DVD set up and a CD player for listening to books on tape and other audio. My ideal classroom would have a great teacher work area with plenty of space and organizational tools. In my ideal classroom all students would feel not only welcome but needed. They would be able to leave the worries that they have at home and outside of school at the door. They would come into a classroom where they are important, and where they are expected to be responsible. They would be accountable for their choices and would see consequences for both good and bad choices. There would be routines and rules that need to be followed and their would be rewards for obedience and good behavior. There would be a lot of work. They would have to learn the core curriculum, but I would teach in many different ways so that each student could be successful. I would work together with my team, my students and my parents so that all of my students would learn the things that they needed to and so that they could see that they were successful and feel proud of themselves and of our class.
Video:
I enjoyed the video Do you believe in me. My very first thought was who wrote that speech for this kid, because I don't believe that he wrote it. But, whether he wrote it or not, he did a great job delivering it. He was vocal and animated and very entertaining to watch. It made me smile to watch him walk around that stage shouting "Do you believe...". It was a wonderful motivational speech. He made me really want to do better, and I'm not even a teacher yet. I'm sure that being in the audience was even more powerful and hopefully it really encouraged the school staff and teachers to want to be better for themselves, their students, and their colleagues. My favorite part was him talking about how he needed them to believe in him and in his classmates, because sometimes that is all they have. I was even a little teary eyed, especially when he said that they were doing the most important job in the city and they were making a difference for those students. I thought it was well worth it to watch that clip.
Video:
I enjoyed the video Do you believe in me. My very first thought was who wrote that speech for this kid, because I don't believe that he wrote it. But, whether he wrote it or not, he did a great job delivering it. He was vocal and animated and very entertaining to watch. It made me smile to watch him walk around that stage shouting "Do you believe...". It was a wonderful motivational speech. He made me really want to do better, and I'm not even a teacher yet. I'm sure that being in the audience was even more powerful and hopefully it really encouraged the school staff and teachers to want to be better for themselves, their students, and their colleagues. My favorite part was him talking about how he needed them to believe in him and in his classmates, because sometimes that is all they have. I was even a little teary eyed, especially when he said that they were doing the most important job in the city and they were making a difference for those students. I thought it was well worth it to watch that clip.
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