Tool of Choice REFLECTION

WHAT?: This week in class we worked on "tool of choice" - this is going to be our final presentation in class. Our assignment is going to be making 2 of the following either: brochure, newsletter, or flyer for our classroom. We can use any tool to create these and then we must put them in PDF format and post them on our UEN "final projects" tab.

SO WHAT?: I really am so glad that we are learning how to publish something into PDF format, because until now I wasn't really sure how to do this. I think that this is going to be essential for me to learn as a teacher, student, or even a colleague because then I am able to turn in assignments/presentations this way.

I think that these three options to make are great learning experiences because not only are we getting practice on how to make them for our real classroom; we are also learning how to use the templates to make these different options. So far in creating this assignment I have had a lot of fun, and I have learned many new things that I know wil come in handy for my future classes and for my future class when I become a teacher.

NOW WHAT?: I think that this technology really is essential to my future, because as a teacher/colleague I will be able to make these different forms and use them in my classroom. I could also teach my students how to use the different templates and have them put together their own little works together. I think that assignments like this are fun because you get to be creative with them. However, they are not only fun they are very learning-filled.

I am really glad that this was our final. I think that by viewing my other classmate's works I can get many more ideas on activities for my classroom. I also love putting together assignments on where I can use so much creativity. I also think that it was a great final to really see how much I have learned in the classroom about the different tools we could use to create 2 of these 3 options. I cannot wait to see my final projects, and I also cannot wait to use these options in my classroom. I would really love to watch my future students do a project like this. I think that they would really enjoy it!

Schoolhouse Rock (video #14)

I have seen this video many times, and really it never gets old to me! I really think this is a great video for children to watch, because it explains a noun so well. I really enjoy how the video makes explaining a noun into a descriptive song. I think that children tend to rememeber things more when they learn it in a catchy way. I think that schoolhouse rock really is a "catchy" way to explain what a noun is. I really enjoy how it repeats itself on important parts though, that way the children really can tell what they are suppose to remember from the video. I know that as a teacher I will use schoolhouse rock, because growing up it was always something that helped me learn! :)

Videos REFLECTION

WHAT?: This week's lesson was combined with the lesson from the previous class period. We learned about different video simulations, and we also learned how to convert them and post them. Our assignment is to find an education video off youtube or teachertube and to post it as a document on UEN in the tools tab.

SO WHAT?: I think that this essential information to me as a teacher, student, or colleague. I think that I will use many educational videos in my classroom to teach different lessons. Also, I could also use them if I have to give presentations to my colleagues or I could even show them the different videos to teach them different ideas that I use.

I think that also as a teacher I will be able to make some of these video simulations and post them for other people to use. I could also use some of my co-workers ideas through video simulations. I think I could make my children do a couple different assignments through these educational videos. I could have them look on the different video sites that were listed on our class website for certain educational videos of something that they would want to teach the class (in a group or as individuals.) I could even have them make their own educational videos that they share with the class.

NOW WHAT?: I think that these video simulations can make me a better teacher because I can use these educational videos to better my knowledge on certain subjects. Also I feel that it will make me a better colleague because I will be able to share these ideas with my school/co-workers. I think that education is slowly going all towards more technology based lecturing, so I think that you will see these video simulations used more and more. Therefore, it is better that I have learned about these different options.

I am glad that we learned about these video simulations in class. I know that as a teacher or even as a student I will put them to great use. Also, I am glad that we got so many different options of different video websites listed on our class site. It makes it very handy to find videos using these different places. I think it is awesome how much we are learning in this classroom, and I know that it is stuff that I will use throughout the rest of my life!

Millenial Generation (video #13)

I thought the video this week was really cool. I really agree with the students when they were saying it is almost like their parents were scared of technology. I see that in my parents quite frequently. I have to usually always have to help them do things on the computer, Internet, or cell phone. I think it is so crazy when they do not know some of the things but then again I have to remember that they did not grow up with all of the stuff we are today. I think that media mobility is being used more and more now days. I work at a Verizon Store, and I cannot believe some of the things you can do from your cell phone now. You are able to watch TV, get on the Internet, check email and pull attachments, and even purchase some crazy Applications. I think it is so awesome some of the stuff you can do, but I definitely think technology is taking our lives over. I really enjoyed listening to the children's predictions of what they thing technology will be like in 10-15 years. I honestly can't even imagine what will be new then. I feel like we already can do everything that is possible with by Mobile media, but I am sure tons and tons of more stuff is to come! I am kind of excited to see what is next!

Podcasts & Vidcasts REFLECTION

WHAT?: This week in class we learned about making Podcasts and Vidcasts. Before this class I honestly had no idea what either of these were. I knew that there was a feature on my ipod called podcast, but I had no idea what it was or how to use it. Our assignment for this week is to create a podcast OR vidcast as a group teaching/talking about something educational.

SO WHAT?: I think that these two features will become very handy to me as a teacher, because they are very easy to make. I think that as a teacher they would be very useful and make it easier to teach some concepts to the children. I think that podcasts could come in handy for all the children and very accessible because almost all children have an ipod or computer to download the podcast to.

I personally like vidcasts a little better because not only can you hear the instructions but you can also see them as well. I know that as a teacher or colleague I could use vidcasts to teach different lessons to my students or even share my ideas with my fellow coworkers. I think that these two options would come into play a lot to switch the way I teach things in my classroom. It would definitely be a change from just lecturing to my students all the time. It might keep their attention better.

NOW WHAT?: I think that these two features will definitely have an impact on my future students, because I know that I will now use them in my classroom. Before learning about them I would have never used them. I think that as a teacher it will make me more "round", meaning I will not always just stand up and lecture. I can teach my lessons different ways now, and through different sources.

Through these features I could even have my students put together a project like we are doing in EDEL 2200. It would help them use the technology around them, and also help them work together in groups and come up with ideas as a group. I think that it is essential that my students learn what podcasts and vidcasts are, and that they learn how to create these different projects. As a teacher it is going to be my job to make these things accessible to my students and even to my colleagues. I really think that podcasts and vidcasts are very useful, and that you really do see more and more people referring to them nowdays. It is important to stay up on the different technologies like these ones.

Why let our Students blog? (video #12)

I agreed with this video very much. Before this class I had never blogged. I didn't see any point in doing it really, but now that I have done it the whole semester I really enjoy it. I enjoy putting my thoughts and feelings down so other people can read them, or even blogging about my life that way people can stay up to date on what my family and I are doing. I thought that this video gave so many GREAT reasons on why we should let our students blog. I think that blogging can really teach the children a lot of useful things that they will use the rest of their lives and especially throughout the rest of their education. Some of the reasons I liked the best were collaboration, communication, for their technology futures, literacy, and sharing. I felt that those are some really good skills that every child is going to need. I really enjoyed all of these reasons that this video presented, but those are some of my favorite ones. I am glad that this class made us blog about a video, and a reflection of what we were learning in class that week! I think that my favorite is writing a reflection, because I love being able to express my thoughts and feelings to people! So Thank You Doc! :)

I Am What I Learn (video #11)

(I blogged about the wrong video in my first video blog this week, sorry!)
I really enjoyed this video that we were suppose to watch this week. I think that it is so true that school can help with almost everything we want to do in life, especially life careers/hobbies. I think that every subject that is taught in school gives us some information about what we do in our careers/hobbies. Like Jordan showed in her video every subject in school taught her new information in raising her chickens. I know that this is true for every career and hobby in the world's population. Education is such an important factor in life today. Not only does it help you learn, but it helps you with your jobs in the future. I don't understand how some people think that school is not important. You learn an amazing amount of information all throughout your education. Most all of the information we learn in school we can apply to our life careers/hobbies. I really thought this video was well put together and so true!!!!! I thought that Jordan showed very well how each subject in school applied to her raising chickens. Each subject taught her something about it, and she applied it to her hobby!

Do you believe in me? (Video #10)

We used this video in one of our other blogs, but watching it this time I got a lot of different information out of it. I think as a child it is important to be as confident as Dalton. With confidence like him I think a lot more people would be able to succeed. It is hard to succeed in life without confidence. He believes in himself so much, which makes everyone around him believe in him as well. If we believe in ourselves we are more likely to succeed, and more likely to have people believe in us. If people around me believe in me it gives me so much confidence and makes me want to succeed that much more. I know that having my parent's support makes me want to accomplish that task more than ever! I think something very important in life is believing in ourselves though. Without self-belief we will NEVER succeed. Sometimes in life to believe in ourselves; however, we need the people who surround us in our lives to believe in us as well. I think as a person it is so important that I believe in everyone around me, because I know how much it means to me when I get support from my family/peers. I need to be that person in someone else's life as well! I BELIEVE IN YOU ALL!

Powerpoint Activites REFLECTION

WHAT: This week in class we working on powerpoint activites. Our assignment was, as a group, to figure out something to do a powerpoint presentation on for our future classes. However, we are just making a document of the instructions on how to do the actual powerpoint. From our document someone must be able to complete our assigned presentation.

SO WHAT: I think that this is very important to me as a teacher. Because as a teacher I need to be able to give very clear directions to my students in order for them to complete their assignments. I think it is very important that I am able to put these directions into words on a document that way my students are able to follow them. As a collegue this assignment was very important as well, that way I am able to share my ideas with my fellow teachers. I know that I want my coworkers to able to share their ideas with me so I can use them in my classroom.

I think that there are so many good ideas to use in the book that we bought for this class. There are so many ideas that I would like to use for future use in my classroom. There would be so many fun activities for the children, and I am glad that we are practicing how to write the instructions out for these presentations in case I wanted to make any changes to the ones in the book. I know that this assignment will come in handy for me as a teacher, student, and coworker.

NOW WHAT?: I think that this assignment is even important for my future students because it helps me, as a teacher, be better prepared to write out their instructions for powerpoint presentations. I know that doing this assignment and going through each step will help me in remembering to put every step down for the children, even if the steps are easy. It is important not to forget anything or else they will not be able to complete the assignment fully or correctly.

This activity will help me be a better teacher because I will be able to give instructions better for powerpoint presentations. Also, by purchasing the book I will have many ideas that I can use with my future students in my classroom. I will also be able to share these activities with the people that I work with. I am super excited to use what I have learned this week in my classroom. I cannot believe how many valuable lessons I have learned in this class so far! It is so exciting to me :) !

Kidspiration REFLECTION

WHAT?: In class this week we learned about Kidspiration. There was no assignment with this week. We just got to play around with Kidspiration and experiment with some of the features that it offered.

SO WHAT?: I really enjoyed all the features that Kidspiration offered. I know that I definitely would use it if the school I teach at offers it on their computers. I think that this application would be very handy especially because it has so may lessons/activities on their for each assignment. It would be a really great way to teach a lesson because the activities were really fun, and I think that the kids would really want to them!

I had never heard about this application until this class so as a colleague I think I would be able to introduce it to my coworkers if they had never heard of it before. I think it is a great application that every school should offer for the teachers/students. I think that Kidspiration would make it easier to teach some concepts to the children. Also, I think that this would help children with their mind mapping/brainstorming. The way that Kidspiration was set up is so easy/accessible for the children to use.

NOW WHAT?: I know that if the school I teach at in the future uses this feature I will be sure to use it with my class! I know one assignment I would use it for is brainstorming. I think that this feature was very neat, and I know that everything is becoming technology based so to be able to brainstorm on the computer will be awesome for the students. Also, I would love to do an assignment like we were suppose to complete. I think it would be awesome to do the mind mapping assignment. I think it is something the children and I would have fun with.

I think that this will help my colleagues and I in the future, because applications like Kidspiration have a way of getting concepts across to the students a lot better than lecturing sometimes. The activities that I played around with were so self-explanatory once you got the gist of them. I actually did learn a lot by playing around with the different activities. I believe features like this are very important to use in the classroom, because I don't believe lecturing to the students is the way to go all the time. I think it is a must to incorporate fun, learning activities in the classroom! I am really glad we got to play around with this, and I know that if it is offered I will use it in my classroom. I know that I will also introduce it to future colleagues!

Web 2.0 Tools

WHAT?: This week we weren't able to hold class, but our blog was suppose to be posted about Web 2.0 tools in general. I really wasn't sure what this was, and so I had to do a little bit of research on my own. When I researched it, I knew exactly what it was involved with.

SO WHAT?: Basically Web 2.0 has to do with a lot of social networking sites. Like blogger, myspace, facebook, twitter, Youtube, etc. I think that these things are very important to learn as a teacher because they make it so easy for students to be able to interact with you or even classmates outside of the classroom. Also, this could come in very handy for teachers to stay in touch with their collegues outside of the work area. I cannot tell you how much I use these social networks outside of class! HAHA, I am like addicted to facebook. Just for the fact that I am able to keep in touch with my friends and family when I have not seen them in forever. Also, I had never had a teacher that I could interact with through these sites until Doc Waters class, I cannot even tell you how convienent this is! I love it!

I personally believe that every teacher should be like this, and make these social networking places that their students can get ahold of them outside of the classroom. I have not used all of these networks but I have used blogger, facebook, and myspace. I really need to become more familiar with the other ones that way I am up to date with all the new "technology" and ways of communication!

NOW WHAT?: After having this technology class I really seen how important it is to become available outside of the classroom for your students and parents of the students. I think that these Web 2.0 tools are a great way to do this. I know that I will keep a blog, website, and even possibly have a facebook group for my students. That way if there is every any questions outside of class I can be available to help them.

I think with these tools it will make me a more available collegue. I think that all these are really handy to keep your collegues and students up to date on what is going on in class or even projects that you are working on together. I have never learned so much about these tools until this class. I had never used a blog or anything like that. I even am going to start a personal blog because I think that it is a fantastic way to keep in touch, updated, and much more with your peers, friends, family, students, co-workers, etc. I think that these tools are the most convienent thing out there for communication! I know that I will use them so much!

The Connected Classroom (video #9)

I had to watch this video a couple times to fully understand what it was trying to get at. After, the second time watching it, it really made sense to me. I think that as a teacher it is very important to connect with your students and actually prepare them for their world, the one that they will actually be living. The fact about China going to be the number one speaking country in the world really was crazy to me. That is suppose to be our dominant language and a country that is suppose to have a different dominant language is going to be speaking it more than us! That fact was really, really crazy to me! Another fact that was really crazy to me was the one where if we sent every single one of our jobs to China they would still have a labor surplus. I could not even believe that! To me it is so crazy to see how much things have changed over the last hundreds of years. We have came so far and have invented so much. I think it is so important to stay connected with your students, and to make sure that you are preparing them for what they really need to be prepared for. Some information we teach because we just "have to" but we need to make sure we are also teaching what is really beneficial for our students' lives! They will want to learn so much more if we stay connected with them!

Picassa Reflection

WHAT?: This week in class we learned about Picassa. We learned how to upload and edit pictures in it. Our assignment was to export the pictures that we uploaded onto Picassa and then upload them into a Google Doc Presentation. Our presentation was to contain ten images to help teach a core curriculum to our classroom.

SO WHAT?: I think that Picassa is going to be very handy to me as a teacher because I will be able to load pictures to an easy, accessible, and free feature. From there I am able to edit pictures so that they will look better for future use. This is very handy for me in my life because I absolutely LOVE taking pictures. Being able to edit them quick and easy is another neat feature that I know I will use all the time.

I think being able to take these pictures from Picassa and put them on presentations is going to be another thing that I will use all the time. I love that I can edit these photos to make them look better for presentations. My favorite editing tool is where you can make a portion of the picture be the focal point. I think Picassa and Google Doc Presentation will make using presentation in my classrooms so much easier. I cannot wait to use it more!

NOW WHAT? I think that this new technology that I learned will help me be a more organized teacher. Using features that are so accessible really help in keeping teachers organized. I love that I can put all my pictures in seperate folders. This way they do not all crowd together, and this will also help me stay very organized. I also love using Google Doc Presentation because then my collegues and I can edit presentations together. I love that I am able to do this.

I know that this tool will also help out my students, because it is very easy to use. The students will be able to save their photos and not have them get mixed up with their classmates photos. Also, I think that it will help the children be able to edit and export their photos a lot easier. I think that this tool is so easy and accessible that ANYONE could use it! I love learning all these new tools.

How Not To Use PowerPoint (video #8)

I thought this video was really funny, and everything he said was very true! Everything he said not to do is really what you see the most of while watching a Powerpoint presentation. I really agree with this guy that was giving his presentation. I think it is very important to not put everything you are going to say in your presentation on the slide. It gets way to cluttered, and people lose their focus on you while trying to read your slide. Another one I liked is where he said you should limit your bulletin points. Bulletin points are suppose to be used to signify your most important points, and I think people get a little out of control on where they place them. The last one I really liked is when people try to use too many special effects. I think it really takes away from what they are trying to say in their slide. Some are ok, but not a WHOLE bunch! I really enjoyed this video, and I think it is very true!

Digital Cameras Reflection

WHAT?:
In class this week we learned about using digital cameras in the classroom. This upcoming week in class we are suppose to bring 10 photos that we take following a core curriculum. We will then use these photos to put together a slide show/lesson plan following a certain curriculum.

SO WHAT?:
I think that this is a very important topic to learn as a teacher, because using digital cameras in the classroom is going to be a great tool. I especially think that using the slide show/lesson plan. I also think that using digital cameras in the classroom will become helpful in documenting the things we do in my classroom throughout the year. Whether that mean taking pictures of field trips, of presentations, of posters, etc. It will be very helpful to look back on different presentations I have done and reenact them. Also this will help being able to show them to my collegues and the parents of my students.

On the paper of 100 ways to Use Digital Cameras it listed so many good, creative ways to use digital cameras in the classroom. I am looking forward using many of these ideas in my classroom when I become a teacher. I think the reason we are using digital cameras in the classroom is because it makes showing different things to the students so much easier. Also, as a teacher/collegue it can make your job a lot easier. Showing lessons through pictures help the students really visualize what you are saying. I know that a lot of children nowdays are visual learners and have to see exactly what you mean and what you are teaching them. I am looking forward to using this very accessible thing in my classroom.

NOW WHAT?:
I think that this type of technology is going to be very conveinent for my students, because the way I will be teaching will be a lot easier for them to see visually through the digital pictures. I think that I will be able to give my students some similar assignments like we got this week in class. I will have them take some pictures outside of class or even during in class, and then have them put together a slideshow/lesson together with the images that they take. I think that this will make me become a better teacher by being a visual/organized teacher. Also, I think it will help me become a better collegue by sharing these ideas/images with my coworkers and putting presentations together with them.

I think that this is going to change the way we teach in the classrooms, and in some ways I think it already has. You see more and more teachers teaching with the use of digital cameras in their classrooms nowdays. I know that I am going to use digital cameras in my classroom and really I was not aware of all the ways that digital cameras could be used in the classrooms. I am glad that we were able to get a list of all the different ways to use them. I know I will put most of them to use in my classroom!

Top Ten Things You Do Not Learn About Teaching in College (video #7)

I thought this video was really funny! It is very true that these are things that we don't really learn in college about teaching. My favorite one was "when your students say that they need to go to the bathroom really bad, you better believe them!" I don't want to be cleaning up any messes like that so I am going to make sure I listen when my students say that they have to go to the bathroom. My next favorite one was "you will get so sick of your last name, that you will want to change it." I think that this is probably really true. Hearing Miss Whiting all day is probably going to get old! I am really glad that I chose this video to watch, it was super funny, and I am sure it is true! It was kind of neat to hear these funny things, because deep down I know that they will be me someday! I cannot wait to become a teacher though! I am super excited to get my own classroom! Also, I will be sure to listen to tip #1 "always be good to your superintendant!" GREAT TIP! :)

Internet Safety REFLECTION

I believe that internet safety is a really important concept to cover with your students. I believe that the Internet is important to use in education because it can be a very useful tool if it is used correctly. If we, as teachers, teach our students how to stay safe on the internet I believe that the Internet will be a very valuable tool for them to use. However, for us a teachers it is very important for us to evaluate the sites that we are using to help teach our students, because if we are not using reliable sources then we are not sharing reliable information with them. Teachers need to be sure that they are using credible sources in teaching. Without evaluating the sites that they are using then they are just sharing any information whether it is accurate, safe, or reliable.
There are some questions that I will ask myself to make sure each site that I use is reliable and accurate. For example some of the questions would be:

Does the internet site contain pop-ups? (pop-ups can cause viruses.)
Does the internet site have inappropriate ads?
Does the internet site have a reliable author/creator?
Does the internet site have their information correctly cited?
Does the internet site have a date that it was published/updated?
Does the website contain the information that I am seeking?
Does the website ask for personal information? (if so do not use this site)
These are some questions that are really important to ask myself each time I am trying to evaluate a website.
There are certain ways that I would keep my children/students safe while surfing the internet. Some of the tips that I would make sure I went over with them would be:

Never give out any of your personal information.
Never agree to meet with some that you meet online.
If you read something on the internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell someone you trust.
If someone says something to you on the internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, log off, don't respond, and tell someone you trust.
Never give your personal password out to anyone.
Never fill out surveys or fun questionaires even if they are from friends.
Do not open attachments on emails from people you do not know.
Do not send personal photos over the internet to people you do not know.
All of these are important tips that need to be covered with your children/students. As a parent and a teacher we need to make sure that we really monitor what the kids are looking at over the internet. Internet safety is extremely important. If we do not give the students our guidance or safety tips they can get themselves into trouble. The internet is a valuable and useful tool if it is used right! :)

Internet Safety Movie (video #6)

This movie was really important to watch. All the rules were really beneficial. I agree with all of the them, but the first one that I really believe is super important is not giving out your last name, personal info, password, etc. I always tell my little brothers never to put their last name or personal information over the internet, because it is very easy for hackers to track down EVERYTHING about you by simply just having your last name. The other one that I think it is very important for young children to abide by is never agreeing to meet up with someone that you met online. You never know anything about people you meet online. They could be telling you complete lies, and you would have no idea! You never know what kind of person they may be. All of these rules are extremely important to make sure you go over with your students. I know that I will go over these withl my classroom for sure! Internet safety is one of the most important things to go over with your students/children because without your guidance they have no idea what they can get their selves into. The internet can be a VERY beneficial tool if you know how to use it wisely and safely!

UEN Reflection

    

     I have really enjoyed getting to know my way around the UEN website. There are so many fun, easy, useful resources that are provided for free on this website. I know that I will use my public page for the students and the parents of the students in my classroom. This could be very helpful for them to locate different links, assignments, announcements, etc. I think that this will be a great tool in case a student loses an assignment or even tells their parents, "No I don't have homework" when they really do. The parents will be able to pull up my UEN website and see what we completed in class and if there is any homework/announcements for that day.

        I would have my students use UEN in multiple ways. One way that I would have them use it is by playing some of the informational, fun interactives that UEN provides. Not only are they fun games but it

teaches the children valuable lessons while playing these games. This would be an easy way for children to complete a lesson, because children love doing "fun" things! Another way I would have them use UEN is by looking up information through Pioneer Library. There are many different subtopics that are located throughout Pioneer Library. Some being: World Book, eMedia, Deseret News, Counties Of Utah, etc. They would be able to complete many reports/research projects through these helpful tools. One of my favorite things that we learned about was the eMedia and Soundzabound. I think it is awesome that I/the Students can get free videos and MP3 clips to watch and listen to!

        Another one that I thought was very interesting was the Counties of Utah. This could be very handy when the children are required to do a county report. The students can locate fun, interesting facts about their county through Pioneer Library. Another one that I found very interesting was the CultureGrams. I think this one would be very useful when teachers are discussing different cultures with thier children. They could pull up CultureGrams and actually find out facts about that country, and also see what it is like to be a student in that country.

        Some of the ways that I would use UEN for my benefit is looking up all the different lesson plans for each subject that UEN offers for free. I am allowed to take and use as many lesson plans as I want. I think it is really handy when you are trying to learn new, fun ways to teach the children. I can access these lesson plans and edit them so that they will work best for me. Another thing that is very helpful is that it states the grade's curriculum right on the UEN site. If I ever had a question about what needed to be taught, or if the parent's had a question of what is going to be taught throughout the year I could have them look at the curriculum. This is a VERY helpful tool that I know I will use all the time as a teacher!

    

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? (video #5)

Sir Ken Robinson was really hilarious and made this video very interesting to watch. I like how he made is point but in a funny, interesting way. My favorite quote at the beginning of this video is when he said that he thought that creativity should be as important as literacy in education. I agree with this statement 100% because truthfully without creativity how are kids ever going to be able to complete assignments that require them to use their own personalities. Some assignments are easy to complete and do not require any creativity; however, the majority of assignments in school do require creativity in order to complete the assigment correctly and not copy other people's ideas. "If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original." I really never thought of orginality in this aspect but I agree with him. I think the way we are educating now days is wrong in some ways. I think it is very important for us to allow mistakes so that way children can keep their creativity. Having children grow out of creativity is terrible. Creativity is a key component we need in growing old. How can we be our own, original people without creativity? That is right... we can't without creativity. In a way I think that education is killing creativity. Like Ken said schools now days are not allowing for mistakes to be made. Well, without making mistakes we will never find originality. I think that schools/educators need to give more assignments that will allow children to use creativity and for them to think for themselves.

President Obama's Message for America's Students (video #4)

This video was SO inspiring. It is hard to succeed, and it is true that we will not enjoy every moment in school, but just because we do not enjoy some moments does not mean we should give up. It is up to us to make our own future and to become successful. It does not come easy, but that is what is going to make us stronger. I loved when the President said, "We become good at things by working hard." This is so true! We will not always be the best at something the first time we try it. We are going to have to do the problem a few times before getting right, read something a couple times before understanding it, and write many drafts before it is good enough to hand in. It is up to each one of us to become successful. In order to become successful in today's world it is very important for us to get a good education. I believe 100% in sticking with school, because I want to be successful in my career/life. My contribution to the Country is going to be waking up each morning and teaching children the knowledge that I have obtained while in school. I will not let down my future students, parents, country, and most of all I will not let down myself. A good education is key, and I will stick with it no matter what.

REFLECTION #3 (UEN pt.1)

WHAT:
In class this week we were learning the basics of UEN and what it had to offer. We were able to set up our own UEN personal and public pages. Our homework is to play around on UEN and to add an "about me" paragraph.

SO WHAT:
I think that this website is very useful because it offers so much. There are different activities that you can have the children do, lessons plans you can teach to the children, different curriculum's, etc. There is so much useful information that is website offers. I think that it is going to be very useful when I become a teacher because I am going to be able to give my students/parents access to my public UEN page, and they will be able to access information about me, my classroom, certain websites I bookmark, and assignments. These tools are very helpful in staying organized within your classroom, and also keeping your information organized for your student's parents. I also think it would be very handy for your colleagues to have access to because they would be able to get a hold of information such as certain websites, documents, etc. This would be a lot more convenient for them to get this information off this website rather than in hand.

I think that this is going to change the way we collaborate because just like I said above all information is going to be accessed online. I think it is very handy to be able to get information online, maybe that you have missed or lost from before. I think it would be more convenient as a teacher because you could just tell your students, colleagues, and student's parents to go to your website and access the information there. How nice would that be?!

NOW WHAT?:
I think that learning this information will change the type of teacher I am by making my classroom more technology based, and also helping me be more organized. This website will also help my students be able to access the information I need them to more conveniently. I think it is very important to make sure the information that you want your class to know is easy to get a hold of because not only is it better for you but it is better for the people around you.

I know that when I become a teacher I am going to have my children do some of the fun activities that UEN has to offer on their website. There was a lot of very informational/fun activities that I was able to find and play around with. I think that it would be fun for the children but also very informational at the same time. This would help them "WANT" to learn. I believe that this website is going to be very useful. Especially how it posts the different curriculum of all the ages. This will help keep me and my colleagues on top of what we need to be teaching to our students. Another thing that I love about this site it is there for everyone to access which makes it very handy for me, as a teacher. I really am glad that we were able to set up our own private/public pages. I can't wait to learn more about UEN this week in class!

I Am What I Learn (video #3)

This video makes perfect sense. My favorite part of the video was the end when he was talking about not wasting your time. I think that this is very true. We should not be wasting our time by not trying and putting off our education. Getting an education is very essential now days especially with the way the economy is. Places that are hiring really are only looking for people who have somewhat of an education. I know that I am not going to waste my time or money. I am going to try my hardest in school, and I am going to make sure that no matter what I am finishing my degrees! I want my dream to come true, and by getting my education I am making huge progress in achieving that goal. I agree with him when he says that getting an education builds character, and it truely gives you the feeling of completing hard work. School is not easy by any means, but I know that all that hard work paid off when I was awarded my Associates of Science degree this last semester. I was so proud of myself, and it was seriously the best feeling ever. EDUCATION is important, and everyone should get a great one!

REFLECTION #2 (google pt. 2)

WHAT?:
In class this week we learned more applications that Google offers. This week we talked about Google Spreadsheets, Google Forms, and Google Presentations. Our assignment for this week is to create a Google Presentation that shows our students ten classroom rules that they must follow throughout the school year.

SO WHAT?:
This week was very informational. It was nice to learn how to use these three applications. I think that these applications are very important to learn because for one they are all free! That way if your students do not have the Microsoft versi0ns of these applications they can still use Google Spreadsheets, Presentation, and Forms. I think that these will be really useful as a future teacher, student, and collegue because they are all really easy accessed and very self-explanatory to use. My favorite thing we learned today was about the forms. These are going to be very useful when I become a teacher and collegue because I will be able to put together forms for my students/parents and my co-workers. I am very excited to put these to use.

This technology is very essential for me to learn and for me to teach my future students. I think it is a great way to put together presentations for school, meetings, take-home letters, etc. Also, it is going to be very helpful to use these Google applications because you can send them to other people to have them edit it or even work as a team to put the project together. I think it is so awesome that we are able to do this.

NOW WHAT?:
I think that this information is going to be very important for my future students to learn because these applications are very easy to use. I will be able to give my students assignments where they will be able to put a slideshow presentation together and be able to present it to their fellow students. Also, I can give them assignments to put together in Spreadsheets whether it be math data, seating charts, presentations, etc. Working as a group will be a lot easier through using these Google applications because they will be allowed to send the project to their team members, and then they will all be able to edit and add their own taste to the final project. This comes in handy when not everyone is able to meet up together. They can just work on their project together at home. Also, I will be able to make take-home letters, surveys, and tests through using Google Forms. I am sure I will use this application tons when I become a teacher.

I truely believe that these applications are very essential to learn. I think that they are very beneficial and very easy to use. I believe that they will make projects a lot easier to put together as a student, future teacher, and collegue. These applications are not only handy for work and school, but also very conivenent for personal life. Spreadsheets make it very easy to stay organized with bills and personal information. I am still amazed with these applications because I think it is very crazy that you are able to edit a project at the same time as your team members. I think it makes it so easy to work in groups! I seriously am so grateful that I learned how to use these applications. THANKS!

I Am What I Learn (video #2)

I really enjoyed this video! I think that when Obama is talking at first is very inspirational and very true. I believe that here in America we really do write our own destiny, and most of the time we decide how to live our lives. When Rene said that, "Passion is something that sticks with you through your whole life" I really stopped and thought about what she said. I think that she is a 100% right. In life there is always going to be passion with us, whether we be passionate for different things throughout our life we ALWAYS have passion. My next favorite thing in the video was when she said, "we have to make the best of ourselves." I believe that this is true, no matter what the situation may be we always have to make the best of it. We can't change when bad issues occur, but we can try to change our attitude about them to get through the situation easier. Everyone has bad days or bad situations they are faced with but how you get through those situations is based on how you act. Make the BEST of everything! If you do, trust me, you will succeed in everyone's eyes!

REFLECTION #1 (google pt. 1)

WHAT?:
In class this week we learned more about Google, and two of the different applications that Google provides for us to use! We learned how to use Google Calendars, Google Docs, and we are to create a "welcome letter" for our future students with other classmates from our class.

SO WHAT?:
I think that all the stuff we learned in class today was very cool! I never knew about Google Docs or Google Calendars. I was highly impressed with both of them. I think that these are very essential to me as a student, future teacher, and collegue because all of these are very well organized. As a teacher I will be able to post calendars to my website so that kids/parents can see what we are going to go over that day, what is due, etc. Also, I will be able to use the calendars for my personal use that way I can stay organized and know exactly what my schedule is for that day. I think that Google Docs could be highly useful in working with collegues especially if you want them to edit your papers, or even work on a paper together.
I am very glad that we learned about these two applications in Google, because I have already started adding things to my calendars from other classes of when things are due, class time, when I need to go to work, etc. It has been very helpful! I feel like this technology is going to be a huge benefit for me not only now, but also when I become a teacher. This is probably the most organized calender/word documents I have seen. I am thoroughly amazed with the calender settings, the fact that you can work on the same word document with others, and that people can just simply edit your paper and email it back to you! It is truly amazing.

NOW WHAT?:
I think learning this different applications not only was beneficial to me but also to my future students. Google Calendar is going to make me more organized as a teacher, which in turn is easier for my students. Also, I can't even tell you how nice it is to be able to go to a website, see a calendar, and to know exactly what is due that day and what we are going to be going over in class. It is a huge benefit, and I know it would be a huge benefit for my students as well. I think that Google Docs are great! Being able to work on assignment with a group and not even having to meet up is such a nice feature, because not everyone's schedules are the same. I think as a teacher I would give out multiple assignments throughout the year that the children could work through Google Docs together. They could meet together in class and talk about ideas, then work outside of the classroom to put the final project together. Whether it be a little research paper, a letter, a book report, etc. With Google Docs I definitely think it will change how I work on different projects with my collegues. I will just send them it through this, and we can then work on our project together through Google Docs. Also, when I am working on a project myself having someone edit my paper is going to be so much easier, because I won't have to meet up with them ever. All I will do is send my paper through email, have them give me ideas, and have them edit my paper. It is going to be so simple!

I honestly believe that the future is going to become more and more technologically inclined, and so I believe it is essential that I learned these different applications and that I teach my students these as well. Google Calendar and Google Docs are going to make me more organized as a student, teacher, and collegue. I cannot wait to teach my classroom the important features of technology. I think it is essential for children to learn. All the "new" things coming out in technology kind of scare me in a way. We are getting so advanced, but I believe it is important to stay on top of all the new advancements because it will help my classroom and me, as a teacher, be successful!

Do you believe in me? (Video #1)

I really enjoyed this video! I think that Dalton was a great inspiration. He definitely made me see how grateful some children really are for us teachers. I think that everything he stated is very true. When people believe in us I think that we are more apt to succeed and even more importantly with their support we are able to believe in ourselves. If people have doubts in you or something you want to do, you start having doubts in yourself. I truly believe I am going into one of the most important professions out there just like Dalton stated, and I know when I become a teacher that my support for the students is the number one thing that they need in order to succed! Do YOU believe in me!??!

Crissa's Ideal Classrom

I want my Ideal Classroom to be placed in a rural setting, because this is what I have grown up around. I loved school as a kid, and I think that the enviromental setting helped out a ton. I knew everyone in my school, and this is how I would want my classroom to be also. Very PERSONAL, so we all grow really close. I would really like to teach the third grade. Since my goal is to become a Elementary school teacher I will be teaching all subjects. However, teaching English would be my favorite! My ideal school would be a public school, and no uniforms for the children. I think by letting the kids have this freedom you can really tell their personality by how they dress.
I would want my ideal classroom to be a large room. I am big into decorating and making the places where I am feel like home. I would make sure all my walls were well decorated! I think that I would mostly decorate with inspirational quotes, educational tips, and educational posters. My student's desks would be the individual desks with the basket on the bottom. I always loved those kind of desks, because you had the storage for your things in the bottom, plus you got a desk to yourself. It beats having to share a table with your classmates. I would prefer having whiteboards over chalkboards anyday, and I would want atleast two different white boards. I would want one placed at the front of the room and one at the back of the room. The one in the front of the room I would use for class disscusion, and the board in the back of the room I would use to post what homework is due, the class schedule for that day, etc. I would also want an "elmo" in my room (I think that is what they are called.) They are the projectors that you can have the computer screen shine onto the wall, or just use them as a regular projector.
I would want my students to have a variety of personalities that way I would never get bored! I would always have something new everyday with each student. I would want all types of personalities for example: the funny kids, the "I'm Lazy" kids, the "I love" school kids, the class clown, the energetic kids, etc. I believe with the variation of kids in the classroom you would learn how to deal with each and every student in a different way! For my Ideal Classroom I would want the parents to be very involved with their children's lives at school. I think that a very important aspect in kid's succeeding, is to know that their parents care and are proud of them for what they do. I would want my collegues to be nice, funny, and helpful that way we could work together to make a great school! I am very people oriented, and I would hope that the students, parents, and collegues would all be this way as well.
I would be sure that my students knew all the classroom goals very well. Some of the goals I would use would be: Respect! Responsibility! Making an effort to succeed, SUCCEED, Everyone is equal, etc. Also, I would be sure the children knew that they should never be afraid to ask questions, because there is no such thing as a dumb question. Without questions we would never learn! I want my children to know that I LOVE what I do, because when students can feel how much their teachers love to teach them it makes them want to learn that much more! I cannot wait to have my "IDEAL CLASSROOM!"