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.