What?
This week in class we learned about the many helpful tools and resources available on the Utah Education Network, also known as, UEN. We had a guest speaker come to class and to teach us how to set up our own accounts on this site and how to access materials we can only view as future educators. This guest speaker worked for UEN so he was very knowledgeable about the website. We did not have a specific assignment to work on this week, but we were instructed to investigate the UEN website to find useful tools for our curriculum.
So What?
As a future educator, it is extremely valuable to know how the UEN website works and to utilize the tools it offers. I had no idea how many resources are available for my content area through this website. Most of the material is even fun, interactive, informational, and free. Finding free materials for classroom use is extremely valuable because I am sure I will be spending a great deal of money on various materials needed for my classroom. At first I did not understand why we were doing this assignment because last week we learned how to make our own website through the google sites network. Next week we are going to create our own website on UEN, so I am sure it will contain similar information, but there are advantages to the UEN website. One of these advantages is that UEN is an approved website for all Utah educators. Most likely, parents will not complain about me creating a class website through UEN because it is state-approved and all of the content is highly censored and strictly for educational purposes.
I realize how important it is that I understand how to utilize technology in my classroom. Even though I am not fully "converted" to using the UEN material for my own classroom website, I know it is important to try and figure out how to create a site using this network. Once I know the basics of various networking tools, it will be easy to figure out how different or new ones work, which will come in handy if I am ever required to use them throughout my career.
Now What?
My feelings have changed towards classroom websites. I used to think they were more of a hassle than anything, but now I have seen a lot of the advantages to using one of these sites in my own classroom. Having a class website offers comfort to parents, students, and collaborators so they know what material the teacher is covering in class, any homework or activities done while a student is absent, and gives the students the opportunity to further research a topic using safe, trustworthy links provided by the teacher. Another aspect I enjoy with the UEN website is that it allows students to be engaged through fun learning activities, interesting educational movies, and valuable class discussion content. I am excited to continue learning about the UEN website so I can create a site to use in my future classroom. I know both me and my students would benefit from this resource.
For right now, I still like using google sites better than UEN for my classroom website because I am more comfortable with the way it is set up. Also, it seems much easier to figure out how to improve the site on my own, rather than having to be taught how to do it. The UEN website is still a bit confusing to me, but we have one more class period to discuss how the website works and how to create a professional website. After I know how to use both these sites well, I will then decide which I will use in my own classroom.
Video Reflection:
After watching the video "Did you Know?," I started to think about the reality of technology expansion. Even in the past ten years, computers and the internet have become widely available for any use imaginable. Today, children are growing up knowing how to use technology as a means for entertainment and education and we (as teachers and parents) need to be aware of its advantages and dangers to protect and influence the future generation. As teachers, it is crucial that we know how to properly use technology in order to help our students utilize available resources used for education and also to help them know how different websites work in order to further their knowledge in this ever expanding, technological world. I hope to continue learning about computers and technology in this instructional media class so I can be a knowledgeable and reliable source for my students to count on.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Reflection: Week 3
What?
This week in class, January 20, we learned how to make "google sites." I was nervous to begin this assignment, but as Doc Waters walked us step-by-step through the entire process, it became easy and enjoyable. Next Wednesday, our own google site is due, which will be our future (hypothetical) classroom website.
So What?
To be completely honest, I did not understand why we were doing this assignment at first. I was thinking to myself, "I'm not a computer whiz, I don't understand the convenience of this website, this is too complicated to remember, etc." But then I started to create my Home page and began recording my future, idealistic job information. I have always wanted to move South, namely St. George, so I was pretending to be a faculty member at Dixie High School. I was searching for e-mail addresses of those teachers currently working at DHS so I could create a mock e-mail address, but I did not come across that information. What I did find though, was each of the teacher's very own classroom websites! I was surprised to find this because I did not realize how common these google sites probably are and how often they are used in secondary schools today.
I found all this information near the beginning of class on Wednesday and it really inspired me to work hard on my own google site to make it professional and clean so I can hopefully use it in the future. When I saw the innovative classroom websites of these Dixie High School teachers, it hit me that a lot of principals probably advise their faculty to create classroom websites for the convenience and comfort of parents and students. These sites are also helpful for other members of the faculty to gain ideas from other teachers and create fun learning activities.
Now What?
Google sites is a feature that I am definitely going to use in my future classroom. It is an easy and reliable way to inform students and parents of various announcements, updates, or homework there may be. I also really enjoy the "calendar" and "homework" features on my google site so if students are absent, they can easily see what they missed in class or be reminded of what will be due the following day. One feature I would like to add on my site is a page or link for students to view their current grades. In the future, I know this website will help me to be more organized and thorough and it will satisfy many parent questions about various homework assignments. Because students are so technologically advanced these days, they will also enjoy this unique feature.
This is an honest statement, I have never had so much fun doing a homework assignment. I was able to find some great health links and content that I will use when I am a teacher and I really got into the mindset of thinking and organizing homework. I found myself being excited to work on my website and being late to other obligations because I was having so much fun in the creation process. Throughout the last four days, my mindset has completely changed, concerning google sites, from thinking "this is stupid and I will never use this information" to "I can't believe I never knew the benefits of this google feature and I don't know how I could live without a classroom website throughout my teaching career!"
Video Reflection:
The video we watched this week was entitled "Pay Attention." I was not sure how much I liked it at first, but by the end I was starting to think of some great ways to engage my students through technology in my classroom. Although I think this video would have been a lot better if the music was not so dark and depressing, it was still full of great information that I am glad to have learned.
This video clip made me think of how engaging it would be to include tools like cell phones, blogs, and podcasts into my lesson plans. My content area is Health and I love it because it is so easy to be creative and unique with my class activities. After watching the video, I looked up a few Health podcasts that I might be able to incorporate into my classes and found some great ones that I think students would really enjoy. For example, I found some fun exercise routines, healthy food suggestions, and relaxation techniques. My students would really enjoy the variation of this assignment. I also liked the idea about letting students use their cell phones to contact people from other schools, states, or countries and asking them a few questions about their culture. Another way I can could use cell phones in my class is by letting students enter Emergency Hotline phone numbers while talking about safety or suicide, which would be beneficial to adolescents. I am excited to continue learning about technology in this class so I will be able to teach my students how valuable and educational technology can be.
This week in class, January 20, we learned how to make "google sites." I was nervous to begin this assignment, but as Doc Waters walked us step-by-step through the entire process, it became easy and enjoyable. Next Wednesday, our own google site is due, which will be our future (hypothetical) classroom website.
So What?
To be completely honest, I did not understand why we were doing this assignment at first. I was thinking to myself, "I'm not a computer whiz, I don't understand the convenience of this website, this is too complicated to remember, etc." But then I started to create my Home page and began recording my future, idealistic job information. I have always wanted to move South, namely St. George, so I was pretending to be a faculty member at Dixie High School. I was searching for e-mail addresses of those teachers currently working at DHS so I could create a mock e-mail address, but I did not come across that information. What I did find though, was each of the teacher's very own classroom websites! I was surprised to find this because I did not realize how common these google sites probably are and how often they are used in secondary schools today.
I found all this information near the beginning of class on Wednesday and it really inspired me to work hard on my own google site to make it professional and clean so I can hopefully use it in the future. When I saw the innovative classroom websites of these Dixie High School teachers, it hit me that a lot of principals probably advise their faculty to create classroom websites for the convenience and comfort of parents and students. These sites are also helpful for other members of the faculty to gain ideas from other teachers and create fun learning activities.
Now What?
Google sites is a feature that I am definitely going to use in my future classroom. It is an easy and reliable way to inform students and parents of various announcements, updates, or homework there may be. I also really enjoy the "calendar" and "homework" features on my google site so if students are absent, they can easily see what they missed in class or be reminded of what will be due the following day. One feature I would like to add on my site is a page or link for students to view their current grades. In the future, I know this website will help me to be more organized and thorough and it will satisfy many parent questions about various homework assignments. Because students are so technologically advanced these days, they will also enjoy this unique feature.
This is an honest statement, I have never had so much fun doing a homework assignment. I was able to find some great health links and content that I will use when I am a teacher and I really got into the mindset of thinking and organizing homework. I found myself being excited to work on my website and being late to other obligations because I was having so much fun in the creation process. Throughout the last four days, my mindset has completely changed, concerning google sites, from thinking "this is stupid and I will never use this information" to "I can't believe I never knew the benefits of this google feature and I don't know how I could live without a classroom website throughout my teaching career!"
Video Reflection:
The video we watched this week was entitled "Pay Attention." I was not sure how much I liked it at first, but by the end I was starting to think of some great ways to engage my students through technology in my classroom. Although I think this video would have been a lot better if the music was not so dark and depressing, it was still full of great information that I am glad to have learned.
This video clip made me think of how engaging it would be to include tools like cell phones, blogs, and podcasts into my lesson plans. My content area is Health and I love it because it is so easy to be creative and unique with my class activities. After watching the video, I looked up a few Health podcasts that I might be able to incorporate into my classes and found some great ones that I think students would really enjoy. For example, I found some fun exercise routines, healthy food suggestions, and relaxation techniques. My students would really enjoy the variation of this assignment. I also liked the idea about letting students use their cell phones to contact people from other schools, states, or countries and asking them a few questions about their culture. Another way I can could use cell phones in my class is by letting students enter Emergency Hotline phone numbers while talking about safety or suicide, which would be beneficial to adolescents. I am excited to continue learning about technology in this class so I will be able to teach my students how valuable and educational technology can be.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Reflection: Week 2
What?
In class this week, we had the opportunity to learn a lot about the various features of Gmail and Google. Some of the things we covered in class include iGoogle, Google Calendars, Google Documents, Google Presentations, and Google Spreadsheets. Although I have worked with most of these programs before, I had never been taught how to correctly use them and all the awesome tools that are available for free usage. I am really excited to continue learning about and working with these programs, especially Google Documents. Not only is this program going to be helpful in the future, but it is helpful now while I am in the education program because we are assigned so many group projects and it is often difficult to meet together. The assignments we were given this week were the Welcome Letter through Google Documents and Classroom Rules Presentation through Google Presentations.
So What?
I have never been a computer whiz, but it has been a lot of fun learning about some kinds of technology I would have never discovered on my own. I think it is crucial for students going through the education program to take instructional media so we can keep up with current technology and utilize it in the classroom. I bet most of the students involved in the education program can do simple things on the computer like use an e-mail account and probably even a facebook account, but may not be aware of the many other features available to enhance classroom learning. In only two weeks of being in this class, I have realized how important it will be to stay current with other forms of communication, like twitter. I have now seen the advantages of twitter being used in a classroom when I never would have even thought about using it. Personally, I am not a huge fan of twitter, but I can see how students would enjoy using a different source of technology to ask questions or give feedback on a lesson.
As I previously stated, I am going to use these programs we discovered in my other classes this semester. I already mentioned how Google Documents has been a great discovery and I plan to use it throughout my college education and even to collaborate with colleagues in my future career. Another valuable tool I enjoyed learning about is the Google Calendar. I am a busy girl and my life is packed with tasks and events. Sometimes it can be hard to keep all of these straight while I am worrying about homework, extracurricular activities, birthdays, etc., but now, I will be reminded about any event I need to attend or any task I need to fulfill. Although I am still getting to know this program, I am excited about the advantages and assistance it is going to bring me.
Now What?
I was really nervous for this class at first because like I said, I am not a computer whiz. But if we keep learning about these kinds of programs, which I hope we do, this class is going to be enjoyable and I will carry the information with me into my career. My content area is health and I think another name for the class could be "life skills." I assume it is my responsibility to help my students understand their bodies, emotions, and help them learn how to figure things out on their own. I think it would be really fun and valuable if I could teach my High School students about the advantages of Gmail and Google. If I would have known about all of these programs previously, my college education could have gone more smoothly. I could then give my students various assignments using these tools, including research projects and PowerPoint presentations. This would help them develop interpersonal skills on working and collaborating with others. It would be really fun if I could even somehow figure out a way to give my students the opportunity to collaborate with out-of-state, or international High School students. I know my students would learn a ton by doing so and would probably remember the experience for their entire life.
I am anxious to start my teaching career and want to become the best teacher I can possibly be. I know if I can become more "techno-savvy," my students will be impressed with my skills and will enjoy learning through different methods. I can't wait to continue learning about technology and to use it often so I will be able to utilize its advantages in my own classroom.
Video Reflection:
I am proud to be an American. I am proud to live in a country where we are offered so much freedom, have the power to make choices, and chose where we want our life to go. I agree with the boy in this video, "I am What I Learn," in the fact that we can chose how to live our life regardless of our circumstances. I truly believe that you can do or become whatever you want by hard work, honesty, and perseverance.
I grew up in a well-off family and as the youngest of four older brothers. I was always the "precious princess" in our family who everyone assumed would just marry a rich man, never finish college, and live off of my husband's wealth. Because this used to make me so angry, I am showing them how I can work just as hard as them and be independently successful. As a senior in college, I have managed to get through almost all 4 years on scholarship with a high GPA. I plan to have a career and want to be a good example to my future children.
Although my situation could have been much worse, I think it is motivating to listen to such a young boy encourage success. So many people blame their failures on others, but we just need to realize that we are ultimately responsible for our own destiny.
In class this week, we had the opportunity to learn a lot about the various features of Gmail and Google. Some of the things we covered in class include iGoogle, Google Calendars, Google Documents, Google Presentations, and Google Spreadsheets. Although I have worked with most of these programs before, I had never been taught how to correctly use them and all the awesome tools that are available for free usage. I am really excited to continue learning about and working with these programs, especially Google Documents. Not only is this program going to be helpful in the future, but it is helpful now while I am in the education program because we are assigned so many group projects and it is often difficult to meet together. The assignments we were given this week were the Welcome Letter through Google Documents and Classroom Rules Presentation through Google Presentations.
So What?
I have never been a computer whiz, but it has been a lot of fun learning about some kinds of technology I would have never discovered on my own. I think it is crucial for students going through the education program to take instructional media so we can keep up with current technology and utilize it in the classroom. I bet most of the students involved in the education program can do simple things on the computer like use an e-mail account and probably even a facebook account, but may not be aware of the many other features available to enhance classroom learning. In only two weeks of being in this class, I have realized how important it will be to stay current with other forms of communication, like twitter. I have now seen the advantages of twitter being used in a classroom when I never would have even thought about using it. Personally, I am not a huge fan of twitter, but I can see how students would enjoy using a different source of technology to ask questions or give feedback on a lesson.
As I previously stated, I am going to use these programs we discovered in my other classes this semester. I already mentioned how Google Documents has been a great discovery and I plan to use it throughout my college education and even to collaborate with colleagues in my future career. Another valuable tool I enjoyed learning about is the Google Calendar. I am a busy girl and my life is packed with tasks and events. Sometimes it can be hard to keep all of these straight while I am worrying about homework, extracurricular activities, birthdays, etc., but now, I will be reminded about any event I need to attend or any task I need to fulfill. Although I am still getting to know this program, I am excited about the advantages and assistance it is going to bring me.
Now What?
I was really nervous for this class at first because like I said, I am not a computer whiz. But if we keep learning about these kinds of programs, which I hope we do, this class is going to be enjoyable and I will carry the information with me into my career. My content area is health and I think another name for the class could be "life skills." I assume it is my responsibility to help my students understand their bodies, emotions, and help them learn how to figure things out on their own. I think it would be really fun and valuable if I could teach my High School students about the advantages of Gmail and Google. If I would have known about all of these programs previously, my college education could have gone more smoothly. I could then give my students various assignments using these tools, including research projects and PowerPoint presentations. This would help them develop interpersonal skills on working and collaborating with others. It would be really fun if I could even somehow figure out a way to give my students the opportunity to collaborate with out-of-state, or international High School students. I know my students would learn a ton by doing so and would probably remember the experience for their entire life.
I am anxious to start my teaching career and want to become the best teacher I can possibly be. I know if I can become more "techno-savvy," my students will be impressed with my skills and will enjoy learning through different methods. I can't wait to continue learning about technology and to use it often so I will be able to utilize its advantages in my own classroom.
Video Reflection:
I am proud to be an American. I am proud to live in a country where we are offered so much freedom, have the power to make choices, and chose where we want our life to go. I agree with the boy in this video, "I am What I Learn," in the fact that we can chose how to live our life regardless of our circumstances. I truly believe that you can do or become whatever you want by hard work, honesty, and perseverance.
I grew up in a well-off family and as the youngest of four older brothers. I was always the "precious princess" in our family who everyone assumed would just marry a rich man, never finish college, and live off of my husband's wealth. Because this used to make me so angry, I am showing them how I can work just as hard as them and be independently successful. As a senior in college, I have managed to get through almost all 4 years on scholarship with a high GPA. I plan to have a career and want to be a good example to my future children.
Although my situation could have been much worse, I think it is motivating to listen to such a young boy encourage success. So many people blame their failures on others, but we just need to realize that we are ultimately responsible for our own destiny.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Blog #1: Ideal Classroom Reflection
To be honest, my "ideal" classroom is something I have not considered until now. Throughout the week I have been thinking about my ideal classroom and it has helped me realize what I need to work on before I can become the ideal teacher and have my "dream job." I wish I would thought about this a long time ago!
My ideal classroom is located at Dixie High School in St. George Utah. I have always wanted to live somewhere warm and I think St. George would be the perfect location because it is not too far from my home in Draper, Utah. At Dixie High School, I teach 5 health classes, 2 aerobics classes, and the Dance Company. Because health is my main content area, I will describe this class in detail. The room I teach in is comfortable and welcoming. I have one wall that has huge windows all across it, looking out at the beautiful grass and tree landscaping of our High School campus. My room is decorated with various health-promoting posters, inspirational quotes, and lined with pictures of happy, healthy individuals. I know this is a positive learning environment for my students where they can feel safe and energized. My main goal in my health class is for the students to learn how to be good decision makers and live a healthy lifestyle free from avoidable illnesses and addictions.
My students are sophomores who are somewhat rowdy because they still feel like they are forced to be at school. Although they are a noisy class and sometimes hard to keep under control, they have kind hearts and a ton of personality. My students like to do learning activities, which I also enjoy because I hate to lecture. We do hands-on learning activities at the end of every week, but only if the students earn them by being "obedient" for several class periods before hand. My students have a real interest in the topic of nutrition, exercise, and human sexuality. I am guessing this is because their bodies are all changing right now and they want to know what is happening, but do not know who to ask about it. I love teaching these three subject areas and communicate the information to my students through overheads, assignments, quizzes, hands-on activities, webquests, researching various exercise/nutrition websites, and informational videos.
My students are mostly white with some racial differences. I can tell that a lot of them have parents who stay involved and interested in their lives because I get a few e-mails each week with parents asking about their child's grades and behavior.
My colleagues are wonderful at Dixie High School. Everyone is respectful of others' opinions and teaching theories, and most of the time we are able to collaborate and share ideas with one another to create a better learning atmosphere for our students. Overall, I love my job and though it is difficult and stressful at times, I would not change it for the world!
Video Reflection:
The video I watched this week was entitled "Do you believe in me?" As I began watching this video, I was quickly surprised at the content. A young, colored boy walked confidently on a stage in Texas in front of 20,000 Staff and Faculty members. This young boy asked the crowd if they believed in him and the audience went wild. He then asked if they believed in his classmates and the audience went wild again. This boy continued to explain how important it is to him that he believe in himself, as well as others believe in him in order to succeed in life. I loved how easily this boy captivated the audience by using his confidence and personality. I believe these factors caught the attention and affected the emotions of the audience more than an adult could have in a similar speech. Through watching this video, I realized how important it is as educators to love and support our students because we might be the only ones who do. We sometimes will not know a child's home situation and that is why we need to take on the responsibility to love the students like our own children and encourage them to graduate high school, get a college degree, and find a career doing something they love. This is the reason I want to be an educator. I want to make a difference in someone's life.
My ideal classroom is located at Dixie High School in St. George Utah. I have always wanted to live somewhere warm and I think St. George would be the perfect location because it is not too far from my home in Draper, Utah. At Dixie High School, I teach 5 health classes, 2 aerobics classes, and the Dance Company. Because health is my main content area, I will describe this class in detail. The room I teach in is comfortable and welcoming. I have one wall that has huge windows all across it, looking out at the beautiful grass and tree landscaping of our High School campus. My room is decorated with various health-promoting posters, inspirational quotes, and lined with pictures of happy, healthy individuals. I know this is a positive learning environment for my students where they can feel safe and energized. My main goal in my health class is for the students to learn how to be good decision makers and live a healthy lifestyle free from avoidable illnesses and addictions.
My students are sophomores who are somewhat rowdy because they still feel like they are forced to be at school. Although they are a noisy class and sometimes hard to keep under control, they have kind hearts and a ton of personality. My students like to do learning activities, which I also enjoy because I hate to lecture. We do hands-on learning activities at the end of every week, but only if the students earn them by being "obedient" for several class periods before hand. My students have a real interest in the topic of nutrition, exercise, and human sexuality. I am guessing this is because their bodies are all changing right now and they want to know what is happening, but do not know who to ask about it. I love teaching these three subject areas and communicate the information to my students through overheads, assignments, quizzes, hands-on activities, webquests, researching various exercise/nutrition websites, and informational videos.
My students are mostly white with some racial differences. I can tell that a lot of them have parents who stay involved and interested in their lives because I get a few e-mails each week with parents asking about their child's grades and behavior.
My colleagues are wonderful at Dixie High School. Everyone is respectful of others' opinions and teaching theories, and most of the time we are able to collaborate and share ideas with one another to create a better learning atmosphere for our students. Overall, I love my job and though it is difficult and stressful at times, I would not change it for the world!
Video Reflection:
The video I watched this week was entitled "Do you believe in me?" As I began watching this video, I was quickly surprised at the content. A young, colored boy walked confidently on a stage in Texas in front of 20,000 Staff and Faculty members. This young boy asked the crowd if they believed in him and the audience went wild. He then asked if they believed in his classmates and the audience went wild again. This boy continued to explain how important it is to him that he believe in himself, as well as others believe in him in order to succeed in life. I loved how easily this boy captivated the audience by using his confidence and personality. I believe these factors caught the attention and affected the emotions of the audience more than an adult could have in a similar speech. Through watching this video, I realized how important it is as educators to love and support our students because we might be the only ones who do. We sometimes will not know a child's home situation and that is why we need to take on the responsibility to love the students like our own children and encourage them to graduate high school, get a college degree, and find a career doing something they love. This is the reason I want to be an educator. I want to make a difference in someone's life.
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