Monday, June 1, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
All this tech., now what to do with it??
I have to truly say, I have already learned a wealth of info. in this 710 course. I'm used to our technology scholl P.D.'s being about how to attach a file to an e-mail, or how to use powerpoint. My school, like most now, are pushing for more technology use in schools. But, our school system, also like many, has a lot of teachers that have been there for 20-40 years (yes, 40!, and are still learning about e-mail capabilities. Now I am not throwing stones (I had trouble extracting my podcast for a few hours!), but this goes way beyond e-mail!
Now what to do with all of this. I work in a pre-k through 2 school, so I can't expect EXTENSIVE tech. use from my students. But again, if I can cooperate w/ the technology teacher at my school (integration, everyone likes that!), then we can teach the kids. And kids will learn what you teach them. There are also, however, some very economically challenged families in my town, and many cannot afford a computer, or the use of internet.
But, here's some things I could do.
1. Post pics on Flickr for parents and students- We take a lot of pics in class, and kids love to see themselves online, or in print. They could then show their families/friends what they did in class. That would also serve as a reminder to what they did, and may add to retention.
2. Keep an updated blog for parents- All teachers in our school have a website. However, it is very complicated to go in and update, and not a easily navigated program. Most of our teachers hate it! A blog, however, would be simpler, faster, and more current. Easier for me to post and update, and easier for parents/students to access.
3. Google docs- Spreadsheet program can be used to record fitness scores for President's Challenge and report to parents. Also good for gathering analyzing data for annual Professional Growth commitments. No more emptying wallet for Excel! :-)
4. Web 2.0- used as a resource for almost anything I want! I'm sure I will use this a lot instead of googling, and searching through countless websites.
To conclude, the use of all this tech. know-how I have gained thus far will be put to good use. I have some new outlooks and ideas that I will be sharing with teachers/administration in my district in the future. My .02.... thanks for reading! :-)
Now what to do with all of this. I work in a pre-k through 2 school, so I can't expect EXTENSIVE tech. use from my students. But again, if I can cooperate w/ the technology teacher at my school (integration, everyone likes that!), then we can teach the kids. And kids will learn what you teach them. There are also, however, some very economically challenged families in my town, and many cannot afford a computer, or the use of internet.
But, here's some things I could do.
1. Post pics on Flickr for parents and students- We take a lot of pics in class, and kids love to see themselves online, or in print. They could then show their families/friends what they did in class. That would also serve as a reminder to what they did, and may add to retention.
2. Keep an updated blog for parents- All teachers in our school have a website. However, it is very complicated to go in and update, and not a easily navigated program. Most of our teachers hate it! A blog, however, would be simpler, faster, and more current. Easier for me to post and update, and easier for parents/students to access.
3. Google docs- Spreadsheet program can be used to record fitness scores for President's Challenge and report to parents. Also good for gathering analyzing data for annual Professional Growth commitments. No more emptying wallet for Excel! :-)
4. Web 2.0- used as a resource for almost anything I want! I'm sure I will use this a lot instead of googling, and searching through countless websites.
To conclude, the use of all this tech. know-how I have gained thus far will be put to good use. I have some new outlooks and ideas that I will be sharing with teachers/administration in my district in the future. My .02.... thanks for reading! :-)
Web 2.0 findings...
Yet another valuable resource! Web 2.0 gives it to you straight... what's the best, and what's pretty darn good too! If i wanna know where the best place is to book a flight? Web 2.0. If I want to find a program that allows me to log my workouts? Web 2.0. If I want the best website to find out what my property is worth? Web 2.0. If I need ideas for a pre-school lesson plan? Web 2.o can direct me. It really helps take the guesswork out of looking for a great site for a particular reason. It will significantly cut down on the time it takes to search website and pick through them. I browsed a couple websites and I really liked Teamsnap. Teamsnap is a program designed for a coach (and I don't even coach yet!) It allows you to essentially run a team or number of teams-online. You can manage schedules, payments, refreshments, team e-mail groups, and even track when players can or can't be in attendance. There are so many options within this site, and I can't wait to explore it further! Maybe I'll try with my softball team this summer to get familiar with it??? Great site.... Web 2.0 will be an EXTREMELY valuable resource for me in the future!
Google docs....
Ok. So here is my first experience with google docs. I'm writing this blog in google docs, and hope to transfer it over to my blog.... we'll see if that works out or not. I like the fact of having this web-based program as opposed to work. On multiple occasions, I have written a document at home on MS Word 2007, and then e-amiled it to myself so I could continue to work on it during lunch at school, but the document wouldn't come up in MS word 2002. I'm assuming that if I try it using google docs, then Iwon't have that problem. I also love having the spreadsheet available through this site. Spreadsheets are used frequently, and it's nice to not have to shell out the cash for an expensive program from Mr. Gates. I use spreadsheets when inputting and reviewing data for fitness testing scores at times, as well as any data driven assessment/assignment. In our school system, teachers are required to conduct a PGC (professional growth committment) which are usually data driven, and this will assist in making the process more efficient and professional. I am still new to this, but I am excited about the possibilities google docs has to offer! :-)
Rss Assignment
Wow... that was pretty easy! (and I don't say that a lot about tech. activities! I created my google reader account, and subscribed to a number of different feeds. It really is as simple as cutting and pasting or a couple clicks! It's pretty cool to have all this info in one convenient spot. It's almost like another personalized "home" page. I like the idea of the news coming right to you, rather than searching for it. I just subscribed to local news in the town I live in, and the town I teach in. That way, when something new comes up... I'm on top of it pretty quickly. I think this will save a lot of time, and will benefit me in even more ways to come in the future. I have seen that little orange icon before, and now I understand what it means and can USE IT!!!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Gotta see this dance contest....!!!
If you haven't seen this already, check it out! It's pretty hilarious! Good, clean dance-off fun!!:-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aazG7dMhE7I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aazG7dMhE7I
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Interesting points/responses to 3 tech articles....
In the first article, "Neomillenial user experience design strategies", they hit the nail on the head in stating how the current generation is "hardwired". Everything seems to revolve and take place via technology. It's almost as if we are now completely reliant on computers/technology for EVERYTHING! There seems to be such a reliance now on them, it's almost scary!!! I really like the idea of teachers/administrators using weblogs as a communication tool as stated in this article. It can be a quicker, more efficient way to stay in touch w/ parents/community about what's going on in school/class, etc instead of constantly updating websetie pages. I think this is something I will attempt to get rolling in the future at my school.
In the third article, "Examining Social Software in Teacher Education", they hit a great point on how to educate students to use these websites in an APPROPRIATE way. Many people have no idea who sees their pictures and profiles. Many have lost jobs due to myspace, facebook, or youtube. I think that educators do need to educate students on the correct, safe and responsible way to utilize these sites, and the implications that may occur if not used correctly.
After reading the last article, "Social networking", I can appreciate the privacy features that they acknowledge that facebook has over myspace. I had a myspace account for years (along w/ 217 million other people!), and it's been so long since I checked it that I don't even remember my password for it. I couldn't see spending time on there to look at other peoples pictures as valuable to me. I then started a facebook a couple years back, but never had time or desire to actually utilize it. So it was dormant until last week. I didn't want to become active on facebook, as I see how it can consume people at times, and can at times, lead to drama if you are friends with the right people! But, after having the assignment I had to. I really went through all of the privacy/safety features and realized that it can be kept quite private. I was impressed with those options. A nice surprise....
In the third article, "Examining Social Software in Teacher Education", they hit a great point on how to educate students to use these websites in an APPROPRIATE way. Many people have no idea who sees their pictures and profiles. Many have lost jobs due to myspace, facebook, or youtube. I think that educators do need to educate students on the correct, safe and responsible way to utilize these sites, and the implications that may occur if not used correctly.
After reading the last article, "Social networking", I can appreciate the privacy features that they acknowledge that facebook has over myspace. I had a myspace account for years (along w/ 217 million other people!), and it's been so long since I checked it that I don't even remember my password for it. I couldn't see spending time on there to look at other peoples pictures as valuable to me. I then started a facebook a couple years back, but never had time or desire to actually utilize it. So it was dormant until last week. I didn't want to become active on facebook, as I see how it can consume people at times, and can at times, lead to drama if you are friends with the right people! But, after having the assignment I had to. I really went through all of the privacy/safety features and realized that it can be kept quite private. I was impressed with those options. A nice surprise....
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