Splicing Video and Video Project Reflection

Creating the video project was a veryfun assignment and a very long assignment. I think it ended up going pretty well because my group really went into filming with a well thought out plan. I think that when you teah thing based of the standards and you plan your lesson with excitement not just for yourself, but also for your students then education is a delight. The device that saved a lot of time for my team was creating that story plan because after that we all knew what to do and what to expect. Video taping was not that hard, but editing the film took a lot of time because we wanted to make it fun to watch for the students. I really enjoyed creating this project and if I do end up teaching 5th grade I would most definately use it in my classroom as a tool to help teach the water cycle.

Databases

Databases:
I never heard about databases until class. I thought a database was learning the inner workings of a computer. After learning what a database was and how it was used I now ask my friends if they know how to use databases of if they even know what one is. This tool would definitely be useful in the classroom. You can use a database to get to know your students or even to find out how effective your teaching is. I would love to use databases in my classroom. I thought it was very helpful that you can create a survey to protect the privacy of the students because that to very important. I also really liked that your could not only have the data, but also make that data into a visual representation which is usually easier for students to understand and can better help decipher your findings. Databases are a good way to stay organized as a teacher and get the students involved with technology. As a teacher you could teach the students how to use databases such as inspirdata so create graphs of scientific finds or simply make a survey and analyzing the information for patterns. Databases are a good tool for teachers and I can't wait to use it in the classroom.

Wiki and Bridging the Digital Divide

The Wiki seems like it would be very useful in the classroom or as a school. A Wiki is a secure place for children to work on a project and for communication between teachers, parents and students. I am very interested in learning more about Wiki's. During the explaination of Wiki's I was taking the midterm which I thought was not so hard, but I realized shortly afterward that I had forgotten to do something. Another difficulty that I ran into during the midterm was my computer screen froze not allowing me to finish and then when I fixed it part of it was gone and I had to redo it. I love technology, but this was pretty frustrating.

"Bridging the Digital Divide," when I first read that I thought to myself what in the heck does that mean, but when I read the article it became more clear. The article was very interesting and really gave the teachers and schools suggestions for making technology more available in the classroom and to the student in labs. There are so many students that do not have access to technology because of various reasons such as race, income, etc. Technology enhances education so much that it is well worth it for schools to find a way to make them available to students as well as teachers. One of the most touching quotes to me said, "In addition, labs reinforce the idea that computers are simply 'extra' or 'special' instead of an integral part of the learning process." This is so true I remember growing up and at school going to the computer labs every once in a while and my teacher would base it on behavior. This was really hurtful to me because I was always good, but my classmate had some problems. It is very important to make technology a part of the learning process because it make learning more interactive and students need the use of a computer under there belts to go out into the today's world.

Excell and Using the Internet as a Research tool

Last week was very interesting. I use excell almost everyday at work inorder to update my reading points and I still learned things in class. I never knew that you could use the cursor to spread you equation into other cells. This will save a lot of time and energy. I really like the fact that excell allows for alot of flexibility so you can go back and change the numbers and the other cells will change automatically. I thought that this is really helpful and I hope to use it more in the future as a teacher to create gradesheets, charts and much more.

This reading was very interesting and really helped me understand how to help student use the internet to search for things. I never knew there were so many different search engines available to students. It is great to have options when using the internet.

Evalutech

This website is pretty cool. This website will really help us evaluate software as teachers and for our next assignment. The part I like most about this website is the evaluation of children's software. As teachers and parents it is important to know whether or not certain software is good for your children. You ask Will my child be able to navigate it? Is it educational? Is it fun for a child? How is it designed? And is it really worth it? I know that I find myself asking these questions even as an aunt when my nephew asks for a computer game. This website really gives you the guildelines to help make your choice.
On this website I found instructional resources as well. I thought that this was pretty cool. It broke them down into the different subjects (math, science, language art, etc.). It also had lesson plans and teaching strategies that would really help first year teachers. This website is pretty cool and I am excited that we got to look at it and will defiantely use this in the future.

Bloom's Taxonomy and Powerpoint

This is actually not the first time that I have heard of Bloom's Taxonomy. In my EDMS 511 class we learn how to use Bloom's Taxonomy in the classroom to assess the different levels of learning. Bloom's Taxonomy is great in so many ways because not only does it help teachers evaluate, but it helps challenge children in the classroom. As many of us know classroom are very diverse and there are many different types of learning that take place in class. You would not expect a GATE child and an Special Education child to be able to the same level question, but you can still assess there learning by using another questions in Blooms Taxonomy. The questions are also formed to leave the child open to give a creative answer rather that yes or no questions. It is so great to be learning these tools now before being thrusted into the classroom.
Powerpoint is another tool that is so great to learn now before going into the classroom. I thought I knew a lot about powerpoint, but I was proven wrong again. I never knew how to add sound or the dimming effects to a powerpoint, but I am so excited to be able to use it in the classroom. Powerpoint is so useful in the class because it really helps guide a lecture and can be used to help in the learning process. It can be use to play games and get the children engaged.

Oh the Changes we've seen

The main thing that I gathered from this article is technology has greatly influenced education. It has helped teachers as well as students. My favorite quote was, "As long as educators continue to reflect on what they do in their classrooms, we will progress." Education is ever changing and reflection is a big part of being an educator. Nothing is ever perfect because as educators we need to realize that not all children are the same and we need to change things to meet their needs. As teachers we also are growing in experience and knowledge. As we learn we figure out tricks and trades to better our teaching methods.