Final Project - Blogfolio
Introduction Video
This
introduction video assignment was very helpful and informative because it was
my first instruction on how to make a blog. I learned how to set up a blog and
create entries, as well as upload videos to accompany my blog posts. I really
had no problems creating the blog or uploading the video. I watched one of my
classmates who had previously uploaded a video to her blog, and followed her
steps with no trouble.
I
really think that blogging is a valuable skill, and I know that I will use it
in my future classroom. I think that blogging is a great way for teachers to
share their ideas and discover new tactics for teaching their class. When
teachers share their daily lessons on their blog they can share what worked and
what didn't work, which can help teachers searching for new ideas sort through
the good and bad. I plan to keep a blog of my adventures as a teacher, for
myself, other teachers, and maybe the guardians of my students. It would be
good to be able to look back on the year, and give the caregivers of my
students an insight into our classroom.
This
introduction video meets the first NETS-T standard, which is to “facilitate and
inspire student learning and creativity.” In order to meet this standard, the teacher
must “facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and
innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.” This was done by
first allowing the students to create a blog where they would share their own
thoughts and projects, and secondly by having the students create the videos
with partners. This gave them face-to-face interactions with other students,
and allowed them to try out and share ideas to make their video their own.
Concept Map
I
learned a lot from the concept map assignment, but most specifically how to use
Inspiration. This assignment came at the perfect time, because we had just
learned how to make a proper concept map in one of our other classes. However,
the only method they showed us was using a poster board. This lesson gave me an
opportunity to practice my skills in making concept maps, but it also showed me
a different and more effective way to use concept maps. Using hyperlinks, I
learned how to make my lesson more interactive and integrate technology in my
classroom.
The
only real trouble I had with this assignment was figuring out some of the
editing strategies, such as changing the shape and configuration. After asking
my classmate for assistance, however, I was able to figure out the program
rather easily.
I
definitely plan to use this concept map method in my future classroom to
present my students with organized facts about my lesson. I think that it will
help them sort through facts and develop a clearer understanding of the
material. Using the concept map will also help me to stay on track when
teaching my lesson, and give me a place to store all supplementary videos,
pictures, and other web materials that I will need as I teach.
This
concept map activity met the NETS-T standard of “designing and developing
digital age learning experiences and assessments. In order to meet this
standard, teachers must “design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning
experiences…incorporating contemporary tools and resources.” Having us create
our own concept map from scratch really showed us how to design and develop a
classroom lesson that uses modern technology.
Social, Ethical, Legal and Human Issues –
Turnitin.com
This
assignment showed me that as educators and future educators we need to be doing
more in our classrooms to encourage all students to succeed in using
technology. I had no idea that there was still such a gender gap in regards to
technology in our country. I learned that as a teacher I need to stimulate female
students’ interest in technology by using it to teach all subjects, not just
math and science, as females general succeed more in other subjects. I can also
teach students about famous females in the technology field and invite female
guest speakers into the classroom to show my female students that they have the
same opportunities as males, and that they can do anything they want to.
I
also learned a lot about plagiarism. As I wrote the second draft of my essay,
it took a lot of concentration to make sure that I didn't plagiarize anything.
Surprisingly I was able to do this with little to no trouble as Turnitin.com
revealed that I had 0% plagiarism, but it took a lot of effort to achieve this
score. This assignment made me realize how easy it is to plagiarize and how
often I probably plagiarize without even knowing or thinking about it. As a
teacher I could use an assignment like this to teach students about plagiarism
and explain the dangers of it. It will also be helpful for me to remember this
assignment to prevent plagiarism in my own work.
This
assignment met the 4th NETS-T standard: “promote and model digital
citizenship and responsibility” by showing us how to follow plagiarism laws and
learn to write an ethically sound paper. This standard involves modeling and
teaching “legal and ethical use of digital information and technology, including
respect for copyright,” and we learned how to do this in our assignment by turning
a paper into Turnitin.com so that we could see what qualifies as plagiarism, so
that we can teach our students and remind ourselves of how to submit original
work that gives proper credit where it is due.
Website
I
think this assignment was one of the most helpful of all of our classroom
assignments because we learned how to actually create a classroom website. In
this day and age, a classroom website seems like one of the most practical ways
to keep parents and students informed about what is going on the classroom.
Through this assignment I learned how to create a Google calendar to help
students keep up with homework, and was able to import pictures to make my
website more appealing. I learned the important things to include in a
classroom website, such as announcements, homework, supply lists, and contact
information. The one thing that I had the most trouble with on the assignment
was creating an email link on webpage. To remedy this problem, I used Google to
search for the correct way to create an email link and was able to find
instructions and fix my problem.
This
lesson will play a role in my future classroom because I fully intend to
establish a classroom website when I begin teaching. I plan to use the Google
websites because they are free and professional, and now I understand how to
navigate the site. I think the best things I learned to include on my classroom
website were the supplementary educational videos, websites, and games. In my
classroom I will have students performing on all different levels, and trying
to incorporate everyone into the lesson will be difficult. However, these links
will provide students and their guardians with a way to practice and learn at
home to even the playing field.
Having
us create our own classroom website meets NETS-T standard 3: “model digital
age, work, and learning.” To do this, teachers must “demonstrate fluency in
technological systems and collaborate….using digital tools.” This website meets
all of these qualifications because in order to create a website, the teacher
must be well-versed in the technology. This website also provides an outlet for
communication between the guardians, students, and teacher.
Movie
The
movie assignment was one of my favorites. I have had experience with Movie
Maker, so I did not really have any problems with the assignment, except for
completing it within the allotted time. I did not really learn any new skills
during this project except for how to upload photos to Dropbox and retrieve
them. However, I had to follow the directions very carefully and remember how
to use the program, and in doing so I was able to think about and learn ways to
effectively explain to students how to make their own movie.
I
don’t know if I would actually use this method for teaching in my classroom,
but I think it would be a great way for students to do projects. We recently
learned about a strategy for teaching reading comprehension, where students
create a “movie trailer” to advertise one of their classroom books. I think
making a movie using this program would be a wonderful and simplistic way to do
this. Students could also use this for other projects in the classroom, such as
oral reports, and of course we could make an end of the year class video.
This
video did a wonderful job of meeting NETS-T standard one, which is: “facilitate
and inspire student learning and creativity.” We learned how to use new
technology to create a video, but were allowed a lot of leeway when it came to
the design of our video. This project let us express our creativity through our
designs, pictures, and music.
Google Assignment
The
Google Groups assignment was probably the most helpful, because I have had no
experience using Google Groups. I learned a lot, including: how to set up a
Google Group as an administrator and add people to that group, how to share and
write Google Docs, and how to share and create a Google Slide Show.
Once
I figured out how to work Google Docs and the Google Slides I had no trouble
because it is very similar to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, which I have had a
lot of experience with. I did have difficulty navigating from the Google Group
homepage to the docs and slides, but I asked a classmate for assistance and
they were able to help me. It was also a little difficult to complete
assignments with others in my group because we weren't physically working
together and had to rely on email communication to ensure that we all completed
the assignment. It was slightly problematic when group members were late
turning their work in because it affected the entire group, but, at the same
time it was nice to have everyone’s work in one place for everyone to edit.
I
think using Google Docs and Slides would be great to use as a teacher both in
my classroom and for collaboration with other teachers. I can share lesson
plans and other documents, as well as slide shows with classroom information/lessons
with the other teachers in my grade. Students could also use it to complete
group projects, similarly to what we did in this class.
The
Google assignment me the NETS-T standard of: “engaging in professional growth
and leadership.” In order to meet this standard, teachers must “collaborate
with parents, peers, and students using digital tools.” This Google assignment
was the perfect match for this standard because we had to learn how to
collaborate with one another and complete assignments together without the
benefit of face-to-face contact.
Web Tools
I
learned so much from this assignment. I never knew which sites teachers go to
create tests or rubrics, or how easy it could be. I learned how to create these
tests and rubrics, and learned about the many different forms of rubrics that
teachers can use depending on their subject area and lesson. The most
interesting part however, was the track program. Similar to how we included
supplementary websites on our classroom websites, this track program keeps all
educational websites in one place for students and educators. I learned how to
organize these websites by type and how to share my track with others using
each track’s specific number.
The
only problems I encountered with this assignment were in regards to posting it
on the blog and deciding which websites to include. The instructions weren’t
very detailed, and I found myself questioning if what I included in my
assignment was what my professor wanted. To remedy this problem, I again
collaborated with other students in the class to develop a game plan and come
to a common conclusion about how to go about this assignment.
As
I teacher I know that I will use the information and skills from this
assignment on at least a weekly basis. I have learned how important it is to
use a detailed rubric for each of my lessons to ensure that students are
meeting the standards and learning the information they need to. This program
will help me create rubrics quickly and give me ideas when I am having
difficulty. I will also use the test creator, though probably not as often as
the others because I may not be in a situation in which students can take
computerized tests on a regular basis. I would use the track program to create
a place for supplementary websites, and maybe even collaborate with my students’
computer teacher to allow them to go to these websites when they have free time
in computer class.
This
assignment meets the 2nd NETS-T standard: “design and develop
digital age learning experiences and assessments” because it incorporates
current digital technology, and teaches us ways to incorporate it into our
students’ learning through things like computerized tests and educational games
videos.
Class Reflection
This
class has taught me many valuable things about incorporating technology into my
classroom, using technology effectively in the work place, and using technology
to help students learn and express their creativity. Before this class, I was
very skeptical about using technology as a major medium of learning in an
elementary school classroom, but now I can see how it can be beneficial. I have
learned that elementary students are able to grasp onto ideas regarding
technology relatively quickly and that as teachers we need to provide them with
the opportunity to do this in the classroom to help them keep up with the ever
technologically advancing world they live in. I have learned how to operate
many new computer programs that I have continued to use even outside of class,
such as Dropbox and Google docs. I have also learned how to operate
One
of my weaknesses would be the speed at which I can figure out and use new-to-me
technology. I found myself falling behind in the classroom many times because I
could not keep up with the instructor’s directions. I also have a great
weakness when it comes to understanding the technical side of technology. With
a little practice I can usually figure out how to make a concept map or movie,
but I am lacking in understanding when it comes to computer vocabulary and
internet security. I think this lack of understanding can be attributed to the
fact that I have not had a computer education course that addresses computer
safety or what goes on behind the scenes to make computer programs work; we
only learn how to operate the program. For this reason, I feel that one of my
strengths is picking up new skills quickly and navigating my way around a
computer program until I figure it out. I have simply had a lot of practice
with this aspect of technology and it comes more naturally to me. I also have not had a lot of experience
planning lessons that incorporate technology, nor do I have an extensive
knowledge of the applications and programs available to teach students through
technology. This class has given me some ideas, and I plan to continue exploring
educational software until I find programs that work in my classroom. I can do
this through something as simple as a Google search or by perusing apps like
Kids Media. I definitely plan to investigate more about Internet security
because this class has really brought to life how easily my computer can be
hacked without the proper protection. I will look into what information is
appropriate to give online, as well as different anti-virus software to ensure
that I am protected.
I
plan to integrate technology into my classroom in many different ways. I can
begin the process by simply allowing the students to spend time on the
computer. Giving online tests, requiring internet research for assignments, and
creating projects with Movie Maker will give students much needed practice in
operating computers. If my school has the budget for it, I would love to use
iPads in my classroom. In this day and age there are great opportunities for
students to learn from apps and advanced software such as Google Earth. As the
teacher, I have to make sure that I am setting a good example, and this can be
done by using my Smart Board to its full capabilities, using supplementary
videos in my lessons, and even using technology like Skype to go on virtual
field trips and talk to people around the world.
Another
way to integrate technology into my classroom is through blogs. I think blogs
are excellent tools for both the classroom teacher and students. I like the
practicality of making blogs and the fact that they can be shared between
teachers to share information and ideas to enhance students’ learning. Blogs
can also be used in the classroom for subjects like English or reading, where
students need to write responses to books or papers, but they can also be used
in History when teachers have students keep a blog under the name of a
historical figure. Blogs are also a great way for students to critique other
students’ work. The comment section allows students to make suggested changes
to students’ papers that are submitted via blog.
Resources:
NETS-T Standards
<http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-T_PDF.pdf>
