Blog #5

Your fifth post should contain:
A paragraph on your views about using the Internet to support student research. When is it useful? Not useful? Look to Chapter 3 for ideas and inspiration.
A paragraph on other ways you might use web-based resources to support student learning. Share a few resources that are of interest to you. Use your book and do some googling for ideas.
A paragraph on your concerns about being a teacher who supervises students in a technology environment. Be sure to mention the age/grade level of your students.

Using the Internet to support student research will be strongly encouraged in my classroom. However, that is of course after I explain to my students what constitutes "research" on the internet. While I think that wikipedia is sometimes helpful because it is open to a wide variety and range of people to contribute to, it is definitely not a primary resource and should of course be verified by another source. I will also require that my students always cite their sources, since this will discourage plagiarism. The internet is useful when citing documents, since they can be found on google scholar, and also when searching for information that you need right away. It is always nice to know that if you want quick answers, you can just go into Google. I want my students to realize the benefits of this.

A few sources that I find interesting are Google Scholar and the FSU eLibraries. Google Scholar is especially useful in my opinion because you can find any form of literature just by typing it in the search box. Often this literature is free and readily available for the student to access and use. I like how all of the information about the writing is also available so that when the student goes to cite the source, he or she does not have to guess, everything is there, it just needs to be properly formatted. I like the FSU eLibraries because I believe having a virtual library is a convenience and advantage that our generation has over past generations, and we should utilize it. The FSU eLibrary system will tell you everything about the book/document you are searching for, and sometimes you can read it right there on your computer! I think this is a very useful source.

Being a teacher in a supervising environment is difficult no matter what. Adding technology to the mix just complicates it more, and adds so much stress to the mix. Being a supervisor of Internet activities will present a great challenge in my elementary environment, but I am up for it. I will be prepared to explain to my students what types of sources should be avoided, and which ones should be utilized. I will explain why this is, so they do not feel as if I am just "telling them what to do." I will also be prepared to demonstrate ti my students exactly how they should be using the Internet, so their research will be as effective as possible.

Blog #4

Your fourth post should contain:
A paragraph on how you, as a teacher, might make use of the concepts presented in Chapter 7 and what technologies you would like to use to achieve these goals.
A paragraph addressing why or why not you would encourage or require your students to develop outline, idea map, and storyboarding skills.
A paragraph on new skills you acquired in the last week that you think will be especially useful to you in your educational career and why you think so.

I would use the concepts in chapter 7 to present the material to my students. I would use word, powerpoint, excel, and story board techniques to do this. I think these things are easy to understand and fun to learn with, as well as efficient to use for me. I like the idea of incorporating technology into my teaching.

I would encourage (not require) my students to develop an outline because I believe it would keep them more organized, which is important when writing and telling a story. I would not require this because then students will resent it, but I will certainly encourage it and emphasize how much it could help them. I think that once the students see what an advantage they will be at after developing an outline, they will be more inclined to do it in the future.

I have developed more web searching skills in the last week, and I think this will be extremely useful to me in my teaching career. I have become a much more efficient Google user, and this will help me get the right research material for my lessons with my students. I have also learned how to use Inspiration, which I have found to be not only a very fun program, but also a very useful tool in teaching my students anything from a lesson or concept to telling them a story. I think these tools and this newly acquired knowledge will come in handy in my future teaching career.

Blog #3

Your third post should contain:
A paragraph describing a lesson plan you might create that uses technology in some way. Be sure to mention how you will use technology, what technology you would use, and what subject matter and grade level the lesson is for. (See Chapter 2 for ideas)
A paragraph in which you provide a visual critique of a web site using the rules presented in Chapter 6. Be sure to link to the site. If you’re up to an extra challenge, include images (screen shots or other sources) in your blog post.
A paragraph about your experience with copyright and fair use of materials in an educational environment. How would you deal with these concepts as a teacher, developing your own instructional materials and having students who may use other sources to create their own works (google these terms to find out more!).

To create a lesson plan, I would use Inspiration. I would download this software, and create a flowchart using it. I could use this software for any grade level, but I plan on using it for my 3rd grade students, to teach them about the weather. I would use different symbols and pictures as well, to make it visually pleasing and appropriate for the subject matter.

I used the FSU website to critique. Using the rules in chapter six, I have decided that I like this website. There is not much to critique. Steady with the first rule, the design is very general and visually pleasing. Words and pictures are presented simultaneously, there are words AND pictures, there is good spacial contiguity, and extraneous words and pictures are left out. The second rule is satisfied as well, since the website guides users easily through the various pages. Text is also justified appropriately, as stated in rule 3. I especially like how all of the links are on the left, lined up neatly. The entire page is pretty much the same font, so rule 4 is not broken. There are colors, but they go together well, and are not distracting, so rule 5 is satisfied. These colors follow through the entire website, so no problems with rule 6. Text is enhanced and not too small or difficult to read, with pictures to reinforce the concepts, so rule 7 is good too. There are no superfluous items, which is good because they do not contribute information and are distracting, as stated in rule 8. And consistent with rules 9-14, upper and lowercase letters are used, lines are short, there is single spacing, and the structure is simplified, with a limited focus and plenty of emphasis. The website also realizes that there will be a wide audience, as stated in rule 15, so it is applicable to everyone. There is no flashing text, which makes it difficult to focus, as said in rule 16. Lists are used, navigation is consistent, vertical text is missing (thank goodness!) and there are no multiple graphics, which means we are good for rules 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 also. The screen is organized, size of text and images are proportional to importance, and the placement is superb, so we have pretty much satisfied all the rules of quality websites.

I have dealt with the subject of copyrights early in my academic career. In my classroom, I will of course enforce these rules and teach my students WHY they are as they are, rather than condemning and threatening them against is from the start, like some of my teachers did. I will show my students how to properly give credit for a source and cite the materials appropriately. I will also be sure to teach them many different methods of citation, since they will likely be using several different formats in their futures, and exposure to the various formats is definitely a plus. I will be sure to cover all of the different rules for copyrights and plagiarism. I will not let my students get away with it, but I will not make them feel bad if they forget, I will simply remind them exactly why it is so important to do so. I will also introduce them to a cool site I found here...AFTER I teach them the proper way to do it themselves, of course!

Blog #2

As a student, I have used Microsoft Word countless times to get my schoolwork accomplished. I have used this program to write papers, make flyers for events, compose other assignments, as well as applications for school-related opportunities. MS word is so easy to use, I just cannot help but rely on it for all my school needs. I have seen my teachers use MS word for handouts, assignments, tests, grading rubrics, syllabi, etc. They apparently find it as useful as I do!

In the book, I liked the idea of having a computer laboratory for students to work in. Of course, I know this will not always be possible depending on the budget of the school I work in, but I do think it would give my students plenty of opportunities to learn and acquire more knowledge about technology if they have more time to use computers and do not have to worry about rotating. I also liked the idea of teaching the students to use tables as an organization tool, since I believe this will benefit them later on in their educational endeavors. Staying organized is so important in success, and I want to teach my students this through technology.

In this class, I have learned more about MS word, which I think will benefit me as a teacher greatly. I have learned fun things, such as decorating my documents and adding borders and clip art, as well as important things such as pagination and headers and footers. Another skill I have learned is how to create a podcast. I think this is an interesting skill because it is so new and so useful. I can definitely see why educators find such value in creating podcasts, because students can really benefit from their use. I will probably use podcasts for homework help for my students, and also for substitute teachers, since students never respects subs and I want my students to still learn on days that I may not be in attendance.

Blog #1

Computers are an important part of the educational experience because they open up so many doors and present countless opportunities that you could not find elsewhere. There is nothing more incredible than having the power of knowledge literally at your fingertips, and computers provide us with this luxury. I think we have all become so dependent on the Internet that we would be lost without it. Many people do not even know how to find things in encyclopedias, which was all we had 30 years ago. Students and teachers use computers for everything; from research to writing papers to emailing, we have become a society that is connected through this technology. I do not think there is anything wrong with this environment we have created in classrooms because it maximizes the information available to students, and what could be wrong with that? On the subject of email, I think it is wonderful that students, parents, and teachers can all be connected through the web, and can easily stay informed.

I will use computers in my classroom for a variety of activities. I think it is important for students to recognize what a resource the Internet is, so I will be sure to provide them with tips and tricks to using it for research, email, blogging, etc. I think that this is essential for a child growing up in today's world. These kids will likely be going off to college, and it would be a shame if they did not know the basics about a computer or the opportunities that await them if they use it to the fullest potential. I will also use computers for word processing, since writing papers will also be an activity they will frequently perform during their years of academia. Additionally, I would like to also have the software available to teach students the proper way of typing. Being an efficient typist has more benefits now more than ever, and I believe by teaching these skills early on, students can really excel in their computer use. I would plan to give each child at least 25 minutes a day to practice on the software, assuming I have a few computers in my classroom for the students to work on.

I would like to share my opinion on the Apple iPad. Besides the name being totally ridiculous, I just do not see the use for this gadget. Honestly, it just looks like an over-sized iPhone. And everyone has the iPhone, so why would they buy a huge one? It does almost the same things. The only difference that I can see (that matters to me anyway) is that the iPad has an application similar to the Kindle and the iReader, which is cool. I purposely did not buy either of those gadgets because I am a huge Apple fan and would prefer to wait for their version if I am going to invest in an electronic reading thing. Anyway, I wish there were more differences between this iPad and the iPhone, because I really don't like being disappointed with Apple. I love Apple and I totally support them taking over the technology world and all, but I am just not impressed with this latest invention.

Blog #0

My prior experience in technology involves a few computer classes in high school, and my at home computer use. I have a macbook, and I love it. My other technology experience involves my cell phone, since that is something I certainly use every day. I used to have a PC so I am pretty experienced in both machines, Mac and PC. I am fairly confident using Windows, although I feel like I am better with Macintosh these days. I am a pretty fast typist because I work every day typing for my boss, who is writing a book. I feel as if I get faster at typing each day; practice is definitely the best way to get better at typing.

In this class, I hope to expand on my knowledge of technology. I want to get more experience using Excel because that is definitely the program I am the weakest in right now. I also hope to just be more informed of how to use current technology. Technology is so broad these days, and it seems as if you can never know enough. I enjoy learning new techniques for using the computer, so I know I will enjoy this class and get the most out of it.

I have learned, based on the learning styles test that we took today, that my learning style is apparently fairly balanced. I scored between a 1 and 3 on each category of the test except for the second one, which I scored a 5 on. I lean more towards the reflective side of learning, which I scored a 3 on. I think this is pretty accurate, since I do catch myself reflecting on my progress and evaluating it. I scored a 5 on the sensory portion, which I also find to be accurate. I do use facts and clear knowledge to learn things, rather than inferring them intuitively. I scored a 1 on the verbal portion, which is interesting, since I think I am more visual, but after reading it I do see that it makes more sense. Lastly, I scored a 1 on the sequential part, which I agree with as well. I am a very organized person, so I believe the sequential emphasis is dead-on with my learning style.