Scenario

My strongest attributes are truly caring about children. I love to work with them and watch them learn new material. I also am very organized and love to create new activities that I believe will interest the students. My weaker attribute is not being flexible. I like to stay on a schedule but I know that every day will be different with the students and lessons won't go as they are planned. A couple of years from now, I see myself beginning my teaching career. I want to either stay in Manhattan or move to Kansas City. My family is really important to me and I want to stay close to them. I will continue to strive to learn to a better teacher. Helping me get there is to stay dedicated to school and to stay involved in volunteering in the classroom.
Staying up with technology is key to teaching. Technology presents material in new ways that can be more engaging to the students. In return, the students will have a better chance to learn the material. Technology is very interactive covering many different learning styles. A lot of technology applications can also be personal creating connections to the students. Podcasts are a great resource to keep up with new software and technology. A few of my favorite Podcasts are from Tech Chicks or Driving Questions. These are constantly updated with new information on new technology. It also leads to new resources.  CDK's Education Technology Place is also a great place to start looking for resources.
The older I have gotten, the more I've learned and seen technology in the classroom. When I was in elementary school, we mostly used Word or Powerpoint. Now there are new resources like Prezi or Google Docs to better collaborate and more interactive. They are new and and interesting. I will try to integrate technology in my classroom as much as I can and collaborate with other teachers on different technology they may like to use. There will be inservice days and presentations to keep up with different types of technology used in the classroom. A few resources that I really like are Prezi, Animoto, and Celebrating Kansas Voices.

My Wow Moment

My Wow moment was my effort I put into my website after I changed from Google to Weebly. It's easier to keep up with something that you're proud of and like than something you struggle with getting the way you want it. Weebly was easier to organize my information, projects, and pictures. It will be beneficial to go back to my DED 318 Projects to use in my future classroom.
Another Wow moment I had was when working with Prezi. It was a little bit difficult to work with a group on this project but it could really be used in a classroom because it's a little bit more fancy than the standard powerpoints.

Podcast Favorites

These podcasts are great resources that can be used in my future classroom. They are constantly updated and are an easy way to keep up with technology. Going through these podcast websites like Driving Questions or Tech Chicks leads to tons of other resources for the classroom. My favorite podcasts were from Driving Questions. These were more interesting because they have videos involved with them. He uses a lot of interviews to learn about new materials. Personally, it's hard for me to keep up with technology because I use my computer and phone for the same things over and over again. Thinking out of the box is key to engaging the students.

Semester Favorites

One of my favorite resources that we have worked with is Animoto. This is a great resource that gives free 30 second videos and paid longer videos. These videos are easily put together by choosing the pictures, music, and text. These videos could be used in a beginning, middle, or end of a lesson. It is an attention getter and the students will be more engaged and have a better chance to remember the material. The easy-friendly videos also make it possible for any age of student to make their own video. Students could be grouped together or work individually. They can have the choice on the topic they feel that is important and what pictures they would like to choose.

Another resource I like and will use in my future classroom is Celebrate Kansas Voices. This was particularly special to me because I was able to tell the story of my Grandpa and show my family something I was proud about making. This resource is another video but is could be more personal. This is also something important individually but for the State of Kansas also. It tells personal stories about important places or people in our history told in our own personal stories. Students could have the choice on what to do like we had. (Something from our hometown) They could also choose from a list of choices may be easier for students to decide and find pictures on. After the videos are made and published, they can be put on the website which is a growing collaboration that is incredible.

Reflection #12 - Moving at the Speed of Creativity Podcast 340

This is an interview is taken place on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. The person being interviewed is with Ryan L'Esperance. This is an amazing opportunity. It is a non profit recording facilitiy. They stay up to date with the latest technology and have young people be able to share their music with everyone. These young people are able to meet famous people and learn to write, perform, record, and produce original songs. The bus travels the country visiting many schools. This would be an amazing opportunity for students that are interested in music. They would find resources that would help them believe in their dreams of recording music.

Reflection #11 - Chuck Todd

This Podcast interviews Chuck Todd who is a NBC political expert. He touches on that he doesn't surf the internet. He goes to specific websites and really relies on e-mail. He also touches on how he uses Mac instead of PC. I find myself not surfing the internet like I used to but usually checking the same websites over and over. I heavily rely on my e-mail especially my K-State e-mail. Technology is really changing and I believe that as a future educator, I need to surf the internet and find the resources that are available to me online. I'm also new to using a Mac this year and absolutely love it. It will be useful that I am able to use a Mac but can also use a PC.

Reflection # 10 - Driving Questions - First Year Tech Integration

One of the important things to look at it in my future school that I may teach at is the technology they have available. Having a person at a school that is a Tech Integration Specialist would be very beneficial. It was be really helpful and nice to have one on one computers with the students. I know that is it beneficial for me to be able to bring my laptop to class and type my notes instead having to handwrite them. Letting the students work on their own computers keeps the them engaged. It is a great resource and a tool. The only problem would be keeping the students on task and not going on websites they are not allowed on.

Reflection #9 - Driving Questions - Celebrating Kansas Voices

This is awesome that I had found this because it is one of my Professors discussing Celebrating Kansas Voices. It is a digital story telling project that tells our own personal stories and the history of Kansas. There is a simple tool that my class used called VoiceThread. This let us pick pictures with our own voice or someone else's voice telling the story. This really was special to me because I was able to tell my Grandpa's story. My Grandpa had truly lived the American Dream by moving here with nothing and creating a very respected business. The other videos that I was able to watch were really interesting. This would be a great project to do around Kansas' birthday. There are plenty of videos to watch as examples before starting the project.

 http://voicethread.com/?#u1742334.b1910067.i10057805

Comic Strip

I was a little intimidated when I was told to make a Comic Strip but I found an easy tool to help me make one called ReadWriteThink. It was set up in easy steps to make a 2 scene, 3 scene, or 6 scene comic strip. The start screen has you create your characters name, a subtitle, and the creator. There are characters already there for you to choose from, different type of dialogue bubbles, and different props. This could be used in a classroom as a fun activity but can be connected to any type of content area. For example, we used it for technology. Students could choose one piece of technology that they use or want to know more about and make a easy, fun comic strip on what they have learned. This also incorporates language arts because of the dialogue they can create. Every child loves having fun and humor. Any child would like to create their own comic strip that they can use in your classroom and at home.

Podcast, Website & Blog Mid-Term Critiqures

Part 1: Podcast
I liked looking at other classmate's Podcasts. A lot of the resources that they had chosen to talk about were resources that I had not heard of. This really emphasizes how beneficial a Podcast can be to a future student or teacher. One resource that I had not known about it KERC, Kansas Education Resource Center. This tool would be great for new teachers, it helps teachers align their lessons with standards. It gives advice on how to manage students and help students with learning disabilities. Another resource is SearchyPants, this is a SAFE search engine and the teachers can make a personalized search engine. These are only few resources that I have found through Podcasts. Podcasts are interesting because they are not only informative but they are interesting and engaging.

Part 2: Website/Blog
The main thing that I want to improve on my website is for it to be more interesting and engaging. I want it to be more creative and catch the explorers eye. I plan on adding more pictures, videos, and quotes. The only thing that is hard is placing things in places where I want them because I have found this to be difficult on Google Sites. On the blog; I want to go through and add links to the websites that I talk about and also add more pictures and videos to make it more interesting.

Top 5 Resources Podcast

Reflection #8 - Moving at the Speed of Creativity - Podcast 364

The ELL Bill of Rights

In this particular Podcast, Wesley Fryer touches on English Language Learners Bill of Rights.  It contains an interview with Rusiana Westerlund. It touches on that a community should be aware of English Language Learners. The summary of the Bill of Rights is "English Learners have many rights that even teachers to who teach them don't know about." This is important for us teachers to understand and have knowledge about. They need more than only being in our general classroom, they need to equally be able to learn the material. I have never thought about how hard it would be for a student that is an English Language Learners who is fluent, it would still be difficult for them to learn the material. Teachers need to draw attention to academic language and become aware of language arts. This is important to remember and understand because classrooms are becoming more and more diverse every day.

Rusiana Westerlund

Reflection #7 - Learning In Hand # 22

Applications for Education

There are over 5 billion application downloads and keeps growing 700 applications a day. There are tons of applications that are great for educators that will go along with a lesson or activity. It's amazing because there are many that are free applications. It's hard to stay up to date with technology but it will be fun to explore for teachers to help engage their students.There are many websites that Tony has that are organized nicely that have good reviews on what teacher's would recommend. An example is an application for how to learn long division, long multiplication, or fraction math. This is so much more interesting and helpful to many different types of learners to use their Ipod, Ipad, or Itouch instead of writing with pencil and paper. One fascinating thing is how educators are using twitter to share these different applications, all you have to do is search #edapp. I found this Podcast very interesting and helpful. A lot of the information that he had talked about I had not heard about before. It's amazing how much technology has expanded and how often a teacher can use it in their classroom.

 

 

Fun With Text Reflection

Wordle

This application would be great for a "get to know your students" activity for the beginning of the semester. The students could have the exact assignment that we had to think of about thirty words that describe them and make a Wordle. Wordle gives the students the chance to be creative with their words, colors, size, font, and design they create. Worlde could also be used in any type of lesson to show the key points or highlight ideas in a fun, imaginative way. This is great to put on a website or blog to show what you're interested in like my concentration or who I am.

Reflection #6 - Driving Questions - Kevin Honeycutt

Kimberly Wright

This podcast interviewed a fourth grade teacher in El Paso, Texas. She talks about what she has learned in technology and how she uses it in the classroom. She wanted to get away from using the standard PowerPoint and start having fun with the students. She bridged the gap between testing and having fun by technology. She has seen improvement in the classroom while having the students and herself be a lot happier. She took advantage of learning more about technology through conferences. I think this is very important to any teacher to be aware of. The students will be more engaged and interested if teacher's vary their teaching style. Having knowledge of technology helps teacher's accomplish this. It is a process though, it won't happen over night. It is more like an experiment to get comfortable with different forms of technology and teaching it with a lesson in the classroom. It is very interesting that she talks a lot about the technology and different websites that we have learned in this class so far. One thing that I had not heard of is Plurk, which helps connect with other teachers with any questions or help they may need. Technology is unlimited!!

Classroom 2.0 Reflection

Classroom 2.0

The first year of teaching is going to be very overwhelming and having a group of teaching to go to for advice or support will be very helpful. Through Classroom 2.0, teachers can share information and news with each other. One nice thing is that it is free and if someone has used Facebook then it is pretty easy to navigate around on. People all around the world use this which could be very beneficial. It always helps to know people and have people to answer your questions. This website also has lesson plans, different forums, and resources.

Edutecher Site Reflection

Edutecher

One resource that I found interesting was BrainPOP. It is an animated website that will engage students. Every student likes cartoons and finds them interesting. There are interactive games that give the students opportunities to practice what they have learned. This website is organized by subject matter along with other fun subjects. When I went under the Math Tab, I found it split into many different subjects followed by many other subgroups. This website is not only a good resource but also one for students to get extra practice in any subject area that is fun, interesting, and engaging.
Another resource that I found was Books Should Be Fun. This website has thousands of books that students can download on their ipad, ipod, or computer. This is beneficial to students that struggle with reading or paying attention but also if students can't find the time to read, they may find the time to listen to it instead. It is an alternative to engage students and also keeps up with technology. It is very conveniently organized also by popular books, genres, or subjects. It's also very nice because all of them are free. When I searched under the link of Children, I found many books that I remember reading growing up or in school like Ann of Green Gables, Wizard of Oz, Black Beauty, and so many more.
Another resource is ABCya! This is a website that has many games and activities for students to help them practice their knowledge. All of these games are approved by teachers also. I take that as they are in someway beneficial to the students, not a waste of time. This is helpful when there is left over time in a class or the students want a break from their work, they can get on this website and interact with it while still learning and expanding their knowledge. It is also well organized by splitting the games up in the appropriate grade level. I played a few of the games and they are actually fun and made me think.

Kan-Ed Reflection

Kan-Ed

The main thing that I discovered on this website is that it was is an AMAZING resource. This website will be very useful for my classes at Kansas State University as well as when I become a teacher. One thing that I found that was very helpful was ideas for lesson plans. I have only written a couple of lesson plans so far and have had trouble coming up with ideas and aligning them to standards. This website gives me ideas that other teachers have used and have found to be beneficial. It not only gives me ideas on what to teach but how to teacher, questions to ask the students, and assessments. This website is also helpful to keep things organized in the classroom. It would be easy to have the students take a test linked to this website and it be organized by the student name. This website it also very beneficial for students. They have the opportunity to ask a tutor about the questions they may have on homework as well as finding appropriate resources all in one place. All around this website is great, it gives me so many references and resources all on one website.

Podcast on Resources

Reflection #5 - Ed and Jeff Talk Hi-Definition Television

Hi-Definition Television

I personally liked this Podcast because I haven't caught on to Hi-Definition TV like my family has. This helped me understand the benefits and drastic differences. HD channels are so much clearer which has led people to watch other channels than they were used to like History or Discovery which can be very educational. It will be beneficial for students to grow up with the HD channels because technology keeps changing and it's important for them to keep up with it.

Reflection #4 - Driving Questions - Kevin Honeycutt

Geochaching in Education

I have never thought of using the technology of a GPS to teach a lesson. It is very creative and as the teachers discussed, it would be easier for a student to probably catch on to the activity than the teacher because they have grown up with this their whole life. It can be used in any subject and really engaged the children. The children can work together teaching them to work cooperatively with each other and also gets them walking around instead of sitting and listening to a lecture. This activity can help appeal to several learning styles creating a better understanding. There are many websites that can help teachers think of ideas and guide them to understand how to do it on Google.

Reflection #3 - Learning in Hand #23: Collecting and Organizing Voice Memos

Collecting and Organizing Voice Memos

Ipods, Ipads, and Itouch can all record voice memos. This can be useful in the classroom by recording audio to assess reading fluency, document a field trip, share reflections, record a musical performance, or have a discussion. Once the recordings are on Itunes, it is important for the teacher to organize the information so it can be easily accessed. It is a good idea to make a SmartPlaylist for each student to keep organized. This information was beneficial for me because I had not realized all of this could happen in Itunes. It would be fun to have the students do these type of activities and listen to themselves or be able to reflect later on in the year.

Animoto In My Classroom Reflection

Animoto

I found this very useful and fun. It would be a fun lesson for the students to do at the beginning of the school year to tell the class a little about them and what they are interested in. It is creative and students can show their personalities through the music, pictures, and themes they choose. This would also be very useful for any introduction, middle, or conclusion of any lesson. It can highlight the main points and engage the students. Also, as we saw in class, it would be a great assignment to give to the students for any subject matter for them to explore and create an original video.

Reflection #2: CDK's Education Technology Place

CDK's Education Technology Place

Website


The first thing that I found on the website was many different ways I could use technology in my future classroom like videos, links, and news. I believe that keeping up with technology is important to keep the students engaged and interested in what they are learning. I have also found different websites to help me generate some ideas. Creating a website or blog is important because it gives us a different way of communicating with the students and parents in an interesting and fun way. 

Reflection #1: Technology Bits, Bytes, and Nibbles

Technology Bits, Bytes, and Nibbles

iPads

I think that it is a great idea for schools to have iPads in the classroom. This is a great way for students and teachers to stay up to date and have the opportunity to learn how to use new technology. It would have different educational applications that the students and teachers can use together. Using the applications on the iPad will help the student and the teacher be organized by having it all electronically and in one spot. The students will also be engaged because they were be excited to use the iPad. The only downfalls would be the expense of an iPad but I’m sure that the schools and places where the students would buy them would find a way for every student and their family to afford it. Another problem might be the students getting off track by playing games or exploring other things than the applications they are supposed to be using during class. Overall, I believe that every school should have the opportunity to use the technology that we have today.