Signing off...but not forever

Well, the tech class experience is winding down. It has been more fun (and at times, more frustrating) than I thought it would be. That been said, I really enjoyed this class. I think I learned some technological skills that I will be using in the future. I am surprised to admit this since I fully expected to not use or enjoy most of the things we were going to learn.

I am soooooo proud of my website. I know it is simplistic but I also think I will maintain it and that is pretty cool. I like that it is relatively easy to create these spaces on the web and that I can use this as another way to connect with my students and post information for them. I also feel like I am one step closer to using technology that intimidates me at first. It is not easy to struggle through something you do not understand but now I have hope that if I stick with it, I can learn new technology and use it to enhance my instruction.

That being said, I must confess that I am still weary of using tons of technology in the classroom. I do not want to resort to smoke in mirrors effects to make my teaching more interesting and I think this is one way that technology can be abused in the classroom. Whenever technology is being used, we as educators need to consider if the technology is, in fact, enhancing what it is we are trying to do that day in class. Otherwise, it will feel like a cheap trick and the students will see right through it.

I do think giving students an opportunity to work with technology is very important and for that reason, I will strive to find ways to tie its use into the classroom and expose them to new developments. This class also made me aware of what a tremendous resource I have in my friends in regard to technology. A lot of my friends are more skillful with computers than me and I will be able to ask them for help and new ideas for how to use technology. Overall, this class has opened me up to new ideas and skills that will make me a better, more resourceful teacher for my students. And that is a good thing.

iMovie baby!

Going to the Movies

I have now been playing/working with iMovie for a few days now and am mostly enjoying myself. Some of the program is very user friendly. For instance, the photo clips are easy to move around to change the order of display in the imovie. However, some of the program is not easy to use. Sometimes, when I am working with a media feature, it will preview the effect on a random slide. Also, the Ken Burns effect, while cool looking, is hard to alter in a straight forward kind of way. This program is very interesting but I feel that I am not good at just fiddling around with a program to figure it out like some of my classmates.

I do think this program would be great for English instruction. I like the idea of using it as a trailer for a new book we will be covering. I also like the idea of using it to make a short presentation of biographical information on an author or a time period in which a book was written. I think that students would enjoy seeing the technology used in this way. Also, it will be a program that they could use at home for projects and presentations, if they have the technology. Knowing how to use this program will also be helpful with tech instruction in school, so both teachers can help students who are learning how to use it. I am excited to see how my imovie turns out. It will be featuring my youth group from church. Stay tuned...

Inspiration and other Abstracts

Inspiration is a great program. Great production quality (I love stuff that makes me look good with little effort). It is relatively user friendly and has lots of options. I really like that there are web templates for easy creation for my specific classroom stuff. I enjoyed exploring this program with items I am going to be teaching in the upcoming year.

Since we are half way through the session, I think I will reflect on my time so far in this class. I have really enjoyed learning how to use Wikis and Google Presentation. I like that these pieces of technology are accessible from anywhere and I can change stuff as I go along. I also had a great time working with classmates Lauren, Danielle, and Justin on our slide show pictures (shout out!) So far, I must say, this class has been surprisingly enjoyable and useful for the future of my teaching career. Until next time...

Scavenger Hunt

Digital Collection

Electric Lessons

I really liked working with the technology standards. They got me thinking about ways to incorporate different ideas with technology resources. I want to explore more of these options with my students. I think you have to find a balance though. There is a big difference between using technology to help with a lesson plan and just putting it in there for no reason. I think we need to always be thinking about how we can facilitate learning and I think technology gets them involved in a unique way and provides practice for work in the future. I think we as teachers need to look for new and fresh ways to work with knowledge in a technology based way. Planning a lesson that will incorporate technology was not easy but it did stretch me to think about how this can be done effectively in the classroom.