Class #8

     Tonight we reviewed webquests again. Students still had a lot of questions about how to create one so Dr. Damiri used this as an opportunity to show how reteaching is essential  in the classroom setting. After the review everyone felt more confident about the webquests and how to create one.
     We also were instructed on being able to detect viruses. Some of the signs are weird sounds or random music popping up,corrupted or lost files, and a program or file that does not work properly. Because teachers are not normally responsible for fixing these types of problems they should alert their school administrator of the problem as soon as possible.
     Next we talked about ethics. Computer ethics involves making sure that the computer is used only for edification purposes and not to harm others or to interfere with others work. Computers are also not to be used for stealing or lying. All of this may sound like common knowledge however there have been many to get themselves into trouble because of these types of issues. As a teacher, whether we like it or not, we are held to higher moral standards than the average person due to the impact the have on our students. In our personal lives and inside of the classroom it is our responsibility to make ethical decisions in all we do.

Class # 7

     Today in class we learned all about webquests. Webquests are an inquiry based lessons that utilizes the www for resources. There are several components to creating a good webquest. You start out with an introduction to introduce your topic and then you have a task that gives a formal description of what students will have to accomplish through the quest. The process gives you step by step instructions for completing the task and the resources guide you to the places to gather your information. An evaluation rubric is included in every webquest so that students will know how their work will be evaluated. Finally, a conclusion wraps everything up and allows for reflection by the student.
     We also did a little more review on SMARTBoard and I was able to go up and play on it for a little while. I found it to be very difficult and I really don't understand how to use it but I suspect with as much practice that I will have by the time I graduate, I will become somewhat proficient. It is a tool that will be used in every aspect of teaching from general things such as a projector and interactive whiteboard for presentation purposes to more complex things such as virtual tours.

Class #6

     In class tonight, we took our midterm exam and then moved onto a review of our class portfolio. Basically, we looked at some examples and then moved on to other things knowing that we would revisit it later.
     Next we learned about SMARTBoard and SMARTNotebook. SMARTNotebook is a program designed to be used with the the SMARTBoard that provides resources such as games, charts, and questionnaires to support student learning. You can access resources from the Internet to make learning fun and interactive for your students inside the classroom.
     We also learned how to make a gradebook using excel. Gradebooks are an essential tool for the 21st century teacher to use inside the classroom and a way to stay organized. Gradebooks are also a way to ensure student don't fall behind.
    

class #5

     Unfortunately I was absent from class today due to illness but my classmates were ever so kind to catch me up on what I missed. According to them we learned about educational games,virtual field trips, and ease of access. Inside the classroom, educational games are really good to use for reviewing and practicing key skills. Virtual field trips are a fun and exciting way for students to learn about other places and cultures. It is a very good tool to use for low SES students and to provide them with a way to see and experience other places in the world. Ease of access is a good way to help students with certain disabilities be able to use the computer and to provide them with an equal opportunities.

class#4

   Today's class was a lot of fun and we packed a lot of information into the time we had. First of all we did a lot of review work on our classroom newsletters. It seemed as though everyone was having as much trouble as I was for one reason or another. Dr. Damiri was very helpful and patient with us as she reviewed and helped us to figure out exactly what she was wanting. My main problem involved formatting and then I had some trouble translating it into Spanish. We eventually got it all figured out and moved on.

   For the second part of class we had a lot of fun as Dr. Damiri explained Web 2.0 to us. I really enjoyed playing around with all of the Web2.0 tools. Dr. Damiri had us choose from a list of websites to visit and then she had us present a few to our classmates and to explain how they could be useful in the classroom. I chose one that let you scramble words and then another that allowed you to do all sorts of fun interactive things to learn about the U.S. government. This is one type of technology that can used many ways in the classroom such as letting the students play educational games and by giving teachers many resources to promote learning.

class#3

   In today's class April presented chapter 3 of our textbook to the class. The focus of this chapter was to explain the many uses and applications of software. Among the many included were productivity software, school management software, video editing software, education software, and home/personal software. She also helped us to understand how these were to be used in the classroom and how they could enhance our instruction as teachers.

   Next, Dr. Damiri led in a discussion about blogs and wiki's. The difference between a blog and a wiki is that a blog is a single person's ideas and thoughts allowing for others comments. A wiki is better for collaborative activities because it allows everyone to contribute to the project or activity. Both can be used for group projects just in different ways. In the classroom, blogs are good for intrapersonal activities whereas wikis are better for interpersonal activities.

   Although I feel as though I am behind in my technology abilities, I really enjoy learning about it. Any new  thing I learn is very exciting for me and I am always amazed at how easy it is once I pick up on something new.  I still have a lot of anxiety where technology is concerned but am getting relaxed enough to make mistakes and realize that they can always be fixed! My classmates have been very encouraging and helpful to me. It's nice to have such a great support system in place when I need it. Thanks guys!

Class #2

  Today's class was very informative for me as it always is. We had a discussion on the differences between the Internet and the World Wide Web. I had never given it much thought and had always thought of them as being one in the same. The www is actually a service of the larger Internet. The Internet came along first and is a global network of computers that are linked together by the www. The www is a collection of electronic documents that you access through built in hyperlinks. By clicking on the hyperlinks, you are taken to other related documents.
  
   We also worked on creating our own blogs. Initially, I found this to be very confusing but was feeling a little more comfortable with the whole concept as the end of class approached. When I got home and started to work on it myself, I was confused again!  Luckily for me, one of my classmates was kind enough to offer her help and I think I may understand just the basics now. In the future, I hope to jazz my blog up a little to make it more interesting. I think a blog would be a fun tool to use in the school environment so that parents can keep up with what is going on in the classroom.