Post #2

Post #2

Microsoft Word

As a student in school I used Microsoft Word documents on the daily.  Whether I was writing papers or taking notes in class, Microsoft Word was the way to go.  Microsoft Word Documents guaranteed a safe and easy way to save my work.  My teachers used Microsoft Word documents to share assignments online, present important information, and create test and work for us students.  Microsoft word was present daily in my life and my teachers’ lives. 

Copy Right Laws 

It is important, not only as a teacher or student but as a person to understand copyright rules and respect intellectual property.  Throughout my experience in school, teachers usually tried to follow copyright rules and teach us how to, and the importance of following copy right and fair use of materials.  As a teacher I shall strive to follow copyright rules and still use as many materials in my classroom and teach my pupils to do the same.  This may limit some of the possibilities, but it is important to practice what I preach.   Laws are in place that provide copyright protection to creative works in order to foster the creation of culture(CSMI). There are many ways to still include fun materials for my classroom without breaking any laws to do so. 

Reflection on Skills Acquired

 There are so many online tools available to use in the classroom.  Not just the basics of Facebook and twitter, but a whole array of social media designed for schools.   We are learning about how to use twitter and its uses in a classroom.  I have never used twitter before this, but I remember doing activities in class that revolved around the outdated medium of Facebook.  I feel like as a teacher we try to keep up with the times but twitter might end up turning out like all the actives we did in class involving Facebook that the teacher thought was cool, outdated.  Its important to keep up with the times; even though things like twitter are popular now, making an activity revolving around it or using it in class might be futile by the time I become a teacher.  If I try to keep up with tecnology, then hopefully I will be able to keep a class involved and interested in activities revolving around technology and social media.  

Blog Post #1

Technology is very prominent in our society today.  It is important to instill a certain level of technology literacy in students to be a competent member of society and today’s workforce.  The Association for Educational Communications and Technology says, “Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.”  This broad viewpoint gives teachers a general understanding of how they should use technology in the classroom.  These regulations are to make sure that teachers are up to date with the available technology.  Though it is difficult to teach/make current teachers use technology it is important to make the new generation aware and competent.  Technology is a useful tool in the classroom.  Whether for the purpose of organization, communication, and planning or for activities in the classroom, technology is a useful tool.   

 

          The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), is a federally funded initiative that creates standards for people who work in the educational field and students.  The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), is a project by ISTE that is sponsored by the U.S. department of education.  The NETS-T are standards for evaluating the knowledge and skills that teachers should have. 

          I was interested in standards so I looked ISTE up on the internet (using those skills) and found them really interesting.  The standard to “Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility,” seemed very important to me.  With all of this technology in the hands of children, it important to not only teach them to use it, but to teach them what are appropriate and acceptable uses of technology.  I feel like I will need to work on fine tuning my skills before I am able to “Design and develop digital age learning and assessments,” for my students. 

 

          A “digital native” is someone who is from/has grown up in a world filled with technology.  Because “Digital natives” have grown up in with technology they have an exceptional advantage to those who grew up pre-digital age, “Digital immigrants.”  Students, including myself are known as digital natives while teachers are digital immigrants, I definitely agree with this idea.  My school was equipped with smart boards in every classroom and labs of the newest equipment.  Teachers had the ability to use ipads and itouches in the classroom for different activities but never did.  They used smart boards as a screen and nothing else.  Instead teachers made obtuse activities for technology that were out of date.  I feel like the lack of technology used in the classroom did not affect my ability to use technology because I learned it on my own.  I am a digital native, but not for long; in a world of ever changing technology I fear becoming a digital immigrant.  I feel like if I am able to keep on top of future technology, I would like it to be more prominent in my classroom.  

0 Blog Post

Post #0

My Experience with Technology
I do not have a lot of experience using technology.  Working on projects that require the use of technology always leads to a lot of stress and difficulty for me.  Other than the bare basics of Power point, Word, and excel I am absolutely  useless when it comes to using technology.  I rely a lot on my friends to help me when it comes to using technology.  Up until high school I was home schooled, so I never really learned how to use technology to make presentations and in the classroom until I was in my teens.

What I Hope to Learn Through This Class
I am really excited to learn about technology and how to use it correctly in the classroom.  Not only will this class help me on my way to becoming an amazing teacher able to balance technology and learning in the classroom, but it will also help me in my day to day life taking classes.  There are so many things I just have no idea how to do on the computer and I cannot wait.  Hopefully after taking this class I won't be so confused when I hear professors or friends talking about things to do for projects on the computer.

My Personal Learning Style
According to the learning style test I took, I am a global and visual learner.  I learn best through visuals and as a whole.  I supposed to grasp larger concepts randomly and without seeing how they relate until I magically get it.  I do not necessarily think that is true.  I personally believe I learn best through visual and verbal  learning.