Last Post for ETEC

I think that I had a lot of "aha" moments this semester. The first thing was the wiki- I've heard of wikis, and knew that it was something that could be manipulated by different users, but I didn't really know why you would want to create one. This course gave me a much better understanding of wikis and the purpose. Wikis can be used for so many different things, and I can't wait to explore with my class and student's parents. I'm excited to see what they will do with the information that I share.
My philosophy made me evaluate how I teach. I already incorporate a lot of technology into my class, but now I know even MORE and BETTER ways to use technology. It's been nice to be able to play with several different websites, wikis, sites, images, etc. I think it's made me more well rounded. I LOVE the podcast ideas. I can't wait to incorporate those into my class. My philosophy, which is student-centered aligns perfectly with the technology projects. I can't wait to share them with some of the upper grade teachers, where their students can use the sites much easier than mine. I even thought about pairing my Kinder students with some of the older ones to collaborate some cool technology projects. I think they would both enjoy that.

This class has really made me so much more confident at using technology in my classroom. I've enjoyed exploring with technology. I was already planning on creating a class website, but now I feel so much better about it. I know how to manipulate and use it. :)

Week 4

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  Are you more comfortable composing documents online than longhand?
• I am definitely more comfortable typing out documents rather than writing them. In fact, when I took my comp test a few weeks back, I was a little shocked that we had to hand write all of our essay questions rather than type them. I think the last time that I wrote that much was when I was taking my TAAS test back in the day.
  
• 
  
  Have you turned your "remembering" (phone numbers, meetings, and so on) over to a technology device?
• Yes, I have. This can be a good and a bad thing. I currently went out of the country for my best friends wedding, and was using a calling card to call back home. Sadly, I couldn't remember my fiance's phone number. I have always hit "call" on my phone, rather than memorizing it. I won't make that mistake again. I keep a calendar in my cell phone in order to remember when I have certain events.
  
  Do you go to meetings with your laptop or PDA?
• I use my laptop in classes, but don't take it to school meetings with me. I do take my cell phone if I need to make any notes.
  
  Are you constantly connected? Is the Internet always on whether you are at home or work? Is your cell phone always with you?
• Yes, my cell phone has internet access and I do have access at home. I am always connected.
  
  How many different activities can you effectively engage in at one time?
• Several. I find myself changing tasks constantly on the Internet so that I don't get bored. I will do something with music or read blogs. I use facebook and twitter. I use the Internet for my classes. The internet is how I stay connected.
  
  Do you play video or computer games?
  
• I do not play video games. I did some as a kid, but not a lot. I do play computer games occasionally, but I have to be pretty bored to do that.
  

What generational category do you fall in or are you a mixture of a few?
I am the Net Generation. I was born in 83. I think everything in that category describes me. I'm very determined and want to help makes change where change needs to be made.

This article focused on implications primarily for higher education; however, the characteristics for the Net Gen remain true for students in K12. What and how do we need to change?
I think we really need to make sure that lessons and activities use the Internet. Students really enjoy doing things on the computer. I know at our school we have a portable computer lab (cart of laptops) and it is rarely used. Yes, it's a lot of hassle to pull all of the computers out and get them set up and turned on, but otherwise, we go to the lab once a week. Wouldn't it be better to have the cart to use for activities that take longer? I think students would be more engaged and more likely to complete their "work."

I really like the article on assessment of learning and assessment for learning. I’ve never really thought about the two being broken apart. Hopefully, I use my data from assessments to determine what will be taught next. It seems that the assessment FOR learning is more centered on the student. The students will choose the things to determine their learning.
I really like the AFL that said, “AFL will recognize the full range of achievements of all learners.” I think it is so true, because some forms of assessments don’t give all of the information that you really need. At the end of the test, you know what the students CAN’T do, but not necessarily what they KNOW about a topic. When you are using portfolios, it gives you more information than some of the other ways, and I think it’s a true example of assessment FOR learning, rather than assessment OF learning. I also like that its learner motivated.
I think portfolio assessments have a lot of potential. I think it could be used for every subject area. It is very student centered and gives the learner the opportunity to choose what they want to share. I think it’s important for students’ to see their growth over time, and that would be the perfect way.
I really like posting a portfolio online. In one of my classes that I’m taking this summer, another students shared with us her portfolio from her undergrad. At their college, they had to use the online portfolios so that anyone at any time could access her portfolio. It is perfect for job interviews, and I think it’s even fun for parents to see. That way, everyone is on the same page. Personally, it is allowing me to gather my most important things and put them in a designated area. I think it’s a very organized way to show learning.

week 2

MAPping...

I really enjoyed doing the MAPping activity. I honestly have never really thought about the sites that I visit. When I search for information, I normally use an online journal article or something with google scholar. However, this activity opened my eyes to the truth that there is JUNK on the Internet. Obviously this is something that I have known, but looking at the credibility of the site was very useful. When I was in a Social Studies course, I had to look up different thoughts about the man on the moon. IT is insane how many different things I found. People used their THOUGHTS as FACT. They posted and created various web pages to back up their theories. I just thought it was interesting because if someone typed in certain words in their google, then they would receive information that may not be true. I think it is important to teach students how to decipher trustworthy sites from non-trustworthy. I’m sure I’ve quoted some websites that were not the best throughout my college career.

Keeping it SAFE and CREDIBLE
If we don’t teach them these skills, then they may get information that is not valid. I think it is ultra important to let them know how to get credible information. Also, they will need to learn sites that will keep them from the dangerous things on the Internet. They need to know what places are kid friendly. Parents need to know this, as well.

MMmmmmm....DELICIOUS!

I had heard of Delicious before, but had never used it. I think that it is something that is very useful. It wasn’t hard to create the account, and now all of the information is stored in one place. I no longer have to go to google every time I want to find a certain website from my school computer. I can open delicious and discover the sites that I have saved. I think a lot more people will begin using sites like this in the future, in order to have an organized place for all of their information. Maybe these types of accounts will be used for networking with others that frequent the sites one day.

Wiki Time....
I think wikis are cool. I had also heard of wikis, but not ever realized why they can be useful. I liked the video that talked about a camping trip, and the campers collaborating on what items they were going to bring. For something like that, it could be very useful. I created my wiki about wedding planning. I think it will be useful, because it will give my friends, family, and classmates a place to share information about places, dress shops, djs, caterers, etc. Obviously, I can look up information online, but if people give me ideas of places that are reasonable and that they think I will like, then I will have all of the information in one place.

http://megansweddingwiki.wetpaint.com

Wiki, wiki, wiki, wiki........wiki!

Wikis provide people with an opportunity to collaborate about something. If you didn’t have them, then communicating by email, facebook message, twitter posts, etc. would still be the norm. When people have a place to post, then they will. The disadvantage would be that maybe people would alter information that you wanted to keep. I’m not sure if you could put settings on the page to eliminate someone from deleting your information. Wikis are very engaging because people are able to edit, change, create their thoughts, etc. It is a great way to get connected and work cooperatively in a group.

thoughts about technology

I think that reviewing my philosophy of teaching allowed me to reflect on things that I have changed since I began teaching. I graduated college four years ago, and had to create a philosophy of my thoughts on education, and at some point, I'd like to review my old one to see how much has changed since I have actually been in the classroom.

I think blogging is a great way to keep connected with parents. It would be fun to create a blog and record things daily or weekly that the parents could see. That way the education would be more interactive. They will not only hear about, but see things that you are doing in your classroom. I teach Kindergarten students, so I'm not sure how the blogging could be used with them, unless they cooperated with their parents at home. I have seen blogging used in classrooms, in fact, I took an Intel course that taught different ways students could use blogging. It could be a class blog, where they were able to communicate with one another about projects, or it could be used as a place to record ideas about a subject. I think we are going in the right direction with technology. We are becoming more aware that children rely on it, and giving the correct information, that not everything on the internet is trustworthy. I think the things preventing us, is lack of technology places in the classroom. It would be fabulous if there were more computer labs or computers in the classroom, but we are so limited as to what we can use. 30 minutes a week in the computer lab will not allow us enough time to teach the blogging concept. Also, I think teachers are scared of it. If the children are more of the experts, it's a little intimidating. I grew up with computers and technology and am not afraid to use it frequently in my classroom, but I can see how it could be intimidating to someone with less experience.

The statement that stood out to me the most in November's article was the one about video cameras. Really? Video cameras in every classroom? I just don't see why that is appealing. Yes, it would be great to have video cameras to use for projects and activities, but you want to tape the children and teachers? It seems a little awkward to me.

Educational technology means teaching students how to use the internet, computers, laptops, cameras, video cameras, music, I pods, promethean boards, etc. It seems like this is the direction we are headed. I recently had to take my comps for the end of my Master's and hand wrote essay questions for three hours. I don't remember the last time that I wrote that much, because I am constantly typing on my laptop. I wonder if students will soon be able to learn typing skills and be able to do testing on the computers, rather than in a test booklet. Just curious. Back to educational technology- the teacher is the facilitator and the student should be able to search and discover. One part about technology is, you get to be as creative as you want, as long as you know how to use the resources.

Philosophy of Teaching

Educational Teaching Philosophy

I have had many teachers that I would consider incredible, and I have also had several teachers that did not really teach. As a child, you would think that getting the easy “100” would be the class you would want, but as I got older, I realized it was more the content that I wanted to learn. I didn’t want to just sit through a class and sleep to get the easy A. I would much rather have a teacher that challenged me to grow and have success or failure. There are a few teachers that have been that for me, that have helped me become the teacher that I am today.

I have several teachers that I would consider the best. One of them was my first grade teacher. I remember she spoke to me one on one. She created things in her classroom that were fun and exciting. She found different ways to help me with reading and math. She was creative and inventive in her classroom.

Another teacher, that I would consider a master teacher, was my high school journalism teacher. Her name was Alison Conger. She is someone that I still keep in contact with today. She was very personable with me. She let me babysit her kids. I was going through some hard things in my personal life, and she was a constant encourager. She also gave me a lot of freedom, as she had selected me as the editor of the year book. She allowed me to do so many different things to create and invent, and she was just a facilitator.

My worst teacher was a history teacher when I was in high school. I was always an excellent student. I made mostly A’s and very rarely a B in a class. This particular teacher lost one of my assignments that I certainly turned in, and it dropped my grade to a C in the course. He was a very poor teacher, gave us lectures everyday and did not ever do anything to challenge you to think about what you were learning. I disliked that class greatly, and dislike him for his disorganized, boring teacher style.

I think the best teachers have challenged me to be like them. I am very personable with my students and parents, yet professional. I like for the students to get up out of their seats and participate in activities, rather than sit and listen to me lecture. I like for students to be actively engaged, rather than doing repetitious activities constantly. I think that each of these teachers have definitely affected my style of teaching, my personality, and my confidence.

There are many different theorists that I have discovered over the years that has challenged me to teach the way that I do. I think that the constructivist theory is a huge part of the way that I think. Within this learning theory, it is very meaningful instruction with experiences that encourage students to reflect on what they have seen. I think of when I am teaching students to read, I use many different media and materials to teach, so that they will be able to process the information and use it to reflect and add to what they want to know.

I also like the theory of idealism because the students are valued in their cognitive growth and moral growth. The idea is that you find material to aide the student in learning. It is a more holistic approach to teaching. Students need to have self actualization. This type of learning also incorporates a higher level of thinking for the students.

I also think about Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences. I think it is important to include all different types of strategies because there will be all different types of learners in your classroom.

I am in my career because I feel like it is a calling from God. I know my strengths and weaknesses and pairing this up with student’s learning is a perfect match. I think that I have a good personality to deal with little children. I still feel like a child myself. I am constantly doing silly voices, singing songs, and using very animated things to teach my students. Obviously, technology is the direction that the world is headed. Using computers, promethean boards, websites, etc. are incredible ways to connect students with the way the world is headed. I think it is incredible to see a five year old sitting at a computer, and accessing so many different tools that older teachers are afraid to approach. My career is not in technology but I incorporate it constantly to add flavor to my teaching, and help the students gain what they need to function in America in the year 2010.

I think my teaching and studying has greatly morphed from when I was in high school. Just ten years ago, we used the internet, but it was not on the cell phone. It was not as easily accessed. We mainly used it to chat on AIM or to check our email. Now, we have access to creating so many websites, blogs, personal pages, etc. I use so much of this when I study and teach. The internet is full of so many different teaching ideas. You can look up a theorist in 10 seconds, rather than driving to a library to find the resources you need. It is more realistic to use the internet at home and find the information quickly. I teach and study using these resources because that’s the way the world is moving. If I kept using old books and encyclopedias, I would be behind the times.

A great teacher is someone that gives everything that they have to their students. When they are at school, they are pouring their being into the 22+ children they are around. A great teacher is a leader, full of energy, grows a one-on-one relationship with the students. A great teacher gets to know the interest of their students and uses that to benefit the child’s learning. A great teacher is a facilitator, that supplies students with a variety of choices to start their learning. A great teacher provides opportunities for the students to learn. A great teacher discovers the best way that a student learns and then plans accordingly. A great teacher discovers new ways to teach the TEKS in a creative way.

I want learners to gain a confidence in themselves, that they can be a part of their own learning. They can create and discover different ways to learn for themselves. They work independently and cooperatively. They need to gain the skills for the grade level they are in and much more. I teach the way that I learn. I also try to implement different things to help different types of learners. As a Kindergarten teacher, I use so many visual things in my classroom. I like to create games, activities, hands on experiments, reading activities, etc that help the students get excited about learning. I like to work with small groups, to gain a better understanding of what my students need. I use these things because I think it is best practice. I select assignments that will help the students gain what they need. I hope that they are able to creatively use their experiences to grow and learn new concepts. A teacher is a facilitator, trainer, encourager, and guide.

I use technology daily. I create lessons on my promethean board so that the students can go up to the board and sort, write, create, etc. The whole idea of the promethean board is that the students will interact with the lessons. They also use different programs daily on the computer to help re-teach concepts we have learned. I also let them explore different things on the computers. I also plan to create a webpage for my parents this year, and some things may be interactive with the students. I think that doing computers and learning this way is the way of an informator because I am not dumping information on students. I am allowing them to discover and learn.