Semester Reflection

Topic: Reflection on the semester. What are you taking away from the course? What would you like to learn more about going forward?

I enjoyed this semester, especially toward the end with all the group work. The more we got to know each other, the better discussions were and the easier it was to present in front of everyone.
From this course, I am taking away a change of mind. When I first started, I was not planning on using technology in my class except maybe powerpoints. I thought, "How will anything else be beneficial?" The assignments from class opened so many doors and showed me multiple different technologies that can be used! Basically, I am much more open to the integration of technology and how useful it actually can be.
For the future, I would like to learn more about the future of technology. I am curious about the path being made for such technologies as cell phones and ipods. What will happen with these technologies in the class? Can they be integrated successfully?
I definitely enjoyed this class and the experiences and people I met will help me greatly when it comes time for me to have my own class and technologies.

I really enjoyed this semester. I consider myself somewhat of a computer geek, I am on it all the time. I never really thought of ways that I would incorporate it into the classroom though once I (finally) finish up here. So for that reason, this class was really beneficial. I learned about a lot of new programs such as Inspiration and Windows Movie Maker, programs I probably wouldn't have given a second thought to previously. I'm taking away a lot of ways to use technology to improve my lessons in the future but I'm still learning how to support the knowledge I will have to teach using technology in it's many different forms. But I think it's something that you never stop learning, since technology is always growing and changing. I'd like to learn about more programs and more ways of using them in the classroom. I'm sure there are a lot we haven't touched on yet so I'm looking forward to expanding my knowledge on those technologies that I do not know about yet. Children are so reliant on technology and as a special education major, it would be really great if I could find different ways to incorporate technology into the things they need to learn so that is something I'm going to keep working on in the future.

Final Blog

This semester it has been very interesting thinking about technology and reflecting on my past and present experiences with it. I have realized what an impact technology has made on my life, especially how it has made it easier. There are countless pieces of technology that i use on a regular basis that help me complete tasks and make my life less stressful.

Presently i am a bit frustrated because of the online portfolio that is due next week. I'm not having a lot of trouble with microsoft front page but i really don't know how to use this program. I only know the essentials so my project is going to be rather plain. This is one of the first times i have been frustrated by technology, normally i embrace it with open arms but this making websites business is not for me.

All in all it has been a great semester and i have learned alot. This class has helped me to realize that technology in the classroom can be a very effective way to introduce material but it can also be a distraction if it is not used properly. Technology should only be used if it is definately going to improve the lesson and is completely necessary. This is the one piece of information i will always remember from this class.

Semester Reflection

I have learned a lot from this course, considering my limited experinece to start. I think using the digital storytelling in a different content might be great for the elementary class. I might use it to show pictures from a feild trip or assembly and maybe even record some of the student's comments to make it really cute :) The inspiration software might be usful to older grades to organize thoughts as a pre-writing strategy(webs like this can get pretty messy and unorderly when handwritten). I also found the software critique presentations to be resourceful in some cases that apply. Overall I do feel more comfortable with the areas of tecnology we worked with in class but not totally confident. I think that this course might be more beneficial if it were subdivided and geared toward the more specific feilds(elementary, secondary, special ed, etc).

Final post

This class has been a very interesting one! I am very pleased that this was a requirement for my degree. There are a lot ideas I am leaving this class with. I think back to the first day of class, and the movie we watched. I could never have imagined a cell phone being used as a tool in class. This class has opened my eyes further than I thought possible. I have always felt that schools need to be revamped. Too many teachers and programs are failing students simply because they only follow one method of teaching. Paper and pencil. This is the age of the computer chip, and to be honest schools need to catch up!
I think I will utilize a blog or forum in my classroom. It's an easy way for someone to get their ideas out without feeling like their preforming.

Semester Reflection

The thing I will most likely take away from this course is that, as teachers, we should not just use technology to use it. We have to be careful and weigh the pros and cons about implementing technology into a lesson.

I also learned more about the multiple intelligence theory and how it can apply to my future classroom. I would love to learn more and more about this theory, so I can eventually better my student's learning because of it. Even though it is not a widely agreed theory, I still found it interesting that we as learners all are at least good at 1 particular learning style.

Semester Reflection

I am taking away a great deal from this semester. Coming into this class at the beginning, I really had no experience with technology other then using word and email. Digitial storytelling, online porfolio, wiki sites these were all new terms to me. I can honestly say that feel I can now use these tools in my future classroom with ease and confidence. So I guess for me confidence in using technology is the best thing that I am taking away from this class. As for what I would like to learn more about going forward in the future, I think I just want to stay current on the best uses for technology in the classroom. Technology changes rapidily and if I can stay up to date on things to integrate into my classroom, I feel that I would be better reaching my students.

Semester Reflection

Coming into ISTC 301, I was fairly confident with my knowledge of technology that I will be using in the elementary classroom. I don’t know that I would say that I learned more about technology that would be beneficial to the elementary classroom, but I do feel that I have a broader knowledge of technology in general.
I feel more confident in creating a webpage in Microsoft FrontPage and creating and using a wiki or blog. I don’t know that these will be useful tools in the classroom, but I have found useful webpages created by teachers for their students and parents [ex. The Fourth Story]. With the exposure to technology we had in this class, I may be more inclined to use technology like blogs or wikis to keep in touch with parents and faculty. I don’t feel that I would use most of the technology we learned about from this class with students in elementary school.
The must valuable thing that I am going to take from this class is the concept of knowing that I can learn how to use any technology available to me. I may not be confident in web design, but I can easily learn how to get started.
One thing that I would like to learn more about is how to introduce technology to elementary students without breaking school policy or offending parents. I know there must be technologies that are useful to teaching that are not widely used in the classroom. I would like to learn more about those kinds of technologies. For instance, a GT teacher at one of the schools where I work uses GPS units with her students to teach a GIS class. I would like to know what I can use in my classroom to integrate real-life learning into the curriculum.

Reflection on the Semester

This class taught me more than I expected. I expected to learn various technologies and how they apply to classroom situations. This class went beyond my expectations. I learned about these various technologies like Inspiration, and how to create websites. I also learned how most people take common technologies like having a computer or a projector in a classroom is a privilege that some teachers/schools cannot experience. I also learned when it is appropriate to use various technologies. I also learned that people with disabilities like low vision can also use certian websites and technologies. These websites as well as various dvd's have oral menus as well as oral websites in which these people can just say where they want to go on these websites or dvd's in order to enjoy them. I enjoyed the doing the final group project which was the Practical Teaching Experience. This assignment gave me a chance to create a lesson plan that involves technology. This assignment taught me how to properly integrate technologies in a classroom. I hope to continue to learn about various technologies that can help enhance my classroom. I will take the knowledge from this class and use it as a launch pad in order to see what else is out there in the world of technolgoy.

Final Blog Post...

After doing the assignments in this class, I have come to the conclusion that my favorite project of the semester was...the digital story project. I really enjoyed working on the video and being able to write my own story. I had no idea that make a digital story was as simple as plugging in some head phones. I have always been under the impression that technology is more complicated to use. I am glad that I was given the opportunity to work with the digital story program.

One project that sticks out as something I would like to learn more about it...the online portfolio. I have been keeping up with mine because I really enjoyed doing it, but we didn't get a lot of opportunities to work on it in class. I think that having an online portfolio is something that I would like to do for my students when I become a teacher. It is a great way to organize your work and your thoughts about the work.

Final Blog Post

The project I enjoyed the most and look forward to messing with on my own time would have to be the dital storytelling segment. There are so many ways to reach different types of learning styles. For example, I am an emotional learner and the digtal story can sometimes have a way of tapping into certain student's emotions allowing them to retain information better. There are so many options when it comes to digital storytelling....and more likely than not, teaching a lesson incorporating a digtal story can reach more students at the same time.
I would to learn more about web page building. I would like to use this in my future classes for students to contact me and gather information. I struggle a bit in this department and would have liked to spend more time on it. It lends itself to creativity and artistry and I really would love to learn more.

I use and will continue to use technology in my classroom. For me, thumb drives, powerpoints, course objectives, aligning curriculum objectives and assessements make my classroom experience easier. I float so these technologies move my lessons and keep track for me better than I can.

Technology has also made my job more intensive: more planning and reworking plans that involve technology and being ready for plan B when there are not enough computers or gliches, etc. I still look forward to being able to use the digital story and incorporating blogging in class and being prepared to send kids to my website to find assignments etc. I think these activities will definitely enhance my teaching.

I'm not the quickest learner so one thing that I am aware is that using the newer technologies in my classroom will take some time...even though I am eager to use them, I still suffer from the same issues of privacy and overall benefit to the learners and whether the computer hinders some kind of learning styles weighed against keeping my classroom current. Great class, even if I struggled.

Final Blog:Reflection on semester by Tiffani

This has been a wonderful course learning about different uses of technology and how to implement those techniques into the classroom. This class has helped me grown and matured as a professional teacher. Through all the different assignments, readings, and projects with technology this helps me to serve the needs of all of my learners. This course has also made me more opened minded about the technology resources that is available to me and not only to limit myself with the everyday technologies that everyone uses. I plan on taking every aspect of this course with me into my classroom because everything was very valuable information. I would like to continue to learn about new technologies and to enforce those uses in my classroom and I will try not to forget about the old technologies as I bring them together.

Janssen Final Post Due Dec: 15

Reflection on the semester. What are you taking away from the course? What would you like to learn more about going forward?

Dr. Lohnes,

I would like to begin by saying you have done and continue to do a wonderful job. Moving, starting a new job, teaching in a new environment, none of these things are easy to do. You have approached all of these challenges, and more I’m sure, with a positive helpful demeanor and unwavering dedication to your students and your field. Your class has been challenging, educational, and fun.
Overall, I am exiting this course with a great deal of resources, knowledge, and understanding about the considerable role that technology can and will play in my future career as an educator. I am most excited to continue to explore and expand upon the web 2.0 resources you have shared with the class. In fact I have already shown a few of these resources to family and friends.

Moving forward, I would like to continue to expand upon the understanding of the MTTS standards, software evaluation, and web 2.0 technologies that I have gained from this class. So I can master these concepts and more. I have no doubt that all of these ideas will be relevant my very near future and will continue to remain important throughout my career.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm with us.

Kind regards,
RNJ

Personal Technologies

I think that in many cases there is a disconnect in technology between personal use and educational use. The example of using a cell phone to communicate by text messgae I feel is impractical, especially at the elemenatary level. How would you regulate what the student was really doing? You also can't guarentee that every stduent has a cell phone. Plus, it seems that by allowing them to use them in the classroom once opens the door for them to exuse having them out in the future. I would like to see cell phones used successfully and appropriately in a lesson but I don't see that happening.
You tube on the other hand could definitly be helpful for teachers. I have had many professors show you tube clips in science especially. It is a resourceful and quickway to show students a visual to further enhance the understanding of a topic. However, it should be a video that has good quality or it will defeat the purpose. Having students get on you tube could be more complicated beacuse it would again be hard to monitor. There is also a lot of inappropriate videos that they could come across even though there is some settings to limit their access. In a mature group I think it would be ok considering they were given specific expectations and severe consequences for inappropriate use.
In general I think technology can be a constructive addition to a lesson though in some instances it can be impractical, exspensive, and/or hard to manage.