Monday, March 28, 2011

Moving Ahead!

     It has been a busy semester and I have learned how to do many things on the computer through this technology class. I was concerned as to how much I would be able to successfully complete in this course, and I have been pleasantly surprised to have been able to complete all of my projects. I have learned about so many tools and resources on the computer and internet that I can utilize once I have a classroom of my own and I am excited to implement them soon.

     One of our recent projects was to create a movie to be used for instruction in the classroom. After completion of the project we were then to upload it to YouTube for viewing from our instructor. I chose to make my movie about shapes for elementary grades. I downloaded pictures and music from the internet and created files for them. I then accessed the Movie Maker program on my computer to put all of the pieces together to create the video. It came together nicely, and it was not as difficult as I had thought it would be. You can click on the following link to view it yourself!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RH6ZVdauqg

     Another recent project we completed was a Wiki page about two different types of technology that we can implement into our classrooms as teachers. The two I chose to critique were Pixton For Schools and Virtual Field Trips. I created three wiki pages; a title page and a page for each of my two critiques, and gave a short summary of each technology and the pros and cons of each. I then logged into the Wiki pages after everyone had submitted their summaries, and commented on their postings. It was so interesting to learn about all of the tools and options out there in cyber space for teachers and students.One of my favorites was Glog which is a site in which students can create a virtual poster board or photo collage project. Children can have a lot of fun and use their creativity to make a personalized project, and the best part is, it's free.  I never knew so much existed until this class! Check out my critiques at: http://beginningtoday.pbworks.com/w/page/37998662/Emerging-Technologies-Today

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Halfway There!

     I am about halfway through my Instructional Technology class at Ashland University, and it has been quite a learning experience! I have learned how to do things on the computer that even my teen aged daughters don't know how to do, and that says a lot! Before this class began, I was quite intimidated by the computer but I am gaining confidence with every project that I complete.
     We have completed quite a few projects so far such as setting up a form in Google Docs to create a spreadsheet that can automatically calculate students grades, along with learning about Google Forms in which you can create a quiz or questionnaire for students and parents. It was fun to learn how to use it because you can customize it any way you want. There are many colorful designs and formats to chose from to make it interesting for your students.
      Last week we completed a Power Point assignment and we had to incorporate 5 functional non-linear links. Before this assignment, I had no idea what that even meant, but now I have the confidence to put together a Power Point presentation that is fully interactive and interesting. I am so glad that I have gained this knowledge because I will be able to incorporate it into my classroom presentations when I have a class of my own someday soon. I am currently a preschool teacher, so I do not have a lot of experience with using technology in the classroom, but I know when I begin teaching in a public school, I will have the opportunity to use it more and use it to it's fullest capacity.
     Our next project will be a Movie URL and I'm anxious to learn more about it and what it can be used for. I know that this course will give me the experience and confidence I need to incorporate technology into the classroom and with this knowledge I will be able to engage my children through the creative things that I have learned how to do.