TPTE 486

This class has been amazing. Unlike some other classes, being in 486 is always a pleasure. I find all the information very interesting, relevant, and useful. I consider myself to be savvy with technology. However, there are many programs available that I have simply never been exposed to. Thus, I am very appreciative of everything I have learned in 486, and feel more prepared for my future career as an educator.

websites

I am still in the process of creating my first website using Google sites. This software is wonderful and easy to use. From the examples of other sites that I have seen that were created using google sites, I see that a very professional product can result. I hope that I can be as successful. Either way, I know that I can create something that is very useful and easy to navigate. This will be great for use in my classroom. My only worry is that I will not be able to reach non-English speakers as easily as I can reach English speakers. With the influx of immigrants from around the world, I am sure that not all parents will fluently speak English. Therefore, my site may not be as useful to them.

I-Movie

Creating an I-Movie takes time, but one's efforts are rewarded with a cool product. After climbing the initial learning curve, things begin to go much more smoothly. I can see myself making more of these, but I do not see myself letting student (3rd graders) do these themselves.

Wiki

Creating a Wiki is an easy and enjoyable thing to do, and could have many potential applications. In the classroom, a teacher could create a Wiki for her students and their parents. It could contain links to other sights of interest, as well as homework, class rules, class projects, and much more. I will use a Wiki in my classroom.

Inspiration

I could certainly see myself using this tool in the classroom. I think it would be great to use to help students see categories of topics as we discuss them in class. Students that are more visual would certainly benefit from this. I think it could even be good to get students using this software and creating their own diagrams. It could be used as a type of report that could be shown to the rest of the class.

OME

486 has introduced me to some very interesting tools that are available on the web. I've really enjoyed learning about those things, though I believe they will be more interesting to me when I can use them in a more natural context. I appreciate 486 for those introductions, but I feel that the way that we are utilizing those tools now is decontextualized, and thus a bit less meaningful than it would otherwise be in real-life scenarios. I look forward to bringing what I have learned into the classroom in the future, as I know it will be a benefit to both my students and to myself.

Animoto

Creating an Animoto video with images is easy and fun. This would be a great way for a class, group of students, or an individual student to display photos taken under a theme. The only drawback is that the free version only allows for 30 second videos. I need to look further into the Animoto for Educators site.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Scavenger Hunt

Doing a scavenger hunt on campus was a lot of fun, and I am sure that children would have a great time doing this and expressing themselves. This is also a good way to get students interested in using technology. One potential problem is ensuring that cameras stay safe, and another is ensuring that unsupervised students are staying on task.

digital collection

I didn't realize there were so many ways to get images into a digital form. First and foremost, I did not realize that there were so many free images in the public domain available on the Internet. One thing that bothered me about this activity was the scanned image. Took too long to scan. I can imagine that trying to do this for a large number of images would take a long time. Lots of cool stuff to check out online! I am excited about trying out some of the photo sharing and photo editing software available out there. This all could be fun to use in the classroom.

Planning a lesson plan that incorporates technology

Creating a lesson plan that incorporates technology requires a slightly different approach than planning a traditional lesson. When utilizing web pages, it is imperative that the teacher check all the websites prior to using them in the classroom. First, it is important to see that the pages are appropriate for the age group. Second, the web page and the links contained therein must still be in operation. A dead link could ruin a project. Additionally, in order to meet the needs of all students, a web site must be able to accomodate all.
Working in a group on this lesson plan was fantastic. It is great to be able to bounce ideas of others, and to hear the ideas of others as well. This really helped us to create a better lesson plan. In our case, three heads were better than one. My group members created the inquirybased learning activity, while I searched for appropriate web sites. I believe they did a wonderful job, and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.

WebQuests

The use of WebQuests is the classroom can be a valuable addition to curriculum. I fully intend on utilizing them. I do not know if I will create one in the future or not, that will depend on the circumstances. If I feel we are going over curriculum that will benefit from a WebQuest, yet I cannot find one available online, I will create one if I feel I can create one that will benefit my students. When I do use one that has already be created, I will have to take time to anaylze it's value. It is necessary to "do" the WebQuest before presenting it to students to ensure that it supports the standards which I am trying to attack. It is also important to check to see if the WebQuest is up-to-date, and all the links are still working.
From a WebQuest, I believe students can gain insight into a topic, and learn great technology skills which they can use in the future. They will be a great resource in my elementary classroom.

Reflection on website evaluation activity

This activity was helpful in that it enlightened me to some things to look for in determining whether a web site is "good" or not. Some of the things were pretty obvious to me, but as was proven earlier in class, there are some very tricky websites that are out there to seem credible, while in fact they are not. I already felt pretty confident in my abilities to determine whether or not a website is credible, but this portion of the class helped me to solidify that confidence.

Web site evaluation

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/eval.html

This is a great web site for educators, that provides information on analyzing the quality of web sites that one might use in the classroom. Provided are a series of evaluation surveys aimed at elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. The surveys are also offered in Spanish, which could be helpful in the diverse culture of today's educational environment. Additionally, there are not only evaluative surveys for teachers, but also some that are aimed at students, which is powerful considering the need to provide technological instruction for an increasingly technological world.

Critical Reflection on Portfolios

A portfolio can be a useful resource for many people, not just teachers and students. However, in regards to use in an educational setting, I am fully supportive. Keeping an up-to-date portfolio can help a teacher track their progress in the profession. This is where I believe I will enjoy its' utility the most. I will be able to not only display my work for others to have an objective view, but also will be able to use it to look at my own work critically. Additionally, the use of portfolios in the classroom will enable me, as a teacher, to teach valuable technology skills to my students, while also providing them with feedback on their own growth. This is valuable.

Learning goals for TPTE 486

From this course I hope to gain insights into various ways I can utilize technology to further my career as a teacher. In that, I hope to discover various uses of technology in the classroom that can enhance instruction and maximize learning. I also intend on creating a web-based resource for my students and their parents to access for a better educational experience. The resource will contain assignments, extra reading and multimedia, community activities, communication portals, and access into my classroom from the outside. I hope to become more adept in the creation of such a web resource in TPTE 486. Also, I hope to create and maintain a personal portfolio that will enable me to keep track of my progress as a teacher. Ideally, this will provide me with a view of myself as a teacher that I can look at critically, and from which I can make adjustments.

Kluever's Intro

I am from Maryville, TN. I went to William Blount High School. I want to become a teacher because it will be an awesome job. I hope to teach 3rd grade or 4th grade. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, landscaping, camping, biking, and spending quality time with people. I have had a computer in my home since the early 1990s. I began connecting to the outside world through bulletin board systems. I worked extensively with computers during my first undergraduate degree in Accounting, and as an Accountant.