My Beliefs

After this semester and doing this assignment my beliefs on technology have really changed. I really believe that technology and the internet are important and essential tools to use in your classroom. I think that with how fast technology is changing we need to keep up and make sure that students are learning in a way that they understand. Teachers always need to keep up to date on the latest information and technology because they need to teach to what is now and not what they are used it. I know now that it is important for me as a teacher to continue with my education and increase my knowledge so that I can keep up with my students and be a guide to them. This technology can really be a positive in your classroom if you really understand how to use it. 
Although I believe technology is important in the classroom I also think it is important for students to learn in a real authentic way because technology will not always be there. There are lots of ways to learn that don't involve technology and I really want students to remember that. I want students to work hard with their brains and learn how to receive knowledge without the click of a button. We don't know what the future will be like but we do know that computers crash, technology changes, and technology and the internet may not always be there. I hope that as a teacher I can hep my students stay up to date on technology but also remember what it means to learn the old fashioned way. 

Lessons Learned

After reading the "WWW" article my eyes were really opened to the harms of the internet. Some things that really stood out to me were that it can create challenges for children, educators must use technology to create learning experiences that are real, rich relevant, impulse buying and impulse behavior, and drive students to distraction. After reading the beginning of this I felt scared and concerned to use technology in my classrooms because I am worried about it not being "realistic" or a distraction. The internet sometimes isn't realistic to people and that is why we have problems with impulse buying online and people saying and doing things they would never do in person, online. These are barriers that I want to cross with my students and want to make strengths out of these technologies. I really liked the ideas of WebQuests, class websites, and turning students over to themselves. Students are distracted easily because they are always wanting to be entertained. These activities could really help students get involved and use their minds to create something. I hope that as a teacher I can really have students turn to themselves and go beyond just the classroom and into the technology world. I hope that my assignments will be realistic not just in technology but in real life. 
I also learned a lot about what I need to be as the teacher. In the "Tools for Change" powerpoint slides I got some ideas about what kind of teacher I want to be and what kind of students I hope to have. Some of the descriptions the slides gave for Instructional Practices for the teacher were Facilitator, resource provider, provide access, and teacher as learner. These are practices I hope to achieve and really strive for. I want to keep learning and increase my knowledge so that I can be the facilitator and resource provider of the classroom. I hope that by doing this as the teacher I will encourage my students to better their knowledge and really become active researchers. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

After reviewing the UNI survey and the NET standards I found that there is still a lot about technology that I need to learn. From the NET standards my weaknesses were: Plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment, plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities, apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine studetnts' appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication, and productivity. My strengths were: Teachers demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts, teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice, teachers understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply that understanding in practice. After reading these over I saw that I still have a lot to improve and learn. Some of my goals from these standards are to 1. Get more comfortable with my knowledge and practice in technology so that I can really take the lead and manage my classes and their activities. 2. Plan and implement multiple methods of evaluation, activities, learning, communication and productivity for my students to help make my class a more hands on and active learning environment.
From the UNI survey I seemed to be in the practitioner level a lot, there were a few where I was in the apprentice and expert level. The topics where I was in the Expert level were: Operate basic adn discipline-specific equipment use it to support insturction and inquiry specific to the content area, use World Wide Web sources to access information and analyze the authority, accuracy, currency, and relevance, use audio/visual resources (audiotapes, videos or slides) to access information and analyze the authorit, accuracy, currency, Tools to use information, and Software applications. The levels that I was at the appretance level with were: Trouble shooting knowledge of equity, legal, and human issues concerning use of computer and technology, use electronic informational and references sources to access information and analyze the authority, accuracy, currency, and relevance. I feel that my biggest goal and challenge from these would be trouble shooting. When I am using technology I feel that things usually run smoothly until I come across a struggle and I have no idea where to start to look for help. I don't know very many trouble shooting techniques and know that this is something I need to master so that i can help guide my students.
There are a few short-courses or workshops I know could really help me with my technology. The first technique I need to work on is trouble shooting and where to find help. Technology can be very frustrating at times and when I come across a problem I often feel like giving up and not wanting to go on. If I had resources or tools that I knew how to use with trouble shooting i would feel more comfortable with going out of my comfort zone and trying new things with technology and the internet. I would also really like to take a course on classroom management in a technology based classroom. Classrooms with computers and internet access are very different than a standard classroom. I want to learn how to manage a class where students are on computers and different activities and techniques i could use to help with management and involvement in the classroom.

10 April: Digital Cameras & Picassa

What? This week we learned about taking digital pictures and Picassa. We will be completing a collage with various pictures. 
So What?I will be working with many students who are visual learners and pictures a great way to get their attention. Collages are also a great tool to use when I want to use more than one picture in a demonstration. 
Now What? Digital Cameras are not just limited to cameras. Students now have cell phones and flip cameras that have cameras just as good as digital cameras. It would be easy to have an activity like what we did today because it is something students are familiar with and feel comfortable doing. Picassa is also a great easy tool to use with students. I think that this is a great way to show students how to use their own pictures for assignments and presentations rather than taking some from the Internet.  

3 April- Internet Safety

What? This week we learned about internet safety. We watched videos in class and participated in a class discussion about why internet safety is important and how we can talk about it with our students. 
So What?
Internet safety is a very important subject to talk about with your students. Today students spend most of their time on some kind of electronic device. Through these devices students are exposed to tons of information and media. That's why it is important for us as teachers to teach our students how to properly use electronics not just for our class but for every day use. 
Now What? 
In my future classrooms I will definitely be talking about internet and electronic safety with my students. I plan to do this by having guest speakers, showing videos, and having class discussions about the importance of internet safety. I also plan on teaching my students how to properly research information on the internet. I will also give them tools and search engines that are educational and protected from inappropriate media. I also hope that as a teacher I can provide this information for my students parents as well.