20 February- Podcast

What? 
In class we learned about Podcast, how to create them and how to put them on your sites. My partner and I recorded a podcast on her phone, sent it to our emails, and then put them on our sites. 

So What?
Before this class period I had never recorded a podcast. I was really excited to know that I could record it on my personal phone and upload it online. This technology is really simple to use and could be used easily by me our my students. This technology is a great new way to communicate with my students. 

Now What? 
Students now days really love technology. I think podcasts is something that is easy and convenient to use in your classroom. There are many ways I could use a podcast assignment in my class. One would be to have students do an advertisement for a health issue like the one we did in class. I think podcasts would be a great way to have students use and practice their imagination and performance techniques. 

13 February- Reflection

I think the UEN website can be useful in many ways. One thing I love about it is how connected you are to other teachers and students. It's such a great way to share lesson plans and to find information for my teaching. I also liked that it had many uses not just for educators but for the students and parents as well. I will use UEN because it is a great way to stay up to date on accurate information as well as use numerous tools off of one site. 
I thought that the Pioneer Library was a great tool for my classroom. I could see myself using it when doing research for different assignments. I like that it has not just articles but media and other resources such as encyclopedias. This would definitely be a place I would recommend and even require my students to use when doing research for papers or presentations. Not only is a great source for them but I will be able to use this resources for my own lesson plans. 
I really like the Interactives page. Media and technology is huge with this generation and they are always looking for new things to look or play with on their computers. I think the interactives are a great way to have my students engage in my content and to learn extra information. I could use the interactives for assignments, as well as extra credit or just recommendations for my students to expand their knowledge and use their time wisely. 
Overall I was very impressed with the UEN website. I know that it is something I will use in my teaching. I feel that the best way to make sure that I am always teaching with accurate information is to use the UEN website as my main resource. Having my Core Curriculum available on the website as well as lesson plans and other resources that align right with my Core will be so helpful for me and I know I will always have this website to turn to when I need help. 

February 6,2011 Google Part 2

What? 
This week in class we learned about how to make our own website. We learned how to put things such as calendars, quizzes, announcements, tools, etc. onto one website for the use of our students.

So What?
This was a great class for me. Everything we learned was new to me and was something I knew I could use in the future. Having a classroom website can really help me to organize all announcements, assignments, quizzes, tools, and such for all my classes in one place. This can also help me to provide extra information for my students as well as their parents. It also gives a concrete tool that can be used as a reference for me and my students.

Now What? 
This technology can really help me to excel as a teacher. With a tool like this to help me organize I will have a better way of communicating with all of my classes and can refer everyone to one place. This website will also help me to have homework assignment instructions, examples, and quizzes that can be assessable for the students whenever they need them. If i have students who need extra help or information they can let me know in class or email me and I can provide it on the website for them and the other students. This site will also help with students who are absent or have fallen behind and need check where they are at. I know that this is a tool I will use in my future classroom. 

24 January- Everything Google

What? 
Today we learned lots of things about google. Some of these tools I had already used but many I had not. We were encouraged to explore tools such as google docs, iGoogle, spread sheets, presentations, calendar, and forms. We are also doing an assignment on collaborative education websites and blogs.

So What?
For me this means a whole new world to explore. I had used google docs and calendar before but today I really saw how easy and convenient they can be for me. If I use this tools as a teacher it will help me to stay organized and know where I can find all of my information. I liked how today you said that google docs is more convenient than Word because it can be accessed from anywhere. I've used google docs and Word before and I've never thought of it like that. As a teacher I will be able to access all of my documents, agendas, emails, blogs, etc from one place. Adding to that idea I also made my own iGoogle page and love it already. For me this helps me to access multiple information on one page. 

Now What? 
Having this knowledge means that I will be able to use and teach it to my students. It will help them to stay organize and have an easy way to communicate with me. This new information has really taught me that all of my work and information doesn't need to be in five different places on my computer. This new information will help me to be a better teacher because I will have an easy way to communicate with my co workers as well as with my students. From what we've learned today I've seen many ways that I can assess my students using form and I can also share documents with my class rather than having to print everything out for them. This will also be useful for my students when working in group projects. Since many high school students are busy and don't get lots of time out of the classroom for projects this is will help them to work on the same document or assignment as their group members without having to meet with them. 

17 January - Fears and Strengths with Technology

After the first day of class and looking over the syllabus I am excited about the things we will be learning about this semester, but I do have many fears. My biggest fear with technology is not understanding or remembering how to do the things I've learned on my own. When I have a teacher or someone more experienced with me I feel more confident and can lean on them for help. My other fear is not having enough experience. I have never done a podcast, vidcast, digital story, or worked with UEN. So all of these will be new material for me to learn.


 Although I have some fears I also feel that I have some strengths. I feel comfortable with computers and have worked a lot with them growing up. When I was in middle school I took a couple computer classes for summer school and seemed to understand and follow along well. I also use my computer often and have worked on PC's and Mac's. 


After being in the education program I have learned how important and convenient it can be to keep up with current technology. I know that it is always helpful for me to have teachers who have websites or use blackboard and I would like to do the same for my students. I hope that in the class I can understand the things we learn well enough to use them in my future classes. My goal for this course is to take notes on each technique and topics we cover. I hope that I can use these notes to help me in the future remember what I have learned so that I can do it on my own. I also plan on practicing the techniques i've learned at home and sharing them with others to help master them.