Week 13 "Distance Education & Virtual Schooling"

Distance education is a great tool that numerous colleges are using today that allows students to get an education without physically being on campus. Students are able to access a school website and watch online lectures and do assignments online. Like a face-to-face class you still have assignments and due dates to follow. When a person is looking into distance education they need to make sure that they make sure it is an accredited online program. There are websites today that you can check whether or not a program is accredited.

As a student at UF I have been able to participate in online classes and I love them. The online classes allow me to watch lectures whenever is convenient for me. The only thing that I don't like about online classes is that it is extremely easy to fall behind. As a teacher to continue my education I might be able to participate in distance education to keep up to date with the advances in education.

The distance education picture above shows how everyone is connected through this program. You could be in one state while another student is in another and you could be watching the same lectures. Distance education is a great idea and thanks to technology it is able to be a success.

Week 12 " Creating a Professional Web Presence"

A professional web presence is a great tool that you can show potential employers that you can show them previous work and all of the experience that you have. A web presence allows you to update information whenever you can. Like a resume it is better to edit it as soon as you can. Also you can tweak you web presence to fit the job that you are applying for.

I will be able to use a professional web presence when I am applying for a job as a teacher. I will be able to show potential employers previous lesson plans, my resume and websites that I can use to create lesson plans in the future. I will be able to use the web presence that I created for this course for the rest of my academic and professional career.

Above is a screen shot that I took of my home page of my professional web presence. Web presences should be easy to navigate and should have multiple levels. The labels should be labeled properly that way the people navigating the site can find what they are looking for quickly. I really like the fact of adding pictures to a web presence to add a special personal touch.

Week 11 "Open Source Software"

Open Source Software programs allow access to word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and much more. One of the great things about open source software is that anyone can report issues, ask for new features and enhancements wanted to make the software more efficient. You can find great software that is easy to navigate and that is free to use.

I navigated the openoffice.org software and it is extremely easy to use. I personally have other tools that I am more comfortable with and I am not sure how often I will use open source software being a teacher.

As you can see in the picture above the best thing about open source software is that it is FREE! When it comes to software nowadays it is so expensive so when there are programs that are free people really should take advantage of them.

Week 10 "Tech Tools for Critical Thinking"

Webspirtation is a great tool that can be used for students note taking or as a web to begin writing their paper. I really enjoyed using webspiration because I am a visual learner and by seeing the bubbles that came off of the one central bubble it made more sense and I was able to how everything was interconnected. I plan on using webspiration in the future for group projects and writing papers that way I know what needs to be done and what steps will need to be done in order to get there.

I think I will use this as a teacher on a pretty frequent basis because it will add more color to note taking. The students won't have to always copy notes. I think if I incorporate mind mapping tools, powerpoint presentation, skeleton notes as well as other methods the students will stay more interested in the lesson that I will be teaching. Students will also be able to take home their mind mapping creations that way they can study at home.

http://resource220.com/2009/11/19/webspiration-mind-mapping-tool/

It was really neat to see how a special education teacher is using webspiration because I am thinking about teaching special education. This tool allowed students to memorize the information more easily. By the time I start teaching I am sure that there will be other mind mapping tools that will improve the way special education as well as other students learn better.

Concept Map

I really enjoyed creating a concept map because it was extremely simple and shows how everything comes together.

I can see myself using this when I become a teacher. I will be using it both inside and outside of the classroom. I like how you can create different shapes and can pick different colors in font and also in the colors of the shaped bubbles.

My webspiration Concept Map:

http://mywebspiration.com/view/373603a36fb0

week 9 "Social Tools & Cloud Computing"

Cloud computing is something that was new to me but it is very easy to do and is a great way to stay organized. Google Docs is a great tool that I never knew existed but I found very beneficial because I am constantly making lists to make sure that I get all the tasks I need to get done in a timely fashion.

Social tools are constantly changing the way people do things. Instead of meeting people in person people meet others online and instead of phone conversations people choose to text others. I feel that social tools can be both beneficial and distracting depending on how much someone uses them. I believe that they are good in moderation and depends on the individual. As long as a person learns social skills and doesn't become dependent on the social tools to interact with others then social tools are okay.

I think that as a teacher I will be able to teach my students how to use cloud computing but I don't think that my class will be using social tools that often. The only time I can see using social tools inside my classroom is YouTube if I want to show my class a video that relates to the topic of discussion.

http://blogs.gartner.com/thomas_bittman/2008/11/26/cloud-computing-and-k-12-education/

Week 8 "Podcasting"

Pod casting is something that you can use alone to get a message across or something that can be a sound file that you create to help make a presentation become more interesting. During the pod casting lecture I learned how to create a musical piece with just a few clicks of a button. I created a song by using Garage band. I have never used any kinds of pod casting or garage band programs before this class.

By becoming a teacher it will be up to me to create lessons that keeps my class excited about the topics that make up our curriculum. I will need to incorporate different types of music and pod casts that keep my students interested. I don't think this is something that I will be using on a daily basis but it will definitely be something that I will use occasionally.

http://storynory.com/

Week 6 " Visual Literacy"

I never really thought about how important visual literacy is. Before learning about visual literacy I always thought of the only time visual literacy was used was in projects that used Photoshop. Now that I know more information about what visual literacy is I will be able to use it in group projects or presentations as well as throughout my career.

Visual literacy can help make a boring presentation more lively and colorful. Some ways that visual literacy can be used to tie the curriculum into everyday lesson plans. Drawing information, as a diagram, map or table, helps children to see how facts are connected, whereas "making notes" often provides only a collection of isolated pieces of data. Visual texts do some things better than verbal texts; verbal texts do some things better than visual texts. Since I want to become a Kindergarten teacher it will be up to me to keep in mind my students different learning styles. Visual literacy will be more beneficial to those students that need to see things in order to learn. Visual literacy can be found all over a classroom.

http://k-8visual.info/

Week 7 "Digital Story Telling"

This is where Blog check two begins:

Digital story telling is a tool that can be used in various ways. I thought that making a digital story would be something that would take a lot of time but with GoAnimate I was able to make a story very easily and didn't take that much time. You can create a digital story with still pictures, animated or even video. I also found it fun that I could add music to the video that I created.

Digital story telling is a very interesting tool that I would be able to use inside my classroom. As a teacher I will be able to let the kids be creative and see what they can create on their own. It will love the students to show their perspective on a specific topic. This will be something that I will incorporate into my lesson plans depending on what we are discussing during that time.

http://www.techlearning.com/article/8030

I found this website to be very helpful! It is an article that was created by an educator and really laid everything out for the reader. It will be a tool that will help digital story telling to become a success.

Week 5 "Photoshop"

Learning about some of the history of Photoshop and the basics of how to use the program was extremely interesting. When I used to think of Photoshop I thought of current magazines and tabloids. I never really thought about historic pictures that the photographer tweaked the image by adding a missing person or changing a person from a female to a male. Photoshop seems like once you get the hang of it you can create just about anything with a few clicks of a button.

I can see how Photoshop will incorporate inside of the classroom of Kindergartners but at the same time I am not sure if it is going to be a program that I will use on a regular basis. Kids believe what they see and if I take an image of a pig and add wings to it they are going to believe that those wings belong on that pig and that pigs can fly. I feel that since I will be an educator I will need to be very particular on what I will show my students because I don't want them to have false images of particular subjects.

This photo shows a before and after Photoshop of the same person. I chose this picture because I feel by changing the model to look thinner and "more attractive" we are giving children the wrong message. What this picture should be doing is embracing the inner beauty, so children don't think they need to alter their looks to be accepted.

Week 1 "Educational Technology"

We live in a world that is electronically dependent. Everywhere you go you see computers, cell phones, and other technological devices that are designed to make life easier. We have become so dependent on these devices that it is hard to imagine life without them. Technological devices are not only used for entertainment purposes, we use them for many of our jobs and schools are implementing them as a means for a well rounded education. As time moves forward, so do the changes in the devices that we use. We can implement technology into presentations that way the viewers stay interested and do not fall asleep. Technology can allow learners to visualize concepts and problems as well as help the learner gain a sense of control with what they are learning.

Seeing how Kindergarten teachers are given the privilege of impacting students at a young age they are able to help instill a passion for learning in their students that will allow the students to enjoy going to school instead of hating it. Educational technology is most simply and comfortably defined as an array of tools that might prove helpful in advancing student learning. I feel that by becoming a teacher I need to make sure that I use all the technological devices so I can to allow my students to get the most out of the lessons. Technology can increase a teachers productivity thus allowing students to learn more efficiently.

“Educational technology is the theory

and practice of design, development,

utilization, management, and

evaluation of processes and resources

for learning”

--Association for Educational

Communications and Technology

(AECT), 1994

I feel that the picture above shows how a teacher can show a student how to use the computer and what it has to offer. By showing the fundamentals to the students they are able to learn more about technology and understand the concepts as well.

Week 3 "Web 2.0"

In today's society people spend most of their time using their applications that they have downloaded onto their phone, ipod or computers. Applications are readily available for almost everything a person can think of. Not feeling like cooking one night there are applications that will allow you to find a restaurant nearby that will please all of your taste buds and help you make decisions based on customer reviews or nutritional content. Since I am very indecisive when it comes to picking where to eat this is a great application for myself. For a person who rarely walks out of my apartment without my ipod or phone these apps come in handy very often.

I am an Education major with the dream of working in a Kindergarten classroom. I found some interesting apps that I will want to incorporate into my classroom curriculum. There are applications for students to get help with homework and others to help them study by generating flash-cards that will allow repetition that way they can memorize the terms they need to in order to pass their test. There are also games that embrace the fundamental subjects while keeping kids engaged that way they do not see it as a boring subject that they have to complete for a grade.

http://www.jumpstart.com/free-online-game.aspx?pid=googpd&cid=kindergarten%20games&gclid=CPT15tq8458CFR6dnAod0SvQGQ

This website is a great site that allows students to learn outside of the classroom walls while incorporating some structure. The fun games make learning more appealing to students making them want to learn more.

Week 2 "Did you know?"

In 1981 there were only 1,000 internet devices with the number increasing to 1,000,000 in 1992. Amazingly by the year 2008, this number increased to 1,000,000,000. There are about 31 billion Google searches every month a huge increase from 2006 with only 2.7 billion. This says a lot about the dependency we are developing for this equipment. Technology equipment is almost everywhere you go and it is almost impossible to get through the day without using some sort of device. Many people feel they cannot get through life without these modern advantages. Instead of phone calls, people now send written messages. The number of text message sent and received everyday, exceeds the total population of the planet. This new way of communication is taking away the personal interaction that is so important in society.

As a member of the 21st century it is up to me to keep aware of the changes in technology and to become educated about all of the new equipment that may be used. I want to stay informed and use the newest technology as it is developed. Since the technology becomes up dated every few years, I will need to keep myself educated so that I can properly use all of the modern devices. As a teacher, it will be my responsibility to teach my students how to operate computers and search the internet for educational purposes. I want my students to learn to use the computers and expand their minds. There is so much information at the fingertips just waiting for them to discover it. Since many of them may not get exposure to technological devices at home, it will be up to me to educate them. By learning to adapt and change with the advances in technology, my students and I will be constantly preparing for the future.

Now-a-days children are exposed to technology at a very early age. Many companies are creating devices that are for children so they can expand their knowledge before entering the classroom. Some of these companies are Nintendo, Leapster, and Apple.