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.