Finals Week!!!

Here it is. The time has finally come. The semester is over and we are jam packed full of assignments, projects, and exams. We are finally done with our group project, and now I just need to finish up my technology lesson plans to turn in for our final.

The digital story has come together nicely, and lets face it I am happy it's over. I mean it's cool now, and its fun to say we did it, and know how to do it, but it was just another thing among everything else to get accomplished during the end of field and finals. I am a little nervous about thinking up 2 "totally original ideas", because first of all I am not very good at technology, and secondly thinking up something totally original is a daunting task in and of itself.

Now I am just hoping to have time to do all I need to get done. I am actually really excited to see everyone's digital stories as well. It should be fun how the assignment was interpreted for all different grades. I think it will be cool to see everyone's different spin on the project.

I watched the school house rock video, and lets face it, school house rock is a classic for a reason! The show is so fun and catchy, but really relays a lot of important information that is repeated several times to help you remember it. I think it is really something simple, but really motivating that reminds me to make learning fun and kid friendly.

Final Digital Story

What?
This week in class we brought in our Digital Stories in almost finished. We had found a lot of cool pictures to try to get our point across. We also found some music which we wrapped and had repeat to follow copyright rules.

So What?
It's cool to see it all come together. I think the final product will be cool, and the students would really like it as a lead in to a section on mountain men. I think they would really enjoy it. It's fun for them to see things that they are learning about brought to life in a different way. It would also be fun to have the students make their own as a form of learning about a certain subject.

Now What?
As far as using this in my class room, I think the students would like to see it and it would be fun, but it wouldn't be something that I could do very often because it is so time consuming. I know that as a teacher I will already have a lot of things on my plate to plan and take care of, and making a digital story probablly wont be at the top of my list of valuable things to do. I do think that this would also be a fun activity for my students to create. There are a few things that I would have to watch carefully though. I would want to make sure their were either direct guidlines within the digital story to make sure they had learned the necessary information, or a paper to go along with it. It would also kind of be tough to make sure that the students could run a program to do the actual story. It is a good thing to know, no matter how much I will use it in my own classroom.

Video
This week I watched the NASA video because I couldn't pull it up the othere week when it was assigned. It was really cool to watch about what led up to landing on the moon. I also didn't realize how many different every day technologies have come from NASA. I thought they did a really good job of putting it all together fluidly, even though they talked about a lot of different random things having to do with NASA. It was a really effective video and got a lot across in a short amount of time.

Final Field Reflection

What?

We finished up our last few days of school last week. Still there hasn't been much (more like any) interaction with technology in the classroom. It was really interesting to do the interview because most of the responses to the interview questions proved that we didnt have accessibility to almost all of the technology listed.



So What?

This showed to me that even though technology is a great tool that the students can learn a lot from, sometimes you just don't have the means to engage the students in such learning activities. As good as these technologies are sometimes it just isn't a possibility depending on the school that you are at, and what resources they have available to you. I still think that technology is a great tool to have for learning in the classroom, and that it should be used as much as possible, but sometimes you may not be able to use it as much as you would like to.



Now What?

Whether my school has a lot of technology capabilities or not it is always a good thing to know. I think that even if the school doesn't have the tools you wished they had, it can be something good for you to become educated on so that you could make that more of a possibility for your students by showing the school all the learning that can come from integrating technology into the student's daily learning.

Last Week of Field

What?
This is our last week of field. I have loved field so so much. The kids have been so awesome, the teaching has been so fun, and such a good learning experience, and I really feel like I have learned a lot. It has been so interesting to see the technology that we have in the classroom, or lack thereof.

So What?
The lessons where we have attempted to use technology have kind of been a struggle because of the lack of accessibility to these tools. For example we had a lesson that we had planned to use a video from online. There were quite a few bumps in the road that we had to figure out first though. First our laptops would connect to the internet so we had to use the teachers computer and try to unplug it and reconnect to the projector. YouTube wouldn't pull up so we had to use it form another website. There is more than that as well but those are the most memorable. I feel like when we finally did get the video up that the kids really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it, but if it was just me in the classroom it would be hard to motivate myself to go through the trouble of showing the movie.

Now What?
This has not only shown me some cools that can be done with technology but also how annoying it can be for technology to not be readily accessible. I think technology can be such a key attention getter for the kids be they connect so well with it, but I would definitely check with my technology specialist to make it easy to access for me and my class.

No video today!

Week 1 Field

We started field this last week. I am teaching in a fifth grade class in Spanish Fork. Already it has been a great learning experience. Its cool how I can see ways that the teacher could improve (according to our training so far), and also ways that the teacher is doing really good things.

I think it is really good to notice these things so that I can note them and decide to do better as I begin to teach. One thing that all of my teachers have focused on repeatedly is positive reinforcement. They have stated again and again how important it is to provide your students with positive reinforcement. That is something that both me and my partner noticed is greatly needed in this classroom. I have hardly heard a positive comment said to the students the entire 3 days I have been there, and by no means is this a bad class. Even when she gives a table points, instead of acting like it is positive thing for them, she uses it as a negative thing for the other tables.

As a teacher I want to make sure that my class really believes in themselves. I want them to know that I am rooting for them and that I don't just take note of their misbehavior but of their good behavior. If the students are not rewarded for their positive behavior then they have no incentive to continue to do positive behavior.

There was no movie posted on the Field Experience one page to watch.

My Beliefs

Technology is definitely outside of my comfort zone. It is definitely one of those things that I will gladly let my dad or brother, or for that matter anyone who is willing, completely assist me with. I have started to realize more and more how the integration of technology into my own person life and into my classroom is absolutely neccessary.

I have come to realize what a powerful tool it can be not just for me but for everyone else. It can highly be to my advantage. It help me to engage students by letting them learn from something they would use anyways. It is part of help them engage in, and explore something that is meaningful to them, as a student int the 21st century.

Lessons Learned

There were some really cool things to be learned as I read the articles and looked through the videos. I loved the things that ones that didn't just tell you that you should integrate technology, but that actually showed you how to do that in all different subject areas. I especially loved how they talked about how you need to relate it to their passions, and make it something that is real for them by using real data that they can actually relate. I think it is interesting because in the sense using technology the vidoe presentations stuck out to me far more than the articles that you just had to read.

One of the articles I did really enjoy was the WWW. It talked a lot about how the students are getting bored and how we can use technology in a different way then they are using it by let them be creators rather than just users of the technology. It also talked about the three way people search for happiness and the only one that doesn't work is pursuing pleasure. They said, "Chasing after what we want doesn't make us happy". I think that is really cool and so true. I also just thought it was so interesting to see and hear about all the technological advances that are coming forward and how it is changing our school traditions and system as a whole. I never thought about how having social networking, like Facebook, would decrease the levels of year books sold. These kind of things show how all encompassing this push in technology really is.

Strengths and Weaknesses

To say the least I am in a needs improvement. For the most part I can use most basic computer programs, but it doesn't go much further than that. My scores did range a little depending on the area of expertise. For the most part I was in the Apprentice stage, but that ranged up and down depending on the area.

My strengths were in: Section 1, where it talked accessing programs or files, Section 8, Use of World Wide Web sources, Section 10 audio and visual resources, and Section 13 Multimedia software and presentations. Thos were all the areas where I gave myself an over Apprentice grading. The reason I received a higher score in some of those areas is because of this computer technology class and the things it has taught me to do.

As for my weakest points they came in terminology, trouble-shooting, adaptive resources for special needs, reference sources, video conferencing, use of database, spread sheet, and organizer software. I have never been a big computer person. I just get on, get done what I need to and then get off. I definitely think there is need for imporovement and the longer I wait the longer I wait the more I will need to catch up on so, basically there is no better time than the present.

Digital Story 1

What?
So What?
Now What?
This week we started learning about digital stories. At first I wasn't so sure how I felt about the digital story board. I felt it was a little too much effort for two minutes and some pictures. Then after I saw some really powerful ones it made me start to appreciate them.

I thought the digital story was really cool because it combined so many of our senses. I think that because you are able to use words, and a song, and pictures, the message you are trying to send is passed so much more easily. I loved how the one about the holocaust used the music, to its fullest. The way it combined the speed of the music with the speed that the pictures filtered through really worked.

Now that I have seen the powerful effect of digital stories I really think it would be a good tool to use in the classroom. It would be a really cool hook for the start of a new section in Social Studies, or Art, or really any part of the curriculum. I think it would be a cool way to get the kids interested in the section.

I couldn't pull up the NASA video. Instead I just pulled up a photography digital story. It was really cool because the girl was talking about all the different areas that she takes photography, and then showing the actual photography. I think this would be an awesome way to present a portfolio, along with the actual art. Digital stories can really open up the possibilities for lots of different avenues of show casing work.

Fall Break Reflection

Fall break was amazing I would love to be writing about that ;) but the program has been awesome so far as well! I thought it was going to be really hard to be in the same classroom for four hours every day, but I actually really like it. I enjoy getting to know all of the other students so well. It makes it so nic for working in groups (which we do so often) because we are all so familiar with eachother, and its not hard to get a hold of one another. Even before I got in the actual program, but had begun taking Elem Ed classes I have been so impressed at how passionate the teachers are about their subjects. Their passion rubs off and gives a sense of purpose to the class. It is so nice to know that the things we are learning in class directly relate to the proffession I will be going into. Basically I just really like the program. I am a little nervous for student teaching but also very excited. I like that we get to start having such hands on experience with our proffession so early on in the program. I am excited to go into teaching and to implement all that I have learned.

WebQuest Fix Ups

This week in class we are just finishing up our WebQuests. In the past weeks we have been getting all the information together and deciding how it will fit into what we want the children to know in a well thought, and organized way. This past week we have been doing all of the tedious stuff like making sure the words line up correctly, and that everything is worded correctly.
It has been kind of a long process getting this project together. It has been nice to become acquainted with these different technologies not just for my future classroom but also for my current knowledge and use. I don't feel like I am the most computer savvy person but the world is getting more and more technological, and the more and more I learn about it the more I can use it to my advantage in my current life and in my future classroom.
In some ways I think it would be difficult to do when you have your own classroom to take care of and make one of these. At the same time, it is an activity that will keep the students occupied for a good amount of time, and if put together correctly it will teach a lot of important information. Plus I also like the fact that this will give the students a great opportunity to use technology as a learning device.
I watched the Schoolhouse Rock video and it was awesome. It is such a good reminder that we learn the best when we enjoy what we are doing. They do this so well with Schoolhouse Rock, because they make fun catchy tunes, and use cartoons, but it is not just for enjoyment, they also do a really good job of teaching what they are trying to teach. I like how they used repetition, but still gave a variety of different situations to make sure the students understand the idea in all different circumstances. All together Schoolhouse Rock is a winner.

Web Quest 2

In class this week we are still working on putting our web quests together. This week instead of focusing on gathering the information so much we started on putting the information that we gathered into the power point so that it can b accessed. I think this is a really good thing to realize because it is nice to have training on how long it will really take to do put something like this together. It is also good to start to see how to put the instructions, and assignment into the perspective of the student.
I think that web quests will be very useful in class because not only is it a fun and different way to learn, but it is also a really good opportunity to let the students use technology, and get a grasp on new ways they can utilize it in their learning.
I also tried to watch the "We didn't start the Fire" video. and it was really cool to see all the cool gadgets that it has. It's nice to be able to have a free and very useful resource. We have a really cool opportunity to help our students with that. It could be a really cool resource in the classroom for learning and exploration.

Map Quest

We started planning our Web Quest Activity. My group has decided to use our Fourth Grade History Core Curriculum, more specifically with Dinosaurs and fossils.
Web Quests are a really good resource to have because it gives us a way to let our students interact, and use the internet as a positive tool in their learning without having to worry that they are running into bad sites. Plus this gives them the desired opportunity to use technology as a resource for learning.
I think that this could be a great tool in my class. This will be cool to use in class because then I can give out these web quest assignments and have them in return use technology as a way to show what they have learned. Its also nice just to know how to put something like this together because I am not naturally very good with computers, but using, and creating these kind of activities in class gives me hope that I really can provide this kind of learning for my future students.
I also really liked the assigned video that I watched. It was just a real eye opener to see the factual research behind how much technology our average student is using. I loved at the end how it said if you can't beat it than join it. Technology is a phenomenon that is becoming all encompassing in our current world and is only going to increase in years to come! We might as well use it to our benefit to engage our students and prepare them for the technological world they are entering.

Reflection #3

What?
This week in class we learned about how to make video and audio instructions for our student, and then how to make them accessible to our students through our classroom website.
So What?
This means that if a student missed a day at school and it is something that can't be explained very well through written instructions then they can view it online. Also if there is something that you went over in class you can tell that the students need further instruction on the assignment, you can provide them with this resource on your classroom site without having to take up any more time in class on it. Also if you have younger aged students, this provides them with a way to hear about the instructions without having to read them.
Now What?
I think this will be a really nice tool to have in the classroom to help students with instructions they may need to finish an assignment or anything else they might need! Also say that you are learning some sort of class dance and there are some students that are behind and want to practice, this provides them with an excellent resource! Another thing that I think would be fun to implement into my own classroom is having the students make fun videos in groups and then post a new one on the classroom website every week or two. This way all the students would get a chance to have there video spotlighted and available from their home computers!

Reflection #2

What?
This week we learned all about Google. Specifically we learned about the shared documents you can make on Google and also the shared power point you can make. Also we watched a video that informs you about what a lot of the new technological things are and what they are used. We also started an iGoogle homepage to organize all of our many different documents, and fun resources that Google provides.
So What?
I thought this was really interesting because I had absolutely no idea that just having an email account through Google could provide so many new tools to access wherever you are on line. I also thought that the Home page was really nice because it provides a way of easily organizing all of the tools that are being provided. I also like the video because it quickly caught my attention and provided the basics for so many commonly used technologies.
Now What?
I think that all of these tools will be extremely useful in the classroom. For one you can share lesson plans and power points with other teachers so easily! You can both be working on the same document at the same time and giving suggestions for it, instead of having to print it off over and over or email it back and forth all the time. Also this could be a very nice tool to have while having students either write a paper or do a power point. You could have them put there rough draft in this form so that you could correct it and have them re-do it all while just sharing this document through Google Docs.

Ideal Classroom

When I imagine my ideal classroom I imagine a colorful room, bright lighting, with fourth or fifth grade students. I imagine my students to have a wide range of personalities from the trouble child or goof ball, to the shy little boy girl. After teaching in China for 5 months and realizing that you aren’t going to have a class full of students who are completely attentive, happy, and wanting to learn, but that you can help them be the best part of themselves as you show how much you care, and seek out the needs of each individual student.
My ideal school will be one with positive and friendly colleagues. We will share lesson plans, funny stories about our kids, just normal everyday life occurrences. I want to feel support from them and I want them to be able to feel support from me. Also my ideal class will have parents who want to be involved in their child’s education. I want to give them opportunities for this, and then make sure that I show how much I appreciate their help and input.
As far as my curriculum goes I want it to be one where the students are able to explore. I don’t want to merely give them assignments as “busy work”, but rather I want them to really have to stretch their minds in new and creative ways as they start to learn and embrace the curriculum I am to teach them.
More importantly than all the things I have previously talked about I imagine the feeling of the room to be comfortable; I want it to be a place where my students feel safe. They may not be my “brightest” student but that won’t matter, because they will know that I care about them for who they are, not what they accomplish.