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.