Inquiry...

Completing my Inquiry Project was not something I really wanted to do. I have so many assignments to complete over the next week and I kind of put it on the back burner. However, once I sat down and focused I realized that I really liked learning about my topic. Technology is definitely something I will incorporate into my future classroom. I will also, especially now after researching my inquiry topic, use it to connect with parents. The home-school connection is a integral part of a child's school career. Parental involvement is proven to be the number one predictor for success for students. That fact alone motivates me to connect the parents and children.
Finding sources was not an easy task. I had to search and search but finally found 6 that I think were very useful. The screencast was actually fairly easy to do and I thought it was really cool. Using a screencast is a great way to show the work you've completed while telling someone verbally about it.

This course was great and I cannot wait til the next one like it! Now to decide if I am specializing in technology! :)

last class...

Where has the time gone?! I feel like I was just sitting here writing about the first day of class. Over the course of this semester I have been exposed to many, many different types of technological tools. I don't even know where to begin! In the beginning of the semester, I stated that technology is an important part of our world and I still believe that to be true. I also mentioned that I wanted to see and experience how I could incorporate technology in the elementary classroom. Through chapter presentation and class assignments I have gained so much knowledge about how to include and integrate technology in the classroom. Before this class I was somewhat skeptical of how much I could actually use online tools but that skepticism is now gone. However, there is much more technology I could/would like to learn about and I am still contemplating specializing in technology during my grad school year.
Overall, I am extremely grateful for this class and for the knowledge I gained. Technology is a part of our everyday lives so we need to embrace it not hate it! :)

Scratch!

Before the Scratch project was introduced to our class, I was very nervous and scared based on what other people told me. Thankfully, I learned very quickly that I cannot always believe what I hear from other people. It may come as a surprise to some, but I truly enjoyed creating my interactive game. I decided to focus on kindergarten since that is the grade I would like to teach. After looking at the sunshine state standards I thought it would be fun and engaging to create a game where students could practice their rhyming words. Overall, I believe my final product turned out well. No it is not perfect but this is my first time using Scratch so I won't be too hard on myself :). If a game or interactive learning tool needs to be created for my class, I am glad I can create this tool myself!

almost finished...

Sam and Lauren presented on chapter 10 and provided us with information based on assessment. I am still uncertain though, about using certain aspects of technology assessment with younger children. The idea of online rubrics is very useful and I will definitely use the sources that my peers provided (when I actually do use rubrics). The girls made a good point when they said we shouldn't use "pre-made" rubrics because they will not exactly match the material we've been teaching. I hope my future school has "clickers" because I would love completing some assessments with them! Ultimately, our goal is to make sure the assessments we create are authentic.

I'm getting a bit nervous about the inquiry project, time to get moving!

Chapter 10: Assessing with technology...

Performing assessments in the classroom can sometimes be a difficult talk. There is always the question of individual or group assessment, written or verbal, etc. Throughout this semester I have learned about different tools and ways teachers can conduct assessments with technologies. Some examples are online surveys, using clickers, or having students take online quizzes.

A couple different types of assessments described in the chapter are authentic and performance based. Our evaluations should be original, and engaging to create "meaningful experiences" (p. 218). It is important to make sure tests or other forms of assessments are based on things we have taught in the class. It would be unfair/non-beneficial to assess students on things that are not taught. I have experienced this in several of my classes at the University of Florida and it is very frustrating. Performance assessments is fairly self-explanatory. Teachers have students perform tasks based on what they learned; this could be useful for things such as science experiments.

How does his tie in with technology? One huge positive reason to use technology for assessment is because a computer can store and help organize large amounts of data. It also allows teachers to view assignments and give feedback more quickly (most likely). However, one concern I have is what if your classroom only has six computers? It would be somewhat annoying to have students take tests or quizzes at different times.

The idea of electronic portfolios really interests me. As the students complete online work over the semester, they could store it in on online folder so at the end of the semester all the work is compiled. These portfolios can include things from presentations to video clips. I'm trying to think of how I could use this in a young elementary classroom (K-2). I am interested to hear my peers talk about this chapter today to see if they have any ideas and more resources!

presentation day...

Today Christin, Neil, and myself presented on chapter 9. I really liked this chapter and feel like I will use many of the tools we found in the future. Overall, I think the presentation went well. I enjoyed finding different visual tools to use in the classroom (and I included our glogster in case you are interested in viewing any of the tools)! We received great feedback from Jeff and our peers which was very encouraging. I love presenting in classes because it's great practice for my future!


Jess introduced dweeber as her cool tool. This is a social site where students can connect with their peers to talk about homework, have study sessions, etc. As Jess said, young students cannot easily meet with their friends (unless parent's take them somewhere). This website would be a good way for them to collaborate and ask questions. However, there are limitations to this site such as potential cheating or not having any friends on the site.

Another cool tool I think would be useful was GoogleLitTrips. Katie introduced this website and showed us you can map different events and historical places. She mentioned that they are not many books in the archive so teachers could create their own or older students could also create trips based on books they are reading.

Sextexting. This was Neil's contemporary issue and a topic that I think is extremely disgusting. It is sad to me that young children (and older people who should know better) are sending this inappropriate text pictures. I truly wonder why someone would want to do this but I suppose it's an issue we, as future teachers, need to be aware of. I hope that I will never have a student who decides to "sext" but if I do I need to understand how to handle the situation.

Time to finish our stop animation! :)

New thoughts...

In class I learned even more about designing with technologies and how I could use different designing tools in the classroom. If students are interested in math, science, and design they would probably love using the architecture tools. I think every student would love designing on RollerCoasterTycoon. CreatingMusic is a tool that would be great for students to practice their musical talents and learn how to "create" music.

Skype was the cool tool Sarah presented. It was so cool to "meet" her mom through this technological tool and she shared an idea on how we can take students on virtual field trips. I also enjoyed learning about TalkShoe and it's many capabilities. TalkShoe allows you to have virtual conversations with others who have a talkshoe account. I liked the "Free English Corner" talk cast and think that it would be useful for English Language Learners. LiveMocha was definitely my favorite cool tool shown today. I am going to Paris in the fall and do not know much French, so hopefully this tool can help me learn some before I head there in 4 weeks :). Students could also use this site to practice their English skills.

Andy shared a contemporary issue on online dating. I have never been a fan of meeting people this way, but I know many people have feel in love with someone they met on the internet. Like she said, people need to be careful about their information (money, etc.) when meeting people over the internet. In reality, you could meet someone in person who is a scam artist but at least you can see them and talk to them face-to-face rather than communicating through the internet. We just need to make sure we are careful in every situation to promote our safety! There are crazy people in this world and we could meet them in person or on the internet.

I'm excited to go work on our stop-animation! Be on the lookout for our video!

Designing with Technologies...

When I think about designing with technology I instantly think of graphic design or something along those lines. Even though that is one form of design, there are many other types that I learned about through this chapter. In reality, if I didn't pursue a degree in Elementary Education, I would have majored in interior or fashion design. The problem, however, is that I can not draw that well, but thankfully technology helps me in that area :).

The CAD program sounds pretty interesting and useful (must be since it was created in 1960 and still used today!). People can use this as a "virtual drafting table" (p. 171). I think it is so cool they can use this tool to view and rotate objects on the screen, zoom in and out, and help produce final drawings.

One of my good friends is in architectural design and he has showed me several of the computer tools they use. The SkethUp program seems like a neat tool because you can create virtual buildings and houses! This is very helpful if someone is trying to create a large development or shopping complex because then they could see what everything will look like before it is actually built. It would definitely be better to make changes before the place is actually built.

Since I love music and love to sing, the music composition software caught my eye. I have played with a few tools like this and think it is really cool and useful to develop songs and scores on the computer as well as create sheet music. I think the Impromptu program sounds useful as it allows you to keep a running log of music are you are working.

Birthday Week...

Today we ended our showing of digital autobiographies. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about my peers through pictures. Pictures are something I cherish and love looking at and I think I will show presentations about myself in the future to introduce myself to students. Speaking of pictures, I celebrated my 21st birthday this week and here is a picture from my birthday celebration. :)

Chapter 7 was an interesting read and the two girls did a fabulous job presenting the chapter in class. They provided so many resources that can be useful to use in our classrooms. I want to go back and look through the resources because I felt like i did not have time to explore any of the websites. I thought the assessment was pretty cool and fun. Using video-conferencing in the classroom is something I hope to do because you can connect with so many different people in different parts of the world. The video they showed at the beginning of the presentation was eye opening and showed how much technology is actually used today. Videos such as that one and others that are similar always grab my attention and really interests me.

Sarah brought up an interesting contemporary issue that I often think about: the growing rate of childhood obesity. The benefits of technology are very great and I do not believe we should "choose" playing outside or being active over letting children play with technological resources but rather create a balanced lifestyle for our children. We cannot blame just media for the obesity problem because there are many other factors that contribute (the food we eat, etc.).

A cool tool that I particularly liked today was DrawAnywhere. This is a site where people can create diagrams, flowcharts, concepts maps, and classroom setups. I also like the fact that you can upload your own photos for your charts or diagrams (but is not available in the free version, of course!). Another tool introduced, WooMe, is a site that I don't think I will be visiting in the future! It seems like a very sketchy resource and I would not let my students or children use this site. I liked how Jeff tried to justify his adding this cool tool to the list :) But it just goes to show how quickly things can change!

Communicating with Technologies...

Over the last few years of my life, the way I communicate has drastically changed. There are definitely pros and cons to this change. I went from talking in person, to AIM, to texting and facebooking. Through all this change, I have tried to maintain face to face relationships with people (which is almost harder these days). Students in the future will probably have even more technology so I can't imagine how they are going to communicate. I agree with the book when it says that students can use multiple technologies at the same time. If you were to watch students for an entire day, you would probably be extremely surprised by the amount of technology they use and the time they spend with technology.

Since students are so used to multitasking with technologies, how are we going to keep them interested and engaged in the classroom? One way teachers can use communicating with technologies is through discussion boards. This is a way for students to share information and learn from each other. The book mentions that through online forums, there is no "race, gender, age, and no infirmities-only minds: people talking to people" (p. 141). That statement is very true and I agree those things can sometimes cause issues in the classroom, but what about students who do not use grammar correctly or do not write well? Those students might be scared to discuss through online forums. This issue is addressed later on in the chapter and suggests that teachers should give students opportunities to communicate in person and learn how to have actual conversations first before introducing them to online discussion boards.

Other forms of online communicating include things such as chatting on the internet (AIM instant messaging, Facebook chat) and videoconferencing with others. Videoconferencing on resources such as Skype is a great way to connect with others who are not in the same area or are in different parts of the world.

Communication is such a huge part of everyone's life and it is interesting to read and learn about the different ways people can communicate. If we were thought about the way we communicate on a daily basis, I guarantee at least 50 percent of our communication would be through technology. Is that a good or bad thing?

Learning each day...

Today I gave my cool tool presentation on sliderocket. I really like this tool and believe I will use it in the future. I also enjoyed the other cool tools introduced: Flickr and Polleverywhere. I love taking pictures so flickr is definitely a tool that sparked my interest!

Will virtual schools or other forms of technology cause me to lose my job in the future? I sure hope not! I'm not too worried about that, but you never know what could happen in this crazy world. :) Even though Katie didn't mention teachers in particularly, she did mention how technology has caused some people to lose jobs and asked how we can create jobs using technology and encourage students to be prepared for a "skilled" workforce in order for them to be successful.

Stop-motion animation was introduced and it is a very interesting tool. I did not have a clear understanding of what it was before today and now I am excited to use it with my class! Jeff mentioned using it as an alternative assessment which would give students a break from the traditional pencil and paper method. I'm all for the alternative assessments. :) It will be fun creating a stop-motion animation with peers in our class. Our topic of "texting and driving" should make for an interesting animation!

Scratch is going to be time consuming, but after learning about it more in class I feel more prepared to start my project!

sliderocket

Exit Slip

Today's class was jammed pack with information! We had two groups present their chapter and each group provided multiple resources. Doing the chapter presentations definitely clarifies information about that chapter that I didn't necessarily understand the first time. It also allows us to explore the resources in class and become familiar with things we could use in the future.

Last summer my computer crashed and I was unbelievably sad about the things I almost lost (thankfully, a dear friend recovered the computer). Dropbox is a tool we learned about which is a site that allows people to store information and is a "back up" in case something happens to the files on your computer. Brainpop is a cool that Jacki presented and like her, I too believe this is a great site to use in the classroom. You can use this site to introduce different topics. There are interesting videos and games that children truly enjoy.

I presented my contemporary issue on a subject that I am passionate about and believe that everyone should be aware of; media and technology's influence on body image. After seeing the Dove Campaign video several years ago I was shocked and basically mortified by the way technology distorts body image and creates these "beings" and bodies that are very unattainable. I want children and my peers to understand what the media is doing to they do not buy into the lies or think their body or appearance isn't "good enough."

Another issue that Brittany brought up was social networking and if it is appropriate for children. Personally, my own children will not be allowed to participate on social networks at such a young age. Even though I think social networking is an awesome way to connect with people and share information, I do not believe sites like Facebook or Myspace are the places to do this for elementary and even middle school students. The can be social at school, on other "child-friendly" sites such as webkins, club penguin, or Kidswirl.

I hope to play around and work with some of the tools that were introduced today. I mentioned in class that I am concerned with how to use certain resources in an elementary classroom setting so hopefully I can modify them for future use!

Reflecting on chapters 5 & 6

One thing I like about our classes this semester is the fact that the things we are learning in each individual class somewhat overlap with each other. In our science methods course, we learned how models can be used in the classroom. Some of my classmates used Scratch to create models for certain things. Chapter 5 discusses "modeling with technologies" and how we can learn through building and creating models. I like the section at the beginning of the chapter that explains the difference between computers teaching students and students teaching/sharing their information with the computer. When we create models of any kind we are showing that we understand how something works and we are showing our knowledge. I like the way the book put it, "the primary purpose of students modeling is the construction and revision of the learner's conceptual understanding, a process known as conceptual change and one that is sometimes difficult" (p. 83).

Several examples of computer based "mindtools" are given in the chapter. These include things like databases, concept maps, spreadsheets, microworlds, and so on. One example I really like is something called Comapping. This is a site where you can post, organize, and share information with others. Students should create models because I believe they learn not only from the success they may encounter but also from struggles and trials they may have.

Who likes to communicate with other people?! I do! Chapter 6 is all about community building with technologies. I personally use technology to communicate with all types of people in my life; professors, close friends, friends that live far ways, family, etc. When we communicate and share information, we are also learning and gaining new perspectives on things, sometimes without even knowing it. "Technologies enabling social networks and knowledge webs offer a means of constructing knowledge by facilitating collaboration and teamwork" (p. 101). Do you like you learn from other people? I believe I am constantly learning from what people say and trying to see their perspectives on things when they share information.

Using Wikis is a way to co-construct knowledge. I first heard about wikis my freshman year when I took the introduction to technology class. I thought they were cool and interesting, but I honestly have not used them since then. However, this class reintroduced them to me and have been very effective for displaying and sharing information. It is very easy and convenient for me and my peers to post sources on the class organization wiki. A wiki creates an "environment for students to join together in a knowledge-building community" (p. 105). They can post "knowledge" they have found and see the other things that have been posted. One example of a wiki they described in the book is an AP teacher who used a wiki as a way to help prepare his students for the end of the year exam. What a great way to review!

Once again, I am amazed by all the technological tools I read about in these two chapters and am excited to put them to use in the future!

Exit Slip

Alex and Katie started off class with a great presentation on Chapter 4 and showed many resources that we can use to incorporate writing in the classroom. Gliffy and Polleverywhere were two of my favorite tools that we saw today. My freshman year, when I took Intro to Educational Technology, we used Gliffy. Back then I was not impressed with the tool but I believe it has been improved tremendously over the past year or so. I love reading and hearing how we can use technology in other subject areas and will make a conscious effort to do this in the future.

Parentella is a cool tool that Jordyn introduced. This is a very useful tool and is closely related to my inquiry topic (the home-school connection). I definitely plan on researching and becoming more familiar with this site and others that are similar.

Am I or are you addicted to the internet? I sure hope not! Today we learned about internet addictions and discussed if they are a problem. We can waste so much time doing mindless things on the internet. I myself even spend too much time on sites like Facebook when I could be looking on useful information. The internet is a very useful tool and has helped our society in many ways. We just need to be careful what we are actually using the internet for. I like the point Katie made about being addicted to "something" not just the internet.

We also talked a little more about podcasts and learned about Garage Band. I'm glad I finished mine already and I will be blogging about the experience soon!

Reflecting on Chapter 4

Chapter four discusses how teachers can support writing with technologies. Writing is not just something we need to do in school, it is apart of our everyday lives. Writing through emails or through other technologies such as Facebook is something that is a part of most people's lives. When writing something, especially papers or formal letters, it is a great idea to organize your thoughts to figure out what to say. Concept mapping (p. 62) is one form of organizing ideas. We learn this concept in elementary school and keep refining it all the way through high school. This year in my college science course, we learned about an online tool that can be used for concept mapping. Cmap is a tool that is free for users and can be downloaded onto any computer. Students and teachers can use this to organize and plan out ideas and explore ideas about different topics. As students use this tool, they could start off by working together to explore broad topics and then continue to narrow them down. It will also help them to synthesize sources of information and find the important things they need.

Supporting creative and collaborative writing can also be accomplished through technologies. Students of all ages like to see their work displayed or published in some form or fashion. Publishing students work on the internet is a great way to get them motivated and excited to write. The book describes a few sites where students can publish their work and I am sure there are many other sites out there. This How-To talks a little more about publishing students' work and this is a site where you can: Student Online Publishing. So far, I have learned that collaboration is key in the elementary classroom. Therefore, we should also have students write collaboratively to learn from each other and see how different people write. Roles could be assigned to students such as editor, reporter or leader and these roles could change when different assignments are given (p. 73).

We all know that writing is something we do daily, but using these technological tools can be useful and will help engage students in the writing process. Students can organize their ideas, create several drafts of a piece, publish their work, and work together through technology.

Exit Slip

After reading the chapter, I was a little confused about the different terms presented. Brittany and Lauren did a good job introducing the terms and explaining their differences with the time that they had.

We also had a few cool tool presentations and learned about tools such as twitter, wordle, and symbaloo. I really like wordle and think it's a tool I will definitely use in the future for personal uses as well as in the classroom. I could have students describe certain words, books, etc. and create a word cloud. Symballo is also a tool I think I will use on my personal computer to organize the sites and tools I like to use. Having this on the school computers would also be a good way for students to organize games and research sites they like to use.

A few of my peers shared information about contemporary issues such as internet safety, online education, and gaming (virtual world). I have never been a fan of online education; mainly because I truly value the social experience that school provides. Personally, I understand that students can have social experiences in other aspects of their life and may enjoy virtual school more, it's just not my personal preference.

Each week this class challenges me to open my eyes and see issues, tools, and information from another perspective. Sometimes when I share my opinion I feel like I am being attacked by others, but I will keep sharing because that's how I feel. I am an open-minded person who is willing to learn new things but I feel as though some people aren't willing to listen to what I have to say.

Reflecting on Chapter 3

Chapter 3 explains how students can "experiment" with technologies. The book describes experimentation as something that "involves investigation or examination with the expectation of finding something important" (p. 44). When I think of experimenting, I immediately think of science and the scientific process. Experimenting with technologies has a very similar concept including steps such as hypothesizing, conjecturing, experimenting, speculating, and testing (p.44). As I was reading this chapter I couldn't help but think about all of the technology we have to day that we did not even have when I was in elementary school. Terms like microworlds, interactive physics, and SimCalc were very foreign to be before reading the chapter. I might still be a little confused about microworlds, but I believe it is an internet based problem that resembles a problem in real life. The interactive physics and simcalc are subcategories underneath the microworld that include physics and math respectively.

I particularly thought the section about simulations were interesting. Simulations are "imitations of something real" -much like the microworlds- (p. 48). I think simulations would be good to use in the classroom because students can manipulate and play around with different parts. I've heard of games such as SimCity and I believe games like this could be good for challenging students' creativity.

Gaming and "virtual worlds" are not something that I know everything about or fully understand, but as a future teacher I know it is important for me gain more knowledge about. Students that I know love video gaming and online tools, so hopefully I can find ways to incorporate these into the classroom curriculum in a way that is meaningful and will help the students learn.

Exit Slip

A lot of information was sent our way today in class. Two of my peers gave a great presentation on chapter two and gave us many resources to use in the future. I am very interested about the "filters" issue in school and home and will potentially research the topic further for my contemporary issues presentation.

With the help of Jeff and the class, I decided my inquiry question for the semester project: "How can technology be used to facilitate the home-school connection?" This topic really interests me because we did not have as much technology when I was in school and I want to become familiar with these tools before becoming a teacher. Parent involvement in school is very important and I would like to include them as much as possible.

Creating a Podcast is something I've always wanted do. I'm excited to come up with a topic and explore this new and interesting tool in technology. I am involved with Campus Crusade and they are looking for someone to take over the Podcast on Thursday nights so I am thinking about taking on that role after this assignment.

Reflecting on Chapter 2

Most students are familiar with the Internet in some form or fashion. Chapter 2 gives us an overview of searching and researching on the Internet and how teachers should try to include effecting research methods in classroom instruction. I agree with the authors when they describe the process of researching as a way to sometimes just find an answer. In my classes, including college level courses, teachers often give questions or assessments that students can google and find the answer in an instant. Instead of giving "close-ended" questions for research and investigation, teachers should pose questions, issues, or problems that students can explore and construct answers based on their findings.

One of the problems with the Internet is that it's so "big". There are many resources that we have at literally the click of a button. With these resources comes the temptation of getting off task and spending time in areas that are not important or irrelevant to the task. Even as I am sitting here reading and reflecting, it is very tempting to go check my facebook or look at the new MacBook that I want to order. In order for students to search and stay on task effectively, we need to teach skills to our students that will promote a positive searching mentality. As the authors describe (p. 15), since there are so many resources, we need to be able to search, evaluate, and then organize information we find. If students know they are searching for a purpose and have steps in mind to follow they will hopefully stay on task more and learn valuable and relevant information (not that the "other stuff" isn't relevant, but might not be relevant to the assignment at hand).

One of the important skills each person needs to possess while searching the Internet is the ability to evaluate sources. From our homework assignment, I learned to easily someone can trick you into thinking their website is real. I listed several tips for testing the credibility in that section of my blog. Two main things should be evaluated: credibility and relevancy. Once it is established that the site is credible, we need to make sure it is relevant and relates to what we are searching for.

Sometimes students might not know the valuable and educational resources that are on the web. For example, there are many scientific experiments or inquiry questions that are ready to be explored. Students can access these sites to see certain scientific controversies or explore scientific current events.

As most of us know, the number and varieties of technology are endless. Students can now browse the Internet on their phones, ipods, etc. Instead of viewing this as a negative thing, we must embrace the positives and somehow incorporate them into the classroom. We should start teaching students at a young age how to browse and explore the web. If they know how to use the Internet effectively, their opportunities for learning are endless.

Digital Book Talk

This task was interesting and enjoyable. I chose a book that I bought on vacation last year in North Carolina. It has beautiful illustrations and a very cute story that could even be incorporated into a science lesson.

The hardest part in the beginning was deciding what tool to use to present the booktalk. I decided to use VoiceThread because I felt like it would be a good way to present pictures with a voice over. VoiceThread is a tool that I personally will use in the future to introduce things such as books or even allow children to create stories of their own. Therefore, I believe that is the value in completing this task. All of the things we are doing in class so far are definitely tools that can be used later on. Technology seems like such a scary word to a lot of people but in reality, technology can be effectively used in the classroom if we have an attitude of willingness and excitement to learn and implement these strategies. The assignment was not extremely challenging, but I did spend time recording the voice over. I had to record each section several times so it was clear and audible without mistakes. Frustration occurred several times when I was trying to figure small things out such as how to add music or how to make the pictures zoom in and out. I tried but could not figure out how to add these details. I plan on asking someone who has used VoiceThread before or researching a more in-depth tutorial online.

Website Creditability

Determining the creditability of a website is something that every person should know how to do, especially since the use of Internet is so prevalent in our society today. Throughout my years of schooling, several people have told and showed me how to evaluate websites to see if the information they are providing is credible. I did some research on my own and found a few tips when looking at websites (ehow.com). The first clue is to look at the URL address of the site. If it ends in .gov, .us, or a state abbreviation it is reliable. We must be careful with the other endings such as .com and .org. The next thing I would tell students is to look for the ~ symbol. This means that the website was created by an individual. Sites created by individuals can sometimes contain false information so we need to be careful with this type. One of the big things to check when searching on the web is the date the website was published. If the information is really old, it probably won't be as accurate as a newer site. Another thing to check is the contact information listed. Sites that are credible usually contain some type of contact and resources. A question I would tell students to ask themselves is "what is the purpose of the site?" Is it asking for money or just providing information? The final recommendation is to read the information provided and see if it is some one's opinion or if they are actually giving factual information. Overall, once people become familiar with a proper website, the overall feel and look will also give hints to the credibility (we still need to be careful when they "look good").

A good way for students to practice determining the credibility of a website is by looking at websites themselves with the intention of finding out if it is a good resource for information. For example, I could use sites such as The First Human Male Pregnancy and Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division as examples of non realistic websites to use. Clearly, males do not get pregnant so that is our first clue that the website is not credible. At first glance, DihydrogenMonoxide Research Division might look somewhat decent, but in the top right hand corner it asks for monetary donations. However, it does have a contact link that sends you directly to the congress site. In my opinion, this website is not credible, however it could be tricky to tell for some people. As I started to look at the other websites on the list, I thought some of them looked fairly credible. However, as I explored the sites, I found that all of them had flaws or false facts.

Martin Luther King Jr. - A True Historical Examination clearly has some content issues. I believe it is a racist site judged by the content I saw. If you click on the Rap Lyrics section, you would be appalled at the things written. I was skeptical about Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus and Dog Island Free Fever from the moment I clicked on the site. I'm not even really sure what the site is because I've never heard of the Northwest Tree Octopus. The URL address also looked a little weird. Have you ever wished there was an island where your dogs could go and live free and wild? If so, Dog Island Free Forever has what you are looking for. On this site, I would encourage students to look for the purpose. Once they begin looking, they will hopefully find that this is not a real place and the information is not reliable. The final site I reviewed, All About Explorers, had me fooled for a few minutes. It looked very professional and credible from the looks of the home page. I started to explore the site and clicked on Explorers A to Z and then clicked on Christopher Columbus. The very first sentence said he was born in 1951 which is very false. This site might include some factual information, but there is also a mixture of false facts.

All About Explorers would be a good site to use when trying to teach students how to determine the credibility of a site. I could have them look through the pages to see if they found anything wrong. The first time they look, they might not notice some of the small flaws. Therefore it would be a good teaching opportunity to show them that we have to be really careful even when the source looks nice and presentable.
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Exit Slip

Today, my knowledge of technology grew. One topic/tool that I enjoyed learning about was a new way to present material; by using programs such as Prezi. PowerPoint is a tool I have used over and over and using something different will challenge me but will also aid in my future presentations. I am interested to search the web to see what other resources are available.

It was also interesting and informative to discuss chapter one of our textbook. Meaningful learning is something each of us should promote in our future classrooms. The Technology Integration Matrix is a resource that gives good examples of how to incorporate technology when there are computers available for each student and also when there is only one computer for a group of students. I can use the lessons provided in the future and modify them where I believe they need to be modified. It was also helpful to view them to see if the students were learning with technology or from technology.

Once again, I learned new things this week that I will hopefully carry into my future teaching career. I am excited and nervous for the upcoming tasks I need to complete for this course, but with hard work and a positive attitude I think I can make it through! :)

Reflecting on Chapter 1

What is the focus in the school system today? As I read and think about the activities promoted in classrooms, I wonder if the focus is on true "meaningful learning" or learning and knowing how to take tests. The book describes meaningful learning as "willingness to be engaged in a meaningful task" (p. 2). If we provide students with opportunities to be engaged and think critically in the classroom, those skills should hopefully transfer when they do have to take a standardized test. When the material is interesting and means something to the students, they are usually more interested and will learn and remember the information for a longer period of time. Unlike standardized tests, children do care about technology and issues surrounding the topic (as we can see through the Growing Up Online video). Learning can take place just about anywhere and children need to understand this concept. However, in order to learn we must be active and engaged with the material or task that we are presented with.

In my personal life, I am the type of person that likes to "go and do" all the time. Sometimes, though, it is important for me to just sit down and reflect on what's going on in my life. The same is true for the classroom. Students need to be active and have opportunities to be involved in learning, but the learning process also requires reflection on what was learned. It was good for me to read this idea in the chapter because I need to be reminded how important this aspect is and how it can help myself as well as my students. Three other parts of meaningful learning, as stated by Jonassen et al. are intentional, authentic, and cooperative. Each individual's learning should be directed toward a certain goal and should represent understanding. In addition, students should hone in on specific topics that they can learn about and eventually transfer the knowledge about the topic in other situations. One thing I have leared so far in my pursuit of becoming an elementary teacher is that students learn from eachother; therefore, collaboration is key in the classroom. Children need to converse and talk things out and we should never hinder this from happening. In the future, I plan on allowing students to work in partners, groups, and individually. The diversity will keep students on their feet and they will have experience with many different ways to learn.

In this class, I am excited to learn how technology is used in the classroom and how it is beneficial for students. This chapter provided me with information on that specific subject. In the past, students were required to learn "the information presented by the technology" (p. 6). Now the focus is more on learning with technology. We can use technology to organize thoughts, comparing, representing beliefs/ideas, and to do many more things. I believe my thoughts about technology will change throughout this course as I learn practical ways to use the tool. I've always known that technology is an important part of our socitey, but it is even better to know how and why it is important.

Growing Up Online: Scary or Normal?

As I started to watch Growing Up Online for the second time (previously viewed in another technology class) my heart began to break for the students and individuals who have the desire to live and create and live different personalities on the internet. On the video, students talked about technology and explained that "everybody uses it" and also explained how they can have a different persona than they do in real life. I think a big part of the online excitement for young individuals might be that they can do things without anyone looking or watching; such as their parents or teachers. Have we created a society where children, teenagers, and adults alike are unable to show their true character and personalities?

Schools are constantly struggling with the issue of being engaging and interactive enough for students that come from such a technological generation. Even though this video is disturbing, it also makes people aware of the current situation. If we are aware, then we can do something about it. As a teacher, I will make sure my students are informed about the dangers as well as the positive aspects of the internet. Students often claim that they participate in things online such as verbal abuse or relationships because it gives them "something to do." This is when we as teachers need to intervene and show them how to use technology responsibly.

I do not want to be deemed the over-protective mother/teacher who will not let her children participate in anything without being monitored, but I also do not want to be the one who has a child or student that commits suicide because of an internet related cause.

I know, and completely understand that technology is something present in our culture today that we must embrace. Students are doing everything from surfing the web, chatting, texting, gaming, etc. and I as a teacher must be able to learn these technologies and teach students the proper way to use them.

Digital Autobiography

Working with pictures, music, and text is something I really enjoy. Therefore, I was excited when we were asked to create a "digital autobiography" of our life, or an event in our life. I decided to call my presentation "Life with friends & family." Being with the people in my pictures makes life exciting and enjoyable. We laugh, cry, and do ministry together and I believe the Lord brings people in our lives to do these things with.

The hardest part of the task was deciding which pictures to use. Anyone who knows me knows that I always have my camera and constantly take pictures, so I had a lot to choose from! That is probably where I put the most effort in. This assignment is a way for us to get to know our classmates a little better. I believe it allows each individual to show some of their personality and character.

I would potentially use programs like this in the future to introduce myself to my students and/or their parents. It's a unique way for them to learn about my life and then the students could create a presentation on their own (depending on the grade level). The program I used, Roxio, was not very hard to use and would be easy to teach in the classroom.

First day knowledge

Today I learned several new things relating to the world of technology. From the video we watched with the children, I saw how children really view technology and how it can help them learn. I still believe it is hard for some children to experience technology at home, but I hope to give children experience with this in my classroom.

I also gained information about social bookmarking and how it can help me in the future. I can share lesson plans, ideas, etc. with my peers and hopefully use some of their resources as well. Sometimes I become overwhelmed when it comes to technology and all that it entails, but I am excited to learn how to use new resources this semester.

What is technology’s role in teaching and learning?

I believe technology is very important in our world today. With that being said, it is also an important (some people believe imperative) part of teaching and learning. When I was in elementary school, I do not remember using much technology and to be honest I do not see technology being used in the classrooms I volunteer in today. I’ve heard a lot about technology in the past few years at the University of Florida, but have not seen it put to practice all that often. I believe that technology can aid in the process of teaching and learning, but I would actually like to see examples of this.

One thing that scares me about technology is that it’s constantly changing. My fear is that I will learn technology available today, but then something new will come along and I might be lost. However, I am willing to learn these new technologies and teach them in my future classroom!