Scenario

I feel like I now have a much stronger knowledge base in technology that can be used in the classroom because of the Education Technology class that I took. The class provided me with a lot of tools that can help me not only in lesson planning but various activities for the students. Many of these tools can be directed towards students with different learning styles and special needs. Sites such as Animoto can be great alternatives for students that are English language learners who might not be able to complete an oral presentation. They can still display their knowledge through the Animoto. This can also be true for students that have any speech impairments. Also using tools such as Prezi can be something new and interesting not only for students to use to present but also to make your presentations as a teacher much more interesting.

As far as teachers using technology, a couple of great sites that I have referred to and would encourage other teachers to refer to would be Google Docs and Kan Ed. Google Docs is a great tool for collaboration that would be useful for teachers who might be working on a project or lesson together. Also Kan Ed is a great source for finding lesson plans that align with state standards and also have many great research sources for students. I would really encourage other staff members to utilize all this technology available because it something that really interests the kids and is something that can really aid you in your planning. They can use sites such as Delicious to aid in finding these sources.

I plan on learning and keeping up on this technology through different technology workshops and also using web tutorials and any building tech people that are available. I have to admit that I am sometimes slow to learn technology but I am always very organized and prepared and technology can help to continue this. Within the next few years I look forward to using this technology in my classroom.

My Wow Moment

My wow moment from this semester probably came when I discovered that I could be comfortable with Mac computers. I came into this class having only worked with PC's so I was intimidated by the fact that I would have to use a Mac. This anxiety was increased when I knew we would be learning new tools and ways of handling technology because I felt like I was not only learning how to use a new computer but new information along side of it. However, after I couple of weeks I became much more comfortable with Mac's and actually starting to really enjoy working on them. I now find them easier to work on and am considering buying one when it comes time for me to purchase a new computer. I certainly did not plan on leaving this class saying any of this!

Podcast Favorites

I listened to a lot of podcasts throughout the semester and had the opportunity to reflect on these through blog posts. These podcasts provided me with a lot of information on how technology is being implemented in the classroom and also new technology that can be utilized in the classroom. Most of the podcast that I listened to were very helpful but the one that I enjoyed the most was Tech Chicks. I enjoyed listening to Tech Chicks because I always got a lot of information from their podcast. I felt as if they always had really helpful information to share and lots of ideas for the classroom. There were even a couple of podcasts where they discussed tools that we had talked about in class or were working with in class which I felt made them very relevant. They were really easy to reflect on because their podcasts were jam-packed with different websites and tools that could be utilized in the classroom.

Semester Favorites

My first favorite tool that I learned about this semester is Google Docs. I loved this tool because it allows you to collaborate so much easier. This was important to me because as an education major there are a lot of projects involved in your course work and a lot of those are group projects. It is often difficult to find time that all group members can meet so Google Docs allows you do that. It was also a great tool to work on study guides with other students, which can really increase your learning as you are able to see peoples views on understandings on whatever subject it is you are studying.

My second favorite tool that I learned about in this class was Prezi. This tool allows allows easy collaboration. It is similar to powerpoint in the fact that it is a presentation slide show. However, unlike powerpoint you can zoom in on images, set a specific path for information to appear on the screen and arrange text in more interesting ways. Like Google Docs it allows more than one person to work on the presentation at a time. This of course makes it easier to work as a group on a project.

Challenge Based Learning Reflection

The Challenge Based Project was a really great introduction to Prezi presentations. It not only gave us the opportunity to research a certain challenge topic but also gave us the opportunity to work with Prezi. The group I was in chose to do our presentation on the dangers of texting and driving. We looked at the statistics associated with texting and driving, the laws surrounding texting and driving, the awareness about the dangers of texting and driving and also a few short videos clips concerning the topic. Using Prezi for our presentation was really nice because you can share the prezi with your groupmates allowing everyone to work on the project. This is especially nice since it is sometimes hard to schedule group meetings. Also Prezi is a new way of displaying information instead of powerpoint. There are no slides just one large formate that allows you to zoom in on different bits of information without ever leaving the full screen mode. Prezi also allows you to set up a path so by using the arrows keys you can move from on piece of information to the next. Prezi was easy to learn how to use and was definitely a breath of fresh air compared to powerpoint. Here is a link to my website where you can view my groups Prezi presentation.

Podcast Reflection #12: Another Autism Podcast

 I decided to do another reflection on one of the autism podcasts that I listened to last week. I found them very interesting and such a great resource for parents who have children with autism. On this podcast the host talked with Megan Drane who is a photographer and owns Firefly Nights Photography. Megan has a son who is diagnosed with Asperger's. Before her son was diagnosed Megan was photographing families, children etc. but soon became interested in photographing children with autism. She knew the struggle that parents faced in capturing important moments and wanted to help. She said that she likes to photograph her own son not only to mark childhood milestones but also certain behaviors that he might be displaying. Some of the challenges that she says she faces when photographing children with autism is engagement. Getting the child to not only look at the camera but capture what she referred to as the "light in their eyes." Also, as with most children, it is difficult sometimes to get them to stay still. However, Megan mentioned that before she goes into a session she meets with the family and gets to know the child before they start snapping photos. She likes to learn if there are any sensory issues such as the click of the camera of bright flashes that might bother the child. Most importantly though she said it is important to find a "bribe" for the child!

Reflection # 11: Autism Podcast

 The podcast I listened to today was one that was recommended to me by one of my teachers who teaches  about special education. The podcast is about Autism and the host, Michael Bole, is a father of a son with Autism. On the podcast I listened to, Michael interviewed a guy by the name of Dan Tedesco who also has a son with Autism. Dan works for a company that produces apps specifically for children with Autism. The app they were discussing today is called Autism Track. This app is basically a journaling tool that allows caregivers to track how their child is doing throughout the day. Its purpose is to track the child's symptoms throughout the day, specific behaviors they are exhibiting, what treatment options they are being given, etc. By tracking this information it provides the parents with a better picture of what interventions and strategies are working for their child and which aren't. Autism Track is a tool that is suppose to help guide parents through the journey of Autism treatment. This app can also look at the types of medical treatments that are being used and how those are affecting certain behaviors and can also rate behaviors and symptoms that are exhibited during the day. Autism Track is network based and requires a server connection. This feature allows multiple caregivers access to the child so that more can be involved in treatment of the child. The data that is collected is reported in a numerical format and shows trend lines that are occurring.

Reflection #10: Salman Khan

This video that I watched with Salman Khan was really good. Salman is the founder of an online educational site called the Khan Academy. This website provides students and teachers all over the world with educational videos explaining things from basic math to the most difficult level of calculus and various other subjects also. Mr. Khan got started making these videos when he was tutoring his cousins. He would make videos for them and post them on Youtube. After looking at a lot of encouraging comments that he had received he thought he might be onto something and launched the Khan Academy.

The great thing about these videos is that the students can pause and replay any sections that they need to. They can work at their own pace and review videos as many times as they need to in order to understand that material. Many teachers have caught onto this website and are now utilizing it in their classrooms. Teachers said that they now give the online lectures as homework for students and then what used to be your traditional "homework" is done in the classroom. I think this is so awesome because how many times have we wanted our teachers assistance on our homework but haven't had that available. Now students do. Mr. Khan said it is a very humanizing experience and allows students and teachers more interaction and also interaction between peers.

Los Altos school district is now using the Khan Academy in place of the general math curriculum. The online academy gives students math problems and does not allow them to move onto the next level until they have completed 10 questions correctly in a row. Teachers can monitor students progress by looking at what they are stuck on; what problems they've had difficulty with, where they've paused the online lectures and what problems they have answered incorrectly. This allows teachers to better assist students.

Comic Strip Reflection

I recently had to create a comic strip for my educational technology class. The focus of my comic strip was on my area of concentration which is ESL (English as a Second Language). I used a really great site called Make Beliefs Comix. You do not have to sign in to use this site and best of all it is free!! Our ed. tech professor also provided us with lots of other great free sites to use to create our comics such as PikiKids, Comiqs, Be Funky and many more.

Online comic strip creation would be a great tool that you could use in your classroom. You could have your students use it to explain a new subject that you are studying, like a new math concept, history lesson or science project. If you are an art teacher you could spend time on comic strips and have students create their own. Also if you are an English or writing teacher you could use comic strips to help students practice writing a story or work on their persuasive writing skills by making the comic some sort of advertisement. Any way that you choose to use it, it is a great way for students to use their creativity and have a little fun at the same time!

Podcast, Website & Blog Midterm Critiques

Part 1: Podcast

This past week we had the opportunity to critique two of our classmates websites and blogs. On each of our websites we had the chance to post a podcast that could have been done individually or with a partner concerning different online resources that we thought would be helpful/useful as future classroom teachers. Unfortunately only one of the classmates that I critiqued had posted a podcast so I will only be able to share from this. The first site discussed in their podcast was called Smithsonian Education for Students. This site allows students to search through different subject areas and also view artifacts at the same time. Each topic or area that they search through is centered around a specific museum such the American History Museum. Another cool resource that my classmate discussed is called Altapedia Online. This site gives students access to color maps that outline political and physical boundaries and gives information about that certain country such as religion, traditions, language, culture etc. Teachers can even access homework problems and additional resource links from the site. Lastly the podcast talked about Youtube which I thought was great! It is an obvious resource but I think it is one that is often overlooked and under-appreciated. Youtube gives you access to thousands of videos over anything you can possibly think of. It it not soley intertainment but also provides plenty of educational videos for teachers. Here is a link if you would like to listen to the podcast.

Part 2: Website/Blog

 Looking at my classmates blogs and websites was a really great opportunity for me to view my classmates hard work and progress so far this semester. It was neat to see how other people put together their websites and the different forms of creativity and individuality that were expressed in each. The animotos on one of the my critiques websites were AWESOME! Here is a link to her website. They were very personal and I felt like they gave me a really good look into her life. If I was a student of hers and I checked out her website I would feel like I knew her a little more as a person versus just my teacher. There were also lots of pictures included of friends, family, things that she enjoys doing etc. These things held true for her blog also. After looking through her website I definitely want to take some more time to place a little bit more of myself in my website. The other website and blog I viewed were a great example to me of how to make a very professional website and blog. Their sites were a good mixture of personal and professional. You had the opportunity to get to know them a little better but also got a view of them as an educator. I would like to incorporate this same balance on both my website and blog.

Reflection #9: Podcast

For my ninth podcast I listened to the Tech Chick Tips. On their lastest episode they discussed a variety of new tools and websites that they have discovered that are beneficial for educators.

The first tool they discussed can be used by educators from K-12 and all the way up to PhD level teachers. The Tech Chicks announced that Wiki Spaces are now offering free spaces for educators all the way to PhD's. The educator account on Wiki Spaces has been free for K-12 teachers for quite a while giving out a  total 980,000 free spaces. This month they made it available for all levels of educators. These spaces are a great collaboration tool that can be used for editing, sharing what you know and best of all it is free and private. It is also extremely simple to use. The Tech Chicks said that if you can type in a word processor than you can use Wiki Spaces.

The next resource that the Tech Chicks mentioned was a critique or description of four ways to give short presentations online. This is a free tool for teachers to use on Free Tech for Teachers. The four tools that commentator of the site discussed were Big Markers, Zip Cast, Scriblar, Markers and Join Me. The descriptions and tools given are for free. They allow you to create a little room where you can interact with students, other educators etc.

The other resource discussed was one call Type With Me. This tool is a quick way to collaborate on a word document. It is similar to Google Docs in that it allows you to create a document, share it with others and work on it at the same time. However, unlike Google Docs you do not need an e-mail to login. You simply are given a unique URL that you can share. Everyone working on the document types in a different color and the site allows you a chat options while you are working. The finished file can be exported as an html, text file, PDF, etc. The only downside to this tool is that iPad users cannot yet type on the document, they can chat and view the progress but cannot contribute.

The next resource that the Tech Chicks really like was one called Web O'Word. This site posts a new word everyday. Along with the word you are given a visual that helps explain the word, the word is used in context and various information about the word is provided. There are also crossword puzzles that combine all the different vocabulary words used. You can print off the crossword puzzles or you can use them interactively online. The Tech Chicks said that the collection of words are really good, they aren't just simple words.

Reflection #8: Podcast

The podcast that I listened to was Driving Questions with Kevin Honeycutt. In this podcast Kevin talked to two elementary school teachers about using the iPad in the classroom. One of the women interviewed was a para at the school and the other was a Title 1 teacher in the school.

Both teachers mentioned that they did have to take a little time to learn how to use the iPad themselves but that the students did not have any problems catching on. The para mentioned using the iPads with kindergartners and that they caught on right way with no problems. Both teachers mentioned that the kids LOVE the iPad's. They light up every time they get a chance to use them.

The Title 1 teacher said that she really liked to use the iPad's because it was a more one-on-one experience with the kids. This was especially important with students who have problems socially in the classroom, it is a way to connect with them. She mentioned that many of the apps are really engaging, one in particular that she uses is called spell board. This is a paid app that you can use with student to practice their vocabulary words. As the teacher you have many options from choosing to show the definition, or only parts of the words. You can also create quizzes for the kids to take. When they take the quiz they can draw out the vocabulary words with their finger and choose different colors to draw it in.


The para said that she likes to use the app called Fish. This app works on word sounds with the students. It is a good app to use for phonics or reading skills. The children have to fill in the missing letter or letters of a word. This is something she said the kids really enjoy and it is a great way to work with students one-on-one.

Kevin Honeycutt discussed how these teachers have made the iPads an actual part of their classroom. They are not just something that is used for enrichment activities or for free time but it has actually become a part of their lesson plans. He also mentioned a great site for teachers with iPads to check out that the is iear.org which stands for Education Apps Review. This site is a place for critiquing iPad apps and the great thing about it is that teachers are the ones commenting on these apps. So this would be a great resource to refer to before downloading any new apps on your iPad.

Reflection #7: Podcast

 I listened to the Tech Chick Tips podcast and on this episode they discussed random finds that they had discovered, there was not set topic for this podcast.

The first thing that they talked about was a site called Min.us . The idea or concept behind this site is "share simply." The creators want you the user to be able to share information in the easiest way possible. On this site you can upload images, documents, you can post links etc. The format that the site uses is an cover-flow format. This allows you to download and edit any information that you see. You can also place this information right on your desktop and best of all it is free! A few great ways to use this in the classroom would be posting stuff for a project that your students are working on and they can download this information. Your students could also upload assignments for you to access.

 The next information that was discussed all pertained to Youtube. The first tool the Tech Chicks mentioned was called Embed Plus. On this site you can paste in the URL of a video of your choice and from there you can decide when you want the video to start and stop, you can also add in chapter markers and annotations. The annotations that you add will appear in a text box on the screen as the video is playing. When you are done the kids can view the video without being directly on Youtube.

The next Youtube feature discussed is call Tube Chop. This tool allows you to edit small sections of what you want to show. This would be great for videos you want to show students that might have extra information that they don't need to know. The next site that is similar to this is call Quietube. This site gives you the option to first of all bookmark the link but you can also go through and eliminate the comments attached with the video. When you are done all your students will see is the video. The comments and advertisements will not show up.



 smories stories for kids read by kids

Fun With Text Reflection

For my educational technology class we had the opportunity to use as site called Wordle. On this site you can create what are called "word clouds." These are simply a configuration of any words that you choose. They can be made using words describing yourself such as nice, funny, outgoing etc. or you can paste in famous speeches or quotes that you like. After you place the words in, Wordle creates a word cloud for you. You can edit this word cloud by changing the shape and configuration of the words, you can change the color and the size of the words also. Once you have created your Wordle you can post it on your blog, website, where ever you choose. Here is an example of an Wordle.


Wordles can be used in the classroom in various ways. You could have your students create Wordles about themselves at the beginning of the year. They could share these with the class and then you could post them around the room and place the students picture by them. Also if you had a class website you could put them on there.  Students could also make a Wordle with vocabulary words that they are learning or put together a World about an historical event or famous speech that they might be learning about.

Classroom 2.0 Reflection

Classroom 2.0 is a cool community of educators that can openly discuss and share ideas and questions that they have. At the bottom of the homepage there are various groups available for educators to join. These groups range from grade level groups to content area groups. Within these groups teachers can share ideas and bounce ideas off of each other. There are different forums open on the Classroom 2.0 website that support a wide range of discussions about technology that is safe for students and ideas that teachers have tried in the classroom. Also if you join the site there is a live chat option that allows you to chat directly with educators from around the world.

This site would be great for a new teacher because it is a huge support community available right on your computer. There are lots of ideas that you can learn from teachers who have been teaching for years. Not only can you discuss ideas you have but also any questions that you might have about anything from classroom organization to classroom management can be posted to this community of educators. It can help new teachers to see different ways to use technology in the classroom from actual teachers that have tried it. Classroom 2.0 is an amazing community to be a part of as you are gaining experience in the classroom
How could be useful as a new teacher.

Edu Teacher Reflection

The Edu Teacher site is a really personal site that provides teachers with tons of links to resources that can be incorporated into the classroom. The site provides you with webisodes that basically show you different ways that technology can be included in your classroom. Some of the webisodes that they have available were even created by teachers themselves which I think is part of the reason this site seems so personal towards educators.

One of the resources that I really enjoyed on the site was the section that provided you with links to resources. The section of the site allows you click on a content area or a grade level and then provides you with lots of online resources. These resources might include educational games for your students or tools for you the teacher to use. Either way it gives you lots of choices from just basic content area to more specific such as ESL students, professional development, music and even specialized search engines.

Another section of the website referred to as the conference section has videos available to you concerning different education technology conferences or professional development sessions. This portion of the site would be a really great if you wanted to inform your self on new technology resources that are out there for teachers. Also if you wanted to find new and different ways to incorporate technology into your classroom this would be a great place to educate yourself.

Kan-Ed Reflection

After searching through the Kan-ed website I discovered so many helpful tools that teachers can easily implement into their classrooms. There are links available on the site that can be used by teachers and there are links on the site that students can also utilize. Everything available on the Kan-ed website relates back to the Kansas curriculum meaning that all the tools you find will be things that you as a Kansas teacher can use without worrying whether or not standards are being met.

Some of the sites that I discovered that would be very useful for teachers would first be KERC which stands for Kansas Educational Resource Center. This site allows you to choose a grade level and content area. From there you may choose a standard within that content area. The site then directs you to a page where the benchmarks and indicators are listed. For each of these there are links that lead you to sites with already made up lesson plans and links that can direct you toward other resources such as worksheets etc. This site would be a great resource to use if you want to really switch up your lessons, try something new or just get your creative juices flowing. The only thing that is a bit of a downer for this site is that pre-service teachers such as myself cannot rely too much on sites such as these yet since we must create our own lessons.

Another site that I found in Kan-ed is called Kid InfoBits. This is a great tool to use with your kids when they are doing any sort of research or information finding. The site provides you with tons of topics to choose from such as math, science, history, historical figures, geography, geology. etc. From there the site provides the students with online articles concerning the topic they are researching. All the information they need is given to them right on the website. In a way it is like a virtual library for all content areas. The articles even list the reading difficulty level for the child, but all are geared toward elementary aged children.

The next site I found that I thought was really great for students was Kan-ed Live Tutor. This site is really for any age of student. It provides tutoring assistance for K-12 and also for college students. There a live online tutors available to help students from 2pm-12am everyday. They even have a proof reading and writing tips center available. I believe this is a great tool if students need help in a pinch. The only thing I do not like about this site is that teachers might push students to use this more than to ask the teacher for assistance. So it would be a good tool when students need immediate help but should not be something they have to use all of the time.

Another site that I discovered wasThinkfinity. This site also provides teachers with  a lot of free lesson plans that will line up with state standards. Much like KERC, Thinkfinity offers resource links for teachers also that provide worksheets, videos, interactive games etc. On this site you can look at different lessons and see what standards the lessons align with or you can search for the standard and then find the lessons that align with them. This ability gives you a lot of flexibility especially if you are unsure about which standard or lesson you want to use.

I really enjoyed exploring the Kan-ed site. I think there are so many resources and tools available for teachers that would be very useful. Teachers can utilize this themselves or can utilize it for their students. I believe the only downside to this site is that if you end up teaching in another state this site would not be as useful because it is geared toward Kansas teachers and Kansas curriculum standards.

   

Podcast Reflection #6: Ed Tech Talk

In the Ed Tech Talk podcast the hosts discussed a site where people can go on and write a 500 word essay concerning the purpose of education. I unfortunately could not find the link to this site. But it is basically an open forum for people to voice their opinions on what they think the purpose of education is. One of the hosts of the show talked a little about what she wrote and said that she believed education is a right for all people. It is something that is needed in order to survive in our world today and is something that should be offered to all so that we can each build a better life for ourselves. This discussion of the purpose of education ties back to the idea of technology and education because technology is being used to express this idea. Through the Internet this issue is made much more available to the public and gives the public the opportunity to have their voices heard. Although this is a small project, the use of the Internet for this discussion could lead to much of the reform that educators are searching for today.

The hosts of Ed Tech Talk talked with a 7th grade English teacher from the United Kingdom and discussed with him the changes technology is having in his classroom. In his school they are gathering data on the success of computer/technology usage and student achievement and interaction. This 7th grade teacher stated that there is a lot of change occurring in the UK with their curriculum and their search for the purpose of education. In his classroom they are putting technology to use in one aspect through the use of the game Cluedo ( the link explains the purpose of the game). They have an online version where the students can solve murder mysteries through listening to old style theatre mysteries. When the hosts asked about the accessibility of technology and the Internet the teacher said that the school receives good wireless coverage and that about 50% of his students have their own devices that they can use. He said that it has been interesting to see the learning curve difference in this blended environment of students with laptops and students without. The only draw back he is seeing with this type of technology in the classroom is that the cost of insuring these devices is so high and technology is moving so quickly that updating becomes difficult. Also the purpose and use of technology is constantly changing.

Reflection #5: Tech Chicks (Eps. 81)

This podcast of Tech Chicks was talking about information that they learned while they attended the Texas Computer Education Association conference.

The first couple of things that they talked about were things related to Google. The first is called the Google Art Project. This Google tool allows you to take a virtual field trip through an art museum. It is similar to Google street finder because it takes you to the exact museum and lets walk through the art exhibits. You can view the art work as if you were actually in a museum. There are lots of museums available for you to view and you can even save the images that you see to your own personal gallery. This would be a great way to introduce your students to art, especially if you live in a rural community where art is hard to access.

The next Google tool that the Tech Chicks talked about was the Google Body Browser. This tool allows you to view 3D images of the human body. From these 3D images you can peal back layers of skin and tissue (as gross as that sounds!) and view muscles, organs and bones. The only down side to the Body Browser is that you have to have a certain browser on your computer for it to run correctly. But if you have this it would obviously be a great way for your students to investigate and explore different parts and systems of the human body that you are studying. It would be especially useful if you do not have access to models of the human body for students to view. It would be an expense free way for them to learn more about human anatomy.

Another tool that the Tech Chicks discussed is a program called Print Cut Fold. This program offers templates mostly for powerpoint. These templates allow you to make 3D shapes and booklets. The Tech Chicks mentioned that you could use these templates to help your students make "mini-books" on subjects that you are studying or for writing projects. The templates already come with clipart so it makes these books easier to create. The only downfall to Print Cut Fold is that some of the text that you create requires you to rotate the text in order for it to print correctly. This could be difficult for younger kids and could be a time consuming.

Another topic discussed was an exhibit they saw on the exhibit floor of the conference and that was a website by the name of Q-Topia. This website provides you with free online access to thousands of educational games and activities. With a teacher account you have unlimited access to these games and activities. If your students have a student account however their access is limited to the amount of games and activities they can view. In order for students to play and use the games available they have to complete different subject problems such as math problems. Once they complete the problem correctly they are able to play more time of the game. This site would be a fun way to practice concepts they have already learned or are learning.

Reflection: Animoto in my Classroom

Animoto is a really cool tool that can be used in the classroom and for personal use. It was really simple to use because you simply upload the photos you want to use, select the music you would like, and pick a background, the rest Animoto does for you. The picture transitions and lighting is all done by Animoto. You can of course customize your video by using music from your own collection and organizing the photos into the order you would like them shown. You can also add text to the pictures if you like.  I really enjoyed the way that Animoto takes the images that you have and makes it something personal and individualized. It is a good way to display pictures that you have in a different way.

As for using it in my classroom I think that it would be a fun way to display class pictures or student work on a class website. You could create slide shows of all your students, your classroom, class artwork and even pictures from around the school. Animoto is simple enough to use that you could put your students in charge of creating the slide shows and let them show some ownership in the classroom. It would also be a good tool to use for students to demonstrate different  concepts they are learning. Instead of a book report they could use image and short text to present their book. They could also use Animoto to explain a math concept that they are learning.

Here is an example of an Animoto that I used to display my area of concentration which is English as a Second Language.

Podcast Reflection#5: Moving at the Speed of Creativity

This podcast by Wesley Fryer was broadcast from the 2011 MECA conference which stands for the Mississippi Educational Computing Association. The speaker that was at the center of the podcast was Dr. Carl Owens who is a professor at Tennessee Tech University. The title of the lecture that he was giving was "Cool Tools for the Classroom." He gave examples of a variety of cool technology tools that he and his students have used and tools that could (and have been ) used in the classroom.

One tool that he talked about to use in the classroom was podcasting. Along with podcasting he mentioned a lot of gadgets that are out there that can help improve the quality of the podcast that you and your class are creating. The first tool that he mentioned was called a "bass jump." This simply helps to give richer sound to your podcast because he mentioned that sometimes the sound on Mac's is not always the best but that this tool can really help to enhance it. He also talked about a couple of different microphones that are really simple to use when making a podcast. The two he mentioned were called Snowflake and Snowball microphones. Dr. Owens really liked these two microphones because they are pretty cheap, all you have to do is plug them into your computer and they are pretty sturdy not a lot of repair is needed for them.

The next tool Dr.Owens talked about was a microscope called "pro-scope." This is a hand-held microscope that is compatible with Mac's and PC's and also the iPhone, iPad and iTouch. On pro-scope's website there a many lesson plans available for teachers to use. The website also includes various ways that you can incorporate the pro-scope into your classroom and how it can be used as a great tool for teaching and learning, especially in content areas such as science.

Another tool that Dr.Owen's really liked was call the iTV Hybrid. This program can be installed on Mac computers and allows you to do TV capturing, which basically means that teachers can record educational programs via their computer and then show them to their students. Programs can be recorded in advance and can be saved on the computer for a few days or even for years. It is a much simpler way of recording shows without having to use a video recorder that you often would have to check out from the school librarian. A tool that is similar to this but not quite as new and advanced that Dr. Owen's talked about is Radio Shark. It is basically the same idea as the iTV Hybrid. This program allows you to record local radio stations so that you can play them back for your students later.

Reflection #4: Driving Questions 2011

During this podcast the topic of conversation between the host and his quests-who were two math teachers- was titled "Educational Malpractice & Math." They started off the conversation with a questionnaire that had been given to people concerning their feelings about math as an elementary school child and feelings about math as an adult. The numbers were even on those you disliked math as a child but ended up loving it as an adult and those who loved it as a child and hated it as an adult. After talking about the results of this questionnaire they began discussing why math can be such a tough subject for children. One of the math teachers (Cassandra) gave an example from her childhood about a teacher calling her stupid because she did not do a math problem the exact same way she had. Cassandra said she had a mental block about math for a majority of her school years until a math teacher in college gave her the confidence she needed. This example tied into the idea that the teacher's actions play a large role in determining the students future confidence and success in math. They also discussed how it is important that they have more time with students because it is difficult to teach a subject like math to 25 odd students. It is also hard to assess what these students really know. This discussion led into the idea of having students show their work. Is this really a necessary practice? Does it really show what students know? They never really came to an exact conclusion, but it is definitely a topic of debate in the education world.

Podcast Reflection #3: Tech Chick Tips

The podcast that I listened to gave a lot of great website tips that could be incorporated into the classroom. The first website that the "tech chicks" talked about was called make use of. On this site you can make and print your own calendars. There are tons of templates and colors and designs that you can use to make these calendars. You can make the traditional sized calendar, or even bookmark calendars. The great idea they had for using this site was to make a classroom calendar with different pictures of the classroom and of the students. Another site that the tech chicks talked about that would be used in the classroom was vimeo. This website provides you with free lesson on shooting and editing video. It is also similar to youtube in the fact that you can share and watch videos on the site. The tech chicks mentioned that this could be a good tool for students to use to learn more about videography. The next site that they mentioned tied back to our class, they talked about tagxedo. Tagxedo is like wordle but on steroids. Besides the large variety of fonts and colors that you can customize, tagxedo also allows you to give your word clouds shapes. You can also make a wordle fit into the actual spelling of a word. The other site they discussed that I thought would be really good to use in your  classroom was know word. On this site you are given the definition of a word and the first letter in that word, you type in the word you think it is and have one minute to get as many words right as you can. This site would be a great way to help students with vocabulary.

Reflection 2: Website

Your website that you have set was really fun to explore. It was interesting to see the array of different links and options that are available. There were sections that focused on your family (the pictures of your kids), sections that focused on entertainment (movies/youtube videos) and then different links available to teachers/students that have good technology based resources. I really enjoyed how the website included all different aspects of your life from family, to interests/passions, to your job and your students. This is a really good way to introduce yourself to your students. As a future teacher it helped me see that it is important to show different sides of myself to my students besides my “teaching” side.

Technology Reflection 1: Bits, Bytes and Nibbles

While exploring your blog there were two articles that caught my attention. The first was the article about the organization ISTE and the effort that it is putting forth to raise awareness of the importance of educational technology classes. I myself am not a big technology person. Do I appreciate my cell phone and computer? Yes of course, but there are times when I just want to take a break from them. However, reading this article I realized that despite the fact that technology is not something I am particularly fond of, it is something that our students need to be knowledgeable about in order to survive in our society today.

The second article that I found very interesting was 180 degrees different from the first article I viewed. It was the article about the classroom that went back to 1983 by limiting technology that students could use. It was interesting to see that despite how much our society loves technology-especially younger generations- people can live without it and actually enjoyed being high tech free. The difference in these two articles made me realize that maybe there needs to be a balance in the classroom between high technology use and limited technology use. It is definitely something to consider as I start to enter the education field.