Incorporating technology

Technology is very important in the classroom. I will use it a lot in my classroom. Today children know a lot more about technology than we did when we were kids. Children are becoming more and more exposed. It is really important to teach these students the proper way to use technology. I will use the smartboard to help students interact and practice. It will also be easier with powerpoints instead of writing on the blackboard. I will also use the ELMO a lot to show assignments, examples etc.

Some of the benefits of using technology in the classroom is that it engages the students. The students become more involved and excited to learn if it incorporates technology and is more of a hands on activity. Also technology makes teaching in a sense easier and faster. You can use the computer, smartboard, Elmo etc. to show powerpoints and look up interactive videos to support your lesson.

Some of the challenges of incorporating technology in the classroom is the availability of technology. Some districts do not have a lot of technology available. Also the cost is a big issues, some school districts do not have enough money to purchase a lot of technology. Another challenge is that some students may not have computers or other technology at home to complete certain assignments.

I learned a lot from this class and some things I wish I would have learned before I took some other education classes. I will definitely use the things that I learned in this class in my own classroom. I will use excel to keep track of grades, make attendence sheets and track the progress of my students. I will also use the smartboard in a lot of my class instruction. This class was very helpful.

copyright

I learned a lot about copyright after going over it in class. I did not know that there were so many laws and so many grey areas associated with copyright laws. The law that surprised me the most was that to register your work to be copyrighted you need to pay $35. I also did not know that people could put a copyright on everything that was originally produced by them such as phrases and ideas. Also the fair use policy that you can only make one copy for yourself. You can not make enough copies for your class and use them for multiple years.

I cant think of a specific example of teachers violating copyright laws but I am sure they have. All teachers violate some kind of copyright law either intentionally or unintentionally. As a teacher I will teach my students about copyright and make them aware of what they can and cant do. To emphasize these laws, I will practice them myself. I will be very aware of copyright laws and try to protect them as a teacher.

Interactive whiteboards

Interactive Whiteboards are becoming very common in classrooms. They are being used more and more in Elementary schools. They get students more engaged and involved. You can use them to present powerpoints, teach lessons, have students participate in activities and practice certain concepts being learned. You can show videos and connect with links on the internet. It can be used in many different ways in the classroom.
I was not introduced to a Smart board until my senior year in High School. We did not really use them that much so I did not know how to use them or all the software they come with until I got to college. Most of my teachers use them for powerpoints, but some use the interactive software that comes with it and let us practice using it. When I first started making my slides I thought it would be easier than it was. I am not a big technology person so I did not know how to use a lot of the things. I got frustrated when something I was trying to do was not working. It was also difficult for me to think of ideas to make slides of. I will use this in my classroom, but I will have to get more comfortable using it.
There are a lot of pros to having a Smart board in the classroom. It is an instant tool that is always there for you to use whenever and however. Its a great way to engage students and keep them involved. Some cons would be the cost, installation and location in the room. If you are using it in the elementary classroom, you have to be sure that your students can reach it and know how to use it. Also the projector might get in the way of other things that you might be trying to teach without using the smart board.
I have only used the smartboard for powerpoints in previous lessons, but I could use it for instruction and involving all students in the lesson. I would also use it more practice in a specific subject or concept.

digital video

Incorporating video in the class is a very helpful and effective tool. It gives the students a chance to use technology in the classroom and learn how to edit and make a movie using moviemaker. They will get to see the world in a different perspective and have their couple minutes of "fame", so to speak. This is a fun and engaging way for students to learn and teach.

Content area: Could be used for any generel subject area, but mostly technology/computers
Age level: grades 4 or 5

Project: Students will break up to groups of 3 or 4 and do a "How to" project. They will pick a topic on what we are currently learning in class. They will have to get the topic approved by the teacher and once it is approved they can start planning out how to do the project and who will do what. They will also have to bring in their own materials. This "How to" project should be something that can be done in school. They will use video cameras to film other people in the group actually making and explainging the "How to", such as, how to make and origami animal or how to make the solar system out of styrofoam balls. After they are done filming they will upload it onto the computer and edit it as needed. When all the groups have completed they will present them to the class and provide a writed up of the procedure for each student so they can try it at home.

Preparations: I will teach them how use a video camera and how to use moviemaker.

Challenges: Some challenges might be having the students bring in their own materials, some might need to be provided. Students might have trouble choosing a topic that their who group agrees on.

Timeline:
Day 1: Split students up into groups of 3 or 4. Have them talk about a topic they wish to do.
Day 2: Have students finalize their topic and get it approved by the teacher. Start planning.
Day 3: Finish planning and have them gather their materials and assign roles.
Day 4: Bring materials to class and have them practice thier "How to's", to see if they work.
Day 5: Start filming
Day 6: Finish filming
Day 7: Explain moviemaker and how it is used.
Day 8: Have them write up the procedures to copy for the class. Begin uploading the video.
Day 9: Finish uploading and start editing.
Day 10: Finish editing.
Day 11: Present Projects
Day 12: Present projects

software skills

I really enjoyed doing this project. I learned a lot of things I did not know about Inspiration, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher. I did not know how to use a lot of these programs before. I used inspiration to make a concept map for science and found it very difficult to do at the time. I had never used it before and did not know all the little things like rapidfire and adding pictures that make it that much easier. Once I redid it, it was a lot simpler. I also redid a quiz I made for Science on the water cycle by adding a word box and directions. I never used Microsoft publisher before. I will use this a lot in my classroom to make newletters, flyers, brochures and much more. These programs will be very useful in the classroom and communicating with parents. I will probably make a once a month newsletter to let the parents know what is going on in the classroom and upcoming events in the school. I will make flyers to promote an after school activity or other events. I can also use Inspiration to make concept maps and diagrams in all subjects. Inspiration, Microsoft word and Microsoft Publisher are all great tools for the classroom. I'm glad I know how to use them and can learn more as the class goes on.

Web resources

We looked at many web resources in the class but two of my favorite were 4teachers and emints. I will probably use these two the most in my classroom. I liked 4teachers because it has many resources related to making assessments for the classroom and forms to communicate with parents and other administrators. It also has activites for students to work with and lesson plans you can pull ideas from. I really liked Emints also because it has a lot of information useful for the classroom. It is also organized by grade level and subject area. There was a lot of information on animals, holidays and famous places in the world and much, much more. This resource contains a lot of other useful things for teachers and students.

Inspiration

Inspiration is definitely a program that I would invest in for my classroom. It is a very helpful tool for teachers and students and can be used in all subject areas. As a teacher I can use it to plan out lesson plans, write curriculum for the class and communicate with parents on events that are coming up and things we are focusing on in the classroom, through concept maps and diagrams.

The students can use it to make story webs, character recognition, word walls and more. In science this tool can be used to make cycles such as; the water cycle and life cycles. It can also be used to organize animals by species and class. In history it can be used to make timelines of events and organize specific facts about a historian. It can also be used in math to show orders of operations and steps to a word problem. Inspiration can be used for so many different things in the classroom I don't know what teacher wouldn't invest in it.