Technology In My Classroom

I have learned that technology is a tool that can truly enhance and benefit the educational classroom. Technology is advancing more and more each day, in the future, students could be learning their entire education through technological devices.
In this class I have used many different teaching tools that I will take with me to the field. The Smart Board is a great tool that makes a lesson more rich and full of vibrant information. Students can interact with the lesson and this will grab their attention. Smart Boards are being used more and more in elementary classrooms and I am so glad I now feel comfortable using one.
Microsoft Word programs contain so many templates and options for creating newsletters, fliers, tests, quizzes, and many other teacher necessities. I have used many of Microsoft's programs but now I have a better understanding of the details behind the millions of options available.
Incorporating computers, digital media, and various other technological tools is also important for elementary students. Technology can only enhance assignments and engage students. I know I would be excited to use a digital camera for a school assignment.
Overall technology needs to be recognized as a necessity in the classroom. Students will benefit from many programs and tools available in the virtual world.

Copyright Laws

Before discussing the subject of copyrighting and laws, I was completely unaware of the intricate details of the laws and the multiple gray areas. There are clear laws concerning copyrighting but it seems to me that the gray areas override the subjective parts. The law that surprised me the most was the law concerning copyrighting sayings or catch phrases. However, once I thought about it, I realized there is probably so many people that would try to copyright their phrase that the world would be overwhelmed with copyright laws and regulations. I am also glad that Paris Hilton was prohibited from copyrighting her phrase, "That's hot" because what would I say after touching a pot that just came off of the stove? She doesn't need any more publicity. Anyway, I only skimmed the surface of copyright laws but I did learn things that I did not know before.
I cannot think of any specific experience I have had with a teacher and copyright laws. However, I'm sure it occurred countless times. Copyright laws are so detailed that it is really hard for people to understand and practice fair use. Teachers constantly copy products and hand them out to students, but the students are not always aware of the domain of the product.
I definitely have a responsibility as a teacher to respect copyright in the products I use in my class. I think teachers should have a poster of copyright rules in their classroom for students to reference, I would find it helpful as well. If students are aware of the copyright laws and practice them at a young age, it will prevent many possible issues in this area.
It is very tempting for teachers to copy materials to save money for themselves, the school, and the students. However, if it is against the law, it's against the law. Teachers need to set an example of respect and obedience to the law. This is just one example of showing that. If the teacher explains the copyright rules to his/her students when handing out a copied work (or not), it will help students to apply these laws to their lives.

Interactive Whiteboards

When I first started using a Smart Board (interactive white board), I was terrified. It looked extremely confusing and too "high-tech" for me. However, I have had some opportunities to use the Smart Board in my classes and I love it! It is such a valuable tool to have in the classroom. In lesson plans I have written in the past, I have incorporated Smart Boards for reinforcement and for examples or practice work. It is very convenient to have and students really love using it. Of course, there are downsides, as there is to most technology, but with a little practice and an open mind, it can really change the minds of students and teachers. One thing that is hard to get used to on a Smart Board is the specific details of the touch screen, sometimes it is frustrating when certain things move that you don't want to move, or the items you want to move refuse to. Students can also take advantage of the Smart Board but I think that should be involved in the initial rules of the classroom and the classroom climate.
I think the Smartboard is great to work with for worksheets, showing students answers, and having a universal manipulative available at all times for students to use throughout a lesson. I have used the Smartboard in lessons on math, using pictures and manipulatives to help understanding. I have used it with language arts, students can play tons of word games, do word sorts, and solve puzzles. It is also great for demonstrations. If students are learning something new, they can easily all have a chance to work on the Smartboard before doing independent or group work in any subject.
Interactive Whiteboards can be scary initially, but I really think that if we give them a fair chance, our students will excel greatly. It is a wonderful tool that really should be available in every classroom, teachers and kids will love it!

Digital Video Project

Technology can be used in multiple ways in any level or grade of school. However, video and cameras are really effective. Students love being able to create their own message with something technological like a camcorder. Although this project does take a lot of planning, instruction, and time, it is well worth it in the end, for the students and the teachers. Academic skills are top priority in schools, as they should be, but life skills and social experiences are all a part of the learning process.

Title: Action!

Content Area: English (persuasive)/Social Skills and Getting Involved

Grade: 8th

Description: Students will be split up into groups of about five, depending on the size of the class. Have the students work together to think of a group or organization in school that they think people should be involved in. This can be a sport, sports in general, a club, or volunteer organization. Students will choose their topic collectively and have a plan for shooting before presenting their idea to be approved by their teacher. Students persuade their audience (other students in their school) to be a part of something through their school.

Preparation: Students will collectively pick their topic, create a plan as to how many scenes and where they will be shot. Students will have their topic approved prior to moving forward with the project. Students will learn how to use Windows Movie Maker and a digital camcorder, and how to upload video to their computer and edit it with the movie maker program. The teacher needs to have the technology reserved and instruct the students in how to use the computer program and camera.

Timeline:
Day 1- Students break up into groups and pick a topic and a plan for shooting.
Day 2- Students present ideas to the teacher and have them approved, also sharpen their plans for setting and shooting the video. Teacher shows students how to use the camera.
Day 3- Filming the video
Day 4- Filming the video
Day 5- Overview of Windows Movie Maker and tools to enhance the movie such as music or sounds.
Day 6- Students practice using the computer program and ask any questions before uploading their own video.
Day 7- Students upload their video and begin editing.
Day 8- Edit

Students will present their video for the entire school during school news.

Software Skills....

After creating the software project, I became very well acquainted with various programs to assist me in being an effective teacher. The first program I worked with was Microsoft Word, and I thought I knew all there was to know about the program, but I was drasticaly wrong. Microsoft Word has a number of tools available to enhance simple things like quizes or flyers. There are tons of boarders available, clip art, and organizational tips to use. Each of these small things I learned really changed my organizational skills for creating simple things for the classroom. Now that I have a world of knowledge for Microsoft Word, it is a program that I will use daily in the classroom when I am a teacher. I am very glad I had the chance to spend time discovering many new things in this program.
We also used Microsoft Publisher to create a Newsletter for this project. Newsletters in general are often used in schools around the country, whether they be weekly or monthly, for a specific classroom or the whole school community. There are various templates for newsletters that are easy to fill in, they are already layed out and organized for easy use. If I had to create a Newsletter from scratch on Microsoft Word it might be slightly organized, because of my skill. However, Microsoft Publisher saves time and frustration because of the easy access and variety of templates available. Microsoft Publisher also has invitation, greeting card, and business card templates. These can all be used by teachers daily, as well as students. Invitations for school events are great to have readily available. Students could create their own business cards if they were studying business or working on a project. I will definitely be using Microsoft Publisher in my classroom in the future for my own use and for the use of my students.
Inspiration is a program for diagrams and concept maps. I have used Inspiration before but I was completely blind to the wonderful aspects of this program. Creating concept maps is a wonderful tool for teaching as well as for students to create themselves. As I have learned, concept maps are great for organizing units and lesson plans. The visual layout of concept maps can point out things that you might not have seen in simple written form. Clip art and photos can be added to concept maps for more visual appeal when it is being used for students. Perhaps pictures can be provided and the text can be filled in by the students. I can't wait to use this program for my classroom, concept map posters, hand outs, quizes, and student work are all benefits of Inspiration and now I know how to use it to its full potential!
Overall, I am most excited to use Microsoft Publisher because of the templates that are available and easy to use. I think that, for teachers, this program can really be effective for the classroom and the school as a whole.

Inspiration/Websites

Now that I know how to use Inspiration, I am inspired! ;) It really is a wonderful program that can be really helpful. It can be a great tool for teachers to organize information or lesson plans in order to present them to the class or for personal organization. Inspiration is also good for students to use for their own benefit. Projects like reports, posters, outlines, research, or vocabulary would be improved by using this program. Inspiration is a wonderful way to organize thoughts and ideas as well as create visual appeal. It is easy to use after some instruction is given, with the quick tricks, a wonderful inspired work can be made!
We have looked at so many great websites, the recent website titled ethemes was very intriguing to me. This website contains a wealth of information and links to great sites. I really like the way that the website is organized. It is easy to find things that are very specific and at a certain grade level. I will definitely be using this website for a lot of my teaching materials. Again, I think this website can be used by students as well, because of the easy searching tool and the quality of the websites and information available.
I am also a big fan of the 4teachers.com website with the rubric and quiz tools that are extremely helpful. There are times when quick and easy is just the best choice. These programs are simple and organize your thoughts for you. These are just two websites that I truly think are helpful.

Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is a tool that I am super excited about! I think as a teacher, a site like Diigo or del.icio.us can be used as wonderful tools for researching or for specific subjects and help with homework or projects. I think as an elementary or high school student, having your teacher give you access to this wealth of information online is really quite generous. There are so many websites that could improve students' learning and development in the classroom. A few ideas that immediately popped into my head were have a section of social bookmarking for your students with a list of websites about proper citation, or how to evaluate a website, or even tips for studying for specific subjects. Students have the opportunity to find these tools online on their own, but they may not take advantage of that opportunity or simply have the technological knowledge to do so. I think it would be a great tool to give students an easy way to improve their learning experience.
As a college student currently, and an aspiring teacher, I am so excited to be able to save the wealth of information that I find online. I often find these wonderful websites and never have a chance to return to them because I didn't write it down or add it to my favorites. This is a great, organized way of collecting my thoughts and have it available all in one spot!
Overall, it is a wonderful way to organize great resources, share your resources and take advantage of other user's collections, as well as use it in your classroom!