Google

I found Google to be quite useful in the classroom. With Google search I as a teacher would be able to search for out of date or out of copyright books and even read them in full text on line. This would be a great tool for the students when they need to research a topic. Brent Jones a chemistry teacher from Illinios spoke on how he liked the GoogleBook Search because it is so hard sometimes to access research books at schools. Schools have had to cut the cost of research books in their librarys due to the economy. With the use of the computer students can do their research without having to take a book off the shelf; and have access to the books that are no longer in thier library. I found it very interesting with GoogleEarth , Maps, Sky & Sketchup that I could create interesting activities to keep my students engaged in perhaps a boring topic. I could create quizzes, watch astronomical events through a telescope. I could even take my class on a trip in literature class to bring the novel to life. Math and science could be easily combined while learning about tsunamis. We as a class could design a map of a future field trip so we would know our exact location and what we wished to see. Sketchup would be a great tool for math students. They would be able to have hands on learning in concepts like geometry, learning area or volume. Overall I think that this site would be very fundamental for students and I think that it could be used for all grades.

Educational Philosophy

This was a project that required not only research but soul searching. For me it was hard to distinguish between what can be done, and what in my "perfect" world I think should be done. Education is a very important thing. It controls your whole life. Children are like snowflakes each is unique and each gathers and retains information in a different way. I believe that all deserve to be taught to their potential. First the basis of the knowledge has to be discovered; then it needs to be grown. Curriculum should be formatted to fit the childs culture, language, learning style, etc. I realize that this is difficult and can take time, however I feel that it is a necessity for a child to learn. I also believe that teaching is a life long education where the teacher learns as much as the student. It is an on going process; they need to learn from each other in order for knowledge to continue to grow.

Thankful for Technology

Technology has surely enriched my life this semester. I was and still am very unfamiliar with most of it. However, with this class I have been able to learn how to create a WebQuest. I think that these WebQuest will and are a very important part of the education system. I feel that they will not only grab a students attention, but they will keep them involved in the subject a teacher is trying to teach them. I never really know what a Blog was. Now I know. Quite unique in its own right. I like being able to write my thoughts for people to read who could be interested in the topic. I think that this blog in particular is a good way for our class to journal our thoughts; particularily with an online class. It also lets Lisa know if we are paying attention to the details, and not just pushing through the information. I never realized that you could create an eportfolio. I like this idea. It puts your best face and foot forward; and advertizes your knowledge in a particular subject matter. Twitter, I honestly can say I was not very fond of. Of course it is my personal opinion. I thought of it more as a way to talk with friends or follow the latest gossip. I personally am short on time these days. I think that it most of the reason I was not interested in it. Wiki on the other hand I feel is a great educational page. I think when the time is spent into looking into the information on the page it is a useful tool. With that said; and I know that I am forgetting something I have began to learn this semester. Overall I rate this technology stuff; quite useful if used properly. There are numerous ways to take advantage and use the resources negatively. Lastly, I am grateful for technology and grateful that I took this class; and had such a patient and wonderful teacher. Thank you, Lisa.

Vlogging

I chose not to video blog my thoughts. I don't have the proper equipment to do so, and camera's are not my best friend. I checked out the "how to juggle three ball" video. I guess that vlogging is not for me, I am too old-fashioned. I did check out a vlog. http://aslvlog.net/ Very interesting to the deaf or hearing impared. I really liked the information in this vlog. I could not stop checking it out. I do not know how to do sign language, however this will teach you or me for that matter. Great idea for someone who is just learning to handle being deaf or to learn interesting techniques when talking to someone who is hearing impaired.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson is exceptional. I could listen to him all day. In his speech when he talked about Jillian being taken to the doctors before ADD/ADHD was "invented" created a deep thinking in my idea of what ADD/ADHD is and how it is treated. Robinson said the some people need to "move to think". The one thing that came to mind is that while I am at work (I am a supervisor in a school kitchen) I am constantly on the move. The more I move the more things I write on my list of things to accomplish for that day. I don't have ADD/ADHD, however it makes sense. Sometimes when I am at my computer trying to do my homework for this class and others my brain seems to "clog up" and I get frustrated by the idea of not being able to complete the lesson. However if I get up and do something, like a load of laundry or the dishes, I can remember what I wanted to write down. Perhaps it is just because I don't like housework, I don't know but it sometimes works.
"Creativity is as important as literacy and should be treated as such!" This is a great statement. I do believe that childrens creativity should be expressed and not confined. I have seen in my own children that they have been prepared to be wrong. My children are so afraid of failing tests that they have convinced themselves that they will not learn even if they do study. But, I have seen preschoolers who will try anything and not care if they can do it or not. These kids are not afraid to take chances because their minds are an empty slate. They have not experienced the fear of being wrong and told they are wrong.
In my opinion he is right about the unpredictability of teaching our children today. The way we live is changing. Just like it was perfect to teach our children to meet the needs of industry in the 19th century. Times have changed, education needs to as well. Students need to be more creative and like doing what they do. Technology is exploding as the new career of the future. The students who are creative enough to create video games, computer programs and all that technological savvy stuff are the ones who find the careers. Education has changed in that it is starting to accept the exceptional child in the inclusive classroom. Perhaps it is now time to accept that there are many ways to learn and many things to learn; and we should not squash these ideas.

Hans Rosling

Hans Rosling is a witty, highly intelligent man. He can entertain an audience by bringing boring information to life. He discovered that to get people interested in a topic that is plain or important you need to find out what their preconceived ideas are on the topic. Like his speech in Monterey California on World Knowledge, he realized that the students have divided the world into two sections; the Western world, small families-long life, and the Third World, large families-short life spans. The software that he uses to prepare the graphs to communicate the data necessary are exceptional. They make the data come to life and become interesting on a very difficult topic. I think that with any data that needs to be shown to the public Hans Rosling could make the speech exceptionally interesting with his charm and unique abilities in creating graphs that move and change according to our preconceived ideas.

Bloom's Taxonomy....again!

At first glance I think that Bloom's is very intimidating. However, after a considerable amount of time researching the topic it is quite interesting. I have finally learned that knowledge means the observation and recall of information; comprehension means understanding the information; applications means using the information to solve problems; analysis means seeing patterns in the information, such as seeing hidden meanings; synthesis means using old ideas to create new ones; and evaluations means the ability to compare and discriminate between different ideas about the information. I think that it is very hard to accomplish all six competences on one lesson or webquest. As far as my webquest I tried to seperate my components and see what competency was being used. For some, I think I confused them. Some in my opinion could be overlapped into others. However, until now I had not realized the work involved to become a teacher. I mean with the "higher level of thinking" aspect. This is one triangle I hope I will never forget.