I have facilitated and inspired student learning and creativity in many ways.  For project TEAM, students were able to create their own pages from the book Animalia while working on beginning word sounds.  Students were encouraged to make their own page reflect something about themselves.  Students found words and created pictures that started with the same sound as their name and in doing so helped them grow and expand their vocabulary.

I developed a web quest where students use technology to research and create an understanding of the Klondike gold rush of 1897.  Students work in groups to talk through the reasoning behind the Klondike gold rush and then create an artistic depiction of the route they would take if they were part of the rush.  Students plan the best route to take and what supplies they will need to make the journey.  This allows students to use technology to research past events and put themselves in the shoes of the Klondike "stampeders" of the past.  At the conclusion of this lesson students will reflect on what they learned to there groups and also to the entire class.

During my Educational Psychology class I used google chat to study and communicate with other students and the professor.  These chat sessions allowed me to collaborate with other students and construct an understanding together of the material.  It was a study session that was open to anyone in the Educational Psychology class and helped me construct my own understanding of material as I helped others to construct theirs.

    I have designed and developed digital-age learning experiences and assessments through my Klondike web quest, project TEAM, and podcast.  Through designing a web quest on the Klondike gold rush students are able to interact with internet resources and group members to develop an understanding of the gold rush.  Students are able to manage their own time and learning within the constraints of the few days of class.  At the culmination of the lesson students assess their own learning during the lesson.  This gives the students a chance to reflect on what they have learned and empowers them through self assessment.

    In my project TEAM lesson I was videotaped and then watched the video tape a the end of the lesson.  The use of this technology allowed me to assess myself and the students through another field of view.  Information gathered helped in the assessment of student interest and explanations of what they were learning.  This also served as a learning experience for myself.  I was able to view my teaching style from the outside and learn and reflect on what I saw.

     Through my podcast I have demonstrated a way in which students can express their own knowledge of a subject in a personal learning activity.  Students can express themselves in multiple ways that caters towards diverse learning styles.  Students also use digital tools to create and represent their understanding of a topic through a podcast.

    In the future I will continue to work with technology like podcasts and web quests to give students access to new and different forms of expression that cater more towards diverse learning styles.  I will try to give students as much exposure to new technology as possible.

    I believe I have modeled digital-age work and learning through my Klondike web quest and my Podcast.  In my web quest students use internet resources that I have set up to locate, analyze and use information.  Modeling how to assess a web site and showing examples of helps students understand and assess websites for themselves.  Through my web quest I am also communicating relevant information and ideas to students in multiple forms.  There are videos, pictures, and text documents for a variety of learning styles.  Students are also able to collaborate with peers while using the the web quest to get a better understanding.

    My podcast is another form of technology that transfers information into the digital age.  Students can record themselves as an alternative to writing a paper report.  This is a new form of information transfer that students will have access to.  Podcasts can be transfered and posted on the web to both learn from and contribute too.

    Throughout all my technology projects I have taken time to cite and give credit to the sources that I used.  In my web quest I use multiple pictures, which I have received consent to use through e-mail.  I also gave thanks to the sources at the bottom of my web quest.  This communication with web site developers and writers models digital responsibility and citizenship.  Also the web quest serves learners with diverse needs incorporating multiple forms of digital resources such as videos, digital pictures and varied texts.

    In my podcast it was especially hard to contact and cite all the relevant sources but I did my best.  Danny and I contacted a writer of one of our sources who gave consent to use the pictures from his book and also asked us to send him a copy of the final project on Elizabeth Gurley Flynn.  Through the communication with our sources we have made connections with other peers and modeled digital responsibility through our actions and outreach to them.

    I have engaged in professional growth and leadership through conferences and online memberships.  Pacific University holds a educational technology conference every year.  I attended the OTEN conference and was able to expand my understanding of how to incorporate podcasting and smart boards into my classroom.  This conference allowed me to see multiple ways in which to use podcasting for student expression and assessment.  Using technology in the classroom to broaden the scope of how to represent understanding of subject matter.  The smart board session was also very informative for me because I had never used one before.  There are many applications for the classroom.  It allows students to interact with technology in a safe and secure way and it also adds a new aspect to technology  because students can have "hands-on" access.

    I am currently a member of International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  This membership gives me access to new ways of using technology in the classroom.  This information is communicated to me in the form of online newsletters and articles.  Being a member of ISTE allows me to continue to have access to new and innovative techniques in incorporating technology into the classroom setting.