During this term I've been able to work through the creation of several technological assignments such as, creating my own website and podcast. In the beginning the thought alone of creating a website was daunting and now has become the most enjoyable piece of this course. I have also been able to spend time working multiple programs such as IMovie, IDVD and Garageband created by MAC. Not only have I learned how simple these programs are to use for creating multimedia projects but I also believe that they can easily be integrated into the classroom for curricular and student use. My website was created through the program GoLive, a program that I decided to invest in as it was extremely easy to use. I was able to create a multi-page website with text, pictures, links from page to page, links to outside websites and other forms of media. I was also able to understand the importance of page/site organization, color cordination, and stimulation and have a new appreciation for websites and their creators. On my website you will find a podcast on Alice Stokes Paul, this was co-created with Angela Walsh. We were able to use various, reliable websources to collect material, write a script and createa podcast with multiple chapters and music. Podcasting is something that I can definitely see using in my classroom in the future, it is something that I can see my students enjoying and easily using. I have only begun my ability to use technological operations and concepts but the task does not seem to daunting anymore.

Throughout the term I worked on two assignments that forced me to explore the planning and designing of technological learning environments and experiences. The first was this website itself. It is clear that a website can be geared toward a particular classroom, whether its theirs or the teachers that is used as a reference tool for parents and students.

By working with Adobe GoLive to create this site I was able to begin to realize how easy this process is, and I know see how it can truly be learning environment of its own as well as a resource to enhance the traditional classroom learling environment. Secondly I created a webquest on the 50 states. The idea that a student can sit down at a computer as an individual or in a group and work their way through specific and detailed instructions to complete a longterm project is a great way to enhance students' abilities to use the internet as a resource as well as a fun way to do the traditional research project. This specifically is a great way to manage student learnign in a technology-enhanced environment. Finally I create a podcast with a partner on Alice Stokes Paul. This is another great learning tool for students, not only would they be easy to create but also great resources for research in the classroom.

This class has expanded my ability to use technology to enhance my education and the education of my future students. While I've worked with programs such as Excel, PowePoint, Word, and Publisher this class has opened my eyes to the use of multiple multimedia programs that have the ability to support and enhance learning to develop student's higher order skills and creativity. Whether it's using the webquest in the classroom so that students see a new and innovative way to explore the traditional research project with the help of the web or the ability to not only videotape a project but edit, cut, add comments through voice recording, adding images and music.

I really enjoyed using iMovie and then transfering my 10 minute film to iDVD to create and burn a traditional DVD for viewing. I feel at this point that I would be able to manage students learning activities in a technology enhanced environment with certain programs. However I do think it takes a lot of preparation (important preparation) to check web sources and sites and walk through the steps of a given assignment for safety purposes as well as to test out any glitches that may occur. This is an area where I need some continued growth, I feel that I am a beginner in my technology mastery. I have a lot more to learn in order to imput technology into an everyday part of my curriculum but I am no longer overwhelmed by the idea.

This is an area that I need quite a bit of continued growth I have only begun to explore the very in depth area of assessment and evaluation. However through the creation of my Project Team assignment I was really able to create, work through and assess own teaching of a small art activity. While the students themselves did not use technology in my art activity, I now feel comfortable in these areas and can use and assess them in the future.

Also in the creation of my Webquest on the 50 States I was able to signup and use a site entitled RubiStar, this site allows you to create your own rubrics for any given topic, its a great assest as the grid is already created for you and all you do is simply fill in the blanks. I can see this as a fabulous assest and resource for creating appropriate rubrics for assignments but in particular for technology based assignments.

Finally a more obvious assessment tool is the National Education Technology Standards which I have linked below. As an educator it is imparative that I know these, feel comfortable with them and implement assignments and authentic assessments to reflect them. The Standards are as follows:

Creativity and Innovation

Communication and Collaboration

Research and Information Fluency

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

Digital Citizenship

Technology Operations and Concepts

This term I have worked to know these and understand them in more depth. This will be a part of continued professional development for myself in the area of technology.

I would say that I am on my way but certainly have a lot to explore in the area of productivity and professional practice. I think as educators you can and should always be exploring professional development in as many areas as possible and I will now add technology to the list. I have used the ISTE site as a resource but have only begun to explore all that it has to offer. I belive that the membership is one worth keeping as a preservice teacher as well as a future professional.

I think that technology can severly increase productivity as an educational professional as well as for student learning. In particular the use of Adobe GoLive to create my website has definite potential to apply technology in the classroom. Whether it's to use as a resource for parents to access to see assigments or classroom activities or if students can explore some of the fun things their teacher has experienced or enhance learning by using links to educational websites listed by subject on a future website. This is an obvious collaboration piece for students, parents, peers and colleagues, one that I feel I will really enjoy developing and continuing to use in the future.

This term I dug into try to first understand the National Education Standards for Technology as listed above in the assessment. I believe that understanding the expectations of our students by our greater society is as important as setting our standards and expectations for them. The ISTE website has been a resource for me to explore the standards as well as get more information on them and other social, ethical, legal and human issues.

Through this course and the exploration of both well put together sites and not so well put together sites I have begun to aquire the knowledge of how to identify and use technology that is safe and healthy. This is a continued area of growth that I will need to work on to deepen my understanding of all that is out there on the web.

My eyes have been opened to a number of different sites that promote resources that affirm diversity, some that I could have found before like the Smithsonian website and some new ones like SoJust.net which is listed below. This was a great resource for me during my podcast research and one that I will recommend and use with students in the future.