When I entered tech class for the first time, I had good but very limited skills. Being from the generation that I am, I was able to complete searches online, work email, type a paper in word, and make a simple power point presentation but nothing beyond that. I don't know what I would have done if I had not come in with those skills set in place because the projects for this class challenged me soo much even having these skills.

I feel like I have definately met the continual growth in technology standard. I started Project Team only having used a video camera a couple of times, never using iMovie or iDVD, and not even knowing what firewire was. My final project turned out great. I not ony edited my video but I also made transitions and added music! My website is another good example of my progress throughout this class. I had never done a website before and I learned so many little things! I learned how to save things in different formats so that they can be retrieve from your index page, I learned how to link things, how to copy source codes, and how to crop and import photos.

I felt that the WebQuest was a really good opportunity for me to plan a lesson that incorporates technology. I intentionally made a WebQuest for this class that I could use in my 4th grade work sample. Because of this, when I was writing the lesson, I was really thinking about the logistics of it. I am at a school that does not have tons of resources and because of this I have thought about the alternatives that I might have to implement because of the large class size and limited number of computers. Also, when I was doing my webquest, I had to find sites and then go into each site and investigate their accuracy and suitability so that I did not lead the students astray. I think that it is really important that technology is incorporated into the classroom but if just one student runs into a bad website, it can put a really negative taste in parents and administrators mouths. Because of this, I think that it is really important to investigate the sites you are recommending.

My project TEAM video did soo many things. I think that it gave me good insight into how my students will react to having technology in the classroom. My students were a little different with the camera. I am going to take the video to my placement one day so that they can see and I think that they will really enjoy this. I also thought that this project was a learning device because it gave me a chance to really see my actions, methods, tone, etc.

Exhibit 2: See my project TEAM

I am really excited to do my WebQuest in my fourth grade placement because I put a lot of thought into it. I made sure to mention that extra time should be alloted to students who did not have a great deal of technology experience as well as suggest that extra helpers in the classroom to assist students with their research and the technology would be a great idea. I also really like my WebQuest senario because it allows for a lot of creativity. I still have to work out the exact plan to how I am going to set up the research and publishing time at my placement but I think that the kids will really enjoy it.

I really like the idea of making learning different and fun through technology and sometimes just the pure fact that something is on the computer makes it more fun! In technology class, we talked a little bit about educational software programs for kids and we also did a concept map using the Inspiration program. I also attended the technology conference where I saw a presentation on Stary Night. I really enjoyed both of these programs and the way that they made things more hands on and colorful for students. I plan on researching more programs like these and incorporating them into my classroom.

Exhibit 2: See Ed. Psy. concept map

My WebQuest is really multifunctional! Not only am I going to assess students on the finial piece that they developed from doing my WebQuest but I also designed a rubric just for my website that I am going to go over with the students so that they know what my expectations are. I feel that the way that I organized my WebQuest really ensures that the students will have go to many different sites and learn more than just one aspect of volcanology.

I am teaching weather in my first grade placement and I would really like to incorporate technology in there as well. Because I now have my own video camera, I thought that it would be cool if I could have the students make weather observations and pretend to be weather reporters. I think that this would be a really fun way for these young students to start experiencing the wonders of technology.

Exhibit 2: 1st grade weather reporters lesson is still a work in progress

I look at my website as an opportunity to keep working on my technology skills but also as a way to develop professionally. Now that I really understand the basics of how to make a website, I really want to utilize these skills. I think that it would be really nice to have a page where parents and students can go to see what is going on in class, good books/websites, and to publish student works.

I went to the OTEN conference in the fall and I have subscribed to ISTE so that I can keep myself up to date with things in the technology world. I enjoy using technology for communication because it is fast and easy. If parents or peers of mine like this method of communication I am all for it. I also think that it would be really cool to set up an email correspondence with a classroom here and another classroom somwhere else in the world. The students would get much faster replies than with snail mail!

In my WebQuest, I specifically mentioned that teachers should have a discussion with their students about rewording things that come from other sources and citing information. I can never imagine only allowing certain students access to things like technology. Like I mentioned in my WebQuest, some students are going to need a little more time and assistance to develop an understanding of new technology, but all students deseve to have the same experience. While doing my WebQuest, I believe that I also modeled ethical technology practices, by citing the references where I obtained my photos.

There is a really neat cite that I was exploring one day that I thought might be a good way to incorporate history and diversity into the classroom. It was called today in history and it has a historical event or two for each day of the year. There are many historical events that are very rarely discussed in classrooms that would be really educational. This website and many other helpful websites I found on the Education webpage under Technology class materials. There were sites about women in history and Native Americans in history, all had really great information that you could do a lot with to empower different groups of students in your classroom.