Post #4

As a teacher, the concepts in chapter 7 would be very useful. I plan to teach younger children with special needs, so visually presenting information may be very useful as it can be difficult for some children to only read through information. Story boards and concept maps can be very helpful to younger children when learning new concepts, so I would definitely make use of those resources. To achieve these goals, I would utilize the Inspiration and Visio softwares to make idea maps and bubble charts. I am unfamiliar with Kidspiration, but I know that it is similar to Inspiration, but more geared to younger children. This could be very useful if I am teaching a younger grade level.

I would encourage my students to develop outlines, idea maps, and story boards. These are very useful organization skills when done correctly. These tools can be used for essays, research, timelines, etc. As long as the work they turn in and use is their own, I do not see a problem with encouraging these techniques.

The skills I acquired last week in web searching will be very useful as a teacher in the classroom.
I am more familiar with ways to search for articles and videos on Google. I am also now aware that there are websites where teachers can create their own websites for classrooms that parents and students may have access to. This may be useful if I am working at a school without their own website or one that is outdated. I also learned that there are many lesson plans available online. This may be useful if I am required to teach a subject I am unfamiliar with. Web searching will be very useful to me as a teacher.

Post #3

If I was teaching a 3rd grade social studies class, I would definitely use technology when creating a lesson plan. If the subject matter being taught was the history of America, I could use Inspiration to create a colorful and animated time-line. This would be very useful when teaching this material to young children who may find it boring. I could also use a PowerPoint presentation to display notes and photographs from the time period.

I looked at www.cnn.com at compared it to the rules for a website in chapter 6. Overall, this website is visually pleasing. I first noticed how the type styles were limited, the font was mostly the same except for a few color changes. The site is also very interactive, there are many links that lead to breaking news stories. There are also several pictures to catch the readers eye. This website also used bold lettering to provide emphasis on the links to news stories.

My experience with copyright and fair use in the education system comes mostly from plagiarism . My English teachers in high school constantly reminded students of and enforced the "honor code", where we promised that our work being turned in was our own. As a teacher, I would make sure that my presentations and other materials used for teaching apply as fair use. For example, copying and using paragraphs of a story rather than a whole chapter, and only using this information temporarily. I would also try to explain these concepts to my students so they can maintain honesty when creating their own works.

Post #2

As a student, I have used Microsoft word quite often. Mostly, I have used it for essays, and research papers. I have become very familiar with it over the years. I have seen my teachers used MS word to create grading rubrics, assignment sheets, attendance sheets, and worksheets. It is obviously very useful in the classroom for both parents and teachers.

A new skill I learned in class that I think will be very useful in my career as a teacher is mail merge. It will save so much time using mail merge rather than typing in each name individually, but it still adds a personal touch to newsletters. I think it is very important to let students and parents know that they are known by name by their teacher, and mail merge makes this conveniently possible.

An idea I got from reading chapter 9 was to create a newspaper for my class. If I was teaching younger children, perhaps in 3rd grade, this would be a fun and creative way to impart information to them that might be uninteresting for them anyway. I could also use a newspaper style document to create a newsletter for students and their parents. It could describe upcoming events or projects, any class or school news, and the students achievements.

Post #1

Computers are a very important part of education. It is essential for students to gain computer skills because technology is an ever changing and significant part of our society. Basic knowledge of how to use a computer is almost mandatory once high school begins, meaning the skills must begin being taught as soon as it becomes appropriate. It is important that teachers use technology for presentations, demonstrations, and lectures when appropriate. It is also important that students are able to get a hands on education of computers, that they are able to practice the basic tools of a computer. I agree with the issues raised in chapter 1. I believe that altough technology and computers in the classroom is a positive thing, it does present certain problems. There will also be students who are very familiar with computes, who may try to hack the system. Students may also send emails or go onto inappropriate websites. A way to deal with these issues would be to install software that blocks access to certain websites, and to install security systems to prevent any hacking or viruses.

In my classroom, I would use computers to organize lesson plans, store tests and quizzes and worksheets. I would use PowerPoint to create lectures and notes. In this class, I hope to learn more ways to use a computer to teach a class. I hope to become more familiar with Excel and PowerPoint, and any other tools that could be useful to my students.

I hope I am able to find ways to use technology to assist me in the education of visually impaired children (I am a special education visual disabilities major). It would be great if there was a way for visually impaired kids to feel like technology could be just as useful to them as any other child. Of course, reading the computer screen may not be possible, but I have heard of programs where the computer reads aloud, which definately could be helpful to a child with low no or no vision.