This semester has opened my eyes to all the different ways to use technology and apply it in the classroom and in my own individual life. Now with the final coming up I've found it fun to be able to take the tools I've learned about this semester and apply them as if I were already a teacher. When making a flier or a brochure to send home to parents it was fun making the project creative and catchy to the eye so the students would be excited about bringing the letter home to their parents and the parents would take the time to read what's going on in Miss Becky's class. With all the tools that I've learned about I feel as though my education these next two years will have more excitement to it. I don't have to stick to just the plain old Microsoft word. I can experiment more with google tools and be sure that my information will be saved forever. Another thing that I realized was that I was excited when I was working on my final project. I was excited about being a teacher and being able to apply everything that I am learning now as a student into a classroom full of learning and fun. I feel as though I will now know of more ways to think outside of the box and help my students learn technology and learn how to communicate with people half way across the world, that way their eyes will be more open to opportunities and what they can achieve as a student. I can say that I love google tools and know as a teacher I will be using this program, because ever since I learned about it I've been using it in my own life.

As I was watching this video I clearly remembered my own teacher using this in the fifth grade. Back then we had to watch it as a VHS, but now you can access it easily on youtube and have it ready in seconds. I like this kind of educational video because it has a catchy tune and visuals. When the song is going on describing how the preamble goes different characters are acting out the part, making it easier for me to understand and clearly for the students to understand. I know I'll use clips like these in the classroom, because the catchy song will play back in the students minds while they are testing on the material. The constitution uses bigger words that younger students often times wouldn't understand, that is why I like how they displayed the information in cartoon.

This past week we have had the opportunity to take all of the information and tools we've used and show what we would do with them. Since it is the Holiday season I chose to make a flyer on google docs to advertise the school Christmas fair. I found that the information I've learned over the past semester really will help me in my own classroom. Considering there will be alot of newsletters to write, flyers to pass out, reminders about assignments or parent teacher conference, or blogs to follow, I am glad that I now have a knowledge on how to use these tools so I can be more effective as a teacher. I love having different tools to acces, because now days I don't get as bored when do projects. I try to jazz up my projects and it doesn't take me forever to know how to edit the paper or make it more appealing.
In the future I know I will be using the different tools I've been taught, and I actually look more forward to using technology in the classroom.

I really enjoyed this video because of the catchy toon. It caught my eye by the different cartoon characters and the music that was playing along with it. I liked how they made sure to repeat things so they were nailed into your head. It's true about repetition that is really how you remember things and if you can have a catchy tune or a visual to remember information by then I think it's all for the best. I watched School House Rock as a kid and I remember loving them. When I am a teacher I will use resources such as these when introducing a new subject. By doing so I can help get the small information into the students head and then build onto that.
I also appreciate the fact that these kind of tools are easy to access so when I need a quick school house rock I dont have to go hunt it down in the library, I'll just jump on youtube.

I loved this video. Raps are always a little hard for me to follow, but the way this teacher presented it made it so entertaining. You could use this in the classroom to help students who catch onto information easier when it's put into song. Not only is it educational but it definitely will catch the student's attention. I liked the way he presented the division problem with the leftovers and showed how to turn that into a fraction. It was visual and catchy to the ear. I find myself learning more when I'm entertained, because I'm interested in the topic. That is why tools like these will come in hand in my future classroom.

I did a powerpoint on the top ten reasons why to visit Utah. I found this tool to be beneficial because I was able to present the material with words and also with pictures. This will be helpful when teaching because I'll be able to save the material straight to my computer and be able to just bring it up the next year for the curriculum. I also find this helpful right now in my own schooling as a tool to organize project material and keep information saved. I will require my students to know how to use this tool when it comes class projects. They will understand how to use all the different transitions and discover different color schemes and backgrounds. The students will use it in class presentations and know how make the information exciting and help their classmates to learn the material.
Another way I will use it is for informational purposes such as class rules or class projects that have previously been done as examples. This tool will help me out with my future class individually and also in group projects.

I loved this. It is so true about believing in others is what can be that little bit of hope to help a student or person succeed. I know that a few times as a child I was ready to quit on dance, the piano or soccer, but with my mom being by my side believing that I could do it I was able to find the strength to believe in myself too! You never know as a teacher when a student will be lacking that support and confidence in their own life. If you truly can believe in each of your students and help them live up to their potential I have no doubt that you wont see miracles happen. The kid says it himself that they need us to believe in them. As a teacher I hope that my main focus is to help each one of my students succeed and to be able to truly see the potential they have.

This past week we worked on powerpoint activities and how to use them in the classroom. I chose two different activities, one where I was comparing pros and cons of a job and the other one i was listing off reasons why to live in Utah. Power points can be used for pretty much every subject in the classroom and is beneficial because it's a visual learning tool and helps the students keep organized. When I use powerpoint in my current classes I find that I learn alot more about what I'm researching and find that I don't get boggled because I'm able to keep the information in an orderly form.
In my classroom I hope to be able to use powerpoint to help the students get more creative with their research and have a little bit more fun doing so rather than just writing up a paper. I've found that this is a good way to allow the students to work on a project individually but also in a group at the same time. Each student can take their own slide and spice it up the way they want and in the end have the group bring their slides together for a final project.
I like all the different features you can add to the project and transitions it allows you to do. When viewing a power point slide show I'm more jazzed to listen because I'm able to follow along with what the person is presenting.
One thing I don't prefer though is when a teacher puts up a slide and just reads off what is already there. I find that to get a little boring and find myself losing interest quickly. But like I said if there is creativity within the slide then I'm more aware to what is going on and find myself absorbing more. This will be one thing I most certainly require of my students is for them to put their own personality into their slides but at the same time be sure it's educational and going to catch the student's attention and my attention.

In this movie I really liked a few of the lines that were presented. It said why let our students blog? The few that stuck out to me were for ownership, creativity, interaction and motivation. These few things I find to be extremely important in education allowing students to gain confidence in themselves which will help them to be more successful in their academic and personal lifes. If blogging can help students become these few things and more then I'm all about allowing my students to blog. In my life blogging or social networking has allowed me to expand my creativity and helped me to become more confident in my technological skills. If my students can find a deeper inspiration inside themselves from internet communicating and learning to build their own page then these tools will most certainly be used in my classroom.

Currently we have spoken about podcasts and vidcasts in class and how they are useful in teaching and as a current student. Both of these tools are beneficial as a student to be able to document assignments visually and be able to use for presentations. In vidcasts you can video yourself teaching a new subject or use for instructional purposes for a take home assignment. Right now in my life i'm able to use both these tools to document my life and keep a record or a journal to resort back to in the future. Also it's convient to have the access to youtube to view almost any sort of thing that I'm interested in.
In the future of me teaching I'll be able to resort to this for instructional purposes and also to help students learn how to teach vocally and be able to present projects visually so they can put more personality into what they are presenting. Not only do I think this will be beneficial for the students to learn how to use technology but also so they can work on their people skills and presenting skills. If you start them young then in the future they will know how to present themselves in interviews and in professional settings.
I will also use this podcasts for instruction to parents so they can understand how to help a student with a take home project. If a student is sick or out of class I can use this tool to present a new lesson we learned. I will require my students to make instructional vidcasts and podcasts, as well as fun ones to help the class get to know their personality better and help with their creativity. This will make learning more exciting for the students. They will be having fun and learning the core material at the same time.

Instant Messaging

http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/literacy/oconnor.htm
http://www.instantmessagingsystem.com/benefits.asp

Instant messaging is an effective way for students to get ahold of each other
quickly and be able to shar ideas through group chatting or arranging times
to get on when I'm online incase of questions the students or parents may
have. There are several different options to pick from to be able to chat.
There is MSN instant messenger, AOL instant messenger (AIM), and
Yahoo instant messenger. I would probably require my students to have
an account for a couple but use the primary classroom messenger under
MSN. This way I would set aside time each day or each week when
the students and parents will know I'm online and they can get on
and contact me with any questions, problems or concerns they may have.
This will make it easier on me and for parents who don't have time to
reach me in person.
Instant messaging can be a tad bit scary because of how private it can be.
So I will have strict rules when my students use it to chat with a student
from our partner class out of state. They will have limited information they
are allowed to send out and must ask a teacher or parent before disclosing
any personal information. But this opportunity for them to be able to chat
with other students will give them an opportunity to work on communication
skills and learn a little bit more about their peers outside of the walls of their
school.
As a teacher I will be very cautious with this tool because I'm aware with the
dangers it holds. But I look forward to using it to help students work on their
typing, communication and learn to work with uploading pictures and
information through their profiles. I hope the students can learn more about
conversational skills by learning to communicate with peers and with their
teacher using instant messaging as well.

Google Groups

http://www.googletutor.com/2007/03/29/using-google-groups-to-backup-gmail/
http://innovate-educate.pbworks.com/f/Crib_Groups.pdf

Google groups are an effective way for teachers, students and parents to
communicate outside of the classroom. It is a safe place to post important
documents, host online discussions and give out contact information so
everyone has the ability to communicate with each others. Google groups can
be made private or public for everyone to see. When I'm a teacher I would
require my students to have a way to access it with their own information
because I will keep it private and only allow students and parents allowed to
join. I will post homework assignments with due dates on there, make
announcement for parents to be aware of, have a calendar with all upcoming
events within the classroom and the school and use it as a tool when I'm not
able to attend class.
Another way I will use this tool in the classroom will be for my students to
communicate with students within another school or state. They will be put
into groups and assigned to another group within another classroom. They
will be required to post documents, carry on discussion groups, upload files
and each create their own page. They can also use this tool to communicate
with classmates when at home if working on a group project or confused
on an assignment.
Another way you can use google groups is to backup all documents I want
to save. It would be a good place to store them to make sure if they are lost
in other programs I have them placed in google groups as well as several
other places to ensure they are never lost. I'll have students do this same
thing with important assignments that we start in the classroom and want
them to either finish at home or continue working on the next day.
Google groups have many pros as I have listed but I have found a few
cons. Google groups is very open for alot of people to see so information
might not seem to be very confidential if desired. But other than that I have
found it to be a very effective tool.

http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=138518&title=Sweet_Dreams__of_Technology_
This video was cute. I liked how it was all kids in the video telling about how technology is beneficial in their education. The line I liked is that each student can be good at something different regarding technology. They showed how you can use computers and internet to communicate with the world, learn how to do anything and see different parts of the world. Another line that stuck out in my head was when they said technololgy learning and sharing. Isn't that what it's all about, to learn and then what you learn share that knowledge with others. The world of technology will just keep expanding because of people working together to expand it.

This past week we researched different ways that we could use technology in the class room other than what we are taught in class. I found that I would like to have the kids explore outside of the classroom to be able to communicate with students they did not know from other schools. I chose instant messaging and google groups. I chose instant messaging for them so they can invidually communicate with a student and practice communication skills one on one. Where as I chose google groups so they can participate in group discussion. I will coordinate with the teacher different curriculum they can talk about and also allow them to be creative and learn to communicate and come up with conversation on their own. I feel as though both these tools will help the students expand by learning a little more about people their own age who don't live in their same state. This will allow them to learn similarities about them and see what is different.
I think as a teacher as well that this could be an effective way to communicate with the students while not in the classroom. I could set aside each day or week where I am online and the students can get on if they have any questions about their assignments or things going on in the classroom. Also this could be an opportunity to communicate with parents as well. I look forward to experienting with these tools and seeing how effective they truly will be.

This video was so true about the world right now. I am always helping my mom figure out the internet and keep up with all technology. Also with technology it just keeps coming more and more advanced and it is so important to keep up with it. Technology never seems to seize to amaze me so I can't even imagine what is coming next. They talked about not ever having identity theft anymore because we'd have credit cards computerized. I know it's important to be sure that the kids know from a young age how technology works so when new advancements come out they will be prepared.

The world of video technology is amazing. You can use this tool not only for entertainment but also for educational reasons. Zamzar is a great tool to be able to be able to copy videos to your computer and use in the classroom. I have found that being able to just copy it to your computer you're able to attach the videos to websites alot easier. I'm excited to use videos in the classroom to be able to help the students have more of a visual experience.
I also found that virtual technology has always been super exciting. I remember as a kid anytime I had the opportunity to use virtual technology I would spend hours doing so. In the classroom having the kids virtually tour a subject they are studying would make the topic so much more exciting for the kids and having that technology would help them understand far more.
I hope that there is more video technology and virtual technology in the future and that I will be able to find ways to incorporate both into my classroom.

Picasa is amazing. I love how you can take the pictures and do pretty much anything to them. My favorite feature I found was the focal Black and White. I found myself playing around with this on my pictures alot because I found it to enhance the pictures, especially the photos that were more scenic. Picasa makes the pictures look better by just the click of a mouse. It also made it alot easier to be able to just publish it onto your blog and to have the easy html so I can publish it onto facebook or any other websites.
After learning about digital cameras and how I can apply those into my classroom, this tool has made it even more exciting to think of what I can do with my students. I plan on using this and requiring the students to be able to manipulate their pictures for their projects when I require them to take photos. I will also be using blogs and other class websites so that way they can just use the htmls to be able to link them back to me. I know I will be using this program in my classroom and also in my personal life to make my blogging a little more exciting.

Original

Manipulated(soft focus, Focal B&W, cropped)

Original Photo

Manipulated(Focal B&W, cropped)

We used digital cameras in the class room this past week. I found that this on hands tool can really open the mind and would be beneficial to teach the students a new concept. I found that when you have visuals it's easier to remember what you're studying. On my project this past week we took pictures of symbols representing the constitution. I found that using a digital camera to take these pictures helped me remember each of the individual Bill of Rights because I was able to visualize the pictures that represented them. In my future classroom I plan on using the digital camera to be help my students remember their curriculum for test, to create posters or make personal websites. I know that this tool will be beneficial to help my class be able to get more of a hands on experience outside of the classroom.

UEN REFLECTIONI have had a hard time figuring out exactly how to use this UEN website, but once I got the hang of it all I found that this can be extremely beneficial to my classroom. The fact that there are lesson plans already laid out for me for each of the core curriculum. I know especially within my first few years of teaching I will be extremely overwhelmed trying to be creative, but with the layout of UEN I will now always have a place to resort to.I really liked how there were links for all of your core curriculum and within those links lesson plans for each subject. The access to it was easy and once I was inside the links there was so much information offered. The layout was done nicely as well with the different standards and objectives within those standards. Pioneer Library was an interesting site. I liked what it had to offer though. It was nice to be able to search through the website and know that all the information I was finding was reliable. Before I really start using it in my classroom I would need to become a little more educated on it so I know exactly where to look for information. I did like the searchasaurus within it. I found it to be cute and useful for elementary students.
This assignment was a little time consuming and confusing at first, but I'm glad I participated in it and was able to discover the websites for myself. When I'm lost and have to find my way, that is when I'm able to do the most learning and really discover new things. I am excited to have this new tool for my future classroom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d506ZYzjdR8&feature=PlayList&p=ACE37126FE460988&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=18
After thinking about my childhood and the teachers that I had I always seem to think back to one imparticular. My fifth grade teacher. She was a teacher who loved her students, and made sure they knew it. She showed them in the way she spoke to them and by showing how much she cared. Love is one of the greatest and most effective ways to teach someone. The reason why this teacher was so successful and able to make a change was because of love. Without it teaching would be pointless.

Internet safety! This site was extremely useful. Being educated on internet safety personally is the only way that I'll be able to educate my students on it. I also found it to be helpful to be able to just connect the sites to my uen website. I will be able to resort to this in the future when I am educating my students on internet safety. My students will be sure to know all the dangers that lie in the cyber world and know exactly what to do if they find a problem or are skeptical about something they are viewing. I will be sure they know the importance of protecting themselves, and the school. I will also be able to use these websites to have my kids search them and fill out worksheets so they are getting a handson activity rather than just instruction. I am glad that I now have this resource and can just resort back to it in the future.

UEN. Utah Education Network. This site I have found to be really interesting so far. There are so many things within it that it's almost mind boggling, but at the same time I slowly figuring out the beauty of this website. One of the most useful things I found while doing my scavenger hunt was the fact that there is lesson plans for the core curriculum. I hate trying to search for ideas to make sure it fits the lesson plan. This will make it so much easier and less time consuming for when I need to find ideas for the classroom. I am 100% sure that this will be a constant resource for my future in teaching.

I found this video to be inspiring and interesting. I have never really thought too much about the difference between teaching and educating. To teach is just showing how to do something. To educate is to really give instruction, intellectually, morally and socially. They are a mentor, an advisor and they guide their students to be their best. Something that really caught my eye was this quote by MLK; "Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0fJKvdjQgs&feature=PlayList&p=65B039D2BB78F454&index=0

I found in class this past week how useful powerpoints really can be. When trying to get across to a kid I try to think back to when I was a kid and what caught my attention. One of the things that really got me to focus was color, music, visuals. Something that was a little bit more flashy then plain old black and white documents to instruct me. So when thinking of ways to help the kids remember I will use powerpoints to catch their eyes. This will be one of the sources I will resort to as long as I make sure their is something in the powerpoint to really grab the student's attention.
I do feel as though powerpoints can be overused, so I would limit the amount of times I use them for instructional purposes. I will also find it really useful to require my students to be able to use powerpoint when it comes to class reports. This way when they get up in front of the class there will be visual and organization. I have found alot of advantages with using powerpoint through my education, I feel that now there is even more you can do to bring excitement to the classroom with this tool.

I found the video to be a bit of an eye opener. I was taught as a child pretty much to learn without technology because there wasn't so much out there. Now our world is packed with it and that is what our students will use. I find that it will be extremely important as a teacher to be caught up on the latest and understand the beauties of technology to help engage my students.

I currently discovered the beauty of googl calendar. When I first accessed the link I thought that it seemed ok, but didn't really see myself logging on all that often to check out my agenda. I figured that using a written planner would still be more convienent. After reviewing the details and after the first text updating me on my schedule I realized that this tool not only will be amazing in my everyday life, but also in my future classroom.
I have found myself throughout the week not forgetting where I need to be or to do an assignment. Google calendar has kept me on top and on task.
When I have a classroom I will require the students to access their google calendar daily. They will be required to fill in their calendars with their daily schedules and tasks they need to get done as well as being able to view all the events and homework that will be going on in the classroom that week. I will also use google calendar to keep the parents updated with what is going on with their children's schedules. I feel that it will be the most effective considering flyers can go missing easily when kids are taking them home.
I will also use it with others teachers to keep updated with their schedules and use it to remind them of combined class activities.
I feel as though this is going to be extremely beneficial to the classroom and help make it move more smoothly and especially keep the students and parents on track with my schedule.

My Ideal Classroom

Setting
Organization- Bins where students know to turn in papers, organized sections of the room for computers, learning centers, science, geology, math, art, etc. My classroom will be filled with hands on learning tools, It will be warm and welcoming with a positive vive from the way it appears. There will be life in the classroom. It will be bright with sunlight and colorful with the students work. It will be cozy at the same time so the children will have a place to go to feel comfortable. There will be a corner filled with books and a wall covered with the children’s aspirations and dreams.

Students
My students will have positive attitudes about learning because they will be excited about it. I will make each subject seem like the most exciting thing they could be doing at that moment, but at the same time the kids will be learning everything they need to know. They will come into the class each morning with a smile on their face and ready to listen.My students are going to be enthusiastic, self disciplined and eager to learn. They will be courteous of each other and respectful. My students will be fun, outgoing and each individual personality will bring something special to the classroom. When they are having a down day they will not affect the class because they will know how to change their attitudes.

Parents
The parents of my students will be cooperative with what is going on in the classroom because they will be well informed and each have the opportunity to have a teacher-parent relationship with me. I’ll be willing to listen to their comments and always be able to give feedback to them. They will be extremely pleased with what is happening in the classroom and with the knowledge their children are obtaining. I won’t have problems with the parents because of the communication and relationships I will be willing to build.

Colleagues
My colleagues will have respect for each other and for their students as well. We will be able to work with each other and combine classes because we will be open minded and able to learn from each other.

My classroom is going to be a place where the children can come and start developing their personalities into the way that will bring them success and joy. They will find it a place where they can build and achieve goals and realize that they can achieve anything they set out to do. We will use blogs, chat, skype, etc. The kids won’t be left behind in a technological way. We will be able to use the computers with each subject we’re learning.

My main teaching technique will be to teach the children that hard work pays off and to nail it in their heads that each one of them can do anything they set their mind to. They will do outstanding in their academics because they will believe in themselves and find joy in being successful. I will teach them how good it feels to do their best and how rewarding it is to follow their dreams. Also in my curriculum I will let the students discover on their own how with each subject they have the capability to connect it to their own personalities and their own way of thinking. There won’t be limits to how the children learn as long as the work is getting done. Our main goal as a class will to bring a positive attitude to the classroom each and every day.