Week # 2 Blog

In the past two weeks I have learned many new and exciting technology skills. Some of what I have learned has been an extension of the information which I was already aware of, and some of it was all new material which I had never encountered before. By creating this blog space I used both kinds of information. I have had a blog in the past and other similar creations but I had never used it in the classroom setting. We were introduced to several different websites to enhance our blogs. I already had accounts with both the photobucket and slide websites which we used to upload pictures and graphics. One aspect of blogging that I had never used before was Bloglines and RSS feeds. This is an amazing tool which allows the user to get the new information that has been added since they last visited a site. I have found that by using this I have already saved so much time looking for new information.
We also created an interactive Power Point slideshow. I had done this in the past for a class that I was taking but it was nice to refresh my memory and extend my knowledge. Once I had the basic knowledge down then I felt free to enhance and use new features that I had not used before. We also began looking at E-Portfolios and their potential usefulness in the academic world. I took many art classes throughout school and always enjoyed putting my portfolio in order and choosing the pieces I felt showed off my specific abilities the best and am excited to see that this type of tool is being developed for education. I see student’s work every day that shows how far they have come and how proud they are when they turn in something that they have put a lot of hard work into. This really is a wonderful way to get a true grasp as to the student’s abilities.
There have been so many times that I wanted to go to a specific website and retrieve information but I could not remember the address. Those days are thankfully over thanks to the del.i.cous website. This handy time saver allows you to access your favorites list on any computer no matter where you are. What a wonderful idea! Why didn’t I think of that? Once you find a reliable website you never want to lose track of it. There are so many unreliable sites out there that I am always very cautious with the information I see on new websites. We learned out to break the code of the web address which was very informative and eye opening. I am guilty of Googling something and clicking on the first link and accepting the information found there as fact. I not only am going to break myself of this habit but also educate my students on the topic and show them what I have learned.
Chapter Two in our textbook discusses new ways to incorporate technology into the classrooms. I had never thought to include the fax machine on my list of technology tools. The book stated that it was often overlooked and it was right. Parents would love to receive faxes from their children showing them what they have learned that day. It could be a very valuable tool to help keep the door of communication open between home and the school. Teacher websites were also discussed and I have found that these are wonderful ways to interact with not only the parents but the students. Our websites at my school are linked with the school website and our lesson plans are connected as well. The parents can view the school calendar and see all of the extracurricular activities that are taking place but also see when homework will be assigned. I am also able to link any activity pages or other documents on the calendar/lesson plans as well. It is a very powerful tool. We also used videoconferencing this past year. My fifth grade class participated in an activity called “Read Across the Planet.” We were partnered up with a fifth grade class from Arizona and the students taught a lesson to each other about their state using children’s books. Our high school also used the virtual classroom. The Anatomy class viewed a live autopsy. Wow! The book also mentioned some interesting points about the e-portfolios. The idea behind them is amazing but there is still much work to do to get them to a point where using them is standard protocol.
The activities that we have done so far have made me branch out and try new things. At times we all get stuck in a rut and need a gentle push, or at times a shove, to get out of it. I now know of some new ways to facilitate communication with my student’s parents and many different websites to help me multitask and use my time more wisely. I know that there are many more lessons to be learned from technology and all that it has to offer and I will be a willing student when it comes to learning about it. I plan to teach my students about many of the things I have discussed in this blog, including verifying information and showing them some trusted sites so that they can bookmark them in del.i.cous for use at a later time. I also really want to take some steps to begin using an e-portfolio in my classes. I think that the students will enjoy doing it and take much more pride in their work while using this concept.
Technology is an ever-changing subject that is constantly expanding. I intend to use the skills I have learned so far to help me integrate more technology into my lessons. The more information I know and the more I use technology, the more comfortable I will be to use it in lessons. Technology should take the lesson to a new level of awareness and should not direct the lesson. If there is one lesson I take away from this class it is that technology should not drive the lesson it should upgrade it.