Final Post

Wow what a class! I was very nervous going into this class, because I often struggle with using technology because it I am uncomfortable with it. The lessons that we went through in this class really challenged me to pay attention and really explore technology and learn to appreciate all that it offers. I was blown away by the amount of use that teachers and students can get out of it. Starting the semester off with making a blog was very uncomfortable for me, but I did it. I know now how to make one and use it to my advantage. I was very eager to see how the collaborative lesson plan turned out, and as a group I was blown away at how well it was, and blown away at the fact that we were capable of making such a thing. One of my favorite assignments in this class was the website. I was so excited as to how it turned out, and so excited that I was capable of creating it. The other important lesson that I learned was how to make my webpage. Although many parts to our lessons were self-explanatory, this class made you think outside of the box and be creative. I learned just how much technology can enhance the classroom, when I observed my classes, as well as reading through my textbook. I gained so much knowledge in this class, and I know I will be able to use all that I have learned in the future. Because of this class I will strive to use technology more efficiently, not only personally, but in my future classroom as well. I gained so much from this class, and I know that I have the basics down well enough to use all of my skills later on. I enjoyed the fact that there was not a lot of tedious insignificant work. I think it is important to spend time on school, and this class made me spend just the right amount. Because of this class I was able to complete this challenging assignment, and because of this class I will be a better teacher!

Reference: Taylor Corbitt's original picture

Digital Badge L - Chapter 12

This chapter was all about different technologies. I found it interesting that the book included different stages that a person can be in according to their technology ability. The book includes an adoption stage. According to Maloy, Verock-O'Loughlin, Edwards, and Woolf, "at the adoption stage, a teacher knows enough to use technology in the classroom, but only at a basic level and only occasionally" (pg. 301). I hope to be comfortable enough with technology to be in this stage when I become a teacher. One concept that I found interesting was one-to-one laptop computing. I hope that i will have the chance to encounter this concept. It would be very helpful if every one of my students had their own computer to use in the classroom. the last interesting concept that I read about was BYOT, or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). In this case, students can bring their own technology into the classroom. When i was in high school, this was considered and although there are many benefits, there will also be many downfalls to this concept if used in the schools. Maloy, R. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Technology In The Classroom on PhotoPeach Technology In The Classroom on PhotoPeach

Digital Badge K - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 explores many different concepts. I was interested to read more when I saw that digital video cameras was a concept in the book. While I was in school, I was able to use a digital camera for my photography class, but I could not remember a time when we used a video camera. I think that by using a video camera, it can add more variety to a play or activity that you may have in the classroom. I know many elementary students that would be super excited to be videoed or even have the opportunity to video their classmates do an activity. I hope that the opportunity to incorporate video cameras, or something similar makes its way into my classroom. Another concept that I found interesting was document camera. I have watched some teachers use this tool, and I find it really interesting. I know its great to be able to have a physical piece of paper, or objective to put under it, and remove it easily as well. The last concept that I found was graphic design. I know that this is a concept that I will struggle to utilize. I am good at coming up with ideas, but I want to be able to give better visuals so that my visual learning students will have a better chance of grasping the things I explain in the classroom. Check out the picture!

Digital Badge J - Chapter

This chapter included many statements about assessments. Assessments when it first comes to my mind would be for students, and that would be right, but there are two assessments that were discussed, student and teacher assessments. Student assessments are something that teachers will be using often, and as of right now assessments are a huge part of the curriculum, and also determine a lot of things for the teachers. Students assessments are used during the school year as well as at the end of the year. In Florida the FCAT is a huge test that evaluate students and has been used for many years. Teacher assessments are a big deal as well. For future teachers a think that the pressure will be very overwhelming at times n=because we will constantly be assessed especially during our final internship. We will be evaluated out many different things I am sure, and I am eager to see how my assessments will go. If teacher assessments are anything like student assessments then we all should be prepared for a tough evaluation from peers, and academic administrators. The last concept that was described in the book was reflections. According to Maloy, Verock-O'Loughlin, Edwards, and Woolf, reflection is " a process of self-assessment in which a learner examines past actions to identify what to maintain or change (p.281)." I think that this concept will be very useful in the future for me because I like to fix my mistakes, and by reflecting on my work I will be able to see just what I can improve on to make me a better and more successful teacher. Explore this short, fun quiz about this chapter! Follow the link below and enjoy!

Digital Badge I - Chapter 4

This week I found something in the chapter that reminded me of high school. According to the book, student learning objectives tell who, is going to do what, when, how much or how often, and how it will be measured or evaluated (Maloy, Verock-O'Loughlin,Edwards, & Woolf, 78). I remember doing all of those things as part of my warm up for the first ten minutes of class. Another concept that caught my eye, was enduring understandings. It is defined as " the big ideas or relevant information that students will remember long after the lesson has been taught (Maloy,Verock-O'Loughlin,Edwards,& Woolf, 79). I love this concept for the fact that it is meant to be a core part of the lesson that students take with them and keep locked in their minds. I hope that i will find ways to use technology to be able to help things "stick" better for them. The last concept that caught my eye was norm-referenced tests. I have always hated testing to determine a students pass or fail grade, but this test is different. This test is one that helps a teacher gauge where all of the students are in their knowledge compared to one another. I think that this is something that I may want to incorporate in my future classroom to help gauge where all of my students are, and where they need more help. I think that all of these concepts will be useful in my classroom and i hope to be able to use the technology tips i am learning now, to help spark my students interest and keep the all engaged in their work.

Digital Badge H - Chapter 10

This week I chose three concepts that are resources that I have come in contact with before. I chose word cloud, writing process, and accommodations. Word cloud interested me a lot and were often very fun in school. I was not expose to them very often, but when I was I found them to be very helpful. We would usually do a word cloud on a vocabulary word, and to that we would add the definition, a picture, and an example. This made all of the words that we focused on really come to life and allow them to stick in our minds better. The writing process is a concept that i could have figured would be found in the book. Honestly, I hated the writing process in school. In often frustrated me, but I hope to be able to incorporate it into my class in a way that makes it more fun. I want them to realize how helpful the writing process is, and that it will cause them to give in their best papers and pieces, instead of things that are thrown together. Lastly, I found the word accommodation. I think that this word was really just something that reminded me that I will always have to make accommodations. I really want to be able to pay attention to my students and know when they have a need for accommodations. I hope to always find fun and educational ways to accommodate my students to ensure their success and so that they can reach their full potential. https://magic.piktochart.com/output/3089941-digital-badge

Badge G - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 discovers many types of technology in the classroom. The first concept that I read about is virtual school. I understand this concept because I took part in a virtual school class while I was in high school. I think that virtual school is a great set up for students who homeschooling, or need to be able to work at a pace that is more comfortable for them. My teacher was very involved and made my experience very positive, and if I needed extra attention in a certain area, then I was given more time for my assignments to be completed. I would recommend virtual school for home school group, as well as teachers who would like to be a teacher but cannot devote themselves to an every day classroom. I would love to learn more about how to do this myself one day! The next concept that I found interesting was lesson plan websites. I can imagine that these sorts of websites would become very convenient, especially for new teachers. I hope to be exposed to them as well, because i think that they would help me add variety in my classroom lessons. The last term that was completely new for me. Information management, according to the book "is a business term generally used to describe how organizations and systems keep track of date for making decisions and setting policies" (Maloy, Verock-O'Loughlin, Edwards, Woolf, p.133). I am sure that in the classroom, this will be helpful for me and all teachers so that we can keep all of our technology that we use. By having organization it will help us keep everything in line and have a better flow in the classroom. These things will not only be useful for teachers, but they will benefit our students as well. TRY THE QUIZ!