Week Thirteen

I thought the lesson plan went very well. Although we have yet to present, I thought the preperatory work went smoothly, the workload was spread equally between myself and Marquis, and the overall product was a sucess. We did not have any problems after we decided the topic on which we were going to teach.
I really enjoyed this class. I liked the introduction to several different types of technology that we can actually use in the classroom. I also liked that there wasn't a lot of frivolous assignments or busy work, just information and hands on examples of what we can actually use in our future jobs as teachers. I have learned several different ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. This class has also made me more computer savvy, teaching me how I can use the internet to my advantage (such as embedding docs, blogging, creating etc.). I definitely think it is a must to incorporate technology into the classroom. Not only does it enhance the lessons we will be teaching, but also runs congruent with what is happening in education, the job market, and world around us. It is important for teachers to be privy to current technologies and to then share these modernities with our students.

Topic Seven Blog Post Con't

I do think chat rooms and instant messaging have their place in the classroom such as in a discussion, questions regarding certain material, or student to student interaction over a supervised forum. However, they could get out of hand without proper parameters and instructions for their use. It is also important to keep their focus on educational topics as compared to a social chat.
Benefits to asynchronous communication are that there are no immediate time restraints or necessity of the other students or even the teacher to engage in the topic. Synchronous communication such as chats or teleconferencing can be beneficial to student to student and student to teacher interaction, whether in a virtual classroom, or for students to collaborate. face-to-face is always a good medium for learning, however with the popularity of online classes and email it is not always possible to meet or see your teachers. When face-to-face instruction is removed, it is even more important to provide adequate means of communication.
I am not a fan of the podcast instruction. Either the lesson is in person or text-based, but podcast is a cop out to me. I do believe it is an ill attempt and a passive way to convey information or instruction.
Personally, video games do not help my studying because I am not interested in them, However, I do see how it would help someone who is. Besides the obvious hand-eye coordination, cognitive thinking skills, problem solving, situational routing, and focusing the mental pathways can be skills gained and honed through playing or creating video games. I do agree with the article for the most part. I think advancements in technology and how they can be applied to education are always important to look at. As with anything, it is important not to lose focus but to use these avenues as support to your lesson as compared to the lesson in its entirety (pod casts). I probably would allow my children to play video games every day but make sure that to monitor the time spent on them and balance it with other activities outdoors, studying, family time etc. I think that an outlet from reality whether it be video gaming, watching t.v., reading etc. can be a healthy way to rejuvenate and explore different area of thinking.

Topic Seven Blog Post

I think educators should not base their entire instructional frame upon the technology of their students, but they should acclimate their lesson presentations to be more relative and congruent to the students, through the use of modern technology. And...the myLeo site is down, so I no longer have access to the questions...to be continued.

Personality- My personality type is ENTJ or "Fieldmaster" or "Executive". The description of my attributes, strengths, and weaknesses showed that I have a specific way of learning, comprehending, and absorbing certain information. For this reason, I think every personality type has their own requirements for filtering information. Therefore, it is obvious that students, who are each of their own personality type, will in fact learn differently. They may be auditory, visual, or hands on learners, or a combination of the styles, depending on their personality type. This could help me to know my students better by using different methods and approaches to connect with the different learning styles of the students. I can accommodate their way of learning by using more than one style interchangeably and focusing on the ways that work best. I could also give this test at the beginning of the semester to know which learning types are in my classroom to begin with. This would give me insight to understanding different perspectives in learning and in teaching.

Spreadsheets- I think that Excel could be used for so many more projects, assignments, and lesson planning than the run-of-the-mill data based spreadsheets that it is known for. I had no idea this program could do all of this cool stuff. I really liked how it can make your worksheet balanced and the material equidistant. It was easy to add pictures, use colors, add text, use the toolbar, and manipulate the information. It is definitely a useful program in more ways than I was aware of. I can see many uses for it in the classroom and especially liked the ability to be creative with a blank format.

As a teacher, we use spreadsheet as yet another approach to learning. It can be a dynamic tool for visually illustrating or constructing a lesson, for grading and tabulating scores, or for a multitude of other reasons. As compared to a calculator, Excel can total several numbers at once, we don't have to type each number- only highlight certain sections, and we can formulate sections to remember calculations.

According to the text, the three main functions of spreadsheet are storing, calculating, and presenting information. These are definitely valuable assets to a teacher and can be used interchangeably to promote learning. While "presenting" could encompass almost anything, I thought graphing, providing visual reference, and constructing were also useful facets of this program. In addition, the use of spreadsheet enhances the speed of many operations which is also be an important function. Overall, I think Excel Spreadsheet is the perfect way to cultivate an idea from creation to fruition.

I thought the Inspiration software was an innovative and interesting way to add creativity and organization to education. I think students can benefit from seeing the same idea in different presentation styles, as I am a visual learner myself. It is also important for the student to be able to learn computer skills, such as graphing, slide show presentation, and other general computer graphic skills for the modern day workplace. I liked the way a teacher could organize thought into flow charts or add color and pictures to differentiate ideas. This seems like it would be helpful in project organization, group projects, brainstorming as a class, and overall creativity. I think the customizable templates would be relevant to both students and teachers alike.

I think blogging makes best use of technology in the classroom. Not only does creative writing inspire individual thought, but blogging also creates a space for student to teacher or student to student interface. Students could help each other during writing with linking their pages together and responding to each other's blogs, as we are doing. It is also a way to evaluate quickly, and efficiently provide instant feedback to the writer. Students could collaborate, edit, ad revise each others' posts. I think using blogging as a journal or a lesson tool would be beneficial.

I had to give a speech over vital signs for a class last semester. I definitely knew the material better after I had prepared myself for the speech. Even after I gave the speech, I felt even more confident about the subject and easily tested over it soon after.

As this is my first time using, reading, and creating a blog, I am not sure how I feel about it. So far, it seems to be a creative outlet for easy writing and expression. It was easy to set up and easy to post to however I am not sure I have anything important or productive to say...and if I did, who would want to read it? I am excited to venture into this uncharted use of technology and see where it will go.

Blogs would be useful for education as a relevant way for students and teachers to communicate with one another. Students can also discuss topics with other students, post questions, and debate each other's comments. Blogs can be a voice for groups in education trying to pass a bill through the school board, generate excitement for a sporting evernt at the school, or compile ideas for a charity event or dance at the school.

I think anything that provides students access and experience with current technology can be beneficial to the students. People who are against this idea seem to be stuck in the stone ages and unwilling to progress with the generation who will lead them next. Blogs can be important also for accelerating the student's knowledge of computers and their own capabilities as future college students and job seekers.

From the text, I liked the idea of a Knowledge Forum (Jonassen, 101). This type of blog can give the students a forum to discuss and exchange ideas about the current topic of study. The students can respond and comment for a grade and are expected to contribute to the discussion. It can be a useful way to motivate the students as they may be more apt to be on the computer already as compared to pulling out pencil and paper. An ongoing discussion also prompts more ideas as tangents to the original idea instead of the student drawing a blank when made to start a topic on their own. I also liked the idea of globally communicating using computer technologies available through blogging (Jonassen, 100). Students could profit greatly with a multi-cultural network of other students, all commenting from different countries and new perspectives. This could be a positive influence in tolerance and understanding between cultures. Finally, the obvious use of educational websites such as www.Discovery.com, or www.webster.com are a very valuable resource for research, clarification, definition, or images (Jonassen, 112).

Aloha. My name is Dani Leugers. I am a wife, a mother, and a student, among other things. I was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1979, which means I turned the dirty thirty this year. Actually, I didn't mind at all. Aside from the hint of a wrinkle I see forming, I am happy with my life and the achievements I have made thus far. I look forward to completing college and embarking on a new season of life which does not require homework or chemistry exams. I have lived in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Peru, Hawaii, New York, Ohio, and obviously now Texas. If it weren't so far away, and maybe even still, I would live in Hawaii for the rest of my life.

I am starting my third year of college as a transfer student from Eastfield College in Mesquite. Sooo, yes, I drive from Rockwall every day to Commerce. I like this campus so far and am excited to be in the second two years of my education as compared to the first two. I am majoring in Life Science 8-12 with hopes of teaching high school Biology. I love anything to do with science, plants, animals, anatomy, terminology, medicine, and creativity. My weaknesses are chemistry and math. I think my mind is to abstract to fit into the confines of functions and formulas.

I have a beautiful family of four. My husband is also in college at UT Arlington pursuing an engineering degree. He is closer to finishing than I am. We tag team with each other every day watching the kids and going to class. Our schedule is nearly impossible and our gas bill outrageous as he drives and our to UTA and I drive and hour to TAMU- twice on Mondays and Wednesdays! We met in South Korea in 2002 while we were both in the Army, and have been madly in love ever since. After our contracts were up we decided to decline reassignment and change into new career directions. We have two joyful and crazy toddlers who keep us on our toes and don't allow us to study until they are peacefully sleeping in their beds. Our daughter Bella is 4. She loves princesses, crafts, Leapster2, going to the movies, and Barbie. Our son Van is 2. He is into cars, helicopters, any sport you can come up with and throwing everything he can get his chubby hands on. Both of them keep us busy around the clock and fill our days with comedy and memories.