Blog 10: And it's time to say goodbye

It seems like just when we are beginning, we are coming to an end. Sadness, I know. But in the progress of this semester, I have learned about so many different facets of technology. The one aspect I would like to learn more about are the wikis. We briefly flirted with the wikis during this semester, and I have yet to really find out what we as educators have to benefit from them. Seriously do we?

I would like to go back to examining websites that are similar to the ones I talked about in my last blog. These websites are part of a growing number of websites dedicated to creating exercises appealing to different multiple intelligences. I think as we enter the new millennium, these websites are going to become increasingly popular. There's also another website called FunBrain.com, a site dedicated to providing similar games to elementary students.

Fun Brain.com proves that the educational field is continuing to bridge technology with teaching. Could we see assessments becoming purely technologically assessed? A lot of groups today, while presenting their grant cited that technology is an important assest to a student's success. I am a very progressive individual, and I for one would try to use technology as much as possible. I feel that teaching will never be totally replaced by technology, but I feel we will see more of an integration.

As a teacher about to embark on the fundamental classes, the lessons that I have learned here are invaluable. We have learned some of the best time saving techniques that are available to teachers. I think to further my knowledge of technology, I would have to continue to be aware of new developments and learn them. Microsoft Office 2007 was hard to grasp, but some of the things I learned on 2007, I now use on 2003. It just coninutes to show how cumulative technology has become. Oh where will we go next?

My podcast!

http://smf06.podbean.com/


Enjoy!

Blog 9: Oh the places you go when you travelling via cyberspace

Interestingly enough, teachers you would assume would not have a lot of resources available to them as far as finding information for classroom activities or even material for classroom lectures. I dabble in teaching both English and Social Sciences, and I find it's easier to find resources for the former, and not the latter. But then I happened to stumble upon Ben's Guide (bensguide.gpo.gov) a very interactive site that allows students and teachers to peruse information about topics concerning the nation's foundation as well as each state's individual stats. Also, this is a great tool for any social science teacher. There is a comprehensive vocabulary guide that would be great is you ever wanted to quiz students on the terminology.
Continuing with the social science theme, (thank you Dalton :D) the site http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm provides an excellent source of games involving different continents and areas of interest. But the fun doesn't stop there. If you're an English teacher, you are in luck! They have games and flashcards that involve vocabulary and questions that can be seen on the SAT or GRE. This is an invaluable tool for both the young and old. Seriously, check it out. You might think you know some words, but alas...they aren't the definition you think they are.
We have learned so much about Office 2007 as well as how to apply it to our teaching careers. But one thing I wish we learned more about is something that doesn't involve Office 2007. Windows Movie Maker is an interesting tool because it allows you to create interactive presentations, something that would catch student's attention and just be different. Also, it's something I could envision using to create a special tool celebrating my students' achievements, as well as creating a videography if I ever wanted to apply for National Accrededation. Hopefully I'll pick up on it later in my career, but indeed it would be cool to learn about it :-D
To achieve my future technological related goals, I would probably take outside classes that I could get funded by my school. Also, by attending graduate school, I could also find a way to learn even more about technology. The great thing about learning about technology is that there is several different ways to accomplish this need. Microsoft is generous on how they offer different ways to allow one to train themselves on their variety of products. The only issue I have with using Microsoft is that their trainings don't allow you to actually practice with the technology. Rather, they tell you how to accomplish the tasks through diagrams, not actual practices. If anyone knows anything else that may be out there and worth a gander, let me know :-D

Blog 8: The ethics of cyberspace

You would think that just cheating on a test could be grounds for punishment in a classroom. But now, with the new technology age, we need a whole new set of rules to govern how we use and execute our privileges on the net and on the computer. According to our book, the ethics are outlined to include 1) unauthorized use of computers, 2) hardware, software, and information theft, 3) information privacy, 4) copyrighted materials, and lastly 5) the existence of objectionable materials on the internet. These rules are of course up to debate as far as how fair they actually are, but if you think about it...truthfully...they are like any other set of rules and regulations provided to individuals to best safeguard their safety and safety of others. More importantly, technology for educators can be detrimental to students if used in the wrong way. For instance, by using others' work, we are not giving credit to those who most certainly deserve it. I mean come on, at the end of the day, it's really basic ethics.

Of all the skills I have learned thus far in this course, the ones that I have acquired for the internet have been the most useful. I use to constantly load webpages within my current window, and that was becoming extremely tiresome. Now, knowing I can right click and select open in new tab, problem solved! This may seem to many as miniscule and well...kind of pathetic, but to me this is like hitting a gold mine of time saving! It really makes you think, what would we do without the tab feature in our web browsers? I'm glad that Internet Explorer caught up with the world and instituted the whole tab thing.

I know Facebook gets a lot of flack for...well...being Facebook, but seriously have you ever thought what the world might be without Facebook? Facebook, as problematic as it currently is, at the true basics is a great resource. it allows you to share pictures and videos with your friends now in lightspeed timing and it eliminates the task of sending (as well remembering your friends' e-mail addresses) everyone an e-mail. I hate Facebook now, but oh how great it was back in the good ole days. Isn't life funny like that?

Blog 7: ASSURE, ASSURE, ASSURE

Have any of you heard of the ASSURE model? Developed by Heinich, Molenda, Russel, and Smaldino in the late 90s, the ASSURE model is consdiered a provedural guide for planning as well as delivering instruction that integrates technologies and media into the teaching process. The ASSURE model breaks down into the following categories: Analyze the Learner, State Objectives, Select methods, media, and materials, Utilize said media, methods, and materials, Require Learner Participation, and Evaluate and Revise. I think one of the most important elements of ASSURE is the Evaluation step. Many times, we as educators rely on traditional methods and proven methods as the backbone of our teaching styles. As time goes on, these methods are proving to be useless when trying to deal with a new crop of students. We need to evaluate our methods and even though we may find particular fondness with a method that has worked in the past, it can always use a fine tuning every now and then.

Wikispaces are becoming a very interesting phenomenon. You would think that their purpose would only be to create phony information. But actually, there is some (gasp!) legitimacy behind wikispaces. It's a fully commercial site, yes, but it is also heavily monitored by censors. This allows information to be accurate and not be filled with innacuracy. Kudos to technology for finding its way to the "wikis" and revitalizing their accuracy.

Did you go to theultimatesteal.com??? Well, hate to tell you, but come April 29th, you may have to pay 300 dollars again to get Office Suite 2007. It's a great package which includes Word 2007, Powerpoint 2007, and even Excel 2007. If you need to practice for EME 2040, this is your tool. I absolutely love it, and I can't think of any other great deal out on the current market.

Blog 6: It's a whole new encyclopedia

It's sort of an apocalyptic nightmare. The punishment for misbehaving is copying an article, verbatim, from the encyclopedia. It was every student's nightmare, and every teacher's harshest punishment in their arsenal. But now, the encyclopedia has become digital. So the nightmare becomes less horrific...but only slightly. The Encyclopedia certainly has been in the spotlight of education for many years, but since the age of the technology boom beginning in the 1990s, the Encyclopedia has been catching up with technology. Now with the Encyclopedia, you can jump to topics with a click and the search engine within the Encyclopedia allows a thorough search for your intended topic. In recent years, 360 views have been added along with advancements in digital viewing technology. News topics as far as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, and even speeches (on record) from such word leaders as Mahatma Ghandi are now available to access on the Encyclopedia.
I have been falling in love with Microsoft Office 2007, especially Microsoft Word 2007. I know I have been raving about it in my other blog posts, but the more I tinker and play around with it, the more I am enjoying it. With Microsoft word 2007, my publicity posters for my programs have been coming out professionally made (or at least look it). I look forward to getting trained in all other aspects of Microsoft Office 2007. The world awaits to see what else it has to offer.
A great deal is now being offered by Microsoft to college students. Microsoft Office 2007 is readily expensive, with latest estimates rounding it out to about 300 dollars. But now, listen to this, it's being offered for 60 dollars! 60 dollars! You get the entire Microsoft Office 2007 suite along with all the capabilities. It's absolutely wonderful! All you need to qualify for the deal is a valid student e-mail address or proof that you have more than a .5 credit hour load. It's an ultimate steal! Check it out at www.theultimatesteal.com

Blog 5: KWL has expanded!

We all had to deal with it when we were in elementary and middle school. It was focused on helping us learn how to take effective notes. And now it has expanded! With the advancement of technology, traditional educational elements have also evolved as well. With KWL, we knew, Wanted to Learn, and what we learned. But now, with the addition of questioning as well as sharing, the need for technology has become important in using KWLQS to its full effect. The chapter also showed how for KWLQS to work effectively, it needs adequate and proficient web site to back it up.

Since last class, I used Google for the first time. I had always been a fan of Yahoo! and had recently been frustrated with all the corporate websites that would magically appear in my searches. With Google, there is no sign of corporate presence nor are the searches altered in anyway. With Google, we as educators can search effectively for topics that pertain to us as well as gathered resources for lesson plans, and what not. Thus, Yahoo! has outlived its purpose. Google has arrived.


Did anyone enjoy learning more about Word? I absolutely loved it. It never really dawned on me how useful Word 2007 could be. It's unfortunate though that SAM doesn't show us how to navigate Word 2003. I, along with probably most of the world, operate mostly on Word 2003. Some of the tips and tricks we learned with 2007 would be great...if we only knew how to use them for 2003. Is there anyway we could learn this? I wish there was indeed a way.

Blog 4: Oh where oh where is Waldo on the Web?

AOL, Internet Explorer, MSN messenger, Yahoo!, Google!, and Mozilla Firefox. What do they all have in common? They are all part of the web, they are the web. But slowly, humans are gaining the control of what is the web and how we as a society want to define the web. I mean, who could of thought that in 2008, we would be able to watch videos on the computer FOR FREE from a site called youtube.com? Or even more surprising, we would be able to watch our favorite television programs online, for FREE? The internet age is booming and with it comes new tools that are available to our beck and call. With Google, we are now able to search through millions of topics and focus in on a specific idea or thought we are looking for. I remember when search engines first appeared and how much time and energy it would take to just search for a respected article for a school paper. With Google scholar, that process is simple and easy and less time consuiming. Hallelujah for Google!

From this class period alone, I have found all sorts of little gadgets that are offered on the web to help make life easier and more efficient. For instance, a website called Backpack.com allows you to create lists of things to do. From there, you can then send them to your e-mail or even to your cellphone. Even better, Google Maps allow you to virtually see your point of destination without having to go through the channels and bowels of mapquest.com. Simply put, these little gadgets are making life simpler and easy to manage. Or, on a little harsher note, it increases life's urgency to get things done in a quick amount of time...leaving people to feel harried or rushed. But right now, let's focus on the positives.

I am so surprised how far we've come as educators when examining our relationship with technology. Seriously, could our predecessors have imagined they would be teaching with iBooks and virtual chalkboards? I think not. When I was mentoring at Rudiger Elementary, I basked in awe as a teacher practiced F-CAT with her students, NOT from a dry erase board, but from a digital Apple iBoard. She could draw and work out the problems with ease. Who knew that technology would become so needed that it would replace a board and markers? But does it make life simple? Now that's where the debate is.

Blog 3: I love my iPod

This was such a problem when I was growing up. I was a big exercise freak and I would always love to exercise with music. The problem I always had was my discman. It was rather bulky and didn't allow me to exercise to my FULL potential. But thank the technological gods above, Apple created the savior, the iPod. Now, while the iPod may have benefits for me in my personal life, in my teaching life it is indeed a welcome gift. I am pursuing a career in musical theatre education, and the iPod allows me to bring in music for my students to listen to. CDs are becoming quite precarious in their prices, but with iTunes, the cost to purchase a showtunes soundtrack is either 9.99 or less. That, on a teacher's salery, is a godsend. What makes the iPod both a great output and storage device is the fact that it allows you to store music from CDs you already have in your collection. Who would have guessed that we would now be converting our beloved Compact Discs into little mini mp3 files, only to place them back on a compact disc yet again?

Classmates, we are at a very interesting place in our time. No, I'm not going to bore with you my mindless chatter about where do we place ourselves with technology in the classroom. But seriously think about this, how do we ensure all our students from all different backgrounds of life (economically, culturally, socially) have EQUAL access to technology? We need to seriously ponder this issue. Currently, many schools differ in the level of technology they currently have in their facilities. This gap can be attributed to the difference of property taxes, a key financing tool the government uses for funding schools. How can we ensure technological equality for all sites if we don't have a system of funding that can provide it?

Since last class, I have learned leaps and bounds about Microsoft Word. Usually, I had used word just for its basic purpose of creating word documents to submit to my professors as well as using it for my novel (soon to be coming, well hopefully). But after last week's assignment, I learned that Word has the same tools like Microsoft Publisher. And the great thing about it is that Microsoft Word is readily available to many people compared to Microsoft Publisher. It seems funny how Word had blossomed into this multi purposed application program. When Word first arrived on the technology scene, it was one of the most basic word processing out there. To see how far comes it does one thing for me: It makes me feel like I'm just getting older.

Blog 2: With every new year, comes new discoveries...and technology

There was an age of discovery. There was an age of industry. Now we're still in the midst of the age of technology. Every year we are still discovering new aspects of computers and the internet, and how we can integrate technology into real life. But sometimes, some individuals get left out of the rebvolution due to disabilities or societal seclusion. Though, the advancements of technology hope to erase that in the coming years. Enter WordQ, a software that works with any word processor. It allows individuals the access in correcting their speech as well as their writing skills with on site help and internet resources in improving writing skills. In 1995, word processing was a new venture, and quite rudimentary at best. Now, it has evolved into the standard in how we compose and distribute letters. With the creation of WordQ, the gap between disabled individuals and the general public has decreased and will hopefully allow for further advancement for individuals with disabilities.

I must say, blogging is still quite a mystery for me. I have quite a fascination with it. It's a great outlet to allow for personal reflection and hopefully allow input from the greater public. I am still trying to figure out how blogging is useful for educators. If only I could possibly find an educator's blog or an article about blogging in education. Perhaps then this mystery will be solved. And it's quite dramatic of me to call it a "mystery", but it truly is. I equate blogging to journaling or writing in a diary. To have one's personal thoughts portrayed to the whole world via Internet...it's sort of frightening.

For my classmates, let us ponder this: where will we be as far as technology when we become educators? I think I may have wrote about this in my previous blog, but the more we delve into the topics about education and technology, more questions form. Will we be replaced? Can we be replaced? If society becomes a homogenous society whose only relationship is between man and computer, maybe. But I think this is a false reality. Man requires that attention from compadres. Without it, what is life?

Blog 1: The new age of digital technology

It seems quite funny that I would be blogging on a subject that I'm currently living in. As I was reading Chapter 1, I reflected on the first time my family got a PC. It was so new, so foreign. I think it crashed the first day we had it. And now here we are, 2008, and the world has become a digital epicenter of computers and technology has been interfaced into cars and phones. Wow. Such a long way. That's one of the topics that marveled me in Chapter one, the history of the computer. It seems funny how basic a PC was back in the 80s and how it has literally evolved into a machine that could basically type what you are saying. What is even more fascinating is how technology is merging with education. I remember reading about movies like 2001 A Space Odyssey and remember how they imagined how the future would operate. They had this particular scene in which a classroom was digitized and all students sat in front of a computer, listening to the Professor. Now, it's past 2001, and we have the ARCS system to help teachers educate the new digital age. The ARCS system is rather interesting. It centers in on the multiple intelligences a child of the digital age might have (or is currently developing) and discovers ways of using them to help the child reach their education potential. The one crucial factor that I think many educators need to grasp on with this ARCS model is the Attention factor. This day and age, digital children have extremely short attention spans. We as educators need to capture their attention very quickly with interesting presentations and creative executions. We cannot lax in this category, not at all. It's also interesting to note about how the ARCS model emphasizes in the Challenge/Confidence portion that the "challenge should properly match student's abilities". I find that rather fascinating because many challenges either reach the two extremes of challenges. Some students find a challenge rather boring, while others find it too difficult. How do we as educators find that nice medium between the two and ensure success for all? Can technology help us ensure the success of the ARCS model? Time will tell. My hope is that technology will be an AIDE and serve as a REPLACEMENT in Education. While I do enjoy the scenes in 2001 A Space Odyssey, it made me rather scared of believing the setting to be a reality. Can we as teachers function as just observers and let technology become us? I hope not.

Interesting enough, some new skills that I've learned since our last class is blogging. Blogging is increasingly becoming a new skill in the new digital age. Many use it as a form of entertainment, a favorite tool for celebrity gossipers. However, I am seeing a connection that can be drawn between blogging and education. Teachers could use blogs as a way of reflecting. First year teachers may find some use in this objective due to the fact they could reflect on how they are adjusting to the job and what they have found useful to their success. On the flip side, an experienced teacher could use it as a way to share their experiences as well as what works for them year after year.

A question I would like to pose to the class is how we as future educators could be considered different to our predecessors. We are children that grew up in the digital age, but yet we are not considered digital children because we were born before the digital boom? Or are we digital children? I think we have an edge over our predecessors because we are familiar with digital technology. We know how to use a computer. And I think we will succeed ever further because we want to learn how to coexist with digital technology. Who knows?

Blog 0: A new beginning

So thus begins my venture into the cyberspace of blogging. To be quite honest, I never imagined myself ever creating a blog, but if what Pat said is true, Education is making leaps and bounds if it has truly been integrating with blog-sphere. As mentioned before, this is my first venture into what I consider higher technological knowledge. I mean, I had always known how to surf the web, use a word processor, create a powerpoint, or even construct a spreadsheet. But to be honest, some of the course objectives in this course are material that I have never heard of in my life nor heard anyone discuss before. It shall be interesting.
In this class, I really do hope to learn about the bridging between education and technology. When I was in middle and high school, the technology that teachers had at their disposable was always very interesting to me. Their ability to use computer software a software for grading was fascinating, and the fact that they could change the weights of certain assignments on a dime was a technological marvel...in my opinion. I really want to learn the basic and advanced knowledge of how I can use technology in my class to ensure an increase in productivity as well as an overall improvement in classroom management.
From the learning styles survey, what I learned was not incredibly surprising. On the survey, I scored a high score in the active portion, reflecting a fact I already knew. To be sitting in a lecture can be tedious for me, especially if I'm not participating. What surprised me was the balance I had in visual/verbal and sequential/global areas. I mean, I have dealt in classes that had teetered in all four of those areas, but I seem to have responded more to the ones dealing in visual and global areas, not the opposite. To see that the survey concluded that I had a balance of all four intrigued me and made me really think about the overall approach that I use for my learning style. I found the survey to be quite interesting, and hope that we do more of those kind of surveys in the future.