Classroom Reflection 11/24

This past week in class we talked about the final and the upcoming projects that are expected of us for the remainder of the semester. One of the main discussions was about the PPT activity and how we will contribute to a book.

As a teacher I see the importance of guiding students through projects and giving them step by step instructions on how to complete the project to the best of their abilities. This class was more informative and told us what the remaining projects are, and how we are supposed to complete them. I will not lie I sincerely have been struggling with this class and how to finish all the necessary projects before the final day.

The PPT project is a great way for students to complete an in depth project on their own and be able to use the guidance from the directions of the teacher and use them on their own projects. It is a great tool to know how to put together and to use for the fact that it will help students answer alot of their questions and be able to be visually guided through a project and through a system that they might not be familiar with.

Classroom Reflection 11/10

Today in class we discussed the technologies associated with digital cameras and picasa. We talked about the editing abilities that are associated with the programs and the different uses of different cameras.

As a teacher this means that students can take learning into their own hands and edit their own photography with programs that are free to download that offer a variety of tools. I really enjoyed this activity, I used to be a photography minor so doing stuff with digital cameras is something that I am comfortable with and teaching to others to use and become comfortable with. I enjoyed finding the places, but the weather made the assignment a little more difficult and harder to enjoy just being that we are transitioning into winter and finding certain things made it more difficult to do.

As a teacher in my classroom, this would be great to do as far as learning about history and health, letting kids do their own research and putting together collages that they could share with their classmates. I think that students would thrive when you make things come alive in their eyes and in ways that they will understand and be able to accomplish without much guidance and help from their teachers. Technology, especially cameras are very useful because it lets the user select what they want to take the picture of and how they can use the programs to manipulate it.

Internet Safety Classroom Reflection 11/03

Today in class we discussed the importance of internet safety. We did a webquest and researched several different articles relating to the importance of internet safety.

These articles delved into the different articles relating to how teenagers and adolescents are accessing the internet, the reliability of sources and other topics covered. The video clips that were shown from UEN were very informative about the importance of internet safety and the need to be weary before you trust any clip or any information from random websites. This is very important for future teachers that need to be aware of the dangers associated with using the internet and protecting students from inappropriate content and information.

The internet is a great technology for future students that allows them access to all sorts databases, reference pages and information that helps students know about certain topics and research information. UEN is a great resource for accessing information and allowing students to gain information, they can research the dangers associated with internet safety and dangers so that they are conscious of the dangers and people out in the real world that intend harm for them. Internet safety and encouraging students to be able to access new information and be safe doing so, this is a great resource for teachers to be mindful of the information that students need to have access to.

Classroom Reflection 10/20

Today in class we covered the copyright issues that pertain to technology use and issues that are related to that. I was not in class due to my surgery however I took the time to research some of these issues on my own to make up for the absence.

If teachers and students use copyrighted material and try to pass it off as their own, how fair is that to the author that put all the time into that material? It is the same concept to me if a student turns in a plagiarized paper trying to pass it off as their own. Teachers need to provide the example that shows students that there needs to be laws in place to protect copyrighted material. If teachers are educated about proper materials than students will be as well.

By having this technology in the classroom as well as this knowledge, there will be more resources opened up to teachers and students. If there are proper outlets for gaining access to these types of information, students will be able to put together projects that will use different sources of information and teachers will be able to utilize new types of information as well. There are so many different outlets for information that are free, that make learning more adventurous, teachers just need to be able to be willing to find and utilize this with their time and effort. Students and the classroom will benefit as well.

Vidcast Paper

McKenzie GoodwinDr. Waters EDSC 3250-01Vidcast Paper
The vidcast name for our presentation is “The Food Guide Pyramid” and the following vidcasts will follow along with a Nutritional Series. This series will follow right in line with Standard 2 from the 7th-8th grade core curriculum, which states “ Students will use nutrition and fitness information, skills, and strategies to enhance health”. The reason being for this vidcast series, it addresses the standards and objectives set in place by the state of Utah . Within the age range of12-18 years adolescents struggle with the concept of healthy behaviors and establishing healthy patterns for life. This standard specifically addresses the fact that these kids need to have proper knowledge and know the concepts that address these issues. I chose to do this topic because I work with adolescents that do indeed struggle with eating and body image. This is a huge problem in the teenage population nowadays, girls are especially struggling more now with the pressure set forth from peers, the media, and other distortions that are present in society today. These will follow right in line with the NET standards where students will learn and this should inspire them for creativity besides just book assignments, getting involved in technology, being exposed to more modern technologies, it will build modern age work and learning, and build personal growth and provide opportunities for growth and personal development. Certain drawbacks could be that technology could not come through in a positive way, that students might not fully comprehend the concepts being presented in the series, or that information could be copyrighted. Students sometime will not adequately use technology and all the information presented in the vidcast, there are always drawbacks to everything. I would like to build this series to tie right along with the standards and objectives set forth by the state that build on the core curriculum and would be something else besides my own voice lecturing, it brings a variety in to the lessons and classroom. Students will be better equipped to handle new things and information more appropriately.

Class Reflection 9/22

Today in class we learned about making podcasts and utilizing that technology in our classrooms and also applying it to our websites. The podcast was supposed to be as a public service announcement that was relevant to our content area.

As a teacher I will use this information and technology to advance students knowledge of technology but I will also be able to bring in other public service announcements that I can utilize as well. This type of announcement could also be used as an assignment in the classroom where the kids could pair up into groups and make their own podcasts for the classroom and they could even have it be their projects and other assignments.

Even now in my own classroom technology is used everyday whether it be video clips, powerpoint, overheads, internet searching, worksheets, etc, this type of technology would be something different that students would not expect in the classroom and that they would enjoy. I think that as I learn all the different types of technology this is improving how I am currently teaching in my own classroom.

UEN Scavenger Hunt

I really liked this activity that showed us how to utilize the UEN.org website and the best ways to maneuver our way through the website. The UEN website itself is confusing and overwhelming at first but as soon as you figure out the best ways to use the tool bars and to use the search option, it makes using this website so much easier. There is a load of information on the website and it is a great resource for obtaining additional lesson plans and hooking them up to your personal webpage so that parents and students are able to see where your information is coming from and how accurate it is when you are presenting the information that it is coming from a valid source.

The lesson plans and core curriculum section of the website is one that presents educators a lot of information that you can use to build on existing lesson plans or when putting together new lesson plans. It is great for new teachers because it is approved through the standards and applies right to the core, it gives you great ideas for games and activities for getting students out of their desks and involved in the lessons. I really liked looking through the different lesson plans because I am putting together my curriculum information right now and this is a great source for using in my classroom and when preparing my own personal information and lessons.

The Pioneer Library and interactive portion of the website was also great because how it is user friendly you can find new information that is not only scholarly and politically correct but also gives the user current information and facts to read up on. As a teacher you need to be able to stay current on new information and the library and interactives present those opportunities and give you information that students will also be able to use. These are great articles not only for the fact that as an educator I would definitely feel confident in sending home articles that I found on this website and sharing those with students and parents would not get me in trouble with anyone.

I really liked the fact that the website once you were a registered user you have access to professional development, licensing information, and current events going on around the state of Utah. This is great for teachers to know of upcoming workshops and news that takes place from other educators. I strongly believe in networking with my coworkers and other teachers at the junior high I work at already, this is just an additional resource that is great to even share with my coworkers and help us become better teachers that are continually progressing and helping each other be a better foundation for the students.