ISTC 301 Wednesday Spring 09

Simulator Link

2009-05-06T15:06:00.001-07:00

http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/animations/seasons_ecliptic.swf

"Kam-berry" Juice

2009-05-06T14:04:00.004-07:00

If I could make a magical juice, I would make “kam-berry” juice. This would be a magical juice that would give a student the energy to get through the day and complete unnecessary homework. This juice would incorporate many different berries and be very tasty. This juice would help put back sleep that a person missed out on the night before and keep them refreshed.

If I was able to drink “kam-berry” juice, I think that I could do anything! I could finally get all of my homework done, and not feel so overwhelmed by all of the homework that I didn’t “have time to do” before. If I could make this juice, I think I could make millions of dollars from selling it because I think that everyone in the world would want to drink my “kam-berry” juice!

With all the money that I would make from selling “kam-berry” juice I would start a company to endorse other juice makers. If other people have similar ideas that I have and want to get their homework done fast, they can make similar juices. “Kam-berry” juice will benefit all people who drink it!

If I could make a juice, I would make pink juice!

2009-05-06T14:04:00.003-07:00

If I could make a magical juice, I would make pink juice. My pink juice would have specials powers in that anyone who drank it would be cheery and happy. People who drink pink juice wouldn’t have a worry in the world for the amount of time that the pink juice is in their system, until it is digested.
Pink juice would also provide the necessary vitamins for people that did not enjoy eating vegetables. The only catch is that if someone eliminated vegetables from their diet completely and only drinks pink juice their skin will turn pink! This juice, although very tasty, prevent people from skipping on their vegetables.
If I could drink pink juice every day I would, but I would still eat my vegetables! Even though I would LOVE to be pink, because I love pink since it’s the most awesome color in the world, I would still eat vegetables because I love veggies just as much as I love pink! But since my ferrets can’t eat veggies, I would feed them pink juice so that I could have pink ferrets even though they’re boys.

Future Juice

2009-05-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

If I could make a magical juice I would make future juice. Future juice would help those who drink it to see into their future. This is important because many people worry about the future. I plan on drinking future juice everyday so that I can make wise decisions. I wish I had thought of this idea a long time ago. Things would be much better.
Future juice would allow me to see into my future therefore I would always know what is coming my way. I would always know which days to stay in bed and sleep because I would see that the day ahead of me would not be a good one. Although if I had future juice I don’t know how exciting my life would be because I would always know what lies ahead… Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Future juice or orange juice, it’s up to you to decide. I you spend days wondering what the future holds for you then future juice may be the way to go. Those who are spontaneous , without a care in the world………stick to h2o

Magic Juice!

2009-05-06T14:03:00.004-07:00

Magic Juice
If I could make a magical juice, I would make flying juice. When I drink my flying juice, it will make me super light and able to fly up in the air. I can fly anywhere I want after I drink the juice. I could go to my friends’ houses, school, and vacation! This juice would be really delicious and I would use it all the time so I could get places much quicker!
I could make some bird friends up in the sky while flying and I could wave hello to the planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons as I passed them. Flying juice would make me feel like Superman. I would be the thing in the air that people yell; “it’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s Chrissy!” The flying juice will be the rave of the town and I’ll be its number one sponsor!
The best thing about my flying juice would be that I could go visit places that I normally wouldn’t be able to. I could go to the beach whenever I wanted or go to places really far away without having to get on an airplane or drive all the way there! I would make plenty of juice so that I could always use it whenever I need to fly somewhere. This would be my new favorite drink!
-Chrissy Cohn

Jen Harlee's Freckle Juice Paragraph!

2009-05-06T14:03:00.003-07:00

Magical Juice Story
If I could make a magical juice, I would make straight A juice. When you drink this juice, you will automatically get straight A’s. You won’t have to do any work or study for anything because the juice will guarantee that you will get straight A’s all the time! Who wouldn’t want to drink straight A juice?
I could really use my straight A juice to help me with my math class. I just don’t understand any of the math skills we are learning. Plus, my teacher can be so mean! She doesn’t want me to get an A in that class. I would definitely drink my straight A juice before every math test!
Even though I know I should study and work hard for my grades, I would rather spend my time playing outside with my friends. Being young is hard enough without having to worry about school and getting good grades. After I drink my straight A juice I will never have to hear my mom say, “Jen you need to bring up your grades again.” I will be the smart child and my brother and sister will be so jealous because I’m mom and dad’s favorite for always getting straight A’s. Straight A juice would be the best creation ever!

Thinking Juice Story

2009-05-06T14:03:00.002-07:00

If I could make a magical juice, I would make thinking juice. I would make thinking juice because I have always wondered what people are thinking about when I am talking to them. I would want just one day to be able to read people’s minds. It would give me the chance to hear everything that is going through their mind when they are talking to me and other people around.
Thinking juice would be so much fun, because I would be able to read everything smart people and geniuses are thinking. I would be able to know everything and use it to my advantage. To think about all the crazy things really smart people would think about would be weird to know. I think having thinking juice would be cool to use it for that.
Thinking juice would be the one magical juice I would want to make. I would be able to find out what my friends are thinking about me and if they are really my true friends or not. I would be able to find out if people are mad at me. I want to make this magical juice because it was cool to do all of that in just one day.

My pirate juice

2009-05-06T14:03:00.001-07:00

If I could make a magical juice, I would make Pirate juice. This type of juice would make you be able to sail the seven seas without a care in the world. It would allow you to fight any monster, villain, or other pirate that came around. With this juice I would quickly become the most powerful girl in the world!

Pirate juice is a top secret juice. It’s important that those who use it keep its powers to themselves. If pirates could use pirate juice, things would be crazy. Once I gained all of the treasures of the sea I would use my treasures to save the world from destruction.

Therefore, I must do everything in my power to keep this magical juice to myself and myself only. Pirate juice would help me be everything I’m not and help me to save the world. I think I would just use my pirate juice for fun because that stuff can be pretty intense.

freckle juice story

2009-05-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

If I could make a magical juice, I would make flying juice. I would fly anywhere I wanted to go. I would fly all over the world, without using any energy. I would be able to go on vacations with my friends whenever I wanted because they would come with me. I wouldn’t have to sit in traffic because I could just fly everywhere I wanted to go. I wouldn’t have wings to make me fly, I would have a portable jetpack.
I would fly to Florida any day of the week. I wouldn’t have to sit on an airplane for 5 hours and could get there in 5 minutes. I would fly home when I got homesick and missed my parents. I would go shopping with my mom and never have to wait on lines.
I would really like it if there were a magical flying juice. I would have to pay for airplanes and I would be able to go wherever I wanted. I could jet set around the world and never miss home because I could get there so quickly.

this semester

2009-04-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

From this semester i have learned about using technolgies could be used as a reward or to be used in a lesson. I think its important to use technology in the class, because its such an important part of our culture and students need to know about it and how to use it. Im not sure if most of the things that i learned in the class i could use in my classroom, but it was intresting to learn about them. I'm taking away from the course the importance of using technolgy into my classroom. I hope that my school is able to fund and put in grants to get great technolgy in my classroom/school. What i would like to learn more about is how to intergrate technology everyday into my classroom. I wish that i knew how to make it an everyday thing, otherthan to just use a powerpoint to show the students slides.

Chrissy Cohn-Reflection

2009-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have learned plenty of things in this class that I plan to take with me as I begin teaching. I came into this class thinking that technology was a nice addition to education, but not a necessary part of it. After working with so many different types of technology in the class, I now believe that certain uses of technology are definitley necessary in the classroom. One major thing I learned in the class was all the ways that technology could use used to assist diverse learners or those students with special needs. The assistive technologies helped students with disabilities, but also made it easier for students with certain strengths and weaknesses to accomplish their assignments. There are technologies that allow for bigger print and visual representations (for visual learners), audio components in English and different languages (for audio learners or ESL students), and technologies that make certain skills easier, such as typing, reading, writing, and communicating thoughts. When I have students in my classroom who seem like they could excel at their education with the help of a technology like those, I will know what type of technology to seek out and will get them the assistance they need. I also realized that using technology in the classroom creates motivation for students. As long as it is used for a specific purpose and relates to the knowledge the students should be learning in an engaging way, I will use it in the classroom as a way to encourage students to complete activities.
I would like to learn more about how accesible some of these technologies are so that I can implement them into the classroom. I feel like we learned about many technologies and experienced some in the classroom, but I have no idea how much it costs to get these technologies placed in the school and how hard it is to get them improved. However, the software evaluation project helped me understand this, but I hope to learn more about the technology standards at the school that I begin working at.

What I am taking away with me from this class

2009-04-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have learned so much about technology and integrating it into the classroom after participating in this class this semester. I used to think that including a technology portion in one of my lessons was such a hassle and I didn't think that it would benefit the students when using the technology. However, now I realize how much of a vital piece that technology really is in the classroom setting. Technology can motivate students, can assist students in learning, assist teachers in instruction, and just be flat out fun and educational at the same time. I will definitely be thinking of new ways to incorporate technologies in my future classroom because this class has totally changed my mind on the subject.

However, I am a little concerned with my lack of knowledge when it comes to the field of technology. I am not the most technology inclined individual and I feel that sometimes I simply cannot bring a technology into my classroom because of my lack of knowledge on it. But, I am very open to taking technology workshops so I can become more familiar with different aspects of it and so that I am able to make technology available to my students. All in all, I feel that technology is so important in a school setting and should be included in every classroom.

Reflection

2009-04-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

Throughout the course of the semester this class has presented me with many different ideas regarding the use of technology in the classroom. It is important to know how to incorporate technology because it can make your life as a teacher easier. We also learned when certain types of technology are appropriate or not. Overall, I would say the most enjoyable part of the class so far was having group discussions about our views on technology. One common theme that kept coming up was the fact that some schools/children don't have access to technology because of economic or social reasons. It is important to recognize this because while on one hand technology can be a great teaching and learning tool, it may not available to every child. Other common debate was centered around the actual role of technology in the classroom, how it effects the teachers workload, and benefits students. I would say that my favorite part of the class is when we reviewed web 2.0 sites and talked about them. It was interesting because I could see myself using some of those websites in the future teaching, or even for personal use. Finally, the class allowed us to use technology to express ourselves in the form of the digital story telling project, which I enjoyed also. Moving forward, I would like to learn more about what things the government is doing to make sure that more technology is becoming more prominent in our nations schools. Unrelated to education, I would like to learn more about what common technologies are used to record music and videos, and how to use them.

Reflection of the Semester so far

2009-04-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

So, far I think that I have really taken that there are so many different ways and types of technology, and how to incorporate it into the classroom. I really liked the new information that I have learned about assisstive technology. I think that because I am going to be a teacher one day, and I know that many classrooms are becoming inclusion classrooms I want to be as aware as I can about different assisstive technologies that I can use to help students learn more efficiently. I feel that I have also taken away that all students can benefit from the use of technology in the classroom. All students have different learning styles, and technology can really be applied to the different learning styles to help all students learn more efficiently. I feel that I have also taken away that I am going to encounter many struggles in a lot of school when trying to bring in new technology, because of cost issues, and training issues. I think that learning about integrating technology into the classroom has really opened my eyes to teaching to different learning styles, grabbing student attention and peaking their interest, and to the problems I may encounter like money and teaching with technology, and availability of technology to the students at home.

I think in moving forward I would like to learn about free trials of software that may be available for elementary school teachers, or any types of free trial technology that can be used in the classroom. I would also like to use a few more programs so that I can become more familiar with multiple programs. For example, I know that we practiced with Inspiration and I really enjoyed using that program and I would like to use more programs that are similar to familiar myself with.

What I have learned

2009-04-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

After this course, I think I am more aware of the resources for using technology along with education, as well as the possible set backs. I learned that there are SO many different types of technologies, and ways of integrating them into a classroom that can be beneficial for the students. I also learned that now a days, with all this new technology happening daily, the younger generation needs to be on top of the new types of technology as well as how to use basic features. In contrast to that, I have also learned that using some types of technology in the classroom can take up too much time, or not be as beneficial. Just like everything else, there is a time and a place to integrate technology into the classroom, and sometimes there is no time or place for it.
This course also made me aware of the tons and tons of games, activities, and resources I can download, join, or view on the internet. It is so easy to find a fun, engaging activity on-line that integrates a type of technology. Other than computer games, students can now use interactive pens and books, like the Tag Pen I researched for the software evaluation project. I am eager to have my own classroom and introduce new, beneficial types of technology to my students. Assistive technology is something I hadn’t really thought of before this class. Now, I feel I am better prepared, even if it is just by being more aware of the fact that I may have a disabled/handicapped student using a type of assistive technology in my classroom. If so, I know that I should take the time to learn how that assistive technology works, to help the student.

Semester Reflection

2009-04-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

As I look back on the semester, I think this course that given me a good start on effective ways in which I can reinforce more technology being used in my own classroom. When I think of technology, the first word that comes to mind is computer. Thankfully I have always been given the opportunity to use a computer both in the classroom and at home. It has been a a life savior in so many ways that I could not possibly think about not having access to one all of the time. This course has showed me how important a computer is to a classroom environment and its students. I feel that all software used on the computer should be referred to motivators. I believe that introducing students everyday to new learning styles and software motivates them to want to be in the classroom and want to participate more. From numerous readings, I have gotten the chance to learn more about accommodating children on all learning levels. I have learned that the teachers role in the classroom is extremely important and what the teacher does and says reflects on how the students are going to behave. If teachers are going to introduce new techniques and sources of technology, they need to know what they are talking about in order for student learning to improve. I have gotten the opportunity to learn about different styles of teaching and how to react to different scenarios that take place in the classroom.
As I finish up the course, I feel that the one thing I was not exposed to are student opinions and responses toward integrating technology. Though I am still a student, my opinion and well as my classmates opinions on the subject do not show me what elementary age students are thinking. I have seen many videos that show evidence of student success however, I have not seen actual interviews with students allowing them to share their feelings on the topic. I think it would be beneficial to me because I would then be given the chance to hear both positive and negative things the students say about what goes on in their classrooms. The evidence would then allow me to think about what I will need to do in the future. Learning the facts from readings and videos have always been helpful, but to a point also limit me to actual student record. I think it would be interesting to learn how students feel about assistive technology in the classroom.

Kera's Semester Reflection

2009-04-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

After taking this class, I feel more knowledgeable about integrating technology into the everyday classroom. I am walking away from this class with many new ideas and experiences with educational technology. Before this class, I was only aware of very few pieces of technology such as PowerPoint, search engines, youtube, and some online games. This class has introduced many new pieces of software that I will be using in my future classroom. I enjoyed learning about moviemaker, wikis, and Inspiration. These few technologies are great assistants when it comes to delivering fun lessons to children. After all of our class discussions, I see now how important it really is to teach our students how to use technology at a young age. Their future will be loaded with technology, and it is our responsibility to teach them everything we know about technology. Not only did I learn about new technologies, but I taught about different approaches of teaching, and different learning theories that will come in handy when I have a classroom of my own.

I will always be interested in learning about new technologies that I can integrate into my classroom. Each student is different, so it will be important to learn many technologies so I will know what will fit each individual's learning style best. Over time, I will enjoy learning ways to make myself more advanced in technology, as well as learning new technologies and softwares to use in my classroom.

Semester Reflection

2009-04-27T17:27:00.001-07:00

Throughout this semester, I have learned a variety of information concerning the integration of technology in a classroom. Before taking this class, the only technologies that I really considered were the obvious such as computers and Microsoft Office, which I didn’t really see as technologies, but more as necessities. As a future educator, most of my classes focus on the content knowledge that I will be expected to teach, and the skills needed in order to properly teach this information. Because of this, I began to think that it was not as important how a lesson was given, just as long as the information was provided to the students and they gained an understanding. Upon entering this class, I learned a variety of new options toward delivering a lesson that teaches content while implementing technology. Along with this, I have recognized the benefits that it can provide to children if implemented correctly. This includes finding technologies that are appropriate for a particular content area and grade level. As society becomes more and more revolved around technology, it is essential for children to keep up with the knowledge. For example, it would be virtually impossible for a student to go through college without the ability to use a computer. Aside from the possible technologies viewed throughout the semester, I have also gained knowledge about the Maryland state curriculum focusing on technology. As I continue forward toward becoming an educator, I hope to gain actual experience with the knowledge I have gained. Currently in my internship, I am teaching science in second grade. Since each lesson is set in stone, I do not have the freedom to integrate technology. Next year, I will be student teaching full time. At that point, I will have the opportunity to construct lesson plans that involve the integration of a certain piece of technology. This experience will allow me to become comfortable with balancing the task of teaching students while integrating technology. Until that time, I hope to gain more ideas of different technologies that will enhance specific lessons in order to present the best learning experiences.
Gina Pagliaccetti

Semester Reflection

2009-04-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Before taking this course, I had only considered the most obvious technology—computers—to integrate in my future classroom. I will work in a school library, and computers may eventually be used more than the books on the shelves. Now that I’m better informed by this course, I know there are many more uses for a variety of technologies for instruction and education as a whole.

From this course, I’m taking away broader knowledge of the types of technology that are worth considering for the classroom, and why. The technology I’ll use should meet lesson objectives, be appropriate for the intended users, and have appropriate, grade-level content. I hadn’t considered using blogs, wikis, or podcasts in a library, for example, but they might be appropriate, depending on the age group I work with. I'll consider integrating technologies that enhance student learning, facilitate collaboration with colleagues, and improve communication with parents. With technology, I will help students develop information literacy skills in addition to reading literacy skills.

From this course, I’m also taking away new skills and computer experiences. Prior to this class, I had only been a reader of blogs, never a participant. I had not used wikis, and now I see how I might apply them as a school librarian. The readings were useful and led me to search for other articles on topics such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and assistive technology. Using MS MovieMaker and SharePoint Designer was also a new experience for me. I was glad to get some presentation experience too.

I’m at the beginning of my coursework in Towson’s SLM program, and this class was a great foundation. I would like to continue learning about integrating technology specifically in a school library. UDL is another concept I want to keep following. I knew about universal design in architecture, but I did not realize how the idea can be applied to education. I’ll be able to apply what I’ve learned in this course to my remaining SLM coursework and beyond.

Reflections on the semester By: Meghan Wilson

2009-04-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Before taking this ISTC course, I often thought of incorporating technology as using the same old PowerPoint presentation or showing a video or website to my students. While all of this can still be beneficial uses of technology, I have found that there are many other ways to think about incorporating technology as well. I think the most important concept that I'm taking away from this course is that, as a teacher, my focus shouldn't be "oh God, what technology will I try to incorporate this week and in which lesson" but to instead plan my lessons accordingly and when I see a situation where technology will actually enhance my students' learning experience, then incorporate it. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of effective teaching with technology. I feel as though that is where I was falling short in my thinking prior to this course.
As far as where I would like to go from here...I really hope to learn more about the assistive technologies that are available to students. After watching the AT videos with Albano and the other students, I realized that there are so many AT out there that I would have never guessed even existed. I know that many teachers have to become advocates for students with different needs when those students aren't receiving the supports that they deserve in order to have the same learning opportunities as their typical peers. I feel that the more educated I am about assistive technologies that are available to my students, the better the chances are of me being able to get those technologies for them.
This course gave me a good head start in really understanding the full benefit of integrating technology into my classroom instruction, it's pros along with its cons, as well as what I still feel like I need to learn more about. It's been very helpful and I know I will use what I've learned from this class to make myself a better teacher. -Meghan Wilson

Pam's Reflection on the Semester

2009-04-23T18:35:00.001-07:00

I feel like there are a few things that I’m really taking away from this course. One of the main things I think is that I’ve gained is this new understanding about how children think and learn and how it’s important to use technology in the classroom not only because it can be fun and exciting, but because it reaches children on a level which they can really understand from being born into a generation where technology is easily accessible at their fingertips. Before taking this course, I thought of technology only as a way to spice up a boring lecture lesson, but now I see that it’s actually really important to use in order to engage the students’ learning and reach their level of understanding. I’ve found that because of the conversations held in class, and the readings we’ve read and discussed, that I now always try to find ways that I can incorporate technology into my lessons. I even wrote a lesson the other day that involved a digital camera and a photo printer, which I don’t think I would have ever thought about using in the classroom, just because I’ve always thought of things like that as a personal technology, not something that can be used educationally. Considering that, I’ve learned that there are fun or “personal” technologies that really can be used well in the classroom, such as blogging, wikis, YouTube, Inspiration, digital storytelling and so forth. I feel like I have learned many new ways to make ordinary lessons more intriguing and exciting, which the students can really get into because they will involve things that, really, they probably use on a daily basis. I feel like I would definitely like to learn more about how I can use technology more in the classroom for organizing things, like we read in one of our articles. I liked the ideas of keeping class rosters, notes about kids, their work and grades, and everything on the computer, but now that I know it’s possible to do all of those things, I would like to learn how. I would also like to gain more experience using the technologies that we used/talked about in class so that I will feel more comfortable using them in my own classroom some day. I would also like to learn the best way to incorporate technology into those classrooms that are less fortunate and don’t have access to such technologies.I also wanted to mention that from this course, I got this inspiration to get back into website designing and design my own website where I can organize all of the lesson plans that I have written throughout the past year and the years to come, so that I can use technology to really organize all of the hard work that I’ve put forth into my teaching career, because I’m realizing how unreliable my binder portfolios are since they’re so bulky and time consuming to go through. I think it’ll be really nice to have a place where all of my lesson plan ideas are compiled together for easy access if I ever need an idea, or to give other teachers and colleagues ideas, as well.

Yael's Course Reflection

2009-04-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

The one thing I feel that I really gained from this class is that there are many ways to incorporate technology in the classroom, and that there are many different types of technology that can be used in a classroom. I also learned a new appreciation for why technology in the classroom is a good thing, and more so why it is important, because it really is the wave of the present and the future. Even the technologies that we find standard or even those that we use for entertainment, all of these types of technologies can be used to really enhance the way lessons are taught, and they are beneficial because students are gaining new and varied experiences using these technologies. Two specific types of technologies that I learned about and really have enjoyed in this class would be the wiki and the digital storytelling software. I think a class wiki would be a fantastic thing to have in any classroom as it is fun, relatively easy, and a great interactive way to keep in touch within the classroom. I like the idea of having students create a digital story in place of the many papers and written work they need to complete. Digital storytelling is more hands on, personal and creative, and will allow students with different talents to shine.
In the future I hope to really just learn more about the different softwares and technologies out there. I think it will be key to find technologies that will benefit children with special needs and/ or multiple intelligences.

Course Reflection/Lisa Wojcik

2009-04-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

I am 31 years old and have been in and out of school since I can remember. I earned my Associates in Psychology at Harford Community College and then transferred to Towson University to pursue my degree in teaching English. In all honesty, I have never really taken anything away from the classes I have been required to take over the years. I have merely taken them to earn the credits I need to graduate. Most of the classes are review for me and quite boring to sit through. In my opinion, I feel like I am just paying the government to allow me to get the job I was born to do.
I am not going to lie and say that I always enjoy coming to the ISTC 301 class. I don't really know very many people that want to go to class, when they could be doing something more enjoyable somewhere else. But, there is one thing that is different about this class in comparison to others I have taken so far. I am actually learning things that I didn't know before. I know it sounds odd, but like I said in the first paragraph I haven't really taken any classes that taught me anything new.
So far this semester I have learned things about technology that I never knew before. Before I came to this class I knew about technologies like cell phones, facebook, myspace, the internet and computers in general. Since the beginning of teh semester I have learned about new technologies such as Inspiration, web page development and many others. What is great about these technologies is that I can use them when I finally become a teacher and have my own classroom. For example, being a teacher of English I will be able to use the software called Inspiration to help my students brainstorm and develop their ideas into their own essays and creative writing papers.
When thinking about what I have already learned, it brings to mind what I might want to learn more about as the semester continues or even later in the future. I would love to learn more about developing my own web pages. I know that we have learned a little bit so far in relation to making web pages because of our online portfolio project, but that isn't enough for me. It is really confusing and new for me to understand, but with a great deal of practice I think I could learn how to develop my own web pages to advertise my skills online. I have always wanted to open my own business and knowing how to develop my own web pages would be extremely helpful. I know it seems like a long shot and I am probably never going to fully understand the way it works, but I would love to give it shot.
-Lisa Wojcik :)

Reflection on this semester by Jenna Simmonds

2009-04-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

From this course I am going to be taking away the new knowledge of how to incorporate technology into the classroom. I have learned that it is a requirement for teachers to find beneficial and interesting ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. I have also learned the importance of introducing and encouraging students to use technology. It is imperative that students be well rounded in all types of education, including technological education. Students will be ready for the upper levels of school if they have been taught many different types of technologies and how to use them both in and out of the classroom. By teaching students how to be technologically literate it is preparing them for what they are going to be experiencing as they get older. If we teach them now, at a young age, they will consume the knowledge we want them too and be able to have their skills grow the more technology is brought into their classrooms. I am also going to be taking away being exposed to some new technologies that I have never heard of or dealt with before. Some of these new technologies are Inspiration, digital storytelling, sharepoint designer in Microsoft, web making and many more. With these technologies students are able to express themselves in a creative way while still performing the tasks we need them to that directly correspond with the curriculum.
Going forward, I would like to learn more about time management when using these particular technologies. I would like to know how teachers fit in the time to introduce these technologies to the classroom while still teaching their students every subject. I would also like to know how to incorporate “teaching to the test” into technology because let’s face it, no matter how much we don’t want to “teach to the test,” at some point it all comes down to whether my students will know that information or not. I would like to find a way to incorporate the Standardized testing information into technology in the classroom. Overall, I have learned just how important it is for students to have their dose of “good” technology incorporated into their classroom activities and when I have my future classroom, I will find a way to make that happen.

Personal Technology- Yellow Group

2009-04-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

When I think about using technology in a classroom cell phones, ipods, and social networking sites aren't the first to come to mind. When I think of integrating technology in the classroom I automatically think of computers, Powerpoint, Microsoft, things along that line. I think this is because I use my cell phone, facebook, myspace, email, ect. for personal reasons. I can't think of an appropriate use of these technologies in the classrooms for educational purposes. If I integrated social networking sites into a lesson, students could get off track and not concentrate on the assignment. The same goes for cell phones. I would be very interested in seeing a lesson plan for integrating facebook or cell phones because I know I can't think of any. However, I feel as though Youtube could go both ways. If the teacher is using the site to show the class videos, then that would be acceptable. I, as a teacher would not want my students searching on Youtube for videos. Even though some videos may be very beneficial, there are a lot of inappropriate videos that I would not want to be held responsible for having my students view it.

After taking this class, I can now see how a blog or wiki can be used appropriately, but only for older grades. Younger children may not understand the concepts of it, but maybe with parent cooperation it could possibly go alright. I feel some technology is simply for personal use only, that shouldn't be brought into the classroom unless there's a lesson where it's very appropriate. There's other technologies that could be used for personal use, as well as educational and those are the ones that should be integrated into your classrooms [blogs, powerpoint, microsoft, cd players/ipods].

-Kera Valentin

Personal Technology- Yellow Group

2009-04-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

It's actually quite funny that you bring this topic up because personally I know that I use personal types of technologies way more than any other technology there is. For example, I know that I use my cell phone, radio, Facebook, and Myspace more then I use Microsoft PowerPoint, yet I say that PowerPoint would be a beneficial technology to use in the classroom. I think the personal technology often bypasses our thoughts when we think about the proper types of technologies to incorporate into the classroom. The reason why I feel this way is because I am not so sure that facebook or cell phones would be appropriate to use in the classroom. Although, I know that the older students would be able to relate better to these types of technologies in the classroom because just like me, they probably use these technologies all day, every day. Despite this idea, I know that it would be inappropriate to incorporate technology in the classroom through the use of facebook and cell phones. I would not use my personal technologies in the classroom to help me teach because not only is it not the correct form of technology that should be presented to the students, but it could cause a lot of trouble with the student's parents, the other teachers, the principal and more. I think it's safe to say that I am going to keep my personal technology personal and the proper type of technology, such as PowerPoint and Assistive teaching websites, in the classroom.
- Jenna Simmonds

Personal Technology in the Classroom

2009-04-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

It is quite funny, but I haven't even thought about using everyday technology in the classroom. I use my cell phone twenty million times a day, either talking, texting or sending pics to my friends. I sit in front of my computer at least two times per day and television is my main squeeze. I guess that I have been looking at technology for the classroom as being something different than what I use on a daily basis. When I look at the different types of technology that I use in my personal life, I can now see the opportunities for teaching that they can help me with. For example, I use my Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends that I don't get to see very often. Everyone is using it! As a teacher, I could set up a Facebook page for our class and set the students up for chatting about particular topics or writing about what they think on the wall. In addition to writing about how they feel or what they think, I could have the students gather photos about certain things that they are learning and post them on the site for others to view. Not only would the page encourage my students to learn more efficiently, but it would also give their parents the ability to see what is happening in one of their child's classes at school. I would even encourage parents to post things in relation to the class on the wall as well. The email on Facebook would also be great for parents to write to me privately about something they may want to ask about their particular child without anyone else being able to see.
-Lisa Wojcik :)

Yellow Group - Pam's Blog

2009-04-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

I think the reason that I don’t typically think of technologies such as cell phones, video games, social network sites, and blogs as ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, just because when I use these technologies, it’s for personal uses, not for schoolwork. For example, I use my cell phone to keep in contact with friends and family, I play video games to relax and relieve stress, I use social network sites like Myspace and Facebook to keep in contact with friends that I can’t see every day, and I use blogs like a diary/journal, which no one is supposed to read anyway. I feel like video games have the potential to become useful just because we already use computer software games, such as Oregon Trail, for incorporating technology. I definitely don’t think all video games could be used, just like all computer software games can’t be used. I can now see how blogs could be useful to use in my teaching, because exhibit A, that’s what I’m doing right now! I definitely feel like a class blog could be useful in my classroom either for class/home work, or maybe to use as a way to get help from peers. As of now, I definitely don’t feel like a cell phone could prove to be useful in the classroom, just because I don’t see a way of using it that you couldn’t use a monitored Instant Messaging service for, which by the way, might be a neat idea to use in the classroom to talk to students from another country! How cool would that be? I’ve written quite a few lesson plans where I’ve used the viewing of a YouTube video as an engage for a science or math lesson, so I feel like YouTube or TeacherTube could definitely be great ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. I almost feel like there are ways to use all sorts of technologies in the classroom, but I just need to find appropriate ways of using those technologies. One of our last articles stated how students learn and think differently than we do, just because they’ve been born into this century that is filled with all sorts of technologies easily accessible at their fingertips; therefore, it’s important that us teachers meet their needs as students by using technologies that they’e used to using on a daily basis, because their learning will probably benefit the best in that way than by reading a textbook or doing pencil and paper worksheets. So as of now, I don’t see any uses for using a cell phone or social network sites, but I know it’s probably possible to find some use for them in the classroom.

Yellow Blog group 2-Meghan Wilson

2009-04-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Although I use things like facebook, myspace, and my cell phone on a daily basis, I don't see myself ever using them in an educational setting. I don't feel as though these types of personal technology are used in educational integration because they are not specifically educational. If I were to ask students to call up their facebook during a lesson, I feel as though this would become a distraction. Perhaps I want to ask them to look at how many friends they have compared to their neighbor and find the difference...I feel like students would end up looking at pictures or checking their updates instead, which would detract from my goal of them understanding an important mathematical concept. I feel as though this would be similar with a cell phone or with myspace. Many cell phones have calculators and I can even think of a few activities that could potentially be educational by using a cell phone. However, I still wouldn't do it because I think students would be tempted to text or share picture messages, etc. I do see social networking technologies such as a blog being useful for journaling or communication between students for group projects and things like that, however, I still think similar issues could come up if these things are not closely monitored.

Technology Integration

2009-04-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

I definitely see a disconnect between my personal technology use and technologies that I would consider using in my teaching. Most of the personal technologies that we use in our everyday lives are generally seen as a distraction in the classroom. Things such as cell phones, video games, social network sites, and twitter can be seen as entertainment or something you use to contact your friends. However, I can see how You Tube and blogs could be useful in a classroom scenario. Youtube has a lot of instructional material on it such as documentaries or how to do something. So I can see that being useful espically in a history class I will be teaching. On the other hand Blogs can be useful as well. For example, the majority of the pictures I got for my digital story telling project came from blogs, which can prove to be a good source for specific information, thoughts, or opinions.

Personal Technologies in the Classroom

2009-04-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

When I think of technology those devices do come to mind. However, when I think about technology and academics technologies seem some what distracting. I believe that it was stated in one of the required readings that technology should not take away from the academic portion of the lesson. Using technologies such as Twitter, cell phones, etc can in some ways cause students to be off task and lose focus. However, I have seen YouTube used in a classroom, but the teacher used it to show a video. Im not sure that students would be responsible enough to use it independently, and not search out content that did not have to do with the lesson. I found the blogging used in the class to be interested , and possibly if students are trained properly this may be a useful tool in the classroom. I believe that I first distinguish between personal and academic time, which causes me to use this same distinction when considering my personal technology use and technology that I would use in my teaching. Overall, I believe that some personal technologies such as blogs, and video hosting sites can be used in the classroom when monitored wisely, but for them most part I feel that personal technologies would distract students from the main purpose of the lesson which would be to learn.

Technology Intergration Green Group 4/6

2009-04-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

I think that I have separated my ideas of technology into two (min) different groups. professional technology and personal technology. The reason I feel that I may have left out many of what i would deem personal technologies (cell phones, facebook...) from my thought processes in this class is because I do not think that those sorts of technologies are ones I would incorporate into a classroom. While I feel that those technologies are valuable, and most kids would need to know how to use them for their own future success, I think there is a line that needs to be drawn about teachers teaching and parents teaching. I think that personal technologies need parental input and supervision, because there are too many conflicting views and ideas about those technologies. I also feel that, gee, if we consider that books are technologies, I would definitely choose to use certain books in my classroom over the typical books I may read in my spare time, because there is definitely a difference in the genres and I need to draw a line of what I put out there in my classroom.

Technology IntegrationGreen Group 4/6

2009-04-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

When I think about using technology in the classroom, the obvious answers always seem to slip my mind. My first instinct isn’t to try and incorporate something I use everyday such as you tube, cell phones, etc. I think that because I am so used to using them daily, I don’t realize it is in fact an example of technology that may be beneficial in the classroom. Just because I personally have not used any of these as an example in this ISTC class, does not mean that I haven’t used them outside of this class, or seen other teachers use them. Actually, last week when creating a lesson on the Sun for the 3rd grade science class I intern for, I got two or three you tube videos that were great simulations and examples of what the sun looks like close up. Unfortunately, the BCPS school computer I was provided, would not allow me to access these videos due to a block, or filter in the system. Since only specific computers are connected to the projector, I was forced to use that computer, and I was unable to show the class these videos, which would have been great resources! The videos would have been excellent for the students to view in order to gain a better understanding of what the sun is really like. Because of the filters Baltimore County puts on the computers, that are intended to block unwanted websites, the students weren’t able to view an educational video.

Also, when interning in my second grade math class, my mentor teacher uses her cell phone as a motivation or punishment. If a certain student is behaving badly, the teacher takes out her cell phone and threatens to call or text that students’ parent. Since that student does not want a phone call home, he/she sits down and seems to some-what improve his/her behavior. Using the cell phone as technology in this type of setting, where is becomes a threat to the students, is not really how I viewed incorporating technology. Of course, if it works as a resource to get more students behaving better than it is very useful, but I can’t see myself ever taking out my cell phone and threatening a student to call his/her parents because of their bad behavior.
All of these everyday technologies can be incorporated into any classroom just as easily as anything else we have used for examples in this class. Using things such as cell phones, and/or social networking sites may cross that barrier between your personal life and your teacher life, but it also may increase communication among the teacher and the students, or the teacher and the parents. When asked about integrating technology into the classroom, I would use any of these examples as a possible method, as long as I keep the separation between my personal technology use, and my professional technology use.

Technology Integration

2009-04-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

When discussing the integration of technology for a classroom, I tend to think of more “professional” technologies. For example, many people have different views on cell phone use. To use these in a classroom, would each child have to bring their own cell phone? Since I am in elementary education, this would cause a problem. If parents did not want their child to use a cell phone, what would that child do? Also, as far as the school systems that I have attended, we were not allowed to bring cell phones to school. Wouldn’t that send mixed messages? For the same reasons, I feel parents might have an issue with social networking sites at such a young age. Recently in my current biology class, we discussed the use of ‘YouTube’ at our grade levels. We came to the consensus that we believed if ‘YouTube’ is used, it should be first previewed by the teacher, and then displayed using only the teacher’s computer on a main screen. We feel if students had personal access to ‘YouTube’, they might get off track. While I believe all of these technologies are extremely useful and beneficial, I feel there is a certain time and place for each. For example, cell phones for communication with friends and family outside of school. While implementing any technology into a classroom, the students are always the number one priority. I feel providing students with technologies that are both beneficial and professional is the best approach. This is why I have left out certain technologies throughout this class.
Gina Pagliaccetti

Everyday technolgy

2009-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

I feel that i dont think of cell phones, videos, and games as technology to be used in the classroom, because most school do not even allow such things to be taken out in school. I think that for a school to allow students to go on social network sites would be pretty strange to me. I think that there is a time and place for such technologies, but not in the school setting should they be used. I think that blogs could be something that would be useful for the weekends for students to communicate with their teacher and class about any questions on assignments (or to even ask their own peers for help). As well, i think that educational games are appropriate to be used in the classroom as reward or for instruction a certain times. I also think that things like youtube would be effective to show students examples of such things. I jsut think that as a teacher you have to be careful to not allow your students too much technology freedom, because they might step their boundry and become too comfortable and think that they can use a cell phone or play with a game during class. Technologies should be up to date in the classroom, but not something that is personal technology to use while teaching.

Jen Locascio- Personal Technology Use

2009-03-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

I think one of the main reasons we do not incorporate technologies such as cell phones, blogger, facebook, video games, utube, etc. is because most students use these types of technology for social interaction purposes with other friends and family. These technologies are often also used as well as for enjoyment during their spare time. Though, some may think we do not learn from these technologies, I think that even though they all do not necessarily serve for educational purposes, you still get the opportunity to learn a little something from each. For example, if a teacher is introducing new material in the classroom and wants to show an example to his or her students, he or she may use utube to find short video clips that are educational and will help the students understand the concepts a little bit better. Blogger for example, is a good way for students within a classroom to communicate with each other and discuss opinions on certain topics. Though most of these technologies is for personal use, I still think that to some extent teachers do incorportate some of them in the classroom. However, the only technology I do not feel should be incorporated in the classroom is the cell phone. Being a student myself, I still use my cell phone in class usually to text my friends, which I do feel is a very bad but extremely addicting habit. Knowing that it is distracting to teachers and may be distracting to other classmates, I feel that cell phones should be kept in the student's bags throughout the day and only used for emergencies.
If I were to use some of these technologies in my classroom, I think I would use social network sights, blogger and utube the most. I think each can help serve a purpose when teaching material in the classroom. If it takes those technologies to get the students to understand the material more easily being that they can make personal connections, then I think incorporating those technologies within the classroom will be beneficial.

2009-03-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

I think that technologies such as facebook, cellphones, and others are not used in the classroom setting because they are used so frequently for enjoyment. Also there isn't any real reason for the use of such technologies in the classroom. There isn't any educational value that could benefit both teachers and students. However, I believe that a technology such as youtube can be helpful and educational for students if used appropriately. I had a teacher my first semester here at Towson who used youtube along with instruction and I loved her class. It was just so interesting and I was motivated to learn. I also believe that facebook or an even more child friendly social network site could be used in a classroom for communication purposes. All in all, I feel that some technologies that are so widely used outside of the classroom could be beneficial in the classroom; but only if that technology is used appropriately.

Red Group: Integrating “Everyday” Technologies

2009-03-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

When I think of “everyday” technologies such as cell phones, You Tube, Facebook, LinkedIn, iPods, BlackBerry, and the like, using them in classrooms does not automatically pop into my mind. One reason is that those technologies are not everyday ones for me. Another reason is that I think of many everyday technologies as more for entertainment than for education. There is a distinction for me between how they are used at home versus at school. However, for today's children (my future students) and their parents, these personal technologies are very likely a part of their everyday lives.

For me right now, there is a definite disconnect between the technologies I personally use and the ones I expect to incorporate as a school librarian. Is that disconnect acceptable? I think it is. My future job will include knowing about information sources and technologies, but I believe I can integrate them successfully in my work life even if I don’t ardently use them in my personal life.

I can see creating lessons or developing assignments that incorporate everyday technologies appropriately. I could help students make video book recommendations for a school website. I could use a digital camera to film student reenactments of scenes from a book. I could use blogs to conduct a book club. I could manage wikis for group research and reporting assignments. Students could “meet” authors or illustrators by listening to podcasts or watching You Tube interviews with them. For students’ parents, I could communicate by cell phone, email, or a dedicated page on the school website. There are many ways to incorporate “everyday” technologies as a school librarian, and I’ll pursue appropriate ones when the opportunity arises.

Blog 2

2009-03-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

I think one main reason why most people do not include any of those types of technologies such as "cell phones, video games, You Tube, social network sites, maybe Twitter, blogs..." is because most of those technologies have little education merit. I do not see any type of education benefits coming from a cell phone, or a social networking site, and I think it is unprofessional. I do think that sites such as Youtube can be a great asset in the classroom because it provides students with an extension of a lesson. There is a lot that can be learned from the videos on Youtube, if used correctly. I also see some educational merit in video games, but the game must have some sort of link to a lesson, and would also be worthwhile. As to why most people didn't include as an integrated technology, I think it is that there is not many ties from those technologies to education.

Blue Group Blog March 25

2009-03-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

I think that we don't tend to think of those types of technologies when we are asked to incorporate technologies because of all the social networking that occurs with those type of technologies. I feel that teachers are afraid that the students will not gain the knowledge intended from the lesson by using those specific technologies. If a teacher assigns something like a communication group assignment that requires the students to converse back and forth using blogs, or cell phones there is the fear the students will use the technologies not for the intended purpose but for personal purposes. Although, I do think that it could be possible to incorporate those types of technologies in the classroom for learning, it may also be useful to use these technologies in the classroom to promote future jobs strategies for the students. The students may need to know these types of technologies for their future job placements, and the use of them in schools can help prepare the students.

I also can see some disconnect between personal use technologies and technologies that are going to be utilized in the classroom. For example, if the teacher uses certain technologies like blogs to keep in touch with friends or families, it would probably be wise to set up a separate blog for the classroom to not confuse the two, or to involve students in the personal life of the teacher. I can also see the teacher's opinion in not wanting to use personal use technologies in the classroom because it can get student's off topic because it may be something that they already know and use, and may want to do their own thing, without paying attention to the actual classroom reason for use of the technology.

In my personal opinion I think that personal use technologies can and should be used in the classroom because they can get the students prepared for future careers and jobs. I also think these types of technologies can be motivators for the students because they are getting to use technology that they may already have experience with and like using. I just think that the teacher needs to be the facilitator when it comes to using the personal technologies for personal uses while doing the classroom work and put a stop to that kind of activity from the start.
-Kami Bowman

Blue Blog #2 - Chrissy Cohn

2009-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

I agree that there is a disconnect between technologies that we used in our everyday life for socialization and entertainment and the technologies we see in the classroom. I think this happens because of the misconception that technologies used primarily for non-educational purposes cannot be beneficial classroom, which is not true. Of course communicational technologies, such as facebook, e-mail, and the internet help with collaboration, research, and group projects. YouTube can be used to show videos relating to a wide variety of topics, and some video games incorporate academic subjects either through direct instruction of them or by including them in the background of the game. I think that these technologies could definitley be used in the classroom, if intergrated correctly. Collaboration should be encouraged through the use of communcative devices that the students are familiar with. This may encourage them to work together on a project more so than another method of communication. One problem I see with this would be students using e-mails or facebook groups to list ideas when the teacher requires an explanation of the students' plans. I don't see any problem with the students primarily communicating through facebook, blogs, e-mail, etc. and then turning in a written copy of what their main ideas are. This will help them organize their thoughts, so it would be helpful in the end. As for videos and games, I think that if they are teaching the lesson and main ideas just as well or better than traditional instruction would allow, then they are definitley suitable for use in the classroom.

I do think there is one main problem with using these technologies in the classroom, mostly with older students but recently with younger ones also. Many students abuse the opportunity to use facebook, video games, cell phones, etc. in class by using them for non-educational purposes during class. This can definitley be stressful for teachers who must monitor their students' actions while using these technologies. Another problem with my content area (elementary education) is that not all students have access to these technologies or are old enough to use them. However, if the technology is age-appropriate and is provided for use in class, then the students could definitley learn from them, and I think it would be helpful to investigate the misconception that "fun" technologies used at home cannot be beneficial in the classroom.
-Chrissy Cohn

Yellow Blog - Pamela Sorge

2009-03-07T19:30:00.001-08:00

I feel that my experiences with technology definitely have a huge impact on what I feel is appropriate/inappropriate uses of technology. From my experiences, there have been teachers who have used the same types of technology but in different ways. Some ways were actually beneficial to my learning and some ways made me dread going to certain classes. For starters, I feel like I’ve had quite a few teachers who have used a television in some way to enhance instruction. My English teacher in high school used it to show us different movie versions of Romeo and Juliet after we had read the story. I feel that this was an appropriate use of technology just because she had us watch the movies after we had read and tried to understand the story ourselves, which really helped to clear up any misconceptions we may have had after reading the story since Shakespeare is sometimes hard to understand. I’ve also had teachers who used a television in inappropriate ways. My History teacher in high school would record shows from the history channel and then play these shows every Friday. He would have us take notes, but he wouldn’t check our notes to make sure we understood what we watched, nor did he discuss anything from the show after it was over. I feel like it was a complete waste of time and it felt like he used it as a way to give himself a break from lecturing since that’s all he ever did. I never learned anything from those history shows, and his class actually made me hate history because it seemed so boring the way that he lectured it. On the other hand, like I discussed in my technobiography, I’ve had a teacher who completed reversed what my high school teacher did and changed my views on history by his unique use of technology. Although this professor lectured during the entire 2-week cram course, he lectured using PowerPoint to enhance his lecture. Instead of using PowerPoint for notes, he used it to display hundreds of pictures to give some type of visual to what he was lecturing. Again, as a visual learner, this really helped me to make connections and finally understand and appreciate history. I feel like this professor’s use of PowerPoint was the best that I have seen throughout my college experiences. Most professors use PowerPoint in their lectures, but most of them don’t even know how to appropriately use PowerPoint. For example, I have had teachers whose PowerPoints consist of all words and LOTS of words. This is one thing I’ve been taught that you’re not supposed to do when using a PowerPoint for presentations, yet, most professors do this. By having a lot of words, it makes it hard for me to concentrate on what the professor is saying because I’m trying to write down whatever is written on the PowerPoint. I feel that my experiences in the past with technology, as a student, have really helped me realize what appropriate/inappropriate uses of technology are. I feel like I can learn from my teachers’ mistakes of using technology in inappropriate ways by finding ways to use these technologies in appropriate ways. Fortunately, no teacher/professor has made me despise and not want to use a type of technology. I’m definitely open to the idea of trying my own ways of using technology to enhance my instruction, regardless of whether my experiences with that piece of technology were good or bad.

There really aren’t any similarities from my technobiography and my classroom post. When I wrote my technobiography, I discussed items that I use on a daily basis, such as the computer and internet, T.V., cell phone, game consoles, PDA, iPod, and etc. For my classroom post, I talked more about overhead projectors, televisions, computers and PowerPoint. There’s probably this difference because sometimes I don’t really think of using everyday technologies that I use on a regular basis in the classroom, or because my experience with technology in the classroom really haven’t included technologies that I use on a regular basis. The only similarities were the computer and internet, and television. Honestly, I don’t really see how things I listed as being used on a regular basis could be integrated into classroom instruction. I don’t feel that cell phones, game consoles, PDAs, or iPods could really enhance classroom instruction. If they can, then that’s something new to me! However, although I didn’t really list it, I do sometimes play computer games and I’ve had teachers in the past who used computer games like Oregon Trail for instruction. I don’t really remember what I learned by playing that game.. but for a good while, we played it every time we went to our computer class in elementary school. Just like we’re currently discussing, I feel that there are software games that can really enhance instruction and allow students to have fun while learning. Maybe someday there will be ways to use the other technologies I discussed in the classroom to enhance instruction in new and intriguing ways!

Lisa's Yellow Group Blog Post

2009-03-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

My attitude towards what I consider to be appropriate or inappropriate uses of technology in the classroom largely revolves around the experiences I have had while using the Internet. The internet is a vast place, filled with information that I would never have been able to just Google and instantly know during the times I was growing up in, which happen to be the 1980’s and 90’s. I have learned things since I have started surfing the Internet that I could never have imagined before. Also, I have been given more knowledge about things I couldn’t have learned in school, good and bad.
One of the good things that I have learned while being able to surf the internet is that no matter what it is that I want to know, I can find it somewhere on the internet. The only bad thing about that is that how do I know the information I find is accurate? Without knowing how to spot the fakes from the real information, I could be learning something that is completely incorrect and then start sharing it with other people.
Another good thing that I found while surfing the internet is that if I type something in the search engine box in the appropriate manner, I will instantly view a great number of links to find the exact piece of information that I want. The bad thing about that though, is that if I don’t know how to type what information I am looking for in the exact manner that it needs to be, I will end up looking at links that take me to places on the net that not only lead me away from the information I was looking for, but also to places I may not want to go, such as pornographic sights containing the same type of wording I typed into the search box. These types of experiences that I have had while surfing the net, give me some insight about using the Internet in my own classroom.
Being an English major, using the Internet to find information is something I am continually being expected to do. I have to find information for papers involving research on a particular topic that I am writing about, background and historical information about pieces I am given to read and evaluate and many other things. It is my assumption that I will be also expecting my high school students, and even middle school students, to utilize the Internet for particular topics that we are learning about in class. Since using the Internet is so important for my field of study, I believe that it will also be important for me to have the ability to access the Internet in my classroom, so that my students can learn how to use it as well.
When it comes to the question of technology that is appropriate or inappropriate in the classroom, the Internet remains a touchy subject. I personally believe that the Internet is not only appropriate in the classroom, but also completely necessary. It will only become inappropriate if it is not used properly. As a teacher, I will need to teach my students the proper ways to search for information and make sure that they understand how to be safe on the Internet. I will also need to make sure that there is proper security installed into the computer so that curious students are unable to fulfill their temptations of finding inappropriate material to look at.
When it comes to similarities and differences in my techno biography and my classroom post, I guess that I would say that they are completely different from one another for the main reason that I know so much more now about technology now than I did when I wrote my techno biography. I didn’t know much about different types of software that I could use as a teacher in my classroom let alone how to obtain them other then purchasing them myself. I did understand a little bit about teaching students about Internet safety, but I didn’t know much on how to go about making sure that curious students weren’t able to access inappropriate material. If you look at both posts, you can see that my classroom post is pretty much the beginning of a new era for me. An era filled with the prospects of technology in my classroom.
-Lisa Wojcik :)

Yellow Blog - Jenna Simmonds

2009-03-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

Looking back on my last post on technology in the classroom I have realized that while I agree with what I have said, I also feel as if my opinions on technology in the classroom may have changed a little bit. After reading many articles on technology in the classroom and how it affects the way teachers educate their students I feel as if too much attention is being paid to incorporating technology into the classroom. I think that some teachers may spend too much of their time trying to incorporate technology that they may lose sight of the more important learning goals set for students. Although, don't get me wrong, I still feel that technology in the classroom is important, but it should be presented in a less forceful way. For example I feel that teachers should motivate their students to type their papers before they turn them in, but they shouldn't make it mandatory. Some student's and their families cannot afford a computer or other technology. I truly believe that it is important for students to be able to use a computer and other forms of technologies so I think it is important that schools present different types of technologies to their students.
There are both similarities and differences between my techno biography and my classroom technology post. In many ways it is similar because I still believe that technology has made a big impact on my educational and personal life. Without technology I would have lost touch with friends, been unable to present information, not have an immediate source to conduct research and much more. I feel that it is extremely important for children to be aware of how to use technology and how helpful it is. Technology makes student's lives much easier now then even 10 years ago. When we need a quick answer that is credible and legitimate all someone has to do is log on to the Internet and google the answer. Although it is so easy to find a good source of information, I think students should be taught the difference between credible and not credible sources. I think teachers should take a little bit of time out of their instruction to show students how to pick and choose a proper website for research, as well as how to quote the website to lessen plagiarism. A difference that I see between my first post and this one is that I feel some time should be taken out of lessons to show students the different types of technologies, but not too much. I deem that teachers feel the pressure of teaching student's technology and this affectts the way they instruct their classroom. I think technology is an extremely important tool for everyone, but when it comes to education in the classroom it should not be the most important topic taught.

Yellow Blog group 1-Meghan Wilson

2009-03-01T10:09:00.001-08:00

My experiences with technology have definitely shaped what I think is an appropriate versus an inappropriate use for technology. I feel as though the best types of learning with technology take place when you don't realize you're learning as with my experience playing the game "Oregon Trail" in my elementary school days. I really enjoyed this game, I was getting hands-on experience with a computer for the first time, and was learning at the same time without actually realizing it. I see certain technology as beneficial in my life, such as my cell phone, my computer, the internet, and my GPS, all of which I use weekly if not daily. My overall experiences with technology in everyday life shape how I think technology should be used in the classroom in that I see the importance and growing need for technology in the classroom as it is being used more and more in everyday life throughout the world. I also view technology as something that can enhance a classroom as it can "enhance" life or at least make it easier. Technology can do many things within a classroom such as save time, reach different types of learners, create a more engaging lesson or atmosphere, and "make the impossible, possible." Technology also does much of the same thing for us in our daily lives. If our car breaks down and we become stranded, we have a cell phone to call for help (or if you have a fancy car, you might have onstar), or if we are lost we can count on our GPS system to get us back home safely. I think if we can have our students make these connections between life and technology as well as education and technology, it will become more successfully integrated within the

2009-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yellow Blog Group #1 KeraV.

2009-02-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

Looking back on my previous blogs about technology, I see that my attitude towards techonology is mostly good. I think technology can be a great asset in the classroom and can create interest and creativity. Overall, we do rely on technology too much as students. I know I rely on technology for research, papers, communicating with friends, listening to music, spell/grammar check, and so much more. If I think back on my experiences in school however, my teachers didn't integrate technology as much as they could have.

Technology can be used in so many different areas in the classroom and can be very effective if used properly. After class discussions and readings, my views have changed slightly. I feel as though some technology standards are forcing teachers to integrate technology and involving teaching around technology instead of the other way around. There are also technologies that are appropriate in classrooms and those that are intended for entertainment purposes. With so many programs out there, teachers need to research and decide whether certain programs or technologies are appropriate in the classroom.

Overall, I think that most of my posts are very similar. Even though I do have some holdbacks when it comes to technology in the classrooms, most of my thoughts are postive. Technology is an enormous aid in today's society and I think it should be used as often as possible if it is benefiting our learning.

Green Group 1

2009-02-23T18:16:00.001-08:00

The technologies that I use at home are mostly for entertainment purposes. Like I said before I mainly use the computer to manage my music and other media. I have about ten thousand songs in my iTunes library which I play though a 5 piece stereo speaker system that takes advantage of HD surround sound. As you can tell music and how it sounds is a very important concern in my use of technology. Having said that I do use the technology at home for other things such as research, word processing, and school work, but my main focus remains on music. Other technologies in my life include my Black Berry, iPod, and Xbox 360. As I think about these technologies it makes me realize that most of them have little or no use in the classroom and could be even deemed inappropriate.

I suppose it’s obvious that my previous posts about technology at home and the role of technology in the classroom are completely different from each other. I believe that there are certain technologies that are appropriate for at home and ones that are acceptable for the classroom. This belief came to be shaped by the simple fact that my use for technology at home has nothing to do with my use of technology at school. They are two separate things and should remain so. When “entertainment”
technologies are brought into a school setting they only act as a distraction.

One technology that I use that serves a dual purpose is my BlackBerry. The convenience of getting my emails sent to my phone keeps me up to date with changes in class syllabus, class cancelations, or even just general information about events on campus through the daily digest.

Overall the majority of technology that I use in my life is either for entertainment or school purposes. Their uses remain distinctly different and rarely cross over.

Jon Scharff

Green Group Blog 1

2009-02-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

I guess what it all boils down to for me is that I do think that using technology in the classroom is great. Obviously, I would be better off in today's sort of world if technology was better intergrated into my own school background. This is the way that the world is going. We are constantly adjusting to new or updated technology to keep in touch with the world. I guess, though I think that sometimes we rely a little too heavily in this modern world on the latest and greatest digital whatevers, and perhaps lose some of our basic creativity/functionality. You know, its kind of sad how wierd and out of place some people feel if for some reason they left their phone or ipod at home, or do not have access to the internet for long periods of time (that period is to be determined by each individual). Heck, if I did not have my phone, I would never be able to call up my best friend, or even my brother. I never commited their numbers to memory or bothered to right them down in a good old fashion phone/address book. This brings me back to how technology can be great this day of age. I loose a phone number, no worries, I am so connected I can look it up online, or at the very least, email or facebook message my friend to get it back.

My problem with technology is that I only use the more basic items, I find that either other uses/items are more expensive, or I am just not that into them. I have to be motivated to use certain technologies. I feel that this point is the same I would be making when using technology in my classroom. I would need to make a good argument as to what types of technology I will choose to introduce in my lessons, and what benefits my student's will get out of them. I will have to also determine how reasonable (price) the technology is, and how easy it is to manage.

I need to learn more about technology in classrooms, know whats out there first and foremost.

~~Yael S.

Me, Technology, and Education

2009-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

I found this blog topic very interesting especially after the events of this weekend. On Saturday my cell phone carrier called me and informed me that I was eligible for an upgrade. I was so excited because I'm definitely a "tech freak". I always have to have the newest cell phone, Ipod, laptop, etc. So I raced to the nearest VZW store to see what new, interesting gadget I would be using to communicate with my friends and family. As I was in the store pawning over the latest addition to Verizon's mobile phone line up, the Blackberry Storm, I began to second guess my "need" for this new piece of technology. Did I really "need" to have this phone? Did I really need to upgrade to the newest Ipod at Christmas when the one I had was perfectly fine. Do I really need the new laptop I've been searching for considering the one I have is just a little over a year old? To conclude my saga I left the store Blackberryless ( if that's a word). I said all this to make the point that I do not believe technology makes children learn better, quicker, or more. I feel that it is just a perk, extra, fun, cool, new, and interesting, but not neccessary to perform basic tasks( by technology I mean the new innovative products that are created almost every day, not basic inventions like the telephone, television,stove,etc). In the classroom it would be great to have the latest ELMO, projector, and a fully equipped computer lab in the school library. I believe that technology makes education more marketable and in this current technology based era it is an asset to know how to use technology in and out of the classroom. Technology also makes learning a more hands on experience and it definitely helps to give the educational reigns over to the students, which makes most constructivists happy. As a whole technology makes knowledge more accessible for students, leaving the teacher in the role of facilitator not deliverer, and all-knowing leader. I am not against technology in the classroom, however I do not believe it helps children to learn more efficiently. I think the quality of the education still lies in the hands of the teacher, the parent, the student, and the available information whether its through technology, books, or hands-on experiences.

Green Group Blog #1

2009-02-21T12:51:00.001-08:00

Since I have been exposed to so much technology, I think that for the most part, technology can be a huge help in the classroom. When trying to engage young children and keep their interest, resorting to educational computer games every so often is not a bad thing. I can remember being in elementary school and loving when my teacher gave me an opportunity to play on the computer. Even though I would always only be allowed to play a certain game, or do a specific activity, I would enjoy it so much more than if I had to do the same activity on paper at my desk. My friends and I would always pay attention more when using the computers, and try harder when doing the activity. Because of this, I personally that using technology such as computers to practice a certain topic, is a very good resource. Now a days, the technology of computers has changed drastically from when I was in elementary school. There are many more advanced computer programs that can be both helpful and not helpful in the classroom. I think that even though computer games may be fun for most children, there will always be those students with behavioral problems who fool around on the computer instead of learning. Sometimes, it is necessary for the teacher to continue doing a lesson without the use of the computer. Also, since the cost of computers to use in a school can be so astronomical, it is hard for school systems to provide enough computers for all these students. This leaves the students in lower income areas, without computers, to lack the knowledge of using some advanced technology that other young children are growing up with. I think technology is a good resource in the classroom, but it can not be the only resource. Students need to know how to do some things without relying on a computer, or the internet. In the classroom, there needs to be an equilibrium of technology teaching and “old-school” teaching, which should be implemented by the teacher. I plan to introduce my students to the use of technology, without over doing it.

There are many similarities in my techno-biography and my classroom technology post. Both show my background of using technology daily since before I can remember. Throughout elementary school, high school, and college, I was exposed to many varieties of technology both in the classroom and out of it. Since I have learned through technology, I find it necessary for my future students to learn through the many ways of technology as well.

Technology in the classroom

2009-02-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

As I look back on my technobiography and posts, I realize that technology has greatly effected my life in both good and bad ways. While I believe technology has provided a lot of positives, I also believe technology can bring some negatives. Throughout my life, I have seen technology used in many different ways. I believe there is a huge difference in technology being appropriately used in the classroom, and technology being used to simply say it was used. During a discussion in class the other day, I stated that I believe in a general education classroom, technology should be used solely to help teach the content. If technology is being used to show students what is "new", I do not think it is being appropriately used. I believe specials should be used for this type of instruction. When I had classes that used technology for unapparent reasons, I was never interested. While I do use technology in my everyday life, I am not very fond of it. Daily troubleshooters that arise, such as my Internet going out, really frustrates me. As a future educator, I try not to let the fact that I am not good at using technology judge whether or not I integrate it into my classroom. Rather, I judge whether or not a certain piece of technology can truly help the children learn the information being presented.
Gina Pagliaccetti

Looking back at my posts

2009-02-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

Looking back at my previous posts I have noticed that technology has shaped both my life and education in both positive and negative ways. I realized that my attitudes towards technology are directly affected by my previous experiences. I never really knew much about technology or computers when I was younger. They were just becoming popular and were still pretty expensive. When I was in Elementary School, I got my first taste of technology with the Apple Computers; but those never really sparked my interest.
Once I reached the upper grades in my Elementary School I got introduced to the Dell Computers which I loved. But I never really understood what a computer could do until I reached Middle School and had to take technology classes. However, once I left that class the only thing I could remember was how to type correctly and fast. Maybe that is why I am still a little computer illiterate today. I never really had the chance or interest to explore the computer and everything that it is capable of performing. Hopefully this class will help open my eyes to the all the benefits that both computers and technology can have in both my future teaching carreer and life.

Technology in the classroom.

2009-02-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

Technology in the classroom is something that gets a little tricky. When teachers use too much technology, students seem to get unmotivated and lessons just turn into lectures. I think that using power points have their advantages and disadvantages. In one of my classes this year, one of my teacher uses a power point to go over all the notes. Normally, I wouldn't like that because when teachers do that all I do is copy and not look at what I'm actually writing down. The way that she makes it better is by having us fill in things. So instead of just handing out a ditto or having us copy everything, she gives us the best of both worlds. I think that technology needs to be integrated into the classroom because its a huge part of everyones lives now, no matter what job you have. I don't think that cell phones and ipods and things like that are appropriate for the classroom, even though I know that I'm a student who is on her cellphone during class. I think that technology should be used in fun ways like to make reports, educational games, group projects and things like that. Another thing that I like in the classroom is when we watch videos and mini clips. I see a lot of my teachers now using youtube clips and showing us portions of videos. I think that things like that are a good use of technology as long as what your showing has value to what your trying to teach.

Technology in the classroom

2009-02-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

Thinking back about all my experiences with technology in my classrooms shaped the way I feel about integrating technology today. In grade school, technology was used more by the teachers then students due to the limited amount of computers as well as access. When children are given the opportunity to use technological appliences in the classroom, it gives them varitey. I think that variety is not only helpful but also important in getting the students motivated and ready to learn. However, I think there should be a limit as to what students should be doing for example when using a computer. Some children may think computers are the easy way out. To some extent they are. There have been so many times where the computer has helped me increase a grade due to the help that microsoft words provides for my grammar. The problem with that was when it was time to actually handwrite the paper myself, I had a number of grammar mistakes that I most likely did not notice because nobody underlined it for me like the computer does. In high school, technology was introduced a bit differently. It was strictly used for assignments, and introducing new information. Unlike in elementary school, I did not get the opportunity to use the computer for learning games such as phonics, math etc. Though I still think it gave me variety which as I mentioned before definately motivated me.
As I looked back at my first blog, I still feel the same about teachers using technology for lessons in the classroom. I happen to be a visual learner, so when teachers provide powerpoints to my classes, I learn and understand the information more efficiently. Not only had my technology experience made things easier for me, but it has also introduced me to so many new ideas and skills and still help me today. Using technology may at times be the easier way out, but if the students are learning like I did then I feel it is okay.

Red Group: Effect of Attitudes & Experiences

2009-02-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

My attitudes about technology and my experiences with it definitely affect the way I think about how, why, and when technology should be used in various classroom settings. My techno-bio and classroom situation posts overlap. In my techno-bio, I mentioned my uneasy relationship with technology. I’m sure my unease stems from relative inexperience beyond the basics of word processing, emailing, and online researching. Overall, I’m a late adopter of almost any new technology (in or out of a classroom), not because I oppose it, but because I’m not easily convinced that I need the next new thing.

In my classroom situation post, an inadequate number of computers in the library affected the successful integration of technology. At my current, overcrowded elementary school, there is no classroom with a 1:1 ratio of computers to students except the computer lab. It is nearly fully booked each day, so it’s hard to get access to it other than your own scheduled Special. In my post, I didn’t use a classroom example from my K-college years. The technologies used now are light years beyond what was available then. That the media have changed doesn’t necessarily make the old ways more effective or less effective; some older technologies have a place in today’s classrooms. From working in K-3 classrooms for the past six years, I’ve seen that students don’t mind the old technologies. While the kids love a chance to use computers, it’s also exciting for them to write on the chalkboard, use markers on dry erase boards, use manipulatives to learn math facts, or get picked to write on a transparency.

From my classroom experience, I’ve also noticed that teachers’ first choice is to use technology they are familiar and comfortable with. With some exceptions, I’ve seen that younger teachers are more likely than older ones to use new technologies. For many teachers I’ve observed, it is easier to use tried and true technology like overhead projectors. However, I think that appropriately integrating new technology can become simpler for any educator, including future media specialists like me, with enough initiative, practice, and planning.

Technology and Me

2009-02-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

Technology has been part of my life for a very long time dating back to elementary school. As I got older technologies such as pagers, cell phones, TI 83's, and laptops were introduced. I have always been fond of technology, my favorite toy as a child was my Vtech ( a computer-like toy). I got my first pager at about 13, a cell phone at 14, a computer at 14, and numerous cell phones, Ipods, and laptops later here I am, the tech. freak...

Blue group

2009-02-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

I think my experiences in the classroom have really made my beliefs about technology in the classroom what they are today. I also feel that my experiences with technology in every day life are not consistent with what is appropriate use of technology in the classroom. I feel that technology in the classroom needs to be regulated, and also not relied on too heavily. Students should not think that their only reference tool is the internet. I also feel that technology should only be used for educational purposes ie: reference, educational games, etc... However, I do not use technology in this way in my leisure. I mostly use technology for communication, games, and other sources of entertainment. I do use technology for educational purposes frequently, but the bulk of my technological usage hinders toward the entertainment side. I would say my view own technological use is similar from my technological biography in that I only referenced entertainment purposes in my autobiography. I didn't mention any educational references to my own use of technology. In my other post, I said how technology had benefited my own learning in the classroom. When technology can be used to help understand a concept, it should definitely be integrated. My technological biography and my classroom post were completely different in these two regards. On one, I only wrote only about my experiences in the classroom, and on the other, how I use technology as entertainment. I do also believe that techonlogy in the classroom should have some sort of fun aspect to it, but should not be its main purpose.

Blue Group Post Feb. 9, 2009

2009-02-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

I think that my attitudes and experiences shape what I think are good and bad uses of technology in the classroom. For example I think that I am at a medium level of technological literacy and I feel that I could integrate different forms of technology into my classroom as a teacher that would be able to help my students visualize and conceptualize information. I think that with my blog on integration of technology I would want to incorporate different technologies that helped me learn and others as I see it helps my students. I feel that it is good to use visual aides that help students see and hear the same material. I would want to incorporate different technologies that would accommodate different learning styles. Students that were more audio visual learners would benefit from sound bites and visual power points. Students that are more hands on learners could be involved with making their own power points and using different technologies themselves in the classroom. I think that email, cell phones, and other communicative devices are considered "bad" technologies and shouldn't be used in the classroom. But I think in some forms they are just fine. For example I think that using cell phones to stay in touch with the teacher or group members is just fine, yet using the cell phone for keeping in touch with friends during the school lesson is inappropriate. I think that email is a great technological tool that can send ideas, questions, and information from student to student, teacher to parent, and student to teacher.
There are a lot of similarities between my latest two blogs. I think that I am familiar with a lot of technologies that are used in the classroom. I know that from my best classroom experience the technologies that were used I have become familiar with and try to use in presentations and in my teachings at internship schools. There are some differences, I know there is one piece of technology that I did not become familiar with which was pod casts.
I do feel that technology can be incorporated into the classroom accordingly and can be beneficial for student learning.
-Kami B.

Blue group-post 1

2009-02-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

My opinions about the use of technology in the classroom have been shaped somewhat by my own experiences of it in the classroom. I think that educational videos, access to the internet for research and activities that reinforce learning, and communication devices all have a place either in the classroom or as a resource outside of it. For example, the Bill Nye videos I watched in science really helped to reinforce the concepts I was learning, so I think that anything that helps students visualize what they are learning is appropriate and helpful in the classroom. My experience with using the internet as a source for verifying and researching information helped me to complete assignments, and I think that is a valuable resource to have in the classroom. Communication through e-mail, social networking sites, and cell phones help students and teachers to communicate about projects, homework, etc. This has been extremely necessary, especially in college.
However, I don't think that all technology is apprpriate in the classroom, and this relates to my technobiography. Although I use technology often, I do not think I am an expert at using a computer, a cell phone, a DVD player, etc. I feel that if those things were mandatory, I would not be good enough at using them to efficiently integrate them into the classroom. If I was expected to teach students how to use certain technologies, I don't think I would be able to clearly explain them since I do not understand them myself. I feel like students should not always use computers or calculators when they can get the answer easily enough without them.
My technobiography mentions that I use technology in my everyday life. Because of this, I do believe that technologies which are necessary for use in everyday life are appropriate in school. This includes how to use a computer to type a paper, look up information, find pictures, and send e-mails. However, I don't think it is appropriate to teach students how to use computer programs that will not be used often just for the purpose of integrating technology. That might be a waste of time that could be spent on more valuable instruction.
I think the only connection between my technobiography and my experiences with technology in the classrom is that both of them list technologies that I could use in everyday life either for communication or learning. Therefore, that is what shaped my views about what technology is appropriate to use in the classroom.
-Chrissy C

Classroom Technology

2009-02-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Throughout my education there has always been some kind of technology in the classroom used to help the students learn. One specific example that I can think of comes from when I was in high school. I was a Junior in a world history class and part of our requirement for the class was a research paper. At the beginning, none of the students knew exactly how we were going to do our research or what we were going to write about, good thing the teacher had a plan. The plan was to use the mobile cart of laptops and bring them into the class so we could walk through how to use the research database Ebsco. By allowing everyone to have a lap top, it made it much easier for the teacher to tell us students exactly what we wanted. He could just show us what to do on the laptop hooked up to the projecter, it helped lay the ground work for our papers. Other then the benifits already described the use of the laptops in the classroom placed everyone in the class on the same level, in terms of how we were to complete the assignment. The instruction was clear and that day in class if we had any questions they could be easily answered with a demonstration of how to use the database. Starting our research for our papers this way was definitely very benificial to everyone in the class.

Gina Pagliaccetti Classroom Technology

2009-02-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

All throughout my education, I have experienced the use of technology in my classrooms as an aid for teaching. One situation in which technology was used to help me learn that sticks out in my mind was during my freshman year of high school. During each year of high school, I was assigned to write a research paper in my English class. As an introductory lesson, my class was taken to the library to receive a lesson from the librarian. In each classroom in the library there was a Smart Board. The librarian began by showing the class how to look up and access books and other materials throughout the library. This entailed signing onto my high school’s website, clicking a link for the library, and using that site to search materials held in the library. She then continued to use the Smart Board in order to show us how to properly search the Internet for articles and other information we could use in our research papers. She began by signing onto the Internet using a keyboard. Throughout the lesson, the librarian allowed us to use the Smart Board by doing things such as touching a link projected onto the Smart Board in order to navigate through different sites. While most of the students were interested in the Smart Board, I felt it did not have much to do with the lesson. Aside from providing a large screen for all of the students to easily see, I do not think the Smart Board benefited the lesson. While the students did have the opportunity to search the web by touching the board, I feel the same could have been done using a projector connected to a keyboard and mouse. I do, however, feel the Smart Board is a very useful piece of technology when used in a more beneficial way. I feel in this situation it was not necessary.

Technology in the classroom

2009-02-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

I have used technology in many of my classes, but one instance that really sticks out to me was in a physical science course here at Towson. I cannot remember the exact details of what we were doing, but it had to do with molecule collision in relation to temperature. At first, the instructor explained what physically happened, and tried to explain it to us through lecture. Afterward, each group was given a laptop to recreate this experiment through a simulator. This allowed us to see the concept from a visual perspective, and also allowed us to control the variables througout the experiment. I thought this was a great way to reinforce what we had learned in the lecture because it gave us ownership over the concept since we could control it for ourselves. Since it would be impossible for us to physically view the molecules, using a simulator was extremely helpful in our understanding.

2009-02-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

All throughout grade school and during my three years at towson I have used technology in many of my classes. During grade school, mostly in science classes, my teachers provided us with powerpoints as their source of notes. I also became very familiar with using powerpoints myself to complete projects. Throughout college I have gotten the opportunity to become familiar with using blackboard. I have used blackboard in many of my classes as a source of turning in assignments and communicating with my class members. The most recent class I have used blackboard as a source of communication was in my African American Literature class that I took second semester sophomore year. This class was 50% in class and 50% online. Every week we had to read a piece of literature and post our reactions on blackboard. After we posted, we had to respond to at least 4-5 other member's posts in the class. I really liked having 50% of the class online because to me it was much more efficient then listening to lectures twice a week. I think having us use blackboard was good because knowing that I had to post every week encouraged me to constantly read and complete my homework. A more recent class where I used technology a lot was in my ELED 320 class. In this class we had many grammar presentations to complete in which powerpoint was an option to use. I found that powerpoint helped a lot because my group members and I got to teach my class, for example Grammar in Context, in a clear and understandable way. Everything we put on the slides we discussed more thoroughly to make sure that my class members understood it. I like using powerpoint for presentations and I definitely like when professors use it as well.

2009-02-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

Throughout my entire education up until this point, technology has always been incorporated in my classrooms. I never had an idea of how big of a role that it played in my education until now. I feel that integrating different types of technologies into the classroom to aide new learning is a wonderful idea. Technology is everywhere in our society today and I feel that it gives students a great way to connect new information being learned to everyday life. However, I do not think that technologies such as computers, Internet, the television, etc. should replace teaching. The integration of technology and teaching should go hand in hand.
I remember being in my Elementary School and finally getting computers in our classroom. We had always had a computer lab, but never one in our actual classroom. Every student in the class was excited and when it came to free time, everyone fought over who was going to get a chance to use the computer first. It got so bad that my teacher had to come up with a computer schedule and students could only go on the class computer the day that they were assigned.
The computer was one of the first pieces of technology incorporated in my school learning and I can remember the first time technology really impacted my learning.
I was in the fifth grade and our class was writing a thank you letter to a guest speaker. My teacher thought that it would be better if our class letter was typed. So, she hooked her computer up to the television so we could all see what was being typed. I just thought it was so cool that you could view a computer through a TV and that activity really inspired me to learn to type better on the computer. The computer/TV display aided our class in constructing an appropriate thank you letter.
If you were ask me a little bit ago whether technology really impacted my learning, I would have said no. But now I see and understand that technology has played a big role in my education and that it can play a big role in the minds of my future students if used appropriately.

2009-02-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

Throughout my learning experience, I have been exposed to many uses of technology. My senior year in high school, in my Math Pre-Calculus classroom, we were introduced to the SmartBoards. All year we had been using powerpoint, and the overhead projector. Around February, our classroom had a smartboard installed. As a student, it seemed like so much fun to use the markers on the board to click on things on the computer. My teacher would give us lessons and notes on the smartboard, and she could do such cool things with images and even the words on the microsfot word pages that she had her notes designed on. THe one thing I did notice, was how much trouble the teacher had getting accustomed to the new smartboard. At first, she did very basic things with it. She would make notes on Microsoft word, project them on to the smart board, and use the different colored markers to give examples, make images, and highlight what was important. As the teacher, she had to spend the extra time after school learning how to adjust her classroom to incorporate this smartboard. I am sure that there was many other cool and educational things my teacher could have done with the smartboard, that she was not even aware of at the time. All I remember my teacher saying was how much she missed the over head transparencies and powerpoint, because she knew how to use those. I would love to go back into that high school classroom today and see what amazing things they must be using that smartboard for now. Three years later, I'm sure the smartboard in that classroom can do many things with images, equations, and numbers for math lessons. Although at first it seemed to be trouble-some, it gave me a positive educational experience in my pre-calculus math classroom. I think that the use of technology is very beneficial in the every day classroom. It enables the minds of students more and more. Looking at a powerpoint presentation gets to be very boring, but when the teacher can play around and add things (like on the smartboard) to the powerpoint, the lesson becomes interactive. I can remember everybody in my senior year pre calculus class listening and paying attention, so we could all get our chance to use the silly little interactive markers on the board. Using technology makes students interested in the lesson because it usually makes things less boring! Technology gives the students a chance to become interactive with the lesson, and interested to pay attention. I hope that when I become a teacher I am given the chance to work with up to date technology. This past semester, working at a sturggling Baltimore City elementary school, I learned how technology can be hard to work with at times. My teacher always used the ELMO overhead projector, and many times it did not work correctly, and/or would distort the images and words. Right away the students would start fooling around, because they saw how caught up the teacher would be with having the projector work correctly. Even though sometimes technology can mess up, I beleive that the use of technology is a key ingredient when establishing an effective classroom. I have learned through it, and I hope my future students can learn through it at as well.

Integration of Technology in My Classroom

2009-02-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

Technology has been a major part of many of my classrooms. After thinking back to many of those experiences I think that one experience where technology made the most impact on my learning was in a college history course that dealt with U.S. history from 1912 to about 1980s. Past history courses from high school, never really excited me or made me want to learn. I feel the reason for this was a lot of my learning was text book based and I also did a lot of teaching myself the material for the course from the textbook and from the Internet. Technology was used in the high school history course but it mostly was over heads on a projector that the teacher would go over word for word and have the students take notes. However, once I enrolled in the U.S. history course at Towson my thought on History changed forever. The class was made up of college students from all different majors and there were about 35-40 students in the class. The professor integrated many different types of technology into his classroom teaching. The different types of technology included PowerPoint presentations, video clips from YouTube, video clips from actual movies, podcast, recordings of famous (historical) people talking and famous speeches, and pictures of different art from the time period we were studying. The way that the professor taught was very different than I was used to, because I was enthralled with the material and so fascinated, and I couldn't help but pay attention. His lessons never had the students staring at one same type of media for a long period of time. For example, for a lesson he would have a PowerPoint set up and within the PowerPoint he set up links that would take the class to a podcast, or a video clip, or he would show us part of a movie, or take us to an art gallery online. He changed my thoughts on just a plain PowerPoint presentation with just words, and opened my thoughts to PowerPoint that include links, and sounds, and many pictures. What my professor did with the technology in the classroom allowed me to really relate to the material and internalize the information because I was able to create memories based on the technology used that day. Because I was able to internalize all the information from the course I feel that all the effort and time that the professor put into his lessons was well worth it for the students, at least I know it was for me. I don't feel that I would have done as well as I did in the course if so many different technologies were not used.

The Integration of Technology into a Classroom

2009-02-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

I feel that technology is an important tool that can enhance students’ learning and understanding of a new concept. For as long as I can remember, technology has been used in some way in all of my classroom experiences. From elementary to high school, the most used technologies were overhead projectors, televisions, computers and possibly PowerPoint. Throughout my college experience, the most widely used technology has been PowerPoint, and I’ve only recently been introduced to the Elmo. However, there is only one real experience that I will always remember where a professor’s use of technology completely changed my view on history.
About a year ago, I had to take a winter cram course on colonial history, which was a requirement for my A.A.T. degree. Before taking this class, I really hated the idea of history. I didn’t understand any of it, nor did I care to understand it. This ignorance was the result of past teachers and professors who succeeded in making history seem boring and confusing with their monotone and unorganized lectures. Very little technology was used and if it was used, it was used inappropriately (i.e. playing videos recorded from the history channel for an entire class). Needless to say, I wasn’t looking forward to my 2 week long cram course, with a 4 hour history lesson every day. Fortunately, to my surprise, this professor found a new, intriguing way of using technology to enhance his history lectures. Every day, our class of about 30 would come into class and sit in our seats, all facing the front of the classroom. The professor would lecture the entire class using PowerPoint to enhance his lecture. However, the difference between how this professor used PowerPoint compared to how other professors use PowerPoint is that he used it for visual purposes only. There were no notes on his PowerPoints; only pictures. This professor would use his own notes to lecture from, along with the many MANY pictures that he had compiled into a PowerPoint. This technique really worked for me because usually when professors provide notes on a PowerPoint, I get compulsive and have to write down every word verbatim, causing me to miss anything that the professor is lecturing. Therefore, by not providing any notes, I was forced to actively listen and only write down the information that I felt was important to know for the test, which would make sense to me when studying the notes later since they were in my own words, and not the professor’s. Also, considering that I’m a visual learner, using pictures really enhanced my understanding of history. In the past, history teachers and professors have used a lecture only approach, which obviously has been ineffective in my case. By adding the use of visuals, I was able to create a mental image of the parts of history that were taught. This really helped me to remember the information and allow me to recall the information when it came to his written tests. Not only that, but for once I was able to find myself having intelligent conversations with friends and family about history because of my new found understanding of it. I can’t possibly put into words the impact this professor made on my views of history by his unique use of technology, but I can say that if it weren’t for him I wouldn’t have an appreciation for the past, which is actually really important because history is what shaped the country we know as America, today.

Technology in my Classroom

2009-02-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

To be perfectly honest, I haven't really thought about the technology my teachers have used in the classroom until now. I have watched many videos during my years in school and I have seen a number of Power Point presentations. I haven't really ever thought about how these things have affected my learning, but now that I think about it, there have been a couple of times that my teachers have used to technology to enhance my learning experience.
Last semester my Foundations of Education teacher used a Power Point presentation to teach the class about the history of education. He lectured on the history of schools and school houses and then broke the class into groups to do a short group assignment. While we were completing the assignment the teacher left the pictures of old school houses cycling through on the Power Point. While I was doing the assignment, I looked at the pictures cycling over and over again. After the class was over I continued to remember those pictures on the screen in front of the classroom. I still remember them and they remind me of what the school houses of long ago looked like. The pictures even helped me to do better on my test. I really enjoyed those pictures and they really helped me to remember what I learned in class that evening.
Another time that I remember a teacher using technology that helped me to learn, was when I was in High School. My biology teacher used to show the class videos that went into more detail about what he had lectured on that week. We would watch the videos every Friday. They were usually related to animals or whatever else we learned that week. Not only were the videos enjoyable, but I still remember the things the videos covered. That visual stimulation really imprinted on my brain what my teacher was trying to teach me and my other classmates. To this day I really think that videos are a great way to enforce something students have learned, or even a great way to introduce a new subject.

Technology in classroom

2009-02-02T18:52:00.001-08:00

One way, and the most recent way that I remember using technology effectively for a class was in my Childrens' Lit class last semester here at Towson. We had a textbook for that class that was very thorough and well written. It was so thorough that there was a website that "accompanied" the book. Every so often there would be a "listen here" marker printed in italics. What one had to do was go to the website and find the code that matches up to the place in the book to listen to sound clips/interviews, watch videos or read articles--all expanding on the text. Our teacher would assign what she called on "read and listen" every week, so that we could discuss our findings the very next week in class. I know this is using very basic technologies, but I think it is ingenious how the textbook incorporated a very thorough website to act as a bridge to help connect and expand/elaborate upon the written text. And I can see using books like these in the future with my students. It is far more engaging than only reading dull texts.

Classroom Technology

2009-02-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

One class that i used technology to learn was in my physical science class. Everyday 75% of the class was time for us to do hands on activities. Sometimes we had to use computers for simulations. We were able to use the computer to demonstrate what we would be doing if we were doing it as an experiment. It allowed me to change the values and see what would happen in different situations. One time we learned about gases and used the simulation to learn that. It was worth while to use because you cant see gas molecules changing in any real life experiment. We were able to use the simulation for that. We looked at things being heated and cooled and what happens to their molecules. It really helped everyone to visualize what it looks like when something is heated rather than just writing it down in notes. Everyone in the class enjoyed using the simulations and used them as a way to remember it. We were able to write down the answers to what was going on in a workbook. As well, our teacher made drawings on the chalk board and each group drew what it looked like in the glass on the board. It was a fun lesson and I still remember everything that I did it in.

Technology in my classroom.

2009-02-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

Technology in the classroom is a great idea. It gives teachers and students the chance to go beyond the boring textbooks and put their own creativity to learning. I don't recall my teachers using technology in the classrooms until my sophomore year in high school. Then, I was able to take computer classes that taught us how to type correctly. The rest of my years in high school didn't involve too much technology. Every now and then we'd get to use computers for research, but that was it.
When I started to attend Cecil Community College, there was more and more technology available in the classrooms. One teacher that I had at Cecil used technology every class. During my first two years of college I had this teacher for Educational Psychology and Child Growth and Development. These classes had about 15-20 students in it. For every class meeting she had a PowerPoint presentation created to explain the chapter we were studying. She also gave everyone a print out of the presentation so we could take notes on it. I enjoyed this technology because it gave a me a visual view of the material [and not just an old textbook view] plus space to take notes myself. Also during these classes we had many chances to make PowerPoint presentations for different projects, as well as time to research on the school computers.
Without this technology in the classroom, I think the class would have been less interesting because we would have been reading out of the textbook everyday. With the computer in the classroom we were able to see her input on the chapters through the PowerPoint, plus we were able to view videos from the internet. Technology is a great benefit for the classroom and I feel the more technology available for students and teachers, the better.

How technology was integrated into my classroom

2009-02-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

As far as I can remember technology has been integrated into my classrooms. There is a vast amount of technology that my teacher's have used to share information with their students. Starting with computers to do research, an overhead projector and elmo to communicate with the class, powerpoint presentations to share information and television to show movies or t.v. clips.
There is a specific time when I can remember one of my teachers sharing their information with my class via a powerpoint presentation to help my peers and I learn. After the presentation my teacher then brought in the television for us to view a movie about the discussed topic. I was in my 11th grade, AP environmental science class. At the time my teacher was introducing the topic of pollution and how if humans continue to pollute the earth it could result in serious measures, such as global warming. My teacher introduced to us the basic information about pollution, erosion, and serious world disasters caused by pollution through a powerpoint presentation. The powerpoint was extremely effective because on the slides there were only a few words and my teacher went into more detail about each bullet point to elaborate on the topics. He also incorporated many eye catching pictures that held the class's attention and interest. I thought by integrating this form of technology into the classroom it was extremely beneficial. My reasoning for this is, rather then my teacher simply lecturing to the class he found a way to incorporate technology to make the topic more appealing. The inclusion of the pictures really helped the lesson go smoother over all. Rather then the students asking questions such as, what does pollution look like, or what did some of the natural disasters look like, the pictures the teacher provided on the powerpoint slides answered our questions for us. Furthermore, after my teacher presented us with the written information via powerpoint he allowed us to watch a video on the television that was in the class. The movie he let us view was, The Day After Tomorrow. After viewing this movie I had a better understanding of how important it is to keep our earth clean and free of pollution. I thought his approach towards furthering our understanding of the topic by using technology in the classroom was a fantastic idea. I can truly say that both my classmates and I enjoyed listening to our teacher's powerpoint presentation and viewing the video. This lesson left such an impact on my learning that I can still remember it to this day. Without the technology that my teacher used to get his information across, the lesson would have been less interesting, ordinary, and less creative. I greatly feel that technology has a postive impact on education. -Jenna S.

Blog Assignment #1

2009-02-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Technology has been used by my teachers throughout my entire educational experience. I can remember working on computers since the early grades of Elementary school and my professors currently use various forms of technology to teach my classes today. These include using computers for powerpoint presentations, word processing, and the internet for research or communication. My teachers have also used videos, DVDs, and electronic devices that allowed us to respond to the teacher's questions in class. Although I have found these technologies to be interesting and helpful, I can only think of a few instances where technology really helped me understand a concept.
One time that this happened was in my middle school science classes when we would always watch the Bill Nye the Science Guy videos. This helped my classmates and me to understand and learn about scientific concepts that we could not experiment with ourselves. The way that these specific videos are set up allows the audience (the students) to make predictions along the way about what is going to happen when Bill does his experiment and why that would occur, then to watch the actual results and get an explanation of why the experiment went that way. Since this allowed us to visually see the experiment rather than just hear about it, it was a great way to create a deeper understanding of the concepts. It was integrated into the instruction because my teacher would then have us discuss what we thought of the experiment, relate it to previous knowledge, and sometimes have us perform a related experiment.
Another example of technology in the classroom was in high school English, where we were reading The Iliad. Our teacher found a great website where you could quiz yourself on your knowledge and understanding of the characters and events. You could not move on to the next set of trivia questions until you answered the first ones correctly. This encouraged us to go back to the book and look for the correct answers, which led to a very strong understanding of the story. Our teacher would use the game as a discussion point in class where we could talk about what different parts of the book symbolized. This integration of technology allowed us to assess and increase our own learning while having fun, which is always a positive way to engage students. The only problem with this was that the game was assigned as homework, so any students without internet access would have trouble completing the questions. This is something to take into consideration when using technology as an outside assignment.
-Chrissy C

My Teachnobiography

2009-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

I would say that I have some experience with technology. I was introduced to computers while in elementary school. When I was in the third grade, all the students in third grade were given a free dell computer. Dell workers came to all of our houses and installed computers and many of the classes had computer based work and homework. I was able to create homework and send it to my teachers. Since, I have used technology for school and for recreation. I am familiar with powerpoint and word documents, and researching on the internet. I am also familiar with music technologies like using CD players and radios and I can use and Ipod. I am really not that familiar with using technology to create new things, like websites or digital editing. Technology plays an important role in my life because I feel like I use it everyday and depend on it everyday. I feel like researching items for school would be completely different if I had to go and find hard copies in books of the items I needed to be familiar with, because of how technology has made the task much quicker and easier.

My Technobiography

2009-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

Growing up, the type of technology I was familiar with was video game systems, (Atari was my first game system), television, video cameras, regular cameras, radio and vhs players. Technology in relation to computers though, has not always been a part of my life. I didn't start using a computer until I was in high school. My first experience was in a typing class. We used a word processor to complete our assignments. Except for taking my computerized test to join the military in 1996, I didn't sit in front of a computer again until I was in college. I didn't own a computer and had no clue how to purchase, set up or even navigate one. After my first couple of years in college, I eventually learned how to do simple things on a computer such as writing a paper and printing it out.
Although for most of my life I had been behind the technological times, so to speak, the past seven years has proven to bring me more up to date. Since marrying my husband, Jason, I have learned more about computers and technology then I ever knew existed. I can now do much more than merely typing, saving and printing out a paper in Word. I can serf the Web, purchase things online, take online classes and problem solve minor issues if need be.
Jason has also introduced me to other aspects of technology such as cell phones, the IPod and various musical equipment. He has also taught me how to use numerous types of software and has walked me through how to install them. Even though I have my husband to help guide me I still have a hard time understanding a great deal about technology and how to use it. I have created about two or more Power Point presentations, but I still have trouble remembering all of the steps and how to save my files properly so that I can email them to non Mac users and hook my computer up when I do my presentations for the class. I understand that one of the main requirements for being a teacher is being able to use technology to teach your lessons, so I am hoping that this class will help me to better my knowledge about technology in general and help me to become more confident in my use of it.

A Classroom Situation Using Technology

2009-01-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

One recent classroom situation for me where technology was used to help students learn was in an elementary school library. I’m in a weekly class of 27 third graders, assisting a special needs student. I wasn’t the targeted learner in this situation, but as an aide, I need to pay attention and follow along so I can help any student who has questions.

The librarian assigned partnered students a U.S. state, and the students had to use three different reference sources (also assigned) to answer specific questions about their state. The sources were: a database called “America the Beautiful,” accessed via bcps.org; the World Book Encyclopedia; and their state book in a series called From Sea to Shining Sea. The assignment is actually ongoing. It’s supposed to last three weeks, with students rotating among the three reference sources.

Other than the books, the technologies used were PCs (four for students and one for the librarian) and a LCD projector for the librarian. The technologies were integrated in that they were used to demonstrate how to find the answers to the questions. With student helpers, the librarian briefly showed the class how to find the encyclopedia volume they needed for their state and how to use the contents page of a state book. She spent the most time demonstrating with her PC and the projector how to locate “America the Beautiful” and how she expected the students to navigate the site to find the required information.

Because there were three reference stations and multi-step directions, the students immediately had many questions. For example, they directly recorded their answers on a worksheet and had to cite each source. But the librarian hadn’t given examples of how to cite any of the sources, so there was a lot of calling out like, “Who is the author of an encyclopedia?” and “What’s a copyright date?” and “Do I have to write the whole name of the site?”

Using the available technologies was a worthwhile way to model the type of searches to the entire class at once, particularly on the big screen. But the execution by the students didn’t work so well, especially on the computers. Since there were so few (4) computers, only four pairs of students could use them at a time. Because these were third graders, there was the added problem of who gets to use the keyboard first, and taking turns in general. For third graders, using the computers at school is very exciting except when you have to actually share them. Also, there were six steps to reach the database, and the students don’t recall the steps during a single instruction period, much less over the course of three weeks. I also noticed that students using the computers were finished sooner than students using the print sources, and they started going to other sites and looking for games. (Definitely not part of the directions!) Integrating technology in this situation was a good idea, but the execution is important to get right.

Lastly, while I’m glad the students are learning about various reference sources, the assignment didn’t relate to anything else they’re working on in other subjects. The geography and mapping unit had already come and gone, and I think it would’ve been more meaningful if the state project had been collaborative or timed in some way with the Social Studies unit. In an ideal world…

My Technobiography

2009-01-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

Ever since I can remember technology has been a huge part of my life. If it wasn't for t.v. and radios, my sister and I would have had a pretty boring childhood. I can still remember when computers came out and we got a big bulky one with horrible graphics that couldn't possibly be any slower. Of course, the only use I had out of it at the time was playing games such as Oregon Trail, the greatest game ever.
When the Internet came out, I got a screen name and thought the coolest thing to do was chat with your friends online. Even as I get older I still find myself on Facebook, Myspace, and e-mail everyday. Technology is addicting, and sadly, a must have in my life. I remember getting a cell phone when I was eleven and I've had one ever since. If I didn't have the Internet, cell phone, stereo/Ipod, and calculators I'd be lost.
When I started taking college classes I learned to use Excel, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint. Now, I use Word and PowerPoint often for different essays and presentations. It has been incredible watching technology progress over the years and almost scary to see how much we all depend on it!

Blog assignment 1-Feb.4th-M.Wilson

2009-01-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

I have had many teachers integrate technology with instruction throughout my education. Things like Power Point presentations, ELMO, different science technologies, music players, and computers were all popular. However, none of these really had any significant impact on me. However, there were two things in Elementary school that stick out in my mind and therefore, must have had some sort of impact. The first was the computer game called Oregon Trail that we played during computer lab (once a week). I FREAKING LOVED THIS GAME...It was probably my first real experience with computers and definitely my first experience with a computer game. In this game you had to buy supplies and try to survive the Oregon trail without your Ox's dying...which they always did...or drowning in the river...which they always did. My second experience with technology that stand out was the Reading Rainbow videos. They always corresponded with something we were doing in class and were really enjoyable for some reason! I think both of these technologies were used successfully because they were engaging. I also learned how to use a computer, math skills (buying products...had to have enough $), and I'm sure I learned something from those RR videos...if nothing else...I know the intro. song:)
-Meghan W.

Technology and Me

2009-01-28T15:29:00.013-08:00

Growing up, technology wasn't very present in my home, until very suddenly, when it was everywhere.
My family got its first computer, an IBM clone that ran MS-DOS, in 1989. It came with a dot-matrix pritner and print shop deluxe, plus the Oregon trail. A year later we got Nintendo, and a year after that, our first camcorder.

Technology really burst onto the scene when we got what I thought of at the time as our first real computer, a Compaq Presario running Windows 3.1, which included Mircrosoft Encarta '94 and an AOL"startup kit"

AOL was the real big changer for us, since it put everyone in touch with loads of information and oopportunities to meet people. However, it didn't come with ready access to the internet. Only when AOl was upgraded and we cleared off enough ram on our computer were we exposed to the internet.

E-mail was used regularly by everyone by 1996. A big deal for me was being able to keep in touch with a tour guide we had on a summer vacation at very little cost. At the time, no one really reliedon the internet for reseatch, paying bills,or entertainment. In school, teachers encoruaged me to use the library for working on projects.

By the middlepart of high school, 1999/2000, the internet was used for everything. By the time I was in college, it was used for erverything.

My Technobiography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.012-08:00

I have grown up surrounded by technology, and although I don't consider myself an expert in using it, I do utilize it in my everyday life. I have had plenty of experience with computers, including word processing and accessing the internet to use e-mail, use social networking sites, locate information, and chat with others. My cell phone is another big part of my life, as I need to use it to communicate with family members and friends. Other aspects of technology that I am familiar with include iPods, digital cameras, CDs, DVDs, television, and radio. I don't know too much about how all of these technologies work or how to fix them when they break, but I am pretty good at figuring out how to use them by using my previous experiences with other devices.

Technobio

2009-01-28T15:29:00.011-08:00

I would say that I use a wide range of technology on a day to day basis. I go on the internet, use my ipod, cell phone, and play my xbox 360 almost daily. I would consider myself pretty good with computers, and I can usually figure out a problem with a computer based on past experiences, and what I know about computers in general. I think the way technology has expanded just in my own lifetime is amazing. To think that I listened to casettes, cd's, and mp3's all in the last 20 years is very interesting to me. I finding out about new technologies and the latest gadgets that are being created in the present day.

My TechnoBio

2009-01-28T15:29:00.010-08:00

I have grown up using a plethora of new techonology. I grew up in an era where encyclopedias and dictionaries became outsourced by computers and the internet. Now a days, I can even access the internet by using my hand-held cell phone. If i was asked to write a research paper not using the internet or computer resources, I would probably have a lot of trouble in doing this.
I go to the library strictly to use their computers. I rarely, if ever, use books as resources, unless it is a textbook assigned by a professor. I would consider myself technologically savvy, and find myself "googling" random facts and/or questions frequently. I would be lost in a world without computers and cell phones, and am interested to see what new technological advances come out in my future.
As a future teacher, I plan to use technology as a resource in my class room often. I think using technology to implement a lesson is necessary when teaching the young children growing up in this century.

Technobiography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.009-08:00

I can not imagine a time without the advance technology we have today. When I was in kindergarten my parents gave me, my brother, and my sister a computer for Christmas. Since I was young, I do not remember much about this computer. I can remember using a word processor. When I was in fourth grade I made my own screen name on AOL. I rushed home from school everyday in order to successfully sign onto the Internet and talk to my friends. At that time, if too many users were signed online, the Internet gave a busy signal. Ever since then I have always used a computer on a daily basis. Although I consider my cell phone the one piece of technology I could not live without, I think my computer is just as important. I could not survive college without my laptop. Aside from researching on the Internet, using Microsoft Word, and using many other programs for school assignments, I also use the Internet as a way to stay connecting with my friends and family.

Technology Biography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.008-08:00

When I think about the use of technology in my life it seems to be dominated by a few themes, music, the Internet, and video games. When I first started out using one of those weird colored old mac computers back in the day, I would use it mostly to look up information about my favorite TV shows and stuff like that. Eventually, with the development of mp3's and Napster I realized I needed a better computer. I was so happy to learn that I could download music for free, even though I knew it was illegal, I figured I would never be caught.

Once my family got a better computer and Internet connection I started to get into video games that you could play with other people online. By this time Napster had been shut down but I continued to use the computer to manage my music and media.

After I got over my phase of playing video games I started to use the computer even more for music. This is when I started to use the computer to record music from playing guitar. I've gotten away from that in previous years because it takes a lot of time and space on your computer.

My current uses for the computer is mostly to listen to music, browse the Internet, and occasionally watch movies. Technology helps me feed my need to be constantly listening to new music.

Yael's Techno-biography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.007-08:00

I am not a huge fan of digital technology. I only use the very basics of any brand of the digital technologies out there, and even then I limit myself to the most popularly used of these technologies. I just do not get it most of the time, and I feel that I can live without them because I realize that I do not need what I do not have, because I am doing just well as is at the moment. It took me a long time to get into the the cellphone age, the i-pod age and so forth. I do not have any desire really to spend hundreds of dollars on i-phones and blackberries, mostly because I am a total klutz, and do not trust myself with these technologies. The one technology (didgital) that I am most in tune with is the internet, and even then I stick to the very few sites I like (well, on a regular basis anyway). I will steal ideas from two of my classmates. First, I generally only use the internet to check in with email, world happenings and the exciting world of hockey!! (Go Caps!). Second, since I failed to register one of my favorite things as a piece of technology, I would say that outside of the digital technology age, my favorite piece of technology--something I could not live without--are books!!!

Not well written, very contradicting (I am sure) but thats it for now.

Meghan's Technobiography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.006-08:00

Technology is a word that often scares me. I have basic computer skills, but if my computer ever broke...would I be able to fix it? Heck no. I tend to be someone that sticks with what I know as far as technology goes. I'm not very active when it comes to trying to figure out a new piece of technology. I don't run out to the store to get the latest software for my computer until something I already use stops working for some reason and I have to!

Aside from that, I have extensive experience with certain types of technology specifically pertaining to video production. I was an Electronic Media and Film major for 3 years before switching majors my Junior year to Elementary Education (a little late changing my mind....I know.) Anyway, I am very comfortable using a video camera, tripod, as well as specific editing software: AVID and IMovie mostly, as well as sound boards, microphones, teleprompters, etc. I'm not sure how well that will help me with this class, but if you have any questions pertaining to that type of technology I might be able to help!

I also can use the internet, my cell phone, IPOD, and my tomtom very well. All of these technologies help me in life and I'm happy to have all of them. I also enjoy playing Nintendo Wii! That's all...BYE!

My Technobiography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.005-08:00

I grew up in the analog age, and I've got an uneasy relationship with digital technology. When I worked professionally after college, many of the current technologies weren't widely available, used, or even invented for that matter. When new programs became available, like Excel, the shared secretary I had did the charts and graphs for me, or I was able to go to the company's research department for help. I should have learned to do it myself. I use my home computer more than any other one, primarily for email and internet searching. I'm not on a computer much at my school job. I wouldn't own a cell phone if it hadn't been given to me, and it's so old that it embarrasses my children for me to pull it out. They don't have cell phones yet, much to their dismay.

My Techno Biography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.004-08:00

Growing up I got the opportunity to use a variety of different technology whether it was provided in class or at my own house. In my home, I always had the option of using a computer for the Internet and always had the option of using a telephone. The Internet has always been a huge part of my life because I communicate with others through the use of it and look up additional information. I enjoy looking up information especially on fun facts that have nothing to do with assignments that are given to me. I like researching things and finding out things that I never would have expected. Before ever using the google website, I was very accustomed to using the Encarta encyclopedia. As for phones I was always also given the opportunity of using a cell phone since my freshman year in high school. I now have a blackberry which is my favorite piece of technology due to the fact that I have unlimited Internet wherever I am. Text messaging is also a plus because it keeps me connected to my friends when I am not with them. Furthermore technology has been a huge part of my life that I sometimes don't appreciate as much as I should.

Technobiography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.003-08:00

Technology has changed my personal and educational experiences. Since I was lucky enough to grow up with advanced technology I would pretty much be lost without it. Almost everyday I listen to music, chat online with friends, talk and text on my cell phone, go on facebook and myspace to keep in touch with my friends and watch television. In those many ways technology has positively effectecd my personal life. I am constantly able to be in contact with both my family and friends at all times. When I am having a bad day, when I am bored, or when I just feel the need to listen to music, all I have to do is go over to my radio, ipod, computer, etc. and listen to music.
On an educational note, technology has allowed me to do research for both in school topics and out of school topics. If I have a question about anything I can log on to the internet and look up my question in Google. The internet has allowed me to become more knowledgeable on many important issues. I also really enjoy the internet because there may be instances when I need an answer to my question quickly. For example WebMD is a very credible website that I like to go on if my friends or I have a question that deals with something medical. Furthermore, I have used the television to enhance my education as well. When I watch the news it helps me to be more aware of my surroundings and what is going on around the world. Technology has greatly effected the way I live and if it was to be any differnet it would be very difficult to get my information from other sources.

Technobiography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.002-08:00

In general, I would say technology is very important to me because I use it everyday. Technologies that I use commonly each day are the computer and internet, T.V., cell phone, game consoles, PDA, Ipod, and etc. The most important of them all for me would be the internet, because of the access to e-mail, Facebook, myspace, and research information for school. Everyday I get onto the internet at least once to check Myspace and Facebook to keep in touch with the friends I left at home who I don't get to see as often as I would like anymore. I rarely ever use my cellphone just because I hate being on the phone and I hate texting... but I like having it for emergencies. From childhood on I've used and collected all sorts of game consoles such as Nintendo, Super Nintendo, N64, Playstation, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Gameboy. I used to play games a lot as a kid, but now I rarely have time... but whenever I do, you can usually find me playing Guitar Hero.

When I was younger, I used to have my own personal website where I build it from a clean slate using HTML. I don't remember everything but I'm still quite familiar with using HTML.

That's all I have time to write about. =)

My technobiography

2009-01-28T15:29:00.001-08:00

I think that it is really cool how much technology has changed over the years. I might not be the best at using new technologies and what nots but I do enjoy learning how to use them. I also joke about being one of the most computer iliterate people on earth. If my computer is broken or acting funny, I have no idea how to fix it. So now that my computer has recently developed a virus, I have noticed how much not having my computer is an issue for me. All the little things that I used to do on my computer became all the big things that I need to do now. I guess I have never really realized how dependent I have become to technology and the computer in general. I am hopefully going to get it fixed soon! I don't know how much longer I can last without it!

My Techno Bio

2009-01-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

Growing up my family and I have always had technology around our house. I used to be not very good with technology, but now I think that I have come a long way and am pretty good with it. I know how to work almost everything, but when it comes to elaborating with that or going further with a piece of technology I'm not so good with that. I really like using cameras and going on the internet and just looking up any cool pictures that I can find. I used to have an iphone which was I think the coolest piece of technology I ever had (got rid of it to get a blackberry, missed having buttons hehe) I always used the computer for projects and looking up things about anything that I would want to know. I would love to know how to do more things with technology though. I feel like that I only know the basic things and It would be cool to know how to do some mroe technology advanced things with the comptuer, camera, phone, etc... I think its crazy though how much my generation relies on technology for everything. It's funny how noone really even uses the phone anymore its either bbm or txt message someone. Overall though, I rely on technology for everything even to get around by using my navigation. It's a big part of my everyday life and tasks.

Welcome!

2009-01-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the course blog for ISTC 301, Wednesday section, Spring 2009 at Towson University! We'll be blogging together throughout the semester; see the course wiki for specifics on the blog assignment, and blog groups.