The Importance of Technology in the Classroom

I believe that using technology in the classroom has become something that is not optional. It is a must have in the classroom because it teaches children to become a part of today’s society. When children are able to use technology in the classroom, it also makes lessons more fun which then makes it easier for children to learn. I believe that technology also benefits teachers because many programs found on a computer make it easy to stay organized and track the progress of all students, for example: Excel. Teachers can spend less time reinventing the wheel and put more energy into focusing on student progress.
The challenges that come with incorporating technology into the classroom are definitely not nonexistent. Many teachers still stand firm in the old ways of teaching and believe that using technology is more of a distraction that it is a benefit. Sadly, many school districts do not always have the money that they need to afford computers, cameras, GPS systems, smart boards, etc. Another challenge becomes knowing how to use the technology that you are given. In order to teach a lesson using a piece of technology first the educator needs to be somewhat skilled in using it. Some people teachers and students alike have a more difficult time using technology than others do.
From this class, I have definitely learned that there are a lot more pieces of technology out there than I thought. I will definitely use the smart board applications that we have been taught (provided my school district has them). I really enjoyed learning about excel because I know that with my organizational habits it will definitely be a very useful tool for keeping me in line. There are so many websites that I have now discovered from class and my completion of the social bookmarking project! It has shown me how to use technology in a different light. And of course, teaching my students how to blog will definitely come in handy!

Copyright Basics

After we discussed the issue of copyright, I found that there was not one, single, specific issue that surprised me. The most surprising to me was definitely the fact that there are so many "if" clauses to the entire process. There seem to be so many little exceptions to the rules of copyright that it is like walking on egg shells. While I do not have any teachers that I have ever witnessed breaking copyright rules, I do feel that if they had broken any rules, they might have been completely unaware that they were committing any sort of crime.
I absolutely think it is the teacher's responsiblity to teach the students about copyright laws. Plagarism is a key word that they are going to have to be well aware of as they get older and copyright falls directly into that category as well. I believe that understanding copyright laws falls under the subject of citizenship. By showing children how to give proper credit where proper credit is due, they will learn to respect the hard work and effort of people throughout their community and world. It is important that the educator is well versed in copyright laws because the students need to be taught accurate information. If you have a teacher who knows nothing at all about copyright laws and they try to teach students about them, it will just lead to another confused generation of people.
As an educator, I will definitely try to use the correct rules in my classroom. I might do things such as contacting a website owner before I use the materials on their sight and making sure that if I need to photocopy pages for students, those pages do not come directly out of a workbook.

Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom

I believe that interactive whiteboards give children a hands on opportunity to learn. Children learn best when they are actively included in the process. By allowing them to experience using a whiteboard, students can also understand the technology of our world and today's society. It is important that they become active members of the technological community because their generation will be the most impacted by it.
Learning how to use the technology was dfficult for me to learn at first because there were so many options. However, once I got the hang of using the different applications, using the smartboard actually became fun.
One of the benefits of having an interactive whiteboard in the classroom is that there is no more wasting of paper. You can save the application and use it as many times as you want. It is a major time saver for an educator because once it is saved, it is always ready to go. The downside of using a smartboard is that it needs to be oriented before it is used. If someone bumps into it, the alignment will have to be done all over again. For educators who may not be as technologically advanced as others, the software can easily become a frustration. It is also important to know where a smartboard will be placed in the classroom before it is installed. Depending on the age of the children, the board may need to be placed at a particular height in order to be reached.
A lesson plan that I have written in the past included learning the physical anatomy of a horse. In the lesson, each child was given a worksheet and asked to label the parts of a horse. I could definitely use a smartboard for this activity because children could label the parts of a horse by writing on the smartboard. The might also be able to put together puzzle pieces that come together to form a picture of a horse.
Interactive whiteboards are essential within the classroom environment because they create maximum student interaction and participation. They allow children to enjoy learning through technology.

Digital Video Project in the Classroom

A video project that I would incorporate into my science classroom would be "Ways to Stay Healthy." The fourth grade students, who are eight and nine years old, would work together in groups of 3 to 4 people to create a 3 minute long video about things that they do to keep themselves healthy.

BEFORE THE LESSON
1.) Even before telling the students about the assignment, I would first speak to the Principle into order to make sure that I have approval from a professional standpoint, to allow the children to video tape one another.

2.) I would then make sure that every child's parents have been notified about the assignment. In the permission slip sent home, I would ask for a parent's signature before any sort of filming would begin. Also sent home with the children, would be a rubric that lays out the specific guidelines of the assignment for parents to read over.

3.) I would also create an alternative assignment for any students who do not have permission from their parents to be filmed. The alternate assignment would be completing the same "Ways to Be Healthy" project, but instead of filming it, the student(s) would act it out in front of the class, live for 5 minutes.

4.) I would then acquire the technology materials that the groups will use for filming (cameras, microphones, tripod stands) and teach a mini lesson on the proper handling and use of the materials.

DURING THE LESSON
INTO: In the beginning of the project, students will brainstorm using the program, "Inspiration." The groups of students will create a story web to brainstorm ideas of the things that they do to stay healthy. After each group has conferenced with me, as the teacher, and their storyweb has been approved, they will be given a storyboard paper to fill out. Students will use the storyboard to map out what video clips they will need to get and what order the clips will go in. After all of the students have completed their storyboards, I, as the teacher, will meet with the groups once more, to make sure that the places they have chosen to film and the content is appropriate.

THROUGH:
During the taping of their videos, the children will be given a set of boundaries of the places they can and cannot go to film. 1.) Students will not be allowed to enter any other classroom 2.) They must stay inside of the school building 3.) Each group will have half an hour to get the clips that they need for editing. One student from each group will put their name on a sheet, list the materials they have taken with them, and the time that their group is leaving the classroom. Once students have finished filming or a half hour has passed, they will return to the classroom promptly. As the materials are brought back to the classroom, one student from each group will sign on the sheet provided, their name, and the time that the group returned, to prove that the materials were returned in mint condition.

The children will edit their videos for about 2-3 class periods, depending on how much time the teacher feels that the children will need. They will edit, piece together their movie clips and finish the video in Windows Movie Maker.

* After all of the groups have finished their movies, the teacher will watch all of the videos individually to make sure that the students have followed the appropriate content procedures *

BEYOND:
The following day, the class will watch all of the videos and live acting, if there are any students who could not be filmed! The students will evaluate the group performances using the guidelines of the simple-form of the rubric.

AFTER THE LESSON:
The borrowed technology materials will be returned to the correct place!

Software Skills

I have to admit that when I first started putting together the elements of the software assignment, I was a little bit weary. I've never been a computer wiz and I was afraid that simply learning the program skills once, might cause me alot of grief. However, when I actually returned to the programs to begin my project, it seemed to flow pretty naturally. It was like I had the computer skills all along, I just needed to read the manual.
I definitely believe that it was beneficial to learn how to manipulate the programs that were explored, i.e, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, and Inspiration. While I may have gotten slightly frustrated throughout the design process, it is more convienient to be frustrated as a college student than as a teacher with thirty impatient children waiting for you. The program that I will definitely use the most will be Microsoft Word. It is a simple tool that can help to create a variety of quick documents. Now that I know how to utilize all of the program tools, I will be able to save alot of time in the classroom. For this assignment, we were asked to design a quiz by using the program. After I learned how to safeguard my documents, to prevent deletion and format shifting, I felt a huge sign of relief. T-I-M-E- S-A-V-E-R!!!!
As an educator, I will use "Inspiration" to teach my students the idea of seperating concepts. I can use it to create a phone chain for parents, create print outs for story webs or even seperate the steps to challenging math problems. I will definitely allow my students to use the program whenever they deem it neccessary because it will help to keep them organized.
I actually never knew that programs like Microsoft Publisher existed. However, now that I am aware, I will use it to create newsletters, flyers, banners and the plethora of other things that it offered. No more frustration or tears about formatting.
It goes without saying that I absolutely love Microsoft Word. It will definitely be used in my classroom because for me as well as my students it will be easy to understand and navigate. Whenever my students write literary stories, they will be typed using the program. We will learn how to safeguard documents as well, because it is a safe and handy tip that should never ever be overlooked.

Web Resources for the Classroom

After exploring through a variety of websites while in class, I definietely believe that many of them can be used as tools to benefit the classroom setting.
My favorite website that was examined was "Illuminations." The site had endless amounts of activities for children to explore and learn on their own. On the website, children can complete matching activities to understand combinations, by dressing up a stuffed animal bear. They can also complete a coordinate grid to help the turtle find his way to the pond. The website is definitely education friendly because children are able to play while they are learning.
In my classroom, I would definitely use this website for those students who seem to complete tasks faster than everyone around them. While the website would occupy them for the remainder of the lesson, it would also enhance and hoan their academic skills. It might even be beneficial to use this website for simple homework assignments. Students could go online and complete practice activities, especially on the weekends, when their minds might not be getting the proper stimulation.
As a future educator, I think that the website "Rubistar " is extremely helpful. The website allows you to create basic rubrics for grading particular classroom projects. Having a website that exists to help teachers in such a way is phenomenol. Most teachers have pretty hectic schedules, and may not have time to sit down and design a rubric to grade each assignment. "Rubistar" can be a major time saver for all educators.
I also enjoyed the website titled, "United Streaming." It allows teachers to incorporate video into their lesson plans. Students can learn alot of from the power of video because it is something common to their every day routine. United Streaming allows you to play short video clips, based on a theme or themes that are being taught within the classroom. The website also allows you to create your own puzzles and worksheets by typing in the words or ideas that are being taught. There are a plethora of ways to design worksheets and activities for children to follow and study from.
In my classroom, the two sites that I will use the most will be "Rubistar" and "United Streaming." Rubistar will allow me to create accurate and precise grading systems for my students. It will also make grading assignments slighty easier because there will already be a specific set of standards for the project. Also, I could keep the rubric for times when I choose to do the project again and all I would have to do is make changes as needed.
I would use "United Streaming" alot because it is would not only be a tool for me, but for the students. Students could explore around the website on their own time as well as in the classroom. It is beneficial to allow students to use the website because in today's technological society, children often know more about the internet than adults. By embracing their abilities and technology skills children can feel comfortable to explore through the use of online video.

Using Inspiration in the Classroom

I think that the program "Inspiration" has alot of potential to become a strong academic tool for elementary age children. I would definitely invest in the program for my students because it can teach strong organizational skills.
From a teacher's point of view, I could use "Inspiration" to create a web that breaks down lesson plans into the individual academic needs of each student. I could also create a phone chain so that parents are able to stay in touch and linked with one another. This might even jump start a social network.
Across the cirriculum, students can use "Inspiration" to learn in virtually any subject area. Within the subject of literature, children can use the program to understand the concept of sequencing ideas and themes. Through mathematics, "Inspiration" can help to show children the steps to solving a problem. In the subject of social studies, students can be taught about community and society, for example, they might learn about the different branches of government. Using the program to teach science can show children the classification of different species.
"Inspiration" is a wonderful program to implement into the classroom because it allows students to create and develop their ideas while putting them into a sensible order to study and learn from at any time.