November 28 2011

Last week we had a brief instruction on using technology in the classroom to modify the lesson for students with disabilities. The importance of mastering this cannot be understated. Everyone in the class got to use at least one program then give a short summary of it's beneficial characteristics. Once we were done with that I did my Web 2.0 presentation for the rest of the class. My topic was a Web 2.0 called Hotchalk. It is a Learning Management System that teachers can use to post assignments, classroom notes, and information for parents. As far as speaking in front of a group is concerned I have no qualms. Hopefully this will carry over in to the classroom once I am in front of a group of teenagers!

21 November 2011

This week my group and I got to work on our Podcasts. I wrote the script while the other group members found images on the google sites to liven up the Podcast. Once we had everything we needed we got down to business and started recording the Podcasst on Garageband. Once that was compete we began editing the cast to 'make it pretty'. Since time just flew by we had to compare schedules so we could finish up the Podcast outside of class.

14 November 2011

Today in class we had instruction on how to make a podcast using the GarageBand program on Mac. Also we viewed some Podcasts that were developed by students in the Philadelphia School District. I was very impressed at the quality of the Podcasts I sampled. They were comprehensive, creative, and informative. Since this was the first time I was making a Podcast the instruction on how to edit the Podcast was very useful. Afterwards my group and I picked I fun topic to make our own Podcast. We are going to be doing an informative Podcast on Philadelphia Cheesesteaks... should be fun!

7 November 2011

Despite not having class last week we did have to finish our desk top publishing assignments and the online exam. The newsletter and brochure seemed to be productive exercises since I used material from them and incorporated them into my website. I especially liked doing the brochure... this is a skill that I will definitely use once I am in the classroom. As far as the exam went, I was glad it was take home. I refreshed a lot of what we went over the first couple weeks of class and knocked it out. Once I am teaching I will also give take home quizzes. The students will apply themselves more, hence, they will learn more by completing the simple, yet important assignment. 

24 October 2011

The introduction last week to the classroom brochures and newsletters was very informative. These tools provide a forum to communicate information to the school community and update parents to any changes in the classroom culture. I remember when I was in grade school how we would have to take these home from time to time. My parents would hang them on the refrigerator and use them as a valuable source of information so they could manage their time accordingly. The ideas generated as to what to include in our newsletters was very helpful. Things like important dates, after-school activities and even school lunch schedules are helpful to know.

12 October 2011

The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) can be applied to students, teachers, and administrators. These standards provide the benchmark for each area to achieve excellence in. They support each other as well. The Students can't succeed if the teachers and administrators aren't playing their part. The teachers rely on feedback from the students and guidance from administration in order to stay up on the latest and greatest. Educational technology is a growing rapidly and must be utilized efficiently if the United States wants to keep pace with other global superpowers. Like I said, the NETS set the bar, it is the responsibility of the "players"in the "educational experience" to do the work.

5 October 2011

The class this week focused on assessments and data analysis. Both are key areas in the field of education. The two different types of assessments, formative and summarative, allow the teacher to gauge his students' performance and his own performance in the classroom. Data analysis provides the detailed information we use to make necessary adjustments and refinements that are so critical in order to improve performance. The spreadsheet assignments had a bit of both focuses in it. The spreadsheet logged the formative assessments 9quizzes) and provided the data necessary for comparison and pattern formation.