Technology Conference

I attending the Technology Conference at Michigan State University this weekend. I learned so many great tips of how to incorporate technology into everyday teaching. The majority of the tips I got were things that are free to use making them very accessible in districts where there is no money. I loved the idea of creating videos for students who were absent these videos were created by the students for the students so that they can review what they learned and it also gives the teachers an informal assessment because they will be able to tell if the students know the important topics that were covered that day and the students will feel like they are helping their friends who are absent from the class.

Google Docs

Last Week during CEP 452 lecture, we dipped our toes in what Google Docs has to offer. I later went home and really played with Google Docs. Google Docs are amazing. They have so much to offer. I loved the forms and that is a great way to make an informal assessment or just a survey to get to know your students. Google Docs will really help with group projects. I love the fact that people can be at home working on their section of a group project in the comfort of their home. Recently I had a group project and I suggested to my group mates that we create a Google Doc to work on our project with. My groups had no idea what a Google Doc so I briefly showed them, and they were all impressed and loved that we had a Google Doc. There is a lot of potential for Google Docs and being used in the classroom.

Thoughts

My thoughts from class, well I thought our guest speaker was amazing. I thought it was great to get a point of view from someone other than just our text book. I thought it was great to see a first hand experience of what it was like to have a disability in our school system. It opened my eyes that often students who are shy are often put in the category as being shy and not actually asked about what is going on in their daily life and being diagnosed with what is really affecting them. I think that this helped to show me how we need to get to know each and everyone of our students and try to help them in any way possible disability or not. I appreciate that he did something that was so uncomfortable for him to help us out and really give us an insight on what a day in the life of a student with a disability would be like.

Technology in Schools Survey!

While working on my WIKI for class I decided to make a Wordle for my wiki page. So instead of just getting some random article off the internet I decided to email my facebook friends and ask them what was the first word that came to mind when I said "Technology in Schools" I was kinda shocked and also partially expecting some of the answers that I heard. The most common answer I heard was computers. I also heard answers like smart boards, which are becoming more and more common in classrooms. What I was shocked by is that no one included anything that was used to help students with disabilities. I wasn't completely shocked by this but it helped to show me that educators are not getting this help out to our students so that they can be more successful in the classroom. I think that most of the things that we have been doing in this class are completely new to me, and I am a senior in college. I think that it is important that as a future educator I need to try to get the technology help out to my students.

Readings September 28, 2010

I think that digital texts are really good. They are nothing but good. I think it is important that all teachers are educated on how to use these amazing tools to then help teach our students how to use these amazing tools. I think these tools should be used in all educational settings not just in the resource room or with our special need students. I think that it is important that we explain to all children there are great ways to help our students in every way. I think our future holds no more text books and everything is on lap tops. I think this can be good or bad. The good thing is that all kids would have access in front of them to read their assignment or listen to it on the website. I think this is great for students who clearly need it.

Class

Just posting for the first time. This is for an Teacher Education Course at Michigan State University. I will begin to blog more often as the class goes on!