What is it?

What would you use if for if you were stranded in the forest?

I have no idea what it is. Wait, I take that back. It looks like a net that onions are contained in when you buy them from the store. However, this net is lime green, and I think the onion net bags are maroon or perhaps purple?

If I were stranded in the forest, I would tie the ends of this lime green net and use it to store and carry fruits or berries as I hike through the forest and try to make my way to shelter.

I also could use it to cover my head if bugs or mosquitoes are a problem. Does that make sense? Would a holy net work as a mask to protect me from bugs? Probably not, but I’m trying here.

Let’s see… this thing looks like garbage.

It looks like garbage, but so does the majority of everything I collect, to the untrained eye, that is. I find a lot of joy in little nick knacks that I maybe use one time and then they just sit, collecting dust, and adding to the collage of random in my apartment.

This summer, I aggressively cut up a Seattle Weekly newspaper saving anything that looked promising- happy hours bribing the common, less than rich reader with $4 nacho happy hour deals, summer concerts, and free salsa lessons!! I posted these on my refrigerator totally buzzin about the cool ideas I had found to fill my summer.

I never did any of it. But, I sure looked cultured with the randoms on my fridge.

Exposure

Why is it so hard to expose the imperfections? The truth? The real me?

I’m concerned that I’ve been masking these, quite literally, with the MAC make-up, the citizen jeans, and a to-die-for throw over that, anyone who’s anyone would know, came from Nordy’s.

As I look around, I wonder if I’m not the only one… It seems that we are all clones of each other, or of someone. We look the same, with our highlighted hair, our skinny jeans, and perhaps some well-worn converse (that make the outfit seem like we didn’t try too hard).

Why do we all want to conform to each other? Or is this the right question? Do we even realize that in dressing the way we do (all in the name of “self-expression”), we are, in all actuality, moving more in the direction of self-destruction.

Only recently has my mind been bombarded with these questions. And the reason for the new-found deep theological tourist thoughts is because my hidden quirks are surfacing in areas I’m not comfortable with them venturing onto the scene.
Specifically speaking, it’s a boy. I like him and he likes me.

We are at that point where the curtains are being drawn, whether I want to wake up to the illuminating sunrise or not. With each hiking venture, road trip, and movie night we are learning- learning the little things that were not there in the beginning- or were they?

My annoyances have surfaced, which I know is a surprise, being that I seemed to be all-loving, free, and as flexible as the wind on the first, second, and probably the sixth date.

But, now it’s the seventh date, and my lack of precision, has allowed the chest of unwelcome behaviors, that are me, to spill over. They are coming, unwelcomed, but none the less, coming.

How do I embrace them? How do I own them and own them with sincere ownership? I want to be able to claim them and confidently exclaim, “They are what make me me!”

It’s a work in progress…

If I could change the world

Perhaps I would start by changing myself- the way I think about things. If I had the power to ban negativity from my mind, I would cling to this power and create only “happy thoughts!” Seeing only beauty in the book sitting next to me that my homework schedule is telling me I’m supposed to read. Yeah, that book is beautiful! I can see it now, now that I have the power to do away with negativity. Its burnt brown color, bent edges, and out-dated illustrations on the front are exactly what my eye needs to keep me engaged for an extended period of time.

Or perhaps I would start by changing the way I see things. Instead of gazing out the window of my bedroom and only seeing the backside of a pute colored dilapidated building with moss taking up residence in an undetected location, I would see the hard work of some young man (full of life and ambition) who poured endless hours into the creating of this historic structure.
If I could change the world, I would change my perception and the perception of those around me. I would do away with a half empty cup and design the mind to only see things as spilling over the rim of the gold-rimmed goblet. I’m in high hopes that this tiny tweak to the brain and pathway of thoughts would evoke a trickle effect and spill over into all areas of the world.

“C’ est Moi!”

A mullet.

I’m a blend of contained and uncontained- professional in the front and a slight hint of crazy in the back.

The front. Well, let’s be honest. We all have a reputation to uphold. Hence, I feel the need to keep up the demanding trim schedule (every six weeks- nonnegotiable). I keep my thin, fine hair contained, professional, and put together with God only knows how many pumps of hair spray. It sits where I want it to sit, knowing full well that if not, it’ll be met with my saliva licked fingers, aggressively slapping and rubbing the fly-aways down, until it conforms to my wishes. Be certain that the front of my hair is on track! It has a goal in sight (what it supposed to look like), a plan of how to get there (diligently washing, manicuring, and repetitiously combing), and an immunity to distractions (urges to try out the latest “must-have styles”).

The back. The back is me! It’s my funny, my sporadic, my goofy, and my ever-changing being. It’s free and forgiving, happy and sad, angry and aggressive all mixed together and completely out of my control. Hidden behind the front (the traditional), is the retro, the free spirit, the true me. Living on my own time schedule, by own rules, and with the wind. The back bounces around like it’s nobody’s business. The back is fun!

Alignment with Truth

Alignment with truth is alignment with understanding- understanding the beauty in waking up every morning to fresh breaths of air pumping through the fibrous lungs that were gifted to me by the giver of truth.

If I were walking in truth, I would finally understand a love so great- so great, that nothing could ever delay me from basking in it every moment of everyday. This love would be my drive, my energy, my fuel. If I fully understood, I would become a little more ‘choosy’ when it comes to the gas that drives my efforts. I no longer would opt for the unleaded fuel, but would, undoubtedly, pay the cost to bring my body to life with premium, unwavering fuel from the richest of loves.

I truly believe that when in truth, I would be given an understanding of that old man. That man who I serve on the swing shift every other night at the Shari’s diner on the corner of Wheeler road, by the truck stop. I would know his reasoning for obnoxiously waving me over, while I’m obviously attending to other customers, blurting out “Uh, excuse me. Excuse me, waitress! Am I ever going to get a coffee refill?” Then rolling his eyes when I politely say, “It will be just one minute, Sir.”

Alignment with truth would inspire compassion that comes with understanding. Yes, I believe that alignment with truth would give me compassion for that man with a clear vision of his hurts, his scars, and the pain underneath his condescending “How hard can it be to pour a coffee refill?” thoughts, that are oh so clear. This compassion would surpass my simmering anger and my firing dendrites that are piecing together a clever comeback that would be sure to quiet him up, for at least the remainder of this visit. I’m sure that the understanding and compassion would do away with my go-to-list of insults, and empower me with a genuine smile and accompanying words for this old man.

Alignment with truth would allow me to see that all the little things (the rude comments, the pressures of life, and the expectations), they mean nothing. But then, at the same time, they mean everything.

End of Semester Reflection

This semester I have gained insight into the various positives and negatives of technology. I have been encouraged to get my hands dirty and really learn about different types of programs and technologies which will benefit me and my future students. More than anything this class has really "wowed" me with all the possibilities technology brings to the classroom. It works to get students more engaged in the learning process, it brings creativity and fun to the classroom, it changes the roles of the students as well as that of the teachers, and it is a huge part of our new age (so we should embrace it and use it to empower us). Some specific examples of things I have become much more familiar with are the Smartboar, Web 2.0 software, creating my own website, drop box, different types of blogs, podcasts, and many more.

In the beginning of the semester, I touched on some NETS for teachers standards that I really thought were important for me as a future ESL teacher. The standard that I felt were important to adhere to were Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. This standard holds that teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. This standard is important to me as a teacher because I want to be a teacher who is fun and keeps learning fun. I want to inspire my kids to use their imaginations and be creative with their learning. I feel like this is something that I should focus on because, as much as it is ideal, being creative and inspirational takes work and is something that a teacher needs to put time into. When I decided to focus on this standard, I outlined three ways that I would work on this standard this semester. the goals I set for myself were: being creative with developing my blog, exploring the different current events in the world (via the internet) and blogging about them, and finally by responding to the posts of my peers. I definitely did work with my blog a lot, exploring all it's amentities and on a simple (but very useful level) I became comfortable with using the blog. In reflecting on the benefits of using a blog this semester, I can go back through all the blogs I posted and see refresh myself on all the new material I learned this semester. Those articles, insights, and reflections are all documented and saved for me to be able to go back and refresh myself on their enlightening messages. The second goal I created for myself was to get involved with reading about the current events online and then blogging about them. I did stay intune with what was going on in the news, however I did not blog about them. That is something I could still work on (being that this blog is mine to keep forever)! The final goal I set for myself was to comment on my peers blogs, which keeps me interacting and informed on new stuff they they found through this class as well. I did do this through out the semester and found that they sometimes approached issues differently than I did, which gave me a better understanding of certain issues. Altogether, this class has provided me with the opportunity to set goals for myself (in line with the NETS for teachers), which will help me be a better teacher in the end, and I am thankful for that!

Reflection # 12 Wired Classrooms

Today I found a website devoted to informing about the downfalls and shortcomings of a Wired Classroom. Wired classrooms work to creat technology-enhanced student centered learning environments. The author of the article I read, Jamie Mckenzie argued that the theology behind Wired classrooms is good, however the classrooms are not set up in a way that they are working to accomplish their goal. For instance, she fears that way too much attention, money, and energy is being pored into technology and not into the teacher development of the technology. Mckenzie wrote the following, "Having witnessed four years of efforts in a fully networked school district which offered its students robust access to the Electronic Highway beginning in 1994-95, I can report no miracles, no amazing transformations and no phenomenal shifts in student achievement which can be traced to the advent of these information technologies." While she believes that technology enhanced classrooms have the potential to transform the way students learn and get them further engaged in our new age, she also feels like the wired classrooms need to be set up differently. There needs to be more computers for the students, students should develop their own projects and when they questions the teacher should start a class discussion regarding their questions, and she also believes that the teachers need to be given more education on the use of technology.

So What: In reading this article, it was interesting to get insight into someone who has seen technology incorporated into the classroom, and has taken a negative viewpoint on it's effects. Mckenzie even went as far to compare the technology craze with that of the gold rush, arguing that the only ones benefitting at this time are the companies selling the technology.

Now What: What I took from this article is the fact that when not used effectively in the classroom, technology can become a hinderence to the students. It can take away from their learning time if they are not actually gaining from it. So, I want to be sure that I know how to use it effectively and in a way that furthers my students understand of technology and of the class content.

Reflection # 11: Technology brings a change of role

In an article I read entitled, "Effects of Technology on Classroom and Students," the author was suggesting the idea that when a teacher uses technology in the classroom, the roles of both the teacher and the student change. For instance, the learning is now in the hands of the students. If it is online communicating with peers, they take initiative in the communication, choose their own goals, and then execute their plans almost independently. If it is a group project, the same idea applies, in that they have to take initiative and work as a group to learn, understand, and then execute the technology project. This type of learing is very hands on, and puts a new spin on the learning process. In the same respect, incorporating technology into the classroom also changes the teacher's role. In years past, the teacher has mostly served as facilitator of information working to impart that information directly to the students via lecturing. But, with this age of technology, the teacher role changes to that of fostering an evironment where the students are required to take initiative on their own. The teacher is then there to initially explain the projects, and then be available (walking around from student to student) to help if any questions or problems arise.

So What: This change in roles has really worked to positively change the self-esteem of the students. In the article I mentioned earlier, a personal story was posted by a teacher. The story worked to describe a elementary student who was not excelling academically. However, he discovered the computer and a computer program in which he was able to make music. Once he figure this out, and created a beautiful song (staying in recesses to complete the song), he played it for the class and he was able to express his skills in a way not typical of elementary classrooms. When his peers and his teacher saw him in a different light, his confidnece was boosted and he was able to see himself differently as well.

Now What: This story really encourages me to get more familiar with technology. It ca be used as an empowering tool in many ways if it is used correctly. I think that it's awesome that it changes the role of the students to requiring them to take initiative and learn independently. In conclusion, this article really inspired me to learn new ways I can use technology in my classroom..

Assignment # 4

Mckenzie's Education Site is a site I created to be useful to me (when I become a teacher) as well as to my students. Through this class, as well as other education courses I've taken this semester, I've learned the importance of incorporating technology into the classroom for a variety of different reasons. One highly beneficial way to use technology as a teacher is to create a website for your class to better communicate with your students as well as with their parents. In learning about this effective means of communication, I decided to create a website for myself that could be assessible by my future students as well as by their parents. This website has a variety of cool activities to help ESL students engage with the English language through some creative and fun activities. The features of technology that I learned through creating this weebly site are: first and foremost how to create a website of my own. I also was able to learn more about and get better acquainted with the flip video and how to upload it to my website. Other features I was able to use and learn more about were different SmartBoard activities to provide on my site, as well as how to use to the actual Smartbaord in the classroom. Other technology features I used on my website were that of a blog and different pages containing links to articles, more lessons, etc... Through this project, I also stumbled upon a website called Piclits.com which is a creative writing site that provides hundreds of pictures for users to choose from and then creatively describe/ write about the picture. This technology website is great for getting ESL students to have fun with writing.
Some of the issues of I incounterd in doing this project were: intially I was really nervous about what I was going to do for the project. For some reason, the assignment really intimidated me. But, once I started messing around with the weebly website, I began to have fun with it. I did have issues with uploading the links, but after simply playing around with the website for a while, I was able to figure out what I was doing wrong.
This project turned out to be a really great learning experience as well as a great way to get me mroe comfortable with playing with new technology. I tend to have a fear about the unknown, which was the case with this project, but after learning new and fun ways to use technology and incorporate it into my teaching, I've gained an appreciation for its usefulness and uniqueness. The site that I created is something that I will continue to add to and possibly draw from when I am a teacher. Like I said before, I now know how to create a professional website for myself that I can use as a form of communication between my students and their parents. I can put homework, future assignments, callenders, practice activities, etc.. to help the students out with their language learning experience. All in all this project broke me into really enjoying using new technology and applying it to my classroom.
The NETS standards for students that are covered by my project are the following: Creativity and Innovation (students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology). This standard is met with the PicLit activities which require students to choose a picture and then creatively write about the picture. Another Standard met is Communication and Collaboration (students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. This standard is met by the online learning website I posted on my page which I would encourage my students to create an account with. Through this website, ESL students are able to communicate with other ESL students attempting to learn English. They are able to practice chatting with eachother (in English), which is very beneficial to the language learning process. Another standard that my project met for the students is that of critical thinking. I included various activities and games which require the students to think in English and solve a problem (via spell words, correct grammar, and so on...)
The NETS standards for Teachers that I covered in my project are the following: facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. I did this by providing various activities which I found fun, and thought would be fun for my future students. Another standard that I attempted to meed was modeling digital-age work and technology. I met this standard by the very fact that I created a website in which the students can go to find activities which will coincide with their current lessons and learning, a place where they can read different blogs that I've written, as well as respond to me (their teacher) about anything and everything.

Future of Education and Technology

In doing research on the future of education and technology I was really encouraged by the possibilities of the future. One statement that stood out to me was that of Gordon Moore's, the founder of Intel. He predicted "the exponential growth of technology. Moore's law postulates that the processing power and speed of any electronic calculating device will double every 18 months. At the same time, the price for that technology will decline approximately 35% a year relative to the power." The idea that technology will continue to expand is common knowledge; however, it is shocking to realize the rate at which it is continueing and growing.

An interesting fact that is telling of the emphasis that our schools are placing on education is that schools are being judged based on the ratio of students to computers. This ratio is further instrumental in classifying the schools as being able to provide a “quality” education. This fact struct me as particularly interesting because I graduated from High School not too long ago, and I don't hardly remember using computers in High School. This just goes to show the rate at which technology has already influenced education in the last couple of years.

Other interesting research that I found was that of schools becoming dependent on online learning. I did a reflection on this subject a couple weeks ago, and then we further talked about it in our technology class about it. In brainstorming ideas about the benefits of online learning, we (as a class) came up with this list: online learning is beneficial for students who need extra time with learning, have special needs, have a learning dissibility, are advanced learners and want to get their school work done in their own time, etc...

These are just a few of the topics I found when researching the future of technology in education. As a future educator, it is so interesting to learn about and think about the new things which will be available to use in education.

Reflection 10: Using Youtube in the classroom

What: Lately, I have been realizing how often Youtube is being used in my classes by both the teachers and the students. In my Instructional Design class, we are learning how to create lessons and further experimenting with developing out our lessons. In almost every lesson, a clip from Youtube has been used as an attention getter tool prior to the presenter giving the lesson. Another class of mine where Youtube has been used quite often recently is Methods and Materials for TESL. In this class, we have been asked on two different occasions to choose a song and play it to the class via youtube. We are then asked to create an activity that goes along with the youtube song and video.

So What: This use of Youtube in the class is very new and interesting. I've found that as a student, using technology to incorporate a musical activity into the classroom really makes learning more fun. Although we are taking time to watch the video and listen to the song, we are then responding to the music and getting something educational out of it.

Now What:In paying attention to the dynamics of a class when technology and music are brought into the curriculum, I'm encouraged to use it when I become a teacher. The Youtube activity really broke up the classroom time, and in a sense, gave us students a little break from having to think too much while listening and watching the music video. After the video finishes, the students are refreshed and again ready to continue the lesson and educational activities.

Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint

Word: I use Microsoft word for everything! The specific features that I use are:
* spell check, Synonyms, font variations (size, collor, type, underline, bolding, italicize), edit undo, copy and paste, cut, spacing, save as, open file/ document, new paper/ file, insert footnotes, header, footer, and probably many more than I even realize.
Excel: I actually don't use Excel for anything. At one point in my education, I was in a statistics class, so I was forced to dabble with excel, but that was years ago and I don't even remember the basics.
Power Point: As timid as I am to admit this, I haven't used Power Point in years either. However, I am giving a presentation on Thursday and I think that a Power Point will really add to my presentation. So, I will experiment with it tomorrow, and attempt to create a power point presentation.

Some possible projects that I could give to my students in which they would be required to use these three sources of technology are:
Word: Write a research paper on the affects of exercise on the body.
Excel: Create a basic timeline of your life so far (track birthdate, special events, tragedies, happy times, etc...)
Power Point: Creat a power point based on the research paper on the affects of exercise on the body.

Reflection # 9: Spreadsheets are very useful for teachers

In an article entitled "Language Arts Lesson Plan," Melissa Johnston emphasizes the many ways in which spreadsheets could be used in the classroom. Johnston states that "although it's not always the easiest to learn, the benefits are well worth the time speant mastering the spreadsheets." Some useful ways teachers can use them in the classroom are things such as: caluculating student averages as well as chart their progress, create activities simultaneously keeping track of materials and supplies, and many more...

For my purposes as an English/ ESL teacher, Johnston explains in detail how to incorporate the spreadsheet into a language arts lesson. For example, one activity she describes is "Explain it!" This activity involves students listing adjectives to describe nouns. They type out the adjectives on a computer, more specifically in a spreadsheet to stay organized. Once they've done this, they can print out their list of adjectives and keep them for review in an organized manner. This activity gets the kids working with technology while simultaneously learning the functionality and characteristics of the langauge. I found this activity very influential and interesting.

Reflection #8: iPhone Apps

Upon reading an article entitled "Apple’s app store proves lucrative for some businesses" I was enlightened to the fact that the release of the iPad has brought much business to software businesses. Because the nature of the iPad is that of various creative application, software businesses are getting creative and inventing new apps to sale to Apple. "Everybody wants to be on board with what Apple is bringing in,’ says Andrei Iancu, who teaches iPhone app development at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. ‘It is like the dot com boom when everybody became a web developer but not everybody was a good developer. This is a gold rush." The article spotlighted John Mcintosh who has created very popular applications for both the iPhone and the iPad. Mcintosh invented the app "Scratch" which he first developed for the iPhone and then later developed for the iPad. "Scratch" is a programming language that lets children create their own interactive stories, animations and other projects. According to McIntosh, it is now easier for developers to get their applicatioins available on the market through Apple.
As a future educator, this article interested me in that it illustrates how much technology is affecting our economy and therefore will affect my students. As mentioned above, Andrei Iancu is a professor at British Columbia who solely teaches iphone apps. This shows the influence of technology in our generation as well as the importance of teaching it to the students. This article encouraged me to get more familiar with the iPhone and iPad and all that it has to offer so that I can incorporate it into the classroom.

ED TechTalk: The Online School for Girls

In an interview with Brad Rathgeber, the president and founder of the Online school for girls, via ED TechTalk, I learned how an online school functions as well as why a good number of people prefer online schools. Rathgeber explained that there online school for girls is based off the book “Disrupting Class” by Klayton Christenson. This book touches on the innovation of technology in learning and the advantages it brings to learning. Builiding on this, Rathgeber also explained that there have been extensive studies on the ways in which female students learn and succeed in education, which this school aims at adhering to; This was their purpose in making the online school single gendered to that of females. Some example of some ways in which females learn are the following: making connections, collaboration, social interaction, and many more. The online courses require participation in voice threads, discussion boards, chat sessions, and similar technological ways of communicating with the other students in the class. In the interview, Rathgeber touched on the fact that, in light of the fact that it is an online school, it's interesting to realize how much the interaction between the girls means to them, as well as the relationships they form during their classwork. The feedback given by parents whose children are enrolled in this school say they love the flixibility as well as opportunity to take courses that would not have otherwise been offered to their children.
In reflecting on this online school for girls, I am encouraged by the type of learning it enploys as well as the way in which the school approaches education. They have analyzed the ways in which girls learn the best, and structured their school around that. I think this is really cool! What I liked most about the idea of attending an onling school, is the flexibility. I remember hating to have to sit in school from 8 to 3 monday through Friday. The timeline was inconvenient as well as annoying to me. But, with this onilne school, the students can do their education whenever it is convenient for them.

Educational Blog: "What Makes A Learning Experience Unbelievably Satisfying?"

I read the educational blog entitled "What Makes A Learning Experience Unbelievably Satisfying?" by Ben Johnson. I really liked this blog because it focuses on not boring the students. Johnson outlines various ways in which a teacher can interact with the student and better engage them in the learning process. Some things that I learned from this blog are actually things that seem like common sense but I think are commonly forgotten. For example, Johnson stressed the importance of giving positive reinforcement constantly to stroke the childrens' confidence and make them feel successful. Another point that he touched on was creating tasks for the students to do individually so that they feel needed. The basic jist of his blog was to treat each child like they are extremely special and consequently they will have an "unbelievably satisfying experience." After reading Johnson's blog, I posted a comment speaking from a student's perspective. I just basically said that I am a student who is studying to become a teacher. I know from experience that all the points Johnson touched on in his blog are very true and too often teachers forget to utilize those personal relation skills to better reach the students.

Podcast

I created a Podcast explaining how I intend to do this technology project. Being that I intend to be an ESL student, teaching vocabulary is an essential part of my job. So, earlier in the semester when we watched a clip about teachers using the flip videos with the students acting out various words, I got really interested. That same day, Alice and I decided to use the flip video and act out some random words we found on the internet. The activity was really fun and helped us to get better acquainted with the words, had we not of acted them out as well as said them on the video (giving their definition). Being that this activity was helpful and fun for me, I decided to experement more with the flip video for my project. After acting out vocabulary and stating the definition, I will make a video (with music) to present the words to the class. I will present them using the Smart Board.

NU Educators Panel

* Three Questions I would like to ask the NU Educators Panel members:
1. What plans do they have for the future involving obtaining and using new technology?
2. How much money do they budgit each year for updating and purchasing new technology?
3. How important do they think technology is to their University?

Response to Peer's posts

I commented on:

Amy's blog:
Jordan's blog: about using technology with Research Papers.

Lauryn's blog: about the features of Word that she uses.

Inna's Blog
Ashley's Blog:

Reflection # 7

What: Last week in our class, Technology in Education, we were asked to do an assignment with the flip video. Alice and I were partners and we decided to act out some vocabulary words. We got on google and looked up weird random words that we had never heard of. Then, we took turns videotaping and narrating as the other person would act out the definition of the chosen vocabulary word. It was really fun and a good activity to do to actually learn and remember the meaning of the word. Once we were done recording, it took about 10 minutes, we uploaded the video onto the computer and were then able to create a slide show of the different words we acted out, which we shared with the class.


So What: I had never used the flip video before and was impressed with how easy it was to use and how helpful it can be for teachers. In doing this activity, I realized that technology should be included to make learning more innovative and creative.


Now What: Now that i've had experience with using the flip video, and have seen how easy it is to use, I will definately try and use it when I become a teacher. It makes for fun and creative activities which only foster a better learning environment. As a student myself, I really enjoyed being creative with the assignment. This made me realize that students, in general, would prefer to be creative in the learning process. So, I hope to carry over what I've learned to my future classroom!

My Weebly Page

I created a page on weebly.com com entitled Mckenzie's Education Page. My page is in the beggining stages as far as what I would like to create. I hope to (as a college student) create a page that is helpful for other education majors, like myself, who could use some help from someone who is in the same boat as theirselves. The reason I decided to create this page is because, as of recently, I have heard about and stumbled accross various helpful sites for teachers (that I would like to remember and use when I can). So, I decided to create a public site, in which I can keep a record of the cool sites, as well as help other college students. The Weebly is a really great site because it is super easy to create your own website. It has a drag and drop website editor which allows you to add creativie applications to your page. The thing I like best about Weebly is that it's free and available to anyone! So, future teachers feel free to check out my site!

"Caught on Video"

"Caught on Video" by Bob Spankle is a great blog which outlines a variety of ways in which teachers can use the video camera in the classroom. Some of the ideas that I liked in the blog and could see myself incorporating into my classroom were the following:
* Never write another long note for a substitute teacher, rather video tape the instructions and email it to them.
* Have a student record the way in which to do a math problem correct. That way they can review the method when needed.
* Film all presenters and presentations so you can re-use the presentation in later classes.
* Film important lesson highlights so absent students can review them and not get behind in class.
Spankle wrote in his blog the following: "Video begs for reviewing and rewinding much more than a letter grade could ever hope for." I think this statement is key to the idea that the video camera is useful in the classroom. I think this because repetition is a student's best learning tool, so if the video camera encourages the students to rewind and re-watch something over and over until they get it, who can argue that it's not helful in the classroom?

Assignment # 3 Resources for Teachers

For assignment 3 "Resources for Teachers" I decided to use the Diigo "toolbox" to complete the assignment. In all honesty, I didn't really think much about the assignment, and Diigo was one of the sites a classmate had told me about that would work and was easy to use. So, I created a personal account with Diigo (which, by the way, was super easy) and started googling various activites and tools for English teachers. After finding some really cool sites, and being able to save them for use in the future, I was really impressed with Diigo and what it has to offer. The sites that I found were very informative, useful, and stuff I definately would like to keep in mind for when I become a teacher. So, it's great that with Diigo, I can save each website and go back to them when I need ideas for fun activities, SmartBoard lessons, printable worksheets, etc...

Diigo is a powerful research tool as well as a knowledge-sharing online community. How it works is by creating an account and bookmarking sites which you found interesting our helpful. You are then able to organize your "toolbox" by using tags or lists, which you can access from anywhere. Once you've started bookmarking sites, you are able to share your annotated pages with fllowers on Diigo, as well as draw on sites that other followers have bookmarked.

Personally, I intend to use my "toolbox" immediately with ideas and activities for lesson plans (required for some of my classes). This assigment allowed me to find some super cool sites that explain various activities, give good lesson plans, and have interactive activities already created with the SmartBoard (which is a focus in one of my classes). Further, I think that the more I get associated and familiarized with these sites, the more likely I am to use them in the future as a teacher. So, I intend to keep my toolbox and add more sites as I come accross them to Diigo, so that I don't forget about them.

The following are some sites which I thought were very helpful and interesting, as a future educator.
1. "20+ Ways to Use Flip Cameras in the Classroom" is an article I found where various taechers have shared how they have found uses in the classroom for the Flip Camera. One example that stood out to me was a teacher who said he used the Flip Camera to make videos of students using their calculation methods for math class. That seemed very creative and helpful to me and seems to be a great way of consollidating and communicating understanding.
2. Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab was another site that I found very interesting and useful for ESL students. This site contains listening quizzes (for various levels of learners), 20-minute ESL vocabulary lessons, Language learning and life tips, etc... Everything posted on this site is in podcast form, so it helps learn the language, but also helps with hearing the correct pronunciation of the English language. As a teacher, I could use this site in the language lab and require that the students spend a certain amount of time each week listening to various podcasts, and taking the quizzes.
3. ESL Teachers Board is the 3rd site that I found extremely helpful for ESL teachers. It contains Information for ESL teachers regarding places to post your Resume, a list of available jobs around the world, as well as various working opportunites (become an agent, volunteering, etc...) It also provides ESL resources for in the classroom, self growth tips, information for ESL students, and much more. This site was very interesting and I can see myself revisiting it when I am looking for a job (post-graduation) or need resources for in the classroom.

Promethean ActivBoard

The Promethean ActivBoard is an interactive learning technological device which works to motive learners, engage as well as assess the students, all while getting them used to new technology. With this board, teachers are able to prepare digital lessons (either already made and available online or lessons the teachers make up themselves). Teachers are also able to integrate text, web, video and audio content into the lessons (attempting to reach all types of learners). Also included with this board are wireless, hand-held devises which the students can use to interact with questions the teacher posts. This information can be found on the Promethean ActivBoard site.

It seems to me that the ActivBoard is very similar to that of the SMARTBoard. I guess I'm confused with what the difference between the two interactive boards are? I'm also wondering which board came on the education scene first?

ActivBoard Reflection

Tonight I went to the Lake Washington High School to learn more about the Promethean ActivBoard. Ms. Wageman was the teacher, a former graduate of Northwest University, who did a little presentation on the ActivBoard for us students. In her presentation, she showed us a video of various teachers around the community who have recently incorporated the board into their classrooms. A lot of the teachers expressed apprehension about having to change their methodology of presenting the information in their class (to incorporate the ActivBoard). However, every single one of the teachers also said that the board really added to their classroom in regards to presenting the material in a different way (to help the students better understand it), getting the students more involved in the lesson, and appealing more to the students (because technology is what they like to do). This video clip she showed eased the apprehension I have regarding using an activboard. Knowing that the more you use the board, the easier it comes really helps me grasp the concept that I can use the board, in a productive way, once I've used it enough to be comfortable with it. Ms. Wagner also expressed her luck, in that, while she was student teaching, the classroom she worked in had an activboard, so she was able to learn how to use it from the beginning. Getting familiar with the piece of technology early is the best way to use it productively in the class. In realizing this, I was very appreciative for all the time we are devoting to learning how to use the SMARTBoard and ActivBoard (while we are in college). So, when we actually become teachers we will already be well practiced with it!

Reflection: How the SMART Board is being used

What: In taking this Technology in Education class, and learning the know-how with Smart Boards, I've been paying a lot more attention to how the SMART Board is being used in the classroom. For example, many of the students who are learning how to use the SMART Board (in this class) are also in other classes of mine, and I've noticed that they are attempting to incorporate the SMART Board into their presentations.

So What: Another observation that has caught my attention is that, for the most part, the students are using the SMART Board for very simple things, such as playing youtube videos that correlate to the presentation they are giving, or for projection ideas they have previously typed, so the students can all see it at the same time. These techniques are not hurting the presentation, but in my opinion, they are very basic ways of using the SMART Board, and a lot more could be done with the SMART Board to get the kids involved in the learning.

Now What: I think that it's crucial for us, future teachers, to go beyond the surface (easy way of using technology) to use it to it's fullest. There is a lot that techology can bring to a classroom, but if we don't take the time to research and incorporate the various activities offered, it can become nothing but a time consumer in the classroom.

Reflection: Teacher Attempting to Get Over Frustration with Smart Board

A couple weeks ago I blogged on one of my teacher attempting to use the SMART Board in the class, but ultimately giving up because she was frustrated with it. From this experience with her and the SMART Board, I kinda formed the opinion that she was going to stick to her old ways and not attempt to learn the functions and ways to use the new technology in the class.
However, in my last class with her, she clearly had spent time on her own playing with the SMART Board and getting a sense of how to use it. Then, in our class, she had us students go up to it and use it in one of our activities. The particular activity that we did, did not necessarily benefit from the SMART Board, but she stated that she wanted to get us more familiar with the ways of the SMART Board and to become use to working with it frequently in the classroom.

Moses Lake High School Website

Moses Lake High School is where I attended high school 4 years ago. For this assignment, I chose to analyze my former high school's page because I'm not sure where I want to teach post graduation, but in the future, Moses Lake could be where I end up.
After visiting their website, I was very impressed. It was very organized, with the most relevant and time oriented news on the opening page (where it catches your attention). Also on the opening page were pictures of Moses Lake as well as the high school. There was a list of upcoming events in which anyone who read the invite was invited.
The site had organized links that were directed towards different sorts of audiences i.e. students, employment, district, schools, staff, community, etc... From these links, the website provided detailed information for alumni students, nwe testing information, information about the area, etc.. I was surprised at how detailed and well-organized the website was. I definately feel like if you had a particular question reagarding any aspect of the High School, you could go to the site, and answer your own question.
One important aspect that I feel the website could improve upon is the graphics and attractiveness. I understand that it is a professional website and should reflect this, but I think that today's generation has become more creative in the websites and similar technological tools employed by businesses, and this should be reflected on the website. Like I said earlier, there is a picture of Moses Lake on the website, but it was taken on a gloomy day, and thus it kinda sets the tone for the whole website (because it is the first thing you see when you go to the website).
Other than the overall attractiveness of the website, I think that the Moses Lake High School website is very organized and helpful for users.

Smart Board Presentations in Class

This class was a very good learning experience. The Smart Board assignment #2 required me to do a little investigating of the Smart Board (how it worked, what it's used for, how ESL students can use it in the classroom, etc...) I found a fun activity, a crossword puzzle, which would be good practice for a vocab lesson in TESL. The activity was interactive and allowed students to work as a group and also to come up to the board and use it first hand.
Along with learning more about the Smart Board from my own activity, I also gained a better understanding of how the board worked by watching the other students' activities and how they used the board. They used different features of the Smart Board software as well as various creative activities which, prior to their presentation, I was clueless about. This goes to show that students in classes where Smart Boards are being used, are learning a great deal about technology just by watching how the teacher and others use it in the classroom.
Overall, I thought Assignment 2 was very informative, on a lot of levels, about the usefulness of the Smart Board. It can be a great tool to get the students actively engaged and interested in the class. It has a tun of different amentities that can be used in various classes. Finally, the use of it in the classroom exposes the students to technology in a first hand/ inadvertant way.

Reflection: Professor having difficulty with Smart Board

last week in one of my classes, the teacher was attempting to use the markers that accompany the Smart Board to do an activity on the Smart Board. After minutes of her messing with the Smart Board and and its icons, a student finally asked if she could help, and then succeeded. Amidst these events, another one of the students asked, "Why don't you just write on the white board?" The Professor responded by saying," I would if I could, but we can't move the Smart Board." She then went on to express her frustrations with the Smart board. I couldn't help but think that, for our particular activity, the white board would have sufficed. However, I'm pretty sure that my feelings correlate to those of my Professor's. Because, like her, I don't quite understand how to use th Smart Board. Therefore, I resort to what I know and get frustrated with the new technology that requires me to put time and energy into figuring out how to work it. This example, illustrates a couple of the things we have talked about in class. One being, that before the teacher attempted to use the Smart board in class, she should have played with it and understood how to work it, so that class time was not sacrificed. Also, this example showed the technological devide between the professor and a student in the class. The student knew more about how the Smart Board worked than the teacher did (and this should not be the case).

Replys to Peers blogs

Daily's Blog:
Blake's Blog:
Devon's Blog:
Kacie's Blog:
Ashley's Blog:
Shayna's Blog:

Using Power Point for lectures

Recently I've realized that teachers are cluing into the fact that students by a variety of means i.e. listening, seeing, and doing... And further more, these teachers are attempting to incorporate appeal to the variety of learners by using power point (along with the lecture). I understand the notion that seeing paired with listening benefits the learner. However, I don't think that just because we see the words up on the power point, we are better learning the content of the lecture. This post may seem negative and a bit like I'm complaing. But, it's more just me trying to decipher (as a student who will soon be a teacher) whether or not using power point presentations along with lectures are beneficial to the students. In analyzing myself in the classroom, I know that just becuase the teacher has added a power point with some annimations and cute pictures, I am not further engaged in the lesson. It may just be me, but as a future teacher I would like to know if the time spent preparing the slide show is worth it?

Reflection on technology in Media Writing

Last semester, I was in the Media Writing class taught by Kara Heirichs. I really enjoyed the class! However, for one assignment, we were required to work in groups to compare and contrasts various newspapers online. In doing this, we were expected to use power point to inform and highlight to the class what we had found from the different sites (using pictures, animations, etc...) As much as I am embarrassed to admit, I got anxious when I realized that power point was essential to complete the assignment. Lucky for me, one of the girls in my class was very knowledgeable about all the different tools of power point. Once the rest of us group members came up with the information to put on the power point, she whipped up that presentation in a matter of minutes! I was so impressed at how good she was with using the technology. Don't get me wrong, I know how to use computers, and I have done power point presentations. However, it hasn't been since sophmore year of high school that I created a power point presentation, and even then it was a very basic presentation. When watching my tech-savy classmate use all the amenities and short cuts correlating with the power point software, I was amazed at how much there is to know about technology and software, and how far behind I am on it!

Cool Cat Teacher Blog

"Teaching content with new tools, enthusiasm, and the belief that teaching is a noble calling." This statement is the motto for the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, and after checking out the whole blog, I've decided that the motto fits! The Cool Cat blog works to be inspirational to educators in all areas of life (including taking the time to understand and use technology in the classroom). The author blogs nearly every day with different issues or simply a message of encouragement. The message she posted on the day of my visit to her blog was that of not being lethargic and lazy with our dreams. She encouraged her readers to identify and work to achieve their dreams. I know that this is not what I was supposed to reflect on in this assignment, but the message really spoke to me, so I decided to include it in my blog. The Cool Cat blog has links to numerous sites that give examples of how technology can be used in cool ways, articles/ conferences on the use of technology, as well as examples of how she herself has found creative ways of incorporating technology into her curriculum. This blog inspired me to not be lethargic with my knowledge and use of technology. I've recently realized that I shy away from using technology that I am not familiar with. But after reading her blog, I am encouraged to play with technology (like kids do) and enjoy using it for a variety of purposes.

Assignment 2

* ESL Smartboard activity page:
http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/smart_board_lesson_plans/
http://iteslj.org/cw/3/ck-22_4-letter_words.html

The Smart Board Activities that I will be using in my presentation are the keyboard and the icon that enlarges the text.

The NETS standards for Students and Teachers this activity covers are:
1. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
2. Technology Operations and Concepts:Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students understand and use technology systems. Students also select and use applications effectively and productively.
3. Teachers design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. This involves designing or adapting relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

An interactive white board could improve student learning in my future ESL classroom in that the students are using technology while simultaneous learning their vocabulary words in an interactive setting. They can work as a group to become more familiar with the English words, their definitions, and the context they fit into.

Generation IM

The article Generation IM was very informative about the different "killer Applications" that can be used in the classroom. One of the the applications explained was Imbee which is similar to a facebook and Myspace, however it is modified to be appropriate for regulations of the classroom. Some teachers have used Imbee for social networking within the classroom. One teacher imparticular, Tenkely used the application to educate her students on Internet safety as well sa to get them familiar with blogging. Once the class got familiar with the site, Tenkely began posting the projects and assignmetns on the web. In doing this, the students' friends and family began tuning into what had been posted giving the students a web-based audience.
As a result the quality of work increased, because the students knew that they had an audience other than their teacher. The kids use this site outside of class to just talk about their interests and whatever. This allows the teacher to get to know the students better. As a teacher, getting to know the kids is key. Once you understand their interests and dislikes, you can incorporate some of those into the lessons. In my opinion, incorporating Imbee into the classroom is very helpful in introducing the students to technology, as well as getting them to interact with one another. From the artice, we learned that the students' quality of work was improved with the posting of the students work on Imbee. This shows that Imbee can be used as a motivational factor with the students.
Another application called Moodle is another application that really interested me. Mark Fuson, a High School English teacher, used Moodle as place to put all his teaching materials online, along with an outline of assignmentts for each week. This is an amazing tool to keep the parents informed on the happenings and requirements of the classroom as well as to help the students stay on track with the class.

Assignment 1

The Article, “Effect of Technology on Motivation in EFL Classrooms” written by Assist. Prof. Dr. Binnur Gencilter stresses that learning a new language is very stressful and difficult. This study researched the relationship between technology being incorporated into the classroom and the children’s opinions of the use of technology in the classroom. The results showed that there was a divide between male and female views on the use of technology. The female students were more excited about the idea of technology in the classroom. They liked the computer-based classes and felt that they made lessons more enjoyable. Further, the female students thought that technology such as films, videos, CDs and e-learning could develop their language skills. On the other hand, while the male students did not express as much excitement regarding the use of technology, they were of the same opinion as the girls that materials used via the internet were “effective, enjoyable, interesting and useful for them.”

According to Gencilter, “Students’ responses have showed that there is a great relation between language-learning motivational factors and using technology.” EFL students prefer that technology be used in the classroom, because using technology increased their motivation. The students felt that the computer connected projector is one of the most useful technological pieces of equipment in the classroom. Jarvis (2005) suggests that the task-based approach, by means of different technological devices in the classrooms, is how the younger generation prefers to be taught. However, this study also revealed that students may find it boring if the teacher uses technology too much.
What I have learned from this article is that EFL students enjoy the use of technology and it may very well be the motivating factor that keeps them excited about coming to class and learning a new language.
The study revealed that EFL students enjoy doing tasks which require different technological devices to complete. While the results all seem very much in favor of technology in the classroom, I think that it is important to pay attention to the stated fact that the students may get bored if technology is over used. In conclusion, this article gave me some pointers about the strengths and weaknesses involved with using technology in the classroom.
These strengths and weaknesses are what I should keep in mind when using technology in my classroom (once I am an EFL teacher). I will use it as a motivational key for learning in a fun way. However, I will be sure to use it in moderation, so as to not bore my students.

The article can be found at:
http://firma.northwestu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=45035185&site=ehost-live


The standard that I felt was important for the students in my ESL classroom is Communication and Collaboration. As an ESL teacher, it is important for me to get my students communicating in English. Communication and interaction from the students in English is the target goal of an ESL teacher. Therefore, I thought this standard was very appropriate to focus on. The Communication and Collaboration Standard holds that students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. An assignment that I could do with my students to help them meet this standard is to help them create a blog on the internet. I could give them class time to use the blog as a journal and write responses to impromptus I had (in English). This project would give them practice in writing in English as well as get them working with technology. The second thing I could do is have them read their fellow classmates blogs and respond in English. They could do this at school or at home (if they had computers).
Look at the NETS for Teachers. Choose one to focus on this semester. Why is this standard important to you as a teacher and for the students in your class? List and talk about 3 ways you will work on this standard this semester. You will be asked to follow up on this at the end of the semester.
The standard that I chose to focus on this semester (from the Nets for Teachers) is Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. This standard holds that teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. This standard is important to me as a teacher because I want to be a teacher who is fun and keeps learning fun. I want to inspire my kids to use their imaginations and be creative with their learning. I feel like this is something that I should focus on because, as much as it is ideal, being creative and inspirational takes work and is something that a teacher needs to put time into. Three ways that I will work on this standard this semester are by being creative with developing my blog, exploring the different current events in the world (via the internet) and blogging about them, and finally by responding to the posts of my peers.

"A Board to Banish Boredom"

The article "A Board to Banish Boredom," written by R. Savita of the Hindy Business Line, is making the claim that incorporating the SMART Board into classrooms will ensure more class participation and engagement. The study goes on to discuss the daunting dropout statistics of students in India. It proposes that if SMART Boards were being used in the school systems, that these statistics would drastically decline resulting in a better education system in India. The article mentions that the interactive white board is a powerful stimulus in the classroom because: Everyone can write on it and are able to save their changes. It has high visual impact, creating a theatrical effect in the classroom. It facilitates better class control/ management, as well as many other benefits.

Role of Technology in the Classroom

So, to be honest this idea of the "classical" way of teaching being outdated is very knew to me. The articles that we have been required to read prior to this reflection, have opened my eyes to the divide between the way in which the educators learned and the way in which today's generation of students has and will continue to learn. I agree that the internet and technological devices are great ways to become familiar with our ever-growing world. With that being said, I am realizing how important it is for the students to be savy with the technology and able to understand how it all works.
However, I feel like the articles we've analyzed are very liberal in their approach to changing the ways of education. By reading them, I get the sense that the authors do not see the importance in learning the basics before skipping ahead to the more complex ideas (with the perception that the students have already learned the basics prior to coming to school). I don't think this is the case for everyone, actually, I don't think this is the case for a lot of students.

I am leaning towards the opinion that incorporating computers, computer-based assignments, and other technological devices into the classroom is a good thing. But I also think that the teachers should continue to educate the students in the areas of mathematics, sciences, etc... with a hands on approach as well (such as in a science lab, or something similar).

"Turning on The Lights"

In this article it was interesting to me that they regarded teachers as no longer being providers of information, but rather explainers of the information that the kids already know. I found this interesting because it insinuates that the knowledge that the teacher has, is not as important as that of what the kids already know and/ or will learn on their own.
The artilce goes on to say that schools are leading kids away from the light? I don’t know if I agree that requiring the students to turn off their electronics is taking them away from the light. In my opinion, it is attempting to eliminate the distractions (that I myself use to take my mind somewhere other than the classroom). I know that when I use these distractions in the classroom, I pay more attention to them than what the teacher is laying out before me.
The article suggests that teachers need to bring the after school learning techniques into the classroom. I agree with incorporating electronics, and such, but I don’t necessarily believe in forgoing all the old ways of education including learning the fundamentals of algebra, science, chemistry, etc.. As much as the studies may have bored me, they helped me form a basic understanding of the world around me. I remember at one point in my college career expressing my frustrations to my dad about being required to continue taking math courses even though I did not intend to pursue a degree in mathematics. But, my father said something to me that really rung true, “math is what the world is made up of. Wheather we realize it or not, everything can be broken down into a mathematic equation.” In realizing this, I am thankful that I was required to take the math classes that I was, so that I now can better understand the world around me.
In conclusion, I agree with incorporating technology into the classroom, but with boundaries of when it is ok to use them, and when it is not. I also agree with the articles view on requiring the students to do assignments that stretch their electronic knowledge. But, I think there needs to be a balance between the old way of thought and the modern way laid out for us in the article "Turning on the Lights."

Reasons for wanting to be a teacher

Initially, I had no interest in becoming a teacher. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, so I started exploring various degrees (needless to say, I spent a lot of extra money and time in school). But, my exploring lead me to the realization that I love to learn about and engage in new cultures. I found I really enjoy studying the Spanish language and would like to pursue a career that would enable me to work abroad and interact with Spanish speaking people.
In voicing this desire, someone offered the idea of teaching English abroad. This really sparked my interest. I looked more into the idea, and made a decision to pursue a degree in TESL, so as to be able to travel, learn myself, as well as impart my knowledge of the English language to those with a foreign language.
After deciding to pursue a career in teaching English as a Foreign language, I next needed to decide what age group I would like to teach. I eventually chose Secondary Education, because I feel a connection with the high school age group and believe I would be successful in intereacting with them in the classroom. I also chose this age group, because I also hope to someday coach high school basketball. So I thought, being a teacher in the same school setting is beneficial.
From this class, I hope to learn new things about technology. At this point, I know enough to do what I need to get done for my studies. But, I realize there is a lot I don't know which will be helpful to learn for my future as a teacher to a generation of technological savy students.