Carrie Blanchard Wow I can't believe I made it this far!

My Blog Post:   My goals for this class are to at least become computer literate. I think that technology is important in order to be a successful teacher. In the school I work at every classroom has a smart board and it is amazing. It is also sad that many teachers do not use them or know how. I do not know how to blog, make a power point, utilize a spreadsheet. I basically know how to use e-mail and how to search the Internet. Power points will be helpful to know how to make for the classroom. Also spreadsheets even for personal use would be nice. I guess it is about time I catch up with the rest of the world. I am looking forward to learning new things and I hope that I do not get lost on the way.

What I already knew	What I wanted to know	What I learned
Use e-mails		e-mails are a little bit outdated when sharing information….use a wiki instead
Search the internet		Anyone can post information on the internet so you must be selective where you get your information from
Upload pictures from my camera
	How to create and use a spreadsheet	I learned how to use a spreadsheet and even input a formula in order to get a total amount
	Make a Power Piont	I learned how to put in pictures, how to use a You Tube video, how to make the words active on the slides. I also learned that there were basics on the colors and sizes for the fonts on Power Points.
		I learned about a Wiki and why it is better to use than e-mail especially when planning with others.
		I learned how to create a Blog.
		I learned about Delicious which is excellent to use, especially for teachers because you can share what sites are helpful to you and look at others sites and determine if you want to use them as well.
		I learned about bookmarking, a great way to find and keep sites that you love.
		I learned about Google Docs and how you can use it to create a spreadsheet or even create a PowerPoint for free. You can share it and allow others to edit it. You can find it anywhere because it is on the Web.

                               

I have now gotten my feet wet in the world of technology. After playing with the spreadsheet assignment I was able to feel more comfortable in a spreadsheet. That is when I actually calculated using formulas for another class. I was very excited because I have always thought it would be a good way to keep up with my financial costs. Now that I have created a Power Point I am willing and wanting to create another one. It took me a very long time to create my Power Point but now that I have has some experience the next time it will not be quite as challenging and I will be exploring more possibilities. I really think that I can be a more organized person with utilizing a Wiki, bookmarking and even Delicious. I also discovered Google Docs, which is wonderful because you do not have to worry about using a flash drive or taking your laptop. Where ever there is a computer and the internet you can pull up your documents. You can share them and even allow others to edit them. I would like to use a Blog in my classroom as a kind of newsletter for my students and parents. I will post weekly information of events in the classroom and keep it updated on what the skills are that we are learning. This will be a great place for parents to communicate with me if they have any questions or concerns. I would also post sites that may be fun and helpful to the students to use at home. I will also use spreadsheets to keep organized on my grades and checklists that I need to keep up with. Power Points are a really fun way to introduce a new skill or to review and old one. I really did not know much about YouTube before this class. I am amazed at all the things you can learn from it. I will be using it in the classroom too. I will be sure to view it before I show it.