Butch Class Blog

Microsoft Word (Stop Changing Your Layout!)
I remember when our High School got its first computer lab. That was in 1988. The internet for practical purposes did not exist outside of colleges, the military, and they were still talking about Telenet and CompuServe. I started to learn to type on a type writer and worked with some of the first IBM computers used in our classrooms. Our Computer Lab teacher had a terrible time keeping us kids from smuggling in games and playing them on the servers when she wasn't looking. In the 1987 we had a small lab where we learned to write programs using DOS. It took hours just to make a picture on the screen using command lines like "go to" and "run". Now I can't keep up with the changes on MS Word because the format changes every 3 years it seems like.

I laughed when Mrs. Keesee wrote "think of one instance of a time when you wanted to do something in Microsoft Office and could not figure out how to accomplish it?" Just when I can figure out how to do anything without MS word they changing the format and where all the buttons are placed! I really enjoy the new things like charts, pictures, equations, and spell/grammar check (Greatest Invention Since Sliced Bread!). Without MS word and word processing my teachers would still be telling me, "Butch what is this.... It looks like Chicken Scratch!" My handwriting is terrible an archeologist put it in a museum next to a mummy. I still print everything because my cursive has been known to cause temporary blindness. Luckily MS word came up with this wonderful Invention and even created a help button that has always looked like a question mark or said Help.

Impressive Attributes

The following article was in today's Child Care Exchange newsletter. I thought it was worth posting and asking you to think about how this course could help you build these attributes and answer some of these questions. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.

Barbara Moses, writing in Work & Family Life (April 2011) notes that employers are looking for these attributes when interviewing job candidates:

Innovation.  Say what you’ve done in the past to help generate or bring about change or growth.  Offer fresh ideas for the future.

Teamwork.  Tell about when you helped a coworker or how you responded (in a mature, positive way) when you did not get the cooperation you sought.

Decision-making.  Describe your thinking process prior to making a tough decision.

Leadership.  Tell about a time when it was difficult to get help on a project and what you did in response to make something happen.  Talk about the “big picture.”

Tenacity.  Talk about a difficult situation when your persistence paid off.

Attention to details.  Describe the process you use to control errors.

Emotional IQ.  Tell how you dealt with a frustrating situation.

Flexibility.  Talk about how you got around an obstacle that was preventing you from finishing a task or project.

Toni Ryan "What I Amazingly Learned"

What I knew: 1. How to e-mail messages 2. How to save a document 3. How to construct a paper on the computer 4. How to basically submit assignments 5. How to print off of a computer 6. How to Google for information My Goals: 1. To copy and paste with ease 2. To learn what "i-pods, i-pads, twitter and other terms mean 3. To learn all I can about technology to better teach children What did I learn? 1. I created a blog! 2. I made a wiki 3. How to do a hyperlink 4. How to evaluate a webquest 5. How to do a powerpoint presentation 6. How to make a spreadsheet 7. How to use clipart 8. What Bloom's Taxonomy is 9. How to bookmark in Delicious Most of my learning was in the cognitive domain, but the group projects taught me some things in the social/emotional domain. Socially, how do you give opinions in such a way to not offend anyone? You can not use inflexions in your voice to assure someone that you are not insulting their opinion. It all has to be in your words. This is not always easy. What I learned to take with me in my life and teaching, is a lot about the technology for the special needs out there. I want to be either a teacher assistant for a special needs classroom or work as a one on one for a special needs student. Dr. Keesee was determined that we all learn everything possible about technology in this class and by her patience and a little push forward, I think we've all done that!

Danielle Clark's Updated Goal List

I formed five main goals for this course at the beginning of the semester. Looking back on them, there’s really only one that I haven’t spent time learning more about. Unfortunately, that one was probably the one I considered most important! My five goals were to learn more about….

1. And become more comfortable with the technology I admittedly dislike.

As I said in my opening blog post way back in January, I can usually figure out what I need to do in order to get technology to bend to my will and do my bidding. At the very least, I knew the power of Google, eHow, and the expert knowledge stored within.

What I wanted to know, or what I felt that I really needed someone to hang a grade over my head and force me to discover, were things like wikis and podcasts. I wound up learning about those along with Delicious, WebQuests and the proper use of images from online. I still don’t like them all (I’m looking at you Delicious), but I know how to use each and every one of them to the point that I can explain it to someone else, which was part of my goal. Wikis, for example, drive me nuts while I’m midway through the work. I’d rather clean the toilet than work on a wiki, but looking back on the class wiki, I can see the fantastic potential of it as a teaching tool and assignment. I’m very excited to use it in my classroom one day. Ideally, I’d like to use it in the way I mentioned in the tech integration contest- as a long term project that students can add and edit as they learn more and more on a subject over the span of a few grades. It’s a big project, but I think it’d be completely worth it.

2. The available technologies to help Autistic and other special needs children get as much as they can from their lessons.

I really only conquered this particular goal this past week with the work that I have yet to really submit. Fail. Anyway. Through my work with a handful of special needs students in both field observation and my work as a Nanny, I already knew of a good number of tools used to help these students excel. At least, I thought it was a good number of items, but this weeks Iris Module helped me see just how broad the term assistive technology is and how many tools can fall under that particular category.

Cognitively, I definitely compiled a list of AT devices to remember in the future, but I think more than anything I was reminded of just how altering these tools can be for students. Another big thing was the suggestion of classes to teach parents how to use the devices. It seems like such a no-brainer to clue the parents in, but I hadn’t thought of it at all.

3. Hands-on technology methods to help students learn how to problem solve for real-life situations.

This goal was my main reason for choosing Educational Games for the class wiki project. Truth is, I’ve always been interested in the simulation side of educational games, but that easily phased into the serious games we covered in our wiki. I knew going into this project that these games are a great way to tackle the material that is a little too abstract for students to understand. In my original blog post, I gave the example of seasons on Earth. There are so many variables for students to take into consideration when they learn about this subject that it’s easy to get lost in all the different information. So that was really my main reason I wanted to learn more about this form of technology. I knew some great games existed, but I didn’t really know what they were, how I could implement them successfully, or what content areas I would be able to cover.

Because this was my wiki project with Buck, this is probably the area I learned the most. And although I could type out everything I learned, that’s what the wiki is for! I think implementing the games will be a challenge based on where I wind up teaching and the resources available to my students. If we are only allowed an hour in the school computer lab and we only have one computer in the classroom, it’s going to be difficult to implement this goal. Having learned about its vast benefits though, it’s something I’m very willing to introduce to my students somehow, someway. I’d most like to use serious games, which span several subjects, so I can’t narrow it down too specifically. I think they’re a great way to get hands-on, in-depth knowledge in a way that fosters individual critical thinking while still opening opportunities for whole-class discussion.

4. Resources to help school upgrade and include new forms of technology in the classroom.

This is the goal I didn’t really work on! Shame. Just reading the goal itself, I feel like I have worked on it throughout every step of the class, but reading the more in-depth description on my blog involves finding grants and monetary sources to bring in devices like SmartBoards, updated computers in the classroom, subscriptions to online resources and so on.

Of course, I did learn about a good number of free online resources that would be fantastic aids in the classroom, but this goal was really more about finding a way to fund the things I can’t find a free alternative for. Like the SmartBoard. There’s still time I guess.

5. Establish a bookmark tab full of useful Education links that I can use myself later in other classes and my career, as well as a resource for parents.

I worked on this goal as a separate blog post, which ended up coming in quite handy a number of times throughout the course! Going into this goal I knew that there’s an endless amount of resources available online, I just didn’t really know what any of them were. I found a great stock of resources over length of the course though and they will be great for helping me to stay organized and introducing material safely in the classroom, among other things. Mainly though, I tried to find resources that would be useful for parent, students and group projects.

Reviewing My Goals - Erica Morton

At the beginning of this course I created the goal for myself to learn more about:

·         PowerPoint

·         Creating Graphics & Web Pages

·         Photo Shop Programs

·         Music & Video Programs

What I now know about….

I understand the use of a computer or all around technology in the classroom now. It’s better to understand the importance of how to use technology in your classroom for the benefit of your students. I believe I have learned many great things that can help me in teaching any future students I may have, no matter age group I end up with. I may not have learned everything that I set out to all the way so far, but I better understand how to find resources to help me learn more.

What I want to know…..

I still want to learn as much as I can to help my future students with technology. I believe that technology is an ever changing subject, so we as teacher will always be learning and teaching new things about it. I understand PowerPoint and Photo Shop way better now, but I know there are still many things I can learn about web pages and music/video programs. I’d like to learn how to create and edited videos, to do different projects with my future students, something I could share with them and their families.

How I might find out about….

Through this class I have learned how to use my resources a lot better than better not only where to find certain subjects but how to write about them and how to use them. I can find videos to help me with certain subjects then I can also help others with that same subject. (I hope that makes sense…)

What I have learned….

This class has taught me a lot about technology, I have to admit that at times I felt lost and frustrated that I would understand certain concepts or how to finish a product, but with patience’s I understood and finished most of the assignments given to me. This class also helped me other online classes I am currently taking. Taking a lot of classes at once I learned to organize a spreadsheet to help me keep up with the many assignments that I have to complete each week. This has also helped me with other assignments that I need to create PowerPoint’s for. Even this course got hard at times and I felt like I had to quit I am glad that I stuck with it and got this far.

Amy McRoberts: What a challenge

What I already knew
• How to send and receive e-mails
• How to Google the internet for information
• How to make a Power Point presentation
• How to make a spreadsheet- I do one for my bills
• How to use clipart
• I can scan items and add them to files on my computer
• Upload pictures from my camera and add them to files on my computer
• I know how to save a document


What I wanted to learn
• How to do a hyperlink successfully
• How to use technology in my classroom that will allow me to teach all my students; avg, gifted, special
• How to communicate with busy working parents


What I have learned so far
• How to do a hyperlink
• That wiki is not a bad thing, it can be very useful in finding information
• Blooms Technology and how it should be used when teaching
• How to evaluate a WebQuest
• That a WebQuest is an online learning activity that has resources from the internet that has a context that is an inquiry based lesson
• How to link technology to the regular classroom
• How to bookmark important sites in a delicious account
• How to set up a blog
• How to make a wiki account for lesson plans

My goal for this class was to learn technology that would help me to be successful in teaching all children in my classroom in a way that would be fun and exciting. I was not jumping for joy in taking this class because for me technology was not my strong area and honestly it just plain frustrated me. I knew as soon as I signed up for this class it was going to be a challenge for me and it has, but I have learned a lot from everyone in this class and I am finding technology to be fun and not so frustrating. I am confident that I can successfully teach all my students in a new and exciting way. I have learned that technology provides so many options for teachers and everyone and is needed for teaching students in the 21st century; we cannot continue to teach students the way we were taught. In the future for my classrooms I plan on having a blog for all my parents and students. My blog will be for communicating with parents and also provide classroom assignments for students who may have been absent or did not write down the assignment during class time. I plan on using a SMART board in my classroom and having e-books in my literacy area.

Nelly Bonilla learning progress

What I already knew What I wanted to Know What I learned Communication Online: How to send e-mail to friends, instructors, and family to keep updated. Group’s wikis were a group does not have to meet up face to face. Uploading or attaching any kind of work to a website. Surf the Internet: There are so many things that we can use the intent and with technology on the side we could use so many programs like Skype (able to keep in touch) Online classes (blackboard) libraries (find old documents). The uses of spreadsheet: I knew how it looks like but I learn the importance and the organizations it have. I learn that it helps to collate data of different types and it can keep updating. Evaluating Web Resources: There are so many evaluations like currency, authority, accuracy, intended audience and purpose. It shows me how to check for the domain and fact checkers. I have developed skills and knowledge into different areas by practicing. Going to different websites and look up the subject than look foe examples and I try it my self. Some stuff can be confusion if you are not familiar but we can always ask someone who might have a better knowledge. Two was that I will intent to use information/skills in my life or teaching practise are try it in different ways because everyone learns differently and always keep updating. By trying different way I mean for example surfing the web I would keep all the information in mind from what I learn in this class but also look the opposite and see how much difference is there for example author authentication and accuracy I would do a compare contrast. Keep updating for the futures is a great tool to keep in mind because of technology is growing so much faster that teachers can just stick to the way they learn it when they were students. Teachers always have to look for professional and easy and common ways to teach for a better career.

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.