Newton's 3 Laws Video

Using Technology to help the teaching and learning Process in my Classroom

When I walked into class this semester and thought of technology that could be used in my classroom I was quite naive. I kind of assumed there would just be a technology teacher in the school that I work in and in my classroom technology may consist of simple thing such as basic computer games. This class has been extremely beneficial in opening my eyes.

We have learned about so many new ideas that I had never heard of from everything from delicious, which is a great way to save favorite websites and access them from anywhere with Internet to webquests which can basically have an entire lesson plan designed within them and allow students to have direct interaction.

There were also many ideas that I had heard of but naive considered incorporating into my classroom. I really came to appreciate the idea of pod casting and blogging. I like both of them because I feel that they are super ways to keep up high communication with parents in a time when we seem to get so busy this may not be as easy as it seems.

Through and through I have learned that in order to maximize the success of my students and the profession of teaching I cannot rely on others to help bring technology into my classroom and I would be incompetent if I tried to. There is a plethora of technology in the world and by using it we will help to further the success of our students and society as a whole.

Podcasting

Podcasting is defined as an for of audio recording such as an mp3 that can be shared and used for broadcasting. I like the idea of podcasting lectures or conferences that I can share with students who are at, parents, or even other educators across the board. I like the idea of podcasting because even though they may be a little more time consuming to plan what you'd like to say and sit down and do it I think it is benefitial becuase it helps further communication errors. It is beneficial to have the opportunity to use communicate this way because people can hear your voice. By listening to what you have to say they can take what you're saying a literal sense due to the inclination in your voice. Podcasting is a great form of keeping communication high between people in a society that seems to be so busy we fail to stay on top of communication.

Ethical Challenges

Ethics are what people beleive to be acceptable and okay on a moral level. Ethics are difficult becuase they tend to vary from person to person. There is a usually a fine line between what is okay and acceptable and what is wrong. Anything that is criminal is clearly unethical, but we will be called as educators to make decisions that are not always illegal but still unethical. The pros to being a Christian is that I intend to be morally swayed by not only what society says is ethical, but also what God says is okay. The difficult part of this will be when I truly have to take the harder route and other educators may encourage behavior I do not find morally acceptable. I will have to stay strong to what I beleive to be right and not judge others for their variety of oppinions. I think that the higher a persons ethics are the harder they may need to work, but in the same respect they will be rewarded in the end becuase I know that I have given credit to everyone who diserves it. One of the best things about being an educator in todays society is all of the resources, there are so many ideas out there. We do not have to reinvent the wheel, just give credit for work that does not belong to you!

Virtual Tours

Virtual tours are a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of video images. I will be able to use virtual tours in my classroom on multiple occasions. One of the most efficient ways to use a virtual tour will be to show parents what changes are going on in the classroom. It is often difficult for the average parent to get into the classroom on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean that they are not interested. By putting up virtual tours of the classroom on a regular basis we can display new artwork that is up, current themes on bulletin boards and changes in organization as well as seating arrangements. Virtual tours are also beneficial to students because virtual tours can be used to in the classroom field trips and learning experiences. Virtual tours are good because they do offer experiences that are exciting and interesting for everyone. Virtual tours give experience that would not always be realistic for someone to go out and do in real life. The only down side to a virtual tour is that they shouldn't be used all the time because they only offer a visual sense of what is going on. If parents are able to come into the classroom and students have the ability to go on a field trip we should encourage it to increase dynamic experiences.

Teacher Web Page Reflection

I have been viewing many teacher web pages lately in an attempt to find where exactly I stand on the professionalism as well as the effectiveness of a future web page for myself as an educator. I feel that a web page is required for a teacher because it is a resources for students and parents to look at from home or anywhere with internet access. A teacher web page is a website that contains a variety of links and sub categories that keep parents knowledgeable about what their child is learning as well as give students an opportunity to enhance their learning and continue practicing at home. Teacher pages can have cons because they need to be user friendly and encourage parents to be active in their child's education, but this is difficult because they need to contain a lot of information but also not be not overwhelming. I think that the pros are overwhelming thought because communication can be difficult in a busy educational setting. Teacher web pages can be an professional way to keep up good communication skills.