This week in class we set up our personal webpage. I had some trouble with getting my page formatted in an appealing manner, but after a little bit of time was able to work through the major bugs. In my opinion, personal webpages are good for businesses, but not for the classroom. Internet websites can easily be accessed by anyone, and anything school-related should be kept between educators and those who attend that particular school. I believe that blogs are better because they are more private, and parents can provide feedback. It is very important for parents to have input in their childs' education.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Technology in the Classroom
This week in class was a real eye-opener to the world of technology. Dr. Waters taught the class about a few absolutely amazing ways of how we can incorporate technology into our classroom. The main tools we learned about were Gmail, Facebook, and Blogger.
From what I understand, Gmail is mostly good for email and collaboration with other teachers. The main concepts we focused on were Gmail chat and my personal favorite, the collaboration tool. It was good to learn how to chat because in my own classroom, I will need to talk to other faculty members and I will not always have time to walk around and find them. Using chat tool is a very convenient way to communicate with people. I was extremely fascinated with the idea of online collaboration. When I become a teacher I will definitely need input from more experienced staff members to help me with lesson plan ideas. I am definitely excited to use this tool. The best part about this tool is that I can post my ideas and the rest of the faculty can review and add their thoughts to what I have written when it is convenient for them. By using this collaboration method, I will be able to learn from others and become a better teacher.
I was absolutely shocked when Doctor Waters said that everyone is REQUIRED to setup a Facebook account. I have always thought of the network as something to do for fun and never as a way for teachers to communicate with parents and/or students. I have had my Facebook page for a couple of years now so I have a good feel for how the website works. It is definitely a good way to communicate with people. One of my concerns with using this in my classroom is that parents will not want to setup an account due to all of the problems social networks can cause. However, for those who feel comfortable with using this, it can be a good way to let students or parents know about different assignments. It can also bee used to address any concerns about the class.
The best part of class was when we set up our personal blogs. My only previous experience with blogging has been reading my friends' and family members' blogs and I never considered creating one for myself. However, when Monday rolled around and we set up a blog for our class I became so enthralled with the idea of blogging and decided to create a personal blog as well. I strongly believe that blogging will be the most beneficial way to give parents up-to-date information with what is going on in class. When I have my own classroom, I will create a class blog that will be updated weekly to let parents and students know what assignments are due and I will post detailed instructions on how to complete them. I will also post class events such as parties and field trips. Another feature I like about Blogger is that parents are not required to have their own blogger to view my page like they would have to with either Gmail or Facebook. I am definitely excited to learn more about blogging!
From what I understand, Gmail is mostly good for email and collaboration with other teachers. The main concepts we focused on were Gmail chat and my personal favorite, the collaboration tool. It was good to learn how to chat because in my own classroom, I will need to talk to other faculty members and I will not always have time to walk around and find them. Using chat tool is a very convenient way to communicate with people. I was extremely fascinated with the idea of online collaboration. When I become a teacher I will definitely need input from more experienced staff members to help me with lesson plan ideas. I am definitely excited to use this tool. The best part about this tool is that I can post my ideas and the rest of the faculty can review and add their thoughts to what I have written when it is convenient for them. By using this collaboration method, I will be able to learn from others and become a better teacher.
I was absolutely shocked when Doctor Waters said that everyone is REQUIRED to setup a Facebook account. I have always thought of the network as something to do for fun and never as a way for teachers to communicate with parents and/or students. I have had my Facebook page for a couple of years now so I have a good feel for how the website works. It is definitely a good way to communicate with people. One of my concerns with using this in my classroom is that parents will not want to setup an account due to all of the problems social networks can cause. However, for those who feel comfortable with using this, it can be a good way to let students or parents know about different assignments. It can also bee used to address any concerns about the class.
The best part of class was when we set up our personal blogs. My only previous experience with blogging has been reading my friends' and family members' blogs and I never considered creating one for myself. However, when Monday rolled around and we set up a blog for our class I became so enthralled with the idea of blogging and decided to create a personal blog as well. I strongly believe that blogging will be the most beneficial way to give parents up-to-date information with what is going on in class. When I have my own classroom, I will create a class blog that will be updated weekly to let parents and students know what assignments are due and I will post detailed instructions on how to complete them. I will also post class events such as parties and field trips. Another feature I like about Blogger is that parents are not required to have their own blogger to view my page like they would have to with either Gmail or Facebook. I am definitely excited to learn more about blogging!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Instructional Media
Can I just say that I am WAY excited for this class? I am so excited to learn about communication through technology. We are going to learn how to blog, use Gmail, and my favorite, FACEBOOK! I don't know very many people who can say their class requires them to set up a facebook account. :-)
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