Week 8 Reflections- Final

I have really enjoyed this class. I have learned so much about technology and using it in education. I am excited to implement many of the things I learned in my own classroom. I look forward to watching the other students' presentations. I'm sure many will be phenomenal. I hope the sound works today so my final will play nicely.

Thanks Pam for being a knowledgeable, fair and reliable teacher. You had a great flow to the class. There were always new things to learn, but enough time to get a good start on assignments in class too. You were more then generous allowing students to fix problems resulting in a lower grade on assignments. You were always on time and very well prepared (if only the sound system cooperated in the lab, huh?).  Thanks again Pam - hope our paths will cross again via Nebo School District in the near future.

Week 7 Reflections

I loved using Microsoft Publisher and see that as a VERY handy tool as a teacher. It would save a lot of time putting together something more interesting than just a plain-old handout. All the technology we talked about in class today was so exciting to me. I loved trying the SmartBoard and could have played on that some more. The ipad was fun as well as the itouch. My 8-year old is obsessed with technology, because he sees older people using them and always wants to try them himself. In fact, my kids were playing on the grass outside the school today and when I got out of class I told my son about the ipad and SmartBoard and he immediately asked if we could go back in and let him try it.  Believe me, it was tempting, but I didn't want to distract and disrupt the class.  Plus, I think there is a sign in the classroom that says "No children in computer lab." 

I have really loved this class and have learned so much, but as always, it just makes me realize how much I don't know. For my assignment this week I'm going to be reading about ipods. I see so many kids with them that I would love to learn more about how to utilize them in a classroom. I may even poke around and read about cell phones in the classrooms, and clickers too.  So many interesting things to learn. Pam - I hope you are able to keep teaching at UVU and keep helping Nebo District teachers take full advantage of technology. You are really amazing!

Week 6 Reflections

This is quite a big assignment this week, but it was nice having a reason to get to know other people in the class better. I loved learning about google docs. I thought it was one of the coolest things ever. I'm thinking back on all the times I could have used that in the past! It is a little hard working in a group waiting for other people to do their part, but I know we all work at our own pace. Can't believe we only have 4 classes left. Been working like crazy on my final - although there's a lot left to do.

Week 5 Reflections

With only one class this week, it seems hardly time to write again. I have really enjoyed getting to know more about power point.  I'm happy to have the book we have. I hadn't even looked through it until yesterday. It's something I could give my kids and let them have fun this summer. The book has so many interesting ideas with power point I can see myself using it in a classroom setting often, either projects I do myself, or having students create them.  Now...how to get good computers in the classrooms...??

Week 4 Reflections

Having an assignment to take pictures, edit them, then create a slideshow out of them was like asking me to sleep when I'm tired and eat when I'm hungry.  It's what I LOVE to do.  I loved every minute of the assignment, other than the hunching over the computer for hours.  But I did try to stretch myself and do edits to photos I haven't tried before. I even found the "neutral color picker" feature quite interesting. It immediately gave skin color a warmness instead of a gray tone.  Don't know why I haven't played with that before.

Two times now Picasa seems to have become corrupted and certain features don't work anymore.  For me the "sharpness" effect seems to loose it's potency, as well as "film grain".  They just don't seem to work well at all.  The older version of Picasa I used to have had the same problem. Certain features just stopped working.

I am not a procrastinator and I hate having tasks hanging over my head, so I completed the whole assignment (the next 2 weeks' worth). I should be done now and I will have a carefree weekend. :)  Although I do hope to get a start on the final project. I've chosen my standard and objective and have watched 75% of the Powerpoint Tutorials--which really helped with this week's assignment.  The girl in class that said she had no clue about powerpoint could really benefit from watching the links on Pam's my.uen page. They helped me immensely.

The most I ever used powerpoint before was to draw text boxes so I could place writing exactly where I wanted it and not have to worry about spacing. However, I have never added photos, animation, formating, background designs, etc.  I LOVED this assignment, honestly. I look forward to the final assignment, although there is a lot more I need to learn still.

Week 3 Reflections

I find myself more and more amazed at the technology available and to use in the classroom. I was astounded at the notion of using cell phones and ipods in classroom instruction (technology slideshow we watched). I can see that being highly enjoyable in the jr and sr high schools. Elementary students are less likely to have cell phones and ipods on them at school.  Seems like in this class I feel like the more I learn the more I realize I don't know. I'm praying I can remember everything I'm learning and carry it with me into the classroom in the years to come.

I think Pam (you) are great. I really like your style of teaching. You are so knowledgeable and willing to help anyone at anytime. Class time seems to be utilized really well.  I learn plenty, yet have time to work on assignments, which I really appreciate. When people ask me how my class is going I always respond with "Really good. It is a really neat class."

Week 2 Reflections

I have really loved everything I've learned in this class. I am excited about the possibilities of using this technology in my own class. After I did my uen project (this week's assignment) I emailed my mom and she went on the site and clicked on every link, including the activities and even took her weather trip around the world. (I admit I hadn't even completed the activity... I only looked to see if it seemed fun and age appropriate.)  My children saw me working on the project and immediately asked if they could try the activities when I was done. That made me feel good about my work.  I was much happier at the speed at which I finished my assignment this week. The prior 2 assignments I spent at least 3-4 hours completing them. This week I worked more efficiently and had nearly the entire project done in class and then spent perhaps 1 hour more at home. I don't want to disappear in front of the computer working on homework anymore than I need to so I can give my children more attention.

Week 1 Reflections

First day of class. I think I'm really going to like it. I could get sucked into making my blog look cute and clever, but I have negative feelings about blogs in general. I like technology and thanks to Heather I learned more about the UVLink technology to get through class. I'm excited about my teacher, Pam Turley, because she is a fellow Nebo employee (although I'm "just a sub") and she has taught in Springville, where I live. She has a version of my dream job. I want to teach the teachers too, but I'd love to work with cohorts, interns and student teachers. I agree that some kids are "native" users of technology. Some kids are so comfortable the first time using it, while the older generations (including myself) seem to always be on a learning curve. I look forward to next Monday's class.