Picasa

Today's class was so much fun! We learned about yet another awesome Google program, Picasa. Picasa is a program that is centered around images. You can upload, organize, manipulate, and share your images. The Picasa program found on your computer can be used for organizing and manipulating your images. The web version of Picasa can be used to share your images with your friends and family online. The possibilities are endless.

I am so excited about learning and using Picasa. There are so many amazing editing tools that you can use to manipulate your images. This allows you to be creative and have fun. The "blog this" option makes things fast and easy. As a person who always uses images while blogging, this tool is invaluable. The web version of Picasa is great because you can make your albums private and public. Therefore, you are able to share your images with your friends and family online. This is so much easier and cheaper than ordering numerous prints and mailing images to several different locations. The web version of Picasa also attaches a URL to each and every one of your images. This is great for posting images on various locations online. As I sit here typing this blog, I cannot wait to get home and experiment with Picasa!

Like everything else I have learned in this class, I definitely plan to put Picasa to use in my classroom. I will have a classroom blog that displays the happenings of my classroom. Picasa will make uploading images from my classroom onto my blog fast and easy. I will also have a web album that contains pictures from my classroom that parents will have access to. Parents will then be able to have access to those pictures of their children. There is just so much that can be done with this program that can enrich my classroom.

As a result of this class, the world of Google has been opened in front of my eyes. I am now such a huge fan of Google. I love Picasa! Picasa is an amazing tool to use in both my personal and professional life. I am so excited to get home and play with Picasa. It is going to be so much fun!

Digital Cameras in the Classroom

In today's world of ever-present and ever-growing technology use, it shouldn't be a huge surprise that digital cameras are making their way into our classrooms. After reading information about digital camera use in the classroom, I realized how beneficial digital cameras can be to education. Through the use of digital cameras, educators can present important concepts, foster creativity, capture classroom memories, and so much more. By embracing this technology, we as educators can open new doors for our students.

There are so many pros to using digital cameras in the classroom. Digital cameras can enhance power point presentations. Students will be able to see real-life examples of important learning concepts through pictures taken by you on a digital camera and placed in a power point presentation. You can get your students involved by having them take pictures relating to lessons presented in class. Digital cameras can also be used to create organization tools in your classroom such as an attendance board, seating chart, and personalized area for students. The most important thing that comes with digital camera use in the classroom is creativity. Students can express themselves in so many different ways through the use of a digital camera.

I plan to take full advantage of everything that digital cameras have to offer in my future classroom. I will have a classroom blog where pictures from my digital camera are posted weekly both by myself and by my students. The pictures on my blog will document things that happen in my classroom such as special events or projects. I also plan to use digital cameras to foster creativity in my classroom. My students will be able to create their own photo albums, storybooks, and even videos through the use of digital cameras. Digital cameras will be an important learning tool in my classroom.

I am so excited for the endless possibilities that come from using digital cameras in the classroom. As educators, we are so fortunate to live in a time in which we have all of these resources readily available to us. Through digital cameras, we can offer yet another way to present information that will be beneficial to our students. Our classrooms will be more diverse and better equipped for education if we learn about digital cameras and put them to good use in our classrooms.

This week I watched the video entitled Top Ten Things You Do Not Learn About Teaching in College. I really enjoyed the video. I thought it was very clever and funny. It made me think about what it will actually feel like to be a teacher. I found myself laughing and empathizing with the top ten things and the people who were presenting them. What a fun video!

Internet Safety

The focus of this week's lesson was Internet safety. Exploring the dangers of the Internet has been extremely revealing in presenting a great deal of useful and scary information. As scary as the Internet can be, it is one of the greatest resources that we will use to teach and that our students will use to learn. It is for this reason that this week's lesson is so important. As future educators, we must be aware of the present dangers on the Internet. We must also know how to evaluate websites and keep our students safe.

I had a lot of fun doing the Website Evaluation WebQuest. I learned important evaulation techniques for determining the authenticity of websites and the information presented on them. I was able to formulate questions to ask myself to properly evaluate websites that I come in contact with. I think my favorite part of the WebQuest was exploring the websites for kids. I had so much fun watching the adventures of the Cyber Pigs and getting my personal Web License. I am so thankful for websites like NetSmartz and Media Awareness Network. These websites are places where children can learn important information about Internet safey in ways that are engaging and fun. I also enjoyed making my very own Web Activity. It is so awesome to go to my UEN page and see the activity that I made posted there for all to see. I hope that when I become a teacher, I can use my Web Activity in my classroom to educate my students on the importance of Internet safety.

I plan to use what I have learned in this lesson to utilize the Internet in my classroom in a safe and productive way. The Internet will be a predominant teaching and resource tool in my classroom. I want my students to know how to use the Internet safely and also how to discern between websites that present accurate information and those websites that present false information. I also hope to educate the parents of my students so that they will be able to keep their children safe while using the Internet at home. The Internet is very dangerous. It is also the greatest resource of our time. We should not be scared away from the Internet because of its dangers. Instead we must learn how to use it safely and get the best information available from it.

For my video reflection this week, I was able to find the video entitled We Didn't Start the Fire on Teacher Tube. I love this video. It is 4 minutes and 44 seconds of important people, dates, and events in U.S. History. The information in this video is presented in a way that is engaging and fun. The video left me feeling pride for our country's history and excited to know more about it.

UEN

Utah Education Network (UEN) is the ultimate resource website for educators. UEN is one of the most difficult and, at the same time, most useful resources I have ever used. When first introduced to UEN, I was completely confused by the dynamics of the personal page and the public page. I honestly felt like I was doing twice the work to reach a single goal. However, I quickly learned how to maneuver my way through both pages and I am extremely happy with how my UEN page looks. I was able to add the appropriate tabs and change the look and content of each of the pages. After I mastered my UEN page, it was time to learn my way around the main UEN website.

The main UEN website is absolutely amazing. Everything that you need as an educator can be found on that website. The resource possibilities are endless! Pioneer, Utah's Online Website is a great resource for both teachers and students. The best thing about Pioneer is that it can be accessed from home. This feature allows ALL students to visit a public library from the comfort of their home computer. As a result of this easy access to information, homework and research projects can be done faster and with more accuracy. I think the Pioneer Online Library is huge asset to schools. The UEN website also contains a large number of curriculum-relevant Interactives. I spent a lot of time looking through the different Interactives that are available on UEN. I think that Interactives are a fun way for students to practice important concepts. Many of the interactives feel more like games rather than educational activities. UEN also provides Utah educators with Utah's Core Curriculum and Lesson Plans that accompany them. I was beyond excited as I clicked through the different Core Curriculum Standards and the Lesson Plans used to teach them. There are so many great ideas for teachers. A Utah educator can never claim that they do not know how to teach something. Another great thing about UEN is the Professional Development Workshops. Through these educational workshops, teachers can always stay current and relevant. UEN is without a doubt the ultimate educational resource website for teachers in Utah.

In the beginning, I was completely overwhelmed by the main UEN website. I had no idea where to find things or even how to go about staring a search. I quickly learned that you just have to dive right in. My first searches took me down several different avenues, but towards the end of the assignment, my searches were easier and much faster. The Google UEN search engine helped me out tremendously. I would have been lost without it. I am now confident that I can use UEN in any way that I am asked to do so. I am excited about this because I know that the possibilities are endless on UEN. There is so much valuable information on the UEN website.

UEN will be invaluable to me when I become a teacher. I plan to use my UEN web page as a liaison between my classroom and my student's parents. My UEN web page will be a place where parents can go to find answers to their questions and help their children with assignments. I plan to use the UEN main website to improve the education of my students. I will use UEN as a reference to know what to teach and to get ideas on how to teach certain standards outlined in the Core Curriculum. The Interactives found on UEN will definitely incorporated into my classroom. Students will be able to use Interactives during computer time and during free time. I believe that through using UEN, I will become a better educator. And as a result, my students will learn more efficiently.

I once again went to Teacher Tube to find an educational video to reflect upon. This week I chose a video entitled ABC's For New Teachers. This video goes through the alphabet and gives advice that corresponds with each letter. Here are some of my favorite pieces of advice presented in this video:

Admit your mistakes and learn from them.
Empower your students; don't just lecture them.
Have the courage to try something else if what you are doing isn't working.
Just listen-to both what the kids are saying and what they are not saying.
Quit worrying and just do your best.

I really like this video. I think it presents advice for new teachers and old teachers alike. I plan to watch it often.

Everything Google (Week 2)

We were once again in the world of Everything Google. This week's class focused on Google Presentations. The class activity was so much fun! We got into groups and made a Google Power Point Presentation dedicated to classroom rules. It was a little challenging at first. We had five different people trying to manipulate one document at once. However, we quickly assigned slides and everyone got to work. I was really happy with the way that our presentation turned out. It was very colorful and contained lots of fun graphics. We did a great job!

Like last week, I am left amazed by all of the things that you can do on Google. I had no idea that you could create a Power Point Presentation on Google. And just like Google Docs, Google Presentations are online documents that are always accessible and easily manipulated. This is an amazing tool for students, business men and women, teachers, and people of many other professions. I have a group project in my Biology class. I hope that my group members have gmail so that we can work on our Power Point Presentation together online. Did I mention how awesome I think Google is?

As a teacher, I plan on using Google Presentations in a number of ways. I will definitely use it to present lessons and other important information to my students. Google Presentations will allow me to present information in a way that captures the attention of my students. I can post videos on my Google Presentations and use exciting transitions. I will also use Google Presentations to present lessons to students who are absent. Everyday I will have a summary of what we learned in class on a Google Presentations for parents to show their children. Google Presentations could also be used as a memorization tool such as learning multiplication tables. Teachers often print out flash cards for their students. I could make a Google Presentation dedicated to mutiplication table memorization. Once again, the possibilities are endless.

I went to TeacherTube to find an educational video to reflect upon this week. There were so many that I found interesting that it was difficult to pick one. The one that I decided to reflect upon is called Shake It Up. Like last week's video, Shake It Up focuses on the importance of using technology to teach. Shake It Up is all about how the world has changed and how as a result of this change, education must change. We have to prepare children for the world that we live in now and that world is a technological one. I really liked this video. It presents information that future educators need to know. I think videos like this one and the one from last week help to open the eyes of both educators and parents. Technology is everywhere and is advancing rapidly. Learning how to use it and how to teach it will make us better educators.

Everything Google

In class on Tuesday, it was all about Google. I have to begin by saying that I was absolutely amazed by everything that I learned. The lesson focused on using gmail, goggle docs, google calendars and iGoggle. I am so thankful for the information presented in this lesson. I had no idea you could do so many different things with Google. As I sat in class, I couldn't help but smile. I was so excited about all of the possibilities that Google presents.

I was most excited about setting up my calendars and iGoogle page. When I finally got home after a long day, I spent at least two hours switching all important information over to Google. Google calendars is a great way to stay organized and on top of things. I now have a calendar for school, birthdays, TV shows, Jazz Basketball, and Personal events. The greatest thing of all is that I set it up so that it sends everything to my cell phone as a reminder. It is a great way to keep up with the hussle and bussle of everyday life. I had so much fun setting up my iGoggle page. There are gadgets for every possible thing you could ever imagine. I love my iGoggle page. It is a place where I can keep everything I need. The bookmarks feature is a wonderful way to keep your favorite websites organized and only a click away.

Google docs is probably one of the coolest applications I have ever seen. The fact that multiple people can work on the same document simultaneously is awesome! The possiblities are endless. And having a document that is online eliminates so many of the stresses that come with working with computer based documents. It is just an amazing application.

When I become a teacher, I will use Google in numerous ways. I plan to have a website where my classroom calendar will be posted. This way parents will always know what is going on in the classroom. Google calendars will also help me to remain organized. I will use Google docs to work with my fellow teachers and parent volunteers. With Google docs, my co-workers and I can work on numerous things with equal colaboration and ease. Needless to say, I love Google and cannot wait to learn more!

I really enjoyed the video that accompanied this week's lesson. It was powerful and definitely caught my attention as a future educator. We live in a technological age. Young minds are constantly being simulated, whether it be from TV, movies, computers, video games, or ipods. A teacher standing in front of the classroom giving a lecture just isn't going to cut it anymore. Times have changed and therefore the way we teach has to change. Technology is not the enemy of education. In fact, educating through technology is the most powerful way to educate in my opinion. Not only will we be better teachers, students will be better students if we use technology to educate.

Ideal Classroom Reflection

When I was a little girl, I always pretended that my bedroom was my classroom. I was the teacher and my stuffed animals were my students. Needless to say, I have been thinking about my ideal classroom for a very long time.

My ideal classroom would be a place of adventure and learning. A place in which students would feel comfortable and happy to be. A place where all things are possible. The walls of my classroom would be covered in bright colors, student artwork, and posters displaying important concepts. There would be a reading corner with a comfy couch and all the best children’s books. My classroom would also have a computer area. In the computer area, there would be enough laptops for every student in my class. The laptops would have skill building programs as well as educational games for the students to utilize. My classroom would also have a reference section that housed a full set of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other important reference materials. My classroom would also have an area where my students could draw, color, paint, or create in anyway that they so please. There would also be a music area in my classroom. This area would have headphones, CD players, and music for my students to listen to. The music area would also contain books on music and a variety of musical instruments. There would also be a cubby hole area for my students to store all of there personal items and school materials. These cubby holes would be personalized for each student in my class. My classroom would also have a huge white board for teaching. Next to the white board would be a bulletin board that displayed a daily schedule, announcements, calendar, and any other important information. The best and most current technology would be used in my classroom. I would like to have a protector and smartboard in my classroom. I could go forever describing every single detail of my ideal classroom. However, the most important thing is that my classroom be a place in which my students feel comfortable, safe, and able to learn.

In my ideal classroom, all of my students would love school. They would enter my classroom everyday and want to learn. They would be attentive and willing to try new things. My students would take full advantage of every learning opportunity placed before them. The parents of my students would all be highly involved. The parents of my students would be aware of the subjects taught in my class on a daily basis. They would know the material that their children are expected to master. The parents of my students would make sure that homework was completed everyday. They would spend time with their children outside of class reviewing important material and concepts. The parents of my students and I would correspond through emails and through my classroom blog. We would be equal partners in the education of their children.

The core subjects taught in my classroom would be the ones required by the particular state in which I teach. However, I would also like to teach my students other important life skills. Respect would be a huge part of my classroom curriculum. Students would learn the importance of treating people with respect. My students would also learn the importance of possessing integrity. Reading would be a predominant theme in my classroom. I think that reading is so important. One of my most cherished memories from 2nd grade was when my teacher read the Ramona Quimby books to us. I still remember those books and how they helped to develop my great love of reading. The main goal of my curriculum planning will be to present my students with a well-rounded and balanced education.

I cannot wait to be a teacher. It is the only thing that I have ever wanted to do. I just want to make a difference.

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove . . . . but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."
-- Kathy Davis