EDU554 Workshop 3

What software applications do you use regularly in your teaching practice?

        I use Word Processing, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint daily. The PowerPoint is what is used most often as a visual for my students. When they walk in the room, a message on PowerPoint is always waiting to tell them what to do to start class. The Excel spreadsheets are typically used for my own records. I keep my Parent Communication log on Excel, and our school shares a drive that has a discipline plan on an Excel spreadsheet. Finally, Word Processing is used to make all of my student worksheets, tests, handouts, etc.

What other software skills would you like to improve to increase your professional efficacy? 

                      I think Google Docs will be the most effective new skill for me to learn. It would be fabulous for collaboration between the students and between myself and coworkers. I've only created a very basic Google Doc before and would love to practice these skills more.  

Propose an action plan to improve these skills.  

      I would first need to determine a lesson that would truly benefit from a google doc. Then, I would create a worksheet outlining the requirements for the assignment and I would also put together a detailed list of the "How To" for using Google Docs. Finally, I would get the students time in the computer lab and I would be a resource to them as they were first learning to use the document. 

Workshop 2

·      How well prepared do you feel for 21^st century teaching and learning? 

I am in a fortunate position because I already teach one of the core subjects  (Language Arts) that is highlighted as the base of arch. Therefore, at the core of what I'm teaching, I feel extremely prepared. With the other branches, I think I feel more equipped than most. I understand what it means to develop a critical thinker who collaborates and uses creativity. I have space within my curriculum to incorporate these ideas and feel like I'm able to do so already. Our school has technology at our fingertips and I am currently using this technology to foster creativity. I also feel prepared that, if I wanted to deepen their technology experiences, I would be able to do so. Now, I guess I'm not as prepared to encourage the students directly in their future career skills, but I know that, with the others combined, they are becoming prepare for a future career. 

·      Do your students leave your classroom equipped for success using 21^st century skills?  

For the most part, they do. I understand that education must continue to build on itself in order to be effective and therefore believe that my students are one step closer to being equipped for success when they leave my classroom. They should be much better readers, writers, thinkers and collaborators, and they should have a step more of knowledge about how use technology to learn further and get their ideas to a larger audience. 

·      What are your strengths and challenges in regards to 21^st century teaching and learning? 

Teaching in Loveland is a strength for my teaching of 21st century learning. Our district highly encourages the learning and use of these criteria. I am given freedom to explore the best ways to incorporate these techniques in my classroom and I'm given necessary resources to carry out my plans. I guess then, my challenge is only in my own motivation to truly enhance my curriculum. Inherent in that, is the challenge of "making time." So, it would be a practice of determine what is not as effective, and what can be replaced with a new, more effective idea. 

EDU554 Workshop 1

·      Consider technology use in your school and in your classroom.  How are you doing at meeting the NETS for teachers standards that you read about in Activity 1.3? 

I think that I'm on my way to incorporating technology well. Most of the time I think I'm extremely technologically savvy, but then when I enter situations like this class, I realize that I have long way to  go.  I will say that I'm giving my students opportunities to access technology but I don't know how much creativity and real life applications I'm giving him. As far as having the technology being customized to individual learning, I'm far from meeting all standards. The NETS standards certainly help me to see the areas that I have for improvement.

·      What are the barriers to technology use in your professional setting?  

All barriers that I would mention, I actually know aren't barriers but are something that I can learn to work with. I have an airliner and access to computer labs whenever I need. I would say that time constraints are my biggest barrier. I find myself having to work hard to get in all of the curriculum needed and am constantly limited with my time. I recognize, though, that content can fit well with technology and it's just me having to make the two fit. 

·      How does the Biblical directive to “fear not” apply to you as far as technology use?

I'm thankful that I have an administration that supports this philosophy as well. I have been told multiple times that our principal would rather us try something new and fall on our faces than not try something at all. His graciousness is what allowed me to step out and try a wiki with my students. It wasn't perfect, and it turned into a playground for a lot of the students, but I had to experiment with it to make it better. Now I've come to understand that I'll almost always have a rough go of it when I try something new, but that I can make it better by the second time around, and make it highly effective by the third. 

·      What are your personal goals as you begin this class on technology?

My goals are to find more uses for my airliner and to really solidify my idea to have students use a blog in the spring. I have had the inspiration to incorporate these technologies, but haven't had enough motivation or reason to put the effort in to try it. I'm hoping this class will help me understand why these technologies can be so important and will help me to get them going in my classroom. 




WORKSHOP 4 BLOG




What are your concerns about using various internet technologies in your teaching practice? 

•      My main concern is rooted in the fact that it's harder for me to follow up with as a teacher. I know that's mostly because I would simply need to get the hang of it, but it'll take a while. I fear that it'll be harder for me to monitor student work on the computer. It's so easy for wikis to become a social network site during class, and I just worry that I won't be able to maintain them while they're in the more free world of blogs, etc. Also, I am very used to putting a stack of papers to grade on my desk and having them stare at me until I've finished grading them. I worry that I would forget about checking work, and that I wouldn't be able to respond to student work like I've grown accustomed to. 

How can you alleviate these concerns?

•     I really think it will just involve diving in. I don't know of any other way. I guess the best option would be to ask other educators how they monitor their students while they're online, but some of the ideas I've had haven't been done by other teachers in my school. Even the wiki that I did last year was something that was presented to me in a professional development day. I asked the presenter how to follow up with students and she gave me a full answer but it wasn't very helpful. I found that, even when a knowledgeable person tells he how they handle things, it still is better for me to try on my own. It's a scary idea, but I think it'll be worth it to at least get my toes in the water.

First Blog

This is my first blog! Yay