All's well that ends well...

...my class as come to an end, so this is my last blog for a while. There are just a few things to say, to wrap up this course and this blog for now. For starters, one of the main things I need to say, is that I was very technology scared at first, since I am not the most technology savvy person. After taking this class, I have learned to appreciate technology, since I learned so many different ways to use it in daily life in the classroom. Technology can be used by the teacher to simplify things, like bookmarking websites that simplify things, or mind-mapping websites, that can serve to create plans and outline. Students can also use technology to simplify their lives, by using things like video editing programs, different ways of sharing documents, or using different programs to create things like word clouds and mind maps, to plan essays and projects. Teachers also have to make sure that they know how to use the technology they are using in the classroom, since not being able to use technology properly will cause students to lose faith in you.
As responsible teachers, we also have to take the time to teach students how to use technology properly, which includes digital citizenship and how to use the technology itself. This means that teacher have to plan lessons that go beyond just the basic course curriculum, it has to look at things like digital citizenship, respectful use of technology, both in posting and using material and protecting themselves online, both from things like viruses and cyber-bullying. Students also need to be taught how to use different pieces of technology, it cannot just be assumed that they know how to use all the different pieces of technology. This means looking at what technology is available to you in the classroom, that your students can use, and practicing with it, so you can explain any issues that may arise when students are using it.
Teachers also have to be prepared to keep up with the times, so that we are aware of what types of technology is available to students, so that we can at least discuss it with them proper use of what is available, or being responsible with their technology and their time. We also have to keep up in order to stay relevant; students don't like teachers who are stuck in the stone ages, showing films strips when a DVD would work just as well. This does not me that teachers have to go out and buy every new piece of technology that comes out, we just have to be aware of it, so that we are actually current and relevant to our students.
To conclude, technology has become an integral part of the classroom and daily life, so teachers cannot just ignore it, instead we need to use it, since it can help up in many ways, simplifying our lives.

Discover the Joys

of Pinterest. This past week in class, I was a part of a group project on how teachers can use pinterest, both in their classroom and for ideas, and I must say it really opened my eyes to all that pinterest can do. Before this project, I really didn't have a pinterest account and I did not have a clue how to use it. I mean I had heard of it, and I kinda was interested in it, since one of my friends is pinterest obsessed and posts a ton of things to Facebook.
So I decided to join pinterest, and now it has become an obsession of mine too. There are just so many great ideas posted on pinterest, that as a future teacher, I can literally spend hours on it looking at all the ideas. There are some really awesome looking science boards on it, since they show you how to walk on eggs (without breaking them), grow all kinds of crystals and a ton of other really awesome ideas. I also found great games and ideas for social studies, like an Underground Railroad game and a "Guess Who" game of famous historical figures. There are also pictures and maps available on pinterest, so you can show your class photos of Egypt, if that is what you are talking about in class. There are also all kinds of recipes, so in social studies class you could analyze the recipes, discussing why certain ingredients are used in some areas of the world, but not in others. There are also ideas for math class, which I really love, since math can be a hard subject to try and make "fun". There is an awesome diagram of a math dance that students can do, to help them remember the proper shapes of graphs that they learn in high school or other ideas like stacking shapes, to get students involved. Through the project I also found other ideas, like using plastic single use plates as whiteboards for students, and creating a no-name hanger for student work. Pinterest has some many ideas, if you are willing to look. Too often, it is assumed that pinterest is just for females, since there are a lot of craft ideas, but there are some many more things on it. Everyone could find something they are interested in, if they are willing to look.
Pinterest can also serve as a way for teachers to recharge their batteries, since there are things for pretty much every hobby or interest on it. This is crucial for teachers, since we need to have a way to get back our energy and our enthusiasm, by having time to ourselves.
One more thing in the video front. We successfully made a video, but it was not without complications, mostly one the audio front. This is something else to consider when working with technology, do you have a way to save the day, when things should have gone perfectly, but you discover, after 90% of your time is gone, that one silly, but crucial thing has not worked. In our case, we had enough footage to use, without having to worry about the clips that did not have any audio, but what if we hadn't, what could we have done?