April 27th (Day 4)

In the last class we began talking about making a movie on an iPad and what that looks like and what that could do. Never having been around iPad's a whole lot I was a little nervous to use it and to figure out what it can do. I really had no clue it could be used for so many different tools and I never even thought about how helpful it can be to students. Years ago I do not believe people would have thought that technology would play such a large role in the classrooms, however, they do make a big impact and more and more students are growing up with them in their hands. So when we began the discussion of how making a movie in a classroom could be beneficial I was blown away by the responses and examples other students gave and what could be done with it. I now can see how it would encourage teamwork and cooperation, it is a way for students to express themselves, it is a way to show their understanding of a book they just read or something they just discussed. There are numerous ways it can help give students a creative outlet and the possibilities are truly endless. After this class I am finally realizing that we can not stop the advancement of technology in a classroom and it can actually be a good, useful tool.

April 17th (Day 3)

As we walked into class today I was not sure what we were going to talk about. All I saw on the projector was a notice to remind us to blog and a note that told us to work on our photoshop collage. So I went to do my collage and was still kind of curious as to what we were going to do once we were all done. As soon as it was evident that the majority of us were done, or close to being done, with out collage we began to watch a video. As the video played I was honestly really impressed, I have never made a movie and was astonished at how well the movies turned out for these kids and how much they enjoyed making them. When our discussion of how can you integrate videos in a classroom began I was not sure if I was going to agree with it or not, or even have anything to add. However, I was surprised with how much I agreed with it. Granted, I did not agree with all of it but I certainly did agree with a lot. Some of the things I agreed with was the recording of a person reading and then playing it back to them. I feel as if this can be a very useful tool for students to identify where they are struggling and then proceed to try and fix it. It can also be helpful for the teachers to look back on later when they have more time to see how they could help the student. Another way I thought was a good idea was videoing the teacher and then having them look back on it later to learn what they can do better. I feel as if this is a tool that I will personally use later on when I begin teaching for the first time. As much as I agreed with the fact that we need videos in the classroom, I do not think we need them for every situation. I am a very old fashioned person and I do not always think new technology is the perfect solution to everything, I believe there are numerous ways for a student to be creative. Nevertheless it was interesting to learn about and a good way to gain a new perspective.

April 10th (Day 2)

I absolutely loved how we started class today. Looking at all of the different photographs and attempting to figure out if they were photo shopped or not. I had no idea that photographs could look so real and yet be completely fake. Since I am not that used to working with computers I was honestly really surprised. It was quite interesting to me to look at the photos and try to look for the clues that shows whether or not they are authentic. I was unaware of all the clues and tells when looking at a photograph. Then, when we went over photo shop I was unbelievably overwhelmed. Never before have I used the program and I never imagined there could be so many options and things available to us. However, I am really excited to mess around with it and discover for myself each of the tools it offers. A lot of what we went over also really resided with me for when I have a classroom of my own. For example, all of the magazines that may have pictures that are not real in them. As a teacher I want to make sure I am giving my students the correct information, so I now know I need to watch out for that and use the correct resources. Before this class I never would have thought this way, and now I am glad I have all of this information!

April 3rd (Day 1)

To be quite honest I was not sure what to expect when I walked in to class today. I am not very good with computers and my knowledge is very limited on to what I do know. I am also very intimidated when it comes to computers since I do not have much experience. However, even after today I know way more than I did when I walked in. Learning about Web.2.0 was eye opening and really interesting. I had no clue all the purposes of some websites and never realized how helpful they could be. Since I am not especially good with computers, learning about the resources they provide was honestly needed. I never really understood how vital computers are to the classroom and how they could aid you when you are teaching everyday. For example, when we went on to the Go2Web.com website I was blown away by the tools available to anyone who wants them. There were so many games that would be beyond helpful to students and they were all done in a way that was fun and easy to learn. Also, there were practice problems for kids who may be struggling with a certain subject and lesson plans and worksheets that the teachers could print off. Since I want to teach either elementary students or special needs students, this website proved to be a great resource and one that I can gain ideas from and potentially use in the future. I am very happy we were introduced to it today and I know I gained from today's class.