My Final Views on Technology

Well it is the end of the semester and looking back I can see all the really cool stuff I was able to create because of my technology class. And even though I was hesitant about using technology at the beginning of the semester (and still am in some areas) I can say now that I am more comfortable navigating my way through things. I feel more confident in my abilities in creating new things using different programs or software. And I know more about these progams, how they work and what things they do, because I have fiddled around with them and used them for various projects. I feel that this class has been beneficial (and stressful) to me, and I know I will take things and concepts I learned from it and use them in my future classes.

Picasa Web Album

So I just looked back and realized I did not blog about my digital collection activity using Picasa Web Album. This activity was very helpful since I enjoy sharing my photos with others. Also, the Picasa Album lets me store my photos online, which is quite handy when I need to access them. Now that I know how to store and use my photos on Picasa and build a presentation in Google Docs, I can put together little presentations that contain anything I want to share--whether it's school related or for personal use.

Making my iMovie

Well, at first the thought of making a movie was daunting and scary to say the least, but with the help of practically everyone I was able to finalize something I really liked and enjoyed. So, even though it was frustrating at and I really wanted to throw the computer against the wall (which can be dangerous) in the end my movie looks good. I feel like I might actually use this software in the future and make another movie. Who knows?...

My Trip to Paris

Interactive Spreadsheet on the Parts of Speech of Everyday Words

Today I finished my interactive spreadsheet about the parts of speech of everyday words. This spreadsheet was created for use in first grade to help the students identify the parts of speech and receive immediate feedback from their answers. I found this spreadsheet to be tricky at times, but overall very helpful to teachers for gauging student knowledge.

Using Inspiration-Life Cycle of a Frog

I think that using the Inspiration software would be useful in any classroom. I enjoyed working with the software because it was easy to use and helpful in organizing my ideas for the life cycle of frogs. I will definitely explore more with the Inspiration software and the Kidspiration software so that maybe I or my future students can use them when completing projects.

Life Cycle of a Frog

My Views On Google Presentation

I think that Google Presentation is easier than working on PowerPoint. It was easier for me to insert images in Google Presentation than it usually is in PowerPoint. I did not take me quite so long as it usually does to insert the images I wanted and fix them to where I wanted them to go on the slide. I will definitely use Google Presentation in the future when I can!

Scavenger Hunt Opposites

Picasa Album Photos

My thoughts on WebQuests

After looking at WebQuests and researching a little bit about them I can say that they can definitely be beneficial to students and teachers alike. I really enjoyed looking at sample sites in class. They gave me a perspective on what WebQuests for students looked like. Because of the exploring I got to do, I think that I can see myself using WebQuests in my future classroom as an added resource to the curriculum.

My views on Wikis, Google docs, and PBWorks

For starters, Wikis are very organized lists that I think I will enjoy using, especially when I am collaborating with other educators and classmates. I think Google Docs are handy and easy to access from anywhere. That's probably why they are used so much. It definitely makes me feel secure when I know that my information and work is stored in a place that I can access almost anywhere. I also think that in the future when I have my own classroom, I will be using a PBWorks page (or even a Wiki) as my own classroom website. Even doing one now for technology class with my ECE cohort allows me to keep in touch with everyone and gives me access to great teaching resources.

Welcome to My Blog!

Hello my name is Cynthia Coley. I am currently enrolled in Instructional Technology 486. I am a senior in Early Childhood Education and I will finally graduate in May of 2010! Hopefully throughout this course I will learn new and interesting ways to integrate technology in my future classroom. For now, I will start with the basics of technology, starting with this blog, so,...Enjoy!

Reflection for website activity

Doing this website activity has helped me to be more critical of internet sites. I found that I really need to know what to look for in a site and how it can help me in my future classroom. I now know that I should look to make sure the site is credible and has certain contact information. Hopefully in the future I can find more sites that will help me in my classroom, both for my students and myself.