I really enjoyed this class. I would find myself talking with other students about the weeks assignments or some funny posts that someone wrote. I had fun discussing issues in our google talk.
There are many things that I learned in this class. The first thing I learned is all the issues and safety items I need to be teaching my students about the internet. The school I teach at is about to have an internet safety course for parents to go to next week. I thought about going to it to learn more safety tips but it is on a good tv night and I unfortunately do not have tevo/DVR. I tend now to keep my eyes on all of my students computer screens when in the computer lab. I look for what they have minimized and hiding. Second, I learned about plagiarism on the internet. I learned about what can be used and what cannot be used. I would tend to use things and give verbal credit but never write anything down about where I got it and how I am using it. Lastly, I learned about the dangers of facebook and the myths about the internet. I have been more careful on facebook and added new security settings. When I was at the gym last month, I was watching tv and they had a discussion about this school district that would suspend teachers for having social webpages like facebook or myspace. They wrote it into their teacher contracts and have place one teacher on administrative leave for having "friends" on facebook that are her students.
I feel more prepared for using technology in the classroom. It is hard to use a lot of the technology available in the gym. I always worry about if I buy something nice would it get broken by elementary students. I enjoyed the text book reading and the post on the discussion board each week. It was great to see what each student thought about the issues that the text book chapters talked about. I learned from the kids book more than the adult technology book. I felt the kids book was well written and easy to understand. I did not like reading the Blue Nowhere. I never really got into that book and the style of the book is not something I like to read or enjoy reading. I do read a lot of non-fiction and biography books. There are only a handful of fiction books that I enjoy and they are mainly written for younger people.
Overall, great class and I hope you are our teacher for an actual class so we can meet you in person. Thank you and Rock Chalk Jawhawk, KU
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Skittles v. Webquest
I did enjoy eating the skittles (really m&m's since the vending machines were out of skittles) in front of my students. I thought this would be a good assignment for 7th-8th grade as working with excel can be tricky.
I looked at some webquest that I used last year when I student taught in middle school pe/health. We had webquest about the brain, weight loss, smoking, skin care, digestive systems, and physical fitness. I enjoy using webquest in the classroom because it gives students time to explore and figure things out on their own. I do see some problems with using webquests. The first problem I see is getting computers to access the webquest. At the school where I did my student teaching, the core subjects would have first priority on the mobile laptop lab. This was challenging with the teaching progression that I used and the days I would like to use the webquest in the classroom were already taken by other subjects. The second problem is not having the time in pe class to use webquest. We would only use them if the gym was taken for picture day or assemblies.
I looked at some webquest that I used last year when I student taught in middle school pe/health. We had webquest about the brain, weight loss, smoking, skin care, digestive systems, and physical fitness. I enjoy using webquest in the classroom because it gives students time to explore and figure things out on their own. I do see some problems with using webquests. The first problem I see is getting computers to access the webquest. At the school where I did my student teaching, the core subjects would have first priority on the mobile laptop lab. This was challenging with the teaching progression that I used and the days I would like to use the webquest in the classroom were already taken by other subjects. The second problem is not having the time in pe class to use webquest. We would only use them if the gym was taken for picture day or assemblies.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Module 4
I am sorry about not getting this done by the deadline. I can not get onto blogger.com on my schools server. It is really messed up, I can get on like most of facebook, but when I try and send a message on facebook the school blocks it. I can get on google talk but not blogger. Oh well, I am doing it now.
I guess I was underground when the Piper thing happened. I had no clue and have never heard of this until now. That is a bad situation and I feel for the principal and the teacher. I agree that the teacher should have took action on the students that were caught cheating. I think they should have been punished according to the guidelines that the school has published. My school has students and parents sign the planbook at the beginning of the school year. The planbook covers everything associated with plagiarism, cheating, discipline, and general school rules. I believe that students should be punished is they are caught doing something wrong. I like how the principal stood with the teacher all the way until the school board ruled on it. I hope that my principal would do the same thing for me. I also think that an agreement between the teacher, principal, parents, and school board could have been reached. I believe whole-hearted in grace. I will be the first to tell you people mess up and take the east way out. I do think that one project should not be worth more than 25% of your final grade. That is a lot riding on one thing. This is something that I would never do. I would have like to see an agreement be made where the students are punished and fail the assignment but every student be given an opportunity to get 15% extra credit towards your final grade. Every student could do that extra assignment. This way if I was one of the students that did the assignment correctly, I would have an opportunity to get a 115% for the class. That would be up for a whole other debate on right and wrong in education. My school says you would get a zero on assignments that you cheat on. Plus you would get detention.
I guess I was underground when the Piper thing happened. I had no clue and have never heard of this until now. That is a bad situation and I feel for the principal and the teacher. I agree that the teacher should have took action on the students that were caught cheating. I think they should have been punished according to the guidelines that the school has published. My school has students and parents sign the planbook at the beginning of the school year. The planbook covers everything associated with plagiarism, cheating, discipline, and general school rules. I believe that students should be punished is they are caught doing something wrong. I like how the principal stood with the teacher all the way until the school board ruled on it. I hope that my principal would do the same thing for me. I also think that an agreement between the teacher, principal, parents, and school board could have been reached. I believe whole-hearted in grace. I will be the first to tell you people mess up and take the east way out. I do think that one project should not be worth more than 25% of your final grade. That is a lot riding on one thing. This is something that I would never do. I would have like to see an agreement be made where the students are punished and fail the assignment but every student be given an opportunity to get 15% extra credit towards your final grade. Every student could do that extra assignment. This way if I was one of the students that did the assignment correctly, I would have an opportunity to get a 115% for the class. That would be up for a whole other debate on right and wrong in education. My school says you would get a zero on assignments that you cheat on. Plus you would get detention.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Module 3
I am sorry that this is so late. I was going to get this all done on Friday but I had to cover a science class all day since that teacher left after first hour. Ohh the joys of having no one in ISS and the random jobs they give me to do.
I did a search on my name and found that I am a Doctor and a painter. I searched through 15 pages before giving up. I do like some of Kevin Greer’s artwork and photography. I am tempted to buy some and hang it up. It would be a great conversation piece when people come over. I see it now in my head, “you did this?” “Why yes, do you like it?” It is amazing, how did you get the blah, blah, blah to look that way?” “Pure talent.” The search engine articles were good. I really learned from the last article, the one from the library at Berkeley. I now know what to type in for getting better results. As I was searching up things, I kept picturing back to the movie “wanted,” and how one of the lead roles did a search on his name and nothing came up.
When looking up my phone number it only showed the company that my cell phone number was under. I did look up my parents’ phone number and it told me everything about them. I have used Google maps a lot to look up homes and areas. I love playing around on that. The pictures are not bad.
I did a search on my name and found that I am a Doctor and a painter. I searched through 15 pages before giving up. I do like some of Kevin Greer’s artwork and photography. I am tempted to buy some and hang it up. It would be a great conversation piece when people come over. I see it now in my head, “you did this?” “Why yes, do you like it?” It is amazing, how did you get the blah, blah, blah to look that way?” “Pure talent.” The search engine articles were good. I really learned from the last article, the one from the library at Berkeley. I now know what to type in for getting better results. As I was searching up things, I kept picturing back to the movie “wanted,” and how one of the lead roles did a search on his name and nothing came up.
When looking up my phone number it only showed the company that my cell phone number was under. I did look up my parents’ phone number and it told me everything about them. I have used Google maps a lot to look up homes and areas. I love playing around on that. The pictures are not bad.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Module 2
1.) How do your technology skills compare to the NETS? Where would you like your technology skills to be? How about the skills of your students?
I feel that my technology skills are great. I am constantly looking for the new gizmo. I feel that it is hard to incorporate a lot of technology into Physical Education/ISS. While attending conventions, I get overwhelmed with all of the new technology items that are being promoted for PE classes. I would like to buy all of them! There is on big problem with all of the new and innovative technology for PE. PE teachers are given a small budget each year. I have looked into grants for new equipment as well as fundraising opportunities in order to purchase Nintendo Wiis for the PE classroom.
I think that the students are constantly learning and by the time they reach high school they have a great skill set with the computers.
2.) What do you think of the idea of National Technology Standards? How does this issue of standards effect your teaching? Does it? Should it?
I like that there are Standards. I think that anything that helps me focus on improving lessons to make them the best they can be is a good thing. I do look for ways to add technology into the classroom and feel that all of the Standards (not just the technology ones) effect my teaching.
I feel that my technology skills are great. I am constantly looking for the new gizmo. I feel that it is hard to incorporate a lot of technology into Physical Education/ISS. While attending conventions, I get overwhelmed with all of the new technology items that are being promoted for PE classes. I would like to buy all of them! There is on big problem with all of the new and innovative technology for PE. PE teachers are given a small budget each year. I have looked into grants for new equipment as well as fundraising opportunities in order to purchase Nintendo Wiis for the PE classroom.
I think that the students are constantly learning and by the time they reach high school they have a great skill set with the computers.
2.) What do you think of the idea of National Technology Standards? How does this issue of standards effect your teaching? Does it? Should it?
I like that there are Standards. I think that anything that helps me focus on improving lessons to make them the best they can be is a good thing. I do look for ways to add technology into the classroom and feel that all of the Standards (not just the technology ones) effect my teaching.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Week 1 Blog
This week's assignments were a little confusing even for me, someone that thinks he is technology gifted. I still don't know if I figured out the google talk thing.
I liked the website evaluation activity. It has now focused me to look deeper into the website that I use in the classroom as well as website that I use in papers that I write. I used to never check who wrote the website or articles on websites and I would pass them off like this person knew what they were talking about and a credible source. Two days ago, I went through laptop training with the school district and they STRESSED the importance of verifying what you put on your webpage. I had to put so many waivers and disclaimers.
I have been focusing in the past few weeks in the media on how the views of the newspapers and news on tv's affect what we see. I think this is especially true with websites. Anybody can post anything on the internet and pass it off as gold.
Good enough for week one.
Rock Chalk,
Kevin
This week's assignments were a little confusing even for me, someone that thinks he is technology gifted. I still don't know if I figured out the google talk thing.
I liked the website evaluation activity. It has now focused me to look deeper into the website that I use in the classroom as well as website that I use in papers that I write. I used to never check who wrote the website or articles on websites and I would pass them off like this person knew what they were talking about and a credible source. Two days ago, I went through laptop training with the school district and they STRESSED the importance of verifying what you put on your webpage. I had to put so many waivers and disclaimers.
I have been focusing in the past few weeks in the media on how the views of the newspapers and news on tv's affect what we see. I think this is especially true with websites. Anybody can post anything on the internet and pass it off as gold.
Good enough for week one.
Rock Chalk,
Kevin
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Finally!!!
Finally after 30 minutes of trying to figure this out I am finished!!! Now let the fun begin.
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