End of Semester Reflection

I have learned so incredibly much this semester. Sometimes I still feel a bit overwhelmed when I think about all of the technology that is out there, but I'm not afraid of it like I used to be. I definitely had the tendency prior to this class to simply shut out technology, rather than try to figure things out. After being thrown into something like this though, I see the value that technology can have in a classroom and in an overall learning experience.

After taking this class, I can't imagine not using technology in a classroom. I think so many subjects can take on a whole new life just by introducing a bit of technology into it. Especially with this generation. There are so many great resources out there for students and teachers, you just need to know where to look. I feel that this semester really helped with that. Now I have some definite resources and starting points for my technology adventure. I am more at ease with using large pieces of technology such as the smartboard or even just the projector and computer. It was also really nice to see that technology doesn't always work, and though it's frustrating, it's not the end of the world.

Never before have I ever thought that technology was so valuable in a classroom. I've always had it stigmatized in my head as "something for adults". But with today's world, it's becoming more and more something for kids - and we as teachers need to realize that and take advantage of that. Our job as teachers is to prepare kids to the best of our abilities for the world ahead of them, and today, that includes technology. After a semester of being immersed in technology, I now believe that if we don't at least introduce kids to the use of technology and do our best to expose them to as much as we can, we are being neglectful in our duties as teachers.

Reflection #10

So apparently my mind has been a lot on how to get technology into the classroom on a budget, because I found another site that has cheap gadgets that could be very useful in the classroom. This one I actually found thanks to my fiance who recommended it. It's called think geek It's a website full of all sorts of gadgets - from things for the office, home, computers, and even a section for kids. They're not your typical gadgets either, but they're things that would be fun to use for some variety in the classroom. The prices aren't bad either... not super cheap, but definitely manageable for most things. I really liked the section on kids too. They mostly had toys, but some of them were very educational and technology based. The only thing with this site is to be careful what you order and where you are looking at it. There's nothing blatantly inappropriate, but there are some things that if a child became curious, might not be the best saying or joke to explain.

Reflection #9

I'm sure we've all heard of youtube... but have you heard of school tube ? It's just like you tube, except specifically for schools. It's a "moderated safe site". I'm not really sure how... but that's what they advertise. Schools can create an account and then share all different types of media with other schools or even just family members who want to see what they've been up to. They also have a site with educational games that they're working on, so that students can go there to play games rather than playing mindless free games they find on the internet.I think this would be an awesome site to use in with schools to get kids interested in and using technology, as well as a great way to network with other schools all over.

Reflection #8

Gizmodo! is the name of a new site I found that is about all sorts of different gadgets out there. It's actually called the "gadget guide." I spent a little bit of time looking at it and it has everything from cellphones, to cameras, to computers and more - providing updates on what new has come out, rumors about what might come out and lots more. It also has this really neat feature which was the selling point for me... it's called the "holiday dealsmodo". They have all sorts of popular gadgets for really cheap prices. The only problem is I don't know that they have this portion of the site all year. If they do though, it could be a really valuable source as a teacher trying to get technology into the classroom.

Reflection #7

Have you ever wondered how to do something? Well, I've found the perfect site for you to find out how to do it! It's called ehow! This site has everything on it. There are all sorts of recipes, arts and crafts and tons of other things. It is a great resource for a teacher on the go. Looking for a quick art project? E-how probably has one . There's a whole section on education - both for students and teachers. It also has a section on technology that could be very helpful for a quick technology fix. There are even video how-tos. This could be a great project for a class. You would have to create an account first, but I believe it's free. As a class together - or maybe in groups if it is an older class - you could figure out what kind of instructional video you would want to do and make it to post on this site. So take a look! I'm sure you'll find out how to do something you've always been curious about.

Reflection #6

I found this really neat site for your photos It's by adobe photoshop, and is really neat because of all of the effects you can do with your photos. It's a lot more than just a site to store your photos on and make a few adjustments. You can distort the images, make them into comics, change the colors, make albums, etc. I especially liked that it has a link to other sites you might have pictures on so you can access those as well. It is a really fun site and great for sharing photos with friends and family.

Assignment #4

So here it is... my technology project! I created a website using freewebs.com. It is such a great site! So incredibly easy to use... and cute too! Mrs. Wagner's Class is the name of the site. I used my married name so I wouldn't have to change it in a matter of weeks:)

I had so much fun creating this site. I was amazed at how simple it really was. There were a couple of things that were kind of tricky, but if I just spent a little time I eventually got it. I loved how there are so many options and things you can do with your website. They have all different kinds of pages you can use - like wikis, videos, blogs, a regular page, and many other things. Plus the freewebs has all sorts of widgets you can use. Even someone who has no knowledge of technology could use this site pretty easily with a little bit of time.

I learned a lot through this experience too. I learned that I can create a website! I also had to put a lot of thought into my future classroom, and activities that I might want to do with them, so that was fun. I also got a feel for working with widgets and the layout of a website. I feel like I can navigate through technology so much easier after taking this class and working on this project all on my own. Technology that I actually used during this project included:

• creating a website
• animoto
• widgets
• wikis

The only part I was a little confused on of those was the wiki. The one that I used through freewebs didn't look the same as the one we have used for this class. I think that I set it up right though. I think the difference is that the parent will have to sign in to the website for some reason before they can add their name to the wiki. This might be cumbersome to them, so I will probably play around with it a little more later to see if I can figure it out better.

I had a ton of fun using animoto! I hadn't really played with it during class like a lot of others, so I really enjoyed getting to see what all the fuss was about. I think this will be a great tool to use in the classroom, just as a fun way to get kids using technology.

Nets Standards: The two main standards that my project uses for students are the Standards 1 and 2. They are: 1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processesusing technology. 2.Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance,to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students will be interacting with this site regularly, adding stuff to it, creating projects for it, checking it for assignment updates, etc. They will be using it together as well as individuals.

Standards for Teachers that my project incorporates:

• Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
  Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.

I will be modeling the use of technology through this website. I will continually update the site and post new information on there that will be beneficial for students and further their knowledge of technology.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience creating this website. I am excited to see how it grows and develops when I actually am in a classroom. Hope you enjoy it too!

Classrooms of the future

What will my classroom look like in 10 years? I really have no idea. I think it really depends on what kind of area I'm in. If it's a wealthier area, then the classroom will probably look incredibly different, where as a lower income area might be different, but not as much so.

Barring the thing of money, I believe the possibilities for the classroom and technology are infinite. We will probably use cell phones a lot more as part of class, or each child could have their own computer of some sort that they do all their work on. We may not even need teachers anymore, they could all be virtual. Perhaps touchscreen whiteboards rather than ones you actually right on... who knows? There are many possibilities. But guaranteed, technology use will continue to increase in the classroom and further help our child's development.

Kidspiration

So I got the chance to have a little fun with "kidspiration" and this is what I came up with. I thought kidspiration seemed like a really neat tool that would allow kids - even the youngest ones- to interact with technology and express themselves in a handy way. The use of pictures enables them to use things they understand, even if they don't quite know the words for it yet. I think kidspiration would be a really good teaching tool and review tool, that the kids would all really enjoy. It looks like I could use this tool for pretty much any subject. It could be part of a station rotation that they only get to use on Fridays or something, or they could get turns on it every other day - depending on our resources of course. If there's only one computer in the classroom, we would have to use it a little more creatively, but it would be a great source of information for the students.

Internet Safety Issues

Kids today face so many different dangers than ever before because of the advancement of technology. For all of its many benefits, there are also many dangers that come along with immersing today's children in technology.

There is the danger of child predators, cyber bullying and exposing pop-ups. Because of these it is important that adults have filters in place and strongly communicate acceptable behavior on the internet to their children. I think one of the biggest dangers however is that of cyber-bullying since it is not easily preventable. Filters can be in place for predators and pop-ups, but it is up to the individual child what they say on the internet. The best we can do as educators is to strongly inform children about the consequences of bullying on the playground and that these rules don't change just because you can't actually see the other person. Bullying is never acceptable - a fact that must be emphasized more than it is.

K12 online conference

I really enjoyed looking around the conference site and seeing how many people were involved in it. I had no idea anything like this existed, and I'm thrilled at what a great resource this will be in the future. The session that I "attended" was: web 2.0 and 21st century learning

It was really a pretty basic concept, but I thought it was neat considering all we've been learning this semester. In this session a teacher from Kansas talked about how she created a class in her high school that was specifically for seniors, preparing them for the real world through technology. In this class they each received a Macbook to use for the year, and with this they were able to explore many different forms of technology. It sounded a lot like what we've been doing this semester, except each student was provided with top-notch resources and it was for a whole year. Also, since this was in high school, I can't even imagine the benefit this would have on those students' work eligibility. The video also provided some examples of technology projects the students had done which were pretty interesting. They were definitely beginner samples, but still, they were projects the students had created themselves - which is more than I can say I have done.

Technology Project Plan

For my technology project, I think I will make a website for students and parents. This website will really just serve as a resource for parents and students to know what is going on in the classroom and school. It also provides the opportunity for me to introduce myself to parents that I may not have had a chance to meet yet. Students can also display their hardwork on the website, providing an avenue for them to express and share their work and thoughts about what is going on in class.

Word, Excel and Powerpoint

My experience with these three programs has been pretty limited. I must admit that I pretty much stick to the basics when it comes to them. I did have a little bit of experience in using new features when I worked in the Human Resources office of a local hospital, but I don't feel like I could explain them very well.

• I remember using a mail-merge in Word, when we had to make address labels. This was very handy because we could tell the document in Word where to copy from in Excel and then all of the addresses would appear in a label format.
• I also remember using the data sort feature in Excel which automatically alphabetized spreadsheets in Excel. By highlighting the columns you want to sort and then choosing "data sort" you can then choose whether you want ascending or descending order. Much easier than trying to do it all yourself
• Also in Excel, at one time I could do formulas. If you enter in a certain formula it would carry through the entire column and calculate totals for you - again, I really don't remember how to do this, just remember doing it at one point.

Though I don't remember the specifics of these features, I remember that they were really easy to use and that I feel much more comfortable on these programs because of that. I am certain that if I spent a little bit of time on these programs I could further my expertise and find new things fairly easily.

Smartboard and Teaching

The Smartboard is such a great tool for teaching. I really enjoyed seeing all of the presentations in class tonight. There are so many different things you can do with it. You can play games, write on it, search the web on it... and the greatest thing about it is that you can do it all on such a grand scale and not have to be holed up behind a computer monitor. Kids can come up and touch it. You can be describing something up front and write a little note next to it. It's a great way to get kids involved in their learning, rather than just watching you play around with stuff up front.

Reflection #5

Skype and the like...

I have really enjoyed seeing the use of Skype and Googletalk and other such programs. Especially in our Northwest U culture where there are many missionary kids/families or aspiring ones, resources like this prove invaluable. Personally, programs like this may have a big impact in my future since my fiance and I are thinking of going to Japan for the JET program. If we don't do that we are thinking of working at a Christian camp for a couple years located in the middle of the Sequoia National Forest. Needless to say there isn't much cell service down there. Programs like that would allow us to keep in contact with family and friends - without racking up the phone bill.

In the classroom stuff like this can be extremely useful - especially if the teacher has contacts in other parts of the world. Children could communicate with other classrooms all around the world. They could learn about different cultures, and see what other 2nd graders are learning the same time they are.

Reflection #4

One thing I have really enjoyed seeing since this class began is all of the different examples of school and teacher websites. Classroom websites are a new idea to me, and the more I see of them, the more I like them. They aren't that hard to do, and they can have so many great benefits. It provides kids with a safe place to explore technology, as well as a resource for extra homework, help with homework, and a place to display their hard work in class. It also provides a great resource for parents to see what is going on in the classroom and to get a general idea of what the teacher is like.

I really think I will use this idea in the classroom. However, it will be important for me to be aware of the ability of my students to access the internet from their home. If many of them can't, then I will need to make sure to use it in the classroom, and not rely on it as a homework resource.

Reflection #3

I'm not really sure if this website will count... but I really like it. It is called: woot . It's a website that has one item everyday for a discounted price - usually it's really nice stuff on the more technological side. Once a month they will have a "woot off" where they go through their entire month's inventory and auction it off one after the other for great prices. I don't know that this website would be a great one to share with your students, but it could be a great resource for teachers. They may have just what you need to complete a project for a whole lot less money - or it could be inspiration!

They also have a shirt woot that is a competition for the best t-shirt design. This could be a great idea or example to show students for a similar competition in the classroom.

Reflection #2

Working on the del.icio.us sites sparked this next reflection. One of my favorite sites that I've found is the kids National Geographic site. I really like it because it has tons of fun activities, printouts and games, and is connected with something tangible like a magazine. Many different activities could come out of this. You could use it as a reading activity by using the magazine, and then the kids have to find a portion of the site that correlates with that article.

That led me to think that there are probably other such sites. Most major companies have websites now, especially interactive ones. Children could explore the internet by taking a major TV station or magazine that they like and finding their website.

Reflection #1

So not really knowing where to start with my reflections, got me thinking about the technology I've seen in the class I'm observing. I am placed in a lower income school, so there isn't a whole lot of technology, but there is some. The main piece of technology I see used is the document camera. I have never been a big document camera fan. Most of the time I think that students can just either see what the teacher is holding up, or they can follow along on their own handouts. However, after seeing it used more in the classroom, I am able to see more of its benefits. It seems rather nice to be able to use an actual piece of paper rather than have a transparency or powerpoint made for everything. I'm still not completely sold - but I can see more of the benefit of them.

Assignment #3

For my Smartboard presentation, I am using a geography game found on National Geographic's kid site. It's very interactive and I thought it was a lot of fun. It is a bit slow moving for one person, but if divided into teams or split up, I think it would be more affective. Here is the link to national geographic

The NETS Student standards that fit this presentation are: Technology Operations and Concepts
a. understand and use technology systems
d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

The presentation showcases these standards because students will have to have some understanding of computer technology and of the Smartboard's technology in order to play this game. They will also have to transfer their knowledge of computer technology to the technology of the Smartboard - as well as transferring their geographical knowledge in order to play the game correctly.

The NETS teacher standards that fit this presentation are: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and activity

This standard applies to the presentation because I will be using a digital tool/resource to help the students learn about the 50 states. They will use their background information to become a "geo spy" and identify the 50 states as a class using the game found on the National Geographic kids website.

Greatest Challenge...

What is my greatest challenge regarding teaching and technology? Well, at the school that I am currently at, it is simply access to technology. We are fortunate enough to at least have a projector, docucam, and overhead, but not much beyond that. There are a couple of computers in the classroom, but I've never seen the kids use it. To my knowledge there is no computer lab or anything. I'm not sure how I could overcome this in my current position, but if I were a teacher I would have a few more options. I could talk to the administration to see if there are any hidden resources in the school or in the budget that could be used to enhance technology. I could apply for grants or talk to other teachers to see if they have any resources we don't have access to. I could also bring in what I have at home to at least give the kids some exposure. It would be difficult, but there are definitely some solutions.

Assignment #2

I decided to look for websites in these four areas: spelling, science, geography, and math. I figured that these were good subjects to have some fun interactive games for, or that I might need some inspiration when trying to teach these subjects. Here are the links to my bundles:
geography
math
science
spelling

spelling city is the first site I will tell you about. It is a site where children can practice their spelling in a number of different ways. They input their spelling words from their class list, and from there the list is formulated into different games, or they can be tested on them. There are also sample lists that children can use to just get better at spelling. I thought this would be really useful as an extra homework assignment or an option for kids to use during the time they have to work on their spelling.

smithsonian education contains a lot of useful resources for science and history. There are activity sheets that can be printed off and used in class, and several games. There are resources for educators, students and families, all of which are very useful. There are many different lesson plans for educators that can be adapted for any age level, with corresponding activities in the in the student section. Overall this site would be extremely helpful in putting lessons together and engaging the students in interactive games to further emphasize the concepts being taught.

math playground has tons of games that help children with their math skills. Many of them are for upper elementary, but there are some for the lower levels. They are all very interactive and a lot of fun. It covers a variety of types of math, in a number of different ways. This would be a great way for students to get some extra practice in certain areas they are struggling in, or could be a fun homework assignment rather than a worksheet.

national greographic provides a great resource for geography and other aspects of social studies. There are tons of games for the children to play, but also other types of interactive activities. There are quizzes and videos and stories about different animals. It is a very fun website and would be very appealing to kids. It is great for teachers to use as re-inforcement for particular concepts. Children can also use it as a research tool - teachers could very easily tell them to go use this website to discover a new fact about an animal or something and use it as an easy and fun assignment.

Del.icio.us could be very useful among other teachers as a way to share exciting new sites to get your kids engaged. Sometimes it is hard to find time to research new sites for games or even just a fresh perspective on teaching a certain topic. But with del.icio.us, you have easy access to other teacher's sites for a quick mode of research. It can also be very useful in the classroom with students as a way for the students to share information with each other and with other students aroudn the world. Maybe they are doing a research project on a certain topic, rather than having to search the whole web and hope to find something useful, they can just look at other student's tags for websites on that topic. I think it would cut down the frustration level significantly, as well as providing them with a way to begin networking with others.

Cool Cat Blog

I decided to read the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, and it is amazing. It is a great example of the potential a blog has, particularly as a teaching tool. She has put so many links on there as resources or connections to other educators, as well as put several projects up that the class is doing. Her blogs are also really interesting. One in particular that I found interesting was the special needs blog . I am taking a special needs in education class, so reading this article from a teacher's perspective was really insightful.

Overall, the Cool Cat Teacher did a great job of putting together a website that is abounding with information, resources and fun activities. It will be a great tool to use in the future, as well as a great example of what I could do!

Assignment #1

The Value of Technology...

Technology in today's classroom is becoming more and more valuable. The generations are changing, and although I like to think of myself as decently technological, the truth is compared to the generation after me, I got nothing! I look at my cousins who are 6 and 8, and already they can navigate their way through the internet and know how to type in information - even if it's not not really "Typing." Because of this, technology is going to become an invaluable resource to the next generation classroom.

As a current student, I know that technology has greatly influenced my learning. Classes today that don't have some sort of powerpoint presentation are almost unheard of. Teachers primarily use powerpoint in the classroom, but they expect for more technological use outside of the classroom. Most students cannot survive without their computer - all assignments must be typed these days. Not to mention the online research and the communication that takes place through online networks like Discovery or Blackboard. More and more technological use is being demanded of the teachers, and by the teachers.

As a future teacher... I see my elementary classroom looking far different from the elementary classroom I remember being a student in. Depending on the financial well-being of a district, classrooms could become largely virtual. I think the use of technology will be vital in keeping student's attention, as more and more technology becomes common at home. Students will be more easily bored by the old ways of teaching, and possibly question the relevancy and currency of it. However, if technology can be incorporated in some way to the majority of what they study, their attention will be held better and it shows that the information does apply in a technological age.

ARTICLE

For my article, I chose to read Embracing Emergent Technologies and Envisioning New Ways of Using Them for Literacy Learning in the Classroom. The article was written by a lower grade elementary teacher in New Zealand who realized that she needed to start using technology as an integral part of her classroom. She realized that most students have grown up with technology used in their daily lives and expect it to be used in their learning processes as well. Since that moment, she has made a conscious effort to incorporate technology in different ways, particularly in literacy - reading and writing.

She first got the idea to start a website, and knew that she needed to make sure that it would be used for purposeful learning outcomes. Otherwise it would just be another flashy piece of her classroom with no real learning value. From here she came up with several different ideas to promote reading, writing and editing. One of the first activities the class did was create podcasts. These podcasts were used to reflect on the learning that had gone on during the week. It had to contain more than simply descriptions of activities that the students had done, but had to include what they had learned from those activities. She also went on to describe how they used the website to publish the student's writing on the website, as well as creating an online thesaurus of new words they learned or that they simply enjoyed the sound of. They have also used the website for book reviews - both written and through podcasts - and communication with other classrooms.

I thoroughly enjoyed this article. I loved how it was a specific example from one teacher's perspective. I thought she did a really good job of telling why she believed it is important to incorporate technology into the classroom, and then providing examples of how she has done it. I learned a lot about different ways to use a class website. Creating a website is one of the first things we have talked about in the class, but I have kind of been wondering what we could do with it. Now, I have some solid ideas that I am excited about, that I can use someday in my classroom. One particular idea that I am excited about teaches about perspective in literature. The teacher sends home a stuffed animal, a digital camera, pen, and notebook, along with instructions for the child and for the parents, to one child each week. Their task is to take pictures of this animal and his adventures for the weekend, and write about them from his perspective. I think this is a great tool because children can have a lot of fun with it - taking him different places and writing stories - all the while learning about a key aspect of literature and improving their writing and story-telling skills. It also provides a great way for students to learn about their fellow class-mates.

Overall, I was really impressed with how well the article was written and the depth of information it provided. I would definitely recommend that any teacher who is struggling with ideas read this article to gain some inspiration.

Halsey, Sue. "Embracing emergent technologies and envisioning new ways of using them for literacy learning in the primary classroom." English Teaching: Practice & Critique 6.2 (Sep. 2007): 99-107. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. Hurst Library, Kirkland, WA. 23 Sep. 2008 .

NETS STANDARDS

As I read through the NETS standards, the ideas seemed pretty basic to me. Students need to use the technology available to them to enhance their learning. While they do this they need to practice sound ethics, just like one would hope they would in a physical classroom. Students should use the knowledge of technology that they have, and build on those concepts to learn new types of technology. I felt that the basic idea for these standards was that students should use the technology that they have, learn the technology that they don't know, and use all of it in a responsible way to interact with other classmates and peers around the world.

The standards for teachers were similar. Basically as teachers we need to provide the tools and assignments for students to use the technology meet the standards. We also need to provide a safe environment for students to explore in. Also as teachers, we need to learn the technology ourselves so that we can model how to use it, and provide accurate information regarding technology.

These standards are important because they allow students to see that all schools are being held to using technology, and that it is becoming an more integral part of our world and education. It also forces teachers to learn something about technology and challenges them to know how to use it in their classrooms. I don't think younger generations may have a huge problem with this, but for current teachers who are "immigrants" to this technological age, they are probably a helpful reminder.

Improving Instruction with Interactive White Boards

I read the article Improving Instruction with Interactive White Boards by D. Schaffhauser.
I found it very interesting to see how a specific principal decided to use the white boards and the effect it is having on the school. It was also refreshing to see that this particular example was not a "rich" school district - it really seemed pretty average. Though the principal wasn't sure how they were going to get the funding, she truly believed that introducing Smartboards was the right way to go and made it happen.

At the end of the article, the principal told how she was funding all of the Smartboards, and really she simply re-organized her budget. She cut out things that were no longer necessary, some of which she didn't even know what it was anymore. She also cut costs on the way the Smartboards were set up. All of this shows that with some smart planning and re-evaluating, most school districts could slowly afford to uprgrade their technology.

All in all, the article provided some good insight into a real example of how Smartboards are coming into action in one school. It really shows that Smartboards do make an impact.

html

So last week in class, we learned how to do html. It was so much fun! All of this stuff that seemed like nonsense before... suddenly I was able to use it to do what I wanted it to. I still have a lot to learn and figure out, but now it's not near as daunting.

We also created our own websites using Google Sites. I thought it was really confusing. It was fun to know that I was creating my very own website, but the program wasn't very easy to use. I'm still not sure how to do exactly what I want to, but I'm slowly figuring it out. Here is the link to the beginnings of my site:-)

School Website

So I just checked out the website for the school I am student teaching in, Olivia Park Elementary. Overall I thought it was really good. The format seems pretty basic - it could definitely use some creative artistic input - but most of the information was really good. The links were all easily accessible on the left hand side, and I only found a couple links to outside websites that were no longer accessible. It had links to the teachers' webpages (if they had any), as well as a directory for the staff's e-mail. There were also some resources listed, for teachers, parents and students, some which looked really helpful. So, except for it being a somewhat boring presentation, the website was very informative and easily navigable.

What I want to learn...

What do I want to focus on this semester? It seems almost an overwhelming question, since there seems to be so much I don't know yet. With that in mind, I think that I would like to generally have a better understanding of the technological world. I mean, how do you find out about this stuff anyway? There seems to be new stuff appearing every day, that I know my students will have access to... how do I not fall behind? and how do I get ahead , when I feel like I'm already somewhat behind? That is what I hope to gain this semester. A better understanding of what is available, how to use what is available, and how to incorporate it into my classroom. This goal seems pretty vague and general I know, but I really can't think of another one when I feel that I don't even know where to begin...

"Generation IM: Getting Through to Today's Teched-out Children"

I read the article "Generation IM: Getting Through to Today's Teched-out Children" by Curwood, 2008, and was surprised to see how much of myself I recognized in it. At the very beginning of the article it talks about children being able to media multi-task, something I do every day. It's something I have almost always done - listened to music while doing homework and IM-ing a friend all at the same time. For me it is weird to think of NOT having a lifestyle like this.

That then made me think about some of the kids I babysit for. They are exposed to so much more technology than I ever was. I remember playing video games after school and watching TV, but the level at which kids today are able to do such things is ten times greater than when I was that age. With those thoughts in mind, I was able to really understand and agree with the majority of what the article said.

Today's generation does need to be taught in a new way - incorporating the technology that they are already so familiar with, but also giving those students who might not have the access to technology at home, a chance to learn and keep up with their peers.

However, while I agree that technology does need to be incorporated in the classroom, and their exposure to technology has definitely changed the way their minds process information, I don't think that we can completely discount traditional education techniques. Children still need to be able to function in hands-on activities, with person to person contact. I think it is important that we not take either side to the extreme, but that the key is an integration of the two worlds.

How I got here

Hello all, and welcome to my page!



To start things off, let me tell you a little bit about myself and how I came to be an education major at Northwest. Never in a million years did I ever think that I would be in education, but here I am today.



Growing up, I always thought of myself as not any good with kids, and I really didn't enjoy them that much. I hated babysitting and always accepted jobs begrudgingly. However, that began to change when my aunt had three children and decided to use me as her main babysitter. I soon came to love them more than I ever thought possible, and over time realized that kids were actually pretty fun.



As high school graduation approached, I shunned the idea of ever becoming a teacher. Several key people in my life always told me that I would be a great teacher, and that I would probably love it, but I just smiled politely and told them, "probably not". Not really being sure what I wanted to do, I decided to take my mom's suggestion and head in the direction of physical therapy. Soon however, I realized that I despised science.

To make a long story shorter... I then transferred to Boise Bible College after deciding I wanted to learn more about ministry and the Bible, and from there God lead me to the realization that what I wanted to do more than anything was impact the lives of young children, their parents, and my peers.

So here I am at Northwest, studying to do just that and loving every minute of it!