Wife, Mother, Teacher, Student
![]() I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. The lessons and assignments have been interesting and informative of the tools and technology that are available to me, as a future educator. The technology and tools that I have learned this semester will be beneficial to me and my future students and their families, in and out of the classroom. I am looking forward to integrating what I have learned this semester into my classroom. I was nervous about what would be expected of me from this class for the semester; however, I enjoyed learning about it all. The blog was intimidating at first but once I knew what was expected and I played with the site it became easier to create. I really enjoyed creating the website. I will certainly be interested in creating a website for my future class. I believe that the website will be informative and effective for students and their families. Creating the rubric, test and test key was super easy with user friendly sites; I will definitely use them in the future. I believe that the podcast can be a great tool if I need to be absent from the class for an extended period of time. The podcasts can then be uploaded to the website and be beneficial to my students so that they can go back and listen to it they missed important information or notes. I enjoyed working with my peers throughout the semester. I believe that we all worked well together throughout the Google group assignments. It was also great to communicate with each other through our blogs and see each other’s points of view about the different topics. I have learned a lot in the class from the text, but I also learned from my group members. Dr. Wang and Yanqing have been very helpful throughout the course and have provided clear feedback and tips to fix mistakes. The blogfolio took a lot of time and work this semester, however, I have enjoyed learning how to create and navigate it. The blogfolio is a create way to interact with others while also giving others an eye into my world/classroom. I did not think this would be an assignment that I would enjoy but I am sad to see that this will be the end of the semester. Initially, creating the blog took some time and lots of adjustments in learning but it became easier as time went on. I have enjoyed this course and the assignments that we have had to complete and I cannot wait until the day that I can utilize what I have learned for my own classroom.
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![]() Key strategies for integrating technology in Mathematics and Science There are many challenges in integrating technology in Mathematics and Science in the classroom. However, there are also ways of accomplishing the goals "using technology application that be extended for long periods of time across topics to engage students in meaningful problems and projects rather than providing a variety of applications with no internal coherence". (Roblyer, M.D., 2016) Technology can be integrated in the classroom for math and science and could be beneficial to the students and teachers. Technology can help make abstract mathematics concepts more concrete to young students while allowing a visual depiction of abstract math concepts. According to Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching "technology provides powerful learning tools for engaging students in investigating more complex ideas and problem solving to reveal important interactions among the disciplines while engaging students in an inquiry-oriented science instruction". (2016) Science is rapidly changing and teachers challenged constantly to keep up with the newest developments, tools and methods and technology will allow them to stay knowledgeable. Issues of integrating technology in special education "Special educators must be concerned with two types of technology: assistive technology and instructional technology." (Roblyer, M.D., 2016) Assistive technology is technology that is used when a student with a disability is unable to complete a task. Students have to first be assessed for the use of assistive technology. There is a process that must be followed to ensure that the right devices are being implemented for the child. It is important to become familiar with the resources that are available and the strategies that they enable. Roblyer, M.D., Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. (2016). Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publication ![]() Chapter 8 discusses how to develop and design online environments for the classroom. Creating online environments could aid in delivering the information that is being taught within the classroom. Online environments can also be an effective tool for students and parents to refer to with questions after school hours. This week we created our own class website. Class websites can be a a great and effective tool to use in and out of the classrooms. Class websites would be beneficial to the parents, students and teacher. The parents would be able to assess the class website and get a better understanding of what lessons are being taught weekly and it could be used as a great communication tool between parents and teachers. The website would be beneficial to the students because they would be able to reference the lessons and additional resources after school. I enjoyed creating my class website. I believe that I would definitely use this tool in the future. It was challenging in the beginning, however, it soon became easier and I found new ways to edit and create. ![]() This week we had to create a test with at least 10 questions, using Easy TestMaker, and create a rubric for an assignment, using RubiStar. I was unaware the resources like this were available and so user friendly. Creating my 10 question quiz was easy and Easy TestMaker made the process extremely simple, while giving the option of different types of questions. I chose to use true/false questions, multiple choice questions, fill in the blank questions and short answer questions. RubiStar was also user friendly and easy to use. I selected the title, added my name and simply selected the criteria that I would be looking for from 2nd graders writing a short story. I am thankful that we are learning about such awesome tools and will definitely incorporate these tools into my classroom. ![]()
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![]() There are many ways to integrate the internet in the classroom. The internet is a great tool that can be beneficial to the students and teacher. Chapter 7 of our book discusses many uses of audio and video developments in the classroom, which could lead to endless possibilities in the classroom. Some ways to integrate internet and media based strategies in the classroom are, video portfolios, video production, student created presentations, and audio or video classroom discussion starters. This integration could also lead the teacher to create podcasts or video lectures if they will be out of the classroom with a sub to ensure that they students remain on course for the class. This week we had to create our own podcast. I used a website called, Vocaroo, to complete this assignment. Vocaroo is user friendly and easy to use. The challenge that I had while creating my Podcast was being clear and enunciating my words enough so that I could be understood. I decided to use a topic that I have been discussing with my 2nd graders, which made it flow more freely. I enjoyed creating the Podcast and I am looking forward to implementing this feature in my classsroom one day! My Podcast ![]() This week’s project was to create a digital story with pictures, voice narration and music. I was very worried about this assignment and a little intimidated by the thought of it. I began thinking of what I would say in my voice narration and the thoughts began to flow. I absolutely love teaching and making a difference in the lives of each of my students. When I began to think of what teaching and what my students meant to me this project became a little easier. I decided to use WeVideo to make my Digital story, it was very user friendly. Chapter 6 of Integrating Educational Technology in Teaching states, “if ‘knowledge is power’, as Francis Bacon said, then communication is freedom-freedom for people to reach information they need in order to acquire knowledge that can empower them”. (2016) I am thankful for technology and what it offers to me and my students. Technology can be challenging to learn but it can also be rewarding to use. Digital Story ![]() I enjoyed working with my group on the Google Group Project. This project was fun and very informative. I was not aware of all that Google has to offer and how it could benefit my students and my classroom. As a group, we worked together and collaborated on a discussion board, a PowerPoint presentation, a story, a spreadsheet and a survey. I was curious and nervous about how this group project would work but we worked together and communicated effortlessly. I am looking forward to one day utilizing these tools and the skills that I have learned through this project in my classroom with my students and their families and my coworkers. I see many benefits and advantages within Google and am looking forward to one day utilizing what I have learned here. [email protected] Discussion Board PowerPoint Story Spreadsheet Survey ![]() The definition of instructional software according to its categories and their usages in classroom Instructional software is a general term that is used for computer programs specifically to deliver instruction or assist with the delivery of instruction on a specific topic. There are survival types of instructional software, such as, instructional games, drill and practice, tutorial, simulations, and problem solving. Instructional games are games in which rules are added to simulation or drills. They are fun, yet they reinforce the skills to the student. Drill and practice is set up to allow the student to answer questions and receive feedback. Drill and practice helps identify needs individually for each student. Tutorial is set up to replicate a human tutor, providing one on one information and instruction to the student. Simulation is set up to display real models to show how the systems work to demonstrate underlying concepts. Problem solving directly teaches the steps to solve a problem. The features and capabilities of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software tool program, and my suggestions for how to use them in classroom Software programs come with many advantages such as appearance, accuracy, productivity and more support for interaction and collaboration. Each program offers different strengths that can be implemented in the classroom. Word processing is used to typing letters and other essential notes, memos, letterheads, mailings for a professional look. Spreadsheets allow you to organize information, such as, class rolls, field trip forms and payments, etc. Presentation programs are designed to show a creative way to present information to the class, coworkers and parents. Tools that can be used to support teaching and learning tasks for both teachers and students There are many tools that can be used to support teaching and learning for teachers and students. Some of the tools that I find that are most useful in the classroom are the material generators, testing and grading tools, lesson planning software, online encyclopedias and online language translators. ![]() Chapter 1 What is Educational Technology? Educational technology is a combination of the processes and tools involved in addressing educational needs and problems, with an emphasis on applying the most current digital and information tools. Educational technology is not something new and should not be thought of only by computers, cell phones and tablets. Technology could be a vital part of the classroom if it is understood by the teachers and students, as well as being used properly. I have seen that some veteran teachers will not try to learn about how they could integrate the use of technology in the classroom because of their lack of knowledge to it and this is a disadvantage for the teacher and students. I am fortunate enough to work in a school that has a wide array of technology, from laptops, to chrome books, Promethean boards, Elmo cameras, and many other useful tools. The world of technology is ever changing so as educators, we must become lifelong students of technology so that we are better able to integrate it into the classrooms to effectively teach our students. Chapter 2 Effective Technology Integration To effectively integrate technology in the classroom essential conditions need to be in place. Computers were viewed as a constant and reliable teaching machine. Programs have been created to engage the students in highly structured, stimulating programs. I see the usage of a computers and programs such as i-Ready daily in my 2nd grade classroom. The students are engaged and are learning skills that will help them succeed and pass to the 3rd grade. i-Ready is one fun, educational program that can be used in and out of the classroom. Effective technology integration in the classroom can be beneficial to the students as well as the teachers. ![]() Hello! My name is Samantha Guyton. I am a 2nd grade Teacher's Assistant at East Central Lower Elementary in Hurley, MS. I am a student at The University of Southern Mississippi and am majoring in Elementary Education. I absolutely love being a teacher and am excited about my future as a certified teacher. I am married to my wonderful husband, Marcus, of 12 years and we have 3 children, Elijah, 16, Markia, 12, and Taye 10. My family means the world to me. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and traveling. I am blessed so that I can be a blessing in and out of my classroom. I am thankful for a family that loves and supports me as I work towards accomplishing a life long dream of mine, becoming a teacher! |
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