Wow, I cannot believe that the semester is three days from being over! It seems that it was only a few short weeks ago that I created this blog and it has actually been about four months since then. The past four months have definitely been some of the busiest. This semester was my first in the School of Education and I loved it. I feel that every class that I took this semester simply placed me one step further to becoming an elementary school teacher. By far, I think I learned some of the most interesting new techniques in my Designs for Technology class. This class was designed to “introduce students to computer-based and networking educational technologies, while emphasizing instructional designs for our curriculum-based uses in teaching and learning.” However, upon entering the class, I felt as though I knew almost everything there was to know about technology. Looking back on the semester as a whole now, I was definitely incorrect.

Growing up in the world today, it is definitely important to have technology in your life. In my opinion, I highly doubt that when older teachers were taking the classes required for certification that one of them included a technology class. Today, it is essential that teachers become accustomed to the thousands of different types of technology. If not, their students will know more about it than them, which is not a characteristic that school officials, principals, and superintendents want of their staff. Therefore, this class furthered my knowledge of technology to a completely new level. I now feel as though I am very experienced with several different aspects of technology that my students might also be familiar with. I now definitely feel comfortable with using technology such as blogging, wikispaces, webquests, electronic portfolios, podcasts, etc., that I had previously been inexperienced with. Along with feeling comfortable and understanding the uses of these different types of technology, I truly understand the importance of developing lessons that incorporate technology into the classroom. Previously, as well as when I was growing up and going through school, I did not experience the technology enhanced learning that students experience today. Furthermore, my elementary schools did not have access to the technology that elementary schools now do today. Elementary schools today have funds and access to a vast supply of technological equipment. For example, at my field placement, D.J. Montague Elementary School, there is a lot of technology that is available for teachers and student teachers. Equipment such as digital microscopes, LSD projectors, ELMOs, personal response systems, laptop carts, and computers in every classroom allow teachers to infiltrate technology into their lesson plans as much as possible.

As an elementary school teacher, I feel that it is my duty and responsibility to provide my students with a complete knowledge and understanding of the importance of technology into the world today. Along with that, I completely understand that each of my students are going to come into the classroom with a different knowledge base of technology. I feel that it is important for me to understand that individualized students come from different cultures and backgrounds that are going to influence their understanding. Therefore, I need to take this into consideration when allowing my students to venture and work individually with the technology. Overall, I think that Designs for Technology has prepared me for entering the teaching work force. I value all of the things that we have learned and created throughout this semester and will without a doubt, infiltrate many of them into the classroom. Also, I am certainly going to use the technology standards in my teaching in order to provide my students with the best education that is possible!

After posting my Blog this morning on parental involvement and the article written by James P. Comer, I actually observed parental involvement in my placement school today!  As I was explaining earlier, it is very important for parents to become more involved in their child’s schooling.  Parents need to realize that children take away experiences from all types of adults, not only just their teachers.  Parental involvement can come in many forms, such as becoming involved in school governance (PTA), volunteering in the classroom, or even just chaperoning a field trip.  Today, I was observing a fifth grade mathematics class at my placement school.  I was surprised to see a parent of one of the students taking part in the class by working alongside of the teacher.  The class was doing a hands-on lesson involving jelly beans and probability.  The cooperating teacher began the lesson by giving a quick definition review of probability.  The class had clearly already learned about probability and this lesson was a follow-up on the topic.  Next, she handed out a worksheet and bags of jellybeans to each student.  The students worked individually with the worksheet and the jellybeans, figuring out the probability of drawing each color of jellybean out of a bag.  The teacher walked around the class and also discussed with the parent the lesson they were working on.  When the students had questions, the parent would try to answer the questions or request the help of the teacher if necessary.  With the parent being involved in the classroom, she was able to really understand what her child’s class was working on, as well as show her child that she wants to be involved in his/her learning.  I really liked observing this because it correlated perfectly with the article on parental involvement from the George Lucas Educational Foundation website. 

The George Lucas Educational Foundation has a very useful website that is related to education.  There are several very important articles written on priority topics, such as: assessment, community partnership, the digital divide, emotional intelligence, mentoring, parental involvement, professional development, project based learning, school-to-career, teacher preparation, and technology integration.  After reviewing the website and reading a few of the articles, I found the article on parental involvement very interesting.  The URL is as follows: http://www.edutopia.org/home-school-team.

“The Home-School Team: An Emphasis on Parental Involvement” is written by James P. Comer and it emphasizes the importance of parental involvement.  The article explained that children learn best when they are influenced by all the adults in their lives.  When talking about all the adults in a child’s life, it is important to realize that this does not just encompass their teachers.  It also includes their parents, grandparents, and even their older siblings.  It states that “Schools alone cannot address all of a child’s developmental needs: The meaningful involvement of parents and support from the community are essential.”  Therefore, when we are considering how a child is developing, it is important to consider the experiences that they are going to encounter outside of the school and the teacher, as well as how this in going to influence their development. 

I really enjoyed this article because it stressed the significant difference between societies today and societies of the past.  The author explained that although it may seem like common sense to have a strong partnership between schools and families, the idea is not always as easy.  In the early societies, this idea was common sense.  Communities were smaller and teachers, students, and parents lived in very close proximity to each other.  Therefore, because of this, teachers saw parents on a regular basis and there were many opportunities that presented themselves to discuss a particular child’s development.  However, today, it is a whole different world.  Society has become much more complex and fast-paced.  Teachers and parents live on opposite sides of town and the only time they see each other (if they do see each other at all, I might add) is on teacher-parent conference day.  No one has the time or the energy to establish the relationships that were established in the past to benefit the children.  As the author explained, because of these relationships and the lack of trust and understanding, when a child falls behind, “the teacher blames the parents and the parents blame the teachers.

The main problem is where do we start to try to change this growing problem?  There are many ways that parents can become more involved in school.  Parents can take on a variety of roles to allow themselves to participate in their child’s schooling.  For example, parents can become involved in PTA, governance of the school, attend school and/or curriculum meetings, or just simply observe/participate in their child’s classroom.  One of the easiest tasks for parents that will allow them to become more involved is to chaperone a field trip.  Because of the hectic lifestyles that we live with in this world today, it seems barely feasible.  However, there are a few signs of improvement, such as employers giving parent’s time off to participate in schools.  Employers are starting to become concerned with the future workforce.  Eventually, we all hope that communication can be tied between teachers and parents.  It is important to remember that by increasing our communication, we are allowing the biggest winners to be the children – and to me that is what is most important!

Once again, I had not heard of a webquest before I looked at the required reading and blogs for the past two weeks.  After reading about them and researching some of the available webquests on the internet, I truly believe that teachers need to begin implementing them into the classrooms.  I learned that a webquest is an online tool that allows teachers to post lesson plans on the internet.  It is an “inquiry-based” tool that allows students to develop their technological skills while learning new knowledge.  The World Wide Web has thousands of webquests online, ranging from covering a simple lesson to an entire subject unit.

The webquest that I found very interesting was entitled “The Wonders of Weather,” http://questgarden.com/46/57/5/070211174029/index.htm.  This webquest was interesting for me because I have recently been working with my cooperating teacher on her classes upcoming units.  Right now my class is working on animals and the concept of hibernation versus migration with the seasons.  In the upcoming weeks, my cooperating teacher is going to be incorporating the seasons and the weather together.  Therefore, this webquest would be perfect to infiltrate into my classroom.  The only immediate problem that I could see was that it might be slightly advanced for third graders.  In general, most webquests are set up with steps: introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credits, and a teacher page.  This site also includes these seven steps.  The first couple steps explain to the students that storm chasing is becoming more popular throughout the country and world.  In this project, the students are to separate themselves into groups of two – one of them is to become the official storm tracker, while the other is to become the official storm chaser.  There is a list of the characteristics of each person, as well as five challenges for them to complete as a group.  The only resources that are needed for this webquest and the five challenges are computers for each group to use and calculators (for one of the challenges).  Webquests constantly infiltrate the use of technology, so it would definitely be necessary for each of the groups to have access to the computer lab or even a classroom set of laptops.  In my opinion, these challenges will not take up an entire unit, but they will definitely take up a couple days of classroom science time.  The teacher will need to prepare the class and allow for adequate research time on the internet.  Also, I think that the best part about this webquest is the summary at the end.  The lesson requires that students write a one page narrative about the task they completed and the lesson they learned.  The students are required to type it, save it, print it, and paste it into their notebook, of which all of these tasks will require some advanced computer knowledge.  The final part about this webquest that is remarkable is that is provides teachers with a pre-made rubric to evaluate their students.  Not only is the rubric excellent for teacher use, but having it available online allows the students to view what activities and requirements they will be graded on.

Overall, I think that webquests are going to be an extraordinary part of learning in the near future.  They are already being infiltrated into the classrooms, but I think that as technology continues to enhance learning, online tools for learning such as webquests, wikis, blogs, etc. will be utilized more and more.  It is important to remember that webquests are not perfect for every subject.  They should not be used when addressing factual knowledge (such as memorizing your multiplication times table).  However, they are perfect for addressing open ended questions that will spark the students’ creativity and personalities.  One of the best parts about webquests is the fact that they allow students to take over the reigns of their own learning.  Even though letting the students take control of their learning is one of the best aspects of a webquest, it is necessary for the teacher to be constantly in the background, as problems could arise.  In my opinion, the teachers need to learn to be “mediators” and be available to step in if problems do arise.  Webquests will require the students to collaborate together and cooperate with other students in the classroom.  The main goal of a webquest is to work on the ideas of inquiry and constructivism.  I believe that “The Wonders of Weather” webquest and many of the others that I found do just that.

Today, I spent some time on the World Wide Web researching websites. Using search engines such as Google and Yahoo, I found millions of websites that could come in handy to elementary school teachers. However, on the flip side of that, I found many websites that were not as useful. In my opinion, I learned a valuable lesson: not all things found on the internet are as accessible and handy as they seem. There were even some websites that seemed perfect and lured me along until the very end, where they requested some form of payment to further access the site.

I began on the “Ohio Treasure Chest of Technology Resources” page, (http://www.ohiotreasurechest.org/index.html), which was a link provided to me by my teachers.  This link provided access to an excellent site for elementary school teachers. The site is created and maintained by a group of city schools in Ohio, so therefore it is very up to date and accurate. The site is free, easily accessible, and it is very organized. It allows teachers to select the exact grade level and subject that they are teaching and then provides links to different web resources, lesson plans, connections, comments, and assessments. In my opinion, one of the best parts about this website is that the topics are aligned directly to the Ohio Standards for each subject. Therefore, teachers can follow along with the Standards for the state and find valuable resources for each one. The only thing that I did not like about the website was that it seemed a little boring. Although too much color and activity on a website is a bit distracting, this site could use a bit more, in my opinion. However, overall, this website is very exceptional because of its great information, amazing organization, and spectacular accessibility.

After finding the first site so useful, I began to look for others that might come in handy when I begin teaching. This second site, entitled PBS Teachers (http://www.pbs.org/teachers/), provides teachers with free resources for teaching and learning. Their goal is to provide “you, your students, and their families with resources that will transform teaching and learning.” By providing a website with all of these resources, the site directors hope to further enhance the role that teacher’s play in children’s lives. Some of the benefits of the site is that it provides thousands of lesson plans, teaching activities, on-demand videos, and interactive games and simulations. Like the other site, it allows the teacher to select a subject and grade level and the subjects are based on the National Standards as well. An interesting aspect of this site that I did not find on many other sites was that it provides resources for teacher development. As I have been learning the past few weeks, a teacher’s education is never finished. In this ever-changing world, a teacher has to further his/her education constantly. PBS Teachers provides resources and links to sites for professional development that include over one hundred and thirty graduate level courses. Overall, I think this is an excellent site, as it is interactive, accessible, organized, and very appealing.

Last night a group of us decided that it would be fun to go bowling – sort of change up the pace of things.  With ten of us, we reserved two lanes next to each other and began to play.  I warned my friends that I was probably terrible at bowling, as I had not been since I was much younger.  It turned out to be a great time and all parties involved enjoyed themselves.  I actually surprised myself and was not half bad!  

Throughout the many games we played, I could not help noticing the adorable boy bowling with his parents next to us.  He looked very young and could barely wrap his arms around the bowling ball, and yet, he was still having the time of his life.  When he threw the ball down the lane, it barely rolled, and took a few minutes to reach the pins (if it reached the pins at all).  I noticed that when his ball reached the pins, he was ecstatic.  The emotions that he showed by playing just a simple game of bowling touched my heart.  This experience only strengthened my desire to begin working in the classrooms with young children.  After watching the child bowl for a few minutes, I introduced myself to him and told him that I thought he was an excellent bowler.  I talked to his parents a bit and explained that I am majoring in Education at the College of William and Mary.  I know that this seems a bit creepy, but somehow we got into the subject of my field placement and the grade levels that I wanted to teach.  As it turns out, I just received my field placement last week and I am teaching grade three at a medium-sized suburban elementary school.  Crazily enough, this young boy was in Kindergarten at the same elementary school that I was placed into.  It’s a small world, huh?  Just meeting a child that I might teach in the future was astounding.  After receiving my field placement and meeting this child who I might run across at my elementary school, I have finally realized that my life as an educator is beginning.

After starting my first web blog EVER, I am now beginning to write my second post.  In our first class for Designs for Technology Enhanced Learning, we reviewed the syllabus and talked about the different ways that technology affects our lives every day.  I now understand that there are different extremes, good and bad, in technology and a lot of things in between.  For example, in class we discussed the YouTube video involving the snow day and the message that a wife left on an answering machine.  This woman was utterly embarrassed on national television because of the technological ability of one student.  The first day of class taught me that as a teacher I must be constantly aware of the growing technological divide between adults and students.  Although I completely understand how important technology is in children’s lives and the need for teachers to teach technology, as a teacher, I can never be too careful.

Therefore, over the past week I did some research on my own.  I checked out some of the available blogs and podcasts on our class website.  I found it truly amazing that teachers across the country have the ability to communicate online, through blogs and podcasts, what they are teaching everyday in the classroom.  One blog that I found particularly interesting was “Room 613 Talk.”  In this sixth grade Social Studies class, Mr. Hetherington (their teacher) invited his students to work on podcasts online as well as post their latest writings in blog form on their class’s blog.  The podcasts range from discussing the jazz band at their school to their very own holiday edition.  The one thing that I could not figure out about the podcasts was that when I listened to the students talking, their words seemed as if they had been “fast forwarded.”  The students were talking so fast that I barely could understand what they were saying.  However, it was still fascinating that sixth graders had managed to use this technology with little help from their teacher.  The blogs were also very remarkable.  The blogs range from discussing the latest websites for students to check out, poetry, facts on the Ghost Rider insect, prices on the “greatest cars in the world”, and Google trends.  I enjoyed reading the student’s posts because it really let me into the mind of a sixth grader.  Also, the blog website provides the students with an easily accessible place to write down their thoughts. 

The second site that I found to be kind of intriguing was the WJJL radio.  This radio website is a monthly radio show where sixth grade students host podcasts for everyone to hear.  The students came up with a fascinating theme for their show, entitled “Where education meets utilization.”  I found this tagline for the show to be perfect.  Students are using their knowledge of technology to incorporate the subject area that they are learning.  The podcasts have a wide range of subject areas, including recycling, “Reader’s Theater” where students could learn about the books they are reading, ancient Egypt, and even space.

Overall, listening to the podcasts and reading the blogs was very enjoyable.  I am interested to learn throughout the semester new and exciting ways to incorporate technology into the classroom.  I get the feeling that podcasts and blogs is just the beginning.

Room 613 Talk: http://room613talk05.edublogs.org/

WJJL Radio: http://www.cbsd.org/millcreek/jaffe/podcast/index.html

Technology plays a huge role in our world today.  Growing up, I began learning about computers and the importance of technology when I was in elementary school.  In seventh grade, my class was required to memorize the keyboard and type a certain number of words per minute.  I did not take the memorization of the keyboard that seriously until I found out that all of the letters were invisible, through the use of white-out.  It definitely took some time to memorize the keyboard, but this task has definitely come in handy throughout my educational years.  In high school, I continued my knowledge of technology, learning how to use programs such as Word, Office, Outlook Express, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.  These computer programs not only came handy in the classroom, but also outside of the classroom as well.  Upon entering The College of William and Mary, I thought that my computer knowledge had reached its peak.  I wouldn’t call myself a “computer geek,” but I understood the essentials and the framework of a computer.  Last spring, I enrolled in Computer Science, an introductory computer course.  Walking into the class, I thought it was going to be a breeze and took the class very lightly.  To my dismay, I definitely did not know everything there is to know.  Computer Science involved learning about the complex structure of a computer and how computers actually work, involving algorithms, program translation, file systems, and the structure of databases.

Therefore, if I had to describe myself based upon technology, I would say that I am technologically-inclined.  In my opinion, I have seen both ends of the spectrum.  For example, take a look at my father.  He grew up in a world where technology was not that important or anywhere close to where it is today.  A few years ago, he barely knew how to turn a computer on, let alone work with databases and spreadsheets.  However, his vending machine business is now working its way to becoming completely online.  Just a few months ago, I received my first email from my dad…it was weird.  On the other hand, over Christmas break I was talking with my uncles and aunts, all of whom have young children.  The private elementary schools in my area (and probably across the country) are beginning to infiltrate computers into the elementary children’s everyday lives.  For example, my young cousins have access to their very own laptop at school – one that they use everyday in their classes.  If this is how technologically advanced the schools are today, I can not even begin to imagine what it will be like when my own children attend school!

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