Reflective Paper

During the course of this class, I have learned that educational technology has changed leaps and bounds since I graduated from college ten years ago. The internet was just getting introduced at that time, and I remember the excitement of searching on the web for information related to my lesson plans. In my teaching experience, I have had computers in some of my classrooms and have had no computers in others. In the ones where computers were available, they were mainly used for educational math and reading games as reinforcement for the children. There were computer labs at two of the schools where I have taught, but again, they were mainly used for computer games. As computer technology grows more advanced every day, it is imperative that today's students are taught how to use that technology. It is also imperative that today's teachers are taught how to use it, as well.
Right now, I do not have a computer in my classroom. However, I teach first grade. It would be nice to have one, but I do not believe it is essential for that age like it would be for older students. When today's high schoolers graduate, they are going to be expected to use technology in any field in which they choose to build a career. Therefore, it is important for teachers in older grades to both model and teach some of the uses.
Admittedly, it is going to be a challenge for me to put many of the skills I have learned into practice. I teach at a classical school where the emphasis in the lower elementary grades is on acquiring facts and knowledge. Our classroom time is critical, and every minute must be used towards this goal. There is no "extra" time (like I have had in other teaching situations) for the students to explore on the computer. Not having a computer at school could hinder my implementation of many of the things I've learned. However, I do hope to use some of my new skills in other ways. For example, I now know how to average my grades with the simple click of a button on Excel. I also know how to do Power Point, which could be a way for me to serve at church or create interesting presentations for parents, faculty, or students. I have learned how to create progress report using Word and Excel that will save tons of preparation time. In addition to these skills, I have been introduced to webquests, united streaming, and various other education websites that I may have otherwise never come across.
One of the greatest things I will take away from this course is that I no longer have to be "afraid" of technology. Computers do not interest me; I will be honest. As a result, I find it hard to get motivated to learn new skills on the computer when I can continue to do things the "old fashioned way" and get by just fine. But through being forced to learn and explore this technology, I have learned that anyone can do it.
I would say that this course has improved my skills as a thinker. I say this because it does take a certain level of understanding to navigate your way through the files and folders in a computer. Creating formulas in Excel has obviously improved my thinking skills, as well. This course has taught me how to use the tools that are available (on various programs that we have used) to figure out a program's use. The area I still need the most improvement on would probably be in the area of working with movies, sounds, video clips, etc.
I do find this course an extremely beneficial one for teachers. I wish this had been something I took before I graduated and entered the teaching field. However, the technology was not there back then! Or if it was, its use certainly was not as widespread. Students in the Teacher Education Program are fortunate to get this kind of training. They say it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, and that can be true. But this "old dog" has definitely learned a thing or two.

Week of October 30

(This post is out of order because I realized I had somehow skipped this week.)
This week I was introduced to podcasting. I have heard of it, and my husband downloads some, but I have had no personal experience with it whatsoever. I found the use of Audacity to be a big difficult. The recording was easy, of course, and the editing wasn't terribly difficult. One frustrating point was listening over and over to my recording in order to pinpoint exactly where the parts were that needed deleting. What I found most challenging was adding in the music. My husband was there to help, and we had a time getting it to begin playing at the right point, getting the volume correctly adjusted, etc. Once we (okay, he mainly) figured it out, however, it was fine. I was pleased with the final result. My presentation was on the three kinds of rocks, and I got a chance to use one of my favorite songs, the theme from "Rocky." I am not sure how effective podcasting is for first graders. They need a lot of stimulating to hold their interest, and I think simply listening would bore them. They would enjoy the music for the first little while, but then they would go into their own world of thinking about something completely different. With first graders, I have found you must incorporate all the learning styles as much as possible - visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
I do think podcasting is useful for upper grades, especially if a student has been absent and missed a lecture. Also, if a student needs remediation it would be useful.

Week of November 20

In looking at the website, www.amphi.com/~psteffen/excel.html, I was amazed at all the possibilities! In addition to tutorials for Excel users, there are lesson plan ideas to teach students how to use Excel. Some of the plans are for students as young as kindergarten and first grade! Through my Excel exercises I completed, I learned quite a bit about the many uses of this program. I think the thing that amazed me the most was how easy it is to make a graph! That is a skill that comes in handy not only at school, but in any organization or activity with which you are involved. Simply clicking a button gives you a beautiful, professional-looking chart. The use of formulas challenged my math skills but also proved to be a very useful tool. I do plan to use Excel in the future, both inside and outside of the educational realm. I found it to be very practical and easy, once you get the hang of it of course.

Week of November 13

This week we began learning to use spreadsheets. Although my lesson plans are done on a spreadsheet, I use a template that was given to me by another teacher. In fact, all of my spreadsheet use up to this point has been filling in templates done by others. I had no idea of the many functions of Excel. Being able to average grades with the click of a button is an incredible tool for teachers! I have been dedicated to my grade book for all of my teaching years because it is comfortable and easy. I still have mixed feelings about whether to do my grades on computer or the "old fashioned way," simply because I only teach one class of 11 students. By the time I enter the grades into the computer, I feel like I could just as easily average them with a calculator. I found this to be true when I was teaching full-time in the public school system, as well. For awhile, I did do my grades on the computer, but I found my eyes crossing trying to keep up with what row and column I was on, and it was time-consuming entering all the grades. This was over 5 years ago, however, and our grades were not turned in via the computer. I am just thankful that I know HOW to use Excel to average grades, should I decide to do so in the future.

Week of November 6

The new skill I acquired this week was learning to use MovieMaker. I was surprised at how easy it is to use. The most difficult part was adding the narration to correspond with the pictures. That is probably due to the fact that I had to use Audacity and still wasn't completely confident with it. However, I was proud of the finished product! We do a unit on land in the curriculum I use and discuss the three kinds of rocks, so the podcast and movie I created are things that I could actually use in my classroom (assuming one day I have a computer there!). In addition, MovieMaker could be used to create slide shows of class projects, field trips, etc. I think the program is user-friendly enough that younger elementary students could use it to make a movie of their own.

Week of October 23

This week I have been working on my web page assignment. I enjoyed creating it! I think learning to create a personal webpage is an excellent skill for a teacher to acquire. What a wonderful way to introduce yourself to your parents and students! On my page, I was able to include my personal philosophy of education as well as the required information and links. I love being able to sit down and really think about what I do and why I do it. I have always believed that God called me to be a teacher, and writing out my convictions affirms that. The Lord has given me a unique opportunity to exercise my skills as a teacher while staying faithful to my calling as a mother. Both are such blessings to me.

Having a personal web page gives me the opportunity to express myself as well as provide an effective communication tool with parents and other teachers. I am glad to have learned how to do it! As with most of the other assignments, it wasn't nearly as intimidating as I was expecting.

Week of October 16

I am proud to say I completed my very first Power Point presentation. Body Systems is one of the last units of the year that we cover in first grade science. It is one of my favorite ones. The students bring life-sized cut-outs of themselves to school. As we discuss the different body systems and organs associated with each one, they color, cut out, and glue the various organs to their bodies. By the end of the unit, the students can see their brain, heart, lungs, stomach, bones, etc. on their own bodies! Right now, I do not have a computer in my room at school. Therefore, I cannot yet use the project I created. But I anticipate that the day will come when I do have a computer, and I will enjoy showing the students my presentation on Body Systems.

In addition, I now know HOW to create a power point presentation (which is more than I can say before taking this class). When I have computer access in my classroom, I will be able to use power point to share information with my students in a colorful, creative way.