My Life

Interactive Speadsheet Exercise

This was my first experience with Excel. The exercise was very intimidating in the beginning, and I did not think I was going to be able to complete it. However, with extra instruction...wah lah!
It is a fun tool, now that I know how to use it. The formula bar is pretty nifty! I think the use of Excel spreadsheets would be very beneficial in any classroom!

Inspiration project

We used Inspiration to create diagrams on certain subjects. We picked our own individual subjects and sub-subjects, then created a diagram that included clip art, relevant information, and which NETS S and TN Curriculum Standards our subject fulfilled.
It was fun to create. It seems the diagrams would be more stimulating to create a lesson from, rather than a simple outline.

My Personal Learning Network

Picasa in the classroom

I would use Picasa to upload photos, and along with Google docs to create a slideshow of photos that reemphasize the lesson I am teaching. I might use it to illustrate a "how-to" lesson, or to allow my students to experience another part of the world via the slides within the presentation! I could also use Picasa/Google docs to put together a slideshow presenting my students' work throughout the year.
I'm sure I could go on and on, and never stop finding new ways to incorporate slideshows into my classroom!

Opposites Presentation

Picasa and Digital Images

Picasa is new to me! It is a photo editing tool in Google. It was easy to learn how to navigate through, and to learn how to create a slideshow. That says a lot, considering how hard these kinds of things are for me to grasp! LOL. I think I will definitely use Picasa for my own personal use, outside of the classroom, but I am relieved to now have experience with a tool that will help me to easily create a slideshow presentation for my students.

Digital Image Collection

Lesson plans

We began our section and practice with lesson plans last Wednesday. We actually began working on our own on Monday. We are able to use the TN Curriculum Standards and the NETS Standards as a guide for planning our lessons objectives, and to decide what part of those standards we are instructing our students in. I have enjoyed the opportunity to view actual lesson plans and to receive instruction in creating my own.
We are to finish our lesson plan today...

iGoogle

I can't believe I never knew things like iGoogle existed. Today we created and personalized our own iGoogle page. It's a very convenient way to put all your interests in one place. Instead of having to visit a news site, a weather site, your e mail account, etc. all on seperate pages you can simply go to your iGoogle page and all the info is there in one place...Yay!

Podcasts

I am currently studying for our Ch. 5 quiz in the morning. Podcasts are the course lectures prerecorded and made available via the web. I have listened to/watched this course's podcasts for this chapter, but am now going back to view them again. This course is the first time I've experienced podcasts, and I love them! It enables the student (me) to not only have the textbook, and classroom time, but also to have the instructor's lecture available time and time again. I think it's a great tool, especially when it comes to study time, and making the most of that time! I hope I can eventually incorporate podcasts into my future classroom, depending, of course, on the grade I teach.

Wiki's

WOW...who knew? Not me. We have been learning how to create wiki's. I am responsible for finding and recommending within our wiki five Science websites for students to use with their homework, assignments, and or projects. I had an "ah-ha" experience in class today, and finally feel confident enough to work on the wiki on my own. I think this will be a fantastic resource to have when I'm in my own classroom working with my students.

Welcome to my blog!

This blog is a record of my journey through my Education 486 technology course at The University of Tennessee.
Until now, I've been a casual internet user, I Facebook, check e mail, and research for course papers, period.
I'm very excited about this course, and am eager to learn how to integrate technology in my future classroom!