Multimedia Project

I almost forgot to blog my second response. I am sort of stuggling getting my presentation put together being that I have to make pictures out of Inspiration webs. I am however having fun playing around with the software (audacity, photostory 3, and windows movie maker). It is amazing what you can do with free software. I am going to start making photostories of my sons pictures so the grandparents can see them, I am also going to use my Wiki for my classes.

class 3/30

I continue to be surprised by the ease of which some of the programs that we are exploring are used. The wiki page and the blog page that we are creating all are set up in a way that makes it easy and kind of fun and challenging to navigate and create. Before we had done these assignments I was a little apprehensive about the difficulty some of these programs would pose to the user. Blog pages and wiki pages are a great way to keep students and parents informed on the things taking place in the classroom. I could see using a blog as an extra credit device where you might have a question of the day and an optional response to those that choose to comment on the question. It also gives parent and students a nice way of finding out some information on the teacher and some activities and links that may be to educatiional sites that would coincide with the lessons that are being taught in class.
-Dave Martin

March 30th class

I thought the information presented on Access was very interesting. It was neat to see what you can do with access. I don't know how viable it would be in a classroom setting because we have apple computers and not PC. I was also glad we learned how to download different things to our wiki's. That was a lot of fun!

Class 3/29

I really enjoyed the podcasting assignment. I was surprised at the ease of the podcasting procedure. The tools were all very user friendly. The only problem that we had was that we downloaded a piece of music that was not mp3. We figured that out eventually. I can definitely see some uses in the classroom for podcasts. Group projects are a definite possibility. You could have the members of the group presenting different parts. That way you would really get a good idea as to who was pulling their weight. Another idea would be to have the students go to the sight to check on homework and other classroom activities. Parents could also get access to what is going on in the classroom through podcasting.

Sunday March 30 class session

Today in class was a presentation on microsoft access. This presentation show what access can do. I feel that Access and Excel will be very powerful tools for us to use as administrators. Both of these programs will display the information that we need to have successful schools. These tools will also help us compare test scores for our students. Although the presentation was short, it showed the power these tools have. Even though we just scratched the surface of access, I can see the benefits of using this software.

Sunday 3-30-08

Today we learned about Microsoft Access and helpful (unbeknownst to me) websites that I can use not only in my daily life, but in my classroom (Stumbleupon.com and iDesktop.tv). I am excited to play around with the Blog and Wiki assignments. I probably should have taken this class at the beginning of my degree instead of at the end.

Saturday 3-29-08

I really liked the presentation on Open Source. What a great resource for districts like mine. I have always been a "Namebrand" type of guy, you know Nike, Microsoft, Kellogs, Etc. , but sometimes the best things in life are free. I have already told a few teachers about the products and websites we learned about Saturday and they were just as shocked as I was.

Sunday weekend 2

Access could be a valuable tool to know how to use. I don't know how much I would use it in the classroom, but I could see the value in using it as an administrator for things like ISAT/PSAT test data.

I would like to start using wiki pages in the classroom. I think they would be valueable resources for parents and students.

I have been amazed by all of the free technology available for use. Why don't more people know about these free sites/technologies?

Podcast

I thought the podcast was going to be more difficult than it was. As with most technology, the anxiety with using it is caused by being unfamiliar with the technolgy. Podcasts will soon be used in classrooms everywhere. What a valuable tool this could be.

iDesktop.tv

I was really impressed with iDesktop.tv.  My high school students really relate to youtube videos.  The download feature is great.  I use video clips during a lot of my lessons (mainly tutorials/demonstrations), they give students alternate perspectives and I feel like the students are a little more engaged.  We usually have trouble streaming the videos and we lose a lot of valuable educational time waiting for videos to load.  It will be great to download them prior to a lesson.

Sunday March 30th

Today's class brought some interesting information. I think the web sites we explored each have some relevance to our current and future positions, but honestly I feel kind of overwhelmed when they are added to the blogs and wikis we discussed this weekend.

I believe Access can be a valuable tool, but the task of putting all the data in seems very daunting.

As for the wiki creation, I'm anxious to attempt to use this in some sort of group project similar to the podcast activity we took on during this class.

Websites and Wikis

The website investigation was extremely helpful today. It is a wonderful tool to have a website like "furl" at our disposal. There have been far too many times I've used a wonderful website for a class project one year and then the next it is gone. This is definitely a website that I will take use! To often I rely on websites I already know and don't take the time to find new ones that could be even better than what I already have. Today's activity helped me find new ways to find those sites. I am also looking forward to making the wiki. This could be an invaluable tool in my classroom. Last, but not least, seeing how Access is used was a great experience. It could potentially be a valuable tool as an administrator. See you in two weeks!

Websites

The amount of resources available online is constantly increasing. It seems that many of these resources are valuable for teachers and administrators, but many probably should not be used by students. I think the furl website is an excellent tool for students. Many times students forget to write down all needed information and furl makes it easy to save the pages and view the information again. This elements the problem of students writing down the wrong web address.

Software and Web Sites

The Access presentation was something I can see using to help analyze data as a principal, but many of the data systems we use already have tools to filter or sort the data. I really enjoyed hearing the podcasts everyone did because it is something I see kids really getting into. Also, the web sites that we evaluated are great places to have access to as teachers. I can tell you that the pages all have something on them that I would like to explore more about. I really like the idea of using www.joost.com. There seems to be some fun stuff that I might be able to bring into a class lecture/presentation as well as clips for students to use in some of their multi-media projects that I have them do for class. Along with Excel review last week, I feel like I am getting a good brush up on some of the software I am familiar with along with some new ideas to try out such as the blogging and wiki pages.

Second Sunday Post

I really liked learning about all of the different resources out there! There were so many sites that I didn't even know existed! The access presentation was very informative, but I don't think I will ever use it as an administrator. I do see how it can be a great tool for studying certain topics. Good day!!

ACCESS

ACCESS is a powerful tool for being able to identify students that are struggling with school. I am going to attempt to get a copy to track the students in the department.

Sunday

I have learned a lot about programs that I would like to use in the classroom. I definitely want to incorporate the podcasts for the students to use as an alternative method for learning. The Audacity program that we downloaded will come in handy since I do not have Garage Band. However, every computer in the building has Garage Band, so now I have some familiarity with that program.

I am sure getting more acquainted with my computer throughout the period of this class. I am glad to finally see some use from the programs and files that I have had on the computer that just sit there.

I look forward to the last weekend.

MARCH 31, 2008

I learned about a program that I haven't explored at all before.  Danielle did a wonderful job sharing her experience and expertise with us using ACCESS.  I really learned something new, but thought it was a little bit much to add to a already full plate of things that we are working on.  Her time was very valuable to me and I will definitely explore this sometime in the future when I have money to buy my own computer and not use a school district IMAC.

2nd Sunday Class

I have to admit that I am extremely relieved that the Access assignment is "optional." It is nice to have that information available if we need it. I did like the Access presentation and how to filter the information. I am interested in doing the Wiki page and the blog page I think will be beneficial. My friends have been trying to get me to set one up anyway. I don't know if I will have the drive to keep it updated though!

PODCASTS

I really had a great time working with my group on our WIKI page and putting our podcast together.  I really learned a lot exploring and using Garage Band.  I have always had Garage Band on my computer for years, but to be honest with you I have never used it before except to play around and create/edit music. I will definitely use it more now that I know.

Sunday 30

The access presentation was fantastic. I really am excited about the possibilities of using this with my students. At the same time I am overwhelmed with what it would take just to get the charts ready to go for the students to use. I am also getting very concerned about the time it will take to complete all of these assignments that we have for this class. I am glad that we have until April 21st to get these turned into you. Will we have any class time to work on our group multi media presentations on the last weekend?

Less Frustrated

I think I'm less frustrated.  Wait until I try my homework though.  I really enjoyed working with the access information and how (once its set up) easy it is to manipulate the information.  I'm going to have to save those folders into another document so I can use it after this class is over.  I think that wont be hard to do.  I'll have to practice that this week.  It's amazing how many different sites are out there to manipulate and use.

EDL 518 Sunday March 30

The Access stuff was really neat, and learning about the new web pages was cool.

3/29/08-Saturday Class

The information from Sara on Open Source software was very helpful. I fell this will be something that I use now and in the future. The information she shared on the podcasting was very helpful as we recorded out own. I will use the information she shared on free play music and audacity. These resources will be useful in the classroom. The Generations powerpoint gave everyone an overview of generations. This will be useful information as we work with teachers of all generations as well as parent and guardians. It is always helpful to see others' perspectives.

Like everyone else, the podcast

The podcast section of the day was very exciting. I really started to get a lot of ideas on how this technology could be exploited by educators in the classroom and adminstrators to increase the ecducation of the students and the relationship with the parents.
I also find the making of the podcast to be rather simple, gargeband and even aduacity seemed like very user friendly and functional programs. I can't wait to use these programs in my school.

2nd Saturday Class

I thought yesterday's class went by very fast. It is amazing how fast the time goes when you're playing around with the technology. I enjoyed making the podcast and think that I am going to try and do one for my first graders with their insect reports. We shall see!

Podcast

Wow! How easy! I figured that you would need some kind of expensive program to create a podcast. So how suprised was I to learn more about Open Source Software and Audacity/Garageband. My group and I figured it out, felt successful, and laughed our way through the process. I'm looking forward to finding ways to incorporate podcasting into my current position.

March 29 podcast

I was nervous about making the podcast today, but it was easy and fun. Having the script prepared ahead of time really made the process go smoothly. Also, my group was great. I like the idea of using podcasts for advanced students. I often feel like I could do a better job challenging my gifted students. The other thing I left class with was a plan to introduce open-source software to students in our district. I think it would be a great service project for my NHS group to create open source-CD's for families who need them.

What A Day!

Today was a great learning opportunity for me. I was exposed to podcasts and free programs! The podcast was interesting and I can see how I could use it in my classroom. I like the idea of making a podcast for my class on a day that I may be gone. I don't know that would use it like we used in class today, but more as a resource for my students. I wasn't at all aware of the open source programs, so that was enlightening and worth checking into at my school. I am still a bit unclear on the excel assignments and would like more direction on those, but I imagine I can figure them out on my own. One negative comment that I would have is that I feel like I should already know how to do a lot of this stuff prior to being in this class and that I am just expected to do assignments with certain programs without any instruction. It's been a bit frustrating, but still a good experience.

Podcast and Open Source

Today was very interesting and fun. I had taken a class on podcasting but had difficulty using garageband to actually do a podcast. Today helped me figure it all out! I also didn't realize that there were so many different things that open source had. I have always wanted photoshop so I am going to look into GIMP for my home computer. I do wish we had more time to perfect our podcasts and add more stuff to them. WIllow Web is a site I have been to before and have really thought about setting up the same sort of thing in my own school. I didn't realize how inexpensive the head sets are! I am going to talk to my principal about this next week!

Everything new continued....

Today's class once again thrust me into the land of the unknown. I think that all of the topics of discussion today were extremely useful. The podcasts were something that I thought were so far beyond my understanding. I realizes today not only how useful they can be to me in the classroom, but what a fantastic project this would be for my students. I am looking forward to trying Audacity, because I am not a Mac user. Hopefully, it will be as easy to accomplish. After creating my blog for this class, I am toying with the idea of having introducing my students and their parents to my blog. I think it could be very useful and informative. My next task will be to talk to our tech guy. Last, but not least, I'm starting to understand open source material. I'm still a little leery of some of the potential negative consequences, but I think it's a fantastic way to try out potential programs without spending a fortune. All in all, it was another learning day for me!

Podcasts

I am really glad I had this opportunity to have an experience creating a podcast. Prior to being in this class, podcasts were something that I really no idea about. Honestly, I simply knew it as some term that had something to do with the internet. As I was working with my group today to create our podcast my mind was racing with ideas on how one could utilize such technology in the classroom. I love being a facilitator and having student lead group projects. I think podcasts will be a great way to utilize this approach.

Open Source Software

The information on open source software was great.  I didn't know about any of those programs.  I teach a class that relies on Adobe Photoshop.  My students always ask me how they can get it for their home computers.  Until today, I would send them to the joureyed website for the reduced student rate.  I will be informing them of GIMP on Monday.

Podcasting and Open Source

Open source software is a great way to get needed software for students and parents that do not want to or can not buy Microsoft Products. It was nice to see that there is software available for both PC and Mac users. The podcasting also has many possibilities for use in all classes. I think that if more teachers knew how simple they are to make they would be utilized by all grade levels.

Podcast possibilities

I enjoyed our work today with Audacity and Garageband. I can see multiple uses for this software for teachers and administrators. One of the possibilities I am eager to try is recording notes to leave for a substitute teacher. I think it would be great to create some extra information and leave it on the computer desktop for the person covering class while I'm away. I think it can also be useful if used like PowerPoint with students. I can see them getting more excited about creating a podcast than a slide show.

I also think the information about generations which was presented to us is useful. These are things we certainly must keep in mind.

Open Source and Podcast

I found the open source information very helpful as I did not realize there were that many programs available. I was also glad we got to do the podcast in class with some instruction. I don't mind playing around with programs to figure them out but getting the basics is a big benefit. It is amazing how easy the software is to use and I look forward to using it again and hopefully trying to use it in my classroom.

Class Session 3 - March 29

I think the presentation on the open source programs was really informational. This software provides a good alternative to the microsoft products. I don't know if these products will ever take the place of microsoft software, but they sound like a good alternative. I think one of the major drawbacks to it is that the cost is free. Don't get me wrong, free things are good, but I think many people think that the programs contain viruses, spyware and other harmful elements. If the price of the programs perhaps it would cause the microsoft programs price to drop a little. I also think people would think they are inferior until they tried them. I have not used these products, but I do feel that they offer a good alternative for students (or anyone for that matter) who do not have microsoft products at home.

3/29 Class - Podcasting

I enjoyed our speaker Sara and appreciated the information she shared with us. Non-techy me was not aware of Open Source...what a valuable lesson to learn. It is an ideal way for districts without big tech budgets to enable all to keep current.
Podcasting, the major topic of the day, was enlightening. I had not seen this done before and obviously not tried it out at all. I knew I had garage band and had played with it on my own with music, but had no idea the extent that it could be used and that one could add voice as well. It wasn't as hard as I had thought it would be and am excited to learn about a wonderful new tool I could easily use in the classroom.
Our group worked well together and had fun putting it together once my computer and the program cooperated. I would like to say a special thanks to Gary for staying late to upload our podcast off the flash drive (not sure why my internet would not work in there today...I'm home and got straight on here). Anyways..."Thank you, Gary!"

Generational Differences

I will have to say that the generational differences are tremendous in some of the older schools. I see this everyday in my building when it comes to classroom techniques. I find myself spending time everyday with the 6th grade team and helping them through the process of using some of our technology. I have written out the directions on the machines, but they refuse to take the time to learn about it on their own. I finally got fed up and told them to figure it out on their own. I know that I should have approached this differently, but if they will not put forth the effort for their students, I will not keep doing for them.

Frustrated Part 3

Okay I think I'm slowly starting to understand some of the topics.  I really have to focus but now I think I understand the rest of the excel assignments.  I only have the link/grade book to go.  Again I know I'm spending way more time than most to get these assignments done.  I really had fun listening to the generations power point.  It's true we need to realize how many different points of view we deal with in education.  I felt semi comfortable with the garageband (probably because I was sitting next to sarah) but again the save and upload thing is beyond my ability.  Maybe someday I'll understand that part.

The Bridge to Generations

After presentation of generations by Sara Rigg, I was feeling a bit left out of generation X and Y. However I believe the best teachers in the business are the teachers that land at the end or beginning of generation to bridge the gap between the two generations like myself. Tooting my own horn here-being born in 1976, I can relate to generation X and Y. I consider myself as a hy-bred of the generations like a mediator if you will. Also I do not agree the easiest generation to teach is your own, but the one before you. I imagine teaching a technology class to seniors like my 93 year old grandma. I would be considered a hero even if I had the least amount of technology knowledge in my generation.

Podcasting

The presentation on podcasting was interesting and I am excited about incorporating it into my classroom. I see a lot of possibilities for use with other teachers, parents and students. I just need time to fiddle with the program and get use to it myself. Like you said I need to find just the right project in order to make it work for me. I will be anxious to see how many if any teachers in our building are familiar with podcasting.

Saturday March 29

Thinking about generation gaps is very fun for me. I just feel like those of us that are blessed with a close nit family and extended family are taught different family values and are taught how people are suppose to act so to speak. The open source information was also very interesting.


Lance Hawkins

Podcasting

Last year I purchased the Sony program Sound Forge Audio Studio for work I do at a wildlife sanctuary. I created several audio/visual displays. I had no idea that was Podcasting. The entire presentation from Sara was very beneficial.

Assignment Sheets

The assignment sheets and extra instructions have helped while working of the projects for the class.

Excel

The first weekend of class let me get refamiliarized with Excel. I enjoyed the opportunity to start using a powerful program like Excel once again.

I guess this still qualifies as after the class. Two and a half weeks is after I suppose. I was looking to wrong email and missed the invite. Poor excuse. The moviemaker lesson was very helpful. I didn't even know I had it on my computer! The podcast should be interesting. I have always wondered what it was. I always had trouble downloading podcasts and never knew where they were going. The spreadsheets are a work in progress but I appreciated the detailed instructions by Dr. Closen. A good experience so far.

Sunday Class

I know this is late, but I've been away from work and my laptop has been very "ill!" Sunday's class was a real eye opener to me. There was a lot of information to take in and to sort through! The excel assignments have been a real frustration for me, but the hands-on demo was certainly helpful. I am looking forward to working with the podcast if I could find where my group is putting their info! I really liked seeing the moving maker program and the things that can be done with that. I look forward to presenting my work of art during the last weekend!


Jen Webster

Sunday

With everything I soaked in on Saturday, I didn't think it would be possible to soak in some more, but it did. I was actually able to build on the Excel skills from the previous day and use even more techniques after Sunday. I enjoyed learning how to use Movie Maker. While I was frustrated with a few things I couldn't manage to do, I worked through it. I think that this will, once again, be a beneficial tool not only as an administrator, but as a teacher as well.

Windows Movie Maker

I believe that Dr. Closen has introduced me to a new 'habit'! Recently in another class I was asked if I had input a video into my power point presentation. I didn't even realize this was possible and thought at the time it would be so difficult. However, after the lesson on Movie Maker on Sunday, I see that it will not only be simple, but fun as well!! I am very excited to work on this and many of the other projects for this class. The first weekend has already produced an unbelievable amount of helpful information. Looking forward to more...!

Excel

The lessons we had on Excel Saturday afternoon and Sunday were very helpful. There are so many things that this would be handy as an administrator, especially in disegrating data. I currently use an Excel program for student grades. Our students must pass 3 of 5 academic classes to be promoted. We base this on a yearly grade, which is figured from an average of all four quarters. I input each quarter grade for the first three quarters and then it tells me what the students will need fourth quarter in order to pass for the year. It has been an invaluable tool. I am excited to continue learning more about Excel and other programs.

Sunday

There is a lot of things that I didn't realize that excel could do. I was glad for the examples of how to do things. I do wish that I would have taken this class before now since I am almost done. I do hope that I am able to complete the assignments with the given time. It will really be a learning experience.

Hopefully this is an early class for most!

A lot of the topics and things we are using and learning in this class are so powerful and useful. For me this is my last class and I've done a lot of this for other courses (all but the podcast). I'm very excited to get to do the podcast, that will be a learning experience.

Sunday refelctions

Coming back to class on Sunday was difficult as I left Saturday wondering if I would figure everything out and topping that was the crazy early time change.
I appreciated your going back through parts of how to do formulas as I had not done them before. What a valuable toool to know though and the uses within a school and as an administrator are unlimited.
Hearing what is copyright and fair use was a key piece to remember as I see many educators who abuse that.
The whole podcast was novel and fascinating to me, but after you were showing us how to use it it's not as intimidating and sounds like fun.
I look forward to moving myself forward with technology in this class... The possibilities are endless.

Saturday reflections

As I sat in class on Saturday, i realized the impact of what my principal has been saying to me. I need to takes some courses in technology. It seems to be changing so quickly and what was new and novel to me is now so invisibleand I am "behind times". I had not heard of podcasts. I was familiar with blogs from ASQ and knew a little about a wiki. When I got my first degree computers were not, so I have not had a lot of experience and know the basics: e-mail, powerpoint, word and only a little about Excel. So the things you were walking us through were invaluable to me. I do have to say I left a bit intimidated.

Podcasts

Podcasts where something I was completely unaware of and the sound of it intimidated me. I feel like my teaching has been done in the dark ages for the past few years. I haven't been keeping up with the simpliest technologies. This class is very eye-opening. All the technologies that were brought up in class were all new to me. After I found out what podcasts were and how easy they were to do, I wondered why I hadn't been using it earlier. It would be great to use for homebound students or absent students for makeup work. I am really looking forward to learning how to do a podcast.

Frustrated part 2

I can't wait till they come out with that fingerprint password. I try and use the same password every time I need one, but its only 7 characters long, and this blog needed 8 so again it took me 10 times longer to do something that most people can do in 2 minutes.
I did feel more comfident with the excell information after sundays class, but then again I haven't done my assignment and I'm probably just fooling myself. I find a lot of the technology stuff interesting, but finding the time to play around with it so your level of frustration doesn't go too high is the key. I like reading everyone's take on what they got out of the class, and having so many different programs exposed to us makes it interesting to see what caught people's eye.

No, I'm not mad. I'm just having fun playing with technology!
Remember Big Brother...

Administrative Use of Technology

After the first class, I was amazed by the amount of technology out there to make life as an administrator and teacher easier. I was overwhelmed by the technolgies I was completely unaware of. The uses of technology can be used in the classroom and as an administrator. I wish I was more aware of all the technology before this class started, but am glad I am learning them now so I can use them in the classroom and attempt to get proficient in them before I will expect teachers in a building where I am an administrator to use these technologies.

First Blog

Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone! First time blogger here. I am enjoying the opportunity to learn new things about technology in this class. Sometimes, you just have to jump in and get your feet wet and this class is allowing (forcing) me to do so. I hope to be able to incorporate some of the movie technology and excel spreadsheets into my high school math classes.

Copyright

Do you think teachers have any idea that they violate copyright by showing movies? Or do they just not care? I know many teachers who show full-length video...does buying the movie, or having a video store give it to you for free make it okay?



And honestly- how many of us have used full-length songs for slide shows?

Second Life

After our discussion about the program and some of the highlights I am interested in visiting and learning more. I would think of it as only entertainment. However I am concerned about the exchanges such as spouses and land. I am also concerned with the ages of the other users using the program. I would be very careful if I had children using this.

Accessibility Presentation

I felt the accessibility presentation was an eye opener. I would not have thought of the difficulties for some users before this presentation. This really can relate to the fifth grade classroom as we seek out many strategies for one specific student to help him or her learn. The same strategy would benefit all the students in the classroom. Last year I questioned the amount of time and resources we spend on the low end, but the scores of our top end also went up.

march 9th

I felt a little better after class, but still a little stressed about the excel assignments. I have found with computers and any technology that you just have to jump in and just start trying. I really am enjoying learning about the technology that is out there. My daughters are always telling me I am behind the times. I just wish I had more time to just practice using some of this technology and using it in my classroom. I find that I cna learn things about technology but if I do not get to use it regularly I lose it.

Copyright

I found the copyright quiz interesting. There are some issues that are clearly right or wrong, but there is definitely a fine line on some issues. It was especially intertesting to me that the production companies are violating our rights to fair use by protecting their movies from copying. Something tells me that the machines designed to get around this were not designed for educators!

Movie Maker and copyright

Today's class dealing with the copyright issues was very good. Looking at the various scenarios allowed all of us an opportunity to see just how shady the law can be. Movie Maker is a fun program. I used it for the first time this winter to create a highlight video of our football season. The players are still talking about it. I see many more uses for this program in the classroom and as an administrator, especially in making presentations about programs and events in our district.

Sunday, March 9

I never realized how many things excel could be used so in an easy way. It made a lot of sense using the formulas and was very time saving. Every year I do batting averages by hand and could very easily do them with a formula now. It is always nice when you can learn something to save time.

Making movings on the computer has been something I have learned to do over the past couple of years. It is always a neat thing to see the finished project and today I realized how I could incorporate this type of movie into a board presentation which would be more exciting than a powerpoint.

2nd LIfe!!!

I have never heard of that program before, and it is pretty interesting. It is a mazing how a virtual world could turn into a money maker for some people. I would be interested to see all that is available through that program.

It could be a great learning program for kids(at the right age) to learn about responsibility and life in general. I understand that it is a virtual world, but I am sure that there are some options on the program that could benefit youth.

I like the idea of flying to the driving range. I wonder if working on my swing in a virtual world could help my swing in real life?

Saturday's Class

Our first session was very informative. The material on web site accessibility was a topic I had never thought about. I don't think our school district's web site would pass any accessbility scan. Monitorint the technology plans was interesting. I was not aware that these documents existed. I feel that the work we did with Excel will be very beneficial, not only as an administrator, but for use in my classroom. I had done some work with the program before, but everything we went over was new and will be useful.

copyright issues

I really found the power point and quiz dealing with copy right laws for educators to be really interesting. Like most educators, I was able to answer correctly most of the obvious scenarios. However, I had no idea just how many shades of gray existed within this topic. I'm glad we had a chance to discuss some of the "fine lines" we as teachers need to be aware of. I'm going to definitely always keep this information in the back of my mind now!

1st Sunday Class Session

After Sunday's class session, I have been introduced to many new tools to use in the classroom. I think these tools will be useful, but right now there is a lot to digest. I think once I get in and starting exploring these tools, I will become more confident in using them. As with everything new, the learning curve is always a little high at the beginning and as you use them more the more confident you become. These tools should help reach and keep more students interested in the classroom, but with the use of all this technology, how do we reach the students who don't have access to it?

Podcasts

I am really excited to work on the podcast. I have been wanting to use podcasts in my classroom, but I haven't had a chance to experiment with them yet. This assignment is a great way for me to explore new ways to reach students.

1st Saturday Class Session

Saturday's first class session really opened my eyes to the different technological tools that are available to teachers to use in their classroom. The tools we looked at in class have several very useful options to them, but what do you do with the teachers who are close to retirement and refuse to use them? What about the teachers who fear technology? As with all new ideas, I think we would have to be very careful with some teachers by making them use this technology. Would all students benefit from the use of all the technology we are talking about? I don't know. Some would, some wouldn't. As with everything, I think we are going to have to find a balance with the use of technology in the classroom. I think we also have to be careful and not use technology to be just using technology.

Technoloy In The Classroom

The wide array of technology available for use in the classroom creates variety of ways to engage students. It seems that most teachers are unaware of these tools and how they can be utilized both in class and outside of class. Some in service days need to focus on ways to integrate these technologies into the curriculum.

Excel and Podcasts

I use Excel off and on but I always learn something new in these types of classes. The Excel tips in the wiki are a great source of help on little things I either forgot or never knew about. I am looking forward to the podcast as I have not done one before and I am interested in how to do it and possibly implement it into the classroom for students that miss classes.

Weekend 1 Sunday's Reflection

I am very alert and excited about technology.  I love to learn new things and be up to speed in new technological advances.  It is very important as an administrator to not only keep up on the current research and best practices in Reading, Math, etc., but also in the technology field.

Saturday

I really enjoyed learning how to conditionally format. I use excel on a daily basis as a counselor, but what I do has all been self taught and when I color code test scores, I data sort then do it by hand. It made it so much easier and will be very beneficial to color code scores and be so easy!!!

STUFF

I will have to admit that I feel very comfortable with the computer and technology as a whole, but this is a little overwhelming with all of the different projects.

I enjoy learning the new things every class, however, I cannot help but feel that there are a lot of assumptions with what we are doing. Since we are all at different places in our knowledge, it could possibly pose a problem when we do projects.

1st Sunday Class

I didn't realize how much I didn't know about technology!! There are so many new things out that I haven't even heard of before. I think the multimedia presentation will be the neatest project. I have never used moviemaker or added audio to my power point presentations. So, this is going to be new to me.

Sunday class

I am really looking forward to using the movie software. The Excel Project is frustrating. I have tried several times to start the school comparison project but the IIRC website keeps failing.

Lance Hawkins

1st Saturday Class

I have to admit that I am a little overwhelmed with everything! I am anxious to actually get started on these assignments. I love experimenting with technology when I actually have the time to do so! I think the excel formulas may be my toughest challenge. We shall see!

class

I am truly amazed by all of the technology that I know nothing about. I have a lot to learn!!! The presentation was excellent you could really see how passionate he was about helping students with special needs. I also felt really stupid because I am only 29 years old and did not see the Gorilla.

Lance Hawkins
1st blog ever

Adaptations

The presentation on adaptive devices was excellent. I currently have a vision impaired student in my school. He has a great personality and likes being treated like everyone else (he made his own braille Illinois Young Authors book). I thought of him throughout the duration of the presentation. Now if only we could find some money to get him one of these assistive devices!

Second Life for students

Saturday in class it was mentioned that there was a website like Second Life that was directed towards kids. While I was doing some research this week I came across a website that may fit his description. It is called "whyville.net". I haven’t played around with it a lot yet, but the website describes it as being a safe social networking site. The site has some very cool safeguards. The one that I found to be very intriguing was that for a child to use the site they have to pass a trial time of appropriate use and have to get parental permission and verification of age.
The site is designed for children ages 8-15 and educators can get accounts. It gives individuals who use the site the opportunity to chat, play games and do small experiments. It may be worth checking out, since sites like myspace, facebook and friendster get amazing hits from middle school and high school students. This may be a way to use something that already interests them to assist them in their learning.
Another site is "imbee.com". I haven’t looked at that one at all.

Frustration!

I knew not knowing much about Excel would catch up with me some time, I am just glad it's in this class, and not in a real administrative job! I would like to get to know the program a lot better, and hopefully this class will provide that opportunity!

I really liked the presentation by our guest speaker. It was extremely informative and interesting since we have to visually impaired students in our department. I feel badly that they do not have that sort of technology in order to enhance their learning opportunities, but it would be worth researching for them!

I look forward to learning more about the administrative side of the technological world!

Jen W.

Things I didn't know

Wow! There are a lot of things I didn't know could be done in excel ( like how to get the numbers to be colors). I also had only heard of SEcond Life from TV. I didn't know that Universities were suing it for classes and other things. I had never heard of JAWS which I can see being helpful for others that cannot see. I learned a lot!

Inexperience

Wow my inexperience with technology is very evident after this class.  I'm probably driving everyone nuts with all my questions.  I am easily frustrated that it takes me 10 times longer to do simple excell, power point, and publisher projects than most people.  I can usually learn how to manipulate the programs it just takes me forever.  I was kind of hoping to get more direct instruction on technology.

Handicap Access

Bradley gave a nice presentation. As with most things in education, when you do something to help those that can not work with the old methods of education, you end up helping all of the students.

march 8

I was a little overwhelmed in yesterday's class with the excel presentation. I did not have the same system and it made it difficult to follow along. I am familiar with excel on my old computer system, so I know I will just need to work through the steps you gave us and I will be fine. There was a lot of technological terminology I did not know from yesterday (done in the first activity) also. I feel like I am very behind in technology compared to the others in class.

Wow, eye openers...

I have to agree with all the previous posts. I had no idea about the need for accessibility for web reading software as well as the explosion of AVATAR. My wife works at a newspaper and mentioned a discussion about Second Life, but I didn't really pay attention or ask any questions about it. I had a lot to ask her tonight about what she knew/heard/etc... I have always realized the importance of technology in education as well as appropriate use, but finding that balance can be difficult. I can see that leadership is responsible not only for budgeting in appropriate technology for use in the classroom, but also getting everyone on board and creating a plan for executing implementation of that technology appropriately. I feel like I can adequately handle technology so I can't say I feel overwhelmed, but I do feel anxious to learn more about the technology that we are covering.

Second Life

The discussion about Second Life gives us a look at what might be new avenue for education. I first heard about Second life being used for classes while I was at a conference. The two brief discussions that I heard have left me with more questions than answers. How safe is it? Is there a way to limit access to certain areas? For example, if a virtual class is set up would anyone with a login be able to access it? Has anyone started an education based version of second life that allows educators to have more control?

Technology Awareness

I thought that I was pretty confident with using technology and could get by.  After this mornings activity and presentation, I now know that there is so much more out there in the realm of technology that I do not know about.  I am just in the beginning stages of technology use because each day brings something new to the field of technology.  I look forward to tomorrow's class and future classes.  I enjoyed working with excel today.

Visible/Invisible

As we were doing this activity, I was thinking that visibility and invisibility is relative. For our students, some of the technology in the activity has existed their entire life. Their texting in class is the modern version of passing notes. I imagine when calculators replaced slide rules, there was controversy but they soon became the norm. I sometimes think of that when we are debating the value of different technology. I am not sure I am ready to hold class in Second Life, but I can accept that some people consider this the next logical step.

One Day at a Time

My mind was spinning after today. Every time I think I have a grip on technology, something new comes along! I was utterly amazed at the issues surrounding website accessiblity. I'm embarassed to say that I hadn't thought of how difficult navigating the web could be with someone with a disability. This truly made me stop to think about how I conduct my class and communicate with parents who also might have a disability. I also found the information on Excel extremely helpful. As someone who has only used the program to create lists, this information will be extremely useful to me. I'm ready for a new day tomorrow!

Accessibility and Avatars

Today was the first time I considered that webpage designers were having to change the way they constructed webpages. Not because of a new method or web language, but because new technology can not read the current pages. That was a real eye opener since it may be a matter of time before public schools are required by law to have an accessable website. I was also astonished that so much was going on with the avatars and virtual worlds. If education goes to this format, teachers will have to be technologically literate and it will cut down on the face to face interaction. The questions will have to be asked: Which subjects can be taught with maximum effectiveness and no face time? and Would you hire somebody who earned a degree in this manner?

Second Life

I was just amazed when we had the brief conversation about the interactive world Second Life. I had previously heard of it before and, to be honest, thought it was simply some interactive role playing game that did not have much actual substance or real life use. I am still shocked and intrigued that there are beginning to be college courses offered on it. It is an interesting thing to ponder how much education may go in a direction like this one day.

Webpage accessibility

The presentation this morning on webpage accessibility was very interesting. As soon as I got home tonight I called my brother. He is currently a webpage design student at the Art Institute in Schaumburg. I was very happy to hear that they were learning all of that information and he was already applying that technology to his webpages. I hope that is a trend that is going on across the country.

I made it!

Just wanted to make sure I did this right!

Looking forward to expanding my horizons!

You have brought up some good points about education and technology in your blogs. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and learning how to use technology as an administrator.

The Future of Technology as it relates to teachers!

Technology is a wonderful tool in the education world, but it can also be a frightening idea for many.  I know of many teachers who don't use technology in the classrooms because they do not know how.  Technology is changing so rapidly, that they are saying that in the future there could be less teachers and near to none of student contact face to face, everything will be taught online over the computer.  I guess if you don't have  a handle on technology, now is a good chance to get ahold on it. 

Testing

Thought I better give it a try as my school computer blocks my access to this blog (I do love filtering). See everyone on Saturday.

ISAT

With all the advances in technology...why in the world are we still shuffling so much paper to give ISAT tests? Think of how much money the state would save in the long run if they didn't have to print these beautiful full-color test booklets for every child in the state of Illinois.

(Can you tell that I am in the middle of testing...and ready for it to be over?)

Greetings!

I'm not sure if we were supposed to write anything, but I did make it to the blog! See you this weekend!