Final Reflection

[Cyndi Danner-Kuhn]

This should be the last thing you do. If you have not done the other discussion topics yet, STOP NOW and do them first.

This last reflection should discuss five things that you say WOW! this semester. Remember, this is reflection and should represent scholarly thought and writing.

[Bryan Gilligan]

The areas that taught me the most this semester and made me take a moment to reflect on just what I had learned were Social Bookmarking, which is something I had no idea existed before taking this class, now it is something I rely on everyday. Its an incredibly valuable resource. The use and scope of open source software, I had an idea about open source software before this class, but I had no idea it was so weel developed. Having an interactive workspace to share with your students like this one or Moodle is not only a fantastic resource to use, its free as well. I personally enjoyed using the interfaces here and in Moodle a lot, and I feel I have learned some valuable things to take with me into the classroom. Podcasting was another area that I had some knowledge of but had not really explored so much, having had some time to listen to several and record one or two of my own helped me to realize its usefulness as a resource, though admittedly I probably could use a lot more practice on the recording part of things, I seem to get a little tongue tied while using my scripts and such, but I suppose that will just take some time. I do feel that the area that stunned me the most was while doing the TeacherTube portion, I learned about how interactive the learning environment is becoming, especially with the integration of the virtual environment of Second Life and SMARTboards. This was something that left me in awe of what we are beginning to accomplish. I have even read that one of the schools back in my home Province of British Columbia has taken the next jump from having an all computer access learning environment to incorporating these boards in thier classrooms, to say that I'm excited to get out there and work with these kids is an understatement, but I am a realist about the fact that it may take some time before all the schools catch up with each other, in the meantime I shall just have to be there to help teach as many kids as I can the responsible use of technology.

[Mary Gere Bridger]

1. Podcasts - I put it off until the very last possible moment, but as has been true with so much else this semester, I really enjoyed producing them. I'm not sure if that's because I'm completely narcissistic or if I just realized what a truly useful tool they can be. That said, I also found the longer ones really hard to listen to. I don't have an iPod, so I'm not mobile while listening to them. Rather, I'm trapped in a chair at the desk (or outside on the porch enjoying the finally beautiful weather) and my mind wanders. I do think that given an iPod, I would find them almost as addictive as you do! I used to listen to books on tape (always unabridged, of course) when I had a long commute and I miss having something like that, but since my commute is mostly to pre-school or the laundry room, I'm not sure how much listening I would get in.
2. 1:1 laptops - I think this is the way we must go. I'm sure the pioneers worried about how expensive it was to have slates for every child, but when they were available, they got them! You can't do much in the world today without a complete level of comfort and confidence in your computer skills - so it seems like we should make sure all of our kids have the time it takes to develop that comfort and confidence.
3. Kan-Ed website - If I get a job as a school librarian, I will make this page the homepage of the catalogs. It has easy access to all the tools elementary age kids need to do safe and simple research.
4. Lesson Plan Resources - This is a pretty broad area, but during our initial searches, as well as some done in other classes, I came across some really great resources for teachers from really big money companies like Discovery Channel and PBS. I know, when you think of PBS, you usually think of those long fund drives, but they still have the resources to create spectacular lesson plans using amazing technology . And then they give them to you for free! Being a children's librarian trained me to not reinvent the wheel. If you can find ideas from other places - use them! Tweak them to fit your class and your district, etc., but there are so many wonderful ideas out there waiting to be shared with us - and most of them aren't even from huge corporations. Most of them are from teachers in little towns across America, giving back.
5. The endless possibilities. Every article had a new idea. Put all of those new ideas together and neither you or your kids will lose their excitement about learning.

[Kelly Thomas]

The first thing I want to discuss is podcasts. They have now become part of my life, and I am not sure how I lived before taking this class and before podcasting. I use them in my personal and educational life. I had never really listened to a podcast before taking this class but I now see how easy it can be. Another section that goes along with this is that I have now created podcasts of my own. Again, this is something I never thought I could do but thanks to your help I have a great program on my computer that I can use to create podcasts. It is something that I will continue to use through life. The second thing I want to talk about it social bookmarking. I have gone off and discovered Google Reader. This has become one of my favorite discoveries this semester. I am sure you know what Google Reader is, but for those reading this who do not, it is a free application provided by Google to organize your blogs. I can save all my blogs in one place, and it will let me know when a blog has been updated. This along with the social bookmarking learned in this class has allowed me to become very organized with my educational and personal references. The third thing I have discovered was recent. It was the screencast application Jing Project that I downloaded. I think my mom appreciates this the most, because I can show her how to do something on the Internet without having to actually go over to the house and show her. This is still new to me, and I will be spending more time with it over the summer and into next semester. The fourth wow moment was YouTube. I had not spent much time with this website prior to this class, and I am amazed at what great videos are out there for teachers like me. I need videos that have proper images because I plan on showing them to a very young audience. I know now that not all videos on YouTube are what they seem, but I love the good videos out there. I am pleased at how easy it can be for me to show these videos to my students. There have been many wow moments through this semester but I want to talk about how much I have grown as an educator. When I first started this class, I thought that I had taken technology classes before so I will know most of the information. I am glad I was wrong. From the first assignment in this class I fould myself saying how wonderful and easy using technology can be. I have downloaded and used several amazing applications that I can not live without. This class has taught me a lot about being a teacher and opening the doors to technology in the classroom.

[Lindsey Pierron]

There are a number of things that struck a chord with me this semester, but there are five things that stood out to me. The five things I learned this semester that struck the biggest chord with me are podcasting, screencasting, Quia, United Streaming, and social bookmarking.
Podcasting is something that I was totally unfamiliar with before I took this class. I did not really know what it was, or how it could be used to improve education. I had heard of podcasts, but did not really understand their usefulness. After taking this class, I have learned that podcasts are not only useful they are also easy to make. Teaching students how to podcast can increase their knowledge of technology and class subject matter simultaneously. I have gotten really into listening to particular podcasts, like KidCast with Dan Schmit, and will continue to listen to this podcast in the future.
Screencasting is also something that I was unfamiliar with. I have watched tutorials throughout the semester in this class, as well as other classes, but I never knew how to make them. Screencasting is very easy to do, if you have the right software. I really like the Jing software because it is easy to use and will link directly to the Internet. I think it would be a great thing for students to learn how to do a screencast, in order to teach classmates about a process on the computer.
Quia is one of the most useful things I found this semester. I know that I will use Quia in the classroom, even if I have to pay for the membership myself. I like that Quia enables teachers to create their own classroom web pages, complete with calendars, activities and quizzes. I will be able to design activities for students to use in the classroom and at home, and monitor their progress. This is the site that I was the most excited about during the semester.
United Streaming is another thing that made me excited this semester. There are some very useful videos available using United Streaming. These videos provide students the opportunity to experience learning in a different way. United Streaming is useful for students and teachers. I am sure I will make use of this resource in my classroom.
The final thing I learned this semester that made the most impact on me is social bookmarking. I bookmark Web sites all the time, and often get frustrated when I can’t remember the name of a particular site. Social bookmarking has totally alleviated that frustration. I love that I can log into Portaportal and access my bookmarked sites from any location. Portaportal is easy to use, and has been very helpful to me. However, I think all social bookmarking sites have similar benefits: they all allow a person to bookmark sites and access those sites from any computer. I will definitely continue to use social bookmarking, because it is so easy to do and is very helpful for me.

[Carlotta Patterson]

This class was so much more than I expected. I really only expected to learn how to create power point lectures and more word processing. I feel so much farther ahead of new teachers who are not getting this class.
The first wow on my list is making a podcast. Before this class I had never listened to a podcast, now I can make them. It is much easier than I thought it would be. The potential for using them in the classroom is amazing. I truly think these are the tools that will get our student’s attention and excitement going. I also think it is an excellent tool for collaborating with other subjects and teachers.
Free Source software was also brand new to me. I had no idea that free software was available and that it would be as good as what I’ve been paying for.
Social Networking is my third wow because I don’t have to write down my websites to take to work anymore. My fourth wow is the same because I tried to share my delicious site with the teacher I am working with because I felt like I was seeing so many great sites that she could use as a first year teacher. The site was blocked on the school’s computers. So this tool also taught me a lot about the challenges we will face convincing our administrators to make websites that we want to use available. I know this will not be an easy task and that there is a lot to be responsible for when trying to allow students access to websites that some schools find controversial.
The last topic I want to mention is the sites we looked at for online classrooms, such as moodle, quia, and classroom 2.0. This is amazing to me and the sites were incredibly easy to set up and use. I can’t wait to use a site like this with my classes. I truly think that to be successful teaching students today we need to meet them where they are. Using traditional teaching methods is not going to capture their interest. They are into technology, so we must use it to appeal to them and make them want to learn. The five topics I have chosen will help me do that.

[Robin Berndt]

1. I found that the podcast scared me because I was not for sure what I was doing. I finaly had to ask a friend how to do a podcast. After learning how to make a podcast I really did enjoy listening to them and making them. In fact I found it easier than sitting down and reading many pages and then typing out my response.
2. I would have to say another thing that I was not for sure about was the whole social bookmarking. I found this very hard for me do to the fact that I have to figure out new computer as well as trying to figure out what to do with the bookmarking. I enjoyed reading some of the others that the class made and found them helpful. I hope mine were helpful to others as well.
3. I enjoyed interviewing the teachers to see what kind of technology they use in their classroom. I found it interesting that so many teachers have their own fillings toards technology and the way they use it with their students. I found being in a classroom for my internships and making my lesson plans that you have som many ways to use technology and it can be anything if you just think about what you want and what you are teaching the students.
4. I really liked the scavanger hunt and finding all the things that we could. I like scavanger hunts and this is something that you can use with your students to get them thinking about technology in a different way and to let them find new things that they did not know about.
5. I would have to say everything else that has to do with technology and the endless posibilities in the education field and with technology. Every thing changes so fast that you have to be willing to try new things and this is one thing that I finally got this year and understand how important it is to use technology in your classroom and have the students use technology to help them learn new things. I all so feel that you as a teacher can learn from your students and you have to give them a change to grow and to teach as well.

[Brock Funke]

This class has been a great learning experience for me. I have learned a lot of information about different technologies that will help me as a future educator. At the beginning of the semester I would have to say I was a bit overwhelmed by the technologies and applications we were learning about and exploring. Now after taking this class I can say I’m pretty confident in my abilities. There was a lot of new stuff I learned about in this class that’ll I’ll use in the future, but there were a few that stood out. The first would have to be the open source programs. I had no clue that you could get software for FREE off of the internet. What a wonderful idea. With the strangle hold Bill Gates has on the technology world with new products and programs, its hard to purchase what you need when it’s very expensive. As a college student the open source software is a lifesaver. Second I really like the Moodle site that we used for the class, instead of blackboard. I’ve had a lot of problems with blackboard over the years, but Moodle this semester was a breeze to learn how to use and easy to find assignments, grades, announcements, etc. A great product, all colleges should look into so they don’t have to pay a ridiculous amount for blackboard. Third the Kan-Ed website was one that I got a lot of use out of and I hope to use it when I’m teaching. What a wonderful resource for students and its easy to learn. Its information for students and teachers seemed limitless. A must have for all school, I think. Fourth was the one thing I’ve always heard a lot about but never investigated it; podcasts! I never really thought podcasting could benefit me in any way really, wow was I wrong. Podcasting is a great way for teachers and students share experiences and information. I learned so much from the ones I listened for our reflections. I could see myself getting kids doing their own podcasts for a classroom website. I hate to say it, but I’m addicted to them. The fifth thing that I really enjoyed learning about was the 1:1 laptops. I really hope the school I teach in someday has the 1:1 laptops in their school. If not, I’m definitely going to make a push for it; it’s the future of teaching. Our kids are the future, we need to have them learn as much about the new technologies as possible, if not they will just fall behind and them probably resist technology. I can't say enough how important it is for the future of our schools and country.

[Rayleen Shelton]

I don't even know if I can narrow it down to just five things that made me go "Wow", but I will do my best.
This class was very beneficial to me since I will be teaching computer courses.
1. Learning how to create podcasts was very beneficial to me. The practice also did me good. I will use podcasts when I'm gone and need to cover material. This will make it easier on my sub and will leave little room for error from my students.
2. I'm glad that we were required to create a social bookmarking page. At first I admit I thought it was going to be a pain, but it's turned out to be a great resource tool. I like that I can go back to my page and look up sites that I saved.
3. The Quia website was also beneficial to me. I know that USD 489 provides Quia for their schools and so do a majority of other area schools. The tool of Quia I like most is being able to post tests and quizzes. This not only makes it easier for the teacher to grade, but it also gives students the online experience that they will need in college.
4. Moodle was another learning experience for me. Although I didn't practice much setting up a course of my own, just having this class on Moodle made me see that Moodle is something I would use in my classroom.
5. The last thing I'm glad we were introduced to was Jing. I love the fact that I can show my students how to do something on the computer. I would post these videos on my webpage so students could view them anytime they like.

[Karen]

Final Reflection – Learning Moments

I truly wasn’t sure what to expect when I enrolled in this course. I do recall being nervous and hoping it wasn’t over my head! What has stood out for me the most is how much there is to learn in the technology world and how it is ever changing. It was also so informative in regard to how much I did not know and wish that we could focus on one area for a bit longer than we did. I believe this would result in a stronger level of comfort and knowledge of the material at hand. There were many things that I learned this semester and could be considered my wow moments:
1. Social Bookmarking: what a clever concept! I had not heard of this term in the technology world at all and found it to be quite handy for bookmarking the sites that I came across this semester is my classes. What I really liked about it was how accessible it is. I feel there is a more to learn about how to really do it and hope to find the time eventually to organize my account like it should be.
2. Podcasts: I will have to admit this particular portion of assignments made me very, very nervous! I was prepared when I made my reflections, but for whatever the reasons were I was still extremely nervous about recording my voice. I had heard of this term, but had not ever listened to any podcasts prior to this class nor had it occurred to me that I would ever be making one! Again, when I find more time in my life, I will find podcasts very beneficial to my future classes and to me as well.
3. Kan-Ed: I found this particular site to be extremely rich in information for students and teachers alike. There were many links to explore such as but not limited to: Altec, NetTrekker, World Book, and the LS Test Builder. It is a safe place for students to research the subject at hand and offers many tools for teacher to use.
4. 1 to 1 Laptops: This particular assignment really offered insight as to how much I was not in touch with the technology world. Though having a laptop for every student may be daunting for a school district, I think it would be most beneficial for students. As I have learned over this past semester, it would definitely help in making it a level playing field for all students. Technology is happening now and incorporating computers into our classrooms would be a way encourage and help our students to succeed in their education and for life after school/college.
5. Screencasting: This was an interesting assignment to tackle and learn. Needless to say, I was not familiar with the term or how to do it at all. Like podcasting, this one takes practice and I hope to find the time over the summer try it once more. I was familiar with tutorials, but not the screencasting term or how to make one. I am fortunate to be around computer literate people who can literally show me how to do something, but if they were not, I would definitely incorporate screencasting.
This class has opened my eyes to the technology that is out there and I am sure it is just the tip of the iceberg. With continued practice and guidance, I hope to capitalize on what I have learned and be in the frame of mind to continue to embrace the technology world.

[Trevor Duell]

This class has really stretched my comfort zone. I had considered myself a fairly tech savvy guy, but there is a lot out there that I didn't know about. The first big blockbuster for me was podcasts. At first I begrudgingly did the first few because I really didn't feel like they were particularly relevant to me. So I went in search for some music education type casts and I was not disappointed. Its seems that music educators are just finally coming around to mobilizing in the world of blogging and podcasts. I feel that I could help to spread the news and help getting everyone online and sharing their ideas on how to run a band. The second big thing I really learned about was screen casting. I had no idea how easy is was to put one together. Jing provides a free and easy way to both create and share your own screen casts. As I start to master all of the various music technology software programs I will start doing some more of these. Thirdly, I learned a lot about open source software. I had no idea there were so many free programs out there that work just as well as the expensive original programs. Its like finding out that the generic brand tastes just as good or works just as well pricey name brands. I will defiantly keep track of new programs as they are developed. Fourth of all, learning about the concept of social bookmarking. I had been looking for an easier way to keep track of all of my bookmarks and favorite websites. At one point, I just stopped trying to bookmark things because my favorites were starting to get a little out of hand. Delicious came to the rescue. Not only did this help clean up my mess, but I can take them all with me where ever I go! Now I can add to and share all my favorite websites from anywhere. Its just too cool (do scholars say that?). Finally and probably most of all, this class really got my own creative wheels turning. It has opened the door to discovering new ideas, concepts, and ways of teaching. Every new resource, website, contact, or podcast has endless application or potential. Needless to say, I learned a few things. Its always nice to have lots of tools in your educational toolbox.

[Jess]

The first thing that I was WOW’d about was the web conferencing that we did at the beginning of the semester. I thought this was a great thing to know how to do, because with how fast technology is growing in the classroom, I most defiantly think the teacher is going to need to know how to do things like this with their students. For instance, what if a student is ill and has to stay home from class? With web conferencing, the student and teacher can stay in contact, and also the student could watch the class lectures from their computer at home. This way, the student will not miss out on anything in class. I am glad we did this in this class because I had no idea how to do it.

My second WOW moment was learning about all the different free application there are out there on the internet. I had no idea that there were so many tools that were out there to use in your classroom, and best of all, free! I know that in the future, I will take advantage of using some of these free applications, because I know I will need to budget, and using these applications is a win-win for me and the students.

For my third WOW moment, I choose the social bookmarking. I am not the most tech savvy person in the world, so I was simple using my bookmark on my tool bar to bookmark my sites. Soon, I would find myself getting all sorts of confused trying to locate a past website I had bookmarked. The social bookmarking is a great tool that I can use to keep all the websites I bookmark in order. Also, having your bookmarks on a website is a great thing to do to have access to them anywhere you go with internet access.

My fourth WOW moment is learning the Powerpoint games application. I thought these applications would be great to use in the classroom someday. I made a Jeopardy like game for learning about US history, and it was really fun to make. The students would probably have a lot of fun playing it, too. It is always good to bring different things into the classroom to keep it interesting for the students, because we all know that the attention span of most students isn’t very long. Powerpoint games are a great way to do that.

My fifth and final WOW moment for this class was learning how to do podcasts. This was probably the most time consuming assignment this semester, but it was defiantly worth my time. I really enjoyed getting to listen to all the different podcasts, because I learned a lot from them. Making the podcasts took awhile to get used to, but after figuring it out, I had fun doing it. I think it is important to realize the importance of reflection. I have learned that teachers need to reflect on everything they do, so this assignment did just that.

Overall, this class has been challenging. I will say that I have probably learned more in this class that I can use in the classroom someday, then I have in any of my other education classes. Even though the class has been tough, I am glad I took it, because it will defiantly benefit me in the future.

[Pam]

There have been many “Wow” moments for me during this semester. I have created a notebook during this semester that I am sure I will use for many years to come, and have learned how to continue to search and add to what has been explored already.
My first “Wow” was with the social book marking. I can’t even guess at how many times I have been away from my computer and needed a book mark that I had at my own PC. Either that or my computer has crashed and taken my bookmarks with it, causing several hours of frustration. Not only does this social book marking solve the problem of access and possible loss, but browsing other book marks that have been added from other people have lead me to some really great sites. I’m sure I wouldn’t have stumbled upon on my own.
My second “Wow” has to be in the introduction to open source software. I truly didn’t realize how much was available in free programs. I didn’t have any ideas that not only were there free programs out there but, GREAT free programs. I’m truly amazed at the Celestia program, and got my entire family hooked on the Its Our Tree family tree online. I now search extensively for free alternative anytime I find a program that I am interested in buying.
My third “Wow” is podcasts. I now have used over half the memory in my iTouch on podcasts that I have downloaded to listen to. I had never listened or searched out content to listen to in a podcast. I love to learn new things and the possibilities are endless.
My forth “Wow” I would say is bloging. I knew what bloging was prior to this class however I didn’t really see the advantages or the draw that people had to it. I can completely see that simply spending ten minutes a day to write down what was done in class could really provide the parents a window into the classroom that otherwise could be closed. Not all children share openly without being prompted from the parent some “key” words to prompt their memories. I do intend to create a classroom blog that not only can I but my students also use.
Last, but certainly not least I think the last “Wow” is in the YouTube/ TeacherTube content on the web. I really think that the amount of things available on instructional videos is astounding. I have found fantastic things in every subject; songs to help learn skip counting, videos explaining volcanoes, to how to identify a noun. I know that I will be able to incorporated things into the curriculum in the classroom.