Wrapping up the Course

Taking TPTE 486 has been a very great and informational course.  Not only have I furthered my technological knowledge, but I have learned how to use tools that will be beneficial to my future classroom.  When first starting this class, I had hopes of learning about a lot of new tools that I can use in my future, and I have definitely learned a great deal.  Many of the programs we used in class, I had not previously heard of, so learning about them proved to be very helpful.  Before taking this class, I considered myself "tech-savvy" but I have seen that I still have a lot I can still learn about these programs.  We have learned about tools that cover a variety of topics, so it will be easy to use them in various subjects I may teach in the futures.  Many of the tools we have used are very simple to use and create artifacts.  They are great for both student and teacher use.  Overall, I am very satisfied with the amount of knowledge that I have gained from taking this course.  The artifacts that I have created in this course will definitely be used again in my near future!

Website

For this course, we were required to create a website to display all of our projects completed for the semester.  I think that this is a great way to showcase the work that we have done throughout the semester.  This website is a perfect resource to use in my future classroom because of the various projects we have done throughout the semester.  I have not only learned how to use various tools, but I have learned how to apply them to future lessons that I can teach in my classroom.  Before taking this course, I had never created a website, so learning how to create one has been very eye opening.  I have learned how easily a website can be created and edited.  It is a great way to organize all of the information/projects I have, as well as inform my future students on what is going on.  Overall, I loved creating this website, and hope that I can use it in my future classroom.


Here is the link to my website:
https://sites.google.com/site/msboddiesclassroom/

iMovie

By far, iMovie has been my favorite project!  I created my educational video on "Healthy food A-Z".  This video is aimed to educate children or people of all ages on healthy food options.  Now that I have learned how to use iMovie, I can apply this knowledge in so many other ways.  For instance, in another class I have this semester, I have already used iMovie to create another movie.  iMovie is so simple to use, that anyone can easily create a video for any occasion.  Users can add photos, videos, and even music to edit into a new movie.  iMovie can be use for educational purposes, as well as for recreational use.  Now that I know how to use the iMovie software, I can definitely use it for my future classroom.

Below is the video I created:

Digital Diagram

The Digital Diagram was one of my favorite projects in TPTE.  Not only was this project fairly simple, but it allows you to create a diagram on anything.  For this project, we used the Inspiration 9 software.  My project was focused around the "Important Holidays by Season" for a 2nd grade Social Studies lesson.  For each season, I listed three holidays in a "web" format.  This project was so simple and easy to figure out how to design a diagram.  You have the option to create a web, tree or map diagram.  From there, you can do many things with the diagram.  You can change the color, font and even make the bubbles turn to different shapes.  In my project, I decided to make my bubbles into shapes that matched the text (ex- Halloween=pumpkin).  After doing this, I made notes on the holidays so the students can read on a holiday they may not know about.  This project will definitely used in my future classroom.


Below is a picture of my diagram:

ActivInspire Software

When doing the project with Interactive White Boards, the software we used was "ActiveInspire".  By using this software, I learned about its many pros and cons, and how useful this software can be when working with an IWB.  One of the most intriguing things about this software is how creative you can be! There are so many different ways that you can use this software, it can actually be overwhelming.  First, I wasn't sure what I could do my project on, but I decided to do it on Weather patterns, focusing on lower elementary grades.  There are 8 ways to build interactivity with ActivInspire.  In my project, I used 4 which included building a table, the infinite cloner, and drag to reveal.  It took me a while to get used to figuring out how to use the various tools.  I would definitely say that this software takes a while to master, but after you understand how to use it, it becomes very simple.  Overall, I loved using the ActivInspire, despite the challenges I encountered while using it.

Interactive White Boards

After discovering the many uses of Interactive White Boards, I feel that they can be very useful inside the classroom.  Any lesson can be integrated with the use of an IWB.  The great thing about an IWB is that it incorporates white board, but adds and interactive component.  This essentially makes a "computer screen" large enough for the whole class to interact with.  Anything that can be done on a computer can be mirrored onto a large projection screen.  IWB's are a great way to get the whole class involved at the same time..  This setting makes a IWB perfect for elementary grades, as well as high school aged children.  Things that can be done with an IWB include: quizzes, teaching of lessons, and showing of photos, websites and music.  In the near future, I definitely hope that I have a IWB available for my future classroom!

Source

Midpoint Check

So far, TPTE has provided me with a vast amount of information about technology.  I have learned how to use several tools that I can definitely see myself using in my future classroom.  At this point in the semester, I am feeling good at my progression of knowledge about technology.  I would consider myself "tech-savvy" but I have definitely learned a lot of new things in the past couple of weeks.  All the projects we have completed thus far seem to be great tools for use in the classroom, especially  the Web 2.0 tools and Webquests.  Overall, I hope I continue to learn more new things about technology use in the classroom.

Scavenger Hunt

For this week's activity, we focused on doing a digital Scavenger Hunt.  This activity proved to be both fun and informative.  I especially liked this activity because it can be adjusted for all grades levels.  This activity takes learning outside of the classroom, but still makes incorporates an educational aspect.  My group focused on doing a Scavenger Hunt for the ABCs.  I thought this was especially great because I can definitely see myself using this in my future classroom.  Since children today are so technologically advanced, having them takes pictures of things could make learning fun.  By having a child take pictures of things in a specific category, this could help the child recognize things that belong in a group, such as finding objects that begin with the letter "A" or finding objects that are the color yellow.

Overall, I think the whole activity went well.  It provided me an opportunity to learn about changing the resolution of photos for web use, as well as creating an online slideshow.  Google Presentation is a great way to create a slideshow on the web, especially since you don't have to remember to save your work after you finish.  I definitely see myself using this tool in my future classroom.  I will be able to split my class into groups to search for shapes, colors and letters.  This activity is great for all ages and I'm glad that I had a chance to discover this.

Here is my digital slideshows:

Google Docs

After discovering Google Docs, it is definitely hard for me to switch back to my normal Word documents on my computer.  Google Docs is a useful tool to cut down on the use of copying documents and sending them as attachments on email.  With using Google Docs, many users are allowed to collaborate on a single word document at the same time.  This cuts down on the confusion or sending emails and waiting on responses.  Think of Google Docs as an "chat room document".  It is very simple to use, and could be very useful in classrooms.  Although this tool is great and very useful, I seldom see a use for it for my future students.  Since I want to work with Elementary grades, this tool may be too complex for student to use on their own.  On the other hand, me as a teacher could use this to keep all of my assignments and worksheets online, and have them easily accessible.  Overall, I love Google Docs and I am amazed that I have went this long without using them!

Below is an example of how I used Google Docs to create a worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hviqTDxtdkXumIXALC9FTMNBoMzat-v2jYXdRv10rh4/edit

Here is a short video description of Google Docs:

Source

Wikis

At this point in the classroom, we have used Wikis in 3 ways and all times it has proved to be a very useful tool.  A wiki is a simple way to create, modify and personalize your own website.  Wikis can be used collaboratively or for individual use.  The great thing about using wikis is that they are a variety of way that you can use them.  Most importantly for me, I could see myself using wikis in my future classroom.  Wikis are a great tool that can be used at any grade level.  It can be used to teach a lesson, or for group projects.  Of course, with any only tool, there are pros and cons.  The only cons to this website are that only one person can edit a page a time.  Besides that, there are a plethora of options available to design a wiki page.  They are very simple to use and can be used for even the simplest of tasks.  Upon first using pbworks.com for wikis, I was hesitant at the amount of work that I would have to put into a page, but it was very simple.  Overall, I will definitely continue to use Wikis in many ways!


Here is a great video that describes Wikis:

Source

Web 2.0: Glogster

For my Web 2.0 Project, my group was chosen to work on Glogster EDU.  A Glog, or graphics blog, is an interactive visual platform in which users create a “poster or web page” containing multimedia elements including: text, audio, video, images, graphics, drawings, and data.  Glogster is a useful tool in so many ways, especially for use in the classroom.  There are many strengths of this website, but most importantly it allows for the creativity of students as well as teachers.  Glogster allows users to create visual aides easily as well as making learning fun.

I really enjoyed using Glogster, although it did take a while to master the program.  When first using this program, it can be very overwhelming.  There are so many options a user can use to create their glog.  If used in a classroom, the teacher should have clear instructions and guidelines for the student to follow, otherwise the assignment can turn into a difficult one.  Creativity is greatly emphasized in this program, which allows any user to express themselves.

Although Glogster is a great tool, I don't see myself using this program often in my future classroom.   Since I want to work in the lower elementary grades, this tool seems a tad bit complex to let students on this age level to use.  If used, I would have to thoroughly guide the students through this activity.  On the other hand, as a teacher, I could use this activity to teach a lesson, much like the example I created.

You can view it here: 
http://aneisha.edu.glogster.com/weather/

Inquiry Based Activity

       The Inquiry Based Activity (IBA) was by far my favorite activity in TPTE.  Not only was I to connect my technological knowledge of finding a website, but I had to make my own worksheet.  This activity showed me how to be creative when creating an assignment for my future classroom.  Of course I knew that there were standards that various classrooms used when assigning work, but this assignment allowed me to locate these standards.  By finding these standards and the textbook I acquired, I was easily guided into what to do for the IBA.  Although it did take me time to think of what to do for my IBA, the instructions were broad, but thorough enough for me to follow along.    If in the future, if I have to teach 3rd grade math, I will definitely use the worksheet I created for my IBA.

Here is a link to my IBA assignment:

WebQuests

Working with WebQuests turned out to be a very useful tool that I will definitely use in my future classroom.  My favorite part of using Webquests was actually searching for one that I might use in the future.  I found these activities interesting because I never knew a tool like this existed.  Using Webquests would be a great way to incorporate technology and learning in a classroom.  I am a big advocate for having interactive learning, and Webquests make it a great way to do this.  The Webquests that I found would be useful in a kindergarten classroom because it helps the child learn about the alphabets (http://questgarden.com/111/65/0/101019070037/index.htm).  Overall, using Webquests was a very enjoyable experience and I will continue to work with using these in the future.

Website Evaluation

     I feel that this website evaluation activity was very useful.  Not only did we learn how to evaluate a website, but we learned why it is useful.  Since technology is such an integral part of today's society, teachers need to know how to use the web correctly, so we can educate students about it.  I thought the activity was very thorough, and contained some information I would not have thought to look for when evaluating a website.  For one, when I search websites on the web, I don't always look for credibility, but this assignment showed me that it should be an important thing to search for.  Also, connecting the website to the target audience is another important aspect.  In the future, I do see myself paying more attention to the information on various websites.  In order to give a child correct information from a website, the teacher first has to understand it.  By researching the material on a given website, this will ensure that the teacher is giving the correct information to the student.  Overall, this was a very informative assignment.

About me!

      Hello! My name is Aneisha Boddie.  I was born and raised in Memphis Tennessee.  I graduated from Wooddale High school in 2009 where I ranked number 5 in my class.  Now,  I am a senior at The University of Tennessee majoring in Psychology with an Elementary Education minor.  I will be interning the 2013-2014 school year with the Urban/Multicultural cohort.  In the near future, I want to become a Kindergarten or 1st grade teacher.  I LOVE working with children, so it's only natural that I want to become a teacher.  I love learning new things, so I want the opportunity to teach children new things as well!

       In my spare time, I love to spend time with my friends, family and boyfriend.   There is never a dull moment coming from such a large family! We always have fun when we're together whether it be having game nights on the weekend or our annual summer vacation to Disneyworld!  I LOVE everything about Disney!  I also love to cook and bake; I especially enjoy finding new recipes on Pinterest or watching the Food Network.


  Since this is a technology course, I have a few expectations in what I want to learn.  I have already learned some useful tools such as creating this blog as well as a website!  This is my first time working on an Apple computer, so I am already learning every class new things.  I also want to learn some techniques that I can use in my future classroom since I know technology will be a major component of it.  I would already consider myself a little tech savvy, but hopefully this course will expand my technological knowledge!