Meaningful Learning

In technology, there are many tools that go hand and hand.  Each tool helps you get a meaningful understanding of the technology world.  Many students know about the ability that can be utilized but we as teachers can guide them.  The technology tools can be helpful in classroom lessons and helping students understand.  There were many tools that I utilized in this classroom that I had never used before.  For instance, blogging was such a neat tool that I learned.  It was interesting to make a virtual ePortfolio.  The different websites and blogs were helpful in making a ePortfolio.  I know learning all the assessments will be useful in my career as a teacher.  I can take this knowledge and pass it on to my students.  The integrating technology into the curriculum in this class is a great idea.  I feel that it relates to the course and makes the assessments more meaningful.  This is a prime example of learning and learning how to utilize technology in our curriculum.

I believe taking this course was the bet thing to do for my career.  Not only did it educate me in integrating technology into the curriculum but also educate me about technology.  I think that it will make all the difference to my employer and my classroom.  There are many web tools that I was able to learn and utilize.  I learned how to make a blog, become a blogger, and create lesson plans with technology.  The knowledge that I am walking away with is exciting.  There is so many tools that can be explored through the virtual world.  I have never been a computer person and I always dreaded working on the computer but not anymore.  I am glad that I took this course.

Visualizing with Technology

I believe that visualizing with technology is a great tool to use to engage students into learning.  It offers many benefits like visual aids and hands-on tools.  Some examples of visual aids are videos, cell phones, document cameras, and graphic calculators.  All of these in some way help and guide the students in a visual learning way.  I will be utilizing this technolgy when I become a teacher.  The children will be able to use this as a helping tool to learn.  I think designing and visualizing with technolgy is very benifical to students and teachers in the classroom.

Designing with Technology

I really believe that designing with technology is very beneficial.  It will be very useful when it comes to teaching.  It is very interesting when it is collaborated or combined into the teaching part of the education.  All children love playing games, but as teachers we can use that to incorporate a lesson plan.  There were two software games that caught my eye.  The Lego software was my uultimate favorite.  It still had the concept as building Lego figures but a learning concept also.  The other one is the music pad.  I thought it was interesting and fun.  The concept of making your own music and be able to compose it.  Both of these software's would be educational for the students.  So overall designing with technology can be both educational and fun.

Looking at Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a way of sharing information through social media.  It allows for you to interact with others in a dialogue.  This is a great way of getting people to come together and socialize.  I also learned what "wiki" means.  It is a great way for having people get involved through a web tool.  I can see how it is somewhat different from blogging.  I like how you can leave a comment or edit anyone's posting.  On the other hand, its a collaboration of people's ideas and it can be erased by another person.

Social Bookmarking and Voicethreads are also both great web tools.  Social bookmarking is a way of getting what you want by research through more direct search engines.  You don't have as much trouble finding what it is that you are looking for when you research.  Voicethreads are a great tool because it shows many ways of multimedias.  It allows you to collaborate media with your voice.  This could be a great tool for handicap students.  This gives them an opportunity to voice themselves.

I really enjoyed learning these web tools.  I feel that I can utilize this in my classroom.  Instead of just using blogs the children can explore Web 2.0.  I will have the children social bookmark and do some voicethreads.

Copyrights

I am writing today to explain how I feel on a view subjects, copyrights, cyberbullying, and netiquette.
First the US copyright defined copyrighting is a form of protection provided by law of someones original work or authorship.  Copyright is usually done on music, videos, or movies.  This is cheating the owner's of their work because they are not being paid what it is worth.  Many people do this by downloading music for free or copying an illegal website.  Also they dub movies or DVDs and people resale them to make money.  All of these examples are not fair for the original producers.  They are being cheated and it is illegal to do so.  In order to not be copied illegally they should have permission of the rightful owner.

Cyberbulling is a very hateful thing to do to someone.  It happens on the Internet and is targeted by bullies.  Cyberbulling can happen through email or Facebook or other forms of public Internet websites.  It can do damage to the person that is being targeted.  I believe it is the worst thing that can happen to a person.  The cyberbullies do this in a coward way against people.  They don't need to answer to anyone and it can be done without ever facing the person.  I believe that if we as teachers should educate our students on cyberbulling it can prevent many targeted children.  We should explain how it can really hurt a person and make them feel worthless.

Netiquette is a program that can help correct your spelling.  In most phones they have spellcheck (T9) or when you type in a word they assume the word and it spells it out for you.  This can be a good thing or a bad thing.  Many people relied on this special feature and then they get lazy about knowing how to spell certain words.  On the other hand they can benefit from this because once they see the word spelled correctly a few times then they will learn it.

Everyone Spread Your Wings

Hello, My name is Melissa Moreno.  I am a single mother of two beautiful girls.  I always believed that I could accomplish anything in life, but when I became a single mother it seemed to be clear that there where going to be obstacles in front of me.  I had a different goal in mind and couldn't just think about what I wanted but what was best for my kids.  I started with writing all my goals on a piece of paper and writing next to it what it would take to accomplish it.  Slowly I checked off one by one, and now I have just to complete my degree.  I am very determined to get what I want in life and the best for my children.

One of the things that I feel that is important is technology in the classroom.  I believe teaching our children as much as possible is our job as teachers.  The way that I would incorporate technology in the classroom is having the children work with the classroom computers.  I would have them learn activities and games.  I would also use the overhead projectors to teach my children.  I believe getting them up to date with technology so they can use their knowledgement in their careers.

I have many goals in for this class just like I have for my life.  I hope to expand my education in the technology world.  I hope to become more aware of the software and data that technology has.  I hope to be able to take away the knowledgement of technology to teach my students.  As a educator and teacher I hope to be able to have resources in technology to teach my class successfully.  Also I hope to receive a grade and complete all the assignments to the full potential.