My Beliefs

My beliefs on the use of technology in the classroom are very closely linked to the lessons I have learned.  My beliefs have been surfaced because of the things I have learned through watching the videos, visiting the websites, and reading the posted material.
I believe that technology can be a great use in the classroom if we are willing to use it.  Through observing in the classroom over the past three weeks, I have realized there are so many teachers who have not had the privilege of growing up with such technology.  But there are so many teacher who, sadly, are not willing to learn more about it or use it in their classroom.  I believe that students will benefit greatly through the use of technology in our classroom.  They will be much more engaged to learn and will have the opportunity to find valuable resources through using updated technology.  They will also learn not to be afraid of technology like so many in the world today but, instead, will embrace it.

Lessons Learned

Through completing the readings, watching the videos, and visiting the websites.  I have learned that technology is all around us and much more a part of our lives than many people realize or care to admit.  Also, some of us who love the use of technology the most is our youth.  They have grown up in a world surrounded by technology that gets newer and better everyday and, instead of hiding behind it, they embrace it.
If us educators want to reach our students we need to find some way to implement technology into our curriculum.  Kids love this technology.  I feel that if we can include their types of technology and love it, they will learn to love the raw material as well.  I have also learned that this technology will certainly make my job as a teacher easier.  If I use new technology personally, I will be able to use and keep more files, work programs easier, and things will be much quicker.

Strengths and Weaknesses

As I reviewed the NET Standards and took both parts of the UNI Survey I was able to more fully learn my strengths and weaknesses concerning today's technology and how best work function it.
I realize that some of my strengths are following:

1. Demonstrating an awareness of resources for adaptive assistive devices for students with special needs.  I feel this is one of my strengths because I have personal experience in working with these resources.  Being diagnosed in High School with TBI after a serious car accident, I have had the opportunity to work with Assistive Technology centers and use several adaptive assistive devices such as various computer programs, a voice recorder, and more.  
2. Using World Wide Web sources to access information and analyze the authority, accuracy, currency, and relevance.  The various computer classes I have taken in school, including this one, have really helped me to excel in this area of expertise.  These classes have given me the knowledge and confidence needed to be able to create and operate web pages of my own.

Some of my weaknesses concerning technology in today's world include:

1. Describing and implementing basic trouble-shooting techniques for multimedia computer systems with related peripheral devices.  I do not know much, nor do I have any experience in implementing basic trouble-shooting techniques for multimedia computer systems with related peripheral devices.  This would be a great technique to learn.  I am interested in the possibilities this tool would give me in teaching my own class if I did have more knowledge and skills in this area.
2. Using spreadsheets to calculate and display information and produce meaningful reports to aid in problem solving.  I do have a little experience with creating spreadsheets.  I have worked with the program, Excel, many times.  However, every time I use this program I find more tricks to the trade of using it or hear about ways I can use if more efficiently if I had the required knowledge to do so. I would love to work with this program and similar programs more and learn how to properly use them.  

I would love to attend an on-line tutorial to learn more about how to describe and implement basic trouble-shooting techniques for multimedia computer systems with related peripheral devices.  I have located a web-page online that specifically tells you what trouble-shooting is and the purpose of it.  I am going to read and complete this tutorial so I can gain more knowledge on this subject.

I have also located an on-line web-page that has text and video tutorials to help some learn how to work Excel and the many tricks to understand the program completely.  I am really excited to learn more about this program through this web-page.  I know that programs like Excel are very beneficial to me and will be beneficial in my teaching career.    

Special Blog; Reflection of Service Learning Project

Clarissa Black

Service Learning Project Write-Up

The school we attended for our field experience was Park Elementary in Spanish Fork, UT.  We aided in a fourth grade class.  There are 20 students in the class consisting of 11 girls and nine boys.  The teacher we assisted is Mrs. Sherri Smithee.  Park Elementary is a Title One school.  All of the students are Caucasian.  Many of the students come from poor home situations.  The class is very diverse in their needs and abilities.  
Our relationship with our cooperating teacher is good.  She tries to give us positive feedback after our lessons we present to the class.  We have enjoyed observing her teaching styles these past three weeks.  Through our observations, we have noticed certain teaching styles we admire and would like to implement in our own future classroom.  As always, there are some teaching styles we have seen that we may handle differently in classrooms of our own.
Mrs. Smithee enjoyed the digital story we created and presented to the class in our lesson.  She has never seen a digital story presented before and was interested in how we constructed it.  Mrs. Smithee also enjoyed the lesson we completed to follow along with our digital story.  We constructed our digital story as an Intro-Content lesson for the unit we would be teaching the students.  The students were intrigued by the digital story and became excited to learn about the new lesson unit.  Mrs. Smithee also commented on the students’ excitement to learn more about the pioneers during this unit, because of what we introduced to the students in the lesson.
The training session with our cooperating teacher went well.  We met with her after our field experience the day we showed the digital story to the class and explained the steps of how to complete a digital story using PhotoStory 3.  This is the software my group member and I used to construct our digital story.  We also explained to Mrs. Smithee how we added our voices onto the digital story by speaking into a microphone and how we posted the digital story on the Internet.

This service-learning project was useful to me.  Because we explained to her how exactly we completed the digital story, it has helped me to be able to learn this process better myself.  We have to know the steps we took to complete the digital story in order to explain it correctly to someone else.  By explaining this to Mrs. Smithee, I feel that it will be easier for me the next time I complete a digital story.  

While completing her training in the Education program, Mrs. Smithee did not have the privilege of the use of such technology.  Therefore, she was interested in the types of technology and information we are learning now in this computer class.  She especially appreciated us explaining to her how to add files like the digital story on the Internet.  She feels this new information will be helpful to her in future teaching experiences.

Completing the digital story and explaining to our cooperating teacher the process of completing it has been beneficial for me because, as I stated earlier, it helps me to learn this process better ourselves.  I feel creating digital stories will become easier with practice, constructive criticism, and teaching it to others each time I complete a new story.  
The process of creating this digital story, and completing the service-learning project was difficult at times.  Some of the project was mastered simply by trial and error but, because of that, the process has been worth it and we have been able to learn from it.  We are learning from our mistakes and we are utilizing today’s technologies to better the educational experience for tomorrow’s children.  Our hopes are that we will be able to soon master the process of making a digital story, by completing more in the future.  For we would love to use this great piece of technology in our own classrooms in the near future.

10/21/10

I have really been enjoying my time in field.  I have enjoyed working with the students and learning from the teacher.  This teacher I have been observing does not apply a lot of technology in her classroom.  She will sometimes use her computer and play it through her projector to show the students information on the internet.  She also has a Doc that she uses quite frequently.  My field partner and I have also used the Doc to teach many of our lessons as well.  I have found it very useful.  I like that it can show simply on regular sheet paper.  This way, you can save the cost immensely on making copies of projector paper.
We also presented our digital story.  The kids enjoyed it, were engaged in the presentation, and became excited to learn our future material because of our digital story.  I feel that it was a special treat for the kids to watch the digital story because technology based material is not presented to them often.
My overall experience of field has been rewarding.  I have learned a lot through observing the teacher and students and teaching and working with the students.

19/25/10- Digital Stories

This week we learned some more about Digital Stories. 
It was really good to have a class dedicated soley to working on our digital stories with our partners.  It was really useful for my partner and I, as we were able to sort out our plan for our digital story and begin to put it together.  I am really excited to create this digitial story and be able to use it in the classroom as we begin our field experience this week.  I am looking forward to reading the student's reactions of our digital story when we present it.  I am anxious to see how well they will enjoy it, and if the digital story will trigger their interest on the subject as we are completing an Intro to Content story.
Digital Stories will be useful in my future classroom as well.  If my future students react well to them, I can increase my knowledge and expertise on them. Then, it would be neat to use them for many introductions to units, to get a major emotion and point across in a certain lesson, and many other purposes. I do feel that the students will react positively to digital stories.  I could even have my future students create a digital story of their own for a class project.  There are many benefits of digital stories, and I am excited to use them more and introduce them to my students.

10-18-2010 Copyrights

What?

• Today we looked up information about copyrights and presented our new knowledge to the class.

So What?

• I have been assigned to write close to 50 different papers in my college career so far, all of which required at least a minimum amount of research.  Due to the advancement in technology, when I am required to look up information, the first place I turn to is sites on the internet.  Through looking at the sites and learning the different material that was presented in class, I learned so much about copyright laws I did not even know existed.  There are laws in place for copyright that I, previously, have been close to break without even knowing it. I learned that there is so much about copyright laws that I should be much for aware on.

Now What?

•  When I begin teaching in the future, I am sure that many students in my class will be in the same situation that I was in before learning this the specific laws and requirements to copyrights.  Technology is such a major, necessary and beneficial part of our lives.  We use it everyday.  However, we are not educated everyday on HOW to use it and what is safe or unsafe.  When I begin teaching, I want to give my students the quiz that was mentioned and other lessons to  educate them on how to use technology in a safe manner.  This way they will not end up like me, in college and, until now, unaware of crucial copyright laws.

10/11/10- Storyboards

What?

• Today we had a presentation about Digital Stories.  We also learned about Storyboards and how to set them up in preparation to create a Digital Story.

So What?

• I feel that knowing how to create a storyboard is a very beneficial skill to have.  Setting up storyboards can be used to outline other things besides just a Digital Story.  They can be used as an outline for a paper, presentation, a skit, and other school related assignments.  If  I can master how to set up a storyboard outline quickly and efficiently, I can use this skill to complete many, various homework assignment that I have.  It would help me to keep my thought and outline of my assignment organized. 

Now What?

• This technology can be very beneficial to my future students.  If I, as a teacher, can master how to set up and create a storyboard, I can then teach this important skill to my students.  Just as I can use this technology now to complete a variation of homework assignments, when I become a teacher, I can have my students use this tool to complete their homework assignments and school projects.  It will be just as beneficial for them as it is for me now.  Also, this piece of technology can be useful for me as a teacher to collaborate with my future colleagues have I ever the need to create a group presentation of some sort with them.  For instance, if we, as a group of fourth grade teachers, needed to present a new  idea in a school board meeting, setting up a storyboard would be a great way to organize all of our ideas to create an orderly and informative presentation.

9/27 Class- Tools and Options

What?

• Today we learned a little bit about Vidcasts: what they are, the benefits of them, and how we can use them.  We also learned about some tools and options you can use to create a Vidcast of your own.

So What?

• The tool I am using for creating my vidcast is Photostory.  So far, from what I have experienced using Photostory, I have found it useful and quite easy to use.  It could be useful to edit pictures for my everyday life.  It will also be useful to use for video presentations, or presenting information, for classes.  I could use Photostory, which has as many or more applications and sometimes easier to use, in place of Powerpoint when presenting presentations.
• The option I am using for creating my vidcast is Intro-Content.  I really like using this options as a style of teaching.  Especially if  I were to use a Vidcast to introduce a new concept or unit.  I feel it would be a very good "hook" for the students to get them excited about the subject.

Now What?

• Using Photostory in my future classroom would be very beneficial.  I could use it to verbally present a new subject to the students including Intro-Content.  I think the students would enjoy experiencing this new technology and I could then impliment it into my classroom and have the students create projects using Photostory. 
• Because children in this generation have grown up in the world of technology, they are already extremely familiar with it and enjoy learning through using technology.  Most children feel confident with their abilities in technology.  I think if I were to have my future students do research and create projects, or even a biology of themselves, using Photostory, it would be a very entertaining assignment for them.

Week 4: Pod Casts

What?

• Today we learned how to create a Pod Cast using a Mac Computer.

So What?

• Getting the Pod Cast to attach to my Classroom Site page was confusing for me at first, but once I figured out how to link it properly to my site, I found the Pod Cast really interesting.  This is a good way for me to save information that is easier to learn through singing a song or a poem.  While studying for classes, I would sing a song with my study material into the Pod Cast, then play it back and sing along with it to better help me remember the information I am trying to learn.  Also, it is so good to learn these technology techniques to help me better understand what the internet and computers have available today.

Now What?

• Through learning how to make a Pod Cast, I am expanding my computer technology schema.  By doing this, I am also helping myself to be more accustomed to computers and what is available on them.  This will help in my future classroom because I can record information and play it for my students every day in class.  For instance, I can record a "Classroom Rules" song and play it in class.  Then myself and my classroom can sing along in class.  This would be a very fun and effective way for the class to memorize information.

Week 3

1. What?
• This week in class we learned how to improve our google site and add information to it.  We also learned how to type a "word" document, so to speak, through using google docs.  I learned that by so doing this, you can actually share your document so other people can view and add stuff to it.
2. So What?
• I really enjoyed learning everything that we did in class.  One thing I love about google sites is the calender application.  I now have a personal calender created just for me and  I can use that for my every day calender.  When I begin teacher, this is a great tool that I can use for me as the teacher and for my students.  Once I got the hang of sharing documents to people through google docs, I found it very useful.  I have already started using it for group work projects.  It is a great communication and correlation tool!  When I begin teaching, it will be a great way to communicate with my students with questions they may have and with my other colleagues.
3. Now What?
• I am learning that computers and technology can be nice to me if I am patient with it and willing to learn how to work it.  I have always avoided technology in the past...it used to scare me.  Even though I still get scared about things, I am learning that I do not have to be, but I can fix that and learn!  I can teach my students early on to be tech savvy so they will not be like me when they are grown.  I can also give my students group work assignments and have them use google docs to work with their other group members at home or at school. 

Week 1: Educational Hero

Who is my educational hero?

I have a few educational heroes.  One hero I have is my third grade teacher.  She taught me, even at a young age, that it can be fun and exciting to learn.  She taught me that even though it is impossible to know everything, we can LEARN and adapt to things around us.  She also taught me compassion.  This teacher took time to get to know her students individually.  She had a truly, kind heart.  She also had a unique way of making every student feel important. 

Another educational hero of mine is a college professor I had my first  and third semester here at UVU.  He is a math teacher, Max Aeschbacher.  I have never enjoyed math before, as every other math teacher I had in my previous schooling did not believe in me and one even told me I would never succeed at math.  Max, however, believed that I could be good at math and took the time to work with me, and all his students who asked for help, inside and outside of class.  As a result of this, I did extremely well in the class and found a new discovery and enjoyment in math.  I hold both these teachers on a very high regard.