EDU 314 has helped me grow a lot over this semester.  First and foremost, this course has helped me improve my technology skills tremendously.  I came into this course thinking I knew a lot about computers.  I was very wrong, I knew only the basics.  I have gained an abundance of technical knowledge from this course.

      I now know how to create a website and publish it to the internet; I know how to create and design a web-quest; I know how to utilize the print-screen button; I know how to edit images quicker and easier in paint, and how to save them in different sizes (jpeg, etc.); I know how to create a brochure and how to create a Power Point presentation in the 2007 office program; I know how to create a story using only pictures, captions, and music;  and I know how to make a fun puzzle for students.

      I have mastered Nvu, WS_FTP, and paint.  I have become more comfortable with programs like Microsoft Power Point 2007, Microsoft Publisher, and Photo Story 3.  I would still really like to master all those programs in addition to programs like Adobe Photoshop, which we did not get to work with. 

      This course has also helped me grow by helping me to improve my public speaking skills.  I used to hate giving presentations and usually got really nervous and anxious before-hand. For this class I had to present three times, twice with a group for group projects and once by myself for the final presentation of my ePortfolio.  I also had to get up in front of the class and teach how to use the print-screen button and edit a picture, and I did fairly well.  As the semester progressed, I got less nervous before presentations. Now I’m not scared of speaking in front of people. 

      I really had a lot of fun creating the initial ePortfolio, the web-quest, and the photo story.  When I first created the website, it was all new to me.  I really liked that I could put my work on the internet with such ease.  I liked creating the web-quest because I got to incorporate my favorite subject, history.  The photo story project was also a lot of fun, because I got to make it about whatever I wanted.  I chose to make it about my friends and family.  Photo Story 3 and Nvu also let me get creative and change colors, fonts, and add pictures, which I enjoy.

      The only frustrating experiences I had in EDU 314 were when I couldn’t get some of my pictures to upload to the internet correctly.  Oftentimes, my pictures were in the wrong folder so when the internet went to access them it didn’t work.  With trial and error, I eventually got them all working correctly.

      This course will really help me in my future teaching.  Because of this course, I now will be able to help my students create websites, Power Points, puzzles, brochures, web-quests, and photo stories.  I feel like I am much more prepared for teaching students anything technological.  I have really enjoyed this class and am very grateful for all the knowledge I have gained.