Reflection

Once upon a time in a classroom in Sperry Hall, there was a block class full of students trying to become teachers. They had projects and papers, observation hours and lesson plans too, but they worked all semester to make it through. In this class of hopeful teachers there was student named Tricia. Tricia worked hard all semester to get all of her projects and papers, observation hours and lesson plans done by the date they were due. In EDU 314 there were 8 projects to do and Tricia had fun learning new programs and procedures that will help her as a teacher. The first thing this far away class learned in EDU 314 was to work together as a team and always be ready to help. Our first project was to create a website and an ePortfolio. We used Google free sites to create our website and NVU to create the pages for our ePortofolio which both link to all of our projects. The Google site was easy to use and Tricia picked up the skills required quickly. After she mastered her skills at creating websites she had to create another website for an elementary school. This project helped all the students realize all of the aspects that are needed for a successful website as well as all the work that goes into a school and how it functions. The hopeful teachers held their heads high and soared through each project that their teacher Shufang Shi threw their way. They created puzzles and handouts and word acrostics and web quest and brochures on an array of topics. The one student Tricia used the topics of St. Patrick’s Day, Earth Day, Names, Mysteries and Resorts on the Moon! She worked hard with each new program she was taught to use. From Microsoft Word and Microsoft Paint to Microsoft Publisher there were bumps along on the path to Teacher-hood. But Tricia held strong to her dream to become a teacher. One of our final projects was a Digital Story Telling Project we used Photo Story 3 for Windows to create our Digital Story. This project was the hardest for Tricia to overcome. While she had fixed broken links and uploaded pictures for projects before, the Digital Story was a dragon to slay. From difficult saving procedures and ripping music from CDs it was hard for Tricia to figure how this dragon would be slain. But with the help of her fellow classmates Tricia quickly picked up the skills to successfully create, save and add music to her Digital Story. Tricia conquered her dragon and flew through the course. This far away class was a very important step on the way to her future. Learning all of the new technology and procedures will help Tricia in the future to create work for her students and relate to them on a move technological level. All of information she’s learned will help her teach her students in a cross-curricular manner. Each project the block class full of students trying to become teachers completed could be used in the classroom with elementary school students. Tricia was pleased with all the progress she made within the class. With the help of her peers she completed each project and was ecstatic each time she finally overcame an obstacle. Tricia has grown into a more competent technology user and has gained skills in web design and computer programs that she never would have gained without the help of her professor Shufang! Working alone and in small groups allowed the far away class learned valuable skills that they can use in the future. And the use of technology will benefit each class that they teach in the future. So with all 8 projects complete the far away class of future teachers lived happily ever after!