At the beginning of the semester I thought this class would be
a breeze and not be hard at all. I
actually found it challenging because it tested me in ways no other class
has. When there was a problem with one
of the links, a picture not showing up, or just figuring out what to create as
a project, it was up to me to fix the problems.
Of course there was help from classmates and thetas, but I took it on
myself as a challenge to fix it myself.
I thought it would be important to fix and understand all of the
mistakes I made because if I didn’t know how to do it now, I will not be able
to do it later on when I am a teacher.
The project I thought
was the most useful was learning how to use publisher to make brochures and
handouts. I didn’t know there was a
program that made it so easy to make something look so good. This is something I will utilize as a teacher
most likely all of the time. Making
handouts is important, along with newsletters to parents because it will inform
them about what is going on in class. The
publisher program also makes the documents look very professional.
I also thought
the one project that tested my knowledge about the computer and uploading is
the photo story. The photo story was the
most challenging for me. I have already
completed a website through Cortland for another class, so it was not new
information for me. The website was
actually the least of my worries for the semester. It was fun working on the photo story though
because I am the type of person that doesn’t know anything about
computers. When it comes to pictures,
music, and any sort of slideshow I am computer illiterate. This program made it so easy though and I can
see it being very useful for the future when I am a teacher. It will be a fun way for students to create
their own little photo story at the beginning of the year to introduce
themselves to the class and me. I think
it would be a great way for the students to get to know me and the things that
are most important to me. It is very
important to have a good connection between the teacher and students.
Everything completed in this class was 100% beneficial. I can see as a “teacher in progress” how to implement everything I learned in a classroom while I am student teaching, as well as when I become a teacher. I learned a lot of stuff I never knew how to do before, and I feel very comfortable with all of the programs, including the new Word 2007, Nvu, Microsoft Publisher, and Photo Story 3 for Microsoft.
Classrooms
in schools are becoming more high-tech with the different types of technology
they are incorporating in teaching. I
feel it is vital as an undergraduate student in education to learn about all of
the new technology now before I become a teacher. Finding ways to integrate technology into
other subject areas is not as hard as some people may think. Having students create a power point, or even
just navigate a webpage designed for them will help them become more computer savvy. Making lessons relatable to students is an
important task that can be fun, easy, and creative.