When I began taking this Teaching with Computers course, I was convinced that I already knew much about creating a variety of documents on the computer and believed that this course was redundant for me.  However, now that I have finished most of the projects for this class, I have found that I learned many things that I probably would not have discovered on my own.

I especially liked working the web portfolio.  I gained a more complete understanding of how web design works and how user friendly it has become.  NVU is very easy to learn and work with.  However, NVU has many constraints that other web design software does not have, which was frustrating when I wanted to get more creative.  I bought Namo web design software a while ago, and now I feel more confident using it after I have taken this class.

I had very bad experiences with Microsoft Publisher in the past.  I was an editor for my church newsletter and the version we had was very difficult to work with.  The software would often freeze up and I had problems packing files to take to a print house for publishing.  It appears that Microsoft has greatly improved Publisher and added new options.  When I am a teacher, I would definitely utilize publisher for classroom newsletters and other classroom needs. 

My favorite project was creating my own webquest.  I have a great love of children’s books and think that any children’s book can be expanded into a lesson/activity.  I plan on creating webquests for my students when I teach not only to enhance their learning experience but to also to have them be more familiar with computers.

I am continually amazed at how children of young ages can quickly get comfortable using a computer.  My six year-old can sometimes maneuver around a website better than I can!  Computer technology should be a integral part of education.  However, I also believe that traditional aspects of language arts (writing/composition) and real life presentations and communication should also be taught.  Communication and expression through technology is a great concept, but I you do not have the basic abilities to create a coherent written piece, it is useless.  As Dr. Shufang Shi has said in class, “without people, computers are dumb”.

My teaching philosophy includes a reliance on technology to augment my lesson plans and an open mind.  Educational approaches have evolved much since I attended grade school and to be a successful teacher, I believe it is important to be flexible and willing to try new methods of instruction.