Web Conference July 2nd

I set up to attend the web conference on July 7^th but due to an emergency the conference was not held.  I really did not have any questions about the assignment but I wanted to ensure that I attended to clarify if it was anything that we may have missed.  I watched the recording on July 2, 2012 at the link http://lamar.adobeconnect.com/p7jk7vntrlb/.  This was an informative web conference.  This conference talked about the reflections that are due for the course.  I had questions about some of the information that needed to be submitted during the previous week and Dr. Abernathy answered the information.  I do hate that I did not get to actually attend any of the web conferences but having them recorded helped me with completing my assignments.

Web Conference June 16th

The web conference is a good tool to record for students to look back on for clarification.  I watched the taping on June 16, 2012 on through the link http://lamar.adobeconnect.com/p22tw8cy0an/.  I like the way that Dr. Abernathy was able to go over the questions and answer as needed.  I feel that the web conferences help personalize the course and give a better fell of the traditional classroom.  Before watching the conference I was confused on whether we were to complete our podcast with a partner or just get input from our partner.  I learned of a new tool call sugarsync.com.  I plan on using this tool and dropbox.com to send large files to my colleagues.  

Web Conference June 4th

I watched the recording of the web conference that took place on Monday, June 4, 2012.  The link to the recording is http://lamar.adobeconnect.com/p3ua3kmo10e/.  I was unable to attend this conference due to my work schedule but I felt it was important to view to see if any of the questions I had were answered.  The conference went fairly smoothly considering it was the first of the course.  There were some technical difficulties with the audio but Dr. Abernathy was still able to answer the questions that asked.  I experienced some of the confusion that other in the classroom did such as the reading needed in the classroom, are we to complete discussions for the class and assignments that were outdated. I was not sure about week ones digital story assignment but I know that because I viewed this discussion it helped me organize what I needed to successfully complete this course.

Making the Movie

Making the Best of It!

Here is my story of my first deployment overseas with the U. S. Air Force.  This is a time that i will never forget.  As part of the assignment we were to tell a digital story using photos and narration. I used Photo Story 3 to create my story with music then uploaded to movie maker to attach to youtube.   I will use this format again there were some glitches I ran into doing this but I can see the potential.

Teaching with Technology Week 5

Week 5

     This weeks reading did not include as many articles as the previous weeks.  I enjoyed reading the lesson on reinforcing effort and how to use the data to motivate students to continue to learn.  Success is not always achieved on the first attempt, reinforcing effort can help the students understand that some things will take practice and determination.  The idea of having the student track their practice and participation to show how effort equals to success is something I never thought about.  I think at times we do not give student the credit about how much they can understand in relation to their learning.  I will definitely use the idea of student tracking to motivate my students in the future.  

     This is the last week in the teaching with technology course and just like the others I have learned many things.  This is one of the courses I look forward to taking and I was not disappointed.  I have learned many new Web 2.0 tools and new methods for teaching and motivating students. I truly understand how students can learn from others even when not in the same area because I have learned many things from my fellow group members although we have never spoken on the phone or in person.

Soloman, G & Schrum, L.(2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 99-116

Teaching with Technology Week 4

      This week reading focused on professional development and student cooperative learning. I really found the lesson on professional development helpful because I feel that this is an area that our teachers need more support in. Technology may not be new to all teachers but I feel a significant majority do not have the knowledge or confidence to actually integrate technology in the classroom outside of assigning a word processing assignment. Web 2.0 new tools new schools talks about how the norm for professional development is a one day class with an expert who show you the product and then leaves (Solomon, 101). We are taught that when we introduce students to new information we should still go back and allow them to practice to ensure that they have the full understanding. Is it that because we are teachers that does not apply to us. When you attend a professional development class, the Instructor (Expert) is the teacher and the attendees are in the role of the student. Should we not have a chance to practice or the opportunity to ensure that we understand the information given? The reading helped me take a different perspective of how I feel professional development should be handled. It should not just be a mandatory thing but something that engages the participants. Part of the reading and videos discussed the learning environment of the student. It is important for students to work together to accomplish a common goal. Technology helps to make this easier for all kind diverse learning groups. Using the information learned in the previous weeks on UDLs, using wikis and other Web 2.0 tool, there is a wealth of knowledge that students can create new and creative things if we allow them to. When reading some of the reading it helped me come up with ideas to engage my students and encourage group activities. There are a lot of people who prefer to work independently rather than groups but if they are motivated and understand the purpose of the assignment, they may learn more than they imagine. Soloman, G & Schrum, L.(2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 99-116