Blog #6

I chose to evaluate Mr. Bragg's 5th grade classroom at Butteville Union Elementary School website: http://ericbragg.wix.com/butteville
On the home page there is a huge photo of his fifth grade class, a brief description of "Mr. B", and pictures of their classroom projects. As you navigate the site you can see a page that is dedicated to projects. There is another tab where it gives you information of how to get involved. The next tabs have resources, photos and contact information.

I envision myself using classroom websites to get information out to my students' parents and to show pictures of our creative projects. I would also use educational websites as study aids and as an interactive way for my students to learn the course material. According to the podcast, traditionally teachers used to have to go to conferences and conventions to promote professional development but with technological advances teachers they can gain these professional advances while being more efficient and effective.

 I gained a lot of new skills from working on the Wiki. By coming up with a form to evaluate websites it helped me to learn what I should be looking out for when I use sources in my own education. I also enjoyed working as a group. It was great to collaborate on this project and to see the finished product when we all put our work together.

Blog #5

Web 2.0 materials are very helpful in the classroom. There many different options and countless possibilities when it comes to using them for educational purposes. They are very useful because they help students interact with each other and collaborate on projects. Many of these tools can be accessed through the internet so students can use these programs on computers.

An interesting Web 2.0 tool that I found was Kidblog. This allows students to create their own blogs while the teacher has complete control of the site. It enables elementary and middle school students to create their own blog while in a safe environment that is monitored by the instructor.

Another reason that Kidblog is great is that it is very user friendly. It's simple structure makes it very easy for students to use. This is aspect is very important because not all students have the same abilities when it comes to technology so it is very important that they can use it. You can find out more information at http://kidblog.org/home/

I really enjoyed making the concept map. It was a great experience because it introduced a new way for me to display information. Concept maps ate a great way to organize ideas and arrange thoughts. Since, there are many different types of learners, teachers have to explore different ways of displaying facts and key ideas. I think that if I was used to the program, I would have made a better map. I definitely have room to improve.

Blog #2

As a student I've used Microsoft Word for almost every assignment that has to be typed or turned in electronically. I'm fairly certain that I have been using it since elementary school. It has almost become a staple for the classroom. Specifically, I use it to write essays, customize projects, and even to make flyers. In my high school Introduction to Information Technology class I got my certificate in Microsoft Word. I also notice that my teachers use Microsoft Word. They use it to write their syllabus, make study guides,  and handouts.

In my experience I have never run into any problems with copy right and fair use. I always try my best to cite my sources and give credit where its due. However, I know that I still need to be cautious when using other people's work to enhance my own rather than to steal their ideas. The best way to stay away from plagiarism is to always cite your source. As a teacher, I would distinguish what is considered fair use. For instance, if I was making a profit from someone else's intellectual property I would be violating the principle of fair use. According to the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education using certain copyrighted material can be acceptable due to the fact that it was used "in the educational setting."

I gained new skills by creating my Twitter account. It allowed me to connect with my instructor and classmates through an easy to use and innovative medium. I think that my new knowledge on personal learning networks can help me in my future career as a teacher. It is a great way to communicate and share ideas. Also, it is very helpful when it comes to critiquing and collaborating on assignments.