Week 15 Assignment

#1:

• Blogs: I learned that blogs are a way to publish your work so that you have a broad audience. It helps students to realize that they can reach the world.
  
• Google Docs: I had no idea that Google had free software for creating all sorts of documents and presentations, forms and surveys and even websites. All of it is connected to your Gmail account! It's really useful.
  
• Picasa: I used this on my mission trip over spring break to share photos from the trip with all of my friends!
  
• Podcasts & Vodcasts: I learned that there is a whole community of teachers out there trying to educate other teachers about technology and all sorts of other things. I also learned that making a podcast is not so difficult.
• YouTube: I learned that YouTube is more than just entertainment. It's a place where you can post your projects and your thoughts and ideas. My mother was watching lessons about Algebra the other day because she's going back to school and she needs a refresher. It blows my mind that all she had to do was look it up on YouTube!
  
• PLNs: I learned that maintaining a Personal Learning Network is importantif you want to be a life long learner and the best educator you can be.
  
• Twitter: I learned that I hate Twitter and find very little use in it. If people want to tell me these things, they can text me or facebook me. I don't care to follow strangers.
  
• Comments4kids, Comments4classmates,& Comments4teachers: I learned that there is a whole network of educators and students on the internet that are willing to post their ideas and their thoughts in order to benefit others.
  
• iTunes & iTunesU: I learned that iTunes has an educational component that is opening up possiblities for the future of education.

#2: Something I would have liked to learn in this class, but did not, would be how to use a promethian board.
#3: There is nothing in this course that I regret learning. Google Earth was hard for me to figure out, but it is a useful tool. I hope I master it someday.
#4: This class did excite me. There were times when it was a pain to figure out these tools, but I am so glad I did. I can't wait to walk into my first job ready to use technology to enhance my students learning environment. I really like the idea of blogging. I also found out that Billy Collins (poet) has made some of his poems into videos. Maybe other poets have too. As a future English teacher, I can see a lot of potential for technology in my curriculum.
#5: I think that being an independent learner and teaching myself how to use Voicethread and Google Docs and Google Earth was "intellectually challenging."
#6: I was bored some days when we were sitting in class doing work and I was trying to do something, but I couldn't figure it out and the teacher was busy. Honestly, I got on facebook during these times to cheer myself up.
#7: Since I am allowed to say it, I will. I didn't feel overworked in EDM 310. There was a lot thrown at us in the beginning of the semester, but after that, it all leveled out. I completed each week's assignments in less than an hour or two.
#8: I would say I am somewhat tech literate after taking this course. There is so much more that I could learn.
#9: In order to improve my tech literacy between now and the time I graduate, I plan to keep up with my PLN and continue to mess around with programs on my computer so that I can use them well.