What does it feel like to learn about computer materials on the web?

     Personally, I think it feels pretty cool to learn about different computer materials on the web. My family was not very technological, and my old high school was not extremely technological, either. As a future educator, I knew that having a strong foundation in technology and learning how I could use technology in my class would give me the upper hand and make me the best teacher I could be. I worried in high school about being ready for college because I knew very little about technology. So, for me, learning about different technology that I've never heard of before is really exciting and new! I didn't know there was so much to do with technology!

How Can I Use Evernote in my Classroom?

     There are many ways I can use Evernote in my classroom. As opposed to using the traditional note-taking application on most computers, Evernote is nice because it keeps all of a persons thoughts and notes in one central location - that is protected by a login and password. I think it would be great to use this during class for kids to use to take notes in different classes and create different folders for each class on this website. Students are always losing their notes, but if they were on a website, they would not be lost! The one downfall, is that wifi is required to access Evernote. But other than that, I really liked this website!

How will I use Blog List in my classroom?

     I would use Blog List in my classroom by creating a list of blogs that my students could explore. There could be blogs for doctors, police officers, teachers, or just students. Students could read these blogs and learn about different professions or different experiences students from other areas of the world are having. After doing this, students could journal about what they learned. They could even follow a blog and journal about it for a span of two or three weeks. This would be great for students to start practicing writing skills and also learn about different options for their futures.

Where am I at on my iMovie Project

     We have not officially started our iMovie project, but we have created a plan and an outline of what we want our iMovie project to look like. We are both in practicums this semester, so we want to interview our coordinating teachers and ask them what creativity means to them. We are planning on having our interviews done this week, and to hopefully have most other parts of our iMovie done soon.

How Will I Use Video or iMovie in my Classroom?

     I think that using iMovie in my classroom is something that I will definitely do. In high school, I always enjoyed making videos and working with partners, but I also enjoyed watching videos in class and having movie days. I think that these activities not only bring the classroom together through laugher, but they also engage the students and educate them. I also think it would be fun to make a compilation of every class day, and then to make a video and watch the video as a class. I think students would think this is fun, and they would be engaged in the classroom because they would know they are being videotaped.

What is the Importance of Video

     Video is very important. Video allows people to capture moments in their lives that they will never be able to live through again. Because of video, however, people can watch their different experiences and relive the emotions that they felt while the event was happening. My parents have a video of my second birthday party, and although the video is only 10 minutes long, I still cherish it because my grandma is in it, and she is walking around and serving cake and posing for the camera. Now that my grandma is in poor health, I enjoy watching home videos and reminiscing times when she was in good health.
     It would also be fun to use the video in the camera and document the different things that students did each day. At the end of the year, students will be able to remember certain days in class and what they learned. It would also be interesting to see students' progress through videos!

Using Pixlr in the Classroom.

     I'm not really sure how exactly I would use Pixlr in the classroom. I think Pixlr would be fun to use during an activity where students have to upload pictures to a powerpoint or to a word document. I think that this website would be a fun place for them to get involved in editing photos, and I think students would enjoy changing photos and exploring the website.
     In my classroom, I think I would be more likely to use Pixlr as a reward for the students, or as an activity on a free day. I think that this would be a great way to let kids explore the different uses of technology, and have fun. What they learn in class, they could even do at home and use for other fun activities outside of the classroom, or just for leisure!

How to use Wiki and Google Sites in my Classroom

     I will plan on using Google Sites in my classroom by maybe having the students create their quarter and semester portfolios online. Students will be able to use upload images onto their portfolios and write comments about their work. They could even include sections on reflections about activities they liked and disliked. A con to using google sites in my classroom is that it is kind of complicated, and I would only be able to use it successfully with high school students, and maybe some middle school students.
     I will plan on using Wiki in my classroom so each student can learn from a lot of different sources. A site like Wiki is great because it allows everybody to contribute and a lot of information can be shared about a certain topic. It is a great way for my students to find a lot of information and different ideas. It would be fun to do a project in class and leave it up to the students to find a solution by using wiki.

My Spring Break

     I did not do much of anything during my spring break. I slept one day from 5 in the afternoon until 5 in the morning, and then woke up and slept again from 6-10. Although this may seem lazy, I was actually really happy about this because I was in much need of a good sleep. Also, I have never slept for 12 hours straight, so I guess it was a pretty remarkable feat. I originally had plans to go to Colorado, but those plans fell through. I am a poor college student and was not willing to pay for a trip to Florida, so I went to the lake one day. I live five minutes from Memphis State Park and Recreation Area (it is really close to Mahoney), and so one day I met with some friends from Doane and we went kayaking and paddle boating for the day. The water was cold, but nobody fell in, so it was okay. Then, we had a bonfire and cooked hotdogs and marshmallows. After this, everybody was starting to get cold so we went back to my house and played games and watched movies for awhile. I had a very relaxing break, even though it wasn't that exciting! But I like having lazy days, so it was all okay!

How will I use a document camera in my classroom?

     I will use a document camera in my classroom when I want to project things onto the board in my classroom. A document camera will be especially helpful when I am projecting things onto the board and I want to capture something without having to go back and forth between different objects or worksheets. I can easily take pictures of everything I need and then navigate back and forth between them.
     I could also use a document camera to do fun activities that would allow kids to play games. One kids could put a bunch of different scrabble pieces under the document camera and then the classroom could make words out of the random letters. I will definitely use the document camera in my classroom.

How can I use Presentation Software in my Classroom

     I will definitely be using this software in my classroom. I didn't realize that I could create custom hyperlinks within my powerpoint presentation. I think it would be great to use this in my class! I could create a powerpoint and share it with my students. My students could use the powerpoint show to practice and study, or do something fun during class. I like how the answers are not shown on the screen. I also like how all the answers are not on one slide so students can just check their answers and not have to think about the question at all. With powerpoint, students will be more incline to think about the answer, and check themselves after they come up with the answer.

What is the Basic Thing my Students Need to Know?

     I hope to one day teach high school Spanish, and there are some basic things that I would like my students to know. First, my students should know the different subjects in the American language. Probably the largest, and most difficult, part of learning Spanish and conquering all of the different verbs and different ways to conjugate them. It is important that my students have a good grasp on the different kind of subjects there are in our own language (Me, you, her, him, it, us, them, etc). Once my students understand that there are many different subjects in our language, it will be easier to teach my students how to conjugate verbs.
     Secondly, it would be beneficial for my students to have a basic understanding of verb conjugation. It would be nice for them to know how to conjugate verbs according to the different subjects for -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs.

How can I use Twitter in the Classroom?

     Personally, I'm not a big fan of using twitter in the classroom, but I do think its use, in moderation,  can sometimes be helpful. I think that I could do a class discussion on Twitter to gain a student's interest. I could also introduce my students to online chats just so they could get a feel for finding online resources. I think that managing the use of Twitter would be way more work than the benefit of using it in my classroom.
     As a teacher, I think that I will use Twitter to get ideas about different lessons and to just catch up on what is trending in the wide wide world of education.

My View of Social Media in Schools

     I personally am not a huge fan of using social media in schools. I think that for most of the time, students should be required to stay off of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I am more of a traditional learner, so I understand and value the use of paper and direct interpersonal communication. If given the choice to have a twitter discussion or a face-to-face discussion, I would want my students to to have a face-to-face discussion. I think the emphasis put on online discussion boards has had a negative affect on the way students communicate with each other and adults. 

     However, I do believe that social media is good for certain uses in the classroom. When wanting to learn a lot about a topic, I think that Twitter and Facebook are helpful, and efficient.

Why would I use SmartBoard in my class?

     I would use SmartBoard in my class because it makes learning fun and interactive for the students. I would use SmartBoard when teaching basically any subject. I think SmartBoard would be especially helpful when teaching math because I could take screen shots, print them off, and give them to my students for notes.
    I could also use SmartBoard in reading and writing to correct grammar during a whole-class discussion. I think that SmartBoard would keep students attention and make them want to participate. I think that it would be beneficial to students who miss class, or to special education students who can't see the normal whiteboard. I will definitely be using SmartBoard in my classes.

How young is too young to start blogging?

     I think that children can definitely be too young to start blogging. I think that having their names out in the wide world of the internet is not always safe for young children. I think that blogging should start in middle school when students can form sound thoughts and create good explanations.
     I don't think that anybody is too old to blog. I think that the older a person gets, the more they should blog because they could offer more advice to people who are younger than them. They could also offer insight for different life events or for different career choices.

What is the Purpose of the Teacher?

How can you use Survey Monkey in your classroom, or in your teaching?

     I can use Survey Monkey in my classroom to do fun activities when teaching math. It would be a good idea, I believe, to have all of my students take a survey online, and then we could graph the results as class. This would be a fun math activity that would allow my students to get experience graphing. I could also have my students make their own survey and share them with other students. The students could then have practice making their own graphs. This would be a fun exercise for students.
     I also believe that using Survey Monkey would be a good way to evaluate how my lesson went that day. I could create a survey that asks students how they feel about the topic, and if they understand. I could also ask my students how confident they are with the material. I could allow my students to leave comments on Survey Monkey as well. By doing this, I could see what my students understand, and what they don't understand. I could use these results to change my teaching style so more kids understand it during the next lesson.

How to Use Poll Everywhere in the Classroom

     Poll Everywhere would be a great thing to use in my classroom. I think it would be fun to do activities like we did in class because kids could learn how to create their own polls and respond to others. This technology is really interesting, and things like this could be used in my classroom to get kids excited for learning. I could even use a Poll Everything activity as a warm-up when students first get into the classroom to get them thinking and ready to start class.
     I think that using this website would also be a fun way to get kids to think creatively. I think that students would have a lot of fun trying to come up with questions. Students could even ask questions of me, as the teacher. This would be a fun activity to do early on in the school year because it would get the kids back in to the swing of things and it would also allow them to get to know each other better. A classroom where the students can connect and learn about each others' lives is welcoming and makes learning easier. I would need to make sure that my students are able to use the technology first. Working with special needs children might mean that some students can do the activity while others can't. After determining which students will need extra help with the activity, I think it would be a lot of fun and very beneficial.

My Aha Moment

     I have had many different "aha" moments that influenced my decision to become an educator. My first aha moment came in third grade, and it wasn't anything too special. It happened when my teachers was eating a snack in class. At that time, we couldn't eat during class, but I was really hungry. It occurred to me that, if I wanted to eat in class, all I needed to to was to become a teacher. So, in third grade I decided to become a teacher because I wanted to eat during class. But, I decided that if I were to eat in class, I would share with my students. This "aha" moment was not as legit as my second one, but it still got me thinking about a career in education.
     My second "aha" moment came when I was in high school. I really enjoyed going to math class, and I always thought that it would be fun to teach math. However, after taking three years of Spanish, I realized that I enjoyed Spanish a lot more. I'm not too keen on change, so I was reluctant to take the leap and realize that I didn't want to teach math anymore. However, by my senior year, I realized that I wanted to teach Spanish. After talking to my Spanish teacher, and being in her class on the first day of my senior year, I experienced my "aha" moment as I walked to my locker. I understood then that I wanted to be a Spanish teacher.
     Also during my senior year, I was asked to work with the Special Education classroom. After our first outing as a class, I had another "aha" moment and decided that I wanted to teach that as well. After all of these "aha" moments, I have finally decided to pursue a double major in Spanish and Special Education and strive to teach both!

How can I use QR codes in my classrooms?

     I will definitely use QR codes in my classroom. They are easy to use, and create, and they are helpful for finding different websites. I have been in classes before where the students use up half, or even more, of the time trying to find the website they will use, instead of actually using it. With QR codes, students could scan the code and be on the website in a matter of seconds! This would definitely be a time-saver!
     I would also like to use the QR codes in my classroom to allow students to explore the internet and their own computers or other devices in further depth. I think that students will be more inclined to learn if they use QR codes because it makes learning fun. Using QR codes are a lot more interesting than trying to find websites, doing worksheets, or searching for information in books. It would be cool to do a QR code scavenger hunt like we did today so my students could get used to using QR codes and become more technologically savvy.
     I will definitely use these in my class in the future!!

What Am Thinking About For My Project

     As of right now, I'm not really sure what I am going to do for my 20% project. I was thinking about maybe creating my own website that people could use to study things. I was considering looking into making an app, but I don't really how to create an app, so unless I figure out how to do that in a reasonable amount of time, that might not be plausible. I am trying to think of things that I could create now and use later when I have my own classroom. I would like to create a website that allows my students to study class material. I could also create an activity like we did in class on Thursday, and have my students discover different uses of the internet and their technology device. Computers have many functions that students don't even know about!

How Can I Use This in My Classroom?

     I can use all of the things that I did today in my classroom. Before this class I was kind of anti-technology, but after today I realize how fun and simple it can be to use. I would love to use blackboard in my classroom. I think that the group discussion feature is really cool. Often times, kids are reluctant to speak up in class, but I think that they would be more willing to share their feelings if they could type them out and not say them in front of the class.
     I also think that it would be fun to use the "Makey Makey" Application in my class because it would be fun way to teach kids about electricity and make them eager to learn. Especially when dealing with children in the special education classroom, this application would be fun and they would learn a lot while enjoying themselves. I can't wait to explore the different types of technology that I could use in my classroom!

What will the technology be like in my classroom in the future?

     The technology I will use in my classroom will definitely be different than the technology teachers use in the classroom today. Already in my lifetime, technology has progressed from using overhead projectors to using smart boards and apple devices. I think that in the future, technology will be even faster, and we will be able to maybe even control technological devices without having to physically touch them. Technology might even take the form of a hologram that will allow us to touch and change without having to use a computer monitor. Who knows, we might even be able to have hologram simulators that allow students to request a certain date, and be able to have a hologram/interactive picture of that time period appear and be available to them. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
     I also think that technology will become available to all students. I think that eventually, all students will be issued a school tablet or computer, and will be able to do more homework at home. I think that in fifty years, I-pads and other devices like it will be outdated. I honestly am not very technologically savvy, so I have no idea what crazy things could be created! Maybe a headset that could read your thoughts will be invented, and will sync directly to your computer! That way, you won't have to type anything into google, the computer will know exactly what you want! The way technology is developing in our country, anything could happen!

How can you use Sphere in your classroom?

     I think Sphere is a very interesting and entertaining app. There are many different ways that I could use the Sphere in my classroom (either Spanish or Special Education), but especially with Special Education. We could use the Sphere outside on sunny days, or on cloudy days to use later to analyze different types of weather. I could also use the Sphere to take pictures of a piece of scenery that is meaningful to the student. The student could then use the picture they took as a visual aid as they write a paragraph or an essay about the place that is important to them.
     Students could also use spheres that already exists and explore different places on the earth. If a student were to explore the ocean, or the Eiffel Tower, they could write about their experiences. It could be a good daily warm-up for students to choose a location on the Sphere app, explore it, and then write a paragraph about what they found. They could even go further and use imagination and think outside of the box. In history classes, students could even use the Sphere to find pictures of important monuments, like the ones in Washington D.C. The Sphere would be helpful in bringing interactive visual aids in to the classroom, instead of traditional photographs, or only descriptions. The Sphere could also be useful for older students interested in looking into colleges because they could see campus without having to physically go there (even though this may not be something I could use in my classroom, it would be a good resource for kids).
     Finally, this would be something to reward my students with after working all day. Students love technology, and sometimes they can be distracted by it. If I used it as a reward, it would not be as much of a distraction, and students work hard, knowing that they could work with technology if they do a good job.

What's Your Passion?

     As an education major, I would like to say that my passion is helping others and making a difference in people's lives. The videos said that passion is something that you are willing to put before all else. You might not always be happy, and you might even be unhappy when pursuing your passion because things will get tough, but having a passion is being willing to give up everything for your passion. Having real passion, is working only for what you love, and not worrying about anything else.
     This definition changed my passion from being about things such as 4-H and baking to volunteering and pursuing a degree in education. I absolutely love volunteering and making a difference for others. I love going into my community and helping those who are less fortunate, but it isn't always easy. It is hard to make the time to volunteer and find times for my difficult classes, but I know that the end result will be worth it.

Video #1 Reflection - You Matter

For this first post, I was asked by my Instructional Technology professor to watch three videos and reflect on them. I have separate reflections for the first to videos, and the last video. I also have a final reflection that demonstrates how I connected the different videos, and what they meant to me.

   

     The first and second videos were extremely interesting, and I also thought that they were wonderfully motivational. After watching these videos, I really felt like I could go out and change the world through kindness, and I want to remind myself to make everybody around me feel important. The first video talked about how the words, "You Matter" can change somebody's heart, mind, and life. We as humans were born to be of significance. We often are not told how appreciated we are, and since we don't hear how appreciated we are, we often times put ourselves down, and question our purpose and importance. In addition to not feeling appreciated, we do not tell others how appreciated they are. After hearing this, I realized how correct this statement was. I have always enjoyed being looked at straight in the face and told that I made a difference in somebody's life. Of course, it's always nice to think that if I hadn't been around, somebody would miss me, and something great wouldn't have happened without my contribution. We all like to think that our presence has made a difference and resulted in something fantastic. This video made me think of my mom. My mom is probably the most generous person I know. Every time we go to a nice sit-down restaurant, my mom always calls the manager over to our table and tells him how wonderful our waiter or waitress was, (unless they were absolutely horrible, of course). I always felt good after the manager smiled and the waiter or waitress thanked my mom for saying such nice things, but I never thought about how wonderful they must have really felt. Additionally, although my mother makes sure everybody around her feels appreciated, she herself is seldom praised, which is something that needs to change. Recently, I went to Walgreens to have some pictures taken for my passport, and the woman who helped me was quite introverted, but she was extremely helpful. So, I told her manager how great she had been and how easy she made the whole picture-taking process. The manager was very pleased, and I know that the woman was proud of herself when she heard what I had said about her. People that are in low-skilled jobs often feel like they don't have a purpose. They are usually just trying to make ends meet and they don't feel like their job is very important. Being complemented, and knowing that a person would not have had a good experience doing little things like eating at a restaurant or getting pictures taken, makes that person feel appreciated, and hopefully gives them motivation to continue being themselves and truly believe that they are making a difference in people's lives. By acknowledging others, people will continue to try and make even more of a difference in the world. Imagine a world where everybody was kind to one another and appreciative! How spectacular! However, simply saying that somebody matters isn't enough, a person must truly mean what they say and express why that person is valuable. If people know that they are noticed, they are more likely to start believing that they are true geniuses and that the world needs and appreciates their contributions. We must depend on others, and that is only possible if we trust that we will be noticed. We are lucky enough to have the pleasure of being able to make people matter, so why not do it?

     The third video intrigued me the most out of all the videos because it talked about passion-based learning. I always said that I am an education major because I have a passion for education. However, I didn't know what passion really meant. I love everything about education. I love the learning part of it, I love the friendship part of it, and I love the fact that students can discover so many different things all in one day! I've wanted to be a teacher for a long time. I'm willing to work very hard to become a teacher and nothing will stop me from completing my goals. Passion is about doing what you must do. It's about caring for something so much that you have to do it. When you can't rely on anything else, you will still somehow endure and continue on because you still need to be there for your students. Passion is beyond personal agendas, it is about teamwork and collaboration. Passion makes us care. We can't create passion, it is expressed implicitly, but when we ask the students we teach what matters to them, that is caring about them and increasing our passion, and that is the essence of teaching with passion-based learning. As an educator, it is essential that I provide times for passion to be nurtured and thrive. I need to find out what matters to my students so I can integrate a passion for learning in them. Passion is the key that opens the doors liberates genius. I absolutely loved at the end of the video when one of the speakers stated Mr. Rogers quote, "Every student deserves to have a teacher filled with passion stand in front of them and in their presence everyday." This video was riveting. It made me realize that education is my calling and that I can make a difference.

     These videos were outstanding! After watching them, I can't wait to start my career as an educator and make a different in children's lives. I always wanted to make a difference. At one point and time I wanted to be a doctor because I wanted to save lives, but I realize that educators can make just as much of a difference is somebody's life. I realize that through encouragement and acknowledgement, people's lives can be changed. I also can't wait to demonstrate my passion in the classroom and make children passionate about learning and their own interests. I want my students to be confident, disciplined, dedicated, and willing to work with others. These videos display two qualities that all teachers should have. I can't wait to further my knowledge about education and all the things that go with it so I can be the best educator I can, and make a difference in the lives of my students.

Introduction to Blogging

     My name is Ronnie Brust. I am a freshman from Ithaca, NE. I am a Spanish and Special Education double major. In my free time I enjoy working with animals (especially sheep, goats, dogs, and chickens), working on 4-H projects, baking, running, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends. On campus, I am involved in SEA, DAEYC, Sertoma, the Hansen Leadership Program, the Honors Program, Spanish Club, and SPB. I also volunteer on Thursday nights at the ESL program at Crete Elementary School. I am majoring in Spanish and Special Education with a Secondary Education endorsement. I am interested in education because I have liked it since I was in fifth grade. I think it is amazing that one student can learn so many things in one day. I believe that free education in our country is something that many people take for granted and I would like to make education as wonderful as it can be and spread it to as many people as I can. I have always loved giving back and I really want to make a difference in the world.