Another Video

The Role of Technology in Education and Learning

Using technology in the education world is critically important for teachers and students. There is so much more to technology than just the Internet and I have enjoyed learning about all of the tools that are available. Students are so excited about using technology and usually know how to use it better than most adults. The great thing about technology is the fact that it can be used to reinforce almost any lesson learned in the classroom. Technology can be used to teach any school subject from math to art. It allows students to use their imagination and be creative. Tools such as the Smart Board are innovative ways to get students to interact with technology. Using tools that the Smart Board will make students want to share with their parents what they did at school. I also believe that it will give them something to look forward to. Although I am all for integrating technology into the classroom, I think there is a balance that must be made. J.K. Rowling once said, " Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." Technology will fail every once and awhile and we should not become completely dependent on it. That doesn't mean we should not use it at all. We have a duty to teach our students skills that they will need for life- and being able to use technology is one of those skills. Technology is a great tool, one that I hope to learn more and more about as time goes on.

Class Reflection #10

I was thinking about my time in the second grade classroom I realized that I never really saw them interact with technology at all. I never got to see their computer class. I walked by the lab once, and they had fairly new computers but I never got to see them work with technology of any kind. Next year I am going to make it a point to observe the computer lab and to see what kind of programs the students are using. Maybe because of this class, I can help students discover new technology that is available to them.

Class Reflection #9

My final day in the classroom was sad and rewarding at the same time. I did not realize how much I enjoyed being in the class and watching and interacting with the students. I wish that I could stay with this years students for the remainder of my student teaching! They were a really well behaved class and I enjoyed watching them. At the end of the day, the students said blessings over me and said a really sweet prayer over me. It was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I am forever changed by my experience in Miss Hill's second grade class!

Class Reflection #8

Today during class, I heard about the flip camera. I looked it up online and I think it would be an amazing tool for the classroom! It is a really small video camera that has a USB plug in. Students could make videos and easily download them onto school computers. They are affordable for a video camera and have endless uses. I'm thinking of investing in one and applying it to my new learned knowledge of iMovie.

If you want more information on the flip camera, click here

Class Reflection #7

I know that I've said it before, but I really am glad that I got to student teach in second grade. Looking back at this semester I know now that I want to teach second grade. I always thought that I wanted to teach kindergarten, but after doing my student teaching in the second grade I think I would like to teach it someday. Since they already know how to read, the teacher is able to do fun activities with the students. I love working in reading groups with the students and the fact that I don't have to work on their reading with them but their comprehension of what they are reading. I also find that the second graders are able to control their behavior (for the most part) and are able to sit still for a longer period of time. I'm just glad that I had this opportunity to see what goes on in a second grade class!

Assignment #5

Learning to use iMovie was one of the hardest things that I have done. Going in to this project, I had never used iMovie and was looking forward to becoming familiar with it. Before I had made the final decision to do iMovie for my final project, I went on the Apple website and found information on how Apple is designing programs, such as iMovie, that can be used in the education world. In addition to programs like iMovie, Apple has downloads available to anyone that can be used for students in the classroom.
Although iMovie is difficult to use without previous instruction, it can be a really useful tool. I researched ways in which it had been used in the past and I was amazed. Students have been taught how to use this tool and have created movie projects on famous people or issues. Students have also written and illustrated their own stories and have created a video of their story. Students can import film from a video camera or record audio clips to add to their presentation.
As I learned to use the program, I had to learn to use other applications as well. To import a YouTube video, I had to learn to covert it to a movie file. I used a website that allows you to covert files for free (www.vixy.net). In iMovie, I had to learn to use different features such as media (music, photos, animation, etc.), editing tools, audio recording and importing, and creating and importing video taken by iSight. The project I created by using iMovie does not cover half of the things that iMovie can do.
This project took many hours and caused a lot of frustration. I feel much more comfortable using iMovie now that I’ve worked with it. There is still a lot to learn, and with technology that will always be the case. We can’t know everything. But I feel that it is important to make the effort, especially for those of us who wish to become teachers. We are going to be expected to teach our students technology and to include it in our teaching lessons. I feel that this class has helped me to become more comfortable using technology. At the same time, it is hard not to feel overwhelmed. Each day there are a million more things to learn- and it won’t ever stop.
I’m glad that I chose to do iMovie for my final project. It was definitely a learning experience that required a lot of hard work and a lot of hours. I really think that if I have the opportunity, I could put it to great use in the classroom.

The Classroom in 5 Years

To be honest, I haven't a clue of how the classroom will look in five years. It seems to me that the education world is changing daily and more and more technology is being brought it. I know for sure that Smart Boards will become a common thing- and I guess that they already have (for schools that can afford them that is). You hear people talking about creating schools where the lesson is broad casted through some sort of media device so students can access it from any location. I hope that this does not happen. I think the student to teacher interaction is still really important. Technology is a great tool, but I do not believe that it should replace the teacher completely.
As a teacher, I think it would be great to have all of the fun technology tools that are available. I love programs like Kidspiration and tools like the SmartBoard. There are so many great resources for teachers and for students on the Internet- and it would be so great to have a computer for every student. Again, I still strongly believe that students should be able to survive without help from technology. However, the direction we are headed in appears to be one that relies fully or mostly on technology. My fear is, what if it all fails? There will always be malfunctions and we need to have the skills to be able to function without our computers or cell phones or the like. What kind of teachers would we be if we did not prepare our students for real life?