Blog #13

Readings:
From the first reading, I really liked how a teacher used a discussion forum for the class. What I liked most was that students were able to communicate and comment on weekly topics. The teacher made it easy for the students to connect with each other about their schoolwork. I also liked how there was a search mechanism for students to be able to find the things they need quickly and effectively. At the end of the article it lists the cons of web pages and databases. I would definitely agree that it could be really frustrating to not have the support in order to create these web pages.
From the second reading, I really liked how the author made a comment about how teachers are eager to learn new classroom ideas. I think that it is important that teachers are making sure that they are practicing current technologies in the classroom and most teachers that care about their students and what they are learning, are willing to except new technologies and implement them in the classroom. I also agree with the article that the three "Rs" are outdated for today's students because they don't address the skills they need for today--such skills as evaluating, organizing, and managing information, just to name a few.
From the third reading, I really liked how the author gave examples of classroom activities and really showed how easy it is for students to work with a database. Databases are great ways for students to learn critical thinking by categorizing, classifying, comparing, etc. The students are able to take classroom data and apply it to their databases. The students are able to communicate with each other about schoolwork (as in the example about books in the article.) Databases are a great way for students to be organized and use their skills on a computer.
Databases:
I really enjoyed learning about databases in the classroom. It was easy and a great way to organize and classify information. Databases can be used for multiple different assignments or projects. I could definitely see databases being used for science, especially science projects. Instead of coming up with your own graph or chart and estimating what it should like, databases give you precise information on a graph for you.
I can also see databases being used to organize information statistically. Databases would be great for surveys, lists, or other information gathered from a large amount of people. Databases are really easy in that, with a simple click, you can make an amazing graph. The database that we used on Wednesday was really great because it can be used by students without them getting bored with it. That database offered great features that let you play with colors and symbols. I can really see that database actually being used because it is kid-friendly. I also liked how the database gave you options--you didn't have only one graph or chart to chose from. I was able to play with the different graphs and see which one I liked the most and which one relayed the message I was trying to send through picture. Overall databases are really easy to learn and a great way for students to organize their thought visually.

Filamentality

I labeled my last blog the wrong thing. It was late,I was tired.

Wiki Assignment

http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listbellabe.html

Please give me feedback if you can. I am having trouble making my links work all the time.

Blog #11

I thought the article this week was very interesting because it dealt with the issue of race and class and how it effects the use of technology in the classroom. It would be nice if we could got placed in a school with advanced technology but that is not always the case. We must be ready for any job and do the best we can.
It is our job to make sure that we use our resources to their fullest potential. One thing that can potentially inhibit children's learning experience through technology is the location of the computers and the accessibility. Computers should be easily accessible to students not just the teacher. If there are not enough computers than teachers can take this opportunity to do group work or pair work by taking turns.
Teachers must also evaluate the software and make sure that is meeting all student's needs. I thought that this was a really good point because there are so many different types of learners who have different backgrounds. It is important for teachers to make sure that the assignments that use technology address the needs of all students of all diverse populations.

This week we learned about wikis. I think wikis are great. They are a great source of information on any topic. Valuable resources are added constantly making this a great way to research. As a teacher we can use them to research ideas for the classroom. For our students, we can create creative assignments for them using wikis. We can also advise our students to use wikis for research helping them with their homework or classroom assignments. Wikis are a great way for students to collaborate together on projects. Instead of working on their assignments solely in the classroom, they are able to go home and work on them together.

Blog #9

I found the midterm both easy and difficult. I was really nervous about it because I am not very good on computers, but I found that once I let my nerves settle I was okay. The most difficult parts of the midterm were the inspiration and remembering urls. I did not even think about remembering all of the urls. Unfortunaltely that was two points taken away from me , which is kind of alot on an assignment that is worth 30 points. The inspiration portion of the assignment took the longest because I made it to small the first time and I wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for.
The easiest parts of the midterm were writing about powerpoint and writing formulas. The powerpoint was easy for me to remember because she gave us examples of bad powerpoints in class and I was able to remember why they were so bad by visualizing them. I also thought the formulas were easy because I memorized them and we had recently done an excel assignment. I had a feeling those would be on the midterm.
Overall I felt pretty comfortable with the midterm. I thought it was fair--it wasn't too easy or too difficult. I really wish i would have memorized the urls, but oh well, nothing I can do now. I surprisingly did better than I thought, which means I'm learning so that , I am happy about.