You Tube- Smartboard Basics

I LOVE smartboards. The smartboard gives teachers as well as students a variety of possibilites to create and interact with lessons. What used to be a hassle and a time consuming activity for teachers can now be done with a touch of a finger. I also really like how students and teachers can write on the board and bring up links and pictures. The smartboard is very technologcially advanced but should be learned by everyone. If all teachers watched a 2 or 3 minute video of smartboard basics, they could learn how to interact not only with their students but enage their students in the learning process. I also feel that students could incorpate their own knowledge and experience with the smartboard to create presentations.

Top News

This article really showed the importance as well as the growing number of schools as well as teachers who are not only showing videos using VHS or DVDS but through websites. Students are very digitally advanced and they faster they are growing, the more that teachers are going to need to do to engage them. Also, many schools are giving students the ability to students to edit and create their own films. By giving students the chance to make their own videos will potentially help them understand the concepts in their own way. If students make their own videos and then show other students, maybe they can help other students understand the concepts as well. Also, students can be given some responsibility as well as some freedom in creating the videos. In this day and age, videos are important.

4 Generations: The Water Buffalo Movie

The purpose of this movie was the show how a video can used to show the importance of a message. The message that was revealed from the movie was: send $ 250 in China and give a poor family a water buffalo. However, this was not a true statement, and the message just wanted to show what could be done to help poor families in China. The viewer of this broadcast wanted to help and acutally find, fund, and donate this water buffalo to a poor family in China. Having a water buffalo to help with the farming could really help these families. A water buffalo could work up to 15 years and if butchered could feed a family for 6 months. It was amazing to watch this water buffalo being delievered to this poor family and watch the 4 generations see this unexpected gift being given to them. At the end of the movie, I couldn't believe that message sent through a video had provided a family that consisted of a great grandmother, grandmother, father, and young daughter. To hear them say how much this inexpensive but large gift meant was completely heartwrenching. The message was overwhelming and was powerful.

Tools for TEKS: Integrating Technology in the classroom: podcasting

This article was written to describe the true definition as well as the benefits of podcasting. I like the idea that podcasting can allow students who do not just want to write for their teacher to have an outlet and another way to express themselves. The article defined podcasting as uploading audio and video files onto the internet.The article was also beneficial by showing the links for classroom podcasts that could be used in the classroom. The article mentioned the benefits of podcasting and one that is very important is the fact that podcasting is cheap. Many schools do not have the monetary advantages as others and since this is cheap, schools can have the same resources as others. I really like that the article mentioned that podcasting is digital storytelling. Students need to know that they can have the ability to write and share their stories with others on the internet. Instead of always writing for or to the teacher, they now have the ability to write towards others. I also really appreciated the first sentence in the conclusion, "We need to get serious about educating today’s digital natives for the digital knowledge landscape of the twenty-first century".

Social Bookmarking Site

http://www.mockatoo.com/index?collection=Educational+Technology+Websites&uri=%2Fmockatoo%2Fitem%2Foverview

What is RSS?

This article is a great resource for people who are just beginning to use the term RSS and subscribing to a reader. The article outlines the process of how to sign up and basically gives a definition that anyone can understand. I also like how the author gave information on using email rather than the RSS, if the RSS was too complicated. Getting an email at the end of the day with all the updates if very easy. If you weren't able to get to a computer, you could check your email and get all the updates. If people like to bookmark, then RSS is an easier bookmarking and people should subsribe to make their lives easier. Personally, if anything could make my life somewhat easier, I would definitely subscribe to it.

RSS in Plain English

RSS would definitely be considered part of web 2.0. The idea that you can subsribe to a website and all of the new information be right at your fingertips is pretty amazing. RSS can be used for teachers or students who are awaiting new information. I could have definitely used RSS when I was in high school or in the beginning of college. Rather than wasting our time refreshing the page to see if new information has been posted, we can just log into our reader and see the new posts. RSS is going to make finding information easier as well as being able to be kept up to date with information on the internet.

Techlearning: Storing Bookmarks Online

I liked the podcast in the article. I had never used a podcast before, and it was interesting. I liked that I could listen to information about social bookmarking. I definately agree that social bookmarking is apart of the read write web. With techology advancing at such a rapid pace, people need to be able to do more than just bookmark. I personally have had a problems where I bookmarked a website and then needed the webite when I got to the computer center. Using social bookmarking is just making saving websites easier for everyone. Not only can teachers benefit from social bookmarking but I think many other occupations such as writers, business people, people who are interested in marketing, as well as a stay at home mom that like knitting.

EduCause Social Bookmarking article

I thought this article was very informational. I liked that the author gave two different scenarios with different teachers, one using the social bookmarking and the other using the old method. The author did a good job setting up and then explaining the questions. I also really like that it gave the readers the downside as well as what was good about social bookmarking. I feel that social bookmarking is going to be great in a classroom, esoecially in high school an college where students are expected to read outside of class. I also really like the idea that you can see who else bookmarked the page that I bookmarked. That way, you can see the other pages that they bookmarked which could potentially be helpful. I think that teachers should all begin using del.icio.us.

Social Bookmarking in Plain English

Lee LeFever does such an awesome job displaying how technology has advanced in " plain enlgish". Many people that are not tech savvy do not want to change their ways. The video showed social bookmarking in an easy way and was visual. The idea of social bookmarking is great. The fact the others can see the websites that I save is such a helpful tool. Teachers can share websites that they found to use in their classroom as well as sharing beneficial information. I think that its so cool that a teacher can create a site and bookmark websites for her students to look at instead of printing off the articles. I really like the idea of social bookmarking and I feel thats its a convenient way to see articles.

Library 2.0 Theory

"it still must be recognized that the Web is indeed evolving into a more interactive, multi-media driven technological space, " ( Maness). 

After reading this article, this quote really stuck out to me. In the last class we talked about the previous generations not being as advanced with technology as we are and the fact that some are not willing to try to become familiar with it. The quote goes to show that technology is always advancing and at a fast rate. 

The author made a list of what the theory of Library 2.0 should have:

1. It is user- centered

2. It provides a multi media experience

3. It i socially rich

4. It is communally innovative

I feel that libraries should have all of these essentials. People go to the library everyday to look up information, check out book, look online to see if a book is available and to search articles online.  Without these advancements, what would we do? We would have to find the article and look through each edition to see if it has the article we are looking for. 

The Synchronous Messaging is an excellent tool for reference. I usually don't start my homework till later in the night and it would be helpful if I could ask a librarian on my own time for help. 

When I read over the part of Mashups, I had no idea what the article was referring to, but once I read further I understood. I like how the author refers to Library 2.0 as a mashup. We expect when we go to the library to have all the electronic information that is available at our fingertips. 

What is Web 2.0

I  grew up around computers and technology. When I started to read this article, I felt a little lost and was unsure of what I was reading about. One thing that I did think was a good comparison was the difference or the change of web 1.0 to web 2.0, with examples such as personal websites becoming blogging, mp3 becoming napster, and they listed others. I also liked how the author compared google vs netscape and showed what the difference was. 

TEK Tools Article

I really really liked this article! I would say that I am a native and I am pretty up to date on the technological advancements that students are using. I have heard of podcasts, web logs, and webcams and I know how to use them, but I never thought to use them in ways that this article has dicussed. First with:

Weblogs: I think its great that the weblog can be used across curriculum and not only as a tool for writing and expression. Im sure that teachers across the country as well as the world are dealing with the issues that arise with understanding and comprehending new concepts, and with the ability to blog about these problems, teachers will be able to gain insight from others. I think that students will also feel that they will be able to express themselves.

RSS: The idea of parents being able to log on and get the homework and class updates is great! I remember when I was in school I would sometimes forget my homework and tell my mom I didnt have any.Using RSS, parents will be able to make sure their children are completing the assignments. This is a great way to communicate with parents.

Podcasts: Students are very involved in technology and the use of podcasts can allow students to express themselves.

Webcams: The use of webcams can allow students to get up close and personal with the topics they are studying. If I was learning about a science experiment, I would have loved to see the actual experiment, or to even show the experiment to other students. I also loved the article about the class in Ohio and the class in China being able to interact with each other on their findings of different versions of Cinderella.

Streaming Video: This concept has been used in the past but I dont think to the extent as it is being used now. Inserting the video into a power point can allow students to stop taking notes and actually visually see what the notes really mean. This is a great way to engage all students with different learning styles.

I also appreciated how this article listed links for each of the tech tools. I will definately be using this article in my classroom!

Tools for the TEKS: Integrating Technology in the Classroom

I really liked this article! When I first began to read, I thought that I wasn't really going to like it and that it seemed boring, but as I read further, I was mistaken. Wesley Fryer did a great job explaining the read write web so that it could be understood by those who are and are not tech savvy. I also like he separated the read write web in action from the implications of read write web. I also liked that after each read write web in action that he listed, he gave a link that we could use in the future. I feel that is a very helpful tool because for those that are not tech savvy, they can actually see and navigate through the website. For first year teachers, the websites are an advantage to making rubrics that can be used over each year as well as the social bookmarking to bookmark lesson plans that you could share with colleagues or for a different time.

I also really like how Fryer commented on the implications of using the web as a link in the classroom. Due to the advancement of technology, these are problems that could potentially arise among our students and others. I think that all teachers and those who are studying to become teachers need to be made aware that these implications could happen and that we need to be able to deal with as well as present a solution to these problems.

Young Minds, Fast Times/Digital Natives

I really enjoyed reading this article on involving students in the descisions about their curriculum. The idea of having the students form some type of " student board" to let teachers and supervisors hear how they feel, really drew me in. The students have said that they do not like being talked at or listening to lectures, but who really does? Im a student now, and I hate listening to lectures. We all like to be engaged in hands on activities where we can manipulate things and actually see the ideas come into play rather than reading or listening about them. Now, I dont think that we should just give students activities to complete, their needs to be some structure as well as guidance, maybe with a few notes here and there.

Digital Natives
This article really rings true to my generation as well as the generations of students after me. Students these days want to know how the information that they are learning in school is going to effect them in real life. Teachers who are not on the same page or do not know what the students are talking about, are not going to be able to discuss or teach their students. Some of my teachers in the past can not seem to get the overhead or the DVD player to work. These teachers are not bad teachers, but my generation is more technologically advanced and can use and access resources easier.