Post # 6

I think the use of Web 2.0 technologies in k-12 education is a great thing. We need new technologies to enhance the quality of education for our students. I would definitely use them becuase it can help children learn in other ways than just a text book. I would use certain visuals and websites to make learning fun for them.

I thin Wikipedia is a good starting to point to learn basic information about something. If you just want to know what something is or the meaning behind it, it's a great place to start. However, I would not cite it in a paper becuase it is not a reliable source. I would encourage students to look at other websites and to compare the information that they found there, with the information on Wikipedia. Overall, I do not have a problem with Wikipedia, but I don't see it as the best source of information to use.

I did not learn that many new skills, but I became more familiar with Power Point. I think the new version is really neat and has wonderful graphics. I learned how to make flow charts with it as well as how to insert pictures off the internet. I think Power Points will be useful in my career because it gives me an interesting way of providing information, instead of just writing on the board or handing out worksheets. I also think it will help the students pay attention more.

Post # 5

I think that it is perfectly fine to use the Internet to support student research. The internet has plenty of useful information that is easily accessed. It is usefule when the information comes from reliable sources, such as the government or educational sites. Sometimes it may not be as useful if it comes from .com websites and wikipedia. But overall, it is great for student research as long as they use it correctly.

If I find something on the internet that I think would be great for my students, I will definitely introduce it to them. It could be something as simple as a blogging website like this one. I could have them blog about different assignments or group projects. I could also introduce them to music websites and do an activity with them.

As a teacher, I realize that I will have to supervize students in a technology environment. I plan on being a first grade teacher, so it shouldn't be that hard. I doubt I will catch 7 year olds on many inappropiate websites. Middle school and high school students tend to have problems with visiting inappropiate websites. However, if my first grade student did visit an inappropiate website, then I would punish them and talk to their parents about it. I may even let the student visit the principals office.

Post # 4

As a teacher, I would use the concepts presented in Chapter 7 to present and teach information to my students. I would love to use the idea maps to explain information to my students about certain topics, such as history or English. To achieve my goals, I would use PowerPoint's or a software such as inspiration. I believe these technologies would work perfectly for the idea maps.

I would encourage my students to develop outline, idea map, and storyboarding skills. I think that it is important when it comes to everyday life as well in school. These skills teach you how to first plan, and then carry out that plan. Idea map skills can be very helpful when brainstorming and trying to figure out what to do with a certain topic. I wouldn't require my students to learn these skills because some may not need it, but I would highly encourage it.

Over the past week, I have learned some new skills that will be helpful to me in my teaching career. I learned how to use the inspiration software, which I had never heard of before. It is a really neat tool that can help me in the classroom. I like the fact that I can create diagrams for my students to learn from. It will be really helpful because I won't have to draw anything out on the board and have everything ready on the computer for class.