"FINAL REFLECTION"

Final Reflection Question: What did you get out of this class? Will you use tech in your classes? How will you use tech in your classes? How has this class changed the way you think about teaching? About technology? 

I feel like I actually learned quite a bit from this class. There are some things I am able to do on the internet now, that I previously didn't know about and now I save a lot more time. One of the major things is using how to use GOOGLE! Google docs, Google Powerpoint, Google Sites, Google Calendar, you name it! I am set and ready to go. The one I use most often is Google docs for my classes. I feel this will be most beneficial as I go throughout my schooling. I also had fun creating a video. Though this was harder, I eel it too was rather beneficial in showing me what I can do to advocate for my profession.
I believe I now feel more confident in using and teaching technology in my classes. My students will be confident in using their internet abilities to find a program suited for what they are learning. Finding and visiting the class website often, and using Google docs to communicate with their classmates. I too will be able to use my new found knowledge to further my teaching skills through embedding homework assignments, videos, etc. into a class website which will be beneficial to my students.
This class has changed they way I think about teaching into making it more fun and exciting. This opens up a whole new list of possibilities and it helps me as a teacher to look like I am up with the rest of the world in technology. I also feel more competent in my technology skills and I like the idea of using technology in teaching a whole lot more. Technology is not hard to learn, but it does take some time and practice. The more I use it, the more I will feel accomplished in my teaching as where it is appropriate. Though technology should not be used as a substitute for teaching, it can be used as an aid to enhance students' experiences with it.
This class has been wonderful and I feel like it has been and will continue to be quite useful. Thanks for a great semester Dan, and to all my viewers, Merry Christmas and see you next year!

Mobile Apps

Reflection Question: Would you use mobile apps in your class, why or why not?

  Mobile Apps?! Yeah I am still not that technologically savvy.  I suppose you could use mobile apps in class, but for now I don't plan on it. A teacher has a lot on their plate, let alone worrying about whether or not the latest and greatest technology is going to work. I vote no. Why not? I simply do not have the time to worry about and learn how to use them. Perhaps later on when I am better caught up. But I do not agree that most of school work is being done online. I do not feel this is fair to all students. Not every child has the internet to do the work that is posted on it, and also I believe students should be spending their free time doing physical activity, rather than figuring out mobile apps to keep up with class. So no, as for right now, I am not a fan of using mobile apps in my class.

StudioCode

Reflection Question: Write 2 paragraphs explaining what you have learned about your management and instruction, and 1 paragraph explaining how you plan to make changes when you next teach this semester.
  As far as my classroom management, I felt like I did well on it. I identified off task students, I had equipment appropriately set up for the lesson before the arrival of the students and I gave rules and signals and reinforced them throughout the lesson. Feedback was also given in addition to discipline. Organization at the beginning went well, but started to fall towards the end.
  When if comes to instruction, my bad jargons even out my good cues and circulation. I said "you guys" a lot more than I remembered saying it. However, I always gave cues before teaching new skill and I repeated the cues throughout the process of learning that skill. I did well on circulation after the warm-up, and this allowed me to make comments and give the students a different angle in which to learn from me so they were not always facing the same direction.
   Next time I teach, I will be working on getting rid of all jargons and saying either gender neutral references or appropriate references to the boys and girls of which I am teaching. I will have a better visual of the class at at time, so I can acknowledge even those students not near me so they know I am watching. I can work on my discipline and signals. This will better enforce in the students' minds, who is in charge that hour of class and what they are going to do and who they are going to listen to. These are the things I look to improve the next time I teach.

Web 2.0 - Look them up.

Reflection Question: Were there any Web 2.0 tools that we talked about today that you feel would help further education? How might you use them in your teaching? Also, how might Facebook be utilized in education?

I feel that youtube is a great Web 2.0 that if used properly can definitely further learning. It can be used to show videos of example activities that I was my PE students to do or if I teach music on the side, I can use youtube as examples of good and back singers or piano technique. Youtube also has a wide variety of videos that can be used as examples or presentations to help demonstrate a point or cue.

Facebook could be utilized through a facebook group. If all the students are a member of the same group then, similar to an email, students can also receive updates and notes through facebook. Facebook could be a modern replacement of emails. Facebook can also serve a similar purpose as a class website. A teacher can create a facebook page for the class with updates and assignments. Facebook can easily be utilized in education.

Theme Commercial

Commercial

iMovie- The Final touches

Reflection Question: If you haven’t done so already, upload your videos to youtube and then embed the videos on your blog.  In the same post talk about your experience making these videos.  Was it positive? Negative?  Did you find it a valuable experience? Do you think you could make another video without help if you were asked to do so? Do you think you would do some type of video project in your classroom? Other thoughts or comments?  ALSO remember to fill out your evaluation of yourself in the rubric on your grade sheet.

 My experience in making these videos was that it was very time consuming. Though it is a fun idea, I often feel like the overall process and completion of the project wasn't worth it. Especially when there is only one place where the videos can be worked on and edited. This I found to be extremely frustrating when my only free time to work on it was after lab hours. I am not sure if I could make another video if I had to because I needed so much help just making this one. I could probably make a simpler one, but nothing as complex as the video I planned on making. As a PE teacher, I probably wouldn't do a video project in my classroom though I might consider having the students come up with different ideas and then taking having the class vote on an idea and have the class just do one video with my aide as a whole. I honestly depended on my groupmates to help out with the second easier video and to help with the final editing of the more complex video. They were great and I hope to give them the credit they deserve.

The videos are viewable above in separate posts.

iMovie

Reflection Question: Talk about challenges or problems you have.  If you find solutions to them, include those as well.  If you find an easier way to do something or a tutorial or some other helpful resource, share that as well.

So basically for class we are suppose to be working on creating a 30second video clip (more like a commercial) for a theme we are to advocate for physical education. My groups theme is "Everyday Family Play." I am excited about our two video ideas, but the problem comes with actually doing them. I am asking my aunt and uncle's family if they would like to participate in one of the clips. A difficulty that arises is finding a time to get together with them and film them and then of course the equipment that we are to use to film them. I wish we had another week to do this since I am so busy with midterms and choir performances during these two weeks we are to work on them. I will be depending on my group members to help me out with these and I am sure they will. We all just have to find a time to get together and work on them as a group as well. Oh my... This project is going to be a tough one.

Everyday Family Play

Reflection Question: What is the theme for your two videos? Create an outline for your videos (be a general or specific as you feel is necessary).

The theme for our two videos is "Everyday Family Play: A Prescription for a Closer, Healthier, Happier Family." This theme is to suggest that playing together and being physically active as a family, no matter the age whether it be two years old to seventy years old, you can participate and become closer and happier as a family as well as reaching the benefits of healthier lifestyle.

Story line for Video one: Have a Family with members of all ages, possibly including grandparents, start off the video with different members of the family each taking and stating a different word of the Theme. Boy: "Every" -Girl: "day" Mom:"Family" Dad: "Play"... then have the video cut to a scene of the family playing different games together, like football in the yard, jump rope, basketball, spoons, etc. Then again have different members of the family take turns saying, "A Prescription for a Closer, Healthier, Happier Family." Then end the scene with a group shot of the family smiling and laughing as they get together.

Story line for Video two: This video will include no spoken words. It will just contain music in the background. There will be clips or pictures of a family or members of different families playing physical activity games together. Then a message with the Theme will pop-up across the screen with a collage of pictures as the background. -This is more of just a "feel good" type of commercial.

Internet safety... revisited

To be honest, I didn't quite understand the assignment this week. I don't recall isafe nor where to find it and sign up for it to watch tutorials like the assignment said. However, despite having not watched the tutorials or anything, I feel like I do a decent job at abiding by internet safety. I am always cautious about what personal information I use and that is probably the biggest thing I would talk about with my younger siblings. I would let them know what information they would be safer putting on the internet that other information. I will have to officially complete this assignment once I figure out how to correctly do it.

 I have now figured out the assignment and how to appropriately complete it. Look below.

Teach someone about internet safety.  Record how the lesson went, what insights you gained or shared, etc
Reflection Question: In about 1 page describe your opinions about internet safety, what changes, if any, you will make about how to use the internet.  How does this apply to teens or the students you would teach?  Also, tell about the internet safety lesson you gave – who you taught, highlights, etc.  

For the internet safety assignment, I visited some different websites (mostly ones found through Google) to see what is recommended when looking to maintain personally safety through the internet. After doing a bit of research, I then talked to some of my peers... a.k.a. roommates about what they can do to be better prepared when using the internet.
My conversation included safety through web 2.0 sites such as facebook, any chats room, or other websites that may ask for personal information to be displayed. With those kind of website where information can be displayed that is personal, you want to limit that available for others to see. Especially as a child, or teen, websites like these can be prime for online predators. Personal information that should be limited is, age, full birth-date, place of residence, work place, emails, physical characters or pictures, phone numbers, etc. Although some of this information is okay to display, not all of it should be, because the more information you give for others to see, the easier it will be for an online predator to find you. I also suggested that places where you've attended school should also not be mentioned as it too could give those with the wrong intentions an easier way to find you. Too much personal information on display is basically just a bad idea.  Also if the website in which you have an account has a place for personal setting and privacy. I suggest making your profile private, so those you don't know cannot see you or your information. When adding friends, be careful in making sure you only add friends whom are actually your friends. If you are not sure if you know the person trying to add you as a friend... do not add them!
Now, as far as websites and emails go... internet safety would consist of running a virus check on emails and websites before opening them. Too many emails contain viruses these days, so making sure you have a program on your computer that scans your internet and your emails for viruses is important to keeping your computer alive. Also, never open an email from an unknown email address. Even if you think you know who it is.... check with that person first before opening that email or going to that web address. With links in the emails... always copy and paste the link to avoid viruses. Also, try scanning the link for a virus before going to it. There are many precautions you can take to make sure you are being safe on the internet. These are just some of the ones I taught my roommates about.  I taught them about these internet safety tips because as a teen/adult these kind of internet problems are the ones they will face most often.
 The lesson went well and they promised me they learned some things they didn't know they could do to be safer while using the internet.
The End.

Class Website

Reflection Question: Discuss your feelings about this project both in terms of what you learned and its usefulness to you as a teacher. As you discuss the project the following are some things you should consider: Do you feel the project was beneficial? Would you use a website like this in your class (why or why not)? Do you feel you could create another website if asked to do so? Was it easier (or more difficult) to create this website that you thought it would be? Also, make sure you include the URL (web address) of your website so I can grade it.
       I thought the project was a good learning experience. I now understand the options I have to advocate for what I teach as well as give the students and parents a useful resource to find class information. I definitely feel that I could create another website if I needed to. Depending on my schedule, I think I would use a website for my class. However, if I have a really busy schedule, then I may not do it because maintaining a website takes quite a bit of work. It was easier to create the website than I thought it would be. Overall I thought it was a good project, though I still have much to learn.

Check out  My Class Website

Continuation of website construction

Constructing a website. When constructing a website, I feel it is almost best to just sit down and try to get as much as you can done in one sitting. Otherwise all your ideas for your page are lost if you only work on it in increments.  Perhaps this week I will be able to finish my class website and have it ready to present to anyone who wants to look at it. Because my time as been few and far between, I don't really have any questions or suggestions about creating a website. I just hope to be able to complete this assignment without running into too many problems. Good luck all!

Problems? & Web Pages

This week for class, we are suppose to be building our own website. It is kind of fun and interesting to be creating one's own website. I honestly don't know if I am going to use this blog or website after this class, but the important thing is that if I want to do something like this in the future, I can. This is always good information to know. While creating my website I am sometimes unsure about what my page is going to look like as I save my changes/creations/additions. I am curious if there is any way to preview what I am doing as I create my web page.

Copyright laws

Keeping in mind what you learned in class, what do you think of copyright laws? Are they helpful or harmful? Do you think changes need to be made? If so, what would you change?
     Although I often find copyright laws to be an annoyance, I do realize they are actually quite good. They protect people's original ideas from being copied and claimed elsewhere. They cause many more books, songs, pictures, etc. to be created because we just can't copy others in everything they do. It creates a reason for imagination. So in a way they have done a lot of good in creating our culture. Some might find the laws to an annoyance or a little picky. If this is the case, then some changes need to take place. The changes I would make would be concerning movies and showing them in full clips. I personally feel that if a teacher or school wants to show a movie, they should be able to. Why? Because I feel that if I were a student and were shown a movie in school every now and again, I would be able to decide if I like the movie, and for me if I liked the movie I will have more interest in buying it for myself. This is just how I personally feel about copyright laws, whether my logic be flawed or not.

Resources to Further Learning

Would you like to use any of these resources we talked about in class (or perhaps others you found on your own) to help further your learning? Which ones?  How might these resources be useful to you as a student and as a teacher?
    The above questions were asked this week for our weekly responses. In class we discussed websites such as "w3school", "diigo," and "googledoc." The one I liked best was the googledoc website. I found that it to probably be the most useful not just for my future classes, but for my school work for now a days. Group projects and just documents that you would like a number of people to view or comment on can easily be placed in a googledoc and you don't have to worry about printing off hard copies and trying to schedule a time when a group can get together to work on a group project. This way groups can have conversations over googledoc as they work on the article online as their own separate homes. This is also a nice way to share information with your students so they don't have to receive tons of printouts from the teacher. The internet and computers are used so heavily today, why not go with the flow? Right?
    Diigo also seemed like a nice tool that can be used to collect information that you want to be able to remember and pull up later. This can be useful as a student in collecting research or as a teacher when you are looking for more ways to present information to your students. Diigo website

About my Page

So the first thing that should stand out to you in my picture front and center of my blog. I added this picture because it personalizes my blog. It is a picture I took of a plate of Swedish food I ate while over in Sweden on my Study Abroad through BYU. The food is really delicious! As for my side links, the are the usual organization links. Nothing too fancy because i don't want my page to look cluttered. Enjoy!

Technology and I

When it comes to technology, I would say I am a little behind the times. I find myself getting slower and slower to update to the most recent gadget out there. If I have to use a piece of technology every day I would consider myself pretty good at it. If I have to learn a new form of technology I would rate myself as an average learner. Show me how to do it in steps and let me repeat the process a couple of times and I should start to understand it. About the only form of technology I believe I can admit to using well is Microsoft Word (micrsoft office online) and my email. Computers I can learn with time. Other smaller forms of technology such as hand held wiz gadgets will take me longer. The thing that I would like to learn during this semester is how to use Microsoft Publisher since I like to make calendars and different types of greeting cards and such. So this is the start of my blog and the start of my introduction to technology that can be used within the classroom and throughout life.