Complete!

I completed the online course evaluation, the course feedback survey, and I checked my grades. Thanks for a great semester!

Internet Safety

I read "Rated A" an article by Marvin J. Ashton in the November 1977 Ensign. I liked his rated A analogy--let's all choose rated A rather than rated X media!

I watched quite a few videos about cyberbullying, and I had a difficult time watching them. It was quite shocking to me what some of the children did. The PBS video on cyberbullying particularly pulled at my heart strings. I also looked at several resources, such as videos, games, and text that explained how to teach children to be safe on the internet. There are lots of fun games and other activities to teach children this.

I learned that there are several concepts to teach children. First, they should not give out any personal information over the Internet. They should tell an adult if they witness harmful acts on the Internet or come across mean behavior or inappropriate websites. Keep the lines of communication open! Computers should be kept in public places. From the cyberbullying videos, I realized that it is important to teach children not just to be nice and respectful in person but also on the Internet. They hurt just as much.

I talked with my dad about what I learned. He knew all of it, and he taught me even more. He taught me how to tell if a website is secure before giving out credit card information. I also learned more about what my parents have done to keep the Internet safe, particularly for my 15-year-old brother still at home. They occasionally block particular websites until my brother's homework is done and try to regulate his time on the Internet. They periodically check the history, and they keep the lines of communication open. They keep the computer in open/public places--no bedrooms. When I told my dad what I learned about cyberbullying, he emphasized the importance of keeping the lines of communication open. My dad is great!

TPACK Report

Here is my TPACK report. It may also be found here.

Technology Lesson Plans

Math: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dvvtqw8_8hs22gkgg
Language Arts: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dvvtqw8_7dpwdvzdh
Science: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dvvtqw8_9c66kqffh

Technology in my Elementary Classroom

Well, going doing the classroom technology inventory awakened me to the reality of most schools. There is little technology immediately available in the classroom--only a TV, CD players, and an overhead projector. There are a few Elmos and video projectors that may be checked out. There is also a computer lab and the students attend the class twice a week for a couple of months. However, they have barely any software, mostly just Microsoft Office. They use the internet on the computers quite frequently. The main purpose of the computers is testing purposes. Both these computers and some laptops help test the students twice a year.

I love learning about the fun ways to use technology in the classroom during this class. However, with the lack of resources, it will be a challenge to implement. It will be good for me to incorporate technology in a setting with fewer resources.

I also completed the mid-course evaluation and consent form.

Science Technologies and VoiceThreads

I watched and commented on the following voicethreads:
Amy Dallon----Egypt and Stellarium
Beth Duvall--Seasons and Kidsperation
Celecta--Balanced Meals and Kidsperation

I loved learning about all the different science technologies. There are so many, and they could really enhance a student's learning. The kids would love the interaction. Kidsperation especially seemed great--there are many different topics that could be covered and is easy to use.

I also realized the great benefits of using voicethreads, particularly for presentations. Voice threads are easy to make, and they are also easy for other to comment and participate in. I would definitely consider using some in the future. I learned a lot about voicethreads in the voicethread last week, and now I have a better grasp on how to use them and what they can be used for.

Microbe Zoo