Technology Project/Reflection Week 5!

  I chose to look at the website www.dhmo.org. I determined that this website is an organization, but this did not tell me if it was reliable because a .org domain can be purchased by anyone.  Since anyone has the ability to purchase a domain such as this, I found that more information would be needed to determine if this is a reliable website.  I was able to tell that it was not a personal page, but still needed to verify some other information before any decisions were made.  I began to look at websites that were linked to dhmo.org, there were several government websites that were linked to this page.  This site was created to make people aware about dihydrogen monoxide, the dangers of it, what it is, facts about it, and it also posts alerts/advisories pertaining to dihydrogen monoxide.  I looked at several top search engines, and when searching dihydrogen monoxide, this website was the first one listed on all of the search engines.  Some of the search engines such as Yahoo! and Go.com listed it as a recommended site as well as a safe search protected site.  There were a few advertisements on this website, but I feel like those advertisements are there maybe as some type of sponsorship.  I was able to find the creator of the site, as well as look at some of the ways the site has changed over the years.  The layout changed some, and information was updated as new findings were available.  From all of this "digging" I feel that this website is proven to be a reliable website.  I also did this same type of digging on another favorite website, "facebook."  From the domain, you know that facebook is a company.  I also know that facebook cannot be very reliable because it is just a bunch of people posting their thoughts and opinions about certain topics, and I would not recommended anyone using that information as creditable information.  I feel that facebook is a way to stay in contact with people you may not see every day instead of a creditable source.
  This class has opened my eyes to so many things.  I will be honest, when I read the syllabus I thought I was in over my head.  Then when we started the week one assignments I was not very optimistic.  I did not want to have any part of blogging, or discovering the uses of technology.  After completing numerous assignments, and indulging in technology, I have found that there was so much about technology that I did not know, and that I would enjoy.  I can say that I am absolutely enjoying blogging, and I am thinking about starting my own blog once this class is over.  I also did not know that there were so many ways to check the credibility of a website until this week.  Wow! I am amazed at what my eyes have been opened to through this class.  One thing that I will take from this class, is that there are so many ways we can incorporate technology into our lives.  Technology is just growing, and through this class, I was able to see the different ways that I can stay up to date with technological times.  I am very serious about continuing to blog, and I also want to make sure that I am very avid in incorporating technology into my classroom when that time comes.  Thank you for opening my eyes up to so many things that I was unaware of with technology, and making me a blogging BELIEVER!

Reflection 4!

After reviewing the questions that were presented this week, I was surprised at some of my answers.  I know that I am more comfortable composing documents online.  I do not mind writing, but you are able to get things completed in a more timely manner when using the web, in my opinion.  My iphone is my memory now.  I do not remember anyone's phone number anymore because I do not have to.  It is so convenient to type the number, birthdate, or memo into my phone or iPad, and not have to worry about remembering the number.  Using technology as a "memory" is more organized in my opinion to because I do not have to worry about keeping up with numerous slips of paper containing important information.  I could not relate to the question about meetings, because at my current job, I do not have to attend any meetings.  I think that I would probably take my iPad with me to meetings though because it is just easier for me to use.  Unfortanely, I am one of those people that always has their cell phone with them.  It doesn't matter what I am doing, whether I am out running, or doing laundry, I always have my phone with me or nearby.  Our internet is always on whether we are home or at work.  We are turning into a technology generation.  I am not really sure how many activities I can engage in at once, however I do believe I am a multitasker.  I do not play video games, but I do play games on my iPad or iPhone, so I guess those could be considered computer games.  I think that I would be in the technology generation.  I rely on my phone, or iPad for everything.  If I didn't have internet access, I think I would go crazy.  I don't know what we did before texting, and all the technology was available! 
I think that we do need to make sure that even if our education system did go completely online, that we still have some sort of interaction with our students, especially K12 students.  I feel that they need that face to face interaction.  The interaction is important because it is going to help them in the real world.  They need to be able to interact with other people, rather than just typing or using the web for their assignments.  We need to make sure that the younger generation is not just sitting behind a computer, or some sort of device all day.  They need the interaction, and physical activity that the classroom provides as well.

Reflection week 3!

   After reviewing the article and the ten principles of AFL, I was interested and relate to the idea that AFL should be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has an emotional impact. I am a very sensitive person, so I understand that assessments can make an impact emotionally.  I know that if my work was criticized in a negative way, I got down on myself, and my level of effort was depleted because I felt like I couldn't do it. I also remember getting praises, or even criticism in a way that did not sound negative (constructive criticism if you will) and it made me want to continue working and pushing myself to do better. Kids should be told and reminded that their work is good, but could use some improvements, instead of hearing harsh words like "horrible," "ugly," or even "bad." As a future educator, I hope that I can critique my students work (I would love to introduce portfolios into my classroom) in a way that is still sensitive, and does not break their self esteem.  I think that all of the principles are very to the point and true. I think that portfolio assessment can be a very positive tool to have.
   Creating portfolios will allow all students to track their progress, and perform a self-assessment of their own work. I like the idea of creating my own portfolio because it will give me an avenue to track my work. It will allow me to see my progress in my career from the time I'm starting out as a new teacher, to looking back on it years later after I retire. Being able to see all the things I've grown in and accomplished will be a great tool to access.  Not having to rely solely on my memory, but actually having a portfolio that I can refer back to is going to be wonderful.

Reflection # 2

After looking at many definitions, and getting a better idea about educational technology I came up with my own definition. 
Educational technology:  using the tools and devices we have to incorporate a level of technology based curriculum to engage students.

After completing this assignment, I would like to say that I was surprised at some of my findings, but sadly in all reality, I am not surprised.  There are so many things available, whether true or untrue, on the Internet, and at our fingertips that it is unbelievable.  I think that we as educators need to teach students things to look for when gathering information from the Internet to verify the facts, before choosing to believe them.  I now realize, that there was probably some information that I found from sites online when in college that were probably not very creditable.  Kids need to understand that just because it is on the Internet, it does not mean it is true.  They need to look other places, and verify that they are using a credible site before believing everything 100%.  I think we need to show them to have a level of skepticism when gathering information from the web, because while it is fast and convenient, it is not always true.  I did see some advantages to social bookmarking tools.  Having this type of tool available allows you to express ideas and show your creativity while doing so.  I chose to use wordle.net because I liked the simpleness of creating my ideas in a fun creative way.  I think social bookmarking tools could be interesting to use in classrooms to get students to express their ideas about things as simple as using it as a way to introduce themselves at the beginning of the year, to using it on projects throughout the year.  I would like to use the digital mapping concept in my own classroom one day, as I found it to be a fun and creative way to express my idea about educational technology.