My Own Smartboard Project

    I really enjoyed working with the Smartboard for our project. I think we had a really fun lesson to do and it was a good learning experience. One day we may be using a Smartboard in our classroom and it is important to know how to use it and have a variety of lessons available. Smartboard can be used at any grade level in any classroom, I think kids would really enjoy getting the chance to go up and draw on it and drag things around. Getting them actively involved in the classroom will make them excited to learn and will help them remember the information more.
    It is also important to practice a lesson before you do it. Sometimes technology doesn't always work out for you and the smartboard kind of gave us some issues. It wouldn't always go to the next slide when we wanted it to which was kind of discouraging. You have to be ready to roll with the punches when working with technology because anything can happen and something can go wrong. And that is okay; you just have to do your best and keep a positive attitude. That will get you through anything.

Technology In My Practicum

     In my practicum classroom, there is really no large piece of techology - no Smartboard, just an overhead project/camera my teacher uses to display what they are working on on the large screen. There is also a TV with a VCR used to play movies but that is it.
    While observing on Wednesday, I got the chance to go with the kids to recess. Because of the weather, they had to stay inside and inside recess is in the computer lab. I was very impressed with this room-so this is where all the technology is! They had multiple computers and each computer had it's own little laptop attached to it as well. Both had the same screens so the children could use either the laptop or the desk, whatever they felt more comfortable with. The children and technology are really impressive. Of course they know how to get online and play games and watch videos. I forget this is the technology generation, I don't even know if I was that good when I was younger. They are way ahead of me.
     It is always important to keep kids safe when surfing the internet though. They were only allowed to play educational games, ones that had no violence or fighting. The computers even had a folder labeled 'Fourth Grade' that had all games saved for the kids to play. The computers also had great fire-walls for protecting the children from bad internet sites-youtube was even blocked. I think this is important just so the kids don't find anything dangerous or harmful in the vast internet world.

Classroom 2.0

After signing up for a memership to Classroom 2.0, I finally had a chance to look around and discover new things around the website. This website is basically a way for teachers from all over the country to communicate, ask each other questions or give advice. I think this is a great way to learn new information about various technologies and gain new ideas to use in the classroom.
        I clicked around for awhile and came to the Discussion Forum section. This is a way for someone to post either a question they have or an idea, anything. Other members can then comment, giving suggestions or adding their advice. I noticed 2 post titles: Storybird and Skype in the Classroom. I thought this was very interesting because these 2 projects were incorporated in our Project #1 for EDU315. On the websites we used to explore, there was an example of a Storybird and Skype. I gave an example of how I would use Skype in my classroom (talking to pen pals). I didn't explore Storybird but I know some of my other classmates did and it is definitely a good tool to use in the classroom one day. Classroom 2.0 shows that what we are learning in EDU315 right now is really applied to real classrooms around the country. We need to know these technologies in order to be successful in our future teaching careers and reach out to the more technologically-advanced children of the future.

Smartboard Project

I thought LaJoie, Valerie & Iliana's Smartboard project was very well presented. It was professionally put together and I could definitely see myself using that lesson in my classroom one day. I think they set the bar very high for the rest of the class but we can all definitely do just as good. I've never really used Smartboard before, we never had it in my elementary classes. The first time I saw a Smartboard was 12th grade AP Psychology. And even then, we didn't really do anything with it, my teacher mostly put his slideshows on it and we copied notes from there. I think it would be a major responsibility having a Smartboard in an elementary classroom; the teacher would have to ensure students were using it appropriately so no one damages it. There are many benefits to using a Smartboard in the classroom to get the students actively engaged in their own learning.

Project #1

I have made it all the way to finally completing Project #1 for our EDU315 class. I must say when we first got on the website and opened the page for all the projects I was very overwhelmed. I didn't know how I was going to keep up with all the due dates and guidelines for each project. I thought I was in over my head a little. I guess what worked for me was just to get started. In order to complete something, you must start it first. I kept putting it off and putting it off and I knew I would have to do it eventually. I went to the library and started the project and did little bits each day. I think that was the best strategy. It helped me feel less overwhelmed. A little each day and eventually I finished it. I felt really good about getting the first project done. It makes me feel like I can accomplish everything I have to in this class. Also, crossing off that one thing on my to do list felt really good as well. :)