Current View of Technology in the Classroom

Even before taking this class I viewed technology as a necessity for the classroom, but now I realize more reasons for the importance of technology in the classroom. I think there are many ways to include technology in lessons. Using the internet for research is important to teach at a younger age, but teachers have to be careful and they should teach their students about internet safety. There are also many educational software programs that would benefit younger students and especially those students who are more of a visual learner and those who like activities that involve much interaction. If students are introduced to technology when they are younger then they will have more understanding of it when they are in the older grades. Technology is also becoming a huge source for many things such as communication, and a source highly depended on for research. Because of all these reasons, I feel that technology is important for the classroom and I do not see my view changing.

Non-Computer-Based Tech in the Classroom

The non-computer -based tech that I chose as a necessity for the classroom would be a CD player. This will always be important in the classroom because not only will the children be able to listen to music which helps their creativity, but children with disabilities will be able to listen to audio books. CD players are coming down in price, but they will always be important to the classroom. I plan on having one in my classroom so that the whole class can use it for listening to books. Some children learn better if they listen while reading, therefore during free reading time they may even get the option to use the CD player with headphones if I have that book on a CD available to them.

Blog #10- ERIC reflection

After listening to many of the ERIC presentations I am still excited about incorporating technology into my future classroom. In some of the presentations, there were many educational websites pointed out that additionally add to the ones that I have been learning about in this class. The websites are interesting to look at now, but when I get the chance to use them in the future, I cannot wait to figure out all of the neat features that will make my lessons even better, especially the lessons that deal with integrating technology into the classroom. The presentation on e-portfolios was also very interesting because I am curious to see how much they will change before I become a teacher. The e-portfolios mainly focus on high school students and college students, but they may soon become popular for elementary students. Plus, I thought it was a great idea from one of the presenters to have a link on the schools website that allowed the teachers to share their e-portfolios with whoever wished to view it.

Post #9

This website is called InspireKidz and it gives ideas to teachers on ways to integrate technology into the daily classroom schedule. It has links that explain epals, Web Quests, and etc. They provide links to certain programs to use in the classroom. This website also provides games/quizzes ideas for teachers to use in various subjects such as math, science, spelling, and etc. I think that this website would be helpful to teachers because there are links to various other websites that gives ideas on integrating technology into the classroom. I like this website because it is simple and the layout does not overwhelm you with information.

Educational Video

I thought that this short video from YouTube was one that was inspirational to children. There is a rapper in the background while pictures are being shown of people achieving, about not doing drugs, and pictures of children in schools. This video would be more appropriate for sixth grade or older. This video also shows a lot of diversity which gives it a multicultural aspect.

Blog #6 and #7

The internet is a valuable source for young children to begin doing some research on. It is also important for them to use books as their sources, but it is an advantage for them to learn how to use the internet because it's a source that has unlimited amounts of information on any topic. The internet is also easy to operate by using the variety of search engines. Although there are advantages to using the internet in early elementary, there are also disadvantages which include easy access to sites with inappropriate material, there are safety and privacy issues for the students, and there may be more problems with copyright and plagiarism issues. I believe that the internet is very beneficial to students in early elementary. I think it is great that they learn the key essentials when they are younger so they will know how to operate it completely when they have to do projects that require a lot of research. I would tell anyone that may ask me about my views on using the internet in the elementary schools that the students would benefit on their research projects, and they would also benefit from the various educational sites that are on the internet. There are many sites that are informational, and some are even interactive which is a great advantage to younger students.
I would have to say that my favorite educational website that I have looked at so far would be United Streaming because it was linked to Discovery education. There were many educational videos available for the teachers to show in the classroom, lesson plan ideas, and there were many links that the children could go to for puzzles, clip art, and more.

Now that half of the semester is over with I am feeling a little more relieved about my projects. The imovie was the project that stressed me the most. I always thought that technology was important to include in the classroom and my views remain the same. This class is helping me to be more aware of all of the educational websites and activities that are available by using technology. I think the lesson that I enjoyed the most so far was putting the digital lesson plan together. It made me think of ways that I can have the children use pictures that mean something to them for a project. I also love to take pictures so I know it is something that I would have liked to do in elementary.

What Kindergarteners Need to Know

I thought that this article written about the State Standards for Kindergartners was really interesting. This helped with understanding what the state is trying to do with each grade level. They started off with preschool standards and they are working their way up, and it is great that they are taking their time and thinking about the interests and about what is best for the children.
I think that having the state standards is helpful for teachers, in order for them to include various subjects into their lesson. I also understand that some teachers may be concerned about it taking away some of their creative lessons, but I feel that this is not true. you can still be creative with a lesson while including some state standards.
When I read about the Kindergarten standards which included, language arts, math, science, social science, physical development and health, fine arts, foreign language and social/emotional development; it reminded me of the Montessori schools. This is because of the fact that in Montessori schools, they focus more on the social/emotional, and foreign language skills a little more than the public schools. I also thought it was interesting to read the last part that talked about the children tearing flash lights apart to explore and use their senses. It is great to allow children to expand their knowledge through observing hands on. I feel that these standards are valuable to any classroom.