Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Microbe Zoo

One of the math/science technologies that I chose to explore is called the "Microbe Zoo". It was a really fun website that I think children would certainly enjoy. It was cool even for me to learn about all the ways in which Microbes affect us. Not only are they everywhere in our environment but they are actually helpful to us. One of the places in the "Microbe Zoo" that I explored was the "Snack Bar". I love chocolate and to know that Microbes help that process along is somewhat scary but at the same time is fascinating how nature works in such ways. I think that learning about Microbes is really a good way to show students exactly how science and biology works in our everday lives.

TPACK

So far this tutorial has been the most motivating and exciting for me from any of those that we have explored so far in this class. The more I continue taking classes for elementary education the more I realize how integral technology is in the classroom. I find it almost an obligation for me to learn how to use technology in the classroom. I feel this way because I think that by the time our students that we teach enter the workforce they will be completely surrounded my technology and will be at a disadvantage if they don't understand it. I even see it happening at this time so it only makes me further feel that the workforce will get more and more technologically advanced as time goes by.
I really enjoyed these tutorials because there were ideas that I hadn't thought of that I really feel I could use in the classroom. I felt that the "Brown Bear" style book that the kindergarten class did was very creative. It was simple enough for all the students to participate in yet it created something professional that they could be proud of it. I also felt that having the computers in with the students for their use was great. Not only is it useful because they will eventually need to learn computer skills, but the programs that computers provide are also great. I think that programs can be used to increase chilren's reading or help them in the speech, etc. I have seen in other classrooms, computers used to help teach scientific principles and show graphs and videos. I also really liked the ice cream lesson because it was such a fun and creative way to teach that principle and allow the students to be hands on. They didn't have to just listen to a lecture on freezing points but instead were actually able to experiment and observe it happening.
I feel that TPACK is something that all teachers should have. Not only is it important to know content well or just how to teach it but it is also important that students can incorporate it into their daily lives. Technology is the future and I'm ready to get on board. It will allow students to learn so much more in such a short amount of time that I think it can only increase their time to learn even more information.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Psych 301 Quiz Questions Week 1

In the term "g intelligence", what does the g stand for?
a. genetic
b. general
c. geometric
d. grammatical

The correct answer is B

Which theorist came up with the "theory of multiple intelligences"?
a. Cattell
b. Horn
c. Gardner
d. Spearman

The correct answer is C

The average IQ score is:
a. 85
b. 115
c. 140
d. 100

The correct answer is D

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

RSS and Web 2.0

I had never heard of Web 2.0 or RSS before this class, but I now know how useful of tools these things really are. As I said previously I am not technologically savvy but I do like to make things easy and efficient. To know that I could create a blog to communicate with my students or to other students outside of e-mail is great! I also believe that it is a great tool to communicate with parents and allow them an efficient and simple way for them to speak with me on any concerns or questions. I believe that technology should be embraced and used to enhance our teaching and the education of our students.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

PsychReflection1

I decided to create a Goodreads account for something new that I wanted to learn. The reason that I chose this particular website and group to start is that it is helpful in another one of my classes so I feel that it’s something that I might actually use.
The initial set-up was fairly simple except when they wanted my e-mail address and password so that I can add friends it kept denying me. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure it out as it is necessary for my other class to add my teacher as a friend. I also had some struggles when I tried to upload a photo to personalize my account more. For now I have simply given up on it as it could be that my internet is just really slow. I plan to try and do it on campus; however, it will probably take me some time to do it because I have to load a picture of me on to a campus computer in order for me to upload it and I’m just not sure of when I will really want to take the time to do it.
I’m excited for this new opportunity I have to find some really good books to read. I don’t have much time for leisure reading but once I do I will be able to keep up to date with what is new and supposedly good. I think that this website is a fabulous idea for people of any age and taste. Just from what I have looked at and observed on the website so far I can see that it is a great tool for me to use.
I did think it was really funny to see that Twilight was on the “worst books list” and the “best books list.” It shows that people are really willing to share their opinions and their views on the book and I feel that it is done in a respectful way. I hope that through this website and by writing opinions of my own I will be able to find some really good books that could perhaps change my perceptions on things and I will become a better critical thinker of what makes a book good.
Overall I would say that this was a really good choice for me because it was simple enough for me to set-up as I am not that great with technology and something that I will really use.

My Technology Background

I don't have much of a technology background and it will become obvious to everyone throughout the semester. We had a computer at home but I didn't use it much other than to check my e-mail or listen to music. If an error on the computer came/comes up I immediately made/make someone else deal with it. I don't really know that much of a computer's potential. In middle school I did learn how to type and in high school I had a computer class where I learned how to create things such as a website and such but the knowledge didn't really stick as I didn't see it as being applicable. Obviously I was wrong and hope to improve on my technology skills. Since coming to college I have taken a power point class and I learned a little about Excel but not that much. While I now know more about these programs than I did before I would still like to continue to learn more and how I could implement them into my classroom.