Class Reflection

I enjoyed this class and will take several valuable things from it that will help me when I become a teacher. For the most part, I enjoyed the hybrid format of the class. This was my first class that was taught in a distance learning style and Dr. Luongo did a great job of making me feel comfortable in this type of class. I do wish that we could have met in person a few more times. I enjoyed seeing my classmates present their assignments but I would have liked to hear more from Dr. Luongo. (I really enjoyed the MyAccess presentation and I would've liked to see her talk more about different types of educational software and how they can best be used.)

The review of a website project really showed me how many different types of resources are out there on the internet. With all these resources, it is becoming increasingly easier to incorporate technology into the classroom, although some of these websites do charge a fee.

With all that said, I think this class just began to touch the surface on what kind of resources are out there. I wish that every teacher could have a class like this because it really showed me how to use technology to reach out and get students interested and how easy it actually is if you do the proper research.

Happy holidays to everyone!

NJCCCS

The NJCCCS were always emphasized in each of my undergraduate education classes. However, in these classes, I was always focusing on the history standards since it was my concentration. While we were taught to encorporate technology into our lesson plans, it wasn't until I took GE 555 that I even realized there were content standards for technology.

It is obviously important that teachers encorporate technology into their lessons with today's students. Since this is the case, I wish I would've seen some mention of technology when looking at the standards in History with suggestions on how it can be encorporated into lessons. The problem is that while technology is great, it comes at an expensive price. Students that attend schools in wealthier districts will always have more access to some of these great educational resources that utilize technology.

Facebook and MySpace

As a former student-athlete and now an assistant coach at the collegiate level, I have constantly heard stories of the negatives of networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace. Most recently, a football player at the University of Texas lost his scholarship due to a racial comment that he posted on his Facebook status: http://www.nowpublic.com/sports/buck-burnette-kicked-texas-football-team-racist-facebook-comment-about-barack-obama
I have also heard a story of a group of student-athletes who had their house broken into and items stolen while they were traveling with their team...their address was listed on Facebook and the criminals knew that they would be away on that particular weekend. Unfortunately, I've heard dozens of other stories about negative consequences that result from information and pictures posted by student-athletes on the internet.
As a coach (and for teachers/administrators) it is important to stress the importance of internet safety. While these websites get a bad reputation for the incidents that occur in relation with them, I try to stress to my players that it is not the websites themselves, but the decisions of the individuals of what they choose to share. It is about what situations you put yourself into, especially in this technological age where pictures and videos can be taken on phones and posted on the internet in a matter of minutes.
These networking websites can be used as positive if they are used in the way they are meant to be used....for networking. Students need to constantly monitor what they are sharing and who they allow to view that information.

Teacher Training in Educational Hardware and Software

I think it is extremely important that teachers make an effort to train themselves when using technology in the classroom. A class like GE 555 is a start and definitely beneficial, but teachers need to continue to look for workshops that further their knowledge of computers and technology. While the websites and programs we have explored in this class are very useful, it is ultimately the way the teacher chooses to utilize the programs that will determine how beneficial the program is for the students. As with anything that a teacher does in the class, there needs to be a clear purpose and clear goals of what is trying to be accomplished.
Current students are very knowledgeable on technology since it is such an important part of their lives. Teachers need to use this to their advantage to make their lessons more appealing to these students. Unfortunately, I think most of us can think of examples of teachers using technology in an ineffective way. If a school district is going to spend the money on this technology, it is crucial that teachers know how to use it properly.

MyAccess

I found Dr. Luongo's MyAccess presentation interesting and I can see how this program could be amazing for a person who teaches writing, especially with students that perform at a lower level. Although my concentration is History, I think that reading and writing needs to be taught and emphasized in almost every class. If as a teacher my school had access to this program, I would most certainly find a way to utilize it in my classes.
The immediate feedback of the program is what I found to be one of the most interesting aspects of the program . The feedback includes scores and/or the grade for the writing that the student has just completed. I think that as a teacher it would be important for students to see their which areas they are strong in along with the areas they can improve in.
The only drawback I could see is if a teacher relies on the program too heavily, students may have trouble adjusting back to writing with pen and paper when they are actually tested. Also, as with most of the web-based resources we have explored, cost is always a concern. However, this seems to be a program that would be worth the money for school districts to invest in.

Second Group of WebPage Presentations

I thought once again all the presenters did a great job last night. The two websites I liked the best as a history major were Hippocampus.com and digitalhistory.uh.edu. I thought that these websites, as opposed the the one I reviewed (historyplace.com), proved plenty of information that a history teacher could use in their classroom (Although Hippo Campus does not have World History as Matt stated in his presentation).

The problem that I found with many of the websites that were chosen was that they were geared towards younger students. While they had interesting and fun educational games for students in lower grades, they would not provide much use and for a high school teacher. The two websites that I listed above are clearly aimed for students that are at a high school level or above.

Web Page Rubric Presentations

I think that some of the Web Page's from the people that presented can be very helpful as a teacher. There were also some, including mine, that may not be as useful. I especially liked Scholastic.com and Brainpop.com. The only bad thing about these websites is that there is only so much you can view without subscribing and since some of these websites can be pretty costly that is not always an option. The best scenario for a teacher would be if the school they work at has a subscription that allows them to utilize all the content. However, even without a subscription on Scholastic.com, there is still a lot of information that can be accessed by students, teachers, and parents.