Reflective Paper

Summary Reflective Paper

During this class, I have learned many things about educational technology. The biggest thing I have learned is simply how to use several different types of software. I am so excited about the things I have learned how to do, and I can’t wait to put that knowledge to use. My hope is that, eventually, I will move from the familiarization phase of technology adoption to the evolution phase.

As a teacher, I will face certain challenges as I move from the familiarization level to higher levels of technology usage. One of the biggest challenges that I can predict is the lack of access to technology. In order for me to use technology in a student-centered environment, adequate technology must be available. For example, in order for students to be able to complete webquests, there must be enough computers for individual use or small group work. This is not the case in many classrooms.

Another challenge is that the outcome of student-centered learning is not always easy to grade. Time restraints make it tempting to give work that requires less time to grade. Although many parents want their children using higher thought processes, they too, like to see many graded papers that let them know exactly “where their child stands.”

After completing this course, I have improved in so many areas. Although most of the software we used was new to me, I feel much more proficient at my ability to use it. PowerPoint and Movie Maker are fun to use and are probably my favorites. Although Audacity seemed difficult at first, I believe that I can use it fairly easily now. I even feel like I have greatly improved my spreadsheet skills. Although I am not as confident about embedding audio or video into a web page, I definitely feel comfortable creating a web page in Dreamweaver. This is something with which I would like to have more practice, though.

The material taught in this class is so relevant and useful for teachers. I am more motivated than ever to put this information to use. As I do, I will continue to work toward reaching the evolution phase of technology adoption.

Week of April 22

Wikis

After reading the link about wikis, I really don't have any better idea of what they are than I did when I started. I remember being confused about these after reading one of the earliest reading assignments in the class. I understand that the word means quick, but that is about all I get.

Overall, this class has been great. I feel so much more confident in my knowledge of technology than when I started. Dr. Dean, you have been very approachable and very helpful. Thank you!

Week of April 15

Spreadsheets

I have used spreadsheets to average grades in the classroom. Once the spreadsheet is set up with appropriate formulas, it is an invaluable tool. I especially like that I can easily provide students with their current average at any time. Even though I have used Excel for a gradebook, I still learned several helpful things while completing the exercises. Being able to highlight grades below a particular range is very nice. I also like the "fill" command when copying formulas.

The link provided this week included some interesting websites. There were several lesson plans that will be helpful for use with elementary students. Since lessons involving technology are now required, these links will give me some good ideas to implement within the classroom.

Week of April 7

Web Pages

At school today, I asked about the program used to create the school's web page. DreamWeaver is the software that is used, but it is only available on one computer in the school. I am so excited about being able to create my own web page, but I find it very discouraging to have such limited access to the software. Schools want teachers to integrate technology into the classroom, but funding is not always available to make this very practical.

The school's web page was created in frames. Each teacher's name is listed under their appropriate grade. It would be very simple to link from the teacher's name to their class web page. The class web page could be targeted to display in the main frame.

Week of April 1

Web Pages

In the process of trying to create my own web pages, I discovered a misconception that I had. I wanted to create my web pages in framesets. It seemed like I should create all three pages in framesets and just make the mainframe different on each page. After I created the first two pages, I realized why I couldn't do this. Now I realize that I should only make the first page in framesets and just make the mainframe be the target for the subsequent pages.

I am so excited about learning how to create my own web page. Very few teachers that I know have their own web page, and I think it is such a helpful tool. I am wondering, though, what type of problems I might run into by posting such things online as photographs of the children. I think I need to do some research and take a look at more web pages created by teachers in order to get some helpful ideas.

Week of March 25

Web Pages

I am looking for information to use in the creation of my web page. Below are two websites that might be helpful in the process of creating a web page:

1. http://www.cln.org/themes/webpages_intro.html

This is a website intended to help K-12 teachers in the creation of webpages. Below are a few of the links:

Clip Art Theme Page

This CLN theme page has links to a variety of clip art collections. Together, they contain thousands of free, uncopyrighted clip art, buttons, bars, backgrounds, bullets, animations, and icons.

Copyright and Multimedia Law for Web Builders and Multimedia Authors

This Website provides information about various Web copyright issues and cases.

Evaluating Web Resources

A site that focuses on presenting a stategy for teaching critical evaluation skills for World Wide Web resources. Checklists for five types of Web pages are provided. The authors offer links to additional sites with more Web evaluation materials.

Good Homepaging

The Quebec English Schools Network has developed a series of resources to "help schools create unique and dynamic Web sites. Our approach, though, has a particular bias. We believe that, by participating in the development of School Web pages, teachers can truly add a powerful teaching and motivational tool to their bag of pedagogical tricks. And they don't have to be "computer experts" to do so! We also believe that the true value of a school Web site or a teacher's web page comes from making it a pedagogical venture."

HTML Survival Kit - Table of Contents

A comprehensive guidebook on basic HTML. The author provides many graphic examples of the HTML tags. These examples show you what will happen on a web page when you use specific HTML tags.

Introduction to HTML

A tutorial to introduce beginners to the basics of HTML design and style. Content includes: Introduction to HTML, Heads, Titles, Paragraphs, Lists, Special Effect Tags, Anchors and Images.

Introduction to HTML Level 1

Introductory level on-line training course offered through the University of Saskatchewan. Since it is designed for students at the University, some instructions will not apply to all Internet users. Each lesson consists of short descriptive pages with links to more in-depth information.

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators:Brush up on the Internet

A series of mini lesson plans for grade four students (adaptable for other grades) which will introduce them to the Internet. There are several lessons which deal specifically with web pages.

NCSA: A Beginner's Guide to HTML

A comprehensive guide for writing HTML.

NCSA Education Group Tutorials

A basic tutorial to help teachers learn more about the Internet. A downloadable version (Microsoft Word) is also available.

School Home Page Building Blocks

Four concepts important in developing an effective school home page are discussed and usually linked to further resources. The four concepts are purpose, content, organization and design.

School Web Sites

Do you want to see what other school home pages look like? Do you want other schools to be able to link to your school web pages? The Community Learning Network has a comprehensive set of links to other BC schools whereas Web66 provides an international registry of school pages.

• B.C. School Districts and School Websites
  
• Web66: International WWW School Registry
  

The Learning Page

An HTML template of a basic home page is provided with a lesson on how to change it to be your home page with your content.

Untangling the Web: Lesson Plan

The goal of this lesson plan is to have students examine sites on the World Wide Web for relevancy and credibility.

Webmonkey for Kids

Webmonkey is intended to show children what's possible with the Web and teach them how to begin creating their own sites. There are lessons on the fundamentals of HTML and web design which can be augmented by suggested projects which give the students some hands-on experience. A "tool" section has links to web sites that have programs for writing HTML and there's a teacher's planning guide section.

2. http://pages.google.com/-/about.html

This website explains Google Page Creator, a free tool that lets you create web pages right in your browser and publish them to the web with one click.

Week of March 18

Web Pages

In the process of preparing my web page, I read some online material regarding web pages. One of the articles made some very good suggestions regarding the initial construction of the page. Below are just a few suggestions to help create a better web page.

• The visitor should be able to understand quickly what the web page is about.
• The visitor should be able to quickly locate the focal point of the page.
• The site should be reflective of a credible professional.
• The home page should load within 4 seconds.
• There should not be too much or too little white space.
• The text size should be large enough to be read easily.
• Blinking, fading, scrolling, and moving text should be avoided.
• Make sure there is enough contrast between text and the background color.
• Make sure the font faces are appropriate for the intended audience.
• Only use underlining for links.
• Links should be a different color after they have been visited.
• Links should be informative.