Reflections of a Great Year...

I've learned so much this semester about the things that can become possible when you integrate technology into the classroom. It opens up a whole new area that would've have been possible without technology, Internet, etc. I love the idea of virtual field trips, movies and slide shows for projects, review, or just for memories of a great time in the classroom. I also really liked the way the class was set up, giving us time to practice different Web 2.0 tools and work on things in class instead of just sitting through lecture. Jeff did a great job covering material and helping out wherever there were any questions. Overall, I really enjoyed this semester in the class and can't wait to take the information I've learned into the future!

Google Site

It was great to learn how to do a classroom website. I've never made a real site before, so it was great to learn how to do all the ins and outs with it. Now that I can embed the videos I've made, photos I've uploaded, documents I've created, etc., it will be so much easier to keep my future classroom updated. If I hadn't learned all of this information, I feel that I would be behind in the technology area of my future class.

Digital Stories

Doing the digital story was a great experience. It is nice to now be able to put together a short movie with photos that could be used to do many things in the classroom. I chose to do a movie about our trip to Zoo Atlanta. It could be used for memories, review of what we learned at the zoo about animals, or as a virtual field trip for those who didn't get to attend. Using iMovie was pretty self-explanatory and I found that it really didn't take that long. I will definitely try to incorporate movies into my classroom!

Interactive Spreadsheet

Making the interactive spreadsheet was probably not my favorite activity of the semester. I can see a spreadsheet's use in keeping grades or attendance, for instance, but not for this kind of activity. I feel like there are more interactive and engaging tools to use for students that would accomplish the same thing. Still, it is nice to know how to use it if I ever need it.

Storybird

Storybird was a new site that I have never used before today. I think it would be great, especially in elementary grades, to write class stories, give students practice books at home, as diversification for reading in the classroom, or as a project for individuals or groups. It is fairly easy to use and seems simple enough that students could do it with little assistance. There are so many options for pictures to use and they can give you some great ideas when coming up with your own stories. I can see myself using this one for sure!

Animoto

Animoto was a really neat video/slideshow site that lets you add music and text to your pictures with different graphics. I thought it was kind of limiting, but still a simple tool that would be great to introduce lessons to a class, remember class fieldtrips, or for a short 30 sec presentation. I did not like that the video took so long to load (one of mine never did). Otherwise, I think it'll be a very useful tool!

Google Forms

I haven't used Google Forms before this class, but it was very simple to put together, has lots of templates to use, and many options to arrange your questions into. I thought it was very user-friendly and something that would be a good idea to use as a ticket-out-the-door, a get-to-know-you activity, or some kind of assessment. There seem to be lots of different ways of going about integrating this into the classroom and I think it would be a great idea to do so!