Just a little shout out

Dan has been working for months on this new touch pad product for Dell's new laptop (the Latitude Z). It's called the EdgeTouch and it's a touch pad on the side of the monitor where you can control volume, access menus, etc. It is very cool and I am glad it is done too!! There have been many long nights that Dan has spent on this at work! I'm continually in awe of the stuff he can do. I did not realize that I was marrying a genius 6 years ago!

more links:

http://www.cirque.com/technologies/glidepath.aspx

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-latitude-z?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~ck=mn

Week 5 Reflection

Internet Safety

Why we should or should not use the Internet in education:

I wholeheartedly believe that there is a place for Internet usage in education, as long as educators take the time to properly implement Internet assignments and activities in a way that is safe for their students. I believe that the web can greatly enhance classrooms around the world. It would be unfortunate to ignore or shun this great resource that is available to us.

Why evaluate the sites we use:

It is crucial for educators, parents, and students to learn how to properly evaluate websites. There is so much content on the web today, with a large percentage being inappropriate for students. When students are given a research assignment, they need to have the tools to identify whether a website's information is academically legitimate. Teachers need to guide their students, by providing them with safe, reputable sites and educational resources.

Questions to ask when evaluating a site:
I really like Kathy Schrock's 5 W's of Website Evaluation. She gives five simple things to look for when evaluating a website. Such as; who, what, when, where, and why.

Here are some specific tips she gives:

Who wrote the pages and are they an expert?
What does the author say is the purpose of the site?
When was the site created?
Where does the information come from?
Why is this information useful for my purpose?

Teachers should instruct their students to use questions like these, every time they use a website for homework and various projects.

Ways to keep students safe while surfing:

A good idea for keeping students safe online is to provide them with several websites that have been pre-evaluated by their teacher. I've found uen.org and Pioneer Online Library to provide a wide selection of safe, educational recources for students to use. Students can find reliable search engines for research projects, such as EBSCO Host.

Educators can also help by teaching their students Internet safety guidelines and how to evaluate websites.

Parents should make sure to monitor their child's home computer time as well.

Week 4 Reflection

UEN Reflection
I was actually thinking of doing a similar scavenger hunt, like the one we did for this class, for my future students. It was the perfect way to become familiar with all of the resources that UEN has to offer. It was fun trying to find all of the different links and research tools. I thought of so many ideas that I can use as a teacher, it got me really excited!

I'm really looking forward to using the lesson plans on UEN for my future class. There are so many cute ideas for teaching curriculum. I like the fact that each lesson plan is age specific and totally detailed, with patterns to copy and templates to use. These lesson plans are really phenomenal!

The core curriculum for each grade was so helpful and eye-opening for me as a future educator. It listed specific activities and lessons to help teach each standard and objective for each age level and grade. I can see it really helping me as a teacher to make sure that I'm continually meeting the educational needs of my students.

I had a lot of fun with, "surf the ages". I was thinking of using this tool for a program where my students would divide into groups and relive different time periods. For example, some students could reenact the interviews from Sophocles and Euripides, after receiving the Dio Award.


I absolutely love the interactives that UEN has to offer. These educational games are perfect for young students during computer lab days. I really see myself using the interactives to help reinforce subjects I've taught, in a fun and interactive way. I really want my kids to be excited to learn. Plus, it will help young students refine simple computer skills.

Pioneer Library is awesome for helping students with research projects. It really is a better search engine for students, compared to Google search. It's much more relevant and specific to young students and it eliminates all of the "junk" that usually comes up in a standard Google search.

I am just thrilled with the wealth of resources on UEN's site! It's going to help me be such a better teacher. I'll be able to connect more fully with my students and help them to develop a real enthusiasm for learning.

Week 3 Reflection

Everything Google, Week 2

What?

Well, yet another awesome tool this week: Google Presentations! I really enjoyed doing the slide show on classroom rules. It was very easy to use and a great way to enhance lesson plans and educational material. It really enlarges words and images for everyone in the classroom to view clearly.

So What?
One of my professors said that 85% of children are visual learners. Google Presentations is such a great tool for teachers to really connect with students. I see myself using this tool in a way that will more effectively teach material to young students.

Now What?
I plan on using google presentations to create fun slide shows that will grab my student's attention while I am teaching lessons and giving lectures. Elementary aged children lose focus easily, so this tool will work wonders, I'm sure! I can also use this tool with my students, as they present group projects to the class. I'm excited to use this tool to tell stories and teach songs to my students as well.

Educational Video
This is the type of technology I plan on using as a preschool teacher. Using a favorite character to not only explain, but show how to stay healthy is a great way for young children to learn. It's fun, simple and will help children stay attentive.

Week 2 Reflection

Everything Google
I am so excited after class on Tuesday! I am in love with Google!! They have so many awesome tools to use and they're free! As a future educator I definitely plan on using Google tools.

I'm already familiar with Google calendar and I use it on a daily basis. However, it never occurred to me that I could also use it as a teacher! I plan on creating a class website for my future preschool, complete with Google calendar. That way parents can easily see upcoming field trips, holidays, etc. It's a great way to stay connected.

I was first introduced to Google Docs, during class this week. I had no idea that tool even existed! I am ecstatic to begin using it! I am always wanting to work on a paper at school, but can't access it from my files at home. Now I can keep all of my papers online wherever I go! The online collaborator is such a valuable tool for students. I plan to use Google docs to create parent newsletters for my future preschool.

'Pay Attention' Video
I was really moved by this video! It really made me think 'out of the box' as a future educator. It makes complete sense to use technology in the classroom today. I think that using podcasts, online videos, and even cell phones is the perfect way to reach students today. My only concern is making sure that students who don't have access to certain technology or can't afford cell phones or i pods, aren't excluded from assignments. It would be crucial for schools to receive funding for current technology and educational electronics.

As teachers, we need to make sure that our teaching methods evolve with our students. I found some sites online that I plan to use in my future preschool. For example, I found a video clip of Elmo from Sesame Street, explaining how to stay healthy during the flu season. There are so many great resources at our fingertips! It is crucial that educators continue to stay afloat of new educational technology that can enhance the classroom and the student experience.

Week 1 Reflection (EDEL 2200)

My Ideal Classroom


I'm sitting on a rainbow colored floor mat, reading an exciting book to my four year old preschool class. The kids are a rich variety of cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and ethnicity. The walls are filled with colorful pictures of animals and people of every race and culture. My classroom is clean and organized, but bright and colorful as well. I encourage my kids to have fun and explore the world around them. I want them to be excited to come to class and learn about their environment.

We sing songs throughout the school day and work on writing our name and the letters of the alphabet. We draw, paint, and play with all sorts of materials and textures. We practice each letter's sound, so that we can get ready to read. We play pretend and learn about different animals. We learn how to count objects and do simple math.

I help the kids learn how to make friends and share. We spend time outside exploring and practicing large motor skills, such as hopping and skipping. I teach my class how to stay healthy and safe.

I find new ways to teach by collaborating with the other teachers at my school. We share ideas on how to help children who may be struggling in different ways. I maintain positive relationships with my students' parents and create ways for them to get involved in their child's education.

I love coming to school everyday to teach my students. I enjoy seeing my class light up with an enthusiasm for learning!



TechWatch Video
I do not like the idea of metering online usage. I love being able to use the internet as my personal library of information! The internet is a valuable tool for students and teachers alike. Putting a price on it would be detrimental to students of low income families.

As for the touch screen technology on computers, I love them! I'm very familiar with this technology. My husband is a computer engineer and has been working long nights, creating an awesome touch screen feature for a large computer company. I think it will make computers much more user friendly.

I totally want an i phone! That's awesome, that they're becoming less expensive. I'm glad that they're trying to come down to the average consumer's level.

The "Our Courts" video game for students is awesome! I am so excited about this new tool, as a future educator. Kids today are obsessed with computer games and this is the perfect way to help them learn about our judicial system. I would definitely require my students to use this tool as part of my curriculum.

The sugarlabs kid friendly operating system is awesome! I get so excited about new ways to get kids involved in learning. I had a horrible time in computer lab in my elementary years. I would've greatly benefited from something like this. That is great that they're making it less expensive.

Back to School

Well, I have decided to go back to school and finish my degree at UVU. I have been going off and on since I first started there in 2002. I'm finally ready to just get it done now. I'm majoring in Early Childhood Education.

So I am going full time and should be done in 4 semesters. I plan on taking all of my courses that are only offered at the main campus, this semester & the next, so that I can start teaching this summer. Then I will finish the 5 or 6 classes of generals that I have left either online or at night at UVU's Lehi branch.

Anyway, I have really been enjoying my classes so far. I have been making friends with cute little 20 year olds (girls, not guys)! My classes are easy so far, it is a lot like going to preschool everyday! We make crafts and do activities that we can use for future lesson plans when we start teaching.

This semester I'm taking 12 credits. My classes are:

Including Young Diverse Learners
Child Development
Human Development
Health Education for Elementary Teachers
Computer Technology in Education

I have to do a weekly blog for one of my classes, so just ignore that when you see it posted. I don't mind if you read it. It will probably be a little boring though!

A big shout out to my niece Kassidy for baby-sitting my kids this first week! My mom will be watching them when she gets back in town. I'm so grateful for the support of my family! Dan has been great taking care of everything while I've been at school!

As for the dental assisting (since many of you have asked) it's not that I didn't like it. It was the fact that the working hours were kind of crazy for me. We would always have some emergency patient come in and I didn't get home until 7 or 8 some nights. I like the idea of being a teacher because I can work at the school my children attend and have similar hours to their schedule. Plus, I have always wanted to be a teacher. So, there you go!