Personal Learning Network...

I think personal learning networks are very beneficial. Whether you are building a blog, twitter, portfolio, or wiki, it is a great way to make information accessible. I definitely am so glad I have been able to incorporate a lot of new types of technology into my TE studies, because after this class I will have many resources that have already been started. I will use the sites for both my personal portfolio along with when I have a classroom of my own in a few years :).
Having a vast PLN though, can become a bit overwhelming I will admit. Multiple websites containing all different things can be hard to keep track of and update, which is why I enjoy combining things we've learned into one place where it is all there. In general PLN's help people expand and reach out to people they have perhaps never met, or communicate with friends, students and parents in a visual way.

Presentation With Added Audio!

Presentation- Mini Lesson!

Flickr Crazed!

I am so glad we learned about flickr in this class, because honestly I have used it so much lately. Whether it has been for class projects, or for personal photo shopping and editing, I absolutely love it. It is such a useful tool, and it really could be educational. I was thinking for elementary students if working on a book report, teachers could incorporate flickr by asking them to use images of characters and create thought bubbles or conversations etc. That would enhance the book report and use of technology! This class just gets me excited to start teaching, so I can use these tools in creatve ways:)

Netbooks worthwhile?

After reading the article about netbooks I wanted to look at the pros and cons. Some pros to netbooks is it does really help "go green", by saving so much paper used while producing textbooks and course packs. Also, since typing is becoming one of the most dominant skills needed in addition to reading and writing, it would improve computer skills starting at a very young age! The cons to netbooks is technology is always quite pricey, so that would involve adjusting many budgets. Also, I worry that students will lose necessary skills learned by reading actual textbooks. The tasks such as analyzing literature and highlighting key facts, would be done much differently. Is it a good look into the future, or should we stick with what we know?

Google Docs

I think Google Docs, is very useful especially with all the templates it offers. I wish I could have just made a new resume on there though because it is a bit frustrating to upload on to the program, but I already had one that I was proud of. It throws off the formatting, which is kind of a pain, so that is a slight downfall.
I definitely think using programs google docs has to offer is a great idea for a classroom. Especially in a career or future oriented class, it would be a perfect project. I'm really glad I know about it know because it gives a lot of useful pointers!

GOOGLE EARTH!

I had seen Google Earth in the past, but just downloaded it today for myself. I must say I was absolutely fascinated by the detail and accuracy of this website. Simply by typing in a location you are instantly there, no matter where on the globe! Never had I even considered this tool for the classroom, but boy was I wrong!
This would be so useful for a variety of subject areas. Teachers could form curriculum in geography about relative and absolute locations. It would also be useful for younger kids to look at continents, versus countries, states and cities. I like it better than just a globe because you can zoom so close in on a particular place. For history class, you could do a project on a specific event in the past, but then look at the landscape and development of the are now and do a comparison/contrasting assignment. For science when studying "under the sea" the ocean layer would be fascinating. Also, the sunlight paths and outer space settings would be very useful as well.
As you can see there are so many options to incorporate TPAK into your classroom, technology really does enhance the learning for your students, and I think they would really enjoy how hands on the Google Earth application is.
Whether you're checking on your house from an aerial view, or researching a specific location, you can't go wrong with Google Earth! :)

Learning Technology at a Younger Age

Today I was sitting in class thinking about how useful CEP 416 has already been and how all this technology will really benefit me in the future as an educator. I pondered the fact though, that since all of this technology is emerging in everyday classrooms, why aren't there required classes in middle and high school that introduce all of this technology. If students had to learn about these interesting technological advancements, teachers would be able to incorporate a lot more tech in their classroom through homework assignments/projects. This would alleviate teachers having to completely teach the technology plus the goal for the assignment, and would allow classes to do much more advanced work. Hopefully in the near future it will be mandatory, so we can really make use of all that is available! :)

Google Reader Gossip

While browsing my google reader, I found a few sites that sparked my interest, thanks to a blog I follow by Mr. Byrne. First of all a link,about the Smithsonian Channel, which hosts a variety of useful educational movies. The thing I liked about the site is the movies are just short clips, so they will keep the attention of your students while providing valuable insight in a short time period.
Secondly, I found a website teachers can use to make educational games for their students. There are a variety of templates to chose from and you pick the material you would like to cover in the activity. I am the new member educator for my sorority, so when I have the new girls weekly meetings I am going to use this site to make material quizzes and activities. I was very excited when I read positive comments about this website!

Thought this might be useful information to spread to our class!