Last Post!

This is my last post!!!!!

Summer!!

I hope you all have a wonderful summer, and I hope to see you all again next semester!!!!

I must say I have learned so much in this class that I will be able to take with me to the classroom. I have learned how important and beneficial technology in the classroom really is, and how to use different strategies to ensure that my students are provided with the best education. I have enjoyed working with everyone in my class...especially Melanie Wacker, who sits beside me each week, and Joy Lofton, who helps me out when I miss something!!! I hope everyone enjoyed the class this semester and I hope to see many of you again next semester!!

Just a Post

Hey!! This is just a post...I am running out of things to talk about! The past two weeks have been so hectic, and I am just ready for the semester to be over! I hope everyone is doing great in his/her classes, and I wish you all good luck on all of your exams!!

*Spreadsheet*

I learned how to create a spreadsheet last week. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, and I can see now how it can be beneficial in the classroom.

*Computers in the Classroom*

Computers are a wonderful addition to learning in the classroom, but they can often be distracting if not monitored correctly. I have encountered certain classrooms in schools that did not monitor their students' access to the Internet, and some students found themselves entertained by X-rated web-sites. This is a terrible incident to occur in the classroom, and all teachers must be sure that these types of web-sites are restricted from student access. However, if used correctly, computers and the Internet can be extremely beneficial to students' learning and gaining experience with research and web-browsing.

~Audio Learning~

I have always considered technology in the classroom to be very beneficial for the students as well as the teachers. Another memory I have from my high school French class is our use of the stereo for audio learning. Instead of always hearing our professor speak French to us and reading the text from the book, we were able to here actual conversations from French people through learning disks. We often took our tests in this manner as well. I found this strategy to be very helpful because not everyone is a visual learner. Many of us benefit more from audio, or from both. Therefore, this technique can be used in other classes as well--not only foreign language courses.

*Letters to France*

I know this probably wouldn't count as technology, but I remember in my high school French class we were required to choose a pen pal from France, and we would exchange letters each week. I found this to be extremely interesting, because not only was I learning the language in a more hands-on and fun way, but I was also building a friendship with someone from another country. Through our letters, we exchanged interesting information and answered each other's questions regarding our own countries, which allowed us to teach each other. I found this experience to be an unforgettable one, and I just thought I would share the idea, because I think it is wonderful to allow students to engage in this type of communication and learning.

Preschool Education

The other night at work, I happened to be discussing several issues with a co-worker. During the conversation, we shifted to the subject of her three year old son. She started telling me how she placed her son in a preschool for two year olds; I had never heard of that. I knew of daycares that simply care for the children and allow them to play together and learn their manners, but I was not aware that children of such an early age were provided with such an advanced education. At age two, her son is already working with computers! I remember the first time I was introduced to a computer was in at least the second or third grade. I was just amazed that the opportunities are so much wider and more advanced now. This puts me at ease to know that my children will definitely have the chance at a better education than I have, and I have been blessed!