Picasa!

Picasa is AWESOME! This is my very photogenic niece Cora. I took these during my visit to Colorado this spring. I started using the Picasa program I have on my computer, but then found out that the Picasa Web Album gives an option to edit online through Picnik! It was so much easier...I was able to put the focus of these pictures on Cora using this editing program. I LOVE it!

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Technology in the Classroom

Technology is EVERYWHERE these days! Students in many of today's classrooms have been surrounded by technology since birth. The world of technology is continuously growing. By the time I start teaching in my own classroom with my own students, the world of technology will have expanded even more. I think that technology will be heavily used in my classroom and have a great impact on the lives of each student as far as education goes. Since I will be going into Elementary Education, students will be starting from the beginning; they'll be starting with the basics of technology. They will be learning how to type, use programs on the computer like the microsoft office programs, etc. They will also be creating movies, videos, photos, art, essays, etc. through different software programs this world of technology has to offer. When I was in elementary school, the only technology thing I could remember using was the computer to learn how to type. Nowadays, the students do things like history day and science projects and are introduced to video making and different computer software at earlier ages or grade levels. If I were teaching upper elementary kids then I may consider creating a blog for our class to follow. It will give the students an opportunity to share thoughts, ideas, etc. that they may not have been able to share in the classroom. I am not a very tech savvy kind of person, but I know basic computer programs or I have basic tech knowledge. I hope to learn how to use newer software programs students will be using in the future and how to adapt the knowledge I already have to what I will need to know to help my future students.

Blogging in Education

What is Web 2.0 and why should teachers know about it?
Web 2.0 is a collection of online tools useful for students and educators who are looking for ways to share information they have created and for ways to interact with other students and educators. The great thing about Web 2.0 is that there is no need to install any programs onto your hard drive or desktop because you will be able to use these tools completely online. Some examples of these online tools are blogs, wikis, photo and video sharing sites, and much more. Teachers should know about Web 2.0 because it can be very helpful for them personally. They would be able to communicate with other educators for example. Teachers would be able to learn through Web 2.0 by communicating with others educators and learning from people in similar situations as themselves.

What is a Blog and why should every teacher have one?
A Blog is a personally maintained type of website with entries and commentaries involving any type of issue or subject desired. Blogs have become an influential and significant tool amongst many students and educators in the classroom. People are able to voice their own opinions on certain topics and lead discussions without pressures of the classroom setting or people within the classroom. Every teacher should have one because it is just another way they could impact student learning and also their own learning, especially of the opinions of the students.

What are the pedagogical implications of student driven BLOGS in contrast to a teacher-created website?
Blogs can definitely be a great way for students to teach fellow students. They may share their feelings and ideas without feeling like they might get something wrong if a teacher or adult may be grading what they write. They can share and discuss what they desire in regards to what they may be learning in the classroom or events happening around the world. In contrast, with the teacher-created website the student may feel more reserved in what is discussed focusing mainly on the topic of what they are focusing on in the classroom.