Georgia Aquarium Virtual Tour

I decided to make my virtual tour about The Georgia Aquarium.  The Georgia Aquarium offers many different exhibits that keep students interested in learning about these different sea animals.  In this virtual tour students are able to see a picture of five different animals from the exhibits and read about the animals and some fun facts.

http://virtualtourcat200.wikispaces.com/

Computer Lab Seating Chart

 

For this seating chart I chose to use Microsoft Word.  This was helpful to me when making the seating chart because I was able to add a table with how the seats are made.  I could also go back to this file and edit it when need be.  

A limitation of using this tool is that it is hard to personalize the room and the things in it.  I am not the best at working with clip art and moving it around but I can work on it.

Assignment 5

Incorporating technology into the classroom is becoming a very helpful tool for teachers and students.  With technology teachers have the opportunity to make the classroom more interactive and students can become more involved in learning.  There are many different types of technology that can be used every day in the classroom to better the teacher and student.  The fourth grade teachers and I have discussed many different types of technology we would like to have in our classrooms.  We also made sure that we could incorporate these technologies into our lessons and make use of our new technologies. 

            Here are the features and computers that we have decided would benefit our classrooms the best:

·         Computer:  The computer we decided on is a HP- Pavilion Laptop, AMD A-Series Processor, 15.6" Display, 6GB Memory, 640GB Hard Drive.  This computer costs $679.  We decided on this computer because it is compatible with the projector system we have chosen and the students are able to use it also.     

·         Projector:  We feel that a projector would be a great addition to the computer.  It will help with allowing the students to see the teacher work a worksheet on the board, see videos from the internet as a class, and allow the students to be more interactive in the lesson.  The projector we decided on was with the company ELMO.  With the ELMO projector there are a few extras that we will need to better the use.  The document camera and projector come in a combo pack for $893.  With this we would also like to have the tablet and remote for the students to be able to interact from their desks.  There is also a cart available for the classroom that will hold the computer, projector, and the other accessories.  The cart allows the teacher to move the computer and components around the room to adjust to the settings.

·         Other accessories:  With a computer and a projector in our classroom we can use other technologies to make lessons more eventful.  We know that a computer and a projector cost a great deal, so we are asking for a digital camera and video camera for our grade to share.  With these two items the teachers and students can share what they have learned with parents and others.  The digital camera we have chosen is a SONY Cyber-shot 16.1-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera.  This camera costs $179.00.  The camcorder we chose is made by Flip Video and it costs $129.00. 

            Having these items in our classrooms will make teaching and learning a new experience for all of us.  There will be many different ways that we can focus on problem areas for students by making learning more enjoyable.  If students do not have access to technology at home they will have the opportunity to work with it in the classroom.     

Assignment 3

The free learning styles test I found was very short and to the point.  It did not have many questions, and as soon as I finished I had my results.  From the questions I was asked, my results were that I chose one auditory learning statement, two visual learning statements, and two kinesthetic statements.  For the most part I think that my results are pretty accurate.  I think that I learn best by having information given to me in different ways.  I like to listen to someone talk about the information, but point out important parts not lecture for hours (auditory).  I also feel that I take in a lot more information when I can see the information and do some kind of activity with it (visual).  I do not like to sit in one spot for hours listening to a lecture.  I like to be able to get up and move around to get my brain going again.  I think that games and exercise are important for me when learning (kinesthetic).  When I have my own classroom, I want to make sure that I teach in many different ways so each student has an opportunity to learn.  I know this is a difficult goal but it is important to me.  I want to at least make sure that I am aware of each students learning style and hopefully direct lessons toward each group of students.  

The cognitive styles inventory I took was also very short and to the point.  It consisted of fifteen questions and gave me my results very quick.  I took a few different inventories before deciding on this one, because some of the results were hard for me to understand.  My results for this inventory were Sensorial/Emotional.  To understand what my results meant I read the description that was given, but I also did some reading from other websites. By reading I learned that a sensorial person uses their senses to learn and likes concrete information given to them.  I agree with my results because I learn better being engaged in a lesson, but I also like to know the information I am learning is true.  I will admit that my emotions/feelings can get the best of me sometimes.  I agree with this result because I sometimes base my decisions on how it will make other people feel.  I am an assistant manager where I work and when the manager is not around I know that it is my responsibility to make sure everyone is doing their job.  The hard thing for me is that I do not want to tell someone what to do and then the employee not like me for that.  These results will help me in the classroom because I can take into consideration everyone’s cognitive styles and learning styles to make my lesson plans work for the whole class.     

Learning styles:  http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/836-learning-styles-quiz?gclid=CLTbvLrUjKQCFUxb2godayxVHQ      

Cognitive styles:  http://tests.infoartperu.com/en/test_cognitivestyles.htm

PollEverywhere Poll

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Technology and me

Technology was not as advanced when I was in elementary school. Even though it has not been too long since then I still can see a big difference. I do remember using computers for some reading skills but the activities were not as exciting as they are now. The only other types of technology I remember from elementary through high school is the white board and projector. I used computers to take AR tests, work on reading skills, and work on math skills. Chalk boards/White boards and projectors were used to provide notes, give examples, and display images to the whole class. Since I have been in college and done observations in the classroom I have expanded my uses with technology. I use the internet, Microsoft word, and power point in many of my classes at the university. Most all of my projects and grades come from the use of technology. In the classroom I have seen teachers use computers, ELMOs, ELMO tablets, smart boards, interactive websites, and different types of recorders.
To me educational technology is any form of technology used to further education in the classroom. Using technology in the classroom gives the students and teachers an alternative to basic learning and teaching activities. For teachers technology provides a way to get ideas from other teachers, interactive games and websites for students, a way to communicate with parents through news letters or email, and provide diverse teaching tools. I think that it is important for teachers to incorporate technology into lesson plans because not all students learn the same way. For students, technology can give students a different way of looking at subjects and this may help them learn better. With technology students can research to learn new information and present the new information to the class with presentations. Giving students the option of technology in the classroom can help them expand their learning experience. There are many positive aspects of technology in the classroom but it can be a negative experience for teachers and students. If the teacher does not have access to technology then it can be difficult to incorporate it into lessons. Some students do not have computers at home so it can be difficult for them to do some projects at home. Students who have access to computers at home may be more advanced in the classroom.