Resource Wiki

In this class we were assigned to work with 8 other classmates and we made a wiki for our department we are wishing to teach in.  It was really neat getting to do a group project, but not having to schedule a tine to meet with a group and have the stress of that.  I truly believe I will be able to use this wiki when I am teaching in my own classroom!!

My First Movie

What went well: I thought it was very easy dragging and dropping my pictures in the iMovie program. What was hard: I only had a little trouble exporting it, so I asked for help. What I would do differently: Next time I would add more photos!

Math Excel Worksheet

This project was fairly easy! Since we had the step-by-step directions on how to do it that really helped quite a bit. The only problem I had was getting the formulas in the points column to work correctly. Other than that one minor thing I did pretty well. I'm not sure if I would ever use this with 1 graders, which is what I want to teach, but it's a neat tool to have under my belt!

My Inspiration Project

I did my inspiration project on endangered animals in the Usa. I didn't have much trouble at all with this! Just a few minor things gave me problems, trying to change the background color and changing the font.

Hunt Slide Show

Scavenger Hunt

This project and I did not get along. I had difficulty uploading my pictures and finding them. Also I didn't know how to use the picasa editing system so that was a little hard for me. Next time I do this I will know what I'm doing and also I will probably ask several questions.

Picasa Hunt Album

For this assignment I got to learn how to use a Picasa album. I had never used picasa before, and it seems very easy to use. I will definitely want to use it in the future. At first I thought it was going to be difficult, but it was not at all!

IBA project

My inquiry based activity went great!  I did mine on energy and matter for grade 3.  It was really neat to create a sort of online worksheet that students could access.  What went well for me was setting up the information I had gathered.  The hardest part about this was figuring out what information to use.  If I did this activity again I would do it very much like I did it before. 

My Resume

Well, I created my resume today.  It went fairly well except I had trouble thinking of my qualifications.  I'm going to keep thinking on those and complete it later today.  If I were to do this again I would do it the same.  There isn't anything I would change. 

Check-In

I feel like this class is going really well! I feel very informed, but sometimes feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  I am definitely learning a lot about computers and how to use them in the classroom.  I sometimes have trouble trying to work and listen at the same time, but other then that I truly enjoy class and have no other problems!

WebQuests

1. What went well or not well?  We were split up into groups and it worked really nicely how everyone was given a different perspective to look at the webquests by.  
2. How will you use this tool in your professional practice and/or instruction with students?  WebQuests are a great way to have students using the internet for different activities involving using math, science and technology skills.  
3. What will you do differently next time?  I don't think there is anything I would do differently next time.  Everything worked out well.  

Evaluating A Website

This was a very helpful activity that I will be able to remember when I become an educator!  I learned that it is very essential that a website is updated regularly and that it has an author and publisher.  Those are two things I have not put much thought in when thinking about what website to use.  I will also be able to use this when I'm a teacher because I will need to check and see if the website is easy to navigate.  If young children cannot navigate through a website it is pointless for them to be assigned something from it.  From now on I will definitely think twice before using just any website myself!

My First Wiki

1. What went well or not well? I had trouble getting my All About Me Page linked to the home page, but other than that everything went well.  
2. How will you use this tool in your professional practice and/or instruction with students?  Making wiki's will be a great way for students to introduce themselves to the rest of the class at the beginning of the year, or even a neat way for students to take about a book they read for a book report.  
3. What will you do differently next time?  Next time I will add more pictures to my Wiki and also try changing the font to make it more pleasing to the eye.  

From This Course..

I want to feel comfortable using a Mac computer.  I just recently switched from a PC to a Macbook Pro and I still don't know how to use it to it's entirety.  I am also looking forward to learning techniques for the classroom since children are now so tech savey I feel it is truly important for their teachers to also be up to date on the latest technology!    I'm excited about this course and have heard many great things from friends who have taken it in the past!  Let the learning begin!

Who I am...

I am starting my 5th year here at UT and for the first time in my life I am actually very excited about it!  The night before classes started I was like a kid before Christmas just waiting for my last first day as a student.  After exploring in many different fields I decided on Psychology and Elementary Education.  My mom was an educator for 30 years and just recently retired.  I feel like I get my best advice from her about the classroom.  I am from Maryville and grew up in the Maryville City School system my entire life.  I am the youngest of my family and love spending time with them.  I just started a new job this summer at Blackberry Farm up in Walland, TN, it's a high end resort that has just been ranked the #1 place in to stay in the US.  I run one of the gift shops there.  I love my job and the people I work with.  In addition to working and going to school I am a Young Life leader at Hardin Valley Academy.  I stay very busy, but I love my life and feel very blessed to have such great opportunities!