Citation Creators

I LOVE citation creators. They helped me soooo much in high school. I used easybib.com for every paper to help with citations. Citations take forever to do and are extremely time consuming on top of doing everything else for a big paper. Also, for many projects there are multiple sources therefore multiple citations. With all of the different rules for MLA and APA formats it is difficult to get everything correct. In my classroom I intend to teach students the proper way to cite materials without using a citation creator. Once they have mastered that skill and are using multiple sources I would encourage them to use citation creators. They are easier, faster and just make much more sense to use!

Copyright in the Classroom

I had not known that copyright was such an issue in the classroom prior to this class. I had always used images in my powerpoints and projects not even considering whether or not they were copyrighted. I always gave credit to the source but was never cognizant that my actions could be deemed illegal. Now as a student and future teacher I know that I have to check the copyright of images in order to use them in a lesson. I always knew that written information needs to be cited otherwise it is plagarism but I never truly considered that an image should be held in the same regard. Copyright is extremely important to bring into the classroom so students know that they need to give credit where credit is due.

Email in the classroom

Email has become a major part of our society. It is also a crucial part of the classroom. It allows students to bring work from home into the classroom by emailing the project to themselves. Email helped me a lot as a student because when my printer would break or I needed to work on something in class I would email it to myself. It is easy way for parents and teachers to communicate. It also allows students to ask questions about homework while they are doing it if the teacher frequently checks their email. Teachers can also create an Instant Messenger screen name in order to communicate with students outside of the classroom if they have homework questions. Overall, email can be a crucial part of the classroom and I plan to use it in many ways in my class.

Educational Websites

I have found several different free educational websites that could definitely benefit elementary school students. They further what is being learned in the classroom. Parents should encourage their children to use these websites as opposed to playing mindless games or watching t.v. The games are fun and entertaining but still have some form of educational substance. I would use these in my classroom or leave them as an option for students during snack time or free time. Children's computer and internet skills can be further developed and they can practice their math or reading skills as well. I have also found a website that has storybooks online so students can use this to practice reading at home if they do not have access to new books or are sick of reading the ones they already have. There are a multitude of websites kids can use to help further their education inside and outside of the classroom.

Internet Safety

Internet safety is so important in a classroom. It is my main concern when my children are using computers in the classroom. There are so many scary people and things out in the world that my students do not need to be exposed to. I would hope that my school has protective software installed in all of its computers. I will definitely make sure that I monitor my students computer use and what sites they are going to. I also will make sure filters are used on the school computers so students will not have the option to go to inappropriate websites. I think internet safety is crucial in the classroom. I will absolutely ensure that my students are safe when they out onto the web and know what sites are safe and which ones are not. Safety is my number one concern and I will go to all measures to ensure my students' safety

Excel

I never realized what a useful program excel can be. I knew teachers used it for gradebooks but did not realize all of its different functions. I still find it somewhat confusing to use because I do not know all of the formulas. I wish not so many formulas were necessary making its use a lot easier. If my school that I work in does not have an online gradebook system I definitely intend on using Excel for my grades. It is a great way to keep organized. It also does all the math for you saving a lot of time! I really like excel and definitely plan on using it in my classroom not only for my student's grades but in projects too. The kids can use the program for projects in different subjects such as science and math. Overall, today's class helped me realize how important excel can be in my career and I definitely plan on using it!

Search Engines

Search engines are a difficult thing to use in the classroom. There is so much false information out there and it is difficult to sort out what is true and what is false. The kids may have difficulty knowing what sites are useful and what sites are not. Search engines can be helpful for research projects and other activities in the classroom. I will use them in my class but will absolutely teach my kids the proper ways to use them and make sure they know how to sift through information. Search engines can be useful but at the same a danger zone. I have to use caution with them because I do not want to lead my kids in the wrong direction. Overall, search engines have their faults and advantages.

Microsoft Office

I absolutely love Microsoft Office. I find all of its tools to be helpful and engaging and absolutely intend on using it in my future classroom. I think powerpoint is an extremely helpful program. It adds a visual element to learning which helps engage both audio and visual learners. A lecture can be boring and difficult to follow but paired with a powerpoint presentation it can be engaging and interesting. Excel can help students with data projects. Excel can be applied to math lessons and other subjects as well. Word helps in reading and writing. Overall, I am a big fan of Microsoft Office and will absolutely use it in my classroom in the future.

Blogs and Wikis

I like the idea of using blogs and wikis in the classroom but have some reservations about it. Blogs can be helpful when doing class assignments and recording data in group projects. It teaches kids about using the computer and internet. My reservations are safety. No matter how much you monitor kids on the internet, accidents can happen. The safety of my students is most important therefore I would hesitate before allowing them to use a class blog. Also, using a class blog could inspire students to create their own blog and there are many predators out there. Blogs can have their educational uses but student's safety must be taken into account. I go back and forth as to whether or not I would allow a class blog to be used in my classroom. A class blog without student access could be good. For example, a class blog could be used to update parents about class progress. Blogs have their benefits but I do not think I would use it is my class for student use but perhaps to communicate with parents about lesson plans and homework.

PDAs

I always thought PDAs were used by people in business and never realized how helpful they could be in the classroom. Teachers can use them to organize lesson plans, bring documents from home to school, and avoid the expensive cost of personal computers. They are an expensive tool but less costly in comparsion to desktops or laptops. Students can also use them to get themselves organized and write down assignments and task manage. Kids with disabilities such as ADHD can use the PDA to organize themselves. Overall, the PDA can be an extremely beneficial tool in the classroom. They do have downsides such as small screen and use of stylus. They also could distract students in the classroom so rules may have to be set as to when PDAs can be used. Overall, PDAs can have a place in the classroom so long as use is appropriate.

Interactive Whiteboards

Today, I posted on the Wiki about interactive whiteboards. I had never heard of them before but they sound really cool. You can project the computer onto the whiteboard and then the students can work on the computer interactively via the whiteboard. This sounds like an extremely beneficial tool. Kids get bored listening to lectures and powerpoints over and over again. With the interactive whiteboard kids can become involved in the lecture and enjoy the subject. This tool is probably very expensive and would be difficult to obtain but if I can use it in my classroom in the future I definitely will. This tool is so cool and hopefully more teachers will hear about it and be able to infuse it into their lessons.

Educational Software

As a future teacher I think that education software is imperative in the classroom. I really enjoyed using it as a child and actually remember a lot of what I learned. I remember using a typing program to learn how to type properly. There were games but it still taught you the benefits of typing properly. Kids are more enthused about learning when they know they are having fun. Alot of kids do not think that school is fun but if we infuse fun yet educational activities kids may enjoy school more. Therefore as a teacher I will use educational software in order to excite my kids about school and allow them to learn what they need to and have fun simultaneously.