SUMMARY POST 1-9

I must admit, before signing up for EDM 310, I really thought to myself I had enough computer skills to get by. Boy, was I WRONG! As I turned the pages of my Blog Topic Part 1 sheets, an overwhelming feeling came over me. This was a new awakening for me. At that moment, I made the decision that if I continue to pursue my degree in teaching the kids of our FUTURE, I too must have an open mind when it comes to learning new things. At that moment, I realized that I needed to become more TECHNOLOGICALLY LITERATE in order to be successful teacher in the future.

After just a few short weeks in class, I learned how to: CREATE A BLOG, post to my blog, add links and images to my blog and many more interesting aspects of my blog. I also learned how to effectively use POD CAST, how to TWEET my day away on TWITTER, how to socialize through SKY PE, how to use YOUTUBE for educational purposes and most of all, HOW TO BE MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY LITERATE, by FORCE! :-)

By maintaining an open mind through the semester, I learned that Google can be used for more than just looking up different topics to learn about. With the guidance of a very helpful teacher, I learned how to create a presentation "ALL ABOUT ME" with GOOGLE DOCS, which I displayed still images of different topics I shared with my class. This assignment can definitely be an ICE BREAKER in the classroom. (click here to view ALL ABOUT ME) Students are able to share something personal about themselves and their families. The still images can be helpful to the viewers for a better understanding of what the speaker is describing.

Another way I use still pictures is on my BLOG TOPICS. I added a still picture pertaining to the topic or simply, my feelings toward the topic. The images added a little more spice to the blog vs. text only. (click on the link to my BLOG)

Lastly, I recently learned that GOOGLE EARTH, is one of the most unique and interesting sites to view images. Google Earth allows the viewer to EXPLORE the Moon, take a virtual tour of Mars in 3D, View Historical Imagery, Explore the Ocean, you could even Record your tour, Check out the World in 3D, Explore the sky, Find local business, and would you believe? You can even FLY TO ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD. Google Earth can be a great way for your students to interact with each other, and even interact with the world. Google Earth is a fun tool with a learning capability unlimited to the viewer. It is a fun way for just about anyone of all ages to explore their curiosity! (click here to view GOOGLE EARTH

I honestly can't think of anything else I wanted to learn about that wasn't covered in the classroom. We learned a substantial amount of new technology which I plan to increase my skills on. Delicious is one program that really didn't capture my attention. I think it's because we didn't have much time to go over it but I do plan to someday look further into it. This class at times excited me and at other times my attitude was, "I did it", as in I am up to date with my post and nothing else is due as the moment. I am definitely happy that I was able to learn new technology and then apply them. This class allowed us to work in groups to create project which were then presented to the class. I found most everything in this class to be intellectually challenging to me. I think this was a good thing because this meant I had to work hard to grasp the concept with what was going on and because of this, it would probably stay with me longer because I had to work for it. There was NEVER a moment where I could remember being bored in this class. There was always something to do and the time went by extremely fast. I would change this course in the sense to have more work done in the classroom vs. at home. It seems as if we briefly learned about something in the classroom and then had to spend a substantial amount of time at home to complete our blogs. I would say that I a Technologically Literate to the extent that I will definitely continue building on the skills I gained from this class. I plan to use technology in my daily life and I also plan to further my technological ability.