Final Reflection

This semester has come to an end and I am now writing my final blog posting :(  Lets look back on my IT 365 journey.  The first day of class I have to admit I was kinda starting to feel the senioritis coming on and I was not looking forward to this technology class.  I truly believed I knew all I needed to and I should not have to take yet another computer class.  I quickly learned that first day of class I was completely wrong!  I learned something new the first day I attended class, and little did I know I would continue to learn something new about a specific use of technology every day after that.  There are so many things I have learned ranging from websites to assistive technology! I was so pleasantly surprised that i was able to take this specific course. 
Little did I know I would meet and become close with so many new people as well.  I am thankful for the friends I made as well as the information I learned.  I feel like I need to create a folder somewhere safe of all the information developed this semester.  I want to store it somewhere I can access when I am student teaching as well as have my own classroom.  All of the knowledge I have gained will benefit me not only as a student, but as a future educator!

Web Tools

This assignment had so many different aspects to it I was amazed! I could not believe I was a senior in college and had never heard of any of these particular websites.  I actually used some of them even after this assignment was due! My favorite tool was probably the word cloud.  You can use these in your every day assignments! I actually was doing my clinical at Oak Grove Elementary and the teachers there used them on the outsides of their doors! It was a cute and creative way to describe themselves to students and parents. 

The rubric site is another helpful everyday tool for teachers.  It is something that is used often on classroom assignments, so it is hand to have a tool such as this one available!

            The story website was neat, but I have to be honest I am not very creative so it was somewhat difficult for me to make up a story.  Once I finished I was proud of myself and my story!  All of these tools will be helpful once I become a teacher, and even now while I am a student. 

            Track Star was interesting! I enjoyed it, but it was slightly difficult to use.  I think it will definitely be helpful in the future; however it will take some practice getting familiar with the site.

Below are the links to each Web Tool used:
Rubric: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7C9j8ctiOfwSUItNnBUbDcwbU0
Word Cloud: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5737335/Food_Chain
Story:http://storybird.com/books/lets-explore-what-will-happen-if-i-dont-take-care/?token=u99tvr
Track Star:http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/ts/viewTrackMembersText.do?org.apache.struts.taglib.html.TOKEN=13772771096357858fc170c4fbd94c5b&number=444578&password=

AT Project

Assistive technology is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I am a dual major; therefore I will be teaching Elementary and Special Education.  In many special education situations, children need to be provided with assistive technology.  Technology is such a big part of today’s society, it is not easily accessible for all students.  I learned so much from this one activity.  There are so many things that are free and readily available on your home computer that can benefit a person with disabilities.  As a teacher, it is important to be up to date and knowledgeable of things such as hearing and vision features on a computer.  I have to be honest and say that if it were not for this specific activity I would not be as familiar with some of the challenges that can be easily over come using technology. 

            We used aids that varied from enlarging text on the screen, to making your keyboard beep when typing.  It is amazing just what technology can do. I believe that this lesson is more for adults and for children with disabilities rather than your entire classroom.  It is important though to have these aids readily available for any student in need. The NET Standard it applies to is the model digital age work and learning.  Teachers can model this to students with disabilities in order to support them and their use of technology. 

            This project would be extremely helpful in any class that is training students to become future educators.

            To view my Assistive Technology PowerPoint please click the link below:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7C9j8ctiOfwYnk3OVFVR2hCckU 

Web Development

So far this semester this has been one of the most challenging projects assigned.  Individually we created a classroom website! This is something that is crucial to our classrooms as future educators, I just did not realize how difficult it may be.  There are so many aspects that go into creating a website.  You have to create a design, layout, specifics that go into it, etc.  There are so many aspects that I did not realize until I began this specific assignment.  After it was all said and done, I enjoyed learning how to create the website and I will use something similar to this in the future.  It was neat to learn how to insert you email as the footer and contact information.  A website is something that is easily accessible to almost anyone in today’s society. 

            The website challenged me to think and develop classroom rules and regulations, search for resources and links for parents, create a small autobiography, as well as homework and assignments.  I can only imagine keeping a website up to date in today’s society.  You do not realize how much work goes into creating and updating these things.  This is something that I will implement in my future classroom, as well as make sure my students are aware of what all goes into a website.  A couple NET Standards that apply to this project are:

·      Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

·      Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

https://sites.google.com/a/eagles.usm.edu/nikki-snellman/home 

Google Groups

I have to begin by saying WOW! I had no idea you could use all these features through your email! I am one who usually does not like group project; however, this group project was extremely reassuring.  I was nervous working in a group where I was unfamiliar with the people in my group.  I know this is important in the teaching world in order to differentiate learning, but I was still nervous.  My group was very laid back and we all wanted the same thing, a good grade! We worked together in class on the assignment and then worked through email as well as the google groups to complete the rest.  After leaving class and returning to the assignment I did get confused on where to go to complete the assignment.  Once I explored and returned to the website I quickly remembered where to go.  These google groups are interesting and would work well with older students.  I would be interested to see how exactly you could incorporate the group into your curriculum, but I am interested in attempting to apply it into my classroom.  This project goes well with many of the National Educational Technology Standards for example, it follows the following:

·         Facilitate and Inspire Students Learning and Creativity

·         Model Digital Age Work and Learning

·         Engage in Professional growth and leadership
 

-->

Overall, I truly believe this project helped me grow as a professional as well as helped me become familiar with things I never even knew existed! It is important for future educators to be familiar with concepts and resources such as these connected to GMAIL in order to benefit their future students.
Below is the link to my section of the Google Groups Powerpoint
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xI26VeI-N4eKg9KA0UBDkekFGT_jV98nkzcnArieJNQ/edit#slide=id.p 

Video Project

Attached is my video project.  It was interesting to create this document.  I wanted to use something I had created before, but instead I just created something simple and a video that described me and my journey at Southern Miss. I love this University and I would love to share that with all people.  My video is short, simple and to the point.  It begins with my first moment at USM, Golden Eagle Welcome Week! Then the story continues on into my years at Southern Miss. It was interesting to learn how to use different formats of the video.  I personally have a MAC computer so during class we were required to become familiar with the Windows version of Movie Maker.

 I had made a IMOVIE before for multiple occasions so it was fun to make one for my personal use. I think creating videos is an important tool for students if the age is just right.  Students can make movies for really any subject.  The sky is the limit for students.  They can work in groups to use communication skills; they will practice using correct grammar, as well as become more familiar with technology.  It is crucial that students become comfortable with using technology inside and outside of the classroom.  No matter what age you are it is always helpful to become familiar with different types of technology.

Standards Paper

-->

Oh the tough subject of plagiarism!  This particular class period was interesting to me because, going into today's lesson I almost assumed I knew enough about the topic.  Little did I know there was still a lot to learn!  I have not used turnitin.com since high school, so it was interesting to see how it has changed and developed.  The last time I used it the students were not allowed to see their percentage scores after they submitted their papers.  In order to find out the percentage you turned in, you were required to walk up to the teacher’s desk and have him or her show you.  As a student I have never been a big fan of tunitin.com, only because you can create a sentence and it will take one little statement and add percentage to your score.  However; as I have gotten older and throughout my college career I have developed a positive attitude towards it and I truly think when it is used correctly it can be a tool for students.  I enjoyed how we used it in class and I think that younger students would benefit from a lesson such as that.  It was helpful to learn how plagiarism affects more than just the student, but how it affects us as future teachers.

When researching information on the standards to write a paper, it was interesting to see just how important it is to future teachers.  It is crucial that we as future educators understand the correct and incorrect use of standards in and outside of our classroom.  

To view my paper click the link below:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7C9j8ctiOfwa1ZWakN4S1I3N1E