Week 4 Assignment

I've used Excel to make spreadsheets for what seems like forever. I find it to be a very easy way to keep up with information and use for calculations. I will most definitely use spreadsheets in my class, even if only for keeping up with grades. Although, if I find other uses to incorporate into my classroom I will.

As teachers, we use spreadsheets to store, calculate, and present information. The advantage that comes with using a spreadsheet over a calculator is that you don't have to type in every calculation for each grade you are trying to compute. You enter the formula once and fill the rest. Then all you have to do is enter the grades and the computer will calculate them for you. This is very simple and less time consuming. I think that the book is right on with their 3 functions: store, calculate, and present. You can store and calculate grades and add in things whenever you need it. You can also present information in the form of a graph or chart.

Week 3 Assignment

I found Inspiration to be a potentially helpful tool that I could use in my classroom. It would allow me to put together an outline or turn it into a diagram and such that students could access on their own time at home to help study. Also, it may make learning not so boring for students. Instead of sitting listening to a lecture, they could periodically access the program online and learn that way.

I think that using blogs in class would be helpful. As a teacher, you must incorporate some time in class for the students to get on their blogs. This allows you to monitor if they are off task, or actually doing what is asked of them. Also, you can't assume that every student will have access to a computer or the internet once they get home.

Peer review is essential in the writing process. As a teacher with limited time, you will most likely not have time to read and make corrections to every rough draft. I think that one way to get the most out of peer reviews is to place students in groups after getting to know their strengths and weaknesses in the writing procedure. For example, in one group you may have a student who is prone to catch spelling mistakes, one that is very good at checking grammar, and one that is just good at making sense and putting words together. After doing this, have the students bring enough copies of their rough draft for each member of the group and have them take them home and review them. This is so time is not taken up in class for the papers to be reviewed and they are getting feedback from not just one person who may have missed something, but the entire group. Technology could also be used in this revision process by the students communicating through email or blogs. Also, you could have the students just type the rough draft in a blog and allow the entire class, including yourself, to go and just leave comments with suggestions or things that need to be fixed.

Week 2 Assignment

I think that using blogs is a great thing. I personally use them to keep up with my friends and family that I don't really get a chance to talk to everyday because of our busy lives. They help you stay connected. They are also a great way to share ideas and network with others that share your interests.

Blogs, if integrated into the classroom, can be a great tool for students to use. They are good outlets for students to share ideas or opinions that they may be too shy or embarrassed to discuss out loud in a classroom full of peers. This also may allow for students to keep in touch with teachers and be able to communicate with them if they have questions or concerns about an assignments or anything else to do with class.

If used incorrectly by teachers or students, then yes, blogs could be a waste of time. However, this can be overcome by teachers taking the time to understand how to use and incorporate these blogs into their classrooms.

I definitely think that using blogs and other such technology in my classroom will allow students to experience new ways of learning. More exciting ways of learning as opposed to the old boring lectures that we have all endured with nothing more or less are more apt to encourage learning among students.

Life

I'm Jessica. I'm 21, almost 22.

I've grown up my whole life in Mesquite, minus the time my dad was in medical school in Missouri. I am the oldest of 4. My little sister Jordan is a sophmore at Mesquite High School and the twins, Julia and Joshua are freshmen there.

After this semester I am most likely going to transfer to UTA. It's closer to home and the drive from Mesquite to Commerce everyday is a killer. I'm an all-level kinesiology major. I hope to work myself up the ranks from high school to coaching women's baksetball in a college setting. I love basketball. I've played my whole life and miss it terribly.