blog journal #5

I used a fun website that the students can go on to and take some trivia challenges called http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/history/us_history.html. I remember as a student I loved trivia, and I know maybe not all students may like it, but it is a great way to learning some facts that may be topics in my classroom. The students can go on this site and learn so much about American History, which I find important because the history of America needs to be learned by every student in the country. Knowing our history and understanding it, helps students relate to why the country is the way it is today. Also, the teens can post their own trivia about the topics we covered in class that day.

I think the greatest advantage to using presentation software in the k-12 classrooms is that children can learn other ways than the way the teacher might present the information. Every student has a different way of learning, and this can help try to find the learning method that is best for a certain student. Learning at home will also cut off class time so that I would be able to not only cover more material, but review more often for the students.

PowerPoint is such an effective tool that I will be able to use every week to present information to my students. Showing videos and pictures on slides is a great way to help the students who learn visually. I will also be able to make funny noises and designs to help keep the teens entertained, which will ultimately keep their attention.

Blog Journal #4

If I was teaching a classroom, I would most definitely promote the use of outlining, because it helps the students organize their work. Not only will it be efficiently organize, but it will also look good from a presentation point of view. MS Word is a great example of this. Student will be organizing their work, and if you show them a few things about it, it can also be fun too which helps a lot.

There is no doubt that if I was a teacher, I would encourage the use of outlines, idea maps, and storyboards. I say encourage because I would never force this on my students, if they work better without these ways, then they can do what feels best. These concepts help so much with organization, and organization is the key to getting good grades. Students with high grades are most likely the most organized and use time management the best. Some students may not even know that if they were a little more organized, their grades would increase significantly.

I was very impressed learning how to use mail merging. This part of MS word will be so helpful for me in the future while teaching. Using this tool can help save time that every teacher most likely needs. Not only will it save time, but it was also help keep every parents information organize and safely stored in the computer.

Blog Journal #3

There would be a few ways as to how I would technology in my classroom. One very helpful tool I would use is powerpoint. This allows me as a teacher to set-up organized notes and slides. Using pictures and videos in powerpoint help keep the students interested during lectures that some may find boring. I am going to try very hard to put together lesson plans that will keep students interested. Looking back, I can remember that I was very uninterested and bored in many classes I was in during high school. When I had teachers who made the class interesting, it seemed like I learned much more, and that’s what I intend to do with my students. I hope to one day be teaching History for high school students, most likely tenth grade World History.

I know that sometimes during lectures that use technology (powerpoint, video’s, computer use, etc.) students can feel invisible to the classroom rules. In order to keep that under control I might do several things. While showing a video clip, I will make sure to keep half of the lights in the room so that I will able to have vision of the students. During computer lessons, I will mark off what student is at what computer and check each and every website they went to during class. Also, to prevent them from going to bad or inappropriate websites, I will be walking around while I teach the class as much as possible.

www.youtube.com will be a very useful website for teaching history. I will be able to play clips from movies and educational programs without having to show the entire film. Just showing a few minutes of a clip will help to keep their attention more than an hour long film. Also, by showing clips I can just show the part that is interesting to teens, but make sure it is educational as well.

Blog Journal #2

Microsoft Word is probably one of the most useful and most frequently used program on everyones computer. In just about every class I've been in I've had to use Microsoft Word. Learning new ways to use the program will be very helpful in the future when becoming a teacher. New ways to use Microsoft Word can make your presentation for something more interesting as well as more creative. Using bullets, clip art, and columns can make your paper and presentations more appealing. In class I prefer writing my notes on the computer using Microsoft Word rather than hand written. Using Microsoft Word for notes helps you organize your notes better without scratch outs or arrows on the paper, and also it is easier to read typed notes than reading my own hang writing.

My favorite example for MS Word being used is when a teacher can plan out a few months in advance what is expected from you. Quiz and Test dates give students a reminder when they should start reviewing notes to be prepared. A calendar is useful for both teachers and students that can be setup through MS Word. Using clip art for days off and holidays can be nice for the younger students to learn symbols for these days. Having a calendar for the students gives them no excuse not to know when a important date is coming up. As a teacher I definitely plan on planning a calendar out for my students to follow throughout the year.

Knowing how to use MS Word is so important for every teacher. I will for sure be using it almost everyday when I become a teacher. Learning new things about it in my Into to ED class is very exciting for me now and in the future. I hope to eventually know everything you can possibly know about MS Word and use it efficiency to help out everyone i will be dealing with during my teaching experience.

Blog Journal #1

Technology is a very important tool in all aspects of learning. Students can really benefit from technology because different students learn in different ways and technology improves their learning experience. For example, visual learners can benefit from power points with slides a teacher can post, as well as pictures to help relate to the writing. When a teacher has a smart board, the teacher can pull up multiple slides at once rather than having to write it all on a traditional chalk board.

It will be extremely effective for myself to use technology in different ways. I would like to become a History teacher and having access to the internet or having a smart board would be very useful and effective. During lessons if say I wanted to show a clip from a movie like The Patriot, I could, just by searching the scene on Google I will be able to show the clip without having to play the entire movie or by fast forwarding through a tape or DVD. When I was a student, I payed more attention to a movie that was being shown, than notes put on the board by a teacher. I'm sure there will be students like myself who have trouble focusing on a teacher who just puts notes on the board, that's why I will try to switch things up to keep the attention of all of my students at all times.

I think that History is a very important subject for children to understand. The importance of history is that we make sure we learn from mistakes and also learn what has worked is past situations. A lot of people seem to have a negative view on history classes, and I just don't see why because I believe that everything that has been taught over the years in schools has some importance to life and developing a proper education. Over the summer I work at a camp in North Carolina and I really enjoy doing it. I take after boys from ages 14-16 24 hours a day and i find it entertaining as well as good practice for teaching one day. Because I wanna teach high school history, I will probably be teaching kids the same age as my campers and hope that I will enjoy it as much as I do at camp. I realize the responsibility and work will certainly surpass those at a summer camp being a teacher, but I am ready for the challenge and excited to start.