Journal 8: A "Fantastic Super" Use of Technology: Closing the Digital Divide

Curtis, Diane (2002, November 1). A '"Fantastic Super" Use of Technology: Closing the Digital Divide. Editorial, Retrieved October 11, 2008, from: http://www.edutopia.org/fantastic-super-use-technology


Oh my goodness! If I had to choose one word to describe my feelings after reading this article, it would have to be overwhelmed; and not overwhelmed in a bad way. I am just astonished and overwhelmed with how incredible this innovative “program” they put into place truly is. It is so amazing to me that such a program was, not only generated, but actually executed. The results of such a magnificent agenda are tremendous and reading about this great reality brings much hope for the future. It inspires me to keep the aspirations I have as an educator, that some may imply are unrealistic or out of reach, alive and continue to push towards making such changes happen for the sake of our children. However, due to the realities of little funding and resources in many areas of the country, it is hard not to get a little discouraged when realizing how much funding it takes to actually enact such a program. It generates a different kind of “overwhelmed” feeling than the previous one discussed. It brings about a sort of doubt and a disheartened feel when reflecting upon how to make this type of change happen. As educators, we are left to feel like it’s just not possible; almost like it would be a waste of time to even begin to try. It should not be this way. Hope for a better future should never be lost. It is for that reason that I have made the promise to myself and to all of my future students that I will never give up on the cause for a brighter future, nor will I ever give up on them. Our children deserve every opportunity that can possibly be offered to them and I pledge to always do my best to make that happen.

Journal 6

iMovie:

This program is such an amazing tool that can be used in the classroom and outside the classroom for personal use. It is a great way to capture the interest of students in a lesson or a magnificent method of expression for students. Not only is it very easy to learn about and use, it is free! That is the best part, given that the educator or student has access to a mac computer; but that’s a whole other discussion. It was all very simple after walking through the steps in class with Professor Heil in class so there was not even any need to utilize the Atomic Learning tool that was introduced to us; though it was especially comforting knowing that we had that tool available just in case. I also explored the program on my own navigating my way through to see what does what—it helps me remember where things are and organize the program in my head. It would be so thrilling for the students, I think, for them to be able to make their own movie! Hypothetically speaking, if I were placed in a 5th grade classroom, I would introduce this program to the students by making a short movie about myself, my family, and what’s important to me. I would then have the students create a short 2-minute movie at the beginning-middle of the year doing the same thing I did, after being certain that the students have become comfortable with the classroom, their peers, and myself. At the end of the year, I would then combine the videos into one as a gift and tribute to my students, adding more clips from throughout the year into the tribute movie. It would be a tremendous ending to an action-packed year.



Inspiration:


I am delighted that we have been introduced to such a helpful tool. This graphic organizer really will be an excellent way for me to arrange all of my work throughout my career so that I may easily find what I need, and so I may present my work to potential employers in an orderly and clear manner. This instrument truly does help me coordinate all my past work in such a clear way, that I will not be wasting my time frantically looking for past work that I need to find. I actually did not need to utilize Atomic Learning to gain knowledge of how to operate Inspiration. Once it was introduced to us by Professor Heil, I just needed to navigate through the system on my own and find out how it operates. After doing so, I was able to personalize the organizer a little to achieve the look I desired. This would also be an exceptional tool for the students to use to keep track of their work throughout the year. Not only would it allow them to organize and track their work, but it also serves as a device for the students to reflect on their progress and take pride in all of their hard work.

Journal 7: Document Sharing

Web 2.0:

I chose the document sharing tool to explore because I have had my first experience with this tool in my Women's Studies class this semester. I had eight members in my group and it was an amazingly helpful tool to have access to! Although my group members did not use this tool to its full potential, I now know that it is available for future use and such a life-saver when all members are so busy with completely different schedules. This tool is so great because it allows students, educators, or anyone for that matter, to collaborate on a document or presentation without the hassle of passing the document around via e-mail or without the need to be physically together to avoid complications with collaboration. Using this tool eliminates the confusion of collaboration via e-mail; people are able to collaborate simultaneously, and view past saved work with detailed information about those changes. After reading about the different websites which offer this wonderful tool, I realized that there is so much for me to explore and discover that are excellent tools for me as a student, but also as an educator! Although I have never used the other websites, it is great to know that all of those resources are available to me. The creator of the thread provided five websites that offer some kind of document sharing application, and several responses from others provided for even more websites containing this tool. I plan on exploring these sites and figuring out which site works best for me.

these are the 12 cutest puppies in the world!!! we kept 4 and still have the mama...i love them all! the rest are in other loving homes! they were born on 12-24-07...

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