Reflections

I have enjoyed this class so much. I've learned a lot of new things about technology that I am excited to implement into my classroom when I begin my teaching career! 
    
One thing I loved was the portaportal. I never knew it existed but it has already come in handy to me with my other classes I am taking this semester. I divided it into grades, and have been trying to find new websites for each grade to add to it. That way I will be prepared no matter what grade I begin teaching. I included a lot of sites that can interact with kids in the classroom as well as at home. I hoping it will be a very useful tool in the future!

The website we created has also been a great experience. I have never created anything like that before on my own. I was scared when I first started it, because I had no idea what I was doing. But once I got started with figuring everything out, it became much easier. I know It is important for teachers to have websites now a days, because that it mainly how we will communicate with our parents and keep them up to date on the things we are doing in the classroom. I know now that I have taken this class and learned my way around Google sites, it will be a much easier task when I begin teaching!

The discussions have been so interesting in this class. I actually have really enjoyed my reading, and found myself getting very into the chapters. I know this book is one I definitely will keep and refer back to while teaching. There are so many great ideas in it to help teachers implement technology into the classroom. Through the reading I have come to realize just how important it is to have technology a part of the classroom. I intend on putting these things into action, and I am very excited about it.

Mr. Winkle Wakes

     I watched the video Mr. Winkle Wakes. I thought it was very sad but it is very true. It was about an old man who had been sleeping for 100 years. When he woke up from his 100 year sleep, he found the world had changed. He went to a building where everyone was using computers and phones and "strange machines." People were talking to other people on screens half way across the world. This scared him, so he went to the hospital and saw more strange machines. Machines that were keeping people alive. After that, he came to a school. When he went in the school, there were no crazy machines and everything felt the same to him that it did 100 years ago. He felt comfortable at the school, but nowhere else he had been.
     I thought the video was very accurate. I had never thought about it before, but it is so true! Everywhere else in the world is very up to date with new technology and constantly upgrading to the newest editions. So why don't schools?? People have become to accustomed to the way things used to be, and the way we used to learn. But out in the real world, that's not how it is, so it shouldn't remain the same in schools. We need to teach our students, not only to prepare them for what's out there, but to keep their interest and keep them up to date like the rest of the world.

The Importance of Creativity

     In this video Ken Robinson is discussing the matter of creativity in schools. He states that is is just as important at literacy and must be properly integrated into schools curriculum. He tells us that we are being educated to grow out of our creativity. He says people need to rethink their view of intelligence, in a way that we value subjects at the top of the pyramid (like math and science) and include art and music and other creativity as well instead of pushing it to the side. He defines creativity as the process of having original ideas that have value and we need to use this gift wisely. He tells us that children are our future and we must educate them in their whole capacity so they can make something of it.

     I completely agree with what Ken Robinson is talking about in his speech. I remember going through school and never really being good at art or music and I believe it was because I was never encouraged to reach my full potential of my creativity. I remember art and music always being pushed to the back burner when it came to school. Now while working in a school and being around children, I see just how much they love to be creative with their mind and their bodies. I realize how much they learn by using their creative minds and how important it is to implement it into the classroom, especially young children.