Final Blog

It's the end of the course and I must admit that it was a journey. There was so much information about technology in the classroom that I was completely unaware of. I guess I initially thought of technology in the classroom as using the Tv/VCR for movie day or having students write a paper on the computer. I have learned that there is so much more to it than that. For some reason webquests are something that really sets out in my mind. I never even fathomed the possibilities of developing a quest for students to find their own answers by using technology and the internet; very neat idea. Even the idea of developing a class website to help students stay organized and informed of important course information and resources. I am sure that everything I have learned in this course will be very useful when I get into the classroom such as the webquests, or powerpoint presentations. I will be able to take what I have learned and not only use it to teach my students but also show administrators of the school that I am informed of how to implement technology appropriately in the classroom. 

Equity Issues in Technology

So this week was about technology and equity issues in the classroom. I guess many people do not realize the importance of providing adequate access to students when dealing with technology. Almost everything done now is electronic with some sort of technological piece, whether it is a cell phone or computer. There are the schools that do not have the budget to provide maximum amounts of technology for every student in the school but I have learned that there are state and government grants and awards that provided additional funding for schools. These extra funds are important to schools because it helps them to compete with other schools who already have the funds by helping to bridge the technology gap due to finances and also even socioeconomic status. I mention socioeconomic status because we all know that there are some students who do not have the access to technology in their home, or if they do it might not be as up to date as the school setting. So schools that are up to date with the technology as well as professional development with teachers definitely provides greater opportunities for all students to be successful not only during school but also out in the workforce or college. 

Module 4 Reflections

Alright, 
So this week's module was about developing a webpage. After reading through the different lectures on the topic I can understand why it could possibly be important to have a webpage for your students. Having a webpage not only helps the teacher stay organized and informed but it also allows the students to practice their internet navigation skills as well as staying up to date on what is going on in the class. We all know that most children these days are on the computer for hours at a time anyway so them viewing a webpage developed by the teacher would not be a difficult task. 

I did find that the development was slightly on the difficult side, only because I have not had to use those skills since 11th grade!--which by the way at the time I was a wiz at web development. But I do think that it is important for students to have the access so that the information they need to be successful in the class is right at their fingertips; whether it be a calender with important due dates or having different sites a student could go to for additional resources to help with assignments. 

Module 3 Reflections

I never knew that the program Word could do such neat things such as adding comments to a paper that was typed up. I think that utilizing that particular feature in the classroom will be very helpful to teacher and students by allowing everything to be virtual; turn in the paper online and also receive feedback online. That only makes perfect sense to me.
Also, developing a webquest was a shock for me. This activity was not anything that I had ever heard of but after learning a bit more about their purpose, using webquests are a great way to get the students actively engaged in their own learning. I think they are fun as well--I think I would have liked to complete a webquest while in school.
Spreadsheets and Power Points are also a really neat feature of the Microsoft family. I think that it is important to have some sort of spreadsheet available to help quickly input grades or students names to stay organized. Power Points of course just take away some of the 'boredom' factor of standing in front of the class lecturing the whole time by offering additional visuals for students to see. Having a slide show can bring more life to a lesson and also maybe more interaction among teacher and student.

Module 1 Reflection

This week's reading assignment was very....interesting. There were so many things and ideas that were a part of implementing technology in the classroom that I never considered. Using different techniques such as webquests is a neat way to get students engaged in their own learning. Also, with the reading the issue of copy writing and fair use were brought up. It is important for educators as well as students to understand the importance of not infringing any rights or using information illegally; there were several facts that were pointed out that I have never seriously thought of such as the amount of copies that can be made in a semester---who would have thought! And one more thing, it would have been nice to learn about the search engine tips while I was in school. I feel that using the tips and sharing them with my students will help them to be successful in more aspects than just school. 

About Me

Good Morning,


My name is Ashley. I live in Fort Worth, Texas: born and raised. I think that being a Texan is the epitome of being an American! lol sorry out of towners, we still welcome you. I attended Stephen F Austin State University and received my Bachelors in Social Work in 2010. I currently work for the mental health authority with a crisis line while going to school for the Masters of Arts in Teaching degree at SFA. My content area for teaching will be English Language Arts/Reading Grades 8-12.