SmileBox and Story Bird

I really enjoyed working with the web tools Smile Box and Story Bird in class this evening. I feel like SmileBox would be beneficial to use in the classroom to make collages of historical figures, countries, animals, science experiments, etc. Story Bird would be great for children to create stories and use their imaginations to create stories based on images. It would be great to do a class activity creating a story that the children could create collaboratively. I feel like Story Bird was pretty limited in the art work, and some of it to me at least was a little bit creepy. It may be enjoyable to children. I do not know if Smile Box would be that beneficial for younger students to use in the class. It may be better for older children to use.

Hunt Presentation

Glogster and Picnik

I really enjoyed using the web tools Glogster and Picnik. I had some difficulties using the toll Glogster though, so it would be important to make sure that your school would allow the use of the site. It would be great for interactive lessons and projects. Children could make history projects with cool graphics and text, or study animals or countries. This is a neat tool because it puts projects into a new kind of perspective. Picnik is neat to edit your own photos on and is easier to use than photoshop, but I do not see it as being as beneficial as Glogster. Students would be able to edit their pictures or add graphic text on different images to put on a poster or create some type of graphic design project.

Oceans Slideshow

Slideshow from Picasa

WebQuest

I really enjoyed the activity that we did involving looking at the WebQuests. That was my fist experience dealing with them, I had never really heard of them before that class! I think that they are a wonderful tool to implement in the classroom. They are fun, engaging but educational all at the same time. We did learn however, that there could be some that are not appropriate or not to the highest level. It is important to choose wisely when you are picking a WebQuest to use in the class. It must be appropriate for time, educational use, have a good format and many other aspects to be a successful WebQuest. I think it would be beneficial to use in the classroom for history projects, such as studying and researching historical figures, and they would also be great for making language arts activities fun!

What I think about Wikis

I have really enjoyed working with the Wikis overall so far. I think that it is a great collaborative tool and is great for getting ideas and messages across quickly. My only complaint that I have so far about them is that only one member can edit a page at a time. I know that outside of the class we probably will not have that problem, but it is frustrating when you have a good idea but have to wait to get it posted. It is also a little strange having people on the members group that are not even in our section. I think that I would use this tool as a way for me to communicate with the parents of my students. I may put weekly updates on the site and let parents comment and voice their concerns if there are any. I will be teaching younger students, so I may do some activities with the computer on a large screen like we do in class and type their ideas and thoughts on the wiki page.

National Geographic Evaluation

National Geographic Kids is great site for kids to use in the classroom! This website was very helpful and full of wonderful information and photos.I even learned some information about interesting animals and countries. It would be wonderful to help younger children with projects and class activities. There are games, photos, polls and news. I would suggest this website for Elementary aged children since the vocabulary is fairly simple  and limited.  The material is just right for this age level. The site is very well organized, easily accessible and covers many different topics that may be of interest to children. The information that is provided on this site about animals, countries, places, etc. is perfect for a short report on a given topic.  I learned that even credible sources do not always meet every checklist criteria for being a trustworthy source.The author information and publisher information is not given, but other than that, the site is a credible source. National Geographic has been a major source of educational information for decades.

What I have learned/ looking forward to learn in 486

In class on Tuesday, I was excited to learn new things about blogging, and maneuvering my way around a MAC. Before class on Tuesday, I had no idea how you even saved a picture on a MAC. I was excited to get to work with Photoshop as well. I haven't worked with that program since high school. As I  was listening to the podcast for class this morning, I realized that children in Elementary, Middle and high school most likely know more about computers, and that worries me a bit. I am glad that I'm taking this class so that I will be able to know what is going on with technology and what the children in my future classroom will be familiar with. I think it would be a little bit embarrassing if a 2nd grader knew more about computers than the teacher. The teacher is the one who is supposed to be doing the instructing, not the students. I am looking forward to building websites, continuing work on my blog and expanding my knowledge about the items available on the internet.

Evaluation site

This is the evaluation site that I found. I liked this site because it specifically states that this is the criteria for classrooms to follow to properly identify a credible site. It is very clear and organized neatly. The site is also from an educational resource which is on the checklist for being a credible source.

What I expect to learn in 486

I have always been a PC user. I have rarely used a MAC so I am a little intimidated by the differences between the two. I expect to learn how to use a MAC properly  and learn my way around using one. I hope to learn how to become more experienced with technology. Honestly, I only use social networking sites and check email. I don't even know how to use I-tunes. I would like to become more knowledgeable and caught up with technology and get up to date on things. I hope to learn ways that will further children's education and understanding in a classroom environment. I want to know the techniques that will help me become the best teacher that I can possibly be.

Informal Introduction

My name is Emily Smith and I am from Chattanooga Tennessee. I have worked at Buffalo Wild Wings for over a year now. I went to an all girls High School in Chattanooga called, Girls Preparatory School. I graduated in 2007. I enjoy working out, baking, spending time with family and friends and reading. I also  got a Jack Russel Terrier about four months ago and my life has been turned upside down! I was just accepted into the PreK-3 Early Childhood Education program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I will be finishing my undergraduate career in May 2012 graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Psychology. I will begin the ECE Master’s program in the Summer of 2012 and student teach in the fall of 2012.