Michael IT-365

So whats up? Class is over and no one is gonna post anymore? Dr. Juneau, I wanted to say thank you for a wonderful class experience. I learned more from you in one semester than I have learned in ten years on a computer. J/K. Maybe not, but you did help me manage to pass the Database part of the BTLE and I thank you for that....I wouldn't have been able to keep up with the class. Very simplified and made easy! Thanks. hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday season and safe one. seems like everyone. made all A's and that means one of 2 things. We are all brilliant students or the classes were way to easy, or............ Well, just must be we are all bright as a 150 watt bulb.....:)

Its all over!

2009-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Well almost, its over for me on Thursday. I have a class at MGCCC , Art for Elementary Teachers and I know that I will receive an A in that class. Its already been established. If I did as well as I think I did in Dr Bowles class and everything went well with my portfolio in IT 365 I will have made 6 A's (18 hours). If that's the case, what an accomplishment I have done. Even 4 A's and 2 B's will be fine with me, but all A's, I will be ecstatic!!!!! Hope everyone has an enjoyable ans relaxing 6 week break. Everyone have a wonderful Holiday season and Dr. Juneau, thanks so much for your interest in the class and making it so enjoyable....

Final Questions Chapter's 9-14

2009-12-07T05:24:00.000-08:00

Hope this works. Here are all 19 Qestions. I took what some have posted and answered the rest. You may or may not want to use what I answered for some, but I answered to best of my ability.
Chapter 10 #2
Q: What forms of media can be used to enhance instructional presentations?A: KidPix, PowerPoint, & AppleWorks are all computer programs that can be used to create presentations. An Aver Key is a device that allows the computer display to show on the classroom T.V. LCD screens can be used to project from an over head projector or computer.

Chapter 12 #5
Question: What technology would you utilize to assist you in your planning and scheduling?Answer from the text on page 224 and 225:Productivity software can aid in planning activities by saving teacher's time and making quality , functional, and final products. Word processing or spreadsheets software is the most common form used. Teachers can easily map out a generic weekly or daily schedule. If activities change, they can simply be deleted or moved. Classes that occur predictably at the same time every day or week can easily be copied over to the next cells. Educational needs of individual students can be facilitated by referring to a database of individual students concerns. So to sum this up, I would say the most common used software used in planning and scheduling one would probably use Spreadsheets and Database software because it’s easy to manipulate and make changes.Wow, these are the 2 areas of the BTLE that gave me the most problems, but once I learned the programs, it came pretty natural. I see now, why it was VERY important in learning how to use both software's

Chapter 11 #3
Question: Explain the difference between assessment and evaluation.Answer from the text: Page 207Although both terms are used interchangeably, the two can be distinguished by the nature of the processes. Assessments are collections of written, oral, observational, and performance measures that provide information to determine students and progress towards reaching intended objectives. Assessments can take the form of 1. Quantitative, numerical measures, such as quiz scores; or 2. Qualitative records, such as informal teacher observations, anecdotal notes, or reflective comments that recognize learning and performance in complex , authentic situations. Evaluation is the use of a combination of assessments to make judgment about a student's ability and informed decisions about continued instructionTeachers make assessments and evaluations continuously and for a variety of purposes

Chapter 13 #2
Does technology contribute to some of the social and equity issues facing teachers and schools today? What are these issues?I do believe that technology does contribute to some of the social and equity issues today. It is very import for teacher to provide equal access to computers for all students. The students that are not financial able to have a computer get less computer time. Also there is a very large concern about students being able to get to inappropriate sites. Schools take many precautions to prevent this type of thing from happening

Chapter 9 #3
How will you schedule computer usage time for your students if the school has only one computer lab available.I would have a computer time schedule set up for the entire class. I would have a block of time set for each student to be able to have some time in the computer lab. If my rule was that the students would only be able to visit the computer lab when they complete their work, some students would never be able to visit the lab. By making a set schedule every student will be able to spend some time in the computer lab.

Chapter 9 #1
What do you see as the greatest challenge to teaching in the computer lab setting?Teaching in the computer lab setting can present a challenge to the teacher. The greatest challenge would be teaching the concepts over and over until all students have a chance to learn it. This is because not all rooms will have a computer for every student.

Chapter 9 #2
List the pros and cons of your choice to group computers together into labs versus putting them into individual classroom. pp. 179-180

Pros of grouping computers into labs.
· Grouping computers into labs is more cost effective in that it gives all students at all grade level a chance to use the computers.
· The expensive computers can be used all day.
· Schools can hire a computer teacher to instruct in computer classes and assist teachers.
· All students learn together in one location.
· Gives feeling that computers are learning tools that provide endless possibilities each day.

Cons of grouping computers
· The computers are not immediately accessible to learners, so technology may not truly be integrated into the learning process.
· When computers are in a lab, students may only use them once a week.
· Having computers in a separate location, may give the impression of a “field trip” which students get to take once a week.

Chapter 10 #1 PG. 195-199
What multimedia elements are you familiar with producing and which would you like to learn?
Inclusion of these elements will depend on the extent and quality of the equipment available to you at your school. Text can include multimedia menus, navigation elements such as site maps, and content. Text files are prepared using a word processing program such as Corel, WordPerfect or Microsoft Word. Fonts are available from free shareware, CD-ROMS, application software such as Corel Draw. Graphics can include any visual component, even the artful representation of text. Graphics in a presentational should serve an instructional purpose. Drawing and painting are integrated in most software suites. Scanning, taking pictures, Video, Audio, using sound effects and music, animation, all of which can be used through programs such as PowerPoint and Movie maker.

Chapter 11 #1
What roles does technology play in the assessment of student learning? What challenges do you see with having students compile electronic portfolios?

Technology can make the assessment process more efficient if the role of technology and the types of assessment information desired is considered. The power of technology can contribute to the organization and accuracy of test taking. Computerized formats make scoring large quantities easier and more accurate so that teachers can attend to academic tasks. (p217)

The challenges of using electronic portfolio assessment are: (p. 216)
· Portfolios are less efficient than numerical scores
· Electronic portfolios are difficult to administer and more time consuming
· Portfolios are not easily standardized
· They are more costly
· Web based portfolios require password protection to protect student privacy on the Internet
· Will necessitate consideration of the types of materials appropriate to post

Chapter 11 #2
What methods of assessment determine appropriate student use of technology?

If the assessment is the student’s ability to operate a computer or use a software tool, teachers may use checklists based on national, state, and local standards of what students are able to do efficiently and what deficiencies exists. These assessments might be handled in an information observational manner or in performance tasks. When technology is seen as the tool for instructional delivery, communication, or information seeking, student learning is measure on mastery of content rather than on mastery of technology use itself.

11.2 Q- What methods of assessment determine appropriate use of student technology.A- To measure a student's ability to operate a computer or use a software tool, teachers often use checklists based on national, state and local standards of what students should be able to do with computers efficiently by noting abilities and deficiencies. These assessments may be handled in an informal observational manner or in more deliberate performance tasks. Classroom teachers are closest to the learning context and understand best the abilities of students, meaning they are in the best position to report a true picture of classroom technology use.

Chapter 12 #1 Page 222-223

What methods of communication do you plan to use with your students and parents?

Email is a key component here although paper base communication forms remain and very important in a teachers arsenal. Not all families will have a computer at home and signatures are still required for some forms and documents. Student contact information would best be suited using a databases application. Word processors can be invaluable when coming to writing letters to parents. Word processors can also be used to do school newsletters. Having a Teachers page such as the one we created in here, It 365, would be a great way for students and teachers and parents to keep up with what’s going on with their child. If the student doesn’t have a computer at home other means of communicating will have to be made.

Chapter 12 # 2 Page 222-223

What software would you utilize to implement this method of communication?

I think that Databases , spreadsheets, and word processing would be the key three with word Processing be the one used the most.

Chapter 12 # 3 Page 228

How can teachers utilize technology to remain lifelong learners?
Ongoing training in both content and pedagogy is advocated by professional organizations, school districts, and society, as more than ever. Technology allows teachers to break that mold by giving them convenient accesses to remote resources, colleagues, and experts not previously available. Teachers can access many things form the web, where they once would have to use the library or some other form of resource fullness. The use of online teacher collaboration sites, such as classroom connect, Educational World Teacher focus, teacher talk are a few. This also answers number 4 as well.

Chapter 14# 3Describe how you will remain up to date and knowledgeable about available technology to assist students with disabilities.One way to stay up to date and knowledgeable about available technology to assist students with disabilities is to search the internet including constantly monitoring web sites of different disabilities. Also I would use the special education teacher as a resource.

Chapter 13 # 1 Pages 236-239

Are there any aspects of social, ethical, legal, and human issues related to technology that worry you as a teacher?

The answer would be YES! Computer fraud and misuse. This could happen by a student. He or she may visit a site they shouldn’t visit which in turn could lead to many problems or issues. Computer viruses, spam, phishing and email; scams to name a few Computer viruses include backdoor, Trojan horse, virus, worm and can be very damaging to a computer’s hardware ans could destroy it. Spam, which is unwanted mail or junk mail and phishing which is assuming identity of a legitimate organization or website to convince consumers to share personal information for purpose of committing fraud.

Chapter 13 # 3 Pages 242-246

What ways can Educators overcome the concerns about technology in the schools?

Schools have created and implemented an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) . States the rules governing computer and Internet use and all the consequences for violations. Many schools install software programs to monitor and block questionable materials , Children’s Internet Protection Act was passed in 2000 (CIPA). Teachers must strive to provide equal access to computers for all students, regardless of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and disability. They must promote computer ethics. Students, teachers and parents must all work together to insure that this happens.

Chapter 14 #1 page 254

What emerging technology do you think holds the most promise for the future of education? Why?

The network computer, hand held devices such a personal digital assistants and palm –sized personal computers(PC’s) , flash memory cards, DVD digital video, Internet 2, Virtual Reality(VR) gaming, and wireless technologies are just a few. All but the virtual gaming I think are important. Virtual could be as long as it’s not gaming. The palm sized computers I think will be most important because every child will be able to have one, if the price is right and there will be no issues of who gets time and who doesn’t.

Chapter 14 #2 Page 260 figure 14.9

What future technologies will impact education?

Virtual Reality, Streaming video, Gaming, Text Recognition, Wireless, Speech Recognition, Hand held Computers, Accessibility to name a few

Final Exam Questions

2009-12-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the classmates who have answered their questions for the final exam. It makes it a little easier now that I am starting to study that part of the exam. We still have to answer about 10 questions ourselves. I don't think Dr. Juneau is gonna be pleased or did she say this was optional, and that we could do so if we wanted. I will prolly be best though looking them up, cause then we will definitely have a better understanding of the question. IDK but this is last time I come here tonight to see who has posted their answers. I am on my own from here.
Good luck everyone! AND AGAIN thanks TO EVERYONE WHO POSTED THEIR ANSWERS

Final Chapter 12 Question # 5

2009-12-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

Question: What technology would you utilize to assist you in your planning and scheduling?
Answer from the text on page 224 and 225:
Productivity software can aid in planning activities by saving teacher's time and making quality , functional, and final products. Word processing or spreadsheets software is the most common form used. Teachers can easily map out a generic weekly or daily schedule. If activities change, they can simply be deleted or moved. Classes that occur predictably at the same time every day or week can easily be copied over to the next cells. Educational needs of individual students can be facilitated by referring to a database of individual students concerns. So to sum this up, I would say the most common used software used in planning and scheduling one would probably use Spreadsheets and Database software because its easy to manipulate and make changes.

Wow, these are the 2 areas of the BTLE that gave me the most problems, but once I learned the programs, it came pretty natural. I See now, why it was VERY important in learning how to use both software's

Source: Using Technology In The Classroom; Bitter and Legacy; Pearson, 2006

Final Chapter 11 Question #3

2009-12-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Question: Explain the difference between assessment and evaluation.
Answer from the text: Page 207
Although both terms are used interchangeably, the two can be distinguished by the nature of the processes. Assessments are collections of written, oral, observational , and performance measures that provide information to determine students and progress towards reaching intended objectives. Assessments can take the form of 1. quantitative, numerical measures, such as quiz scores; or 2. qualitative records , such as informal teacher observations, anecdotal notes, or reflective comments that recognize learning and performance in complex , authentic situations. Evaluation is the use of a combination of assessments to make judgement about a student's ability and informed decisions about continued instruction
Teachers make assessments and evaluations continuously and for a variety of purposes.

Source: ; Using Technology In The Classroom; Bitter and Legacy; Pearson education, 2006

Final's

2009-12-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

It has been a very short but yet "long" semester. One of the most challenging yet. Next semester will be where the "rubber meets the road", as one wise man said before me..... Jessica, its really good to hear that about Cameron , the fact that it was not as serious as first expected or maybe thought it was going to be for lack of better wording. Just wanted to let all of IT 365 that I will post my 2 questions sometime today, however it may be after 9 pm , for I have a night class at MGCCC and have a few final projects to complete. I see there have been 3 questions already posted so I am sure more will start to follow... Mine are coming..
Hope everyone does well on their last 3 finals ...

2009-12-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

Free workshets and games k-8

2009-10-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a cool little site that has a number of applications you might use in youc classroom for K-8 Education. http://www.ezschool.com/Games/index.html

Fall Break

2009-10-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

well considering that we really dont have callses on these days, i wouldn't really consifer it a break. I have a Thursday night class at GCCCC on Thursday nights so in esseence, I dont have one. Let's see, how many times did I reiterate myself? we have a mid-term in eraly childhood developemnt on Tuesday next week so I guess I will be studying most of the wekend!

MID TERM QUESTION???????

2009-10-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

OK, Dr. Juneau.....Chapter 6 question number 6 , it is of my opinion that the web makes a global learning community possible by (allowing for easy excahnge of text, audio, and video documents) and not the excahnge of food and beverages.....This has to be an error and I hope I dont get this question on my exam! Because I will have to disagree with the answer. Or can the web actually do this? JK
Michael
see you at 12:30

It 365 Test on Monday

2009-10-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

I have been studying for most part of my Sunday. I guess I should have been reading the chapters as we went along as we were told too. My son Aaron had his 8Th birthday party yesterday at Kangarooz at it was a lot of fun for him and all the parents as well. I am exhausted, but whats new. I will be working on these discussion questions for next few hours and I hope I am prepared. Sure I will be. I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. No football for me today, but that has never interested me anyhow so I guess it doesn't matter....How about those Saints?

Michaelmas Day September 29th

2009-09-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

The 29th of September marks the end of the harvest, thus Michaelmas had special significance for agricultural societies in northern latitudes. Fortunately, the rich heritage of customs associated with St Michael and All Angels has not been entirely lost.
The one Michaelmas custom that survives to this day is that you should not eat blackberries after the 29th of September. There is a very good reason for this custom, namely that by this time of year blackberries are tasteless and watery.
Michaelmas marks the end of the fishing season.
Michaelmas was traditionally time when labourers and servants were hired. As the name suggests, maids would carry mops, but other trades carried the tools of their trades. Thus the squires or the lord's of the manor could tell what skills the prospective employees had, for example, a Shepherd his crook, and a gardener a rake.
The Michaelmas daisy is like a big mauve sister to the common little white daisy. Notice how both these daisies have the typical composite head. Botanically, the Michaelmas daisies belong to the genus Aster; where as the common daisy is Bellis perennis.
Incidentally, every cultivated plant grows wild somewhere, and every weed is welcome some place!
Plants tie into Michaelmas in that the daisy is the flower that represents this day. Asters, or michaelmas daisies, are pernial flowers. You will find garden asters in many sizes and colors. Flowers usually bloom in late summer or fall in clusters, with each blossom from half an inch to several inches wide, on stems six inches to several feet tall. Ray petals arewhite, blue, deep purple, orpink, and central disks are golden. Many asters are North American natives and grow in wayside places with no care at all.

Here are a few sites that illustrate the growth process of the Micahaelmas daisy
http://home.howstuffworks.com/define-aster-michaelmas-daisy.htm
http://www.backyardgardener.com/pren/pg18.html

2009-09-27T12:03:00.001-07:00

Oh My goodness! Reading ahead to what is due on Wednsday, this looks like alot a fun. Hope everyone has already started because this will be time consuming. In fact it is.......along with the other 12 hours you ladies are taking and the other 15 hours I am taking , we have some serious work to do.

Have a Great Sunday :)

Concept Mapping

2009-09-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Concept mapping will be helpful to me as a teacher. It gives me a visual idea of what to expect and lays out ideas and thoghts. It is a visual of topic, subtopics, activites and information you will cover in class. I think its a great tool to keep any teacher organized.

2009-09-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Its Sunday and I will be working on this class the entire day. I am a product of the 80"s and computers are very new to me. Its gonna take me some time to fully understand, but I will. I dont give up. Hope everyone has had a great weekend and look forward to seeing all on Monday!!!!

2009-09-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

I am going to update the about me today. I think I am a very interesting person I would like to share with all my classmates. I hope every one is having a great weekend ! My did not start off so well, but I am now starting a new chapter in my life. I am very personal person and going through some rough bumps in the road right now. I guess as the saying goes, "when life gives you LEMONS, make lemonade out of it"..........But what if you really dont like that Lemon? Hard one to answer
Michael

Glad its Thursday

2009-09-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Glad its Thursday!!!!! Time to catch up on school work. I am going to see Dr Pitre today at North Bay Elementary, which happens to be where my 8 year old is in second grade. This is the school that hopefully I will be able to sit for our class assignment in Dr. Boyles class. Going to start the net working prrocess too> If I end up teaching a lower grade than 6th, then I would love to teach there! I have been told that there are ONLY 3 male teachers at that school. One being a principal and other a coach...Have a great week everyone and I will be back this weekend :)

2009-09-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, What a Labor Day weekend. I spent the entire weekend working on school work. Its beginning to get a little easier and made fairly good grades on my first 2 tests in 2 subjects. Well, 100 on one quiz and an 87.5 on the second. I think I will keep both. We had our group presentation today in Early Childhood Education and I think we did exceptionally well. Dr. Boyles even commented on how well we did. Glad to get that out of the way! Looking forward to a great week and even better weekend!
Michael

2009-08-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

School is starting to make more sense now that I am getting more organized. Yeah! Looking forward to a great week next week. Monday will be hectic but the rest of the week should be a breeze. Homework should start to come more and more so I better buckle down

2009-08-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have finally started to get caught up with some school work. I have my 7 year old today and for the next 2 weeks. Its really good to see him after 2 weeks being away. We are going to tennis lessons in the morning then going to visit the grandparents. Sunday will be filled with reading and homework from first week of school

Thoughts of Intro Block Elem. Ed.

2009-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

I started to get all my classes together today and look over the syllabuses. This is not going to be as easy as I thought I would be, that is for sure. BUT, I can do it and WILL. I am also am taking a 3 hour class on Thursday nights at GCCC. Its Art for Elementary teachers and I am really looking forward to it. Getting acquainted to the computer will probably be my most challenging thing. Anyhow, I have had a really good day so far and looking forward to the weekend. Not too much play time, instead allot of work to be done!

My weekend IT-365

2009-08-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I would get acquainted with the class. I have been reading my book a little and updated my profile. The About Me section will come sometime during the week. I am a very interesting person but always find it hard to describe myself. So about my weekend. I took my 7 year old son to tennis lessons Saturday morning. This was his second lesson and I think he really enjoys it. This will be the 3rd and last sport and will get him involved with for now. My profile picture is of me and my 14 year old daughter. We just had dinner at longhorns in Gulfport. She is becoming a beautiful young lady and the boys better watch out. Dad has a shotgun at the front door. Don't all fathers say that?

My first IT-365 Blog

2009-08-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

My first time to blog here or anywhere for that matter. This is very new to me and I am excited