End of the Semester

It's the END OF THE SEMESTER!! Obvious from the title... but it's shocking!

Time really flies... this is a sad fact.

I was not expecting this class to be what it was. I don't know what my expectations were going in - rather I don't remember - but they certainly weren't like this. I had a chance to learn how to make lesson plans last semester, and then this class taught me how to build a good lesson plan. It's like stepping-stones into creating a great lesson plan.

There were so many software programs that we used, and I had no idea a few of them even existed. I used Photoshop in high school before, and I used to be a pro at it. Now I have to Google a tutorial just to figure out how to frame a photo. Sad! The PhotoStory was not my favorite. I didn't enjoy recording my own voice, because I think I sound weird. But that's how we all feel! Although I think it would be a REALLY cool activity to do with my future students!

There were many complications during this semester. I am JUST beginning to learn how to stand up for myself in group projects. I love working with a team, don't get my wrong, but I usually don't voice my opinion or try to "take control" when I know I need to. That wasn't the main issue though, because it was the fact that technology needs to be fully understood by the ENTIRE group - otherwise the lesson plan simply will not work.

I've met some pretty cool people in this class, and I am sad that it is over. This was my final Education class. When I go to the U of L, I only have 3 semesters left of classes - and I have taken the total amount of Education classes already.

Look out world of schooling...just three more years!

Group Workshop Reflections

I learned a lot through this workshop. It was quite different than creating just a lesson plan, because I was able to try and teach it in a way that showed me whether or not it would work in a real classroom. I wanted to try using Language Arts as my area of interest because I will eventually have to teach this subject at the high school level during my practicum next year.

I had quite a bit of trouble with my group. I felt as though I did a lot of the work, and it was hard to work with the others because it felt very one sided. Near the end it was a lot better, but I felt that it was only that way because of the sudden time crunch. I have learned from my mistakes - and that I take from my own doing. I didn't realize that our technology software wasn't going to work properly. Now I know that we should have, literally, ran through our entire lesson plan word-by-word before we presented.

  

I want to try this lesson plan again in the future, and I will still use the software that I had tried before, because now I will know what did and didn't work.

Web Portfolio Feedback

Please give me some feedback on my Web Portfolio :)

WebPortfolio Reflections

This was probably the most difficult project that I have worked on thus far in this class. It has taken so much time and effort. The program was very confusing at first, and I don't think that I could have created it without my professor and peers help. It is hard for me to remember something when it is shown to me just once, so repetition is definitely key when learning a new asset in technology.

I think that I might use this program again. Now that I understand it, I have to admit that I had a bit of fun when creating my portfolio. I played around with PhotoShop a lot, although that program is still hard to understand even after taking classes for it! Being able to display my creative side was definitely enjoyable. I think that students would enjoy a program like this, and if it is possible to have at school computers, I would definitely try it out with a lesson plan sometime. It would be a 'big' project because it would take a lot of effort.

WebQuest Reflections

When I first began this project I was a little concerned with the group work. We first began this on the day when we had the live-chat from home for one of our Tuesday classes. And although we learned how to create and connect to private chat rooms with our group, I felt that it could have gone better if we were all in the same room. It was hard to get things going at first. I don't blame the members in my group at all, because I think that we all just wanted to get it started later.

The WebQuest was a little confusing to figure out at first. It always takes me a few tries to understand how a website works. Some sites are so confusing that I stay away from them at all costs. This is something that I might use in the future, as long as I remember how to set it up properly. I enjoyed the topic that my group decided on, and it was something that I would use in the future as a lesson plan for sure. It would be very enjoyable for the students, and it would be a great way to see other lesson plans from other teachers who have published lesson plans on that website.

My main task was the evaluation. I believe that it is my 'strongest' part for creating a lesson plan. It teaches me what I am expecting from my own students if I write one up. Because when I present the lesson to my class, I will know exactly what to say to them so they are prepared and know exactly what it is that I expect of them.

PowerPoint Reflection

I have to admit that when I first heard what we were going to do with our powerpoint, I was nervous. I don't enjoy presentations, or reading out loud. What a silly thing to be nervous about, especially since I am going to teach, right? I've never had a problem with it when I tutor, or teach during my practicum, but somehow this gets to me.

I had quite a difficult time with recording my voice. It had nothing to do with the technology not working, no that part went pretty smoothly. But it took a lot of time to get done. I had to make sure that the timing was right, and that I was saving what I had so I wouldn't lose anything. It was also hard to talk in a clear and solid voice. I have a bit of a speech problem, and although I have worked through it, there are times when my nerves get the better of my speech. I had to re-do a lot of recordings, but in the end I was able to put a satisfactory final piece together.

In the future I think that I should give myself more time. I felt quite rushed with the project, and I believe that it affected my voice recording. But at least now I will know for next time.

Spreadsheet Reflection

I've used the spreadsheet on a computer several times; mostly with work. But I didn't know that we could create grafts and pie sheets out of the information that we put onto the sheet. There's specific formulas to use in a spreadsheet, and that still makes me feel uneasy to use the program. I've never been good with math, maybe that's why. I am used to having someone guide me right through the program, just as we did with the spreadsheet assignment. 

I found it a little disturbing at how much time I used doing certain things within a day. I am not sure what the required sleep time is anymore, but I know that I am definitely not getting enough, but I guess that's the life of a student, right? I knew that I used way too much time watching TV. What can I say, there are shows that I just like to watch. And sometimes I become so lazy while watching TV that I continue to watch whatever is on. What a waste of a day! I think the only exception is if I am sick or something. Another thing I noticed was how much time I was doing homework. That could definitely be spent better too. So could my writing time, however as much as I enjoy that, homework has to come first.

I hope that I can keep this up, and learn how to use spreadsheets in a way that I would be the one showing other people how it works. I'm sure I will use it for my future class; maybe I can do the same kind of activity. It can really help people with managing their time.