Final Thoughts

No one can possibly imagine how absolutely horrified I was at the thought of taking this class!

I use a PC and I am very comfortable with the Microsoft programs that I use, but I was never brave enough to venture out to explore other possibilities. I am almost always the class "elder" and I was fully aware that younger students are far more technology/computer savvy.

This class required me to step way out of my comfort zone and use the computer in ways that I would never have been brave enough to try on my own. It was very stressful at times, but with Jeff's help and explanations, I muddled through.

My web page will be helpful to both my students and their parents. Digital slide shows and digital movies will be great for introducing new material and documenting events and field trips. I am very excited to know that my school has purchased Inspiration. Before this class, I would have been too intimidated by it to even attempt to use it. Now I look forward to it!

Creating a blog was the one thing that least interested me. Blogs are blocked at our school, and because I knew that I would not be using it, I just couldn't get excited about it.

I am surprised at the confidence I now have and I am excited about using the things I have learned in my classroom.

Hurrah! I survived!!!

Digital Movie

I chose to use Windows Movie Maker for my digital movie because outside of TPTE 486, I do not have access to Mac computers and would not be able to use iMovie. I was really afraid of attempting such a project before I started, but I found that it was not as scary as I had imagined. After selecting the photos I wanted to use, it was actually fun to put them in order and select the transitions that I thought best suited each one.

My digital tour on campus at the Tennessee School for the Deaf will be of interest to new students and their parents, as well as people who are curious to see this school for students who are deaf. This is a beautiful campus with an amazing history. Movie Maker will be fun to use to document classroom activities, events, and school programs.

Welcome to TSD

This is the digital movie I made to welcome you to the campus of the Tennessee School for the Deaf.

Inspired by Inspiration!

Inspiration is fabulous! Because students who are deaf are visual learners, Inspiration can only enhance their learning. My students will especially enjoy this for brainstorming sessions and it is a wonderful graphic organizer. Making character webs, as well as visual comparisons and contrasts, will certainly hold the interest of the older students and bring them a better understanding. I am especially excited because the school has recently acquired this software and it is available to me! I had such fun learning to use this software and discovering the possibilities. This is super!

Inspiration

OME - (or is it OMG?)

We are just over the halfway point in class and I guess I am most proud that I was able to create my Scavenger Hunt slide presentation by myself. Using Picnik to resize the photos made it so easy. I guess it is possible to "teach an old dog new tricks," it just takes the old dog a little longer to "get it" and it takes a lot more practice. And I learned that I should not turn in the rubric for a project before I finish the project - that's how I missed having a blank page at the end of the Scavenger Hunt activity. Oops!

Scavenger Hunt

Digital Collections

Google Docs & Collaborative Lesson Plans

I am just not all that impressed with Google Docs. It is very frustrating to use and there are not as many options as Microsoft Word. Making a table and making it look the way you want it to look is very labor intensive. When I am typing, I expect to immediately see what I have typed. With Google Docs I had to stop and wait for it to catch up; and if I watched the screen as I typed, typing was nearly impossible. I am still very undecided about the collaborative lesson plans. I can see that, in theory, it could be a good thing with everyone making contributions and working toward a common end. It would be interesting to watch the parts come together as other people are working on it. Sharing the responsibilities would enable each person to devote more time to their portion of the lesson plan, and the end result should be exceptional. It's a very interesting concept.

Reflections on WebQuests

I find the WebQuests to be interesting, but I am not sure I am totally sold on the idea. There seems to be a lot of teacher prep time involved and I'm not really impressed with most of the ones I have seen - but I am still looking!

Students who are deaf often feel isolated and if I used WebQuests in my classroom, I would probably have students work in groups of 2 or 3 at one computer so they could discuss the project as they search the websites I provide. I like the idea of including the websites for my students to use because it saves valuable classroom time and reduces the temptation for them to just search aimlessly around on the web. If it provides a successful learning experience when I try it, I will be better convinced that the time I spent preparing was worth it. I don't think I can really know its value until I try it.

Thoughts on Wikis

I found the "Practice Working in Wiki" to be very helpful. To have a practice page to work on before making our actual page was great for reducing some of the stress.

I am not sure how Wikis would be received in a class of elementary students who are deaf. Most of my students take serious ownership of their work and I am not sure how they would accept another student editing or even deleting something they had done. They very likely would not think to ask permission first if they thought they had a better idea or a better way to do it - they would just simply change it because, in their opinion, they made it better. It might be interesting to plan a project using Wikis and see how it is received.

Evaluating Websites for Reliability

The website I found for evaluating websites was Kathy Schrock's The ABC's of Web Site Evaluation. This site has a link for a printable article by the author, using the letters A to Z to list and explain criteria to be aware of when evaluating websites. There are also links to printable handouts of the Five W's of Website Evaluation, a lesson plan for website evaluation for grades 6 - 8, and an Internet Lesson Plan Guide. While the site is somewhat dated, the information given and the criteria listed is still relevant and quite detailed. With the printable lesson plan and handouts, this site is a great source for introducing website evaluation to elementary students.

I never really gave much thought to evaluating websites for reliability before - I guess I am just too trusting! I am always careful when making purchases online, but I really need to carefully consider the websites I choose for my students. Finding current and correct information for them is so important when they are doing research. Current information is not so critical when searching for interesting reading material for the beginning reader, but is very important for other subjects they are studying. This activity really made me aware of the need for evaluating the websites and gave me the tools I need to know the things I need to look for when evaluating the sites.

Reflection on Portfolios

I particularly like the idea of the working portfolio. It is great to have a place to file work that will be needed later and then be able to easily retrieve it.

I also like the idea of using portfolios to assess the progress of special learners whose progress cannot be measured using state testing methods.

My Learning Goals for this Course

My computer skills are quite limited - I use it for emails, blackboard, and I have posted some artifacts on PLP. I know that there is much more available that could be useful to my students (and to me), but I don't know how to access it and present it to them in ways that would be meaningful. I want to learn ways that computer technology can enhance learning, especially reading skills, for my deaf students. I hope that by the end of this class, I will be more knowledgeable about the available applications and have the confidence to use technology in my future classroom, as welll as in my personal life.

My Intro

Informal introduction to class

I am originally from Kentucky. I began my college experience several years ago (in Kentucky), majored in Elementary Education, but I left just before my senior year. I got married, traveled with my husband for several years while he served in the U. S. Army, had two children (a daughter and a son), and finally settled in Knoxville, TN.

I have been working at Tennessee School for the Deaf for more than 20 years and several of my co-workers encouraged me to pursue my degree. Since earning a degree in education always seemed like unfinished business, I decided to go for it.

Due to my work schedule, nursing my husband through two serious illnesses, and other family obligations, I have been able to take only one or two classes each semester. I am persistent and I expect to receive my BS in Deaf Education in May 2011.