Final Reflection!!!!!!!

I can't believe that I finished!! I an not a real "techie" person. I always want a step by step "How To Manual" when working with technology but you never get one. So, for me this class seemed overwhelming at the beginning. Each lesson would take me several hours to complete. However, by the end of the class, my comfort level with technology is much better. I am not so afraid to give technology a try. For this change in my own behavior, I am very thankful! I really enjoyed using all of the tools. I liked the Prezi, Screencasting, Tagxedo. I feel that tools like these are the future of teaching. I think that for next year I should choose one tool and get good at it. Because for me, while I am in the middle of the school year, I don't have time to try a lot of new things. I really enjoyed the collaboration. I liked looking at the blogs of people who were ahead of me to get helpful hints or suggestions before I started my assignments. I also got a kick out of how creative everyone was! I am so thankful for the open lab times! You guys were there when I need you!! I appreciate that!! I am very glad I reached out of my comfort zone to take this class. Thank You!!

Activity #10

For Activity #10 I was trying to think of a way to communicate with parents and students. I wanted to find something useful that most parents would have access to. I thought of using Twitter. I even watched the how to videos. But, the more I thought about it, I didn't think that every parent would have access to it and I also wanted students to be able to use it. So, I decided against it. I then decided to go back to Activity #1 and look at the Blog sites. I created a blog using Kidblog.org. My hope is to use this to connect with parents and students. I liked this site because I could send out information and I could also control the comments posted by others with the control settings. Here is my blog address: www.kidblog.org/MrslockesSunnysideClass

Activity #9

Scenario #4: Age Restrictions Ethically-Of course she should follow the age requirements. We would not want to encourage students to disregard the rules and guidelines of a web site. Maintaining integrity is very important even if you think no one else is watching. Safety or Well Being-When used appropriately for the in class poster project I feel that everyone is safe. However, students should be strongly cautioned about using any online tool appropriately. Advice- Before starting any website where students can post online I would let parents know and tell them how they could access the post. I feel strongly that parents should monitor their student's online life and behaviors. Real-life-I do not have any real life drama or personal connections to relate this scenario. But, I do feel that as parents and teachers we must protect a student's online life. Scenario #7: Course Management Overload Ethical issues-I don't see any overt ethical issues as long as Edmodo is a reputable, upstanding and easy to use site. However, I am concerned with why this site is not officially supported by the tech department. I would want to find out why. And also find out why so many course management tools are being used in one school. Safety or Well Being-I understand that the parents are concerned with a student's well being. Juggling many passwords and accounts can be frustrating for anyone. Advice-I do feel that the parent has a valid point. Using 4 different course management tools is a lot and perhaps is not really helping students manage all of their courses. Having one "go to spot" or course management tool would be more effective. Having a school wide discussion on the subject would be a great idea. Real-life- Once again, I do not have any personal connections to this issue. However, I do see both sides to this issue. The teacher believes they are making things easier for the students and themself. And as the parent, I see that having 4 course management tools is not helping the student manage their academics effectively.