Technology is important now more than ever. For teachers, technology can play a crucial role in the classroom. If the teacher is knowledgeable about the technology, it can turn a normal lesson into a hands on discovery for students. The technology classes I am currently enrolled in, or have completed will truly help me in my future classrooms. Click on the links above to view some of the work I have done in my technology classes, or read below about the classes I have taken
It is important now, more than ever that those who are going into the teaching profession be knowledgeable about technology. During my education in the Teachers Today and Tomorrow learning community, I was able to learn and work with the Microsoft program PowerPoint. This program is such a wonderful tool for teachers. It allows a person to present information in a slideshow that can be brought to life with words, pictures, sounds, movie clips, and so much more. It can visually stimulate the audience and make them understand the information being presented easily. While in this class I was able to apply the skills I learned and create three amazing presentations. The first was a group project. We created a Pro and Con Debate presentation regarding drug testing in schools. The second was a position research essay on the No Child Left Behind Act. I was able to use sound clips from a speech given by President George W. Bush, which added so much to the presentation. The final presentation was my Final Reflection about my time spent doing Service Learning. This presentation was memorable because I was able to use a lot of pictures to bring my reflection to life. To watch some of my slide shows, please click on the links below:
Choice Theory PowerPoint Presentation
Introduction to Education: Final Reflection
Native American Drop-out Rate Presentation
No Child Left Behind Research Presentation
Pro/Con: Drug Testing in Schools
During the time enrolled in a Internet/Web course I learned that the internet can be a great tool inside my future classroom. I was able to find some great sources for a research paper using many different websites. Not only did I use common search engines, but I was also able to log on to public libraries and databases to find information via the internet. Perhaps the most important thing that I learned in this course was how to use TaskStream. This online program allows a person to create an online portfolio. Many schools use this database to help their teachers. While one can use it to create their portfolio it can also be used to create lesson plans that can be compared to state standards. In this course I also used HTML to bring exciting features, colors, and fonts to my Teacher Education Portfolio on TaskStream. 
During this technology course I learned many different techniques and uses for the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. I not only learned how to customize my own computer, but also how to change settings to help my future students operate their computers. I also found ways to make the computer more accessible for any students that I may have whom have special needs. During the class I also read and responded to an article about technology and the effects it has on schools. The course also allowed me some time to add to my electronic portfolio by finding some great new educational links.
During this course, I learned to create different types of publications using Microsoft Publisher. I created many amazing projects such as a poster for advertising my future classroom website, a tri-fold brochure that gives tips to future teachers about how to beat the stress of the first year, a business card, a classroom letterhead, a homepage for my website, and even a sample email letter that I can send out to parents. This class has shown me that Publisher will be a great tool to use in my future classroom. While the focus of the course was using Microsoft Publisher, I was also able to participate in a service learning project at the Boy and Girls Club and create a WebQuest for my future classroom. To view the projects I created using Microsoft Publisher, please click on the links below:
While enrolled in my Computer Science course designed for future educators, I learned some great ways to use technology in my future classroom. I studied Microsoft programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. I know that I will be able to apply aspects from all of those programs in my future teaching career. During the course I also learned how to create a WebQuest. A WebQuest is an assignment that is created for students so that they can use the internet to understand the lesson. I envision my students using WebQuests to discover new information about events and people in History. I was able to complete my service learning in a technology classroom during this class. After completing this course and my service learning I have become very aware of the importance of making sure that my understanding of technology is always current. Because of this, I plan on completing the necessary steps to receive technology credentials.
Graphics provided by personal clip art program, personal photograph, www.microsoft.com,and www.taskstream.com,
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