Final+Reflection

At the beginning of the semester, I was hesitant to enroll in this course since I am not currently certified to teach. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to apply the material because I lack having my own classroom, I have no experience with lesson plans and I have never had any type of Education course before. I’m glad I looked past all of that and stayed in this course. I’ve learned so much over the semester that I will be able to utilize during the rest of grad school and in my future career. Here are my thoughts about each module and how they impacted me:


 * Creating a Wiki:** I wasn't even aware that wiki's existed until I was in this course. Since I've had mine this semester, I guess my new found awareness has opened up my ears, because I've heard quite a few educators talk about wiki's and how wonderful they are. There was actually a presentation about them (and other Ed Tech) at the Celebration of Teaching conference held at OSU-Stillwater a few weeks ago. I plan on continuing to maintain my wiki after this course to showcase major projects that I complete in the rest of my Master's program. Upon graduation and certification, I will use this website as a portfolio to showcase myself. After obtaining a teaching position, I will more than likely keep my wiki but revamp it as a classroom website where I can keep parents informed.


 * File Management:** This module encouraged me to organize the files on my computer. I did and it proved to be very convenient because I know exactly where files are whenever I need them. It also looks so much nicer. I will continue to manage my computer files (and hard copy files) not only in my personal life, but also in my classroom.


 * WWW Search**: I was stuck on using two search engines prior to this module. You'd only catch me at yahoo.com or google.com if I was conducting an internet search. Not anymore! This module exposed me to an entirely new way to approach searching the internet. I learned Boolean Logic and a variety of different types of search engines. This is valuable information for everyone that uses the internet-- not just educators!


 * Copyright Activity**: This was great information to get a hold of. I felt that I really learned a lot about copyright law and that there are ways to begin teaching children about the importance of it at an early age. The copyright website that I studied could easily be applied in a class with elementary aged children, which is what I want to teach. In addition to Cyber Treehouse, there were other awesome websites that I saw my peers use on their wiki's.


 * Multimedia:** This was my favorite module in the class. I learned about a lot of different types of multimedia; some of which I'd heard of, but never used. I ended up making a podcast, a short picture movie and a poster-- all with programs I'd never used before! I was so very proud of the outcome and excited about the possibilites in which these tools can and will be used once I begin teaching. I'm sure I will also use some of these in my upcoming classes for projects.


 * Microsoft Office**: I'm pretty savvy when it comes to Word and Power Point, but I loathe Excel. I always have and probably always will. I was already familiar with all of these programs so I'd consider this the least beneficial module for me. Regardless of my prior knowledge, it was neat to have one topic work it through the different programs in Microsoft Office. For anyone who isn't familiar with the Office programs, I think this module would have proved to be fairly helpful.


 * Online Communication**: I thought this was a very neat module. My partner and I had a few little kinks with her camera getting to work properly, but other then that, it was very fascinating! This is something that I will continue to use. If I have a project in class, I can consult my partner via the internet. If I am on vacation, I can chat with my family via the internet. If I am a teacher and a parent has a conflicting schedule and can't make it to school for a conference, we can meet via the internet. This is very convenient in several different circumstances. Awesome!


 * Internet Tools:** This was my second favorite module in this course. I thought it was so neat because there is practically a website or source to help you customize almost any topic imaginable into print or web activities. Not having any background or experience in education, I was intrigued by what all is out there. I've kept all the links that were provided so that I can use them once I begin teaching.


 * Interactive Whiteboards:** I have so much more to learn about these machines and their software. I feel that this was the hardest module for me because I don't have access to an Interactive Whiteboard. With that said, I was very pleased with what exposure I did get with the software. I thought it was manageable to work with even for a user with no experience and I produced a very simple presentation about the body parts of Dolphins. I'm proud of what I did accomplish, but I am very eager to work with Interactive Whiteboards in the future because they seem to have endless possibilities for using technology in the classroom.

As you can see, this is a very valuable course for anyone in education. I had a very knowledgeable and thorough instructor to help guide us through the projects via the tools we were learning about. I had my classmates wiki's to see how to apply different material through the same resources and tools I was using. I had some knowledge about computers and the internet, but most importantly, I had the determination to learn all of this material so that I can be a better teacher one day. Now that I am finished with the course and can look back through my wiki, I am so proud of myself and what all I've learned over the course of the semester!