Learning more on Technology

I have been using my pc for years but only basics. I use it for typing letters, memos, newsletters, etc. I have also used excel and tables with the help of my friends. I would like to be able to do it on my own. I want to do more on tables and graphs because that will help me with my reports and data collecting in class. I am a Yahoo and Microsoft Word user. Using something new - Google - is like starting over again for me. I am also learning something each day in class. It all looks and sounds very interesting. I hope we will be able to see more than one computer in each classroom soon. Can't wait to learn more.

Teaching & Technology

I definitely will have to work twice as hard without the technology resources as a classroom teacher. Each day I'm so grateful for technology and learning to be tech savvy because I constant rely on online ideas for lesson plans etc... I believe with the lack of funds GDOE has to offer on curriculum, sometimes no updated textbooks for student use. It explains why we continue to have many more other problems that arise within our system. Learning how to be more effective as a classroom teacher and being able to learn more technology can enhance effective teaching techniques. Technology also improves student test scores and comprehension.

Taking this class allows me to access and learn more especially on the five modules taught in Gateway to Technology. Here's hoping the GDOE system will strive to make technology a high priority for everyone to explore.

Wow! Just recently this past school year, I had a great experience and example with teaching & technology while using the website: http://www.ixl.com/ for my students learning math and allowing parents to be involved to part take to monitor their child's progress. This process allowed me to communicate more with my parents to assist me in the learning process of their child. The constant preparation and monitoring allowed me to guide and assist students to prepare for a pre & post test.

Thanks to Gateway to Technology for teaching me how to simplify my teaching career. I'm excited to learn more tricks for the trade.

Flashback

The record player, tape recorder, walk man, disc man, boom box, pager, walkie talkie, phone booth, rotary phone, not so smart phones, type writers, overhead projectors, desktop computers, etc...do you remember some of these devices? Do you remember asking yourself, "how can technology get any better than this?" Well it has and will continue to evolve every day that goes by. We can either sit back in amazement or educate ourselves and move forward with it!

I personally thank God for Smart phones and the World Wide Web. Communication between family and friends, both near and far, has never been so easy! From free long-distance video calls through Skype to free text messaging through Whatsapp (yeah...I like free stuff), I'm pretty confident most of you would agree with me if I say today's technology is actually pretty cool.

On a more professional note, through the use of my Smart phone, I can access my email at any given time, type up my homework for Gateway to Technology class, communicate with parents, collaborate with teachers, research, find resources, create important documents, play games, listen to music, read the bible, and go on facebook...(I can be professional on facebook =P)

So how has technology (Smart phones and internet) solved my problems? I no longer have to always wait until I'm at home, in front of my laptop to accomplish what needs to be done.

It's strange to think that in the past years we were able to function without cell phones, Smart phones, and the internet. Now it's hard to imagine life without it. =) Shall I dare ask the question, "How can technology get any better than this?"?

Don't know what I'd do without Technology

I use technology as a visual map of my brain in many ways. When I'm feeling overwhelmed with projects, dilemmas, etc., I dialogue with myself using Microsoft Word. Somehow it works! When my finances get out of hand, I use Microsoft Excel Worksheets. For music therapy, I log onto my Pandora account. When I'm feeling nosy, I log onto my Facebook account. When I'm not getting anything done, I log onto my 43things.com account - a sort of TODO/Goal setting site. Technology has become so important to my well-being, I'm not sure I can function without it.

My relationship with technology carries on to my work projects. I use it to communicate, organize, plan, maintain notes, accessorize and much, much more. The Internet, for one, allows me to expand my knowledge base and elevates my output. To identify a single problem I have solved using technology is tough. It has become a natural part of my problem solving process.

Ideas?

If there is one goal I would like to achieve in my classroom, it would have to be... student involved with technology both inside and outside of the classroom. Although most schools lack the tools to meet every teacher's dream.... COMPUTERS IN THE CLASSROOM, there is one thing that peaks my interest and i hope to experiment with. I would really like to create a webpage of some sort to have parents and students check-in whenever they want. Parents can have a certain code to view their child's grades or get a copy of any assignments their child may have missed. Students can safely interact with eachother or get their assignments/worksheets online and possibly send them online. The webpage can display class photos, students' artwork, student of the month, and any other achievements. I would like a webpage that requires parents and students to log in so that it is kept private and secure. However, I wonder if there is such a thing where their log in codes expire at the end of the school year that way i don't need to create so much webpages and what not. I'm not sure how to go about this. So if anyone has any websites that allow me to create a safe student/parent-friendly environment and is FREE, please feel free to drop a link. Another thing, anyone know of user-friendly (i mean... REALLY EASY to understand and manage AND FREE) grading system/portfolio online that i can use for my class? This is all new to me, and i'd like to learn more about it.

Thank God for Google Docs

1. A lot more trees will be safer this year now that all of us at my grade level now that we know how to use Google Docs.
2. I will now just use one computer at a time. Some days I use three at a time (second hand laptops which are slow, slower, slowest.) Google Docs will tether my digital needs in one place.
3. I plan to use Text to Voice and Sketch Up in my class. My only problem is getting a multimedia projector for classroom use. My school has one, but I think this year it will be in much demand. I understand there is a cord I can purchase for less than $20 at Micropac to connect my laptop to a TV screen. Voila! A multimedia projection.



I used Engrade, a web-based grading system, last year. I was surprised how many parents were engaged in the process - checking grades, emailing questions, etc. Computers are great for busy teachers- some years I'd trained my students to type in their attendance, and also type in their grade after a test. If Powerschool is down or not available, I think these can be done through Google Docs.
Question for Mr. Petra: Do you use Google Analytics? Check out EZanalyze. Great teacher tool to find out if your instruction is effective. (I was going to upload a video of training I did on analyzing pre and post tests using EZ analyze, but the file is in my other laptop. See what I mean?)

UOG Moodle

Last year was my first experience with using the UOG Moodle program.

I was hesitant to use the program. I thought that there was absolutely no way "learning" could happen without being in an actual classroom enviroment interacting with my professor and my classmates. But of course, I was absolutely wrong about that!

Of course, with all the demands of school and "home" life, it was really a relief that I could log on from home at any time to complete assignments. Many times I would log on really late in the evening after I was done juggling my daily school and personal issues.

Being surrounded with all the comforts from home , I felt that I was motivated to do so well. I felt less intimated replying to posts without having to worry about seeing immediate reactions of classmates. I was totally surprised that I actually actively joined in many "
online debates" . I know I would've never been "brave" enough to do that in class "face to face". But, of course when we did meet in class it was interesting that I was actually confident enough to defend my views of certain issues.

Of course, with gas prices on the rise , it was a relief I did not have to drive from Santa Rita to Mangilao each day just for class.

Technology and Me

I've always feared using the computer... I don't know why! Although I'm not savvy, I've learned some. I just want to be able to feel comfortable at doing so.

Technology has recently opened many doors in my life. I've been able to communicate with others, search the web, make payments and do work to assist me in my classroom.

Today's lesson has provided me with ideas and ways to help me with my profession. I just hope to remember all that I've learned and put them to good use. I know with more practice, I'll be able to gain more confidence.

Keeping in Touch through Technology

Recently, we had our first family grand reunion in the Philippines. It was last June 12, 2011, but the planning started since a year a go. It was a challenge to keep every members of the family informed about any updates of our said reunion due to some members of the family are residing in various parts of the world such as Hong Kong, Italy, Dubai, Guam, parts of the mainland USA as well as various areas in the Philippines. We owe the success of our first family reunion to the Facebook. With the help of such technology, we were able to plan the event and kept connected with our families all over the world. Even up to now, we still use the social network to check on each other which we seldom do before due to communication challenges because of the high cost of phone calls, long wait for mails to come in the mailbox to name some of the challenges we had.

I hoped though that I knew much of the google docs at that time which I could had used to update our family listing/family tree without going to the hassle of emailing everyone and asking them to update their list. We could had work with the listing together as how we did the M&M Activity in class today.

Thank you technology for keeping me connected to my family.

Technology solution #96

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeSometimes we don't realize we have a problem until we see the solution.  I've found this is normally the case with technology, only we don't call it a solution.  We call it a resource. 


One resource I've come across lately is a free web application called About.me.  About.me is like a virtual business card that you share with others electronically.  The set up is so simple it's brilliant.  You enter your name and the contact information that you want to include.  Add one of their backgrounds or choose a photo of your own.  The end result is a clean looking page with the links to what you want to share.  

The problem I've had was that I have a variety of things available on the Web and I wanted to communicate specific information to different people.  With About.me I was able to customize my contact information and summarize it for my different purposes.  I have a personal one and one for my website.  About.me also lets you keep track of how many times your page is visited and who is viewing it.  This is particularly helpful if you're trying to promote yourself.  Ironically, I just had a couple of paper business cards made.  This virtual form will last longer and stick with people more easily.  Wish I thought of this.