Wow Factor

There were quite a few things that I found exciting while learning from this course. First would have to be the websites maintained by the Discovery Channel. I think that these sites contained great content and videos that could be used for any occasion. The next would have to be the podcasts about blogging in the school environment. I never thought about using blogs in such a context, but the podcasts really opened my eyes to the potential they truly do possess. I also enjoyed the exposure to a wide variety of free, online programs such as all the ones Google offers.

10 web sites

http://kidsvid.altec.org/ Kid's Vid is a website that helps students makes a program, create a video, and edit it for showing
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php Rubistar is a website that helps teachers create rubrics for homework assignments.
http://poster.4teachers.org/ Project Poster is a website designed to help students create on-line posters, and short reposts.
http://quizstar.4teachers.org/ QuizStar is a website designed to help teachers create a quiz. It helps create multiple quizes at once for a pre/post test.
http://notestar.4teachers.org/ NoteStar is designed to help teachers and students organize notes and study more effectively.
http://assignaday.4teachers.org/ Assign a Day is an on-line school calendar for both student and teacher.
http://casanotes.4teachers.org/ Casa Notes is a website the helps teacher quickly make notes to take home for the students.
http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/ Project Based Learning is an online site to help make checklists for bigger projects.
http://www.easytestmaker.com Easy Test Maker allows teachers to create True/False, short answers, word banks, and even essay styled test online.
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/ Education Place is a website dedicated to graphic organizers that are accessible by teachers.

ALTEC

I have always enjoyed the variety of tools ALTEC has offered educators. It is through these sites that I personally create a lot of usable products. I especially enjoy sites like RubiStar and QuizStar. I showed the ALTEC site to my sister, Tina Thompson, who is a teacher in Lexington, Nebraska and she felt as though it would be a good source for her as well. She enjoyed the ease of use since she considers herself technologically challenged. She particularly enjoyed rubistar because it makes creating rubrics so much more simple.

Apple Learning Interchange: This is for all teachers, not just Apple users!

I love this site! I like all the little videos and I feel as though they give a unique perspective to a unique assortment of topics. I enjoy how all the videos are free too. I will admit, I can understand how it would be frustrating to use this site to find something, since all the videos seem to have no real organizational system. I also enjoy the personal feel of all the videos given and it can be a unique perspective on a topic to show a video that I find useful. I think that over time with more videos being added, this site will have more usage. I also like knowing that the content on this site is safe and that I won't find any horrifying surprises.

High School.com

This is a different approach that I haven't really thought of. I hear all around me the virtual college concept, but I guess it only makes sense that it was inevitable. I like how it does make classes more accessible for places that are more rural. I also like how the article described how this is not a replacement for public school. but is more of a supplement. It will become more and more of an issue in the future as to whether or not this way of teaching will eventually replace the traditional school system. I feel as though this would not be such a great idea for things that may fall out of curriculum. Such as social skills and so on. I do see it benefiting advanced students or special needs students because they will be able to learn at their own pace and try to get more out of their education. I am afraid, however, how challenged they will feel and whether a student will just do the bare minimum without encouragement from a teacher.

Don't Just Adapt Technology, Adopt It!

I really enjoyed this article. It was eye opening to see how it is that new technologies develop and then eventually end up in our hands and how we contort it for our own specialized means. I also enjoy just how people have to accept these new technologies and adapt to what they have to offer. It really makes me wonder what will be available in 25 years and what work I will have to do to adapt. I think we are much more aware then our previous generation of teachers with regard to where technology is going and how quickly it is changing and approaching that hopefully my generation of teachers will adapt more with the flow instead of just lagging behind and then having to catch up at the critical point of "we have to" instead of "we should."

NETS: National Education Technology Standards: for Students, for Teachers and for Administrators

I think this site is a great accompaniment to the NET Plan. This basically lays out what is expected from students, teachers, and administrators in a very straight forward manner. This will help keep down a great deal of the confusion that may arise from the various components of education not knowing what is expected of them. Although a great deal of it is pretty boring to read, it does explain everything. It is also an easy reference for later questions that come up concerning technology and the role it plays with each position.

National Education Technology Plan

It is some what reassuring to see the federal government have a drafted plan in order to try and get the education system up to snuff with each other in regards to technology, I just don't know how easy it is going to be and if it will go as smoothly as the plan would like. Obviously there are going to be a ton of growing pains involved as older teachers are forced to rethink the entire way that they teach. I almost feel as though it would be more effective to realize that due some generation gaps, some teachers may never be comfortable enough to use technology in the way described in the plan. It will take time and patience on the half of the administration to realize that it may take a long while until every student is receiving the same kind of technology based education. Although the plan is obviously facing in the right direction, I just really hope that it doesn't leave anyone in the dust.

USA Today

This is a good article to represent the changing face of our education system. The hard numbers are good to examine as well. I see the gap of one computer for every 5 students becoming more and more narrow every year with schools receiving laptop initiatives to give each student their own laptop. Of course the article does make the point that teachers are far behind their pupils in their comfort and application levels when it comes to technology. I agree with making more of the older teachers have some reeducation in regards to technology and computers. It is definitely the way the tide is changing and its better to be surfing on top than drowning at the bottom.

First Blog Post!

My First Blog post! how exciting :-)