Educational Technology

I'm still working on all this blogging and RSSs and Tweeting. Oh yeah there's also bookmarking, following people, and writing my own ideas. It seems like it's never ending! And I'm sure that as soon as I start getting used to what I'm learning about now it's all going to change and bigger and better things are going to come out.

Looking around on the internet even only this week I have found countless of great things to follow and read. So many people have so many ideas that they want to share and get out into the world via the world wide web.

Technology has definitely been integrating into the classroom slowly but exponentially over time. What I think is fascinating is to think about 4 of the main placements that I have worked with and the differences of technology they had in the classroom.
In a second grade classroom in South Lansing the class has computer class, two computers in the classroom, a printer, and an over head projector. Not too much of anything special and other than writing on the overhead everything was done at the tables.
In a fifth grade classroom in Okemos the class I was working with was specifically an art classroom, but even for art technology was integrated in the curriculum-if I had had more time to spend around the school I'm sure what I would have found technologywise would have amazed me. The main project the class was working on while I was there included giant projector screens and video taping as they were making youtube videos about their "under the sea" sea creatures.
In a seventh grade classroom I worked at in Detroit, they had 3 computers and a printer in the classroom. I taught this class by myself and tried to incorporate online materials into the small summerschool class that I was teaching. The lack of a projector screen or even an overhead made it difficult, but somehow we managed.
In the RDC in Lansing, too, technology is booming. With their computer lab, car simulator, and rosetta stone CDs for english leaners, the RDC has made a quick shift over into the technology driven world we live in.

What amazes me is the differences in technology from place to place. Of course the more urban setting schools have less money and thus less chance for new and up to date technology, but eventually they all get there. All in all technology can only seem to bring in a positive learning experience for students, as long as it's monitered and censored, of course. But it is through technology that I have found that it's easiest to accommodate to all of my students' different learning styles, as well as up to date ideas and activities.

Student and Teacher Blogging that Succeeds

I just read this article, Student and Teacher Blogging that Succeeds. I agree with it when it says that more and more people are creating blogs in order to connect with the world, but I also can relate to the stand on not making one. If it weren't for a class I would not have probably ever made a blog, nor would I keep up with it.
The way the article seems to put it is that it's not necessarily even about writing in the blogs but maybe more about reading what other people have to say. It's not likely that many people are going to be reading a fresh new blog that was just made.
"2 ears and 1 mouth"-do more commenting and listening to what others have to say than just writing in your own blog. It's more about personality and a conversation with the world than with total structure.
This article was pretty good for putting the perspective of positives for blogging, and I will be interested to see if and how I use it in my own classroom.

Education Blogs

Here are some other blogs that I found about education.

www.esl-less-plan.com
www.teacheratrisk.com
www.artlessonsforkids.wordpress.com
www.pedagogypractice.blogspot.com
www.successfulteaching.blogspot.com

TWITTER

I just made a twitter account for this class. I always refused to and now I'm forced to. I'm not really getting the hang of it. Follow me. My account's daroskay.

My Technology Background

My technology background is quite limited. I took a technology class in highschool which focused on Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but other than that I don't know much. Other than Picasa, I don't know much about photo editing-I don't know how to use Photoshop. I also don't know anything about editing music or movies. I know the simple things that are required for college classes, like writing papers and creating presentations. I do have a facebook, and I know how to instant message and Skype. I have experience with wiki posts for classses and I have made websites for different TE class projects:
www.allaboutliteracy.weebly.com
www.sites.google.com/sites/communiteam/
What I am expecting from this class is to learn even more about ways I can incorporate technology into my classroom and use technology to make my classes engaging, while keeping up with the growing sources of media that surround us. I want this class to help me get ideas to use in my classroom so I can have a multimedia based classroom that can provide for many different learning styles.