Session 2 Reflection

Learning the history of the internet was very enlightening. There has always been this question in the back of my mind about who really controls the web? I pictured a man in his parent's basement with a couple of computer around him. It had never occurred to me that the wonderful benefits I enjoy could have initially been a driving force for large agencies behind the web's creation. I just thought it was neat.

Online word processing is where it is! I'm not quit sure how to use it with my first graders, without prior knowledge. Maybe, near the end of the school year, I will have have had enough time to prepare them. I am very interested in doing a staff in-service at my school on the use of one or two online alternatives to MS Word. Many staff members are still uncomfortable with email, but word processing is used by all. This could serve to be a more attainable technology bridge than email.

My only concern with free online resources is wondering how long they will be available? Will all of this become obsolete? What will we use then? Will we know what alternatives to turn to? Okay, I realize I am being a little dramatic. The most valuable experience I am gaining from this program is becoming more comfortable with the many tools of technology to be able to continue to research and keep up with the inevitable changes that will come after I have earned my degree.

This week's assignments have definitely made an impact on both my personal and professional life. The graphics and presentation tools have shown me new and creative ways to engage my students. I really like the Face in Hole site, however, due to the often risque scene selections, I would not allow my students to use the site. I do plan to use it for them to create personalized holiday greetings as both animated and still presentations.

More significant of an impact was made by the readings, specifically chapter one. The technology standards were especially helpful. I hadn't realized how far away I was from making leaning about technology relevant to my students. Chapter one put things into perspective for me, encouraging me to make my goals more specific to the standards. It also improved my vague ideas around assessment.

Course Connection

This course has been very insightful for me. I have always thought of myself as someone who was technologically savvy, for the average person that is. My baby brother, a trained techie, would come over to fix things or modify our PC's. Now I feel like I can apply a few more steps before having to call him simply because I understand the workings of my computer better now.
As far as my professional application, anyone who is in charge of maintaining computers and monitoring their usage should know more about them than how to get on the internet or use MS Word. I also feel more capable when it comes to the purchasing of computer components, or as a whole. I understand the specs with real meaning, whereas before I thought the larger the numbers the better. Not necessarily so, if you don't know what they're for.
This course met all of my expectations. I learned a lot and feel comfortable about how to find any additional answers I may have.

Electronic Documentary of Erin Swan

I use my computers and flash drive to store, organize, and manage the most important areas of my life. Personally, I've stored pictures, videos, music, church member personal records and financial statements, and event presentations for at least 10 years. Professionally, I store financial statements for the after-school program, important lists, calendars, assessments, management documents, pictures, videos, programs, permission slips and other forms, and my parent handbook. I have been developing this professional package for the last 10 years.

Before computers, I was queen of the file cabinets. I still have hard copies of files from high school classes stored in my basement file storage. I had an extensive pen collection to help make my note taking a little more exciting, along with fun stationary and note pads. I was also the person who saved up a box of disposable cameras and undeveloped film cases. I was thrilled with the accessibility of my first digital camera. I loved the idea of cutting out the middle man.

When I think about losing all of the data I've accumulated over the years, I get a little sick to my stomach. I've been blessed to have only lost data one time, with little actually lost. My method of file back up has been to make CD, now DVD, images of my hard drive. It always takes several disks to store the data, so my frequency is inconsistent and not often. As time is ticking, making me more and more fearful of a major loss of data, I have grown concerned about finding a more practical and fail safe method for file back up.

The Future of Computing in the Classroom

The future of computers in the classroom is ever growing and changing. There are new possibilities being created at an incredibly rapid pace. It appears that these possibilities are only limited by our own creativity, and are strongly influenced by the needs of the job market. So, let's see how creative i can be as I envision my first grade classroom in the future.

My students will have touch screen computers unobtrusively built into every desk. These computers will replace or enhance physical manipulatives by providing an unlimited and indestructible supply of virtual manipulatives, games, and puzzles. Students will have the ability to immerse themselves in other cultures and languages by attending virtual foreign exchange programs without having to leave the safety of their parents. Just about everything in the classroom will be operated by voice command. The chalkboards and whiteboards will be replaced by new smarter boards.

I can barely fathom how this will affect be or my students. Student assessment will be easier for me, enabling me to provide quick feedback to my students. However, if everything is available for my students online, what role will I play? Will I merely be their supervisor and technical director? How will I help my students to engage in cooperative learning? How will they interact with each other, a necessary skill for their growth and development? And, what about their fine motor control? As I write this, I see that I'm beginning to answer my own questions. In this online masters program, we students are, in fact, engaging with one another, while be facilitated by an instructor.

Thinking of possibilities is fun, but my question is always, at what cost? This technology will have to be made available for all students everywhere. That hasn't happened yet. Through this MEIT program, I am anticipating getting the information I need to influence my school district and community to move efficiently and equitably towards the future. Overall, technology will need to be made available to each student. In addition to my commitment to making technological availability more equitable, it will be important for me, as a classroom teacher, to focus on sustaining opportunities for my students to develop and strengthen their skills in sharing, cooperative learning, and small motor function.

Computer History for Erin Swan

The year was 1989. I was in the 7th grade at a middle school in Milwaukee, WI. I don't remember ever hearing about or talking about any computers, much less a lab of computers, until the day one of my teachers took my class into the "Computer Lab". It was filled with Apple IIe computers, at least enough for us to partner up on. We went to the lab about once every couple of weeks. My brain only highlighted a few memories, including a small green screen and a mysterious woman named Carmen Sandiego. I also remember using the keyboard to pretend I was a secretary while I waited for the computer lab teacher to walk around with the Carmen Sandiego floppy disk, loading each computer with the game. This was always a confusing process for me. How did Carmen get into my computer and stay in it after the teacher took the floppy out?

My freshman year in high school, my English teacher informed us that we were required to take a keyboarding class, which meant that I would be using a computer much more regularly. I believe those computers were PC's. Although he encouraged us to complete our work using word processing, I preferred to use my mom's old type writer. I hung out in that comfort zone until my senior year. At that time, I had just heard of the Internet. When I graduated, I cashed in a technology bond that my grandmother had given to me some years prior. It was to be used to purchase a personal computer. After much toiling, due to my serious ignorance in this area, I finally bought a Mac and a color printer. That night, my friends helped me sign up for a dial up AOL account. The only thing I new how to do was check my email and play solitaire (offline).

It wasn't until 1996 ish that I discovered the wonders of the Internet in the computer lab at UW-Whitewater. I watched people do research, look at porn, and write papers. With the Internet becoming the primary research tool for every class, I quickly got acclimated to the technology. By the time I graduated from Alverno in 2001, I thought I was totally on top of what the World Wide Web had to offer.

In reality, I had no idea of the possibilities...

Reflection on Week 2

I understand and appreciate how important technology is, but it has always seemed cumbersome. This week's activities have been enlightening. When integrating technology into my teaching, I struggle with preparation and execution. I have great resources filed away in my favorites folder. In fact, I have five great lists of favorites on the five different computers I may use throughout the course of the day. The idea of using social bookmarking sites will make it so much easier to organize resources in a central location. The sharing feature will be most useful to use with the other teachers, especially my grade level, at my school. Across the grades, we often come to each other to borrow resources and get ideas for our students.

As far as the online storage possibilities...Watch out flash drive manufacturers!!! Wow! I thought I was cool with my 8 gig flash drive that I found on sale for $20 last Spring. I want my money back! Realistically, it is nice to carry music, movies, and pictures, but past that, free online storage can meet all my needs.

Overall, I'd much rather worry about keeping track of a piece of paper with all of my logins and passwords than worry about what device/computer I have something saved on.

Getting Started

I feel a bit redundant, but I am so excited! I am very interested in how to safely apply technology to today's youth in a positive and interactive way. On a personal level, my eleven year old son is more internet savvy than I am, by far. Like most parents, that concerns me. Understanding that he is going to need technology skills to market himself and compete in the world, I am reluctant to limit his exposure. Although my husband and I monitor his activity closely, I often think about how great it would be if I knew of a way for me to interact with him online, as we would on the basketball court or playing a board game. This desire extends to the students I teach.

This blog has already inspired the teacher in me. As teachers, we should be providing a variety of writing experiences for our students. As a first grade teacher, I can see having my students respond to sentences starters or journal reflections, such as "The pig is in a ______." They could practice their typing skills while applying reading and spelling skills.

Oh, how the gears are spinning!

What would you do for a Klondike bar?