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Reflection 3 Google Apps

Emily Hansen
Reflection #3
Google Apps Training

The more I learn about Google and all it has to offer the more I like it. Before this class all I used Google for was as a search engine. Now that I have read more about it, Google has so much to offer. They offer from the basic email (Gmail) to storing documents. This website I reviewed walked through the Google Apps and what they do.
The website laid out six of the most used apps. The apps are email, calendar, talk such as instant messaging, documents, sites, and video. There are even more than that and guess what they are free to schools. Google is able to set up the schools with accounts then the students are able to set up a gmail account. They are also able to access Google Docs and upload assignments to it. This helps teachers out because then the students are always able to access their documents at schools. The students can publish and share these documents as well.
Along with using Google Docs teachers and students are able to create websites. Teachers can create websites for each of their classes and list what they will be doing from week to week. It is a great source for students to keep in touch with the teacher and know what is going on in class. Another neat part to Google is that teachers can customize Google Apps to their school. Teachers can do many things with this, but one important one is teachers can create groups that are in school and make policies for their domain.
Now you all are wondering why schools would choose Google Apps, for one thing it is free. It is also easy to keep up to date with. Schools do not need to worry about maintaining it. Google is kept up to date from the company itself. There are no servers or hardware that the schools need to worry about. That is a costly part that schools can now put that money towards another expense. Also Google Apps requires no licenses. 

Photo Cube

Making this cube was a great time! It is easy and inexpensive. I love to display pictures around my house so this is a neat idea to incorporate more than one picture. The website listed below is where I found the template and step-by-step guide on how to complete the cube photo block. I would suggest understanding how photoshop works before attempting this project. Or some people might see it as a way to teach themselves how to run photoshop.


http://styleburb.blogspot.com/2011/04/fun-family-photo-cubes.html

Wordle

To create this wordle I went to the following site: http://www.wordle.net/ Here I was able to create a wordle about me!

Reflection #2

How to keep all kids busily engaged at all times

    In Marc Prensky’s article on “What I learned recently in New York City Classrooms- How to keep all kids busily engaged at all times” he had great points on how to keep the children busy and engaged. In this article Marc talks about setting up a workshop at a school that just received a grant in their technology department. The school was able to purchase new technology. Marc was there to introduce it to the staff and students.
    The only part I did not like about this article was that the teachers were suppose to take one or two students to the workshop. I have trouble with the fact that only some students were able to attend. They did come back to the classroom and teach the rest of them. I just found it unfair to the other students. They were not able to all get the same experience.
    I did find great parts in Marc’s paper as well. Through this project Marc always included the students. Each student always had a job to do in the classroom. This helped the teacher with learning the new technology. Such as if the teacher needed to reboot one of the computers she could ask the student with that job and they can complete the task and the teacher does not have to stop what she is doing.
    Another part of this article that I thought was great was the part on how Marc interviewed the students and recorded them. By doing this many of the students were shy so they had to complete the recording again. I believe this helped students learn how to speak out to a different audience and boost their confidence. For the classes that were larger Marc had to the students interview each other which is great experience for all the students.

Second Article

Using Cell Phones for Exams

    In Marc Prensky’s article about “Using Cell Phones for Exams” was short, sweet, and to the point. In this two page article Marc got his point across. Even though we the people of the world have all of this new technology surrounding us and many of the people still live in the past. Instead of setting aside technology we should be embracing more.

Marc makes a great statement about how attitudes need to change. If students do not get to use technology we are only preparing them for the past. The future will be a shock and the future generations will not be prepared. We are preservice teachers need to seriously think about how we can incorporate technology into our classrooms. It is only going to become more common so why not embrace it.

Reflection #1
Educational Technology Bill of Rights

The educational technology bill of rights is very interesting. I agree with some of what Brad says and I disagree with some. Number seven on Brad’s list is very true. The world we all live in is ran through technology. We as educators need to let the children use different machines and use different programs to complete projects or assignments. We are only going to become a more technological advanced society so why not start teaching the children young so they have a strong etiquette on technology.

I do struggle with number one though. Being able to make it fair in the classroom for students is the hard part. I know that life is not fair, but that is very hard to teach young students when they are very naive. Adults still do not understand why life is not fair. Not all students can afford new technology and not all schools can either. I would say either each student gets one or none of them do. I do remember back to my elementary days the school bought about 50 laptops that could be shuffled between classrooms, so that is one idea that schools can do. Since I am considered “old” now schools have probably done that and are onto something new. The Bill of rights were fun to read and think that way about technology and the student. I did find that some of the comments were rather rude.

I found some comments rather harsh. I do not take criticism well when it comes off in a rude tone, so while reading the comments I found them rude. My mother and others always tell me that I am too nice, but I was told to treat others how you want to be treated and that is what I go by. It was hard to read the comments, but everyone has their own opinion. If I do not agree with someone I try to tell them in the nicest way possible, but these people let Brad have it.  

At the bottom of my post is a link to his website.

http://www.schooltechnology.org/

Childhood discovery is so very important!