Learning Styles

I have always been a hands-on learner.  If I am actually doing something it sticks with me longer.  I am able to learn things by listening, but I have learned that this is not as affective in the long run.  To sit through a lecture on a concept usually bores me, but if there is discussion involved I will become engaged and learn.  


I think teachers should focus on incorporating as many teaching strategies as possible in a lesson to engage all types of learners.  For instance, in a math lesson a teacher might start by teaching a concept using visuals.  Then, give a set of problems and manipulatives to students and have them work in pairs to figure them out on their own.  Then, as a class have a group discussion on what they found.  It is very important to engage as many types of learners as possible and to reinforce what you teach in many different ways. 

Personal Learning Reflection

I have learned so much through taking my CEP 810 class.  I have learned how to safely use technology in my teaching and in general.  There are so many technologies on the Internet that I can and will use in my teaching.  I think classrooms can benefit greatly from using Google Docs.  Students are able to work on group projects very easily and this site will allow them all to contribute.  I also think teachers can use it to share lessons and help each other make improvements to those plans and other things.  This is something I will continue to use after the course is through.  I also am very excited to explore the Creative Commons site more.  I think this is a great place to find and share creative works to use in the classroom.


I feel like I definitely reached my goal of learning new technologies to incorporate into my teaching.  I want to continue to explore these technologies and share what I have learned with others.  Since technology is always changing, I want to be able to take what I learn in this course, use it now, and be able to adjust it as new technologies develop. I have enjoyed exploring all the new technologies in this course and hope to one day soon be able to use them in a classroom of my own!

Creative Commons

I never realized how careful you had to be with copyrights.  I always knew they were important, but I did not realize just how careful you had to be with them. 

After learning about Creative Commons I will definitely be more cautious about what I use in the classroom.  This is a great site to legally use pictures, videos, and much more for free.  It is also a place you can share your work and chose who you allow to use it and for what purpose.  When I have a classroom of my own, I will use this site all the time to find things I could use to help with my teaching and also share things I have created with others.


Here is a photo that I found to help show what a terrestrial ecosystem looks like:

Photo Attribution:

Original Image: Morro Strand State Beach scene taken from the Back Dunes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/6225169798/

By: Mike Baird

Released under attribution

Here is a photo of Cancun, Mexico that I  allowed for reuse using Creative Commons:

Photo Attribution:

Original Image: Cancun, Mexico

https://picasaweb.google.com/100933277749494576268/CancunMexico#5664959069057507538

Internet Security

The tutorials I watched were Explaining Cookies, Email Attachment Tips, and Explaining What Firewalls do and don't do.  In Explaining Cookies I learned there is a type of cookie called a tracking cookie that tracks where you go on the Internet and reports this information to advertisers.  The advertisers then use this information to place advertisements on webpages.  I found it surprising that they can use these cookies to find detailed information about users lifestyles, spending habits, and more.  In Email Attachment Tips I learned that bad grammar is the first sign that something is a scam or virus.  Bottom line is to trust your instincts, if it seems suspicious it probably is.  In Explaining What Firewalls do and don't do I learned that you need both hardware and software firewalls.  Hardware firewalls do no block viruses from the Internet.  Software firewalls are the second line of defense against these.  They can do many things like warn you against dangerous Internet activity.  These are all things that I will share with others so that they are better informed about Internet security.

RSS Reader

For my google reader I decided to add the blog Educational Resources blog.  This has a lot of helpful problem solving ideas for teachers to use.  I chose to comment on an entry titled "Pencil Dilemma" which talked about the issue of losing and breaking pencils in class.  This has been an issue for me in the past and I have tried to find a solution for it.  Like the entry, I have tried many things, but nothing worked.  In one of the comments someone suggested putting velcro on the pencil and the desk for students to put when not in use.  I will definitely try this!  

I also added Creating Lifelong Learners, which focuses on integrating technology into education.  This will provide ideas and articles on how to integrate technology into my teaching.  The Science Fix site I added has many great science ideas to engage students.  The Math Hub Blog has many great ideas on how to use technology to improve math achievement.  Since I teach elementary school, I teach all subjects so I wanted to find a variety of sites to help with all subjects and integrating technology into them.  

As I check my feed, I am seeing that most of them are not updated but every few weeks at the most.  Even though this is the case, I am able to go back through the older posts and find some great information.  There is plenty of information for me to use and as I find more sites I will add them to my feed.

I have found new ideas on problem solving in the classroom and also how to keep students engaged.  I hope to keep learning more and more as I follow my feeds.  Right now I am a building substitute teacher, so I cannot apply everything I learn just yet.  I look forward to using these feeds to help me when I have a classroom of my own!

Getting Things Done!

I have always been a very organized person and like to get things done early, but ever since college I have become somewhat of a procrastinator.  Waiting until the last minute to do things is becoming an issue as of lately with all the things I need to do.  The book "Getting Things Done" talks about five steps to help from becoming overwhelmed.


The first step is to collect.  This is where you take everything you need to do and put it in one spot.  The second step is to process.  This is where you ask yourself some questions:  What is it?  Can you do it? If not put aside for a later time.  How long will it take?  A couple minutes?  If yes then do it, if not then defer or delegate it.  The third step is to organize.  This is where you decide what is high priority and needs to be done right away as opposed to things that are low priority and can wait until a later time.  The fourth step is to review.  This is where you check your list and make sure things are up to date, see if anything is late, and see if anything is close to being due.  The fifth and final step is to do.  This is just as it sounds, it is time to do the things on your list.  Deciding what to do is based on a few questions.  What can you do?  How much time do you have?  Is it enough to complete the task?  How much energy do you have?  What is most important to you?

I am hoping that using these five steps I will be able to manage my time better and get things done!

Social Networks

I find social networks to be very useful both professionally and personally.  I have been using social networks personally for many years and have found them to be very helpful with keeping up with friends and family that have moved away or just who I do not see on a regular basis.  I am just now learning how they can help me professionally.  As a teacher, I will use them to help me connect with colleagues, students, and parents. It will help me keep my students and parents informed and allow me to share ideas and learn from other teachers.  I think that students can use social networks to connect with students in their classes.  They can use them to ask about homework assignments or other things going on in class.  As I learn more about social networks, I am sure I will find many more ways to use them both professionally and even personally.