Assignment 5- Dream Classroom Computer

            With technology always updating, I think it would be a waste of time and resources to get a standard dell desktop for our classrooms. I think we should spend the money to get the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 All-in-One computer. The price starts at $539.99. It is half the price than iMac all-in-one computers (starting at $1,099) and also more compatible with software that students and teachers already know how to use. In depth information on the computer can be found here.

Lenovo actually lists all of the great reasons that this computer is perfect for the classroom. You can find that page here.

            I think a projector is a key tool in any classroom. To stay with the times and take advantage of great technology, we should invest in the Epson BrightLink 536Wi Interactive WXGA 3LCD Projector. The key feature that makes this projector different from any others is the fact that it can make any light colored wall interactive. Using a special pen, this projector basically makes any wall a smartboard. The projector starts at $1490 but that is okay because we saved on the computers!

Epson BrightLink Projector

Item	Price	Quantity	Vendor
ThinkCentre M73 All-in-One computer	$539.99	20	Lenovo
Epson BrightLink 536Wi Interactive WXGA 3LCD Projector	$1490	20	Epson

For 20 computers and 20 projectors we will need a grant of about $45,000.

Final Reflection

We learned a lot in this class. Mostly, being a teacher is hard work. Teachers have to worry about so many different things, it's ridiculous. From all of the standards, to different types of educational technology, this class taught me a wide variety of information relating to technology in the classroom. My favorite tool we used was prezi. I used to think I was up to date on presentation aids but unfortunately, I was wrong. I liked using prezi because it was a challenge and I got to learn something new. I would have liked to learn more about the statistics involving technology in the classroom. Do kids that have access to tablets and smartphones score better on standardized tests? Do they have higher rates of ADHD? Just something I'd like to know. Overall, I enjoyed the class and if I had kept my elementary education major, I would have benefitted greatly from taking this course.

Virtual Field Trip

By creating a virtual field trip, I learned how to create my own web page by simply using microsoft word! It was a fun experience. I never knew how to hyperlink other documents into a document so this was very useful. It was, however, more work than I thought it would be. Being a teacher is hard, isn't it?

Assignment 6- Evaluation of Resources

The software I evaluated was funbrain.com. I decided to evaluate this game hub because I remember using it as an elementary school student personally. Using the form I found online, funbrain scored a 78/95 which isn't bad for being a bunch of fun educational games. It is very easy to use and has skill levels ranging from K-6. Funbrain lost points because the lack of assessments and support materials.

The website I evaluated was minerology4kids regarding the rock cycle. This website was very easy to use and visually appealing. The information was correct and easy to understand. Although, I was put off by the lack of information on the authors but they cited their sources and the website is sponsored by the Mineralogy Society of America so I'm assuming their information is correct. I rated the website "very useful for my information needs" because it got 22 "yes"s on the evaluation form.

Wiki & Lesson Plan

https://mmconner.wikispaces.com/home

I learned a lot from this activity. I mostly learned that a whole lot of work is put into a single lesson. I was always under the assumption that teaching is pretty easy and not a lot of detailed work but it actually is! Making sure that you meet standards while making the lesson fun is a lot easier said than done. I definitely appreciate teachers more now.

Assignment 3 - Comparing Inventories

I took two different inventory tests, one was a cognitive style and the other was a learning style test. The two tests determine different things about you personally so they are not very similar. The cognitive style test was 110 questions while the learning style was only 20. This does not change my opinion on the accuracy of the results though. The results for the cognitive style test were very eye opening. The test measures 13 irrational styles of thinking that can create or contribute to life problems. My score was average for anxious, self-esteem, perfectionist, demand, control, dependency, externalizing, vulnerability, and trust. My score was low for passivity and withholding. My score was high for approval seeking and blaming. These results surprised me because I didn’t realize how much I seek the approval of others. The description for approval seeking says that I behave and make decisions based on the approval of others. Because the description of blaming says that I tend to focus criticism and blame on others, I feel like a hypocrite. How can I blame and criticize others while all I want is to be accepted by others too? I think I can learn a lot from my results. For the other test, I was not surprised with the results. My learning style test says I am a visual learner. I learn better by seeing pictures or reading. Everything in the description is true about me so I believe these results are very accurate. Knowing what learning style I am can greatly help me as a student because I can change my study habits so I can get better grades. A teacher can use the results of their students to help them retain information better in the classroom.

Cognitive style: http://www.excelatlife.com/questionnaires/cognitive_styles/email.php

Learning style: http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml?event=results&A=5&V=11&T=4

Assigment 2- Technology in Education

In today’s day and age, technology is becoming more and more necessary in every day life. Whether you’re driving to work, grocery shopping, or even mowing the lawn, technology is has most likely changed the way you do things. This is no different in schools. Why exclude the classroom? Educational technology is helping and improving the performance of learning by using technological resources. If used correctly, technology can be a great way to help kids learn! Educational videos, PowerPoints, and smart boards are just some of the many great ways technology can be used in the classroom. The use of these can help teach in the three different learning styles as well. Powerpoints are good for visual learners; tablets are good for kinesthetic learners and any technology can be helpful for auditory learners because all they have to do is listen.

            A great example of technology in the classroom comes from my senior year of high school. In the spring, I volunteered at an elementary school with my friend Caitlin. The class we volunteered in was learning about the ocean so we put together a jeopardy game on the computer and projected it onto the whiteboard. The class was split into groups and they had to take turns choosing the subject and point worth. At the end, the group with the most points got dum-dum lollipops. The way we used the technology helped them learn in a fun and interactive way! Technology should be encouraged in the classroom because it is interactive, fun, and versatile, however, there are also drawbacks to using technology in the classroom. Depending on what the students are using, it can be hard to control, could be a distraction, and/or unsafe. The Internet is not always the safest thing for kids to be using so I would suggest showing an Internet safety video before letting them use it. If teachers use technology in a fun and safe way, I think it should be used in the classroom when necessary. It is a great way to keep up with the ever-changing times.