VoiceThread

I VoiceThread is very interesting and pretty cool. It allows you to explain something verbally that is on a picture. I think this would be useful in the classroom because because it probably would keep the students engaged. I would use VoiceThread in my classroom especially in subjects like history. Using this in a history class would be pretty cool because you could use annimated voice overs on your picture.

desktop publishing

I really enjoyed using desktop publishing. It was my first time using it and I gained a bunch of knowledge on the program. I thought it was pretty cool and I really liked how my brochure turned out. The brochure is a very important thing because it lets the parents get some information about you as a teacher. I think I really need help on the resume because that is very important if you want to become a teacher. That is the first thing a school looks at before thay even interview you. Desktop publishing is very cool and I even would use it in my classroom. Students could use it when they give presentations. While they are giving their presentations they can give out handouts to their fellow peers. I would let them create their on brochure so that they could understand desktop publishing before they leave high school.

Games that help learning

I think teachers should use technology that their students like or use. The reason being is because the students will have more attention to the lesson or activity. They would probably be more active in the classroom beacause the teacher is using something that they like.

Online chats are a very good idea for the classroom. If a student doesnt understand the concept of what the teacher is teaching then they could just ask a friend in the classroom with online chatting. The only problem that I could see with online chatting is that students could get off task and just talk to their friends with nonsense.

Their is benifits to face to face communication because it lets the teacher talk to the student so that the student can understand better. It would be good in situations where the student doesnt understand something or if they missed class.

I really don't like podcasts because because it doesnt let the students be face to face in person with the teacher. Sometimes it may be hard to explain something on a podcast.

I can see how some videogames may help learning. It makes the students feel more interactive and kids really like videogames. It is something that may grab their attention especially if it is fun. I do agree with the article because some videogames have become educational over the years of gaming. I will let my children play videogames only if they are fun and they don't take up studying time.

Delicious

I think the delicious website is pretty cool. I like how you can bookmark anything that you might need to use in the future. You can pretty much find anything on there and you can bookmark it. I might would use it if I was doing a research paper so that i could go back and look at the information. If I needed the information that bad I probably would just print it off. I think it is not a hassle if you just print the stuff off so that it will just be in your hands when you need it.

Using Spreadsheet

I really like using spreadsheets because it can help you be more organized. Instead writing things on paper you can just plug the information into your spreadsheet without any problems. I would use it in my classroom because students need to be accustomed to Excel and spreadsheets. Students need to learn how to use Excel because they will eventually need it at some point in time.

As a teacher we use spreadsheets to keep all of our information (grades) in order. With Excel all of the calculations are done easily. This process will help a teacher consume time while they are getting their grades in order. It would take longer for a teacher to just do all of the averages on a calculator but with Excel they don't spend as much time on it.

Inspiration Assignment

1.) I really enjoyed the program over the tool Inspiration. I think sometimes when a person brainstorms on a piece of paper they get aggravated. This program looks like it would keep the kids intrigued because it looks so cool. Their are so many things you can do with Inspiration. Mainly the program is used for brainstorming and this could be very helpful for a student who forgets the main points of the lecture or assignment. The student may read a book and want to write a paper over it. Well with Inspiration you can have a easier way in putting your thoughts down in oreder so you can understand them. I would use Inspiration in the classroom when the students have to do a book report or just write a paper. They could get all the major points down with just a simple click without having to write their thoughts on a piece of paper.

2.) Learning how to write can be hard sometimes but their are many tools out there that can help. I think it would be great for the students to be paired up for some writing activities. With Inspiration the students can learn their volcabulary for one another. The students can help each other out if one has made a mistake. Being partnered up can be benificial because the students are getting feedback form their peers. Blogging between the students can also be benificial with writing. All of the students can give feedback to each other on topics such as writing.

Using Blogs

1.) I think using blogs can be very helpful at sometimes. You usually can get a wide variety of responses from different sources. I like blogs because you can understand what other people are trying to say.

2.) Blogs can be useful for education because sometimes people may interpret something different but they could get many responses back that may help them with their question.

3.) I think it is great for blogs in the classroom. Sometimes it takes a students peers to explain something that went on in class that day. What I'm trying to say is that sometimes students don't listen to their teachers so it is good to have blogs in the classroom for all of the students to communicate with each other.

ETEC 424

My name is Ron Marshall and I'm a senior at Texas A&M Commerce. My major is Kinesiology and I can't wait to graduate. I have one sister and she is 28 and lives with her husband in the Azores Islands. He is in the Air Force and believe it or not me and him are pretty cool.