Blog Assignment # 14

        For the last blog post for this class, I explored Jose Picardo's blog. This blog, called Technology and Education: Box of Tricks, was very interesting. Jose had an "About" section, which explained his career, a little about who he is, and how he believes technology is important in the classroom. He even included a "Links" page where he listed many blogs and websites that he regularly reads and wanted to share.

        I really enjoyed the resource page for educators. There were so many different sites on there. Under each listed site there was a short summary of what the site can do and how it works. This is so helpful! I made sure to add it to my PLN so that I can look over it more once I become a teacher. I plan on using many of these sites to make my classroom more interesting.

      I also watched the YouTube video Top Ten Tips for Using Technology. This video was great because it gave a short recap about many things I learned about in EDM 310.
    The first tip talked about using streaming video. We should use YouTube in the classroom and make class more fun. This is one tip that I will use in my classroom. Where I will be teaching literature, my students can watch videos made by others about books and maybe even create a book trailer and share it on YouTube so the entire class can watch.
    The second tip on here was to use music. Students are already familiar with iTunes so they can do many things with music for projects.
    The third tip was to use teleconferencing tools. This is one I hope I can use. Using Skype to communicate with another school in a different state or a different country would be so much fun for my students. Seeing how other students learn would help them learn more about different cultures.
    The fourth tip is to create your own interactive exercise. Since the teacher knows his or her students more than any other person, the teacher can determine which games fit in the lesson plans or what other tools would work best for the classroom.
    The fifth tip is to use your interactive whiteboard more effectively. I feel like I have learned a lot about the SmartBoard in EDM 310, but the only way to learn about everything it is capable of is to just play with it. If I am lucky enough to have a SmartBoard in my classroom, I will be sure to spend a lot of time playing with it and seeing how it could fit into my lesson plans.
     The sixth tip is to create a podcast. This is something that I already plan on doing. Doing a podcast about a book would be great for my classroom. If they forget something in the book, they can use their iPod and listen to their podcast and remember.
    The seventh tip is to start a blog. This is something that I also plan on doing. I think this is a great idea for students to keep on track with assignments and due dates and even for parents to become more involved.
    The eighth tip is to use social networks, such as Facebook. To be honest, I doubt I will use this one. If I have a classroom blog, I don't see the need in also having a Facebook page for my classroom. If I planned on teaching college age students then I might do this, but this one is just to risky for middle and high school students. I will just stick with the blog.
    The ninth tip is to use internet tools and be sure to take advantage of them. This one is a given. Of course I will take advantage of this. These tools are so helpful to me as a student, so they will also be helpful to me as a teacher.
    The last tip is to make the most of your students' gadgets. This is a smart idea. Most teenagers have iPods, so I can have them download their podcast on there so they can listen to it.
    All of these ideas were very helpful. Since I learned how to do most of them in EDM 310, I feel pretty prepared in making lesson plans that keep my students interested.