"Doing"

For this part of the assignment, I called my little sister, who is 16 years old. I wanted to talk with her because I knew she had both a blog and a facebook account as well as an iPod touch, which essentially allows her to have the Internet in her pocket. More than anything, I told her of all the cautionary measures she should take so as not to be trapped by others' devious and deceptive schemes. I went on to explain that she should never give out her personal information, enter chat rooms, or physically meet someone she met online. I also reminded her that I loved her and that she could come to me if ever anyone were to bully her using any means of communication, technological or not. Fortunately, she reassured me that she never visits chat rooms and the like and does not make mean comments on others' facebook accounts. However, I was astonished when she informed me of some of the bullying that goes on via "wall-to-wall" comments on facebooks. Although this has not happened to her directly, she has noticed it on her other friends' facebook accounts. All in all, it was a positive conversation that, if anything, allowed me to remind her of my support and love for her. I was careful to refrain from giving her a lecture, because I knew she had refrained from participating in any unhealthy online habits. I mainly wanted to inform her so that she would not be ignorant and not have to learn of the consequences the hard way. I was grateful for the opportunity to speak with her concerning this particular topic and think that it benefitted us both.

Fourth Article Response

The fourth article I chose to read was a recorded talk given by President Hinckley, titled, "An Ensign to the Nations, a Light to the World. Even though I remember hearing President Hinckley give this particular talk during the 2003 October General Conference, his address is no less profound. I was reminded of the dangers, evils, and deception that arise from not only the internet, but the media, songs, and TV shows. President Hinckley beautifully illustrates this misconception when he says, "Life is better than that which is so frequently portrayed. Nature is better than that. Love is better than that. This kind of entertainment is only an evil caricature of the good and the beautiful." This statement resonates profound truths. If only the world realized the beauty of reality, then maybe they would not be so willing to resort to reside in a virtual reality. Furthermore, President Hinckley reminds us not to be discouraged or dismayed from the growing pressures of the world, but rather to remain steadfast to our objective, which is to continue to build the kingdom of the Lord on the earth. This is especially helpful counsel, because it is so easy to feel defeated by the world.

This article also serves as a reminder of how I can provide and protect not only my home, but my classroom as well. As I read I was reminded of the strength of the younger generations and their ability to make correct choices. Additionally, President Hinckley constantly reminds us that, "others will rally around us... We can stand for truth and goodness, and we will not stand alone. Moreover, we shall have the unseen forces of heaven to assist us." What an a amazing promise this is. For me, this statement means that no matter what trials I face, if I remain worthy, I will receive the strength of the Lord either directly or through the help of others. This is especially comforting, given the fact that soon I will be facing the biggest challenge of my academic career: my internship. Overall, this article has helped me to regain confidence in my abilities as a wife, a student, a soon-to-be-teacher, and most of all, as a Latter-day Saint.

Lastly, this reading has provided me with possible ways in which I can strengthen myself and prepare, and maintain the defenses of my own home. Thus, if I am able to protect my family from the dangers presented in every form of technology, I and my family will be blessed with an understanding of the beauty of reality. Furthermore, by following the prophet's counsel and striving to use technology in moderation and not letting it consume mine or my children's lives, we will be blessed to develop meaningful personal relationships with one another, and with our Heavenly Father.

What I learned...

I watched Carisa's Slideshare and was extremely impressed with how she was able to incorporate technology into her lesson. For the longest time, I was disappointed that the classroom I worked in only had one computer. I did not think that it would suit any individual, small, or whole group projects. However, after watching Carisa's slideshare, I realized that one computer is sufficient to compile students' work to create a movie or slide show. Her story mapping lesson plan seemed engaging and fun. I'm sure she had no problem motivating the students to participate during her lesson. Her lesson also taught me an interactive way to teach students how to brainstorm, organize, and produce a story in chronological order. I will be sure to implement this idea in my future classroom!

Slideshare Presentation

Technology In The Classroom

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Technology in the Classroom

My first lesson plan involving technology actually served as an extension to a prior lesson I had taught. The lesson preceding my technology lesson consisted of teaching students how to write a basic message to their parents/guardians, which would be shown to their parents/guardians during Parent-Teacher conferences. Once the students had completed their messages, I instructed them that while we were in the computer lab, they were to create a picture, using Kid Pix, that relates to the content of their messages. For example, if a student wrote about a class party, I would expect that student to create their own picture that represented the class party in his/her own eyes. After a half an hour of computer lab time had passed, I quickly printed off each student's picture and brought them to class. Using the flex camera in the classroom, I invited each student to come up and present his/her picture, if he/she so desired, (I left that option open for anyone who was especially shy, or who did not want to display his/her picture). One by one, the students came up to the flex camera to display and explain the various parts of their picture. As they walked up to the front of the room, I gave them ideas of things they could clarify, like: who was in their picture, why they chose to use certain colors, and what exactly they drew. In carrying out this lesson plan I was pleased to find that the students were highly engaged and excited to complete the task I had assigned. Their pictures turned out amazing and it was fun to hear their individualized explanations for how and why they created their pictures.

Possible Lesson Plan

In collaborating with my cooperating teacher, I have discovered that the students are currently learning about different types of weather. As we planned and discussed, I immediately thought of using Garageband to compile a number of mp3 clips of different weather sounds, (like thunder, rain, and wind) and space them out in 15 second intervals. I would then export my final project to iTunes, where I could use the clip to play during an activity that follows a discussion/instruction on the various types of weather. After the discussion, each of the students would be handed a worksheet that presents a number of labeled pictures of weather in one column that is adjacent to another column comprised of blank lines. As students hear each sound from the clip I have created, they will write a number "1" next to the labeled picture that best represents the sound they heard, a number "2" next to the labeled picture that best represents the second sound they heard, and so on. After all the sounds have been played, we will go over the worksheet as a class.

Technology Inventory for Jordan Ridge

Today my co-teaching partner and I explored Jordan Elementary School in search of the technology that was available both inside the classroom and throughout the school. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this particular elementary school was very well equipped. In each classroom, you will find a projector, a flex camera, a television with VHS capabilities hung in one of the corners of the room, and at least one computer. Furthermore, there is a computer lab with 32 Macintosh computers available for class use. This is an extremely useful asset to the school because it provides students with the opportunity to become more familiar with computers and creative software programs designed for elementary students. Additionally, since the school can afford classes to have rotational computer lab time, students are exposed to exciting programs that are both educational and fun to work on. As I observed my first grade class, I was amazed at the procedures they were taught to use while in the lab, such as using bookmarks on the Safari web browser and computer key shortcuts to exit out of programs. I wish this area of the curriculum was a part of my education growing up!

Adjacent to this computer lab is the school's media center. As we talked with one of the workers, she informed us that there were many other technological aids, such as digital camcorders, cameras, flex cams, projectors, and televisions with DVD capabilities, that teachers could check out. She invited us to explore the other cabinets of the media center to help us with our technology inventory and we were excited to find two GeoSafari Jr. games, AlphaSmart keyboards, sketch projectors, and other cool hardware! This exploration was extremely informative because it gave my partner and I an idea of the technology that is available to us to implement in our future lesson plans.