Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Journal 10- 100 Things That Make Me Happy:)

100 things that make me happy
1. Learning 2.Shopping 3.Praying 4.Traveling 5.Decorating 6.Dancing 7.Swiming 8.Baking 9.Scrap booking 10.Cooking 11.Partying12.Sleeping13.Helping14.Exercising 15.Juicing 16.Camping 17.Riding quads18.Cleaning 19.Gardening 20.Celebrations 21.Music 22.Vacations23.Roller coasters 24.Tacos 25.Salsa 26.Mexico 27.California 28.Ocean 29.Looking at the Stars in the sky30.Nature 31.Pictures 32.Movies 33.You Tube videos. 34.Food Network 35.Eyeshadows 36.Mascara 37.Eyeliner 38.Soccer 39.Tennis 40.Volleyball 41.Family 42.Friends 43.My significant other 44.Co-workers45.Kids 46.Flowers 47.Crusing 48.Watermelon 49.Oranges 50.Grapes 51.Strawberries 52.CornTortillas 53.Pinto Beans 54.Lasagna 55.Restaurants 56.Religious retreats57.Videos 58.Purses 59.Foundation 60.Potatoes 61. Hair do’s 62.Comedy shows 63.Dark chocolate 64. Gummy bears 65.Flowers 66.Gifts 67.Giving 68.Computers 69.Milkshakes 70.My camera 71.Art 72.Hugs 73.Kisses 74.Cell phone 75.GPS system76.Homemade foods 77.Teaching 78.New clothes 79.Money 80.Health 81.Concerts 82.Opportunities 83.Video Games 84.Swings85.Organizing 86.Smiles 87.Massages 88.Holidays 89.Good Grades 90.Playing on a sports team 91.Ballons 92.Looking at the clouds 93.Positive thinking 94.Picnics 95. Spending time with loved ones 96. When someone tells me they love me 97.Cartoons 98.Theme parks 99. Live Music100.Completed Goals101...just life it self

Journal 9 NETS-T I,II, & III

I can see me: webcams in the classroom

Frey, T, Houlton, A, & Gruis, E. (2010, November). I can see me: webcams in the classroom. Learning and Leading with Technology,38(3) 36-37.

The article I can see me: web cams in the classroom discussed the benefits that webcams can have on learning. Webcams can be useful in developing reading skills, reflection, and social skills. The webcams can allow students to practice independently at their own level of comfort so that they can later apply what they learned to the classroom. It talked bout two successful examples of student and how it improved their learning. One was a bout a boy who increased his reading speed and improved his oral reading who before the web camera idea was having difficulties in reading. The other example was about a girl who with selective mutism that rarely spoke with peers and teachers. Through the use of this new technology she was able to record her ideas and thoughts and have a say in her IEP.

How can web cameras be beneficial?

Web cameras are beneficial in many ways. It allows student to practice and see their errors and correct them for the second time around. Doing so allows them reduce their anxiety levels as opposed to having them practice with others, that for some can sometimes be intimidating.

Apart from learning use why would I want Web camera in my classroom?

Web cameras are not only beneficial for student learning, but the cameras are also relatively inexpensive, come already integrated in some computers, and are usually small. This makes web cameras, affordable, accessable, and useful, and space savers. In addition I could even use it to communicate with other educators.

Journal 8 NETS-T II,III,& IV

Scribble Maps Help Students Visualize Their World

Hill, W. (2010, November). Maps help students visualize their world. Learning and Leading with Technology,38(3) 40-41.

Scribble Maps is a site that lets users create and share maps with others. It’s an awesome web tool that helps students learn about geography and helps them develop spatial skills. Students can create their maps by adding pictures and text in the information box. They can also view their maps through different options such as satellite, hybrid, map, or night views. Another great aspect is that they can save their creation through different formats such as a jpeg, Google map, or KML file. The author believes the use of such program helps educators teach students to research, collaborate, and present to others.

How can using this program with student be helpful?

It’s a great tool to use with visual learners. It seems like fun and will probably have students more engaged than reading from a book. It sis also helpful in making connections to their prior knowledge and therefore things they learn can be stored in their long-term memory. It is also a free web based tool meaning that it can be accessible to students from school, libraries, and at home.

What would be one way I can implement this tool in my classroom?

Since the article mentioned that 5th grade students did a biome and geography projects it gave me a great idea for possible future use. For example, I think it would be great tool to use when learning about California history like the Missions and things like that. Students can be put in groups and each group can research the region of one of the mission. Then groups can present to their class what they found. In this form students can learn both about geography and history while also learning about the many uses of technology.

Journal 6 NETS-T V

Change Agent

Change Agent (2010, October 12). In Education Week Teacher PD Sourcebook. Retrieved, from http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01richardson.h04.html?cmp=clp-edweek&intc=bs&sms_ss=delicious&at_xt=4cb7dc75d0303b73,0

Change agent was an article about an interview with a former school teacher who is now a technology expert. One thing that Mr. Richardson talks about is the googable teacher. He refers to the teacher presence on the web and its importance. There are two reasons given, one is that teachers need model to students on how to learn and share with technology. Secondly it is important for teachers to be part of a learning network.

Why are some teacher not googable or not really engaged with technology?

It’s unfortunate that many teachers in this day and rarely use web tool or are part of Professional Learning Network’s. I think its not that they don’t want to, it might be that they don’t know how to. That’s why it is important for the school officials to stress the importance of new technologies and its use, maybe through professional development or mandated classes because it the end it will be beneficial to all.

How do I feel towards this shift towards technology?

I definitely agree with it and whether people agree with it or not, it’s inevitable. I think that since we live in a global society we need the skills to compete in it, but most importantly we need to teach these skills to our students so that they too have the skills and opportunities to succeed. If we don’t tech them since a young age it will only make it more difficult when they are older. I definitely think PLN’s are crucial in the development of becoming a good educator because it is a great resource from educators from all walks of life that are there to share and help each other.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

iMovie PSA NETS-T I,II, & III

I created an imovie about a brief 38 second clip of the uniqueness of CSUSM. I researched 3 facts and included it in my clip. My clip included music, many video clips, transitions, color effects, and modified speed among other things.

Untitled from huerta on Vimeo.

Internet Safety Google Site NETS-T III & IV

I along with a group of 5 other classmates collaborated on Google sites to create our cyber safety site. We included a home page and each one of us made a subsection. I created the subsection on identity safety. There I included the description of it, tips for students, tips for educators, resources, videos and images. This site was created as a resource for educators.

Classroom Newsletter NETS-T I & III

Using Microsoft word, I created a newsletter with information about my classroom to communicate with parent and students. I added a scanned hand drawn picture, bullets, drop caps, clip art and a border to make it more appealing.

Newsletter JH1

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Wiki Page "Image Chef" NETS-T III & IV

I investigated and found a web 2.0 tool and created a wiki. I used the tool Image Chef and created an example of an assignment I would have my students create with the tool. In my wiki I described my tool and what it did and gave an example of how I would use it in my classroom. In addition I also wrote about something’s to consider when using the tool as well as some recommendations.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Journal 7: My Personal Learning Network NETS-T III,IV & V

I created my personal leaning network which is composed of Twitter, Delicious, and the digital discussion forum Classroom 2.0. On twitter, I contributed in an educational chat and followed members with similar interest in education. On, Delicious I book marked websites and also added educators to my network. Finally in the digital discussion forum I became a member and read an article about bullying in schools. My PLN allows me to search, share, and exchange ideas with other educators.



My personal learning network is composed of Twitter, Delicious, and the Digital Discussion Forum Classroom 2.0. This network will help me as a future educator by keeping me informed about current events in education. It will also help me because I can search, share, and exchange ideas with other educators that I can use in my classroom.

Through the use of twitter I can search and exchange ideas with other educators across the globe. My network is composed of current and future educators. The reason I choose them was because we have the same interest and in the future we can exchange ideas that are useful in the classroom. Through twitter I participated in the educational chat called #edchat. I found it very interesting and was amazed on how many people share their ideas and opinion. We discussed about the use of social networks such as face book in school and for learning. I enjoyed reading different responses because it made me think from other perspectives. I learned that many more educators agree on the use of social networks than not. It definitely went fast; new tweets were coming in all the time during that designated hour.

Through Delicious I am able to book mark important sites and share with others what I have found.  I also created network of individuals who had an interest in education. Through their book marks I could also discover a wealth of information that I can use as a future educator. I tagged a few educational bogglers, digital discussion forums and educational wikis because they had good information that would also provide me with new ideas and resources and expand my personal learning network.

I joined the Classroom 2.0 digital discussion forum. There I was looking around through the latest activity and seeing what other members had posted. I came across Lauren Brodlo who had added a discussion to the group “Bullies Beware” that she also created. The topic was Bullying and the affect on gay students. She mentioned that one of the reasons she started that page was because of the recent story in the news about Tyler Clementi, the student at Rutgers who had committed suicide after his roommate had posted a video of him with another male student. As I kept on reading I was finding it very interesting. She posted a link to an interesting article titled “can we stop the Gay Bullying Epidemic?  http://www.education.com/magazine/article/gay-bullying-epidemic/
This article provided tips to help parents teach anti bullying to their kids. I thought this article was interesting because as a future educator bullying is an issue that is prevalent at any age level and the sooner we take action to prevent it the better. I think its very unfortunate how sometimes lives are lost because of other people’s ignorance. Bullying clearly can be detrimental to student’s self esteem and life, so it is very important to finds ways to prevent it in school, communities, and societies around the world. Everyone deserves respect regardless of their beliefs, background, gender, etc. Taking small steps today can make a difference tomorrow.

Inspiration NETS-T I, II & III

Using the program Inspiration from the downloadable free trial of 30 days, I created a visual graphic organizer. This graphic organizer demonstrated the relationship of my work for my education class 422 and the NETS-T standards for teachers. Under each NET-T I included two artifacts and how they related to the standards.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Journal 4 NETS-T II & III

Journal 4 “Computing in the clouds”

Johnson, D. (2009 - 10, Dec/ Jan). Computing in the clouds. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(4), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleadingdigital.com/learning_leading/200912?pg=18&pm=2&fs=1#pg1

Computing in the clouds is a term that refers to productivity tools that allow users to create files such as presentations, documents, spreadsheets, editing etc. It is an effective alternative that can be used by students and staff instead of costly software programs both in school settings and at home. This idea is beneficial because it gives access to files from any computer without having to worry about saving those files in external hard drives.

What are some factors to consider?

Even though the benefits are many, there are also many factors to consider. One should consider accessibility to the internet. Even though students may have access to their files from any computer what happens when they don’t have access to the internet or systems are running slow? There are also potential costs later in the future for using such programs that are currently free. Then there is the issue of privacy, will the files really be safe?

In addition to cloud computing what would be another means to reducing expenditures in schools without sacrificing materials?

Apart from reducing cost on software through cloud computing, schools can also purchase net books instead of laptops. Since computing on the clouds doesn’t require any storage space and students would be working online then it would make sense to incorporate the use of net books. Why net books? Net books because their main purpose is for internet use. In addition, they are more affordable because they are sold at a reduced cost over laptops making it them even easier to replace.

Journal 3 NETS-T I & II

Journal 3 “Bring the world into your classroom”

McDermon, L. (2010, September/ October). Bring the world into your classroom. Learning and Leading with Technology. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and- leading/digital-edition-september-october.aspx

The article “Bring the world into your classroom” discussed the use of video conferencing with two programs (RAP) “Read Around the Planet” and “Mega conference JR”. These programs basically enable students to share and collaborate with students from other schools all over the nation and even the world. Distance is no barrier for these programs because it is done virtually; it exposes students to different ways of learning.

What are the benefits of incorporating this in a classroom?

Students would benefit significantly because they will be able to share and collaborate as well as be exposed to other student’s perspectives. Another benefit is that even with the current budget cuts on educational funding that have cut back field trips students can still virtually visit museums, galleries, and other places without losing time away from the classroom. In addition this would significantly reduce the school expenses and allow students with the opportunity to visit even more places.

What could be one area of concern for using these programs?

Even though the benefits are many, there are still some factors to consider. Something to consider are the differences and similarities in the schools curriculum. Will the assignments fulfill both of the school standards and requirements? So it is important that educators place close attention to these details before starting the programs.

Journal 2 NETS-T V

Journal 2 “Join the flock” and “Enhance your twitter experience”

Ferguson, H. (2010, June/July). Join the flock. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved fromhttp://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607/#pg16

McClintock, S. (2010, June/July). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from
http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607/#pg16

The two articles “Join the flock” and “Enhance your twitter experience” talk about building professional learning networks through the use of twitter. The authors discuss the reasons why a twitter account is useful to educators. They also give the basics of how twitter works and how you can make the most out of using twitter both personally and professionally. In addition, they offer useful tips along with examples. They even add in a page with twitter terminology so you can know the terms and what they stand for. This will help you find your way around twitter as a new user.

How can twitter be useful to me?

Twitter can be useful to me in many ways. I can use it a means to search, gather, and communicate information on both a professional and personal basis. I can use twitter professionally as a future educator to find out about a wealth of resources and ideas that can help me in my classroom. Similarly, I can also share my ideas and findings to help other educators around the globe.

Do I have to post information to receive information?

No, it is not necessary to post information because I can just be an observer and learn a lot of information from others. The level of participation is up to me, although it would be beneficial to post information and share what I have learned with others.

Journal 1 NETS-T III

Journal 1“Taking laptops school wide”

Green T., Donovan, L., & Bass, K. (2010). Taking laptops school wide: a professional learning community approach. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(1), Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3820102011/August_No_1_3/L_L_August_2010.htm

The article “Taking laptops school wide” talks about the benefits of using laptops for student leaning. Researchers evaluated the differences among schools that used a structured system using laptops and those who didn’t. They found that it was beneficial for schools to have a system that had structure so that students are able to build on the skills from their previous grade level. In those schools were there was structure researchers also found a significant amount of collaboration between teachers. Teachers work and collaborate with each other through the (PLC) Professional Learning Community approach which also played an important role in the successful implementation of these programs.

Would the professional learning community make a difference in the implementation of a successful program?

Absolutely it is much harder to establish a strong foundation by one’s self as opposed to establishing it with others. Not only will the establishment last longer but working in collaboration with other teachers can also help improve the program. This is because of the different perspectives and ideas that teachers can contribute to the program.

Why would the progression of laptops use across grade levels be beneficial?

It would definitely be beneficial because students would acquire more technological skills as they go through grade levels. If they use the same skills every year then are they really learning anything new? Would it even be grade appropriate? If schools have an established system of laptop usage through grade levels the teachers can make learning more effective and productive. This is because students can come into the next grade level with their portfolio so that teachers can be aware of their level and in that way focus on new material or areas were students need more help.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

School 2.0 Reflection Tool NETS-T V

At school 2.0 I used the reflection tool to asses my current level of skills in technology which was based on the NETS -T standards for teachers. Based on my results I investigated one of the resources for a particular NETS-T standard. I created a blog post where I posted my color coded results, and included a reflection about what I learned and why I chose to investigate that standard.



Reflection results for NETS-T Module: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
1.       I enable students to use technology to demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes

  I watched the video by Sir Ken Robinson on “do schools kill creativity”. I found it to be very interesting and believe the man made very good points. He stated that creativity is as important as literacy and that it is very unfortunate that the education system has not given it proper value. He gave good examples that portrayed how creativity is devalued by mentioning that all education systems around the world place other subjects at top and the arts in the bottom of priority. Along with this he gave examples of creative individuals who became successful such as the dancer. He said that unfortunately many talented individuals do not go into the fields they like because of the stigmatization by our society telling them that they wont became successful or find a job following that path. As I reflect on this point I find it to be very true. As a child I was told I was always very creative and I wanted to go to an art school to follow my passions. When in high school many others told me that if I followed that path I wouldn’t have the same opportunity’s that if I went to a four year university. I was frightened not to have employment in the future so I believed them. Now as I reflect on the Sir Kens speech I see that my creativity was devalued as many others have been too. Maybe I would have been successful maybe not but like anything it is a risk.  Maybe in the future I will give it a try and see where it takes me. As for now I have made the choice to not devalue creativity as it happened in my case but to rather inspire others to follow theirs.  I choose this standard because to me creativity has always been very important in students learning. As Albert Einstein once said imagination is more important than knowledge. Imagination is what creative individuals have.