Final Blog

This is my final blog for my EDUC 597 Technology class.  I have actually really enjoyed blogging this semester, and I might even continue a blog for my class.  I have learned a lot about technology this semester, and I look forward to implementing the technology that I learned about in my classroom in the near future.

Three New Things I was Introduced to in this Class:

1. Great Apps for my iPad - My favorite class was probably the night that we learned about all the great apps for our iPads.  I use several of the apps for personal use, and I know that I will be able to use many of the apps as an administrator. 
2. Scoop.it! - This is a great website that I used to help me with research for my paper.  This is also a site that I think can be beneficial for my students in organizing information for different projects.
3. Blogger - I had heard of blogs before this class but I had never written a blog of my own.  Blogging is a great way to express your feelings and opinions, and people can read your blog if they want to hear what you have to say.

Two Questions I Have:

1. How can we properly educate our students about digital citizenship?  Teaching our students how to be responsible digital citizens is very important in today's society, and I want to make sure that I know how to properly educate them.  It is important to continuously teach students about digital citizenship.
2. How can I use LiveBinders in my classroom as a type of portfolio assessment?  I think that LiveBinders might be something that I could use in my classroom.  I just have to figure out the best way to utilize this tool.

One Thing I Will Incorporate in My Classroom:

1. My students already have a Symbaloo webmix that I created as their homepages so that they can easily access all the websites that we use in class.  I also believe that I will be able to use some of this technology to my benefit when I become an administrator.  I especially enjoyed the class about iPads, and I believe that there are lots of apps that can make the life of an administrator much easier.

I love technology, and being a business education teacher I use and teach about technology every day.  This class introduced me to several new technologies, and I was also reminded about many different websites that I had learned about at one time but had forgotten to use in my classroom!  Technology is here to stay, and as educators, we need to be sure to teach our students how to use that technology correctly.

Christmas Time! :)

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to move on to the Christmas season.  The day after Thanksgiving was spent decorating the outside of my house for Christmas.  I love Christmas lights and the way that they just make everything feel more festive.  I try to keep my decorations plain and simple, with wreaths on the windows and white lights on the bushes and around the windows.  This year I added a cute little snowman to the front yard.  I also really enjoy decorating the inside of my house.  I am still in the process of getting all the inside decorations out, but I have put up my Christmas tree.  I just love Christmas time, and now that my house feels like Christmas, maybe I can get motivated to get started shopping! 

Portfolio...FINISHED!!!

I am excited and relieved to say that my portfolio for Dr. Spivey's class is finally finished!  And I still have a whole week before it is due.  I always tend to be someone who procrastinates and waits until the last minute to get things finished, so I am very proud of myself for finishing my portfolio early.  I will probably still wait until next Monday to turn it in because I'm sure that I will feel the need to read and reread every entry to make sure that everything is perfect.  But it sure feels good to say that I am finished.  However, I then quickly realize that I still have 31 more standards to complete for the Spring!  

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving!  This is one of my favorite holidays.  You get to spend time with loved ones, eat tons and tons of great food, and watch football!  We always spend Thanksgiving at my sister's house.  Everyone brings their favorite dishes to share.  This was kind of a sad Thanksgiving because my grandfather passed away recently.  This is the first Thanksgiving that I have not had a grandparent around.  Even though he was not there, we were able to tell stories and remember all the great Thanksgivings that he was able to spend with us.  I have so much to be thankful for, and I had a great day spending time with friends and family!

BYOD and Mobile Learning

I believe that bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and mobile learning is something that can be very beneficial to student learning if the school system's network is capable of handling it.  Having that many computers all demanding Internet and network access can be very stressful on the infrastructures.  I believe that Madison County is working toward readying our computer network for BYOD one day in the near future.  One negative that I see with BYOD at New Hope High School and other low income schools in our area is the fact that not all students (or even the majority of our students) have access to their own technology devices to use in school.  This means that BYOD will not really be beneficial to the majority of students.  Providing all students with their own mobile device seems like the only way that everyone will be able to benefit from the technology.  However, this is very expensive and something that most schools will not be able to afford.  I am excited about the day that all students will have access to learning with their own computer both at school and at home.

Really!?!

The University of Alabama football team has to be the luckiest team in the history of sports!  No one thought that it would be possible for both #1 and #2 to lose in the same night, but it happened to Oregon and Kansas State last night!  How is it possible that for the past 2 seasons, Alabama has lost a regular season game, yet they will most likely still find a way to make it back to the National Championship game.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to see an SEC team in the championship game, but why does it always have to be Alabama?  While I am an Auburn fan, I do cheer for the other SEC teams when they are not playing Auburn.  But I am really beginning to wonder if Auburn will ever get the chance to be the team where luck goes their way.  We just always seem to be on the bad luck side of things.  Remember the 2004 season where Auburn was undefeated but was somehow left out of the National Championship game!  Who knows, maybe Saturday will be our day (I seriously doubt it, but one can hope)!  War Eagle!

Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship is something that everyone should be taught about.  It is very important in today's technology-driven society that people know how to properly use their technology.  Parents and teachers should teach students about appropriate technology use.  However, there are times when it seems as if some adults do not know how to be a responsible digital citizen.  It is important as a teacher to make sure that you are setting a good example with your technology.  From teaching students basic digital literacy and how to use a computer to making sure that they know how to be safe on the Internet, digital citizenship should be an integral part of the school curriculum.