**Course Reflection ~ Tech**

I came into this class with very little knowledge in technology, and couldn't imagine how I could possibly use technology in my future classroom. In my mind, it was easier to just teach math the old school way. However, this has now changed upon completion of this course. I have come to the realization that technology isn't a burden after all, but is instead a useful tool. It is a way to incorporate different teaching techniques and to also get students involved more actively in the lesson.


I found that the voki was a fun tool, and very entertaining. However, I don't think that it was time well spent. Instead, I wish that we could have spent class time learning more about Internet Workshops or Smartboard applications. These last two tools I could definitely see myself using in the future, especially the Smartboard application. Because my classroom in the fall has a Smartboard, I thought that this was a very useful component for me in particular. Now that I am more comfortable with the program, I am very excited to use my newly acquired technological skills to utilize this classroom tool.


Due to the fact that we were given instructions and then left to our own devices for the assignments, I have learned to become less dependent on step by step instruction. I was forced to depend on myself to solve problems that I faced along the way, and this made me more tech savvy. I now feel as though I am ready to go forth and use these technologies to enhance my classroom.

*** Google Reader= AWESOME***

Google Reader = Awesome : This sums up how useful google reader was for me. This is a great tool to use whether you are blogging for fun, or if you are using blogs for educational purposes. I hope to be able to get my future students to create their own blog, and if I do get this opportunity I will most definitely introduce google reader. This was the easiest way to view all my fellow peers' posts without going absolutely insane trying to find them. Instead of having to search for their blogs, I had them all on their own tab. Also, I love the fact that we can change the names of the tabs pertaining to the different blogs. This made it easier for me to know who's blog is who, since many of us didn't use our actual names for their blog. 


As for the blogs of my peers, it is apparent that we all were similar in many of our blog responses. Yes, we were given the same questions, but this is also probably because of the education that TCPCG is instilling in us. It wasn't surprising that we would all try and incorporate these methods from our classes into our blog posts. One idea that I found interesting was Megan's early use of integrating videos and such into her future classroom. Being at the end of our first semester, I know that we all want to incorporate visual aids such as videos into our lessons. I just thought that it was very advance of her to mention this in her first blog post for the class. She wrote:  A video such as this is something I could prepare ahead of time, with preparation, and showcase information in a new and exciting way. If I were doing a unit on To Kill A Mockingbird, I could construct a video like this to highlight characters, specific plot points, or provide examples of reading strategies for deeper understanding of the material.    -Go Megan :)