My Web 2.0 Tool

Right off the bat I thought Google forms was very confusing. I could not figure out how to find the templates at first, and I struggled to open some documents. Soon I figured out that I had to go through your Google account to view and use the different templates. Once I figured out that I was in the right place I was shocked at all the really helpful forms available! It really helped me to just poke around on Google forms and figure it out as I went. I will definitely use several of the forms when I am a teacher. There is a huge variety of things you could use on Google forms in the classroom. Teachers could create surveys, give quizzes, spelling tests, create newsletters, communicate with parents, receive feedback, collaborate ideas, and make spreadsheets just to name a few! 

Resume

The resume template we used was very helpful. I also found many other useful template by doing a simple Google search. I am really glad we had the chance to make a professional resume that we can use in out future job interviews. I made a resume in high school for a business class, but never had the chance to update it. Knowing how to structure and write a resume is a skill I will use throughout my professional career. 

Scavenger Hunt

I think the Scavenger Hunt assignment is a really fun way to become familiar with Google presentation and Picasa. Google presentation is just like powerpoint, only easier to use! I made a Google presentation in about ten minutes. I like how it automatically saves your work to your Google Docs account so it can be viewed from any computer you are on. Picasa also makes quick and easy movie slideshows. The only problem I had with this assignment is saving and loading the Picasa slideshow on to my website. I think I kept saving it as an image instead of a movie because it would not play. So for a slideshow I prefer Google presentation over Picasa, but Picasa is an amazing tool for photo editing. I really like the idea of allowing students to go on a scavenger hunt and take pictures of things. My group and I had a fun time doing this. I am not sure what age groups I could use this for in the classroom, but I would like to integrate it in to my teaching some how. 

Resource Wiki

       Wikis in general are so extremely useful when trying to collaborate with other people. The other day I was at a meeting with some teachers from Midtown Elementary and they were trying to figure out a way to save time while transferring information about students. They let other teachers in their grade know if a student did not complete their work, had behavioral problems, or needed some sort of help. They used to run a clipboard back and forth which wasted a lot of time. One of the teachers mentioned using a wiki that they could all log on to right after class and edit. All of the other teachers were confused and scared of what a wiki meant. (Ah, technology!) I showed them my wiki and how easy and useful it was. We ended up setting up a third grade wiki page between all of the third grade teachers. I think this is going to be very useful and I felt good being the "new" teacher with technological ideas to share!
        In class we worked on a resource wiki which collaborated with the other TPTE classes. It was so simple! I could log on, do my share, and then leave comments to the other group members. We all took part in finalizing and perfecting the wiki site. It was great being able to get so much done on my own time, but still sharing and collaborating with others. I think wikis can be used for pretty much anything and are becoming more popular with the onset of our 'paperless world'.

WebQuests

Web quests are the future! When I discovered the inquiry based format of web quests, I started thinking about all the possibilities of using them in my future classroom. Kids and students these days live on the internet and computers, and web quests are a fun way for children to do what they love and learn while doing it! I really like that web quests emphasize and promote higher order thinking skills. The web quests activity we did in class opened my eyes to the diversity of this project. Web quests can be used for anything and any topic. It promotes creativity and exploration. I would definitely consider using this in my classroom. Web quests can be completed in a single lesson or continue over several weeks. I also really liked that it promotes group work between students. I think group work and learning is essential to the classroom. Web quests are fun and make kids think they are playing on the computer but really they are completing an assignment and learning- best of both worlds!

Macbook Convert

When this class first started I was very nervous about working in a Mac Lab. I had always used a PC so that is what I was comfortable with. After 5 short weeks of working with a Mac and seeing its' capabilities I made a drastic decision! I was in need of a new computer for grad school and before I knew it I was walking out of the Apple store with a brand new Macbook Pro! I honestly never thought I would own a Mac. My old 17 pound Dell computer seemed so easy and simple. Little did I know I was missing out on so many new technological advances! I know this class' purpose was not to convert people to Mac users, but it rubbed off on me! I am now a proud owner of a Macbook and I don't now how I lived without it. It only took me a few short days to become comfortable with it, and I am discovering new things on it everyday. I highly recommend taking the plunge and converting from a PC to a Mac. I feel so tech savvy and wish I would have switched years ago!

Picasa

Picasa is a Web 2.0 tool that is so useful! Once I learned how to use it I have been edited pictures left and right! I really enjoy photography, and this tool is so easy to use. I have tried downloading photoshop tools before and always struggle with the complexity of them. I downloaded Picasa on my computer and it automatically searched my computer for my pictures, and then BAM there they were. I was shocked at how convenient and simple this tool is. I also like that this tool offers the opportunity to make slideshows, movies, and collages. I have shared this tool with many of my other photographer friends and they love it. The best part about it is... it's free! I am so glad I learned about this amazing Web 2.0 tool!

This picture above is an example of one of my photographs I worked on with Picasa.