What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned a lot about images, specifically editing them. I have a lot of experience with editing images because I learned how to when I was young and when you are young and you have a talent, a lot of people older than you want you to use it in order to help them. I'm talking about parents, relatives, and friends of the family. Anyway, I have messed up editing images many times and lost many hours trying to fix them. The information from class this week helped me polish the information I already know and it helped me discover some information I wasn't familiar with at all.

I learned when to use the different image formats. I also learned a little bit about digital cameras.
I can put this information to use in the classroom by becoming a little more creative with the worksheets I hand out in class. I definitely feel motivated to be creative by this information.

I'm also excited to start the desktop publishing assignment.

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned all about Web 2.0 and how saying "The world is flat" isn't necessarily crazy anymore. Web 2.0 is all about coming together on the web in order to create, brainstorm, edit, and do a massive number of other things. Through different sites and software we are able to communicate and function in an increasingly digitalized world.

I also learned that new technology is very user friendly. It's so user friendly that even teachers are finally coming around to the idea of regularly using it in the classroom. In the past technology could be clunky and difficult to use. Difficult to use technology does not get used in the classroom. The technology today is easier and much cheaper, which is appealing to teachers. Now teachers finally have a wide array of options instead of attempting to force the only option available to them.

Another good point is that students are very familiar with a lot of the newer technology. This saves a lot of time in the classroom. I can use this information in the future by researching technology online and figuring out which would be helpful to my students. This week I gained a lot of confidence and in turn I am more willing to explore and expand my classroom with the help of Web 2.0.

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned that there is a lot of overlapping in life, specifically in the area of teaching. Even though we may be certified in one, two, three or any number of areas, we are responsible for teaching much more than that. This came into play this week when we began learning about using Excel. The last time I used Excel was for a finite math class I had to take in order to apply to graduate school. I can honestly say I have no memory of what I had to do or how to do it. My brother helped me then, and he's going to help me now. As an accountant he uses Excel every single day. He can do some crazy things with little to no effort, and I want to learn how to do that.

This week I learned I can use Excel for keeping grades, lesson plans, and grading rubrics, but more importantly, my students can use it in the classroom. I specifically looked at how students can use spreadsheets to solve algebraic problems. At the prison a lot of my students require math credits. Most need algebra, so I find myself teaching the same concepts a number of different times. With spreadsheets students can put in formulas in order to quickly plug in different numbers to see the relationships between the numbers along with a better view of the mathematical concepts. I must begin to learn to love Excel. Right now I still fear it.

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned that the roles of teachers are changing in the classroom to suit the changing needs of their students. Some of these changes include using technology efficiently in order to help engage students who might otherwise lose interest and tune teachers out altogether. These new instances of technology in the classroom function as an important bridge between the classroom environment and what awaits the students in the 21st century world.

I am going to learn how to successfully use technology to engage my students at the prison. Right now they work on their courses in EdOptions. Most find it boring. Others say there is too much to read. I hope to find ways to make use of the six computers in the classroom. I am excited to learn everything I can.