How was socrative?

My experience using Socrative was very positive. I thought the software was very user-friendly and well-designed. I was able to create a 10-page quiz in about 15 minutes. I loved having the option to create a question that was either true or false, multiple choice, or short answer. I used a mixture of all three question styles on my quiz to provide variety. I also added pictures into my quiz. I thought that was a great feature. I could definitely see myself using this program in my classroom. Elementary schools usually only have 4 computers in each class so I could create a quiz as one of my "centers" during daily activities and have students rotate onto the computers to take the quiz. I think it puts a fun twist on quiz taking. I loved getting to watch the members in my group take my quiz, and see the immediate feedback. I then had the ability to export it into an Excel file, so I could save it to my computer with the information displayed nicely in a graph; it was very innovative. Aside from the standard quiz feature, there are three other programs available on this site; quick question, space race, and exit ticket. I picture these programs for an older classroom, probably college-aged, where students each have their own computer or phone to access the question from their desks. I am glad I got to become familiar with a tool that will be very useful throughout my teaching career.

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Classroom of the Future

There were many similarities in the technology presented in the "Classroom of the Future"  videos and the technology we use today in our classrooms of 2014. They used internet-based data to conduct their research for the paper they were writing. They also used video conferencing.

The two students used video conferencing to collaborate on the information they both found. They were each able to work from home and then video conference to discuss their findings. We are able to do this today through a video chat called, Skype. Skype is a very valuable resource for us today. It allows you to Skype people from anywhere in the world. They can simply be in another part of town, another part of the state, or even another country. I haven't had any teachers video chat with a student who wasn't in class like the teacher did in this video. But it would definitely be possible and a great way to include a student who couldn't make it to class. My mom uses video chat for work very often. They do video conference calls where each member of the conference call logs in via video chat, and they conduct the meeting that way. I think it allows people to feel more involved, rather than a conference call over the phone. They do a video chat because the people on the call all live in different states. My sister-in-law also uses this for her job, she does a lot of conference calls with people in China. It's very convenient and allows the meeting  to be more personal.

The videos showed Will doing his research on the Internet. I think this is how most students today also do their research. There are many databases on the Web for students to access and find information. Technology has really become a part of our education system today, as predicted in the videos. College courses, high school courses, and even middle school and elementary schools now use technology and computers in the classroom, which is much different then it was 20-25 years ago when the video was made. I though it was funny how at first Will wasn't sure about the technology and thought his Dad was lucky for not having it when he grew up. However after doing his research, he found the computer and way of gathering and sending information via the Internet was very valuable.

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Blowing up the grade book.

Here is the comment I posted on Professor Chris Haskell's you tube video,

"Blowing up the grade book."

I like a lot of the points and ideas made in this video. I do have a concern with home work and due dates. I am currently in Ed Tech 202, playing the 3D game lab quest, I am on week 2 and it takes a lot of focus and time management to prioritize this class above other things I have going on because there are no due dates. I just wonder how well younger kids will do this? Will  kids in high school or middle school make it a priority to keep up on their class? Or will they be waiting to the last minute to cram as much of it in as possible? If that's the case I can't imagine them retaining much of the knowledge. Just something to think about. Maybe deadlines should be put in place? But if a student doesn't hit them they don't instantly failed, it just gets brought to the teachers attention and the student should be talked to about it. I also like guidance from a teacher and one-on-one help, I feel like I lost that with an online class. If I'm at home working on an assignment and have no clue how to teach myself, it can be discouraging and I might move to something else I understand better..
The quest based class is great for many reason. It brings a fun new approach to learning. Especially in a society that is currently filled with technology. It also teaches students responsibility and independence.

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What about Schemas?

Schema is "a collection of experiences and knowledge about how to react, interpret, or operate in an environment" (Haskell, 11). A student develops how to act in a situation based on their passed experiences. Students develop a schema for how to behave in class, how to prepare for a test, how to write an essay, how to talk to adults, how to get home from school quickly, how to apply for a job, and everything in their world. The experiences they have influence the way they do things.

 Each student has different schema because they come from different backgrounds, home lives, and experiences. No student will have the same schema. Paying attention to a student's schema allows me, as the teacher, to adapt to a students learning needs and help them with whatever they need. Schema is constantly changing. New schema builds on old schema and changes how we think of situations. As we progress our schema progresses. Which shows how student's and all people in general are constantly learning. 

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A little bit about me!

C H E L S E A

I am 22 years old, born and raised here in Boise, Idaho. I have an amazing family, the two best-friends a girl could ask for, and a guy I am crazy about! They are my entire heart and I love them more than anything. I enjoy doing just about anything if it involves them. I love camping, going to concerts, going to the movies, hanging out on the patio in the summer, traveling whenever I can, and I don't mind shopping. I currently work at PF Changs while I finish school. I have two and a half more years at Boise State. Go Broncos! While I love college, I can't wait to be done and in my own classroom.

Becoming a Teacher.

I want to become a teacher and make a difference in kid's lives. I want to make school fun, fresh, exciting, and a place kid's love to be. I want to create an environment where kids feel comfortable and know they are set up for success. I want to teach them to read, write, add and subtract, multiply, tell time. I want them to learn it all and have fun while doing it! Learning can be a blast if it's done right! There are so many activities and lesson plans where kids can be creative and use their imagination while learning. I want to be a teacher kids look up to (even though they won't have to look up very far, I'm only 5 foot) and I want to help these student's become learning educated and successful people the best I can.
Why??

Teaching will be an awesome and very rewarding job, but it will also have many challenges. You are teaching 20-30 children how to read and write, the most important thing they will learn while in school. This is the foundation to their education, the back bone to everything else they will be learning. Teaching this is a challenge because in once classroom you will have 20-30 minds that all think differently and learn differently. It is crucial to adapt teaching styles and monitor students to make sure they are understanding what is being taught. It will be a challenge for sure, but in my opinion what is more rewarding then sharing the knowledge you have with children? I can't think of anything better!



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