Friday, July 6

Lots of great presentations today! I learned a lot in this class and hope to maintain my enthusiasm for implementing in the classroom.

Thursday, July 5

I worked very hard today to complete my presentation for the major project. I almost freaked out yesterday and changed my topic, because a fellow student had presented the same topic and had done a fabulous job. However, after talking to Dr. L., I decided to stick with my project topic of wikis. Lots of great information learned today, as always.

Tuesday, July 3

Today I dedicate my blog entry to my loving grandma who passed away this morning. She was an amazingly smart lady who dedicated her life to the education of our youth for 28 years. I loved her like a mother, but like a mother there were times when she and I fought like crazy. For the past 10 years, she battled Alzheimer's disease, so she's really been "gone" for quite some time. However, the shock of her passing is still huge; for hours now I've been flashing back to the moments of our life together...some good, some not so good. Technologically speaking, Grandma wasn't too advanced in relation to our current world. However, for her time, she was a true innovator. She used active learning, with her kids constantly engaged. She employed multiple techniques for making sure that all who were under her care were learning. She empowered her learners to extend beyond the classroom setting and look to the future. She would have embraced all the opportunities that Web 2.0 offer AFTER having thought about the possible uses very carefully. She was a true professional and I will miss her forever. So, to conclude this entry it's not really about computer lab time today, but it is about how important it is that we as educators devote ourselves to our students. They are our precious future and the reason we signed on to this career.

Monday, July 2

Today we shared our lesson plans; I learned about a cool app. called Starwalk. I plan to share that with my own children as they like to look at the stars. I also learned that a Glogster is a graphic blog where you can mix web, images, text, music, and video.

We spent a lot of time discussing technology planning and the importance of having acceptable use plans. We also talked about professional development for technology and the online opportunities that exist (SmartEd Services, Smart Exchange, Blackboard, Learn Central.)

I intend to get busy working on my wiki for the major project. I attempted to log in today to get started but became a little overwhelmed, so I need to get back to it later.

Overall, good day!