What I've Learned

In EDM 310 we covered a wide range of material, from basic blogging to personal learning networks. I found the class to be overwhelming at first because of the amount of material that was going to be covered, but in the end I learned so much.

1. Google Docs- I learned about google docs which is something I never knew existed. I liked learing about this because it is easy to access and make documents.

2. Podcasts/vodcasts- I now know how to make a podcast and a vodcast. Also, I now acutally know what they are and how they are helpful. I will use podcasts to help teach. I would like to record podcasts of my lectures so my students can access them at any time.

3. Twitter- I learned that twitter can be used for educational purposes and not just to constantly tell people what you are doing. I have followed teachers on twitter and I have actually learned a lot from their tweets.

4. Personal Learning Network- I started making a PLN which is a network of people you contact via the internet. You can learn about topics and get new ideas from these people. PLNs can be very helpful for me when I start out my teaching career.

5. iTunes University- I never knew this existed! I think that this is very cool and a great teaching tool. I learned that I and my students have access to lectures from some of the top professors. Also, you can access podcasts on almost any topic.

6. ACESS- I learned all about this program, this was actually what my podcast was about. I learned that most high schools in Alabama are now using this. I feel that it is very beneficial to the students because they are able to access their class at any time. Also, they offer numerous AP courses which is great for our students who want a head start.

7. ALEX- I learned about this great site that offers different ideas for almost any subject. There are many different tabs on the site that will help you throughout your teaching career.

8. Excel- I FINALLY learned how to use excel. I have always been so confused about this program but now I can do formulas and even lay out a gradebook. This was my favorite part of the course.

I enjoyed learning the things I did in this class although, I would have liked to learn more about Microsoft Office programs. In addition, we learned briefly about Skype but I didnt get to see how it would be beneficial to me. I wish we would have actually used Skype in the classroom so we could have seen how it works. But since we did not and I still do not know how to use it, I probabley will not use it again.

This course did excite me. I was excited to record our podcast and to see how it all came together. It was exciting to me because it was something new and something that I had never done in another class before.

No I was never bored in this class. I actually never had a chance to be bored. I had to always pay close attention or I would have gotten lost on what we were doing.

Although the Excel part was my favorite I found it to be intellectually challenging. I felt this way because I had to remember the formulas and place everything in the right place. It became very tedious to click and drag and move things around on the spreadsheet.

The only thing I would delete or change in this course is Skype. It should either be deleted or used more in the course.

I feel that I am a technologically literate teacher at this moment. I feel that I am good at the programs and tools that I use. I plan to continue learning and getting better with them. I know that technology changes all the time therefore, I am going to be constantly changing and learning new things.

I will maintain my skills by continuing to use the tools and programs I learned from in this course. Also, I will take courses to better my understanding of new and upcoming technology throughout my teaching career.