Social bookmarking is a great way to get all your information organized. Teachers are able to post the reading assignments in a specific location, just as was done for this class on Diigo. this allows the students to access the required assignments, while incorporating technology in the classroom. I have not really thought of using this yet because I figured it was too much work. Since I have now done this for this class, it was quite simple and didn't take much time at all. This will help me to be more organized with the sites I visit frequently.
My list is at diigo-http://www.diigo.com/user/jen726.
The possibilities are endless for using excel in the classroom. I would use it to help students track the weather (temperature, rainfall, snowfall etc.). Have students create a spreadsheet to track there grades on their own. Excel can also be used to create timelines for various topics. It can also be used to track the student's favorite baseball teams batting averages in math class. They can also use excel to start a budget for their money.
There are many other ways to use this and, I believe, once I'm actually in the classroom, I will use them.

Google Apps

I have not used any Google apps as a student as they were not really around when I went to college for my BA. Now that I'm back in grad school, the idea of being able to work on a group prokect around everyone's schedule is great. I also like the google calendar. I need all the organization and scheduling I can get! As I'm about to explain the lesson plans I chose, I would definitly use Google calendar in the classroom to explain telling time further. Google earth and maps would be useful to show various locations being discussed. In my opinion, this would be more interesting to the student rather than simply looking at a paper map. I'm sure there are plenty more ideas that will come to me as I further educate myself with these apps.

The first lesson plan I chose was Telling Time and Google Calendar. It is a math lesson for K-3. This teaches time to student in a different way other than loking at a clock. It has them look at blocks of time, like if class starts at 10:00 and lasts 45 minutes, what time will it be done? It also has them plan out their schedule for the perfect Saturday. I think this plan is great because the student not only is learning about time but also about scheduling and planning.
The second lesson plan I chose is Historical Novel. This is for 4th-6th Social Studies and language Arts collaboration. It can also be used for 7th-9th graders. The students read a hisorical novel from a particular time in history they are studying. They discuss the meaning and main ideas of the book. Students use such things as Google Docs (word processing, presentation, forms), Google Blogger, Google Earth/Google Maps and Google Book Search/Book List. This can be solo or partner work. Both these lessons plans are great to keep the student actively involved in the material, while also utilizing the technology that the student already enjoys.

Week 2 Readings Blog

While I have not used all of the new R/W tools, I have heard of them. I think that these tools are very useful to incorporate in the classroom with the Net Generation. These kids already use most of these tools. In my opinion, using them as part of the classroom will only increase their willingness to learn. Google docs is a program similar to Microsoft Word, except that it can be accessed from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. I have not used Google docs yet but there are several apps for the iPhone that allow the user to view, edit, and share docs, so I may check this out in the near future.

Chapter 5 in the textbook was again an article that I would disagree with. This could be because it is a few years old. I am a Gen X adult. I use technology as much as the Net Geners. It annoys me when a company doesn’t have a website or doesn’t have live chat help. The only time I use my iPhone as a phone is to talk to my parents. I think that generations before the Net Geners have a choice to follow the technology advances or be left in the dust. I choose to follow. I cannot speak about the entire Net Generation; I can only speak about my cousins, who are 12-20. All of these kids are self-centered. They only care about things that will benefit them. Several had to do community service in their Florida high school and they said that they felt like they were being punished. They did not like being forced to do this. I say all of this because like these particular kids are not like the description in this chapter, not all older generations are against the advances in technology and the benefits of using it.

In chapter 6, they described Gen X as having the penchant, “Get to the point” and “move on with it”. That is so me. Otherwise, Chapter 6 continued on the information that we have already read. One difference I did notice is that the author pointed out that Gen X prefers working independently. I am this way, mainly because I want my performance to be solely dependent on me, not someone else who may not have the same motivation as me.

Overall, what has remained constant throughout all of our readings is that, as a future teacher, I must create new methods then what has previously been used in my learning classroom. Bob Dylan wrote “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. This was true in the 60’s when he wrote it. It still is true, maybe ever more so now. If we as educators (current and future) do not adapt to this, we may lose this generation and future ones to come.

Week 1 Readings Blog

Both the Net Gen and Digital Natives articles were interesting. I am a Gen X adult. I did not have any cool toys in the classroom growing up, unless you count the overhead projector. It wasn’t until my high school and college years that computers became part of learning. I must, however, disagree with some of the assumptions of the articles. Although I am in my 30s, I feel that my way of learning is very much like the Net Gens. I have the tv on, just responded to a text, and have my music playing on my laptop, while I’m writing this blog. I too need to multitask in order to stay focused. It always frustrated me that I could remember lyrics or movie lines almost instantly but struggled to learn and memorize the various tasks that teachers required. The Net Gen is no different. The main difference is that people are recognizing now that these kids need to be taught different. I was still stuck with the same old ways of teaching that was used on my parents. Everything has been advancing in our world; everything but our teaching methods. The Net Gen has finally forced everyone else not caught up to pay attention to the changes.
I understand most of what the Net Gens are about. I completely understand and agree with the learning process that these kids want and need. I, however, am still a believer in privacy. The Twitter/myspace craze is not my thing. In these articles, it explained that these kids view these public posting as private conversations that they would have with someone face to face.
I am excited to think about the endless possibilities of creating new ways to teach this and future generations.

1st Blog

In 1st ed. tech class-creating blog.