Chapter 3

Word Processing is amazing to me. I think back to the days when I was in high school and really the only thing I was doing in terms of word processing was sitting down at a typewriter. I remember thinking how cool it was when we got a computer when I was a senior in high school and that poor computer must have taken up half a room and done little more than the type writer did, but what excitement. I think I get a little overwhelmed now with the vast number of things that can be done with computers in general, but this chapter and the things we learned in class about word processing were such an eye opener to me. I am excited to continue to learn and teach my students the ways writing will be available to them.
I think my son might have an easier time writing using the computer instead of pencil and paper sometimes. The process of writing and erasing over and over is very daunting to him at times. I still think there is great beauty in using paper and pen, but I wonder if I am old fashioned? I wonder if that is simply because this helps my processing and I should rethink this for my students. It is certainly something I need to consider and look at more closely........investigate, and perhaps experiment a little with.

Chapter 2A Reflection

To be quite honest I felt a little lost in this chapter. I understand the idea of composing things on the web, or at least I understand the possibilities, but I wonder how on earth this will become clearer to me. After watching the movie, I became even more overwhelmed. I have always just looked at these things and thought how cool they were but that is where it stopped. I never thought about the specifics and certainly never thought in terms of myself as a creator. Yikes, I find it sort of overwhelming. I've only done one PowerPoint.......ever, and even the idea of creating another gets me a little stressed (although with mine taking form it is not as bad as I make it out to be). I hope to feel less overwhelmed with the wonderful ideas in this chapter within the next few weeks.

Chapter 10 Reflection

I so enjoyed so many of the ideas in this chapter. I looked and searched and got so many wonderful ideas about keeping students, parents and administration involved and knowledgeable about my classroom and what goes will go on in it. I really had no idea of how many technology resources there are out there. I guess I thought there were computers and it stopped there.
I went home and had a field trip around the world with my children on Google Earth and I am not sure who was more excited them or me? I think of all the incredible things that can be done with the click of the mouse. I can show them what the Eiffel Tower looks like, but somehow it makes more of an impact by flying them over the ocean and zooming in to Paris.
The idea of possibly being able to teach a lesson in my class and have another class see it, or see a great lesson another teacher does all through technology is an idea that really intrigues me. I often think that there are so many great ideas that other teachers have, but no good way to share the ideas with students. Now I see how this could be done, not only in the same school, but possibly across the ocean. Wow!!!