Module 5

Another module finished. This one I don't really have to much to say about. I know photoshop pretty well so it seemed pretty easy for me. I learned more about photoshop in general and some of the tools that I had not used before. The pen tool was more difficult to work with than I expected as well as tools like the magic wand. Overall though I just practiced skills that I have used previously. I feel as a learner I am at a 9. I could have put more effort into my video project on this one. It is just hard to arrange people to meet and actually film it. Other than that I feel confident in what I did.

Module 4 Reflection

I learned some new things using this module. I created some cool final products which I am satisfied with. I felt a little overwhelmed because there is a lot to the module but I am glad I got it done. I learned skills in design that I did not know before. My favorite one that I learned was the creating a gradient scheme. I like it because it gives more dimension to your product and its fun to work with. You can choose your own colors and mix them together. It's important to learn these new tools because they can be something that improves what I already know. I am always going to be learning new things and the best way to do that is have an open mind. I will use these tools to further creating professional projects. I give myself a 9 on this module as well. I put time into actually doing the assignments. I am really proud of the outcome and I did them way before the time that was required.

Module 3 Relfection

Hmmmmmmmmmm what to say..... In the process of finishing up module 3 and I am not really happy with it. I like what I have been doing on my dreamweaver website and really look how that is. I like the tutorials that are being done because I am learning some pretty cool things. I am not excited about the activities though. I don't understand really how to do them. Both books don't really explain them and there is no final product so it is fun to work with. So I learned that I really need to look at the material I am teaching and making sure students are understanding it and being able to complete it. This is important because I am there for the students and not myself. So I need to examine the material that I am providing and see if it fits well. If I am doing a selling project I need to make sure I am showing what a sample final project should look like. I give myself a 9. I really felt that I put a lot of effort into this module I am just getting stopped by a couple of the activities.

Module 2 Reflection

Another module down and frustration to follow. I really found it frustrating during the activity there wasn't really any final images so you did not know if you were doing it right. I did learn some new things that were nice mainly to do with the anchors in the dream weaver program. I felt that a couple of the activities for the module did not benefit me. I felt that I just did them and didn't really take much from them. I did learn though how to use the dream weaver and in design program more. It is important that I learned this because I am getting more diverse in the information I know. I guess I am also getting more comfortable using in-design as well. This is good because maybe where I am teaching will use that as a program instead of what I am used to using. I knew before how to use layers but I will continue to use them. I like using them when making an ad or a picture. It makes the picture look more appealing. I will also use anchors in the dream weaver program. I really learned to like them and think they are great to have for a website. I am doing probably around a 6 or 7 for learning. I am frustrated which makes me want to use a little less effort which is affecting my performance. I need to just get over the frustration and move on to making a better student of myself.

Module 1 Reflection

A new semester has become and the overwhelming feeling has started. A new semester learning about different computer programs that will aid in my profession. I learned once again that I did not know as much as I thought. I used these programs in high school and was comfortable coming into the class but was taken back when I did the first assignment. I did learn though its good to be diverse in programs. Not just getting so used to one program that I am unable to use others. It is important to learn this so that I continually step back and look at a bigger picture of what I can do and how I can do it. I also learned about the in-design program in general. I have used it before but am not comfortable with it at all. I learned how to create a table which normally does not take much effort at all but in a new program it took me a long time. Now that I know though I can take less time doing it next time. I feel like as a learner I am a 7. I need to put more time into making sure I am prepared for what task is ahead of me. I will take time to look over things and read things prior and make sure I have both books when I try to do the assignments. Wow a lot to take in but its a good first module and I am excited to start the next module with better success.

Final Blog Reflection!

For every class we enter there is always expectations and hesitations about what we are going to learn and how we go about it. I was actually kind of confident coming into this class because I feel like I knew a lot about computer programs and how to use them. After a semester of this class I can say that I really did not know much but now am fully equipped with so much more knowledge that i can personally use and share with others. There was a lot that I took from the class but there were three that stood out to me.

One of the things I took out of it was about becoming a teaching professional. Hearing the feedback after our first demo really just stood out to me and gave me confidence as well as advice to become better. It gave me such a confidence to hear that I have what it takes to be a teacher and that others can see it by my actions and not just my words. I know that in the future I am not going to always feedback and advice but if I get it know it can help me in the future. It also helps me realize that giving the same feedback to my students could be beneficial to them.

Another thing I took from the class was learning strategies. The first blogged we talked about the 4 we use and why we use them. Once we figured that out being asked to find some new ones was an interesting idea. I found 4 that i thought would work and that I have not really used or even heard of for the most part. While I was reflecting on using them i realized that I use so many more learning strategies then I thought. To be aware of other strategies though is really beneficial. By knowing so many i can apply the one that best fits to the situation at hand. The idea of learning strategy will also be something that I carry into teaching. Not all of my students will have the same learning strategy so being able to use many will be a positive note for my classroom. I think that I would actually use the idea of having my students reflect on their own learning strategies so they can realize what works best from them.

The last thing I took from the class that stood out was breaking the comfort of computer programs. Sometimes in life we get so stuck in a comfort zone that satisfies all our needs that we have no desire to step out and learn something new. Using the access program really has shown me why its important to use other programs than the normal ones. I am comfortable with excel and all of the functions of it but using access i see that I can do so much more but I have to put in the time and effort it takes to learn something new and apply it. I really didn't want to learn a new program but after doing all the teaching demos, assessments and just reflection i learned that it was very beneficial to step out.

I overall did grow throughout this course. I took steps at becoming a better teacher and a better student all in one semester. I'm so excited to move on with the information I learned in this course and apply it to my future as well as helping others apply it to theirs!

Module 7 Reflection

During this module I was suppose to use two more learning strategies that I have not in the past but that may help me in the future. The first strategy was survey and the second was fishbowl.In survey you basically want to either in written form or verbally ask questions of others to gain more insight on a topic.



For survey I actually used it but more in a verbal form. I used the idea of surveys in our teaching demos. Before starting we chose to ask questions of the others in the room to see what they thought was and such. By having many share what they thought more ideas were put on the table which in return helped understand what we were teaching on more. I like the idea of using this learning strategy but at the same time I think that I would lean more to using it in a verbal way. If it was a paper survey it would take longer, and the results would have to be collected and it may be harder to get others to participate. I like the idea of using it in the classroom though because even though one student may understand by what I am saying doesn't mean all of them will. By having a survey method of different people in class it gives the opportunity for everyone to understand. I just think to use them better to continue to use them and not shy away. Sometimes I think that a teacher is suppose to teach everything but that is not the truth. The students have valuable knowledge that will help others and using surveys could help.

The second strategy I used was fishbowl. Fishbowl is where others share ideas and talk but while they are talking others are there to listen and not say anything. I used this in a couple of my classes. One of them was my biology class. Our group or the "fishbowl" was giving information on a product that we created. Others that were in the audience just had to listen to the ideas and explanations but not have a response. Eventually we got to present things and then others got to respond at their own will. I REALLY like this strategy. I like the idea of having a group of "experts" that present information and that others have to listen without interrupting. I really think that I will be using this in my own classroom just because I think it is very beneficial. Next time to make it better it might be easier to have smaller groups. When there is so many asking the "fishbowl" it can get a little overwhelming.

Access Demo

Today I learned about creating relationships in Microsoft access. I learned that relationships can help link tables so that data is all available to be seen easily instead of looking through many tables. It also makes sure that any information that is duplicate is not shown which prevent confusion. Its a great asset to the database tools that I could use in the future.

Module 6 Reflection

With out even realizing I used 2 of my personal learning strategies. I know I had said in my last blog that I thought I narrowed down what I use and usually tend to stick to them but maybe I use more than I think and just don't realize it.

The first one that I used was surveys. For my business management class I had to take a survey of those who have worked with me in a group here on campus or my bosses and or co-workers. I asked them questions about what I am doing well and what I should improve on. Before realizing it I thought that surveys were a hard from of learning strategy. I thought this because I remember being in high school and trying to get people to take a survey and it was a "pain". I still had this mind set but I have realized not everyone thinks that way. I think that this is a good learning strategy but it should be incorporated with others so that students don't get bored. I do think its effective though because the more view points you get the better chance you have to understand information. I think I might use this when it comes to decisions when I get farther in my program. For example I could survey different high school teachers or professors to see what type of teaching style they use. I know that it depends on the person themselves what works best but it could be an idea which ones they find more helpful and provide the best opportunity for their students.

The other strategy that I have used since my blog is role playing. I did this for the excel teaching assessment. I was put into the role of being a teacher and actually really enjoyed it. It was very nice to have a person working with me that has had more experience than I have because it shows me ways that I can improve just by watching. It is also nice because I can rely on her and we worked together well. Being the teacher though showed me a glimpse of what it will feel like when I actually get my own classroom. I can do it and being able to do it now helps me see that for the future and builds my confidence. I know that I will not get someone to show me the areas I need to improve on but it was defiently a great learning experience. I really like this strategy and hope to use it in someway in the future. I could use it as the same idea when i become a teacher. I could have a student put in the role of teacher if that is a career path they are looking at pursuing. Another way would be to have students be put into roles as business people. It would give them a a real life situation to be part of.

Module 5

I think that when it comes to personal learning strategies I don't just use one but use multiple depending on what task is at hand. I think that I am very much a visual learner most the time. When I can see the process being done I feel like I can retain the information better. Also when doing projects and such when I can visualize it in the process of completing it, it helps me see what I still need to include and do. I think that another way I learn is through taking notes in lecture and having open class discussions. When a teacher talks and then asks the students what their take is and how they understand it, it helps me grasp what others take it as because I may not always be right. I feel like use these because that is what I have adapted to over the years. When I try to learn from reading I have a hard time comprehending in a short time. So I tend to avoid doing it this way just because its harder. If I take my own notes I can read them on my own time frame and read them out loud for me to understand. I think I am also a visual learner and use it because I am hands on and like to work for a finish product I can see and am proud of. I learned these strategies on my own as well as what was taught in my high school. I took a lot of hands on courses that required a visual perception. This is where I picked this up. I also took classes that focused on reading and analyzing but I had a lot of issues with this so I worked with what I could but then chose other ways that I could understand them better.

I looked up some other learning stategies just to see what else I could be using. I didn't know that question and answer was a form of learning strategy. I could use this method inside or outside of class. I could either use it during studying with a peers for tests and quizzes. I could use it in class as well to gain knowledge that I may not have had before.

Another method that I found was role playing. Its a method that does not get used very often. I feel though that it could be a powerful way of learning. If I was actually put into the sitatution of being the role im learning about it I could experience it at a greater affect.

Surveys are also another learning strategy. I feel that it is not as strong but it could be another effective measure that I could use. By surveying I could gain insight from others that is different than mine. It may help me something in a different perspective.

Another one that I thought was pretty cool was the fish bowl learning stategy. It helps people learn to listen from a large group of people. It incorporates many and can produce strong results

Module 4

This was an intersting module. I think I found it more frustrating because I didnt have any prior knowledge with the material. I think it made it more challenging though and i learned a lot about a program that I didn't know before. I like a lot of the things it has to offer but I would need to spend more time in order to use it on a regular basis.

Module 2 Reflection

hmmmm..... I completed another module. I am starting to get really overwhelmed with snap. I think that having assessments, performance exams, and concept exams is a lot. I feel like I'm not learning about the program because I'm focusing on just trying to get them done. This is frustrating but another one down.

Module 1 reflection

Oh boy it has been a learning experience with the snap program. I have learned a lot though with the program. I have learned so many new things that I didnt know how before. I am still NOT liking the performance examins yet but I am starting to see that that will be the same for students in my classroom. They may get frustrated and not want to do it but I just have to remember to keep them positive and show them everything isnt always simple but takes time and percision. Overall I am learning just a tad frustrated :)

First Week Thoughts!

First week of class done. Truthfully after going over kind of what we will be doing for the semester it seems a little over whelming. Seems like a lot of things to learn. Even going through set up of outlook was a little confusing. I have high hopes though that I will take a lot from this class and it will relate to my major in the future!