Blog #4

Q:Reflect on how you would use both Concept Mapping (Inspiration, Kidspiration) and an Interactive Whiteboard (SMARTBoard) in your content area (s) with the level of students you plan on teaching. In your blog cite specific examples of how you would use both technologies as well as the advantages each offers.

A: I am planning on teaching K-3, there are a lot of choices for fun activities that are still educational. I like the idea of doing matching games. For example using English vocabaulary words; matching nouns and pronouns. Another good way to use the smartboard is to use competitive games;an example is math. When we did our class activity on playing internet games, they have on the PBS website a math game that was a race and it was using math problems to get the rabbit to move ahead. I though that game was educational but competitive. You can also you the smartboard for simple fun things such as making things for the holidays; a snowman or pumpkins. By using the kidspiration you can make fun activites for the children to use on the smartboard. When we did our presentations in class, there were a lot of ideas that I would not have thought of. When i think of the smartboard i think of interactive fun.

Blog #3

Q: Reflect on why students should use Databases and Spreadsheets in the classroom. In doing so, focus on your content area and the specific advantages and disadvantages of integrating this software in your future classroom.

A: I think that databases and spreadsheets are useful to help kids understand different ways at looking at things. Since I am going to be teaching K-3 the type of graphs and databases are more simple compared to students that are in middle to high school. My concentration area is going to be language arts and with language arts you can do a lot of different databases and spreadsheets with characters in books and the common characteristics. Another use for the whole classroom would be common things with the students; such as birthdays, holidays and favorite snacks. Some disadvantages could be that some students may not understand the basics of how the spreadsheet works. With the students that are not familiar with the spreadsheet and databases, it is a great learning opportunity to learn. You can start out with simple things with children in the first grade, but by third grade the students should be able to make and fully understand how to use spreadsheets and databases. By children using the databases and spreadsheets at a young age, it helps prepare children for other grades and eventually the work field. Technology is in every day life, the younger you can learn the better you will be able to work with it.