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The Khan Academy seems to take technology integration to the next level with what they are doing, especially because their videos are actually freeing up time in the classroom so teachers can actually teach.
Technology integration is of an ever growing importance in the classroom in today’s society. Students are growing up with technological devices from early ages and by the time they reach the middle school grade, many have a better grasp on technology than the teacher. In order to gain the attention of young people of today in the classroom, the teacher needs to be aware of how important technology integration is today. Some ideas that I have for technology integration would be implementing the Khan Academy if appropriate. A Web Quest to get students familiar with using the internet for more than just social networking. One more idea would be to possibly have a URL on the board that takes the students to a biography page about the next author to be covered. Then have the students provide a URL they found on the author.
Reflection
The Tech Integration above was the first assignment for this class and really opened my eyes to what is out there in the field of technology, as well as how it being used to further education.
The definition of Technology Integration is:
Technology Integration is the use of technology tools in general content areas in education in order to allow students to apply computer and technology skills to learning and problem-solving.
I liked this project, as it made me realize that the old ways of putting up drawings on the chalk board are times past, and that now in order to catch the students’ attention you need to incorporate the technology resources at hand. It also taught me that using technology to aid students in learning has proven effective and is the new way of incorporating knowledge into the classroom through the use of technology.
There are various websites that can be found with the click of a button that have great lessons available online, with interactive learning games, as well as informative lectures from well known speakers. Using these websites in the classroom would help students gain knowledge from the source.

17.1 Apply technology to the delivery of standards-based instruction.
I have met this standard through the creation of the Smart Board presentation. This presentation touched on the CO Standards for Social Studies, as it was based on the structure of our Government. The use of Smart Board demonstrated my comprehension of how to use technology in the classroom.
7.2 Use technology to increase student achievement.
This standard has been met by my demonstrated ability to find knowledge based websites using Web 2.0. In doing this, I learned that through many of the resources in Web 2.0 students have showed marked improvement in their attitudes toward school and their grades.
7.3 Utilize technology to manage and communicate information.
In creating my Digital Story Telling piece I feel that this standard has been met. The Digital Story told how Gibson Les Paul’s are made, as well as incorporated music from famous Les Paul players. In doing this, I was able to tell the story in a visually and auditory pleasing way.
7.4 Apply technology to data-driven assessments of learning.
Through the creation of my own Webquest I met this standard, as I will be using a Webquest to assess knowledge of my students in future classrooms. A Webquest will demonstrate what the student understands or does not understand about the subject matter assigned.
7.5 Instruct students in basic technology skills.
The use of a podcast, and my demonstrated ability to create one, show that I have met this standard. Creating a podcast is not difficult yet is fun way to use technology to tell a story or similar.

Below is a link to a WebQuest on poetry. Check it out.
Poetry in Popular Culture and Everyday Life
Reflection
The above artifact is a Webquest. Here is the definition:
A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing. There are at least two levels of WebQuests that should be distinguished from one another.
While this assignment took quite a bit of time, I found it very fun and educational. I had no idea how easy it was to put one of these together, as well as how informative you can make the Webquest.
I would have students create a Webquest for specific genres of literature. They would design a Webquest with links to artifacts that were from the time period they were assigned.

Web 2.0 Essay
In this day and age, the use and comprehension of Web 2.0 is critical. I say this because unlike my generation, the students of today have been using the Internet since they could figure out how to say QWERTY. This means students that want fast access to technology and immediate satisfaction. Web 2.0 and its tools allow this to occur. From being able to manipulate social media pages to creating a website, the youth want to be able to do it and if the classroom is not providing some sort of technology integration in the form of Web 2.0 tools, the students will lose interest fast.
While it’s important to integrate Web 2.0 into the classroom, there needs to be some sort of direction. I don’t think there would be much learning if you told the class to pull up any site using Web 2.0 tools, without first identifying ones that will be beneficial to learning. In order to avoid a Facebook takeover by my future class, I have browsed the Web 2.0 tools site and found several that I found interesting for classroom use. Here are 5 of them.
Student Publishing allows your students to create a text, complete with their own illustrations, and have it put into paper or hardback format. This is a fun tool that allows the student to work on something educational without feeling like they are working on some boring project. There is no doubt this will be used in my Secondary English classroom, as it gets students thinking creatively, but at the same time paying attention to grammar, spelling and the important aspects of writing. One way I plan on using this in the class would be a book that students work on, somehow tied into a genre about which we have learned, throughout the school year. Near the end of the year, the books will be proofread and then submitted for publication. The students will receive their book when school lets out for summer.
Reflection
The artifact above is an essay on Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is a great Internet resource for students and teachers alike, of which I had no knowledge before this assignment. Up until this essay, I was using the Internet for used guitar sales, news, email, and schoolwork. Knowing about Web 2.0 and what it can do for the classroom is a great new resource to have for myself and any future teacher.
I found this project to be informative and enlightening about what resources are available, for free, online. It gave me renewed hope that not all my teaching ideas and resources have to come from me and school copy machine.
The website mentioned in my essay, Student Publishing, is one way I plan on incorporating Web 2.0 in the classroom, among many more to come.

I see the design as being positive for this image, as it is conveying the intended message to the person viewing it. The use of repetitive boxes with consumption facts aided in making this appealing and created the feeling in me that the next box held even more pertinent information. The colors were smooth and did not distract me from the text in the boxes and I feel that this was intentional on the parts of those who created the image. Overall, I feel that this image is showing us how much protein based fast-food Americans eat and if you think about the repercussions of over consumption, obesity being one of them, this image may also be calling out America on its obesity problem.
This image was pretty well done and I don’t know of any place where I would make changes. I would however consider adding another image/chart showing the growing rate of obesity in American since the incarnation of fast-food. That could be a very interesting side by side comparison to show. Other than that, I feel that this image did a good job of conveying a message to the viewer.
Reflection
Visual Literacy is very good way to convey messages via the use of images, colors and various messages inserted within.
The definition is:
the ability to recognize and understand ideas conveyed through visible actions or images (as pictures)
This was an informative project and showed me some ways that you can use imagery and the likes to convey ideas. While this idea is nothing that new to me, it was interesting to learn about the thought process that goes into creating these images.
Using Visual Literacy in the classroom could be a fun way to have students decipher messages in the images, colors, and text. It would help students analytical and comprehension skills.

The Khan Academy seems to take technology integration to the next level with what they are doing, especially because their videos are actually freeing up time in the classroom so teachers can actually teach.
Technology integration is of an ever growing importance in the classroom in today’s society. Students are growing up with technological devices from early ages and by the time they reach the middle school grade, many have a better grasp on technology than the teacher. In order to gain the attention of young people of today in the classroom, the teacher needs to be aware of how important technology integration is today. Some ideas that I have for technology integration would be implementing the Khan Academy if appropriate. A Web Quest to get students familiar with using the internet for more than just social networking. One more idea would be to possibly have a URL on the board that takes the students to a biography page about the next author to be covered. Then have the students provide a URL they found on the author.
Reflection
The Tech Integration above was the first assignment for this class and really opened my eyes to what is out there in the field of technology, as well as how it being used to further education.
The definition of Technology Integration is:
Technology Integration is the use of technology tools in general content areas in education in order to allow students to apply computer and technology skills to learning and problem-solving.
I liked this project, as it made me realize that the old ways of putting up drawings on the chalk board are times past, and that now in order to catch the students’ attention you need to incorporate the technology resources at hand. It also taught me that using technology to aid students in learning has proven effective and is the new way of incorporating knowledge into the classroom through the use of technology.
There are various websites that can be found with the click of a button that have great lessons available online, with interactive learning games, as well as informative lectures from well known speakers. Using these websites in the classroom would help students gain knowledge from the source.

Reflection
The below link will open up a Smart Board presentation that I completed with the aid of 3 other group members. We all contributed to the project and I was responsible for slides 10-16.
Smart Boards are basically interactive chalkboards, but don't let the layman explain what it does, here is the definition:

Reflection
Below on this page you will find a podcast that I created using a few simple, free applications.
You may be asking yourself “what is a podcast,” so here is the definition:

Reflection
Here is an example of Digital Storytelling that I created. This one is dealing with the history of the Les Paul guitar, but a Digital Story can be about anything.
Here is the definition: