y.e.t.c.

The YETC is a Resource Center for the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. It has about 80 computers for students and staff to use, K-12 curriculum materials library, a NASA Resource Center as well as many collections of technology products. The YETC is a useful place for beginning teachers.

I hope to use many of the software programs we were shown such as Stellarium, "Phun", www.gutenberg.com (free books with out copyright), www.teachertube.com. All of these resources I felt were beneficial and something "extra" to have while teaching a subject. The ones I mentioned are just a few out of thousands that can be found on the internet or located in the YETC. I also liked the idea of the scanner. I could take old hard copies of lesson plans and such and make them PDF files. This could definitely help when space is always a problem in the classroom. I hope to use the YETC to make dvds of educational videos, to help me prepare myself for a technology portfolio and to start compiling materials that I hope will someday benefit me in my years of teaching.

Utah Education Network

The UEN website is a resourceful place for educators to go. Some things that I find useful are:

• Lesson Plan Tool: You can make lesson plans!
• Rubric Tool: You can easily make rubrics according to your requirements for the assignment
• Database of Articles (Online Library): You can easily research journals, newspapers etc. by databases provided on the website
• Storage: You can store documents that can be easily shared by students and parents.
• Core Curriculum: The Core Curriculum is provided online with also endless lesson plans that meet all the standards and objectives.
• Wimba Classroom: Allows for special visitors to visit the classroom through webcam rather than coming to the classroom.
  

All of these features are ones that I would use weekly to provide the best for my students. My favorite is the Wimba Clasroom. I think this tool could become very useful. It would provide my students with other opinions and to have a greater respect for knowledgeable people around the world. This would allow me to bring many visitors to the classroom with no financial means needed. I also like the online library. I would be able to find scholarly sources to read to my students and to keep me updated on new research. This website can become your best friend as a teacher, as long as you get to know it well.

blogging for success...

Technology is changing the world of education at a fast pace. Just since I was in elementary school the computer has become a necessity for classrooms and a must for teachers. Blogging is something new that has yet to hit all schools. I feel blogging is beneficial for me as a future teacher because it could save a lot of time. Instead of writing newsletters, I could blog about what is going on in the classroom, reminders for the next week, and fun activities to do with the children at home. It is what you make it. This would give parents a way to feel more involved in the classroom without actually being there. Communication with parents/guardians of the children in your classroom is key to success. Blogging motivates the children to write. We have to remember that the generations are changing and we need to keep up to date in order to prepare our students for what they need to know in the future!