~Course Reflection~

At the beginning of the semester, I thought that I was coming into another computer class that was going to introduce a computer to us and show us how to use it. However, I was wrong and am very glad that this class was much more than that. During this semester, I learned about several new features and free software that I was unaware of before. I had never visited a blog before, so this was a very new experience for me. Blogging can have many benefits for a teacher. During this process, I actually found a blog that a kindergarten teacher had posted. In her blog she shares all her lesson plan and craft ideas. I really enjoyed reviewing that and time permitting, I would like to start something similar to hers when I become an experienced teacher. I also learned how to create a website. I definitely want to maintain a website when I have a classroom. Most people have access and prefer to communicate using computers, so I think this is a great way to reach out to several people and save time. I am also very glad that I learned about the free web tools. Creating rubrics, quizzes and worksheets on those websites was very easy and seems like it would also save a lot of time in the classroom. I wouldn’t really say that I really discovered any weaknesses when completing these assignments other than becoming frustrated with the computer at times.  Sometimes I tend to get in a little rush when using computers and I end up pressing the wrong button, clicking the wrong thing, or saving in the wrong folder. I think the only way to correct this would be to slow down a little and have more patience. I surely can’t be getting aggravated with my technology in front of my students. I plan on incorporating technology into my classroom. I want to teach kindergarten, and even though they may be little, they have a huge interest in computers. I am glad that I was introduced to the assistive technology that is available on the computer. I do need a little more practice changing the features because sooner or later, I will encounter a student that I need to make those adjustments for.  I also plan to use technology to communicate back and forth with parents. This class introduced me to a lot of other great resources that I will be able to use in my future classroom.