Link to Wiki

Wiki Experience

Ok...this assignment just made me feel really dumb. I watched the video and seemed so easy and then I signed up and that is where I started to get confused. I understand the general application and the potential use in the classroom but it is not user friendly. There are too many ways to go and it seems to try too hard. I think it would take me along to get used to this interface but it is not straight forward. I do believe sometimes there are too many options for technology platforms and coupled with the fact that I am unfamiliar and I do not have the time to become familiar with it on my own. I wish they had an example in this course. Just a suggestion.

Link to Wiki

PLN Experience.

Do you think it is important for teachers to have a PLN? I think, as usual, it depends on the teacher and the grade level they are teaching. I am not that comfortable with using something like feedly and plus sometimes it is so difficult to keep up with all the social media web applications like: twitter, facebook, Blogger, Glogster...etc...I personally do not have the time. I pick and choose the ones that give me the biggest bang for my buck.

Google Drive Experience

Google Drive is a great tool for the classroom and it is very easy to use for myself and students. Students are able to share their presentations to one location and I am able to help them on their projects in real time. I will continue to use Google Drive in the future.

Link Google Drive Presentation - San Jacinto

Social Bookmarking

I really enjoyed learning about Social Bookmarking sites like Pinterest. I think it will be extremely useful as a teacher in organizing websites are beneficial for teaching. I also thought this article was great: Ten Reasons You Should Use Social Bookmarking 1. Save any site you find using multiple computers (home and school) to one resource. 2. Access your bookmarks anywhere you have web access. 3. Continue to access your bookmarks even when your computer crashes or you get a new computer. 4. Share web sites with your students or peers. 5. Search your bookmarks by keywords and tags. 6. Use related tags to narrow or extend your searches. 7. Display your saved web site links by category. 8. Learn about new sites from your other users. 9. Subscribe to other users’ bookmarks. 10. Check out recently posted and popular sites. Adapted from the document 'Simply Delicious' by David Muir It was straight and to the point. I do think their a lot of options when it comes to using technology and find the ones you like and focusing on those is the best strategy, as opposed to trying to use them all.


Pinterest Account Link

Glogster Experience

I found using Glogster as very cumbersome and difficult to use at first. It took some getting used to before I felt I could use this all the time. I believe it would be very difficult for me to teach someone use this until I became more proficient. I also found to trying to size the Glogster properly on my blog difficult as well because there was choice to scale the embed code.

Glogster Poster

Battle of San Jacinto

I have really enjoyed teaching Texas History this year. As a first year teacher, I have learned many things about teaching, student personality and various other areas related to education. However, the single most important thing I have learned is how teaching really is the best way  to learn. I have learned more this year about Texas History because of my desire to give the best I can to the students I teach.

The love learning has also inspired me to take a trip this summer to the more important places in Texas that involve Texas History. One of these places is the San Jacinto Monument and the birthplace of Texas. I am hoping to go this historical site this summer.