Where We've Been

               Some of the hurdles of educational technology is simply the fact that it can be expensive. Some schools just can't afford to have new things that come out because there isn't extra money in the budget for that. There isn't a whole lot teachers can do about that. Another hurdle could be that new technology that comes out is confusing to learn. To solve that teachers can work together and gain a better understand of a new program or piece of technology in their classroom. Another hurdle would be that students might not always stay on task depending on what technology you are using. Teachers need to make sure they are watching over the students to make sure this doesn't happen. My personal way of dealing with these problems will be to always have a back up plan. You never know when something might break or malfunction and you won't always have the time to stop the class and fix it. I don't think that all of the learning should be technology based there needs to be other ways to for the students who learn differently. 

Pros and Cons of Microsoft and Google

        The Pros of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint was that they are both easy to navigate. I am more familiar with these. However over the past year or two I have been using Google Docs and Slides a little more for school. I found that the Microsoft programs it was easier for me to edit and format my pictures. In the Google programs I struggled to do so. A con for the Microsoft Programs is that it does kind of limit you on what sound you can put into your work, 

         The pros of Google Docs and Slides was that it saved while you were working. I really liked this feature just because it reassured me that my work was being saved if something were to happen. I also like all the options that Google has but they aren't always easy to find. Another pro is that it's easy to share things with others. It would be easy for my students to share assignments with Google easier than Microsoft would. One of the cons is how the toolbar at the top is hard to navigate. There were certain things from the assignments this week I couldn't find. 

         The only problem I ran into was that on Google Docs and Slides I couldn't find Smart Art and how to put sound in to my slides. Overall I struggled to navigate and work the Google programs because of how unfamiliar I am with them. 

          I would prefer to use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint over Google because I have been using it for years and know where a lot of the stuff is at on there and it is very easy to navigate. I feel like it would make more sense to use Google with my students just because of how easy it is for them to share the assignments. Also they won't have to worry about losing their work if they accidentally do something because it saves as they go. 

What to consider when you have students searching the internet?

             When I have students searching the Internet there are many things to go into consideration. First things first, for younger students I think it is important to go over some basic rules/tips to help them find the information easier. As a teacher you have to make sure they are comfortable completing the task you have assigned. Also as a teacher you have to consider what you are having the students search and what all is going to pop up with the search. If there are things you want them to avoid give them pointers to help them get to the answer faster. Overall it is most important that the students are comfortable and knowledgeable about what they are doing on the Internet. 

            I would present the Internet as a positive thing but explain the "scary" things that can happen. The Internet is a great tool and resource to find information out quickly. The Internet can also engaged to children in the topic they are learning about. However, I also think it is important to tell them about the negative things. For example some websites have adds or pop ups all over them and some websites are just not safe or appropriate for young students. As a precaution I would either give the students a list of safe websites they could go on for the information or have them ask me to check the website before going onto it. 

          There are many policies that schools have in place for the Internet to protect the students. One of them would be that on student accounts there are certain websites that are blocked to keep them from going onto them. Some schools have websites that are automatically save the each students account at the beginning of the year to use as a resource. My school had a plagiarism checker and a works cited resource automatically saved to each students account at the beginning of each school year. 

       One solution to help with this topic would be to make sure not all of your assignments given to children are not on the Internet. Every child learns differently so you need to teach in a variety of ways. Also you don't want them spending too much time on the Internet or technology in general. You want the students to be up and active when learning sometimes. 

How did you choose your blogging platform?

When deciding on what blogging platform you would like to choose there are many things that you should consider. One of them being how easy is it to navigate and understand that website. Another thing you would want to consider is can you design and personalize your blog to make it more of your style and what you like. I chose to use Blogger because it seems easy to navigate and it was very easy to set up. I also liked that I could personalize my profile design. 

This is my first experience with blogging and my initial impression of it was that I was a little hesitant about it and I didn't really know what to expect. I wasn't sure what I was getting into or if I was going to enjoy it. I think blogging can be a good thing for those who have stories to tell or want to voice their opinions. I have never been one of those people but now is the time to start. 

I believe that this blog will be beneficial in a few ways. One of which I think it will help with writing skills because I will have the practice writing the blog but also getting feedback from others. Another benefit is that blogging is a way of communication and voicing your opinions about topics you feel strongly in and being creative with your work and the design of your profile. I think this experience with blogging will be very beneficial.