Reflection #11

I have recently seen the movie Avitar. This movie is crazy when it comes to technology. I do not even want to get into the fact that they create alien looking people. My main focus is the actual computer technology they use in the movie. The computer screens are flat and clear basically. You can grab one thing off of a computer and pull it to the computer screen in your hand without having the computers even connected. Everything is done by touch, there is not a mouse or a key board to do typing or navigation. (Many things are now coming out as a touch screen and this is a new advancment. The i-pad for instance). It makes me wonder if technology can actually come up with these types of things. I would not want to say it is impossible, but in my head it just seems like it would be. However, I would not be too surprised if in the future computers just needed to be near enough to each other to send and recieve information instead of hooked up or emailed from one to the other. I can only imagine what this kind of technology would do in schools and the world in general. They joke about robots doing the "undesired" jobs or easy jobs, but it makes you wonder if the time of "The Jetsons" is in our grasp.

Reflection # 10

Netflix. I am sure everyone knows about Netflix. It is the movie service that is delivered to your door, for cheap. Well as if that was not enough, there is now Netflix you can order on your TV. I never knew about this. I do not know if it is new or years old and I am just discovering it, but either way it is incredible. The family I nanny for has this luxury. Basically they call, or order it online to be sent to their TV. They then have a remote that has an option for Netflix that they click. All the movies they have ordered or wish to view are right there on the TV. They have to do nothing! The only down fall to this is that it take about 3 to 5 minutes to recieve each time you watch the movie. But serioulsy? Who can't wait 3 to 5 minutes for a movie that they should have had to get at a store!? It is just crazy to me that we can now send a movie via TV to someones house. Yes, you have to have an account and the right technology inorder for this to work, but I am assuming that future TV's will have it programmed in without even needing to ask for it.

Reflection #9

I was shocked after learning so much about the different tools in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I have used these programs for as long as I can remember. There were so many new things that I had no idea existed. I know that some features are new with the 2007 word, but it was not all new. Some of these tools have been a part of the programs for years. It was surprising to me how many new tools I learned about. I think that sometimes I just get comfortable with what I already know and it seems easier to me, so instead of branching out and trying a new 'tool' or whatever, I stick with what I know, and apparently I miss out. There were so many tools that would make my life easier when using these programs. Maybe this will teach me to explore a little more.

Technology and the Future

Technology and Education: What Will the Future Bring?

This article was very interesting. It talked about how technology production is going to continue to increase (estimated that the processing speed and power will double every 18 months), and the prices will continue to decrease at rate of 35% a year. So, not only is technology going to keep getting better and better, but it is also going to be more affordable. Expense will no longer be an excuse as to why a school has not Incorporated some of the newest technology. This article also talked about teachers/principles/parents who believe that technology is just a fad right now and it will pass. They believe that children really only need the basics. This is not true, and this article talks about how untrue this thought is. So much of our world is based around technology that if students don't start learning it at a young age they are going to be lost when they get older. For example, I have never used a SmartBoard before this class, I have seen and heard about them, but that is it. If I had grown up using one I would be great with it. I would know all the techniques and short cuts, all the methods and tools. I would know everything about it and I would have just discovered this through use. However, now I have to learn it and it is confusing. I am not used to it and it is a whole new 'concept' to me. Technology is not a fad, it is not going to run its coarse and go away and schools need to accept this and integrate technology to better their students' education. After all, it is about the students, not the educators.

Reflection #8

For last weeks blog I watched a video on apps. Now, I know we have learned about a ton of different apps this semester, and I have been surprised to see how many apps I never even knew existed. However, after watching this session, I was amazed to learn about how many apps I have never heard of or seen before. I have no idea where they come from, or who makes them. Although I have not used all or many of these apps, I feel like they are all so very helpful. I have wondered, with how good our technology is, why these apps are so unknown. Maybe it is just because I don't play around too often or look. I just go straight to what I already know and I don't branch out very often. I think I just get comfortable with what I already know and don't want to waste the time to learn something knew. But, after seeing this session and how easy and helpful these apps are I think I will be much more willing to give these apps a shot. I mean, they are simple and seem like they would make life so much easier.

Week 13

Word
Spell Check
Tables
Clip Art
Borders
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Copy and Paste
Paragraph settings
Font settings
Excel
Grids
Tables
Business-if you know the codes it will add/mult/find % for you
PowerPoint
Clip Art
Back Grounds
Font settings
Slide Choices
Insert items
Copy and Paste


3 Projects for Students
1. PowerPoint Presentation
2. Make a grid on Excel, inputting data (this way they learn to use the codes)
3. Write a story in Word and use pictures

Online Learning Experience

The Wizard of Apps

I visited the Wizard of Apps session. Basically this session talked about tons and tons of different apps you can use on the computer for various different things. It talked about different apps for research, for checking reliability of research, enhancing drawings/visual presentations, and ways to practice presenting a presentation, with an "audience" even when you do not really have people watching you. They made the video a little more interesting because they used the Wizard of Oz theme and it just livened the presentation up a little bit. I had looked at a few for a few seconds before watching this, but some where rather boring. I think this session is very helpful and I can see myself going back and using it/watching it again to get new app ideas. There were so many that were named, that I had never heard of before. I have learned of many just in this class that I have never heard of before, but this session gave even more. With all these different apps, it seems like any presentation I have to do would be so much easier if I used some of the apps to complete my presentation. I think this session is worth watching and I found it very helpful and insightful.