Talk

toc

This page will function as the main communication tool for the 301 and 302 Course.

=Talk Page Archives= =Instructions= When you Post, please create a heading in Heading 3 font, and Include Date - Topic - Name

Topic 5: Course & Wiki 4/30/08
The syllabus for this course is now being adopted as the main syllabus for C&T302 in future classes. That is to say, this site and course will now be the main template for future 302 courses. Please tell me what was your favorite aspect of this course & wiki and why.

Example:

4-30-08 -- Course & Wiki -- Amy Gress
My favorite aspect of this course was creating our own wikis. I think that they are something that I would actually be able to use in my classroom as an instructional aid. I, also, found that learning the different technologies was very beneficial as well. Some of the technologies that we worked with I had never used before so it was nice to learn something that I could potentially use in my classroom that I did not already know about. Overall, I found this course to be very informative and useful because everything that we learned about and worked with could be used effectively in my classroom.

4-30-08 -- Course & Wiki -- Laura Draxler
I would have to say that I learned a lot in this course. The incorporation and analysis of the various technologies was really interesting. Some of the technology I had never used (like imovie) but I now feel comfortable enough with it to use it in the classroom; other technology I had been using for years but never realized how much I was misusing it (like powerpoint). I can't look at a powerpoint presentation ever again without analyzing its use and judging the effectiveness of it. Also, I feel like the wiki was an essential tool for me to learn as a future educator. It's great to know that I already have a functional course website that has taught me a lot about not only organization and web design but also about communication and incorporation of technology. I will almost certainly utilize this valuable resource in my future classroom. It's simple and easy to use for both student and teacher alike. The wiki was most definitely my favorite part of this course.

4-30-08 - Course & Wiki - Kristen Cunningham
I think the most useful part of this course was creating the wiki. It is a very useful resource, and I can definitely foresee myself utilizing it in my classroom. Wikis look nice, are easy to navigate, and are simple to use. This is ideal for a teacher who does not have a lot of extra time to program a website. I also enjoyed learning about the other technology resources, such Flash videos. I would never have used them, but now I know how simple they are to make, and I would be confident using them as tools to use in my classroom.

4-30-08 - Course & Wiki - Courtney Mense
I think the most useful aspect of the course, and therefore my favorite, was the exposure we had to great resources we might never have learned about. I loved using GoogleEarth and I downloaded it as soon as I got home. I can’t even believe how comprehensive and educational it is and it’s both visual and technical. There is so much on the internet now and finding effective teaching resources can be daunting and it's really helpful to know people who know good resources, like Skype and Crayon and Google Earth. My favorite aspect of the Wikispace format was that it was practical. The days that we had to actually try HTML out took a long time and we seemed to have more trouble and get more frustrated whereas the wikispace was more visually gratifying more quickly and it was easier for us to use. I liked that we made our own because now we have something to reference later in our teaching careers and we also have a jumping off point if we are really serious about making a comprehensive and highly interactive site for our classrooms. I also appreciate that I will be able to remember how to create the wiki when I know that I’d forget how to code.

**4-30-08 - Course & Wiki - Erin Cook**
To me, like many of us in the class, the wiki was my favorite part of the class and the most useful to me for the future. Although creating the wiki was stressful at times, I think all of the work that was put into it will pay off. Through creating this wiki I learned about different educational technologies that I will definitely use in my classroom. I learned how to create an ordered, purposeful web page that will be very useful to me, my students, parents and administration. Also, a strong emphasis was put on adhering website content to State Standards and NET Standards. I think this will help me become a better more accountable teacher. Structuring the course around the wiki really created a practical springboard into learning other technologies. Creating a wiki also put meaning and context to our work: I very well may actually use this wiki for my future students. The application is easy to manage and edit. I am pretty certain that I won't be using HTML since I found it complicated and bothersome compared to the ease of the wiki.

4-30-08 - Course & Wiki - Travis Lindeman
The part that I enjoyed the most about the class and see myself potentially using in the future is the wiki. I've always been intimidated by the thought of designing a website, but this was a really simple resource to use that made sites that look really nice. Even outside of the classroom, I could see myself using this technology for my job or as a way to communicate with other writers and post writings of my own, exchange music, etc. I have several friends abroad and across the nation that would make use of this technology for collaborations. Also, I enjoyed studying universal design. It has brought me to a point where I analyze things in everyday life according to the effectiveness of their design. This is especially important at my job (KU IT) in which all of the technology resources I have to use and that all of KU's users have to use is a train wreck of bad design.

4-30-08 - Course & Wiki - Ryan Durant
I think what i most enjoyed about this course was being able to learn and utilize many different forms of technology. We covered several forms of technology that I have had prior knowledge with, but it was nice learning how to utilize new forms of technology such as Inspiration, and Skype. I think it is very important to be able to utilize as many resources as possible, and this course has definitely helped with this aspect. The wiki that we created was by far the most useful form of technology that we used in this class. It has given me the ability to understand how to create a website that is efficient and simple enough for not only me to understand, but my students as well. I definitely see myself using a wiki in my classroom because it will allow me to make my life easier by being more flexible in many different areas, communication between my students and their parents being a very important aspect.

4-30-08- Course & Wiki- Samantha Rist
My favorite aspect of this course was that because assignments could easily be completed at home and/or in class, I felt a certain level of independence that is not often given in the School of Education's ridiculous, seemingly toddler-aimed curriculum. The course had structure, but we were allotted time to re-do projects, and I also enjoyed the fact that the Wikispace was open to our class because if I found myself lost or confused for an assignment, I could look at an example of someone else's on their People page and understand what to do. Overall I think this course's flexibility and means of communication were extremely helpful; if I use anything like this in the future it will be to keep in touch with my students/their parents and to be able to monitor how my class is coming along.

4-30-08 Course & Wiki- Alex Riemann
In this class I enjoyed creating assignments and projects using different forms of technology and media. But overall the thing I found most useful was just learning how to design in general. Whether it be a wiki or just a normal assignment this class showed how important design can be in something being successful. Another thing I like about this class is the freedom we had to create our projects and assignments, we were allowed to create our own projects and use our own ideas as long as we used the designated resource. As for Wiki's I think they are so much better than html or any other website program that I have used. Wiki's are easy to create which is important because when we are teachers we will not have the time to learn new html code and figure out why something won't show up.

4-30-08- Course & Wiki- Alissa Ramsay
My favorite thing we did in this class is working with the wikis. I can definitely say this is something I will use in my classroom. I had no idea there were other ways to design a website besides using HTML, and I definitely prefer the wikis. Wikis are an easy and effective way to communicate information to the class both inside, and out of the school. I also learned how to better use technology that I had some experience with. I had already known how to use PowerPoint, but I have probably been using it the wrong way.

4-30-08- Course & Wiki- Grant Noble
My favorite thing that we did in class was making a class wiki. I was great being able to actually do a project in class which will be applicable later in my classroom. I am going to continue to develop my wiki when more time is available. I also enjoyed each media aspect incorporated into the class. It was cool to be able to work with different technologies, such as imovie or podomatic, in order to enrich our classrooms. I now feel appropriately prepared to lead and instruct about technology related issues.

4-30-08- Course & Wiki-Sarah Peterson
My favorite aspect about the course was that it gave me the opportunity to explore new technology and how to use it to better my teaching methods. I enjoyed this because I think that it can be a useful tool when used appropriately within a classroom. My favorite part of the wiki was that I was able to do and understand all the editing. It was really easy to change things I didn't like and it also showed me how to apply a wiki to the subject I'll be teaching.

4-30-08 - Course & Wiki - Lindsey Jones
My favorite part about this course was creating a wiki. By doing this I feel like we incorporated everything we learned and could really see the value of what you taught us. Also, it gave us something practical we can use in our classrooms. If I don't use this wiki in my classroom, I hope to create one similar to it. My favorite part of the wiki was learning how to imbed things in our sites. I really thought that was kind of cool, even though it was fairly simple. I like it because it is a great way to bring resources from our communities and the world into our classroom.

4-30-08 - Course & Wiki - Alex Rock
The course was enjoyable for me because the technology and information we learned in the course will be useful information inside a classroom and outside a classroom. The wiki in which we were taught how to design and post useful technology pieces will be valueable tools that I am confident will carry over to multiple careers. In the teaching areana the wiki would be an outstanding way for students to easily make references to class assigments and materials. There is multiple other oppertunities that the wiki offers, but it is up to the teacher how they choose to apply them. This is one of the better classes I have taken in the School of Education as far as teaching material that will easily transferable to the classroom.

5.2.08 - Course & Wiki - Carolyn Sears
When I began this course I considered myself very technologically challenged. This class has given me the confidence that I actually can use technology in my classroom in a meaningful way that makes my classes better and more accessible for my students. A huge part of that comes from creating the WIki and seeing how it really will help my classroom run more effectively and make assignments more fun, and easier to relate to. This is an awesome tool to use in my classroom in the future. Now I know that I really can easily incorporate technology in my classroom. Instead of knowing what to say in an interview about liking and using technology in the classroom, I have something tangible to show an employer. Even more importantly, my belief in the importance and value of such use is genuine and realistically attainable--for this, I am incredibly greatful!

5/2/08 Course and Wiki- Morgan Riley
My favorite aspect of this course was in general learning new and affective teaching methods that involves technology. I am very bad with technology and knowing me, I probably would have done everything old school. After taking this course I realized how important it is to learn these tools. The most useful project in my opinion was the wiki project. I had a lot of fun doing it and it is something I would definitely want to use in the future. I feel like it is an affective and organized tool to use as an educator. Even thought I am really bad at learning technology, this course was by far one of the most useful and interesting C&T class I have taken.

4-30-08 -- Course & Wiki -- Chase Ketchum
The thing that I liked most about the class was learning about how wikis worked. I have already used the website for another class making a project and presentation much easier. I knew the general concept of a wiki, but learning the ins and outs of a wiki will make teaching easier in the future. Another thing I like about the class was learning about all of the programs for teacher educators. Programs like Inspiration, Google Earth, and Skype could be useful in the future. Anytime you can learn about new technology it is helpful.