Google Part 2

What was taught in computer tech class this week? We are learning about google sites this week in the classroom. In class we went over google sites and how to create one. We named the site whatever we thought would be appropriate for a school teacher's web site, we were asked to have six pages with different information on each page. We could set each page up by either having a web page, a file cabinet, an announcements page, and list page, I named my classroom website torgdman sixth grade. We could arrange the pages how we wanted as long as all the content assigned was placed in them. I made clouds as the background, I don't know ho that will be as a teacher, it might have to be changed sometime.

So What? I was a little lost when we stated talking about links and how to link one thing to another within a website. Google sites are new to me, it is not something I have ever seen or even dealt with. I always had in mind that creating a website was a hard thing to do. My brother in law created my web page for my hardwood flooring company and he took about a month to finish it. I didn't now before this week that creating a web page and posting things on the Internet could be so easily done. It is awesome how technology has come right to our font doors, allowing all who want to view to be able to post information to all the world can do so. We did information flyers and brochures last semester in computer class, but paper is not even really needed anymore. A teacher can show any information about the classroom on the web. I started college again after waiting ten years to make my return, and I was surprised to see how much education on the college level has also changed. If I need to know any information about the class, or about what assignment is due, I can look online and find the answer. I think education is just going to get better students know way too much, so why shouldn't we know way too much?

Now what? I'm going to first, finish the assignment on my web page so I can remember how to do this stuff in the future. I want to do a web page in the future with my classroom. My wife teaches 3rd grade this year, and she says she has a website. I don't think she uses it the way I am planning on using mine in the future. I plan on using a calendar o map out all assignments due for each day they are assigned. i also plan on using the web page for all announcements I want my students and the parents to read. I will give information on resources that will aid students in homework or help them to understand the lesson better. I will post study guides on the web just in case a student needs it last minute, or he or she has forgotten it at school. I will sure love to implement the google sites in my future classroom. It is easy to manage, we did this all in class time. If I am able to learn it in two hours my students will surely know how to do all these things I am learning in two years. I can tell my brother in law that I do not need his help to create a web page anymore. I am excited to teach school with all the things I am learning now. I will use all the things I am learning to make myself a better teacher.

Video, Do schools kill creativity?

I was asked in an interview to get into the program, if I thought that the arts were important in our schools today. I think arts allow the mind to create, I also think that we learn more with creativity than we all know. I thought this video was hilarious, and very interesting. He was trying to be funny,but he brought out some good points. Degrees are not worth anything, because of the academic inflation, he said intelligence is dynamic. Creativity comes from the different ways of seeing things. In schools technology seems to be taking over, which is not a bad thing, but we cannot take arts out of the curriculum because we can't destroy the different ways the children of today see things. Hands on art brings creativity, and creativity brings greater learning. It was a good video and I enjoyed listening to it. I do think that twenty minutes is a long video to reflect on for just one or two paragraphs. It is our job to help children make something out of their own lives.