1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.
My favorites were the videos and Wordle. Videos are very engaging and many are succinct and present information clearly and with visual interest. I will use them to introduce new concepts and to reteach. Wordle can be used in so many ways to develop vocabulary. I will use it for sorting, outlining and introducing vocabulary related to a concept.
2. How have you transfomed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom?
Since I am switching grade levels and content area this fall, my thinking has already been transformed, regardless of technology.
3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was surprised by how time-consuming this was. I should have kept a log, but I know I spent well over 20 hours on this. I was also surprised by how much of my personal information I had to include in order to be allowed on certain sites. Also, I was not pleased with all the commercials I had to watch before I was able to view what I wanted - I must have watched the commercial from Mutual of Omaha about the woman who used to weigh 400 pounds about a dozen times! I mean, good for her for losing weight, but what does that have to do with an inservice? I did enjoy being able to communicate with coworkers and teachers from other schools to solve problems we were having.
Test is finished, too. On my first try, I was kicked off the site after question #26 because of a server problem - had to start over. Things like that were quite annoying.
