Blog # 3

After reading this chapter I think that the most important advancement in education technology will be the widespread use of the tablet pc. Students will be able to save all of their notes in one organized place. They will always be able to find them and the notes will be searchable and editable. This will make studying go even faster. Another really good thing about tablet pc's is that many textbook publishers are looking at how to publish the books online. Therefore students could access college textbooks online and it would dramatically cut down on the amount of paper used in the production of these books, and it would cut down on the price of textbooks for the students. The tablet pc will benefit all levels of eduacation.
Another software program that has a dramatic influence on education is powerpoint. Powerpoint is a more interseting way to put up lectures because a teacher can incorporate color, pictures, and movies. Powerpoint is already in widespread use in high schools and colleges. It makes it easy for students to go back and review the lecture because powerpoint presentations can easily be put up online for students to refer back to.
Web page authoring software is another one that has already had a huge impact on schools everywhere and of every grade level. Teacher's can make home pages for their classes and post homework, news, upcoming events, etc. and it is accesible anytime on the internet. Parents and teachers dont have to wonder if the kids are getting the information home to the parents and it cuts down on the use of paper.
Homeuse software really helps people by doing their taxes, and making legal documents, and resumes. It helps people not have to rely on a professional as much it makes people more self sufficient as it teaches them to do it on their own.
Most of us use some type of software in our everyday lives and it has made a big impact on computers and technology.

Blog # 2

In Chapter 2 I really learned a lot about how servers, networks, and the internet work. I never really knew how all of that worked and learning about it was really interesting considering it is something that I use almost everyday. The different types of networks was one thing I did not know about. I always saw the abbreviations for LAN on my computer but I now know that stands for local area network which is a network that covers a limited area like a school or office. A wide area network (WAN) covers a much larger region, for example an entire city. People can also set up a home network and run multiple computers in their home off of that network. A major benefit of having these types of shared networks especially in places like a school or office is that everyone shares the same software, data resources, and hardware.
Another thing I learned about was searching for information on the web and multimedia on the web. These two things are great tools to have in a classroom because it gives the students the ability to search for information on the web by themselves and learn about more things. Multimedia access in classrooms gives students a way to learn that is interactive and involves color, sound, and motion which cannot be found in a textbook.
I also learned how things that I use a lot like e-mail, facebooks, and chat have opened up the doors of communication. When a person gets an e-mail address it is a combination of a username and a domain name that is specific to that person. So when someone sends a message it goes straight to their mailbox.
The advancements in computer technology grow everyday. In the very near future almost all K-12 teachers will have access to high speed internet in the classrooms and wireless notebooks will be commonplace. This will greatly increase the quality of learning of children all over the world.

Blog # 1

Chapter 1 covered a broad range of things from the newest technology to the history of the computer. The chapter starts out with focusing on the need for schools to teach computer literacy because by the year 2010 every job is expected to use a computer in some way. This means there needs to be a lot more focus on teaching with technology because not every family has a personal computer in their home. Some kids only access to technology will be at school.
Another major impact that technology has had is changing the way that students learn. The new "digital students" are hypercommunicators, multitaskers, and goal oriented. Which is a complete switch from previous generations before mass technology. Teachers now have to integrate technology into their everyday lesson plans. Computers in the classroom also allow multisensory learning which caters to all learning styles instead of just straight instruction.
Computers also make the everyday tasks of the people who work in the schools easier. They allow people to get work donw faster, and in a more clear and efficient way. Computers ability to store and process data make communication easier between teacher and principals through e-mail and websites on the internet make it easy for parents to stay involved and up to date on what is going on in their childs school.
Technology is very important in todays world. In order for a student to be successful in the future they must come out of school being able to use all of the technology available to them.

Blog # 0

My experience using technology is not very extensive. I have always had a computer at my house that was availabe for me to use for schoolwork, playing games, and going on the internet. During highschool I used the computer for writing essays on microsoft word, making powerpoint presentations, and doing research for papers. Other than school assignments my prior experience with technology has not been that extensive.
In this class I hope learn a lot more about computers. I want to understand more how computers work and I am also hoping to learn new skills and learn about new programs on the computer that will be useful in the future for school assignments and for teaching in classrooms. Technology is a very important part of today's world and it is important for me to learn all that I can about it.
Today I learned that my learning style is highly sensing and sequential. I don't learn well in enviroments where I don't feel comfortable and I like learning facts and I am very practical. I am also a person that likes to do things in order and I like a certain method for solving things. I think the survey was very accurate.

Reflective- 3
Sensing- 9
Visual- 1
Sequential- 7