What I got from it

These past four months in the classroom have been very beneficial for me. I started this class with knowledge on how to use Excel, Word and Power Point but never imagined there was so much more you can do with it. Now I know how to bring to life boring Power Point presentations by incorporating hyperlinks, videos, podcasts and more. I know now that Word does not have to be just for research papers but also for amazing handouts, flyers, brochures, newsletters, business plans and more. You can make a Word document very interactive and appealing to students. I always thought Excel was the most boring program but after taking this class I know that I can use this program to create seat charts, grade books and even crossword puzzles for my students. In addition, I learned how to use other programs such as Inspiration that can be extremely helpful when trying to engage students that prefer a visual way of learning. Inspiration also will help me scaffold my instruction by providing my students a way to create concept maps, graphic organizers, diagrams, story webs, outlines, etc. Also I learned how to make Podcasts and how to create my own website where I was able to practice how to design it and most importantly how to make it student and parent friendly. As you can see, I brought some skills with me at the beginning of the class but I definitely have a deeper understanding of how to use technology to support my students. I can see myself using what I have learned to accommodate my ELLs in ways that I could not have done before this class.