Del.icio.us

I think that this site is interesting and could possibly be helpful for those who are very busy or doing a project of some kind. I don't think I would be one to use this site though. I don't have many things saved in my favorites, and the things in there are familiar to me. I know the websites for them, or I could just google it. I usually have my computer with me, so if I was working on a project that had a website I bookmarked, I wouldn't need the Del.icio.us website.

Spreadsheets

I think that spreadsheets have many different uses for schools. They work well for teachers to use as a gradebook. They can be used to make a rollsheet, to make a syllabus or to do anything that needs counting and keeping track of. It can be used for students to do assignments such as timelines or charts and graphs. It can help with mathematical formulas and projects of all kinds. I would definately use it in my classroom for a multitude of projects and daily tasks. I think spreadsheet is both better and worse than a calculator. With a calculator, you have to remember the equation and be very careful not to enter the wrong numbers so that you get the correct answer. If you're good at math then the calculator is your friend. If you're like me and are not good at math, spreadsheet is a big help. You just enter the data and push a button and it does the calculations for you. I will definately use this function.

Inspiration and Microsoft Word

I think that Inspiration could be a great tool for the classroom. I personally would have my students create mind maps and charts to help them in the topics we are studying. When creating a mind map the student can add hyperlinks, pictures, movies, music and text. I like that it works and looks the same on Mac's and PC's. I like that everything that might need to be done is simple and on the toolbar. Luckily students are usually very computer savvy. I also like that when making maps or charts, they can be color coded. I use color coding in my projects and readings to help me keep like ideas together. It also has an outline form which could be useful for the beginnings of papers in the classroom. By having students create an outline, their thoughts are automatically grouped together by topic.

In my classroom, using Microsoft word and potentially Inspiration would be very useful. When in and English classroom, typed essays and stories are a must. Inspiration could be an excellent resource for creative outlines and brainstorming maps for the beginnings of an essay. In the classroom, these mind maps and outlines will be easy for other students to give each other feedback. By creating online and printing them out, students can trade with one another in small groups to peer-evaluate.

About Blogging

I think blogging is a good way to get ideas out in the open without feeling uncomfortable. Talking about your own ideas in front of people is intimidating, but writing them in a blog is much less so. For a blog to be useful I think it needs to be done in a structured setting and not just a source for getting rid of boredom. By using a blog in an education setting, it needs to be directly related to the course in some way. For example, I had to use a blog in one of my English classes. Each week we had to post three entries about the readings we had done, and then comment on three other peoples' blogs on whether we agreed or disagreed with their evaluation of the work. It was much easier to talk about our own opinions on the pieces when we weren't being stared at. On the topic of wasting time, i think it depends on the student and the class. When we used it in my English class i think it worked very well because we were comfortable with the technology, but in other subjects such as math or science or history, i think it would be a waste, unless it was used specifically for student aid. It all depends on how the student and the teacher uses this tool.

About Me

My name is Chelsea Wortham and I am an English/Secondary Education Major. I went to Collin County Community College for two years and graduated with my Associates Degree. I'm graduating next spring, and soon after I'll be getting married. My fiance graduated from here with a degree in Speech Communication. I'm a Chi Omega, I do pointe and ballet, I read a lot (i always have a book with me and am usually reading it); I enjoy being outside and camping, hunting, fishing and hiking. My mom is a second grade teacher in Garland and my dad is the director of communications in Garland as well. I'm taking 21 hours this semester, so I don't have much free time, but what free time I have, I'm usually in the Rec dancing or playing raquetball.