Stellarium

In class today we were introduced to a number of math/science based programs. One that I enjoyed the most was Stellarium. This program allows you to see the sky from anywhere in the world, at a specific time and date. I got to see what the sky looked like the night I was born. It was fun to look at the sky from different perspectives. If you want to know what the sky would look like in Russia, or Brazil, this program allows you to do so.

TPACK

In class today we learned about TPACK, and what it means to be a teacher who teaches with TPACK. It is an acronym for Technology, Pedagogy, Content, and Knowledge. It is important for teachers to encorporate this into their lesson plans because it is a very effective way of teaching. In class we experimented with probes, and the temperatures were measured on the computer. It was fun seeing the chart/graph that was made. Also in class we used a microscope that was hooked up to a computer. Using this tool, a teacher can show the class how to use a microscope, and the class can see what microscopes do.
It is neccessary that teachers have TPACK knowledge because this is one of the most effective way of teaching. It allows the teacher knows how to teach a certain subject, knows a lot about that subject, and can encorporate technology all in one lesson. This is a thing that will take practice to learn, but it will be worth it to.

RSS Feed

This week in class we learned about RSS feeds, and how we can use them as a teacher. We created accounts for two sites, delicious and goodreads. Of the two I felt that goodreads was more user friendly, and I will use it a lot more in my classroom. It is a great tool to access books, and for others to reccommend books that may be helpful for students in your class. RSS feeds are a tool that sends you, or in this case updates your blog on the newest events that have happened. It alerts you if a friend has posted a new blog, or if a new article has been posted to a site.

Background and History in Technology

My background and history in technology is not that much. I have always had a computer, but have never done to much with them. I have some skills in power point, and excel. I can make powerpoints and spreadsheets, they just don't look to pretty. I passed my technology assessments so that is good. I have taken an information system class before, but sadly I have forgotten it. I can use word pretty good, and I also know how to use the program MiniTab, and the internet too.