Well…. It has been 7 weeks since I started back to school. The semester seems to be flying by and at the same time seems to be so long. EDCI 505 is a very interesting class and I really enjoy all the modules but find them a bit challenging. I have been out of college for 7 years now and the technology part isn’t the hard part but the content part is! I find it challenging to start the modules because I can’t remember all the information that I should be teaching. I think that the class might be easier for students who have had a little refresher in the content so that when they start the module they can focus on the creative side rather than trying to figure out the material and then try and be creative. I loved the Inspiration project but found that one to be the most time consuming and content heavy module. I think it actually took me longer to figure out what I needed to teach and all the links than it did to make the web. I love the idea behind it and will for sure use it in the classroom, but getting to the final project was a challenge to say the least.
Recently, we switched over to using software that we were more familiar with and figuring out how to use them in the classroom. I have to admit that I never knew about Google docs until the last 2 modules. I am still hesitant about using the Google docs spreadsheet because I am an excel girl at heart. It seems pretty similar to excel but has some features that frustrated me. For example, I found it irritating to have to wait for the computer to catch up on saving. I noticed that it would save stuff all the time and wouldn’t let me continue to type. I do like the fact that you can access the form at anytime and anywhere without having to carry a flash drive around with you. Google docs form might be my new favorite software to use! I absolutely love the online quiz and have big dreams of using it as a pre-assessment for my lessons in the classroom. I love how you can set it up to grade for you and then have it give you all the data in a spreadsheet. This is just PERFECT for teachers!
Now, on to how to make power point more interative and fun :)
