LAST WEEK

This was the last week of class. It was really nice to sit back and watch the other groups teach Access. Everyone seems to really be improving and changing things that they do. Tina really worked on her volume and pitch this week and she did great! Its now time to put all of my focus on finishing the Integration Project. Its nice to have a good grasp on it but it does take more effort and creativity that people would think.

I learned a lot more than I thought I would this semester in MEDIA 365. I didn't think teaching would be that big a part of the class. It will be good to pick up right where I left off in 366 in the fall. The information should still be fresh in my mind and hopefully it will come to use. I am guessing there will be another teaching section in 366 and having my pre-clinical in the same semester will probably benefit me a lot when that time comes.

This semester really flew by! But I already can't wait to come back in the fall!

Week 13

My group taught our section of Microsoft Access this week. I personally thought that I improved a great deal. First off I was feeling much much better and was able to have more personality with the class. I feel that my group had a difficult chapter and probably could have prepared more but I think personally Access was an improvement for me. This time I was more aware of my movements and more involved with the students. I got away from the computer a lot more which is something I didn't do at all the first time. Access kind of scares me so I wasn't as confident in my teaching this time around.

Anyway I learned how much prep time you allow yourself is critical!! This is very important in the teaching world. It will take some practice and experimentation to figure out the sweet spot for prep time.

Week Twelve

Week 12 was another week to watch the groups teach Excel. Its really interesting to learn about these new sections of Excel and to see what the other groups can come up with. As we keep moving through the groups different and new ideas are presented and then changed and flipped around a little bit, which is really neat.

I believe that as teachers we should always be bouncing off ideas from each other. This is a great opportunity for that and I think that it is great that most of us are doing that without even knowing.

I am more nervous about the Access portion because I am not as comfortable with Access. So it will take a lot more work on my part to teach this section.

Week Eleven

This was a very exciting week in MEDIA 365. My group had the opportunity to teach the class. It was my first time actually having a lesson plan and getting in front of a classroom to teach something. I felt pretty confident in my abilities but there are definitely ways to improve. Teaching Access is going to be a lot more difficult I have a feeling and will take just that much more work to perfect. One thing I will recommend my group doing for next week teaching Access is have the "word of the day" and have that word be Accountability. I think the student and the teacher should both be held accountable for the understand that the student is keeping up with the class. Too many times last week it was mentioned for nearly all groups that they were moving too fast or the group didn't make sure that everyone was together. How can the teacher know if the students are not keeping up when the teacher asks and the students say yes we are there even though they are not? It will be interesting to see how all of the groups improve over the next couple of weeks.

Week Ten

This week we had our first group presentations. It was interesting to watch and see how the group delivered the material. They did an awesome job and I took a lot away from their lesson. It was good for me to observe them and not only learn from the content but learn from the things they did while teaching. I am doing my project in a week and by the looks of things it is going to be a lot of work. One thing the 1st group recomended and I will do is to prep and practice a lot. I can't wait to teach next week! It will be a great experience!

Week Nine

This was a big returning week for MEDIA 365 class. We are getting our feet wet with the integration project. I am really excited for this project because I want to put all of my knowledge to the test. I have taken other classes like this but never had to do an integration project or create something that might actually be personally useful for my career. I am excited to start. We also started the group teaching section. I was absent from class this Thursday so I am still a bit lost. Still I am very excited to try and teach the class. I am comfortable with helping people with Excel and such casually but I have never formally had the chance to get up in front of a class and teach. The next few weeks are going to be very exciting!

Week Eight

It is the week before Spring break. Everyone in class seems to have cabin fever. We will not be having class on Thursday and use that day to come in and talk with Evan or make up assessments if we need to.

This reminded me that it is important that every once in a while students need an extra break and a time to make up. The class moral was just boosted. THANKS EVAN!

SPRING BREAK HERE I COME!

Week Seven Blog

This week we had another outlook demonstration this week. I always knew that you could add a signature but I never knew how to actually make one. Also learning how to add a stationary was really beneficial. I use a very plain kind of blue marble one that is professional and at the same time not boring. I think my students will really enjoy learning how to personalize their email messages. Also professionally this tool makes your emails stand out and the person reading it is more likely to remember your email because of the unique look than everyone else who has plain templates. Other than that assessments are starting to feel more natural and are a lot easier to write after already doing a few.

Week Six

We spent another week on Word. One week longer than expected. This week showed that as a teacher you have to be able to accommodate for your students when it comes to getting through the material. Sometimes you really have to improvise because it may take the students way longer than you expected to get done with the material or they may just fly through it. It is important to know the pace your students are comfortable with and to challenge them from there.

Also I found that giving assessment is harder than it looks. My partner and I got through the second section of Excel each and it is difficult trying to find a good way of wording things and being able to help the student when they are having trouble without giving away the answer or doing it for them.

Week Five Blog

This was another week geared towards Word assessments and starting to look on to Excel. Instead of Evan doing the assessment we are not going to start to write our own. I wrote and presented my first one with my partner today. Its a fun process building questions for a student to answer and then seeing them show what they have learned. It helps to have a template to go by and great resources in our book. This is my first time doing real assessments like this so this learning experience is very important for my future because it is what I will actually be doing with my students.

Week Four: Work Work Work

Week four we had a lot of time to ourselves to work on learning Word 2007. While we were working on the online assessments and going through the book Evan took groups of eight or less into another room for his in class assignments. Most everybody is almost through section 2 by now. My best bet is we will be finishing up with assessments next week and then move on to the Excel portion.

This week showed me that is to good to give your students time to work on things on their own and learn things at their own pace. This way you as a teacher will have a better time helping individual students with questions. Instead of teaching a lesson and have to stop your lesson to help someone letting your students move at their own pace seems like a much more practical and effective method when teaching this curriculum.

Week Three Blog

Week three in Media 365! First Tuesday we went over team contracts and did some other housekeeping business. I really like the idea of having a team contract and think that this tool could be beneficial in my own classroom someday. Also Tuesday was kind of a introduction to Unit Four which includes our integration project for the semester. Also quizzes were made available and we were encouraged to start working through the first projects of Word. I really like the work at your own pace that is being set up. We have about a week to get through these assessments and I enjoy being able to work at my own pace. Since a classroom will be filled with many different students, its important to allow them to work at their own speed and give them the freedom to do some independent learning.

Thursday started off with more house keeping business and then right into the Outlook demonstration. This was such an awesome demonstration. I learned the coolest things about Outlook. We learned how to create calendars and share our schedules with others on the same exchange server. I plan on using this in my everyday life and with my sorority. I plan on demonstrating my teaching abilities and sharing my knowledge with my sorority sisters and teaching them how to use this software. With all of the emails we send back and forth and try to work around scheduling conflicts this seems like the answer to our prayers! This is a great organizational and communication tool and I am really glad that I have this new skill!

Week Two Blog

Week two was a productive week for MEDIA 365!

Tuesday we divided in to our teams of four and talked a little bit about what we would be doing in the teams. For the remainder of the class period we learned the correct way to set up a Microsoft Exchange account for the Stout emails. My email was already set up like this but in the process I learned that I had done it incorrectly. This is important because now I am well aware of how to set up an Exchange properly for the future. We also learned some of the different features in Outlook like the Calendar and Journal. As a professional and future teacher it is important to know the functions of this software for personal use as well as the passing on of knowledge to students.

Thursday we talked about the team contracts and why we use them. Its a document that will hold ourselves and teammates accountable for the work that needs to be done. This is important because it prevents one person being left with all of the work. Also we brainstormed what software systems are used for in both personal and professional life. As a future teacher it is important to see all of the uses of the software and to have the ability to explain to students the importance of knowing how and what to use them for.

Week One Blog

Today was the first day of MEDIA 365.

Even though it was the first day of class, there was still a lot of questions and some critical thinking going on. Professor Sveum had us think about the other reasons why we were taking the class besides a graduation requirement. Also he had us put into our own words what we thought the class was about. Other than a graduation requirement I am in this class for personal growth and to learn Microsoft Office 2007 which is something that I am not as comfortable with as I should be.

It is important to express and understand these two points because promotes motivation to do well and succeed in the class. Also to be well aware of what to expect to get out of the class and prepared to put that into a classroom full of students.

It looks like it is going to be a great semester in MEDIA 365. I am excited to learn all of the new things in Microsoft Office 2007 and also to have the opportunity to have the role of teacher in class as well.