Journal 3

The New Gold Rush: Establishing Effective Online Learning Policies
By Ferdi Serim

In the article, Establishing Effective Online Learning Policies shows how technology is very important to teach to our students but it is also important to teach our students one on one how to officially work with technology. It is our responsibility as teachers to monitor and guide students on how to use technology during the business of school. One on one teaching with our students can not be replaced by an automated voice on a computer sure a computer can a hundred questions and answer that are useful for students.

Questions/Answers:

Q: How can we teach our students an efficient way to understand how to properly use the computer?
A: The programs such as e-learning that was explained in the article can show us teachers different ways to be able to help our student how to understand technology.

Q: How can we monitor our students in a way that will be effective and not have our students back away from technology?
A: An easy answer this question have the teacher walk around the computers that the students are working at and make sure that the students are on task.

Journal 2

More than Just a Blog: “American Indians In Children’s Literature”
by Debbie Reese

The article “More Than Just a Blog” by Debbie Reese interested me because she is telling about her journey in starting to use blogs. I find this so interesting and encouraging because a few months ago I had no idea what a blog was and now I am finding out more and more how this can be a communication tool in schools and way to get the message around of what is going on. I really like how she took a subject, such as American Indians Children Literature, and made it the theme of her blog and used it to help others learn more about a subject that many know little about. Most of my focus has been on younger grade levels such as kindergarten to second grade, it is really hard for me to believe that my blog for my class would be most influential on my student s being the age that they are but I think it would definitely be useful for my colleagues and parents. I really love the idea of the blog and using it to do lesson planning and a resource of communication.

Questions/Answers:

Q: How I could use my classroom blog to have an affect on my students that will probably be 5 to 7years old?
A: I can simplify my classroom blog in order for my students to be able to easily access the blog.

Q: How do I incorporate the parents that do not have computers or it is hard for them to get to one, how would they gain access to our class blog?
A: I would have a computer available for parents to come in and check the blog after school. But that raises more what ifs…if the parents working and cannot come to school to check the blog and so on.

Journal 1

Power of the Mashup: Combining Essential Learning with New Technology
by Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss

The Power of the Mashup was really neat in the way that students can take a book that they are studying their class and make it into an adventure. I like the idea of using technology to get the kids to dig deeper into something that they are learning. It teaches the student the surrounding information of what happened to make this book so important enough to be written. If a class is reading the story A Tale of Two Cities the students can look up France on the computer and see on Google map where it was that the character lived. The students can also research the French Revolution on the internet and connect it to a social studies project.

Questions/Answers:

Q: How can I control the students from going to sites that could be reliable sources?
A: I would give a lesson on what websites were sufficient and which sites to stay away from. One of the assignments would be to have the students go on a scavenger hunt for websites that are credible. I would explain to them that websites that end with .edu are more credible websites then .com.

Q: How can I inform parents of their children going on their Internet and have them be ok that?
A: I know a lot of parents think that the internet is a bad place but if I informed parents in a newsletter telling them what their students are going on the internet for I think they would not be harmful. Also I would inform them on how using technology will benefit their students it might help them to understand the reason for using technology.

About Me

Hi Everyone,
My name is Daron Mayer. Most people know me as Daron Smrt. I just got married over the summer, so not too many people know my new name. I am a native San Diegan, I spent most of my life in East County and just about three years ago, I moved to Valley Center. I am in the integrated teaching credential program (it is where you get your teaching credential and bachelors at the same time). I also work two jobs. I am a recreation leader for the city of San Diego and I am a private contractor through San Diego County. As a private contractor, I work at different parks and recreation facilities teaching a variety of sports to age’s 2-12years old. I love working with kids that is why I want to be a teacher. I hope to teach kindergarten, but mostly I wish to be employed so… I am fine with what ever I get.
I have used many types of technology. I have used many different Microsoft programs. My two favorite programs are print shop and movie maker. For any brochure or card or pretty much anything I use Print Shop. I would definitely say that my favorite thing to do is Movie Maker. My brother and I started using it two years ago, to make my brother-in-law and my sister a movie of the small clippings of the first child’s first year. We have just made it into a family tradition every Christmas to give them another year of memories of their daughter. It is fun to see all of the gadgets that you can use with the Movie Maker program. I am definitely a pc person, but I will to check and see what macs are all about. I don’t use computers too much just for school work and to check my email.
The mission statement in for the College of Education students I believe is right on the money. I also agree with our professor when he described how dedicated the professors are at this college. Not one professor that I have had has not shown 110% in trying to help there students. My first semester at CSUSM was last semester and I feel like all of my courses included all of the requirements in the mission statement and more. The major factor in me applying to Cal State San Marcos is because they have smaller classrooms and there is more attention on the students and also San Diego State looked more like a headache just to look for parking, so I felt it was not worth the trouble.