<a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4656131/Infer" 
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Final Reflection

Wow! I can't believe this course is over already! Although it went fast, I learned a great deal. I learned a lot of new technology gadgets and websites to use, but I think the most important thing I learned in the class is that in order to truly understand technology, you have to practice it on your own. I must say, it was frustrating at times when i couldn't figure something out, but I felt great when I finally did figure it out. A few things I especially enjoyed were the Web 2.0 projects. I didn't know that such tools existed, I had never used any of them before. I especially liked Wordle and Taxgedo, those are fun tools that can be used in class and out of class. The website was especially helpful because I am going to do create eon for my classroom when I get a teaching position. This has to be one of the most informative classes I have yet taken.

My Digital Movie

Animoto

Animoto is an easy-to-use website for creating slideshow videos. I had never used or created videos or slideshows (other than Powerpoint). I think it's very creative and fun. I could see uses in the classroom for this, but find that it would be very time consuming. I think if I offered students to use this as a presentation tool, I would assign most of the work to be done at home in their spare time so they are not distracted in class. I dislike that if you want the best benefits of the site you have to pay a fee. This could get quite expensive for the classroom, in this case I would instruct students to use the free version for basic functions.

Interactive Spreadsheet

This interactive spreadsheet is a very convenient and easy way for teachers to assess their students or create practice worksheets for students to do at home. I found this a helpful source for parents to help their children with at home. I really enjoyed creating this spreadsheet because it's a simple activity to create in Excel.

Wordle and Taxgedo

The "word bubble" art that can be created from Wordle and Taxgedo is AMAZING! I did not know that such websites existed. Not only do I plan on using these in my classroom, but I will use these for personal tasks. I like Wordle because the tool that can be used to create customized word art for any occasion. It can be used in the classroom as an educational tool, at the office to present information in a fun and creative way, or at home just because!   Wordle allows for personal editing by providing users with a wide array of colors, fonts, and styles. Print them out to create fun posters or t-shirts, post them to your personal online profiles or blogs, or use it as a fun background.

Taxgedo is very similar to wordle except that website is themed and their customizations are more unique that wordle's. Tagxedo can be used in the classroom as a tool to get children interested in spelling words, poetry, history lessons pertaining to historical figures, and familiarize children with words in a song. They can also be used to teach about things such as animals, plants, nature, historical events, people, and math.

Both of these sites are very fun and can be used in many aspects of the classroom.

The following website is helpful in using creative, fun and educational tools for lesson planning and activities:


http://486sum11web20.pbworks.com/w/page/41418050/Web