Post # 1

I think computers are very important in the education experience because computers and technology are used everyday in the real world, including within jobs and the home. Using technology such as computers in the classroom improves analytical thinking among students. Computer use in the classroom also promotes information management skills for students. Problem-based learning is also useful because students are given opportunities to work alone, or in pairs or groups. A critical concern is the students knowing more about computers than the teacher. This is expected because, as the book says, a teacher is not responsible for exploring every tool of every program when using computers in the classroom. A student teaching his or her teacher a thing here or there is acceptable, but, as the book states, it is not acceptable when a student shows a teacher how to copy and paste. I agree with the issues raised in Chapter 1 because they are all very real issues that will be faced in a classroom dealing with computers. I think teachers should only teach with computers if they are well aware of what they are teaching and not learning as they go.


I would use computers in my classroom for my students to gather information. Using search engines such as Google has become very common in almost everyone's lives today, so it is an important tool to know how to use effectively. Computers would also be used to display and present information. Maps and storyboards designed on the computer are much more cleaner and organized then written out in hand and possibly scribbled out or erased or miss-spelled. I would also use computers in the classroom to analyze information. Students can enter information into databases and spreadsheets and then make their charts / graphs and then make their interpretations of the information. Students are enabled to make their own judgments based on accurate graphs generated by the computer. I hope to learn how to effectively use all the programs currently available in order to become an informed teacher.


I just hope to learn everything I can about programs like Microsoft Windows because I know they can be very simply used, but they also have tons of useful applications that I don't know about!

Introduction

My name is Kara Brewer, I'm a sophomore and a nursing major. I'm from Kentucky; I like 4-wheeling, camping, paint balling and fishing. I have a large family that I'm really close to and spend most of the summer with. I love to travel and have been all over Europe and the Caribbean with my family and I can't wait to go back. When I graduate, I want to become a labor and delivery nurse. I want to eventually go back and get my master's to become a nurse practitioner.