Baby's first technology class

Going into this class, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not completely inept when it comes to technology, but some of the specific tools and techniques we are using are new to me, so there still is a bit of a learning curve. I feel bad whenever I don't get something immediately, but the pace of the course has been comfortable for me to experiment and try new things and still be able to fix it before it's due. I think it has been a really long time since I was in a "skill" vs. discussion/analysis type class so this is a novel experience for me, one that I am trying to make the most of.

Digital Images

Picasa is a great online images tool for many reasons, including its great layout, organization and ease of use, but let's be honest: the main benefit in using it is its integration into the rest of the google apps. You can easily access your photos stored there when working within any other google product, like Blogger, Google Docs or presentations. That alone makes it a winner. Seeing as most image store utilities do their assigned function reasonably well, this is reason enough to choose Picasa. I'll definitely use it in the future.

Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are amazing and fun activities for the classroom. The main thing I love about them is how they are a continuation of inquiry-driven activities, but more open-ended. They not only give a student a chance to learn how to best use resources, but allow them more freedom of choice in choosing what to discover and explore. I really liked doing the activity with the camera, because I got to physically move and search and it was really exciting, but I also liked the online scavenger hunt, because of the autonomy I had in choosing what I was interested in.

Inquiry-based activities

Inquiry-based activities are a good way to teach kids basic research and comprehension skills as well as giving them some choice. If you were doing longer projects in your classroom, it might be a good idea to use an inquiry-based activity as a start-off or introduction to the topics. Inquiry-based activities aren't a radical idea, exactly, but using online resources instead of textbooks or library books makes it so much more open to different topics, focuses, and age levels. I like how it incorporates technology into the already existing lessons instead of cordoning it off into a separate "computer" lesson.