Blog Post #10

After using the data collection website in class and learning more about Excel, I now realize how important each tool can be to classroom success. As a teacher, data collection could be immensely helpful by allowing teachers to survey the class before teaching a lesson. As a history teacher for tenth grade students, I would give students a survey and let them assess their knowledge on a scale of 1-5 on topics that will be covered for the weekly lesson. For example, if I am teaching about the civil war/slavery, I could ask "How much do you know about cash crops?" or "How well do you know what led to the Civil War?" and then based off of my students answers I could focus more or less on an area of study. Not only will it save time, but it will allow me to spend more time with students that do not have an understanding of the topic, leading them to be better prepared later on in the class.

A topic I found interesting when reading my classmates' blogs was the different Web 2.0 tools everybody would use. Web 2.0 tools are very helpful for not only students, but teachers too. The tools are meant to better connect with students and enhance learning. I saw quite a few students write about Remind101, which is a tool teachers can use to send messages directly to students to remind them about upcoming due dates or homework assignments. Remind101 is just one of the few useful Web 2.0 tools teachers can utilize to better every student's classroom experience and I find them very interesting because they show the pace at which education technology is becoming better equipped for the future.

A technology-related skill that I would like to learn next is Excel. I know we are working on Excel in class right now, but I also know that it is nearly impossible to cover everything about it. At this moment, I know the basics of Excel, such as using it for averaging, creating large sets of data, solving equations quickly, and creating graphs. However, there is so much more that Excel offers that I want to be able to take advantage of because it is a vital skill to have in, not just teaching, but the workplace in general. After our educational technology class is complete, I will take up more learning opportunities, whether it is doing online tutorials or actual Excel workshops, I will do my best to better the skill of Microsoft Excel.