Setting Up My Web Page

Things seem to be going well with my web page set-up. I am currently working on my class calendar and my 'about me' page. The only thing that I am unsure about is how I can personalize my home page to make it more interesting and engaging. I feel as though most of my pages have the proper information, but are not very personal. Is it possible to add pictures to the home page of our website, and if so, how? I'm also unsure as to how I can upload a form or document onto my website. Learning these things would be helpful as I try to finish putting my website together.

Learning Resources--They're Grrrrrrrreat!

After exploring a bunch of the resources that we discussed in class and those that are posted on the class wiki, I came to realize just how useful a lot of them will be. One that I am really excited to use in order to further my own learning is Diigo. I believe that it will really help me to keep track of important and/or useful information that I find on the internet. It can also help me remember thoughts or original ideas that I may have while perusing certain websites. This will help me to keep better track of other online resources that I find and stay organized. Another organizational tool that I plan on using is Google Calendar. I didn't even realize how useful it could be. It will be really helpful for me to keep track of school assignments when I am teaching, as well as appointments and other obligations that I have. I also really love Dafont, which will be a really great resource when I assign class projects or am making presentation materials myself. The fonts available on that website can add the fun, interesting touch to my classroom posters and presentations that can help students stay in tune. I also really like the idea of having a class blog, which can be used to help keep parents up to date on assignments, activities and other opportunities for their children. This can also help me keep track of assignment s and other class materials. Finally, I really like all of the media wed sites. Because I am going to be a history teacher, audio, visual and movie resources can play a very important role in my classroom. These web sites will provide me with options and help me to develop a more interactive and engaging classroom.

My Blog's Gadgets

I added a number of gadgets to my blog to make it more personal. First of all, I added a slide show on the side bar, which features different pictures and scenes from Oregon, which is where I am from. I love Oregon and how green it is there. I also added a picture behind the heading of my blog, which a view of Provo from the Y. If you can't tell yet, I love nature. I also added a search this blog feature, which allows readers to search the blog by headings or labels. This will help my readers to more easily navigate my blog. Finally, I added a blog followers gadget, which allow me and my followers to see who else is following this blog.

Technology and Me: It's Been a Rocky Road

Technology and myself have had a rather rocky relationship. I usually tell people that we have an understanding. I hate technology and technology hates me. Whenever I have a big project or I am really depending on technology, it seems like it fails me. Whenever anything goes wrong, it seems like all that I can do is throw my hands in the air and stare at the screen. Because of this I am usually very reticent to try new things with technology. This is because I'm pretty sure that it will be beyond my capabilities, and I just don't want to deal with all of the frustration and discouragement. I tend to do things the hard way rather in order to avoid using technology as much as possible. I know that I need to change, but I really do hate technology. When it finally does work for me, it's usually because someone else has done most of it for me. Hopefully this class will help to improve my relationship with technology. I hope that it will help me to feel more comfortable and confident with technology and ease some of my fears about using technology. I also hope that I will come to understand how I can best make use of technology in my future classroom in order to help my students learn.