COURSE REFLECTION

IT648 has been the best class I have taken since I started graduate school last summer. With that I just had a thought I have been saying I have been in the program for 3 semesters but it has actually been 4 semester.WOW As, I stated I have learned so many great things in this class. Beginning with learning what to look for in a Web site that would let me know if that is the right site for me to gain the information I need. I found with this assignment as well, that our personal information is at the tip of any ones fingers. I knew you could go and find information out about someone, but never to the extent that I experienced with this search of a colleague and friend. I put in her name and city and there it was all of her information, where she worked, and addresses, it was SCARY. And many of use wonder how people get to our children, sometimes it's right there in plain view. Learning to create the Web Site and Google page this semester has been a great asset to my knowledge of technology. Those tools will help me later when I'm back in the classroom and I need to engage my students in learning by more motivating activities to have life long learners. Creating the time line I must say was the most fun. I was allowed to tell my story with pictures and dates. I really enjoyed that. I have learned so much about technology this semester while having fun and that is what I want to be able to create in my classroom.

My strong point in IT648 would have to be all of the knowledge I have gain from this class. I have also gain a stronger confidence level with technology and its many uses. Assignments no longer scare me, because I know what I'm doing. (sometimes) When I don't I know, I know I have an instructor or colleague who has always been welling to help. My weak point is that I will let doubt slip in which leads me to make mistakes, but I usually stop and come back to the project later and it always works out. I know my confidence with my assignments and technology knowledge is my strong point (not to forget my new knowledge) because I find myself being able to complete an assignment quicker, and I can and have assisted others on my job, family, as well as the Director of IT in my office with some issues. They were small issues, but I was able to step in and lend a hand. I think the weak points comes from knowing that I am in a program with people who are more advanced in their studies than I am, and it can be a little scary for a 38 year mother, with two kids, and full time job to go back to school after graduating with a BS in Social Science Education in 1994 to re-enter school after 14years with some younger students in the hottest ticket in town Technology. I must say that I have never felt more comfortable being on a computer. I no later allow the computer to tell me what to do, I give the computer the commands.

Well, I must say after this semester my weak point has been destroyed with the knowledge that I have learned these last 4 semester, and I have been able to use my knowledge and retain it. I will/have began to improve by trusting the information I have been taught and having the confidence to apply it and make it happen. I plan to integrate the technologies I've learned into the classroom by taking the tools I have learned and apply them in the classroom to improve student learning, understanding, and appropriate use of technology. One thing is for sure we will never stop learning nor will we learn all there is to know about technology, because it will continue to grow, and grow.

Dr. Yuen this is the second class I've taken with you and again I have enjoyed this learning experience. Thank you Sir for sharing your knowledge with us. I would like to say good luck and congrats to my colleagues who are graduating this Spring it has been a pleasure. Wish it were me :)

Tawana Banks

Assignment 7 / Online Presentation

Now, this assignment was not hard to create but it gave me the most trouble. I don't know if it was because I have a broken ankle and tired but it would not do anything I wanted it to do. When I converted it to a PDF and uploaded it in to my slideshare, I have no idea what happened to my hard work. I lost a lot of page designs it came out so plain. If after one of you guys view it and can tell me what I did wrong, I would greatly appreciate it.

The the topic was not a problem and I enjoyed finding and exploring the many filters that are useful to help teachers and parents keep our children safe while they use the Internet. Having children who love been on the computer playing games, I am always looking a watching. I had one bad experience with the Internet involving my child. He likes RC cars and he and his little friends were emailing one another and created this little RC Car Club with 5 friends. How this gentleman got their information I have no idea, but he contacted them wanting them to join his group, and wanted to know all of their personal information. So, lucky my son has been told to let me know if he gets an email from someone he doesn't know. He asked us if we would check it out, so I emailed the gentleman and asked for his information so that I could contact him about the so called RC Club he was in and I asked him several question about RC Cars ( of course from my son, you know I don't know). He calmed he was new to the RC Car collecting and that's why he wanted to meet with them so they could teach him all about them. So, I wanted to go off on him but instead I had a school officer friend of mine come by and talk with him and get his information and let the police take it from there. Long story short, he was from out of state and he has had several different sites, email address, etc. were they traced back to him communicating with young children. After that my so no longer has an email address until he is older (he is 11) and truly understand that some people are crazy and you can't trust everyone. He uses the computer to only play games, and he has to have our password to get on.

This is why I wanted to become as familiar as I can with Internet use, just as much as I wanted to learn it's many uses. Over all I liked this assignments as well, the issues were not that bad but yet again learned something new and ways to share information with others.
http://www.slideshare.net/tawana/internet-safety-527981/

Assignment 6 / Eyejot

The eyejot assignment was by far the easiest and the most fun. After reading the lecture notes on how it works and watching the media on eyejot, I was ready to get started it looked so cool. I Did not have a Webcam and I always wanted one but didnt have a reason because I thought the person I was talking to had to have one,( which in other uses you do), but I now know that I can use it for a video message as well. ( My husband was like thanks, another reason for her to spend money LOL)

I had no trouble setting it up and getting it and my audio to work. Well, the one I purchased at first stated that it had a microphone built in, but it never picked up my voice, so I had a microphone, and I plugged it in and I could hear myself. But that was the only issue I had. Once I got started I couldn't stop. I completed my assignment and then I sent one to my friend who is a Technology Specialist for the Gulfport School District and we have been having a ball. It feels good being able to teach her something new about tecnology that she has not tried yet. ( Which is really rare) She is usually the one to call when you get stuck or it doesn't work.

My children actually created an eyejot with me to my God-brother in Chicago. It was a great idea because he doesn't get to see them very much. They want to send messages daily. I really got a kick out of burke's eyejot it was so funny. I thought he was just showing us other ways we could do things with it, or he did have a microphone. It turns out he was being a great boyfriend by being quiet because his girlfriend was sick, but all in all a great job.

I enjoyed listening to and wishing it were me, all the eyejot's of my classmates sharing their IT experiences and accomplishments. It feels good to be apart of a program with experienced people who never makes me feel as if I am on the bottom of the pole. It makes me work harder.

Well, what else can I say, but this was another great learning experience.

http://www.eyejot.com/mview/964C1EE75E9A43ADE0E39A8A8CD3508D36874992077B1C42A89712852F7B289A

Assignment 5/ WebQuest

Creating the WebQuest was another great learning experience. Again the lecture notes and readings were very helpful in getting started. I enjoyed the many things I could do and upload to the site, it was very generous in that reguard. The readings provided a lot of resources and examples that were helpful as to the varitey of things I could do with WebQuest.

This assignment challenged me to use other tools via the internet to design my WebQuest, because I use to be afraid to click a button for the fear of losing or messing up something. With this assignment it was very open to different uses. When used in the classroom to teach an assignment, it will give them the freedom to be comfortable to explore its many opportunities while using the internet. Which I think will encourage them to manage their time wisely and explore the appropriate use of the internet.

I liked this assignment as well, please take a look.
http://tbanks648.googlepages.com

Assignment 3/Google Page

I enjoyed creating my own Google page. This was a very easy assignment and the Google page creator is a great tool to use. I had no problems ( knock on wood) with this assignment. It was nice to be able to create a page about yourself. We are able to share with your classmates a little about yourself, because we rarely meet one another face to face. I have use this tool at work during my recruitment period. Several of our sponsors/partners and organizations I am involved with circulate our information to one another to get information out. It worked well, I was able to share with them what I was looking for and provide information about my programs.

I will like to use it once I return to the classroom. The lecture notes on Web-Base Instruction were very instrumental in giving information on how WBI can be used in Education. The overview on Google page creator was a step by step account of how the tool works and I was prepared after watching the Podcast to create my page.

This was overall a quick and easy assignment.
http://www.tawana.banks38.googlepages.com

Assignment 4/Timeline on circaVie

Create an Interactive Timeline on CircaVie:

For this assignment I decided to pick out some of the special events in my life and make a timeline. I had fun creating this timeline, it was very easy. I could have gone on, and on with special dates, and events, just as I am sure we all could have. This was tool, I am sure I will use again in my presentation at work, and the many workshops I present.

I will use it this year for my husbands family reunion as a timeline of their families history. I will also use it for my wedding planning/consulting business this year with a wedding I am planning. I will use it to keep my brides up to date on what/when things will/need to be happening. As well as creating a six month calendar for my brides will be easier now with this tool.

I am so excited about this new knowledge that I have taught two of my friends how to use this site.

I truly enjoyed creating my timeline and I look forward to the next adventure.
http://www.circavie.com/people/tawana_8969

Assignment II/Web Blog

Creating a Web Blog

Assignment II was a breeze because I have created Blogs before for other classes, so I was familiar with the process. I think blogs are nice because not only do we have a place to post our thoughts, but the blog helps the person who visits get know them.

I like being able to make my blog as personal as I like, with songs, pictures, information, etc. I think its a great tool to use. It's easy to use and navigate.

I enjoyed this assignment, and I welcome comments from my classmates.
http://tawana648.blogspot.com

TBanks648

Assignment I Web Searching

For Assignment I we had to conduct a Web Search using search engines on Dr. Yuens Ultimate Search Page. I had to find 5 sources that are related to telecommunications in education and write a review, search for two college classmates or colleagues, an author of a book and two software descriptions.

This assignment was some what easy, and I was able to visit other search engines I've never been to. As well as how easy/yet scary it is to find someones information via the Internet. That was so scary to be able to locate a person personal information that quick, I didn't like being able to do that, it gave me the information I needed, but if I was a unstable person, I could have my victims home address, phone number, etc in moments.

WOW!!! the software was cool, because I had never visited those sites before, and I learned a lot of new things. Using the software search tools were enlightening, I was able to become familiar with the software as well as its platform, many version, and total description. It gave me a overview of the software and its uses.