The End is Near

Wow can you believe it, we are almost done with this semester. Myself, I am almost done with my CTER career. I can't believe how fast time goes by when you are busy with work, school, and family.

I have probably learned more in this class then any class I have taken so far. I am excited by all the new technologies I have tried and I plan to use many of them in my classes in the future.

Good luck to all on our upcoming final projects. Let's enjoy the last week and a half and then the rest of the year!!

Melanie

Student Lead Discussions Part 2

Last nights discussions were great again! I really enjoyed listening to everyone talk these last two weeks about something they are pationate about. I think we have all come a long way since the beginning of the CTER program and all are taking away vast amounts of knowledge.

Thanks to all the instructors and classmates who have contirbuted to my ever expanding base of knowledge. I really appreciate it. I am excited about what the future holds for me and for my upcoming students. I hope to be a better teacher because of everything I have learned from this program.

I have had the best instructors and the best classmates that anyone could ask for.

Melanie

Student Lead Discussions

I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed all my classmates topics of discussion last night. I am very excited to do mine next week. After hearing many of you talk about using your webquests in class I am eager to use mine next semeter and see how it works. I plan to do it as a class project.

I am also very excited to show my students my instructional video and I might even have them work in groups to create a math related instructional video and present it to the class. I think they would really enjoy this and get a good deal out of the project.

I will discuss more of my plans for my future classes next week and look forward to hearing some input from my classmates. I believe if we want to be successful teachers in the future we need to adapt to our changing world and our changing students. To me this means using the things that they are intrigued by to engage them in their classes. I think the teachers who are able to accomplish this will be more successful then those who do not even try.

Only two more weeks until Thanksgiving!! I love turkey day!

All the things I have learned!!

I can't believe my CTER career is almost over. I have learned so much the last two years it is unbelievable! The current class I am in has been by far one of the best classes. I have learned so many things about instructional technologies, I can't wait to try some of this in my classroom.

I am planning to use my webquest next semester in one of my algebra classes. I also plan to use a blog as a communication tool with my classes. I will post daily and include announcements, class assignments and upcoming class events and projects. I think this will be a great way to communicate with my class since they don't need anything but the URL!!

I think I will also share with my classes some of my other projects so they can see the great use of technology for educational purposes. I am excited to start next semester and implement alot of what I have learned. I think the future of education HAS to include the use of technology. We have to be able to comunicate with todays generation and technology is the way to do that. I still believe that many traditional methods of teaching are wonderful, but I think now is the time to add to them.

I have enjoyed this class so much!!

Melanie's Instructional Video

I hope you all enjoy!!

Melanie's Digital Story!!

I hope you all enjoy!!

How time flies!!

Wow, where did the month of September go, and look it is already the middle of October. This semester is just flying by, in no time it will be December and I will be finished with the CTER program. I am excited and sad at the same time. I am excited because I will finish an advanced degree and better myself as an instructor. I am sad because I have really gotten to know many of my fellow CTER classmates and I will miss taking classes with them.

I am really having fun with our current assignment, the digital story, it is fun to work with new technologies and learn how to use them. I really like this asignment because I get to share my life with all my class mates who may not know me outside of our classes. Everyone will get to see other sides of me.

I am starting to get nervous about the instructional video and the final project. I hope they go well. I am looking forward to them, just wondering how on earth I am going to make it through the rest of the semester.

On a happy note, my brother in law just got back from his second tour of duty in Iraq. He is currently in Oklahoma and we will all get to see him on Saturday at their welcome home ceremony in Wichita Kansas. Everyone is excited. We haven't seen him since last Christmas. I know my nephew has missed his daddy, it will be a very emotional homecoming.

That's all for now.