Me and my girlfriend Nicole

The picture says it all, we went to see the midnight showing- I am a new Harry Potter fan and the new movie is amazing!!! Go see it!!

I went all out with this one. Just trying to use all of the available features!



Final Emerging Technology

For my third and final emerging technology posting, I decided to use a program I have never experienced before, but have been interested in it as many of my friends use it constantly. Picnik is a very popular tool used today to edit, create, and share pictures. Once I started using the program I really had no intentions of stopping. Picnik is such an easy program to get started with and use that it makes it so fun. Anyone can use it and have a great time. Though many of the features have to be bought to "upgrade" the picnik, it still leaves one with enough features to use to really create something special. For first time users using picnik, there isnt really any advice needed. Have fun with it, and it easily shows how to use each seperate function, and what it does. Super easy and super fun!!!!

My Experience With Creating My Own Survey!!!

The Emerging Technology that I chose for my posting this time, was a survey tool known as Survey Monkey. Survey Monkey is a commonly used program in both schools and businesses all around the world today. Like other survey tools available, Survey Monkey is very easy to use and understand, as I was able to set up my survey in less than 5 minutes. It was a lot of fun going through the different steps in setting up my survey, because I have completed a lot of surveys myself for both friends and professors. Friends of mine have used Survey Monkey for their classes, and post them to Facebook so they can get responses from many different sources and close friends. My professors have used it as a way to better the class. Like an end of the semester survey taken in every class, I think it would be much easier if the teacher were to simply set up a survey online. The steps that I took in making my survey were extremely simple. The website does a great job of laying everything out there for people who are new to using the program. It is a very easy to use system and my first time experience was a lot of fun. I would encourage anyone to use the Survey Monkey program over any other program, simply because it is so easy to use.

Cameron Foster's Survey!!!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XP8XV6D%22%3EClick 

Click the link above to view and take the survey that I have created! Enjoy :)

Emerging Technology- Podcasting!!!

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/ctfoster/Untitled%20_9_.wma

Above I have posted the site to where you can listen to my podcast that I have recorded!!!

Using my Audio Recorder application on my Dell laptop, I was able to create my first podcast. When I read on experiences for first time podcasters' I was shocked to see the amount of people saying how scared/nervous they were, that they didn't know what to say. I just went for it, and actually found myself having a lot of fun doing it. My life is probably too boring to continue to tell my "viewers" about everything that happens to me, but in certain situations I will for sure be creating podcasts. What is a podcast you might ask. Well a podcast is an audio or visual, (many people forget about how podcasts can be visual as well) media file, that is commonly produced in series. They are used for many things including educational purposes and music. People all over the world are starting to use podcasting more and more because of the easy access availability to viewers. It is also easy for people to communicate who live miles and miles apart from one another. Podcasting is an easy and powerful way to communicate ideas and messages. I find podcasting to be useful in many ways, but I feel that as a future teacher, being able to use podcasting for notes, or visual aids for students will go a long way in helping them to succeed.
For those who are new to podcasting, like myself, I found that the easiest way to start is by just having fun with it. I literally threw myself into the podcast world, by playing with the different gadgets, and recording myself talk about random things, even sing (which will not be available to viewers) about anything that came to my mind. Using the free application my computer already had on it, was both easy and fun, and I am very anxious to listen to the podcasts' of my fellow students!! Good Luck!

del.icio.us URL

http://www.delicious.com/camcam1313

Critical Thinking Module

Cameron Foster

W200

Critical Thinking Essay

            When a fourth grade classroom was asked to close their eyes and picture walking through their own created school, they all included within the first 3 things, a library. And in this library they got into detail, but mainly about computers, and things relative to technology, as well as communication with fellow classmates. As I read through the articles “Ideal School Library,” and “10 Ideas for Getting Started with 21^st Century Teaching and Learning” I began to realize what a school would really be like and how it would flow so much nicer if technology was used, and used the right way.

            In the article “Ideal School Library” the author talks about getting away from what we as people have grown up on what we think libraries are. The last sentence of the first paragraph ends with, “with shooshing not generally required.” I completely agree with this statement. As I have experienced in my schooling, I find it much easier when I enter the IUPUI library to head straight to the fourth floor, which is not the quiet floor. Being able to communicate verbally, especially when working in a group, is much easier than having to watch how loud you talk.

            The article then begins to show questions, and answers to people who put in their two senses about their ideal library. I like Chad Lehmans thoughts on his ideal library. Chad states “that the modern library/media center should have lots of computers and tables for collaboration. There should be comfortable chairs and even small study rooms available for students. There should be a certain amount of printed books available, along with DVD's.” He then goes on to say that, in libraries students should be able to walk around and communicate. Basically Chad’s ideal library would be that of IUPUI’s, as it has room to move around and collaborate in groups, staff on hand and ready with information any student may need, and also small rooms for groups to get away and be able to do their own thing.

            In summary of the article, the one thing that I noticed every ideal library posted had, was an immense amount of technology. And not only did they include computers and televisions, but someone that is always around who has knowledge on each piece of technology and can answer any questions need be. From personal experience, I think that sometimes always having a computer around today can cause a huge distraction for students. For instance I, yes im guilty, find myself always clicking around the internet or getting on facebook or twitter. It is interesting to see how many students are actually doing their homework in libraries these days.

            The article “Ten Ideas for Getting Started with 21^st Century Teaching and Learning,” is a informative article that makes people realize, that yes technology should be used in the classroom, but the educators should have a valid understanding about each aspect of the technology. It says that many people make the mistake that educators instantly need to be able to build their own websites, post their own blogs, etc. I have never even posted a blog and I am at the age where my peers do it every day. This just makes me think of my parents. The most technically challenged pair you will meet, but they try to hide it. Mom has a blackberry, and an i-touch, and really has no idea what she is doing. This is exactly what the article is saying, my mom basically just threw herself into the technological world without warning or chance to become familiar with it first.

            The list of ideas to begin educating innovatively starts with equipment. Equipment is very important in being able to teach in a technological manner. The author states that the three key sources in a classroom would have to be, a computer, a projector, and internet access, also having a computer cart so that each student is able to access the internet alongside the teacher. Through the article, it gets into detail about curriculum, and standards. I think that these two are the biggest factors in classroom technology. For a teacher to be prepared to teach a class he/she must has something set up, and in this case a technological lesson needs to be well planned out, but also accessible.

            In conclusion to the two articles, my position as far as technology in the classroom stays the same. I think it is a great idea to integrate technology, especially today, because it seems like technology is taking over the world little by little. Inside and outside the classroom its always going to be there, so being able to be warned and prepared for it is just another luxury we have today.

           

Getting Started On My Blog

As I began to browse through blogger.com, it all seemed very well layed out and super easy to follow. It reminds me alot of a Myspace page, which I know we all had at one point, by the way one can set up the whole page to their likings, and add pictures and animations. I actually have really enjoyed working on my blog so far, and intend to keep doing so after our class is through, as I feel it is a great way of communication, and a good way to "vent." I few tips I would give to students as they begin to set up their own blog would be to just have fun with it and make it something that reflects them as a person, because it is hard to understand where a person is coming from or what a person is about through a webpage. Pictures are a great idea and a great way to help be recognized, so I would suggest that the more pictures on the page the better! I hope everyone in the class has as good a time as I did setting up my blog!