Course Reflection

Taking an online computer class was a bit frightening at first. I am not great with computers. I followed the tutorials and was amazed that I was able to make a movie, create a web page, have my own blog, and much more. I found that I was excited to start on the next project. I found this class to be very informative. I will use these projects in my classroom.One of my weak points was getting frustrated when I did not understand. My strong point was my enthusiasm to learn more. I will take from this class that if you slow down and follow instructions you can complete projects.I enjoyed the google group assignment and felt that I got to know my classmates a little. I felt that Dr. Wang gave good feedback and gave us chances to improve our work. That was very helpful to me because it made the material more concrete in my mind.I used e-mail, blog, and discussion board most frequently in this class. We were not required to use Live Classroom or voice board but were introduced to them. I think that the tools we used very helpful in the learning process.When I first started attending the University of Southern Mississippi I did not see the big deal about technology, I even said that it was a waste of time for me to take the BTLE because I would not be using much technology in the special education room where I planned to teach. I was definitely wrong. Technology can enhance the learning process so much so that every teacher needs to be as up to date as possible. I am thankful that I took this course and am able to use these tools in my classroom.Perhaps my favorite project was the making the movie. I was surprised at how easy something can be when given a tutorial. I am excited to teach my students so that they can create their own movie, I think it would be great to use this tool as a portfolio of the work they had done throughout the year. That way they could use it as a self-reflection.Another plus that I got from this course is that I can do it if I want to bad enough. My daughter thinks it is pretty cool that I can actually show her something for a change.She is only twelve but very good with computers.I hope to take many more technology classes as they are always evolving.

Assistive Technology

I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment.I was unaware that all those options were available.I had always believed that in order to get special tools, you would have to buy extra software. I will share that knowledge with others that I know and use it to help my students. I had a little trouble with the sound but was able to work it out. These are some techniques that would also benefit my parents as well.I have a daughter who goes to a sheltered workshop in during the day.I changed the contrast on my daughters computer because she has vision problems and she could not believe the difference it made. There are several options that would make their computer usage more enjoyable. I will also share these tools with the teachers at school. These tools would be very beneficial to students with special needs.The tools are self explanatory. Assistive Technology Link

Web Page Assignment

I really enjoyed this assignment. I was truly amazed how easy it was with the tutorial. I know some seasoned teachers who freak out when they have to make a web page. This class, along with the tutorials, make it easy enough for me so I cannot wait to share these techniques with others.I will use this to create a class website. I feel that it will make communication with the parents better. I will also provide a hard copy in case parents do not have access to the computer.I think this would be a terrific site to place different programs that will help our students out side of school as well. For example my students with special needs may want to play on a soccer team and I could post who they need to contact,etc. This a link to my site: http://sites.google.com/site/crorgill/resources

Turnitin Project

This was a useful site for educators. I followed the tutorial and everything went pretty smooth.The issues that we were required to research were interesting.I have often wondered how teachers check for plagerism.I think that it is important to teach students early the risks involved in using the internet.If they learn early they will be less likely to make these mistakes. I know that the issues we face our quite large when we use the internet but the more knowledgeable we are the more likely we will avoid unwanted websites, identity theft, and preditors. We sometimes want to shelter our students but if we make them aware of the pitfalls they will be able to avoid it. I think the good information we get from the internet far outweighs the bad.. Turnitin Project Link:

Web assignments

I enjoyed this assignment. I did not have to much trouble creating the rubric but had trouble uploading it. It did not want to convert. I will use these tools in my classroom. I am always amazed at what technology can accomplish.I have used the rubic maker before but I am still awed about how easy it is as well as being a great way to assess students. Using these projects actually allows that teacher more time to teach. The rubric allows the student to know exactly what the teacher is assessing so that they are aware before starting an assignment. I believe that. I will assess my students using rubrics the majority of the time. Here are my project links.

Easy Test Maker:

TrackStar Link:

Rubric Link:

Google Group Assignment

I really enjoyed the assignment. I feel that I got to know my classmates better. I can see this being a useful tool in the classroom. I look forward to the projects to come.It was interesting posting questions and responding to them. One of our teammates had trouble logging in but that was finally corrected.This could be a useful site to share with teachers when collaborating lesson plans,etc.I also think this is a useful tool for families that live far away to keep up to date with each other. This could also be useful for teachers to collaborate with parents.There are multiple uses for this tool.Google Group Assignment

My Movie Story was a fun new experience although I had a difficult time. I had to use Windows Live Movie Maker and could not find a way to add narration. I searched and searched but was unsuccessful. I know that this tool will come in handy when I use it in my classroom.I think it is very exciting to make your own movies and students will find this facinating.I have windows 7 on my computer and see how important software can be.I have learned that different operating systems are able to do different thing. I have had a lot of difficulties with Windows 7 and Vista because they do not work well with the tutorials. I just have to search around until I can find the best alternative. This a link to my movie: