Post # 3

In chapter four of our text book, I learned a lot about the pieces of a computer and the way these pieces work and work together. It was very interesting. Digital means that a device understands two states, on and off. And the book goes on to tell about these digits that form bits, and what they represent. I learn that input is what one enters into the computer and it can be in four forms- data, programs, commands, and user repsonses. An input device is any hardware that allows you to put input into a computer, like a keyboard or a pda pen. Data that has been processed into a form that people can use and understand is called output. Four types of output care text, graphics, audio and video. Now, I am very familiar with today's storage devices because we use them for computers, cell phones, and even camera to store memory. Because I have so much experience with them, this is not brand new information.

I added a link to personality tests that I think is phenomenal. I am very interested in knowing myself because I believe that when I know myself, then I can understand others. Those tests, some by psychologists, some by the others, are designed for all sorts of purposes. Some are for fun, like, what animal are you most like, and some are serious, like, Career Interest Inventory, which tells me what types of careers would be good for me based on my personality. I encourage everyone to get to know themselves better. Be careful though, it's addictive!

Since my last posting, I've learned much about technology in the classroom. Through the Inspiration 8 Software I've learned that there are many more types of "Thinking Maps" as they called them when I was in school and they can be used for very complex in-depth ideas, or simple compare and contrast models. As a student looking forward to being a candidate for a PhD one day, even I can use a detailed map to have a graphic display of my ideas.

Post # 2

While meandering through the sites that Mr. Gentile sent me to, I found a bunch of helpful sources that will help me throughout my professional career as a Guidance Counselor. When I clicked on Counseling and Guidance, I found information on how to deal with all sorts of occurrences at schools. It was particularly interesting when I found information on how to help kids cope with issues such as bomb threats, and other serious issues that create fear in children. To me, school should be the safest place outside of a home for a kid to be. As a guidance counselor, I have the power to make that happen. I also read about peer mediation, which I think is an awesome tool for all schools to use, that way children with problems have a place to talk and get help without feeling like they are the only ones with problems. I learned a great deal from this website because every time I clicked on a link, I was jumping into a plethora of more information. That's exciting.

Since my last posting, I learned many new things about technology. I learned how to create and design a pamphlet. That will be especially useful in my career and I plan to place a really nice and creative one in my portfolio for an impressive interview. I think it will be useful to my career because teachers are super busy people already, yet they would like to have information from the school at their fingertips. Writing informational pamphlets for teachers, students, and their parents would be a way to keep the communication flowing without work overload for the teachers. Guidance Counselors are awesome people who help students with real life, and that's a big deal to some students who really don't have anyone to turn to.

One piece of assisting technology that I read about was the reading pen. Made for students with dyslexia, I find that it can be helpful to students who are better listeners than readers, or students that read too fast. Simple in form, this device can help many and that's what's unique about it. For kids with even more complicated disabilities, the Intellikeys System was one that I usually saw around schools and I think that since it's common, then it must work well.

Post # 1

In my public schools years from 4th to the 12th grade, I had some teachers who implemented the ARCS system well. Some, in their monotonous voices, would lecture for the whole day that way. I wish all my teachers tried to implement the ARCS model. When a love for learning, motivation, is instilled in a person, they seek to find out more about whatever they thirst for. So having teachers certified in the technological advances of society is very beneficial for the students. Another thing i found so interesting in the reading was the many types of technology that there actually are! Never once did I think about my brakes and gas pedal as being technological. I have always known computers to be powerful and it amazes me that this is just 2007. By 2050 the power of these machines will be too amazing.

I've learned much using the SAM program, however I wouldn't call them shortcuts. It was more like, alternatives to what I was accustomed to. If it's not broken, why fix it? That's my philosophy when learning alternatives to things I already know how to do. For example, I am very comfortable with copy and paste. Using other routes to get what I want will be a challenge for me but hopefully it will be helpful. I hope that, as we get deeper in the software, that I learn things that I never knew about. SAM doesn't know what level I am at in computer literacy, so it's only right that I begin at the beginning.

My future career will have much to do with technology. I am no stranger to it so I embrace my future as a high school guidance counselor. And later on in life, I want to be a Marriage and Family Therapist. I will use technology to stay posted with clients, perhaps get them involved with writing blogs, which, I have noticed, can be very therapeutic. I know my minor is Education because I want to learn how to gain control of a classroom. I think teachers are phenomenal people. I want their skills to educate people to flow into my everyday life.