Post 3

For my lesson plan I would like to students to go to mypyramidtracker.gov, and review the information outlined dealing with eating healthy. I would like each student to keep a journal and record everything that they eat for the next week. At the end of the week I would like them to input the data into the pyramid. This will allow each student to visually see which areas of the food pyramid that they are eating, and if they are eating healthy. This will be for college freshman students, being that most students gain about 15 pounds during their first year away from home.
For this age group I don’t have any concerns with the internet use for the students. All students in college are adults, and they are mature enough to complete the assignment without rearing off and doing other things. The only thing which may distract their attention might be checking their email, facebook, or updating their twitter during class time.
The web based tool, would be the nutrition/diet tracker which can be found on http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/

Post 2

I attended Horace Mann Middle School, and was fortunate enough to be apart of their computer magnet program. This was the time that I was formerly introduced to Microsoft Word. During these years I learned how to use the basic functions of Microsoft Word, and by the eight grade I had become very familiar and comfortable with using the software. Teachers over the course of my educational tenure have used Microsoft Word, to display notes during class. They have also used this software to display information online such as guidelines for test, quizzes, or assignments. I haven’t really seen any teachers or students for that matter use word in a creative setting. The most creative thing that elementary teachers have done would be to have a lot of clip art pictures on a page and allow kids to match it up with the correct name. This is just creative because it provides a visual with the words so the children can learn it.
So far in this course the skills that have been provided have served somewhat as a review for me. I have learned all of these things before however it reinforced old concepts that I have become vague. Within the remaining semesters of my educational career all of the skills learned for Microsoft Word will aid me, in assignments that deal with writing research papers, or outlines.

Post 1

Computers and new technologies are important parts of the educational experience because it allows academic programs to transition with the growing trend. Nowadays, whether you look at educational levels from elementary all the way to post graduate careers, technology has become an epidemic. For example, my younger cousin is in the fifth grade, and she had a mini project, where she had to use the internet to research information about President Obama. It seems that teachers or schools have already integrated technology and computers into their curriculum. The advancement of technology has allowed researching, networking, and daily task to become a lot more accessible and in many cases easier. Another example on why new technologies are important in our education experience is because it prepares you for the newest/latest things in regards to automobiles, cell phones, pda’s, laptops, etc. Just about every market has incorporated new technologies within their products, and it will allow you to transition smoothly to the advancements. I definitely agree with some of the issues raised in Chapter 1 however I disagree with some points as well. In Chapter 1 it discussed that over that as technology continues to advance that teachers will begin to teach basic computer skills less. I believe that technology has been implemented in our society, and individuals will always need to learn the basics on how to operate a computer so teachers will always have to keep it apart of their curriculum.

Within this course I think that we will use computers and the advancement of technology in order for us to learn basic computer concepts and programs. These programs can be Microsoft word, excel, access, and maybe power point. However I think that this course will go more in detail and might explore other programs because CGS2100, and CGS206 explore and teach the basics. I have gained experience over the years regarding basic computer concepts, learning how to type, and how to perform basic intermediate networking skills. I have not gained any knowledge on building and maintaining websites, so this is something that I hope will be explored within this course.

Currently my future career deals with providing service or assistance to families and children. My major is Sociology and Family Child Sciences, and I have recently applied for a job as a community liaison as a program assistant through the University of Florida. This job combines both the research and business with working with the surrounding counties of Tallahassee and working with the community. This is a job that I would love to do because you can give back to the community and see the fruits of your labor.

Chris Forde: Learning Style Assignment

Prior to being enrolled in this course I have had several experiences dealing with technology. During my adolescent years I attended a computer magnet program while in middle school. At this school we learned how to type, use Microsoft programs, and the basics functions of computers. Moving along and transitioning to high school I attended a Technical School, where my focus was in Computer Networking through the CISCO Network Administrator Program. During these years my experience with computers grew. I was introduced with different concepts and devices such as Lan's, Wan's, Switches, etc. The overall goal was to learn how to build, breakdown, and facilitate an operational network for a small class room, or a company. Now in my college years my experience with technology deals with common things such as email, blackboard, and facebook.

During this semester, within this course I hope to learn or fine tune a lot of the previous things that I have learned. I would also like to learn new things which I am sure will be introduced through the semester as the course becomes more detailed. It is somewhat too early to completely list everything that I would like to gain from this course, however a better understanding, or a broader outlook on the technological advances that we have offered at our finger tips in this day and time will be what I am trying to gain fr0m the course.

After completing the Learning Styles assignment it supported my prior thoughts about how I classified my learning style. It showed that I am an active learner meaning that I like to be involved in group discussions, or study material with others in study groups. It also showed that I am a visual learner. I have an easier time remembering things if it I am shown material through charts, graphs, etc. I as lo can retain information easier if its talked about out loud, and can work through problems as long as it talked out. All in all this assignment was helpful although it just provided additional backing to what I already knew.