First Official Blog - Week 1 official

Ok so Im not really a blogging person. Im up with facebook and everything but blogging is something I havent really gotten into so here goes.......
Im Terri, I've just gone back to uni to do my Dip Ed in Primary teaching. I work for a pathology company in the lab as well. Im obssessed with dogs, everything to do with dogs, I own 3 and I am a dog trainer.
Up until today I thought I was pretty competent at ICT stuff....until I used non microsoft products and realised there is a lot I still need to learn!!! Im all for technology in the classroom, I think it will make things a lot more accessable to students. I am not liking not having auto correct on this blog, shows up my laziness with grammar and punctuation.....

I loved the program inspiration that we touched on today, I really want it at home!!!! How many assignments I would have and still could do using that program is amazing. So easy to use and practicial.
Paintbrush...not so sure about. Havent used it much for a good reason. I dont find it user friendly at all so I'm going to have to do a quick refresher on it before next week.
The new (well new to me) ideas to educate children using the programs like inspiration are amazing. The concept mapping program, how easy it is to conceptualise and then to put together is outstanding. The bear concept map that Greg had prepared to show us was so simple yet kids would get so much out of creating something like that. Researching what the bears eat then finding a graphic and maybe a sound or two is not only effective for their ICT skills but research and creativity. I am definately keen to explore that program for its other functions.
The concept map I did, I grabbed a couple of images off the graphics provided in inspiration, but then realised I could add my own. I grabbed some pictures off my facebook site for my personal topics then googled pictures of other topics I had put in my map. I played around with colour schemes, fonts and shapes to make the presentation a little more exciting. It was so easy that primary school aged children would get great use out of an activity such as this, one for the memory bank to use on teaching rounds!

That is all for now....so much reading and research to do these days, on the countdown to mid semester break....hang on that means I have to work full time for both weeks....Il get back with which one is the lesser of 2 evils for that one.

PS just checking out the colour schemes

Over and out