Course Re-cap

I found the assignments in this course to be very useful for a couple of reasons. One major reason is it allowed me to have to figure out how to navigate and design some of the projects on my own. This was much more involved and time consuming than if I were in a classroom setting and following along with the instructors lead. Being forced to explore and figure things out on my own fostered a more authentic learning environment that some of my previous experiences with learning Web 2.0 applications.

This course also allowed me to explore new tools and resources that ultimately will benefit my students in the classroom. I find that current students are very good at navigating and figuring out how to use the programs on the internet very easily and very quickly the first time through, unlike myself. I am a technology teacher, although not all tech teachers are good with computers, we are good problem solvers and have alot of oppertunity to spark and tap into students' creativity in a hands-on learning environment. The more knowledge I am able to obtain on different applications, the more students I will be able to connect with. Learning is all about making connections and participating in supportive risk-taking oppertunities. Students gravitate towards classrooms with structure and environments that support authentic learning. I believe that a lot of the knowledge that I have gained from taking this course will assist me in becoming a better teacher through making more connections with students at levels that they are more comfortable and familiar with.

In the future I would jump at the oppertunity to take other courses like this. Other online courses that I have taken in the past have been very frustrating and discouraging. This course contradicts those feelings and allows me to work at my own pace. The resources that were provided, such as the YouTube examples, were crucial for my success in this course.

Penn State Industries

This catelog is a resource for wood turners. The main focus of this site is to promote woodworking in the middle and highschool Technology classroom. This company specializes in the tools and supplies to make items such as; pens, yo-yo's, winebottle stoppers, keychains, fishing lures and many other projects that can be made on a mini lathe. Also there are products for dust collection systems in shops as well as many differnt varieties in shop tools for the woodturner.

The URL address: www.pennstateind.com

Wood Turning

There are many different types of projects that can be made in the woodshop using a variety of different tools. The Lathe is a tool used for making objects that are perfectly round such as a baseball bat or a salad dish. Like many other powertools, the lathe can be a very dangerous is not properly instructed on how to use it safely. This site offers links to many schools and instructional videos to begin learning how to use the lathe. This site has links to articles, projects and different forums for woodturnering. Also there links to tools, supplies and reviews of the trade.

The URL address: http://www.woodturningonline.com/

NYSTEA

New York State Technology Education Association is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents for Technology Teachers accross the state. This site offers lesson plans for different Technology Education curriculums. The site also offers many links to professional growth sites as well as an up-to-date account of where the world of Technology Education is headed. This site is an invaluable resource for tech teachers to persue technological literacy in the classroom through authentic learning content and curriculum.

The URL address: www.nystea.com

Woodsmith Magazine

This site is a link to a collection of woodworking journals of projects and techniques for use in the woodshop. The journals can be viewed online or they can be ordered for the classroom resource library. The journals can be ordered in hardcover versions and also placed in binders that Woodsmith offers to help organize your library. The journals have pictures of the finished product, Bill of Materials, Step-by-step assembly, and also very good exploded view pictorals. An excellent resource for the classroom or Furniture building students at the highschool levels as well as the craftsman.

The URL address: www.woodsmith.com

You Tube

YouTube is a good reasouce for visual learners. Simular in nature to HowStuffWorks.com, this site is more of a how to. The interesting aspect of this site is that any viewer can also be an author on the site. If you wanted to show how to explain or make a particular item, then a simple search allows the viewer to see many different examples. When uploading videos, viewers are able to easily find explanations to anything they desire to search for. I find this site to be very useful in the educational system because it's constantly changing and new videos are being posted.

The URL address: www.youtube.com

The Family Handyman

This site is designed to be a resource for the home handyman. This site can be used as a reference source for tackling projects around the home from replacing the garage door, to fixing a leaky faucet. The site is very user friendly for all ages of DIYers. I enjoy the showdowns that the authors create to compare different brands of simular types of tools. This site also offers a good resource for shop tips and techniques for making your workshop to be as efficient as possible.

The URL address: www.familyhandyman.com