Courtney+Gibbs



Hi! My name is Courtney Gibbs and I am a senior Elementary Education major at Clemson University. I grew up in Easley, SC attending schools inside Pickens County.

I try to be technologically literate, however, I do not feel that I have enough knowledge about some areas. I work well with MS Office, except Excel because I feel like no one has really taught me much about the features of the program. I also would like to know more about creating a website so that I can use one for my future students. I have a Smart Board in my classroom at Hunt Meadows Elementary, but I am interested in learning to use more of the Promethean Board software because it seems to have more features than the Smart Board. It doesn't seem like there are many technological resources for the teachers to use, especially because there are so many rules about what they can have on their computers. No software can be externally downloaded and no desktop icons can be present, which makes things difficult. I am interested in learning about the laptop microscopes that have been purchased recently in order to expose the children to more technology.

 While going through the Edutopia website, I found it interesting that there were videos about certain topics dealing with education. I especially liked how there were videos that explained social/behavioral issues and how to address them in the classroom.

_ **Math Extension Idea**

My students are having issues grasping place value and how to count by tens. I would like to use the base ten models found online, as well as Kidspiration in my classroom. My teacher doesn't use manipulatives in her classroom, and I feel that this is hindering the students from understanding her lessons.

_ **Science Instruction & Technology**

__ Reflection __ I thought that some portions of the science technology session were great, but others weren’t. The science presentation from the two women was interesting and could definitely be implemented into the classroom. We have learned that it is important for students to learn through guided discovery in science, which their presentation stressed. The microscopes were also great because they are something I could see myself using in the future. In my current placement there are no science materials, so I would enjoy using the microscopes with my students. They are easily transported and plastic so they don’t seem as fragile as the huge, heavy ones everyone recognizes. When we went to the motion detector and thermometer session, I don’t feel like I would use that in my classroom. We were left to just explore, but we didn’t understand how to use the software in order to explore. The technology may have been interesting, but we weren’t given any instruction on how to understand it.

__ Useful Sites __ [] This site contains countless Biology resources. The content is likely to in depth for elementary age students, but this could be a great teacher resource. There are even quizzes that the teacher could adapt to fit his/her classroom. There are also videos, slideshows, and wallpapers for students or teachers to explore.

[] Cyber Tree House teaches students how to be safe online, as well as the legalities involved with downloads and plagiarism. Some elements of the site can be for younger students; however, the quizzes are geared for upper elementary or higher grade levels. This site also gives students resources for help that are “smart” and resources that are “uncool.” The Cyber Ethics Champion Code and Certificate can be used for students to repeat in order to be safe online. The certificate is a printable that students could keep to show their pledge.