Week Two Tools and Technology

This week I learned a lot about the internet. I didn't think that I would have that much to learn because I often use the internet for research and of course I have e-mail. This week was actually quite beneficial as I learned how to do very advanced searches online. I was able to find poems by searching with the "exact phrase" option. I was also able to search news stories and narrow down what I wanted to find so that I didn't get a lot of repeat hits. This was great because often when I would search for a news story I would get the same results from every major website. I could narrow searches on the Super Tuesday election results and I could also narrow searches on pop culture.
Something else interesting I learned about was the Print Screen option. I had never been aware of that before. I found it helpful in printing the whole screen, but I haven't figured out how to crop a webshot on a PC. I think once I figure it out it will be beneficial for gathering photos and clippings for PowerPoint presentations. It will also be good for personal bookeeping--when I pay a bill online I can print the screen where it says the payment was sucessfully recieved.
The reading this week focused on how students learn and retain information and how educators can use technology to heighten learning. I found the technology and assessments section helpful, since educators will have to be able to teach state tests. However, I agree with the article in that educators should strive to teach students so that they will really learn a concept and not just reatin information. I feel I am already learning a lot about technology which will help me to become a better educator. I will hopefully be better able to relate to my students and also prepare them for a world that is run by ever-increasing technological inventions.