Blog Post #7

Blog Post #7

      My Twitter experience has been very engaging up to this point! I would not have been able to connect with fellow students, teachers, and organizations without it. By following accounts such as Edutopia, Pearson, and Education Week, I am able to see the modern developments of educational technology. Interesting articles provide examples on trends in education, how to better teach students, and includes beneficial tips on how to be the best educator possible. I have grown in the way that I connect with others, as I now share tweets with classmates and comment on their shared tweets everyday. This has kept me accountable and constantly checking Twitter for more engaging articles and peer commentary. As previously mentioned, Twitter is phenomenal for connecting across the globe, discovering intriguing news and information about our world, and to express your personal learning network through social media. The only issue that I have experienced is that I often spend too much time on the site, as I find it entertaining, but also very distracting!

      The Web Design assignment has inspired me to flex my creativity with designing the page. Furthermore, I learned how to determine what information students would need, such as links to helpful websites such as Owl Purdue. Another skill that I acquired was learning how to format a website, which is something I have never done before. Now for my future, I can have a slightly easier time building my own website for a class since I have prior experience. Overall, I heavily struggle with graphic designing and assignments such as these, so I have not particularly loved this assignment. I do not design things quickly or efficiently, so I spend many hours doing these tasks. Next time, I can include more color or interesting images for my class, or maybe even a real life picture of our class when I have one. I can also include more information about me, so parents and students can feel like they know who I am in a better sense. In regard to my future, I have activated my imagination to anticipate what future me would want to say to students and parents. I have even learned how to research and compile a page of links that can assist my students, which I'll aim to remember down the line.

Mr. Curth's Website

      Assistive and adaptive technologies are devices or tools that benefit people with disabilities and learning difficulties. They are basically designed to ensure that everyone can learn as effectively as they can, and not be left behind in the classroom. The goal is to maximize their opportunities in a way that considers their needs. My friend had to use a keyboard that made it easier to type when he was in a wheelchair after a car accident. His main writing/typing hand was broken, so the keyboard was able to be in reach and could be raised, lowered, or extended for his non-broken hand to type. In my future classroom, I see challenges with the technology. I worry that I will not be able to properly accommodate for a student with a disability as of now, since I do not have much experience with the technology and need training with it. Another glaring issue is the affordability of the technology, as the student, school, or even myself may not be able to purchase or provide the technology that a student may need to have a quality education.

Blog Post #6

Blog Post #6: Teacher Responsibilities

      A school website can be a wonderful resource to connect with students, parents, and fellow teachers. To analyze with a real-life example, I took a quick glance at a random school that I searched from Google called Osbourn Park High. The school houses students from grades 9th to 12th, and includes information such as an academic calendar that discusses important testing dates and days off. Following that, there is a faculty and staff list with emails provided to contact every member, along with an extensive list of courses that the school provides for students (AP, Honors, Remedial, etc.). Detailed information about specific classes was hidden from me, as the site provided a private Canvas login for students and parents only. However, I found a specific 12th grade Language Arts teacher named Matthew Hoffman, with a class page for his seniors. His page listed out the days which his classes are on, his contact information (email and phone number), and he displayed his office hours. The educator included two tabs titled "Useful Links" and "Files and Documents." Unfortunately, Hoffman's links are not active or working, and the only file I could view was his class syllabus. Out of curiosity, I checked the other Language Arts teachers' pages, and found similar results. Most only contained the class syllabus, course times, and the teacher's contact information.

Osbourn Park High Class Page

      With all the responsibilities that educators have, technology is an important ally for us. In the near future, I envision myself utilizing an online grade-book database such as Canvas. This system would help me distribute assignments and announcements, record student grades, and be able to directly contact students or parents wherever they are. Being able to prevent the consumption and the clutter of paper, along with the mobile access seems immensely beneficial. Another way that technology can assist me in effectively teaching is with a blog on Blogger or with a monthly class newsletter. I would distribute it online (and in person if needed) so parents can be aware of upcoming dates, testing schedule, and other information for their child. By designing a website for the class, I can address concerns before parents have to contact me and ask. This will save time for myself and the families, as loads of information can be distributed on the go. Having parents up to date is vital, and this allows me to appear professional and to communicate with them effectively. 

      When my group visited the Technology Sandbox, the augmented reality device stuck was the most distinct. While wearing the headset, users can be transported to a whole new dimension where everything they see feels realistic and engaging. This device seems phenomenal for a classroom, as you can simulate virtually any scenario. For my future English classroom, I could use the AR to show students the time era or setting that the literary work takes place in. For example, when teaching Romeo and Juliet, I would show 16th-17th century Verona, Italy to assist the students in imagining where the characters and story lines are interacting. The AR can also be utilized for students who are having a rough day and need a quick break to recharge themselves. By entering this calm and separate world, they can hopefully ease their minds for a couple of minutes and then return to class focused.

ILP “Participation” – Lynda: Educational Technology for Student Success

Lynda: Educational Technology for Student Success

      For the Participation option on my Independent Learning Project, I chose to be a part of a Lynda tutorial course pertaining to Educational Technology. The tutorial was titled "Educational Technology for Student Success" and was taught by a professional speaker/educator named Renaldo Lawrence. His course was designed to instruct fellow educators on how to implement technology in classrooms effectively and make the lessons engaging for students in a modern society that requires computer fluency. Throughout the course, I was shown how to create educational content for a classroom, teaching students how to properly navigate the internet, and was shown a sample of applications and software to use. Among these, I learned how to make comps, presentations, videos, and public documents for my future classroom. The critical goal is to teach our nation's students on how to be independent learners with the ever-growing world of educational technology. I think the course was extremely beneficial for me, as I was able to take good notes and listen to educational strategies from a fellow educator. His insight showed me why it is vital to capture a classroom's attention, and his creativity was memorable as I saw the various forms of media he uses for his students. I fully recommend this course to any educator who wants to prepare for their future classroom, and also for any educator who wants to improve their curriculum and class structure.

     
      Notes:

Unit 1: The Educational Technology Landscape 

- Focus on what subject I want to teach and how this can relate to that
- Re-watch the course to focus on how this media can apply to other subjects

- Inform students of licensing/copyright when using images and videos online
- Know the goals of my multimedia = Provide interactive media (Images/colors/video clips) and hone in on what skills they should learn

- Provide materials for parents that are both online and offline
- Provide instruction for parents to teach your lesson to student (if student did not grasp this in lesson in class)
- Unrestricted access for parents is more beneficial than a parent-teacher conference
- This allows your materials to be helpful for multiple learning styles

- Make students/parents aware of legal limits of online use (fair use/copyright)
- Teach and display the Data Protection Act
- Show the search tools on Google/search engine to filter copyrighted materials
- Teach students how to write an email/reach out to content owners to ask permission for using works (Images, music rights, clips, etc.)

-Keep content organized (Make a folder, make sub-folders, put similar files like PP's together)
- Format all pages/files similarly so students know where to go and find them
- Include both video and audio to make your lessons have media-rich content

- Be aware of what content will go in your materials
- Have students consume the content, have them think about what they are doing,
- Also have them make firm decisions based off of what they read/write
- Check student progress/understanding through simple quizzes
-Ex. iBook Author, Adobe Presenter, Storyline, Google Forms

- Don't overload with content, focus on what you need them to grasp
- Capture content with cameras, screen recordings, film, phones, etc.
- Upload content so students/parents can watch, re-watch to learn, and refer back to
- Email the content, post to social media, put in drop box



Unit 2: Practice Educational Technology Tips

- Create a list of links for students/parents/other teachers
- Use MW, PP, Keynote, Flipsnack, Dropbox, Animato, Edmodo, Padlet
- Split content by subject area or chronological time order
- Choose whether people can view, edit, or comment on the document
- Share links with students to help them complete their work
- Do not forget to share with parents/other teachers
-Make sure your audience knows how to find and utilize the document

- Allow students to use their devices in class to take advantage
- Let students take photos of what they are studying
- Allow students to annotate documents on MS Word
- Post/share creations and class activities on Dropbox so students can review

- Allow students to take videos of their teacher in class
- Upload videos of your lessons to Youtube for them to watch
- Include information so students can find these videos quickly

- Use Microsoft PP to make video-based presentations
- Create your own QR Codes for students to roam around and scan their phones at them to view files/videos
-Use QR-code-generator.com
- Place these QR Codes either around your room, or around the school to share your desired information

- Use the free Pro version of Google Earth to teach
- Can be used for historical locations, geography, travel, English, etc.
- Use it to create a Welcome Pack to show new teachers/students/parents around the school and area

- Use Google Search by filtering content on the menu under the search bar
- Can use audio vocals to speak into the microphone
-Google Scholar can be great for older students to search for mature articles, instead of general searches
-Can search for documents, citations, scholarly articles, etc.

- Publish student work on the app called Book Creator
- Can customize the layout, color, text, type of book, title, etc.
- Transfer book to iBooks and share with parents/students/teachers/world

- Adobe Comp CC is free to make usable and mobile comps such as artwork
- Draw your own shapes, or use the custom made options
- Can transfer your comp to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.

- Explain Everything is an whiteboard tool app to show students what you want them to learn
- Draw/organize slides into either a video or a PDF for students to consume
- Export creation to your photo library where you can then share
- You can annotate, narrate, share, download almost anything

- Use Lynda or YouTube to review content and have instructions with technology
- Utilize the free tools/apps available for your classroom
- Ask students what platforms/apps would they like to use or learn with
- Ask other teachers what they use in their classrooms

Lynda: Educational Technology for Student Success

Blog Journal #5

      Using Diigo for the first time was a very enlightening experience. The concept of bookmarking was familiar to me since I have used computers for years, but social bookmarking was a unique entity. Finding articles/web pages, and then tagging it to our class group was something that I could see myself implementing in my future classroom. I particularly loved how we could comment and analyze the bookmarks shared by classmates. Another aspect I enjoyed was how we could catalog or differentiate pages with tags that we created ourselves. However, I do think the layout could be more colorful and less of a cluttered feed of tagged pages. I also dislike how there are some features limited since we are only utilizing the free version, as the entire educational source should be more available to all.  
      Before this semester, I never blogged consistently in my life. By posting every week, I realize that I am reflecting more critically than ever before on my thoughts with educational technology. Since I write paragraphs on what I am learning and feeling, I am becoming more aware of what I love with teaching. I further recognize my strengths and passions with English materials, and am challenged with the assignments and readings. A downside that I noticed is that I have become too critical of myself when writing the blogs. I am more aware of my weaknesses when doing assignments and tasks, such as designing a newsletter or anything visually creative. I often enjoy writing the blogs since I am a gifted writer, but I dislike writing that is for a grade. Furthermore, I discovered that I find it fascinating how my thoughts are out there for others to comment or critique. This feeling is unusual because I commonly keep my writings to myself, and do not share them with others. The blogging experience has forced me out of my comfort zone and deeper into the world of educational technology.
      Ted Talks (TED Conferences LLC) are a phenomenal type of Web 2.0 tool to introduce to a classroom. Ted Talks are inspirational and educational discussions from renowned guest speakers of our modern era. They extend over multiple fields such as technology, philosophy, business, science, and education. These brief speeches are available online for people to stream and learn from whenever they desire. Ted Talks are a Web 2.0 tool because it counts as a shareable content. The tool can be listened to as an interactive resource, people can tag others to the source, and the possibility of reaching billions of people exists. I would include these in my class curriculum because they can spark critical thinking from my students on a variety of issues, specifically literature for my future English class. CK Williams has a beautiful speech on "Poetry of Youth and Age" that I would introduce to my class to inspire their writing and mindset on creating literary art. All in all, Ted Talks are an incredible way to reach or motivate students and educators to achieve their full potential, and to learn something new about the world and themselves in the process.

Ted Talks

Blog Journal #4

Blog Journal #4

      My time that has been spent experiencing Twitter through an educational lens has been incredibly beneficial. I have been sharing and commenting on tweets to several EME 2040 classmates like Avery and Noah. The educational sources and articles they share have given me insight into new developments in the technology world that aid in education. I have also been retweeting and sharing posts from education-based accounts such as "Education Week" and "edutopia" that provide educational studies and updates about classroom technology. Twitter can be an amazing tool to utilize in my career, as it is a commonly adored social media to get students to participate in, and has access to endless supply of news and information. Similar to our course, I could have students create an educational twitter account for my class in order to connect and share information online that pertains to our English classroom! 
      The phrase "digital divide" refers to the modern dilemma describing the gap between people who do not have access to technology and those who do. The ones who have access to this technology at home (or at school) contain a major advantage over students who do not, making educational opportunities unequal. The students who lack the technology will have to go out of their way to reach it, either having to go to a library, a friend's house, or to school when not in class. They will learn with more difficulty since the shortcuts and tools are not at their disposal (Ex. Having to read an entire book and search for answers instead of using a summary online). The digital divide can be attributed to economic inequality (the class system), location (rural vs suburb vs urban city setting) and poor funding for many public schools. As a teacher, some of my students may not have sufficient access to technology. To combat this, I have to allot extra time for them to complete assignments and I can give them access before or after school in my classroom. Additionally, I could attempt to limit technological use in my curriculum by mostly using the equipment in school, or I can offer fewer/alternative assignments.
      As technology progresses, more and more teachers are bringing apps and academic software into the classroom. When I become a teacher, I would love to use BrainPOP and Quizlet for my high school English class. BrainPOP is a website that houses a massive collection of animated videos that summarize multiple topics. There are videos on historical events such as World War Two, science lessons on Biology, and even videos covering famous books or authors. I would love to show my class these videos before we dive into a new lesson or topic, as the animated and quirky clips present engaging background information in a digital format. Quizlet is a website that allows users to create and share study guides or notes about anything related to academics. In my classroom, I would create a virtual study guide off of the app/website in order for my students to prepare for the exams I give. This would encourage them to study and prepare to memorize important lessons about literature in the curriculum!