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!

Blog Journal #3

Blog Journal #3

      For teaching upper level high school English (grades 11-12), I need to abide by the ELA technology standards that have been set. I know I can excel at using digital media in clever ways for presentations, as I am proficient at Power Points, Prezis, and other forms of visual instruction. Following that, I am confident in my abilities to clarify the meanings of complex words and to evaluate new sources of information. I am efficient at utilizing context clues and can browse the internet for sites like Dictionary.com or Politifact, which assist me in determining the validity of sources and definitions. I am hesitant about integrating various sources of media in my curriculum, such as anything quantitative or number heavy since mathematics and programs like MS Excel are a weak point for me. Another standard that I need to work on is the last standard of gathering relevant information, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the source, and not relying too heavily on a single source. This appears to be a challenge because I get disinterested researching multiple sources and having to meticulously cite them all. I have had previous issues with leaning on one source too much, so this is something for me to monitor. 

      On the CPALMS website, they have multiple engaging resources for educators to use for their classes. Since I wish to be an upper level Language Arts teacher, I found a resource called "Complex Usage: Which Word Will Win?" This resource is an interactive experience that shows pairs of words that are misused often and displays the definitions of each word. This assists us in making sure we are speaking and writing cleanly, instead of using the wrong word or phrase in our vocabulary. I believe this resource is excellent for an English class because even adults mispronounce or misuse similar sounding words (Ex. accept vs except). The current state of technology allows all with internet access to be more informed and to take steps toward correcting our speech. This interactive resource is perfect for young adults who are about to enter the adult world and can benefit from speaking efficiently.

      Throughout my time working on the newsletter assignment, I have enhanced many of my creative skills. The task has challenged me to being more organized and orderly in designing a page that is filled to the brim with information that needs to be communicated to students and parents. I enjoyed placing my mind in the role of a teacher crafting the newsletter, as it made me critically think about the info I needed to discuss. Topics like a grading scale, upcoming readings, class projects and more came to mind when brainstorming articles to include. Visualizing myself in this scenario is vital due to the fact that I will be creating a similar document down the line for my own classroom. A newsletter is especially necessary for an English course since there are a lot of readings, essays and state tests to cover with the subject. When doing an assignment like this in the future, I could improve it by spicing up the color and font styles a bit more. I had difficulty in formatting the entire thing since it was my first time making a newsletter, but next time I will be more familiar with aligning columns and making the articles flow more. Another aspect I will improve upon is including more images or Word Art in order to make the newsletter more visually appealing to my readers. The goal is to draw families in and to keep them engaged in what my class will learn.

file:///C:/Users/emk16b/Downloads/EricKurdak_Assignment1_Newsletter.pdf

ELA/CPALMS link to slides

Our ELA/CPALMS slides

Blog Journal #2:

Blog Journal #2: What's the Word?

   

      Throughout my academic career, I have frequently had the luxury of using Microsoft Word (MS) for my education. As a person who adores literature and writing stories, I have used the program to explore multiple different tales full of complex characters, passionate poetry, along with other detailed expressions. In my four years of television production in high school I used MS Word to form scripts and story boards for my video projects. A handful of the scripts evolved into videos that have gone on to win regional awards in the state of Florida. Unfortunately, my teachers have not used Word the same way as I have. Commonly, Word is pulled up in class to illustrate our various assignments or guidelines for the curriculum. The syllabus, classroom rules, and short excerpts from readings were often displayed on a projector for the class to stare blankly at. The creative and exploratory use of MS Word was extremely limited with the educators I had.

      

      My experience with copyright and fair use guidelines was also introduced to me during my years in television production. The first year I was in the program, we had to learn the history of copyright laws and what intellectual property was in film and media. Since I had to create videos for class using popular songs and images, I was taught how to obtain permission from the creators of the media. My teacher, Mr. Carmody, instructed me on how to write an email to a company, music label, and/or an agent in order to use a song for educational purposes only under fair use. As a teacher, I would follow the same pathway by first educating the class on what copyright/fair use is, along with the history of the rules, and how to clearly implement the fair use strategies. My Power Points and curriculum would give credit to the author for every instance where an idea was not originally my own. I would include watermarks, quotations that included the author-year-page details, and a works cited page at the end. When students create their own works I would have them use some sort of plagiarism checker such as Turnitin.com, or other sources to verify that they are creating original content while citing outside information.

      As technology becomes more implemented in classrooms, issues such as copyright, privacy, and cyber-bullying arise. Copyright is problematic when a teacher posts entire chapters of textbooks or other forms of media online, without being licensed or authorized to do so. To combat this, educators can refrain from posting large quantities of copyrighted information (if without authorization), and only share a miniature amount that gives credit to the source (posting 1-2 pages from the textbook instead of the whole Unit). Privacy becomes an issue when students and teachers have concerns on their information and intellectual properties being distributed online without limits. An effective solution would be to make sure you and your students are aware of where/what is being posted. Teachers must present the options for personal privacy, as private/hidden accounts and information options exist, such as how I was allowed to use a pseudonym for this blog to protect my own privacy. Lastly, cyber-bullying is immensely harmful to classroom settings as students and teachers can be harassed repeatedly anywhere and anytime. Educators must teach their class on the consequences of these actions and provide resources or guidance for students who may experience these issues. An anonymous tip-line to the teacher can be created online for students to express concerns or incidents without feeling embarrassed or alone.

ISTE Standards Reflection

ISTE Reflection

      Working with my group of three was a bit of a challenge. Since there was an extra person, there was more chatter and ideas to go across. Starting up communication was difficult since we had to gather email and contact info for three instead of two. I prefer to use my voice to get ideas across, so typing on a computer to express ideas felt like it took more time and effort.

      When working with my group I had to exemplify the "Collaborator" standard for the assignment. We all had to share the information and resources to create our PowerPoint, and relied upon each other to solve our communication problems. Following that, I had to take on the "Designer" standard to form our PowerPoint and organize the information effectively for the presentation.

Blog Journal #1

Technology and Teaching: The Development of the Classroom

     Since the world is constantly updating and inventing new technology, teachers are encouraged to do the same with their classrooms. Technology in 2018 is inescapable, so applying it to learning is an engaging way to reach students. The current generation has been raised on technological devices their entire lives. Technology allows teachers to explore exciting new ways of learning, where students can participate as if they were playing a game. Additionally, students and teachers are pushed to use technology because of the advantages they offer regarding distance, sickness, disabilities, and so on. Instructors can reach students without both of them being in the same room!

     The ISTE provides multiple important standards to aim for when teaching students. A standard that I greatly connect with is the "Leader" standard. As a educator, you need to be confident, in control, and compassionate towards all of your students. It is a primary responsibility to empower students, ensure that all have equity when learning, and to be a role model for the youth and colleagues alike. A standard that seems challenging to me is the "Collaborator" standard. I struggle with working on teams because I am fiercely independent and like to take charge on projects with my own vision. Adding other thoughts and ideas into the mix can be beneficial, but facilitating multiple voices and minds is no easy task.

     The phrase "digital native" refers to those fluent in technological practices and are more comfortable with the use of it then other groups (generally older generations). The assumptions of being a "digital native" appear to be accurate, as younger people are often born and raised interacting with technology, and are much more adept than digital immigrants. The differences between digital immigrants and natives are evident, as the teachers I've had often need IT assistance or a student to troubleshoot any problems with technology. In high school, a teacher in his late 50's could not figure out how to get the sound working for an educational video, and a student was able to make the fix within a minute. Other instances include teachers only using an uninteresting power point or Microsoft Word to teach, instead of using creative games or websites to teach lessons. As a digital native myself, I do have a short attention span, thrive in technological environments, and prefer to learn via games/apps. In the future, I expect my students to be more proficient than myself with technology, as young minds will be formed around the new devices while my aging brain may struggle to keep up. However, since my generation was raised around technology, I expect us to be more competent teaching with it than the generation before me.