Data Collection & Reporting Tools
I believe that data collection tools in the form of surveys would be extremely helpful as a teacher. One grade level and subject I am interested in teaching is high school English. In any high school English class, I think it would be a great idea for me as a teacher to create surveys to gage how well my students understood a lesson (including the sub parts of the lesson). This would allow me to see where my students are struggling and areas that I might need to cover again. Excel could be used to see how my student's are achieving through grade books and charts.
"The Flipped Classroom"
This particular instructional design essentailly switches what learning is traditionally done in the classroom and at home through homework. Core instruction is done at home in place of homework while assignments that allow the application of what was learned is done in the classroom. Personally, I really like this style of teaching because it is when students' are applying the knowledge that they often struggle or make mistakes and this model allows the teacher to be their to help the students at this time. I also think that watching videos or reading texts before the class can help students feel more prepared and they can come prepared with any questions they might have.
A Technology Skill I Want to Learn
The next technology-related skill I would like to learn is safety and security. This is somewhat of an umbrella term but includes defending myself against things like computer viruses and spam. Not only would learning this skill keep myself protected, but it would also keep things like my students' grades confidential. It would also be a valuable lesson to teach my students. I plan to learn this skill by watching videos and certified webpages.
Instructor's Blog
I thought it was really interesting that my classmate's mentioned how having a website would not only help future teachers but also speech-language pathologists in blog #7. It's cool to see how many people benefit from classroom websites. I also loved reading all of the different academic software tools that my classmates mentioned from blog #9. Some of these I hadn't even heard of before like Edmodo and I'm excited to look into them!
Comments
I commented on Brittany and Morgan's posts!
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Blog #10
Technology and teacher professional development
As a future teacher, I recognize the importance of continuing to educate myself. A teacher should not simply receive a degree and stop their learning there. This would ultimately hinder their intelligence and therefore what they are able to teach their students. We live in a rather technologically based world and technology is every growing and changing. It is important that teachers regularly attend seminars and workshops where they can learn more as things adapt to teach their students properly and effectively.
New skills acquired from working on the two PowerPoint assignments
I have worked with PowerPoint software since I was a child, however our past two assignments made me explore this software in new ways. The first PowerPoint assignment required adding a voice over which was new to me. This felt a little awkward to record, but I loved this assignment and thought it was so fun and helpful for a future teacher since it was an actual lesson! The nonlinear PowerPoint assignment was definitely harder for me since I had never even heard of these before, but I loved the creativity and freedom it allowed potential students. I read through the directions and watched a few videos online to learn how to do it. It was a little difficult at first, but now that I understand it I would love to implement this into lessons. My first PowerPoint was a lesson on rhymes for kindergarten to first graders and my second PowerPoint was an interactive adventure through Spain for a Spanish class!
Topics I found most interesting from the instructor's blog
I really loved how throughout Ray's blog posts she encouraged us to look back at our own previous blog posts. I think that this is a wonderful way to reflect on the way that we used to view a course on educational technologies when we had barely learned anything at all compared to now at week 10 of our course. I think it is so important to reflect on how our minds, opinions, and thoughts have grown and developed as we learn more. It was also really cool to see all of the technological tools used in elementary school and Web 2.0 tools that our classmates mentioned.
Comments
I commented on Olivia's post in regard to the PowerPoint assignments (how we enjoyed each of them and what we learned). I also commented on Hayley's post, particularly about technology and teacher development because I really appreciated the insights she had!
As a future teacher, I recognize the importance of continuing to educate myself. A teacher should not simply receive a degree and stop their learning there. This would ultimately hinder their intelligence and therefore what they are able to teach their students. We live in a rather technologically based world and technology is every growing and changing. It is important that teachers regularly attend seminars and workshops where they can learn more as things adapt to teach their students properly and effectively.
I think Teach Hub is an awesome website for keeping up to date with changes in technology that teachers should be aware of, especially this article. I also love that they have a "Professional Development" tab on their website! They also have community and "Hot tips..." tab that can be super helpful for teachers. The link is https://www.teachhub.com/staying-current-technology-classroom
New skills acquired from working on the two PowerPoint assignments
I have worked with PowerPoint software since I was a child, however our past two assignments made me explore this software in new ways. The first PowerPoint assignment required adding a voice over which was new to me. This felt a little awkward to record, but I loved this assignment and thought it was so fun and helpful for a future teacher since it was an actual lesson! The nonlinear PowerPoint assignment was definitely harder for me since I had never even heard of these before, but I loved the creativity and freedom it allowed potential students. I read through the directions and watched a few videos online to learn how to do it. It was a little difficult at first, but now that I understand it I would love to implement this into lessons. My first PowerPoint was a lesson on rhymes for kindergarten to first graders and my second PowerPoint was an interactive adventure through Spain for a Spanish class!
Topics I found most interesting from the instructor's blog
I really loved how throughout Ray's blog posts she encouraged us to look back at our own previous blog posts. I think that this is a wonderful way to reflect on the way that we used to view a course on educational technologies when we had barely learned anything at all compared to now at week 10 of our course. I think it is so important to reflect on how our minds, opinions, and thoughts have grown and developed as we learn more. It was also really cool to see all of the technological tools used in elementary school and Web 2.0 tools that our classmates mentioned.
Comments
I commented on Olivia's post in regard to the PowerPoint assignments (how we enjoyed each of them and what we learned). I also commented on Hayley's post, particularly about technology and teacher development because I really appreciated the insights she had!
Monday, March 2, 2020
Blog #9
Assistive & Adaptive Technologies
It is vitally important that teachers know their learners and part of this is knowing the abilities or disabilities of your students. As a teacher, you must be contentious of limitations that specific students might have and you must be prepared and willing to implement solutions that will make learning just as accessible to these students as it is to a "normal" student. The podcast defines adaptive technologies as "technologies that help people with disabilities more effectively use computing equipment". There are many technological features that can be utilized to support students such as using voice input if a student is unable to type or using spell checkers for students with dyslexia. Neither myself or people I know have had a disability for which they need to use adaptive technologies. The exception is programs such as spell checkers which are easily accessible and useful for everyone. One potential challenge I see with using adaptive technologies is school funding.
Universal Design
All websites, powerpoints, and other teaching design elements should be created with accessibility in mind for people of all levels of abilities. Think about a building. When a public building is being designed, they must consider an entrance for those who are in wheelchairs. Of course, not all disabilities are visible and we must consider all disabilities when designing our lessons and teaching tools. We must allow for flexibility especially for those using adaptive technologies. For example, we can write captions for images for blind users. Another element of universal design is to be simple and intuitive by not making our designs more complex than they need to be. The next element is to avoid errors. You want to prevent rather than fix any errors by using warnings and designing certain information to stand out. You should also consider including redundant modalities of the information so that if one modality is unaccessible to a student, another one hopefully will be. You also want to avoid side effects. This can be done by reverting a text back to the original form when a user is done with it.
Academic Software for Students
One academic software I would like to implement in my classroom is certainly a classroom website. I think that a website created on a platform such as Wix or Weebly can easily be done and updated by teachers. I would like to include my syllabus, assignment calendar, and lessons (such as powerpoints from class) on my website along with other elements. I think that type of platform would make important information easily accessible to both students and their parents/guardians. Another academic software I would like to implement in my classroom is something like OneCalendar. I would like to use a software like this so that students are well aware of assignment due dates, field trips, etc. I believe that organization and planning is an important part of education (as well as a good life lesson) and by creating a calendar for my students, I would be able to keep them on track. I also like this feature because it is something that I could easily print out each month for my students in the case that they do not have access to the internet at home.
Blogging
Personally, I love blogging for classes. I am an English major with an education minor and have often either blogged or posted in discussion boards for assignments. I believe that it is a great way to reflect on the material that you are learning in class, explain your understanding and opinions, answer critical thinking questions, and share with classmates. I especially like blogging because your individual blog creates an easily accessible platform to access what you have written which allows you to review and reflect on your own thoughts as you continue in the course!
Comments
I commented on Liz and Morgan's posts!
It is vitally important that teachers know their learners and part of this is knowing the abilities or disabilities of your students. As a teacher, you must be contentious of limitations that specific students might have and you must be prepared and willing to implement solutions that will make learning just as accessible to these students as it is to a "normal" student. The podcast defines adaptive technologies as "technologies that help people with disabilities more effectively use computing equipment". There are many technological features that can be utilized to support students such as using voice input if a student is unable to type or using spell checkers for students with dyslexia. Neither myself or people I know have had a disability for which they need to use adaptive technologies. The exception is programs such as spell checkers which are easily accessible and useful for everyone. One potential challenge I see with using adaptive technologies is school funding.
Universal Design
All websites, powerpoints, and other teaching design elements should be created with accessibility in mind for people of all levels of abilities. Think about a building. When a public building is being designed, they must consider an entrance for those who are in wheelchairs. Of course, not all disabilities are visible and we must consider all disabilities when designing our lessons and teaching tools. We must allow for flexibility especially for those using adaptive technologies. For example, we can write captions for images for blind users. Another element of universal design is to be simple and intuitive by not making our designs more complex than they need to be. The next element is to avoid errors. You want to prevent rather than fix any errors by using warnings and designing certain information to stand out. You should also consider including redundant modalities of the information so that if one modality is unaccessible to a student, another one hopefully will be. You also want to avoid side effects. This can be done by reverting a text back to the original form when a user is done with it.
Academic Software for Students
One academic software I would like to implement in my classroom is certainly a classroom website. I think that a website created on a platform such as Wix or Weebly can easily be done and updated by teachers. I would like to include my syllabus, assignment calendar, and lessons (such as powerpoints from class) on my website along with other elements. I think that type of platform would make important information easily accessible to both students and their parents/guardians. Another academic software I would like to implement in my classroom is something like OneCalendar. I would like to use a software like this so that students are well aware of assignment due dates, field trips, etc. I believe that organization and planning is an important part of education (as well as a good life lesson) and by creating a calendar for my students, I would be able to keep them on track. I also like this feature because it is something that I could easily print out each month for my students in the case that they do not have access to the internet at home.
Blogging
Personally, I love blogging for classes. I am an English major with an education minor and have often either blogged or posted in discussion boards for assignments. I believe that it is a great way to reflect on the material that you are learning in class, explain your understanding and opinions, answer critical thinking questions, and share with classmates. I especially like blogging because your individual blog creates an easily accessible platform to access what you have written which allows you to review and reflect on your own thoughts as you continue in the course!
Comments
I commented on Liz and Morgan's posts!
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Blog #8
Dynamic Instructional Design Model
The lesson plan I chose to evaluate and critique is called "Hiding Homophones" and can be accessed through this link https://www.teacher.org/lesson-plan/hiding-homophones/ The lesson plan does know its learners and is designed for 4th graders. It specifically states that homophones chosen for the lesson should be "appropriate for the grade level and ability level of the students". The lesson plan also clearly articulates the objectives or goals for the lesson which are for students to "identify, pronounce, and illustrate common homophones to strengthen skills and understanding". In terms of establishing the learning environment, this lesson plan does not dictate that their should be changes to the classroom space, but it does make learning active through an illustrative activity and dictates that students should work with a partner. I do believe that the strategies of the lesson plan are effective for the learners as well as the objectives. Although the diversity of the learners could be better established (i.e. do any of the students have learning disabilities, etc.). The technology used is appropriate since this lesson plan simply uses a board (presumably a smart board), but a regular white board can be used if the classroom does not have access to such technology.
Bloom's Taxonomy
Powerpoint is a great tool to teach at every level of Bloom's Taxonomy. The first level is remembering and references remembering prior information. The powerpoint can have a review slide for all of the important prior knowledge that will be used during the lesson. The next level is understand which requires comprehension from the students. The power point can provide different images and examples to further explain information to better be understood. The next level is application for which the powerpoint can lead into an activity planned by the teacher which will allow students to apply their knowledge and understanding of the lesson subject. In regard to the level of analysis, tools on powerpoint such as smart art can be used to create flow charts, Venn diagrams, etc. These tools can also be used during the next level, evaluation. The powerpoint can also prompt the teacher to lead a discussion justifying the activities and how they have related to what they are learning. The last level is creation. The powerpoint can explain a project that students are expected to complete or the students can even be asked to create their own powerpoint.
Web Quest
I really enjoyed creating the Web Quest because it acted as an online lesson which I have never had the opportunity to create before. I have used Wix before in classes, but not very extensively and surely not as a "teacher". In the future, I would like to explore more of Wix's features to create a more interactive and easily accessible Web Quest for my students. I think something like this would be useful even if you have an in person class because it allows students to have interactive directions on how to complete a project or can be a review of a lesson which would come in handy especially if a student missed a class.
https://alinakorray.wixsite.com/eme2040korray
Comments
I commented Morgan's blog post in regard to the Web Quest and the potential difficulties of this type of platform for younger students. I also commented on Brittany's post about how powerpoint can be used to teach at all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.
The lesson plan I chose to evaluate and critique is called "Hiding Homophones" and can be accessed through this link https://www.teacher.org/lesson-plan/hiding-homophones/ The lesson plan does know its learners and is designed for 4th graders. It specifically states that homophones chosen for the lesson should be "appropriate for the grade level and ability level of the students". The lesson plan also clearly articulates the objectives or goals for the lesson which are for students to "identify, pronounce, and illustrate common homophones to strengthen skills and understanding". In terms of establishing the learning environment, this lesson plan does not dictate that their should be changes to the classroom space, but it does make learning active through an illustrative activity and dictates that students should work with a partner. I do believe that the strategies of the lesson plan are effective for the learners as well as the objectives. Although the diversity of the learners could be better established (i.e. do any of the students have learning disabilities, etc.). The technology used is appropriate since this lesson plan simply uses a board (presumably a smart board), but a regular white board can be used if the classroom does not have access to such technology.
Bloom's Taxonomy
Powerpoint is a great tool to teach at every level of Bloom's Taxonomy. The first level is remembering and references remembering prior information. The powerpoint can have a review slide for all of the important prior knowledge that will be used during the lesson. The next level is understand which requires comprehension from the students. The power point can provide different images and examples to further explain information to better be understood. The next level is application for which the powerpoint can lead into an activity planned by the teacher which will allow students to apply their knowledge and understanding of the lesson subject. In regard to the level of analysis, tools on powerpoint such as smart art can be used to create flow charts, Venn diagrams, etc. These tools can also be used during the next level, evaluation. The powerpoint can also prompt the teacher to lead a discussion justifying the activities and how they have related to what they are learning. The last level is creation. The powerpoint can explain a project that students are expected to complete or the students can even be asked to create their own powerpoint.
Web Quest
I really enjoyed creating the Web Quest because it acted as an online lesson which I have never had the opportunity to create before. I have used Wix before in classes, but not very extensively and surely not as a "teacher". In the future, I would like to explore more of Wix's features to create a more interactive and easily accessible Web Quest for my students. I think something like this would be useful even if you have an in person class because it allows students to have interactive directions on how to complete a project or can be a review of a lesson which would come in handy especially if a student missed a class.
https://alinakorray.wixsite.com/eme2040korray
Comments
I commented Morgan's blog post in regard to the Web Quest and the potential difficulties of this type of platform for younger students. I also commented on Brittany's post about how powerpoint can be used to teach at all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Blog #7
Maintaining a course website:
As an English major, I have some experience creating websites through Wix and have found them to be quite handy and easy to create. I personally believe that maintain a course website is extremely beneficial to students and would like to have one for my students in the future. I believe that you can make a simple but informative website and update with ease and so they are worth the little bit of effort to keeps students on track and informed. I would definitely choose to include a calendar where students can easily access due dates as well as information on large assignments. This was if a student is confused or needs a question answered, they can refer to the website to get most of the answers--this would save me from answering a lot of repeat email questions from students I think.
How I envision myself using technology:
As the podcast mentioned, even after graduating college we cannot possibly know everything and will continue to learn and continue our professional development. I believe that in the future I will continue to use blogs to receive tips from experienced teachers. The teachers who blog likely have faced situations that I will encounter as a teacher and can give useful feedback. I also can see myself attending webinars to expand my knowledge in an affordable way.
Web Evaluation Assignment:
I felt like the web evaluation assignment was a really great refresher course on how to analyze sources and choose the most reliable ones. I found the powerpoint very informative. I had never thought about creating a web evaluation form to hand out to students for when they are doing a research assignment and really like the idea of this. I did struggle some with the assignment however because I felt like the instructions were somewhat unclear to me personally.
Comments:
I commented on Erika's post in regard to how we envision ourselves using technology in the future. I also commented on Mallory's post about maintaining a class website.
As an English major, I have some experience creating websites through Wix and have found them to be quite handy and easy to create. I personally believe that maintain a course website is extremely beneficial to students and would like to have one for my students in the future. I believe that you can make a simple but informative website and update with ease and so they are worth the little bit of effort to keeps students on track and informed. I would definitely choose to include a calendar where students can easily access due dates as well as information on large assignments. This was if a student is confused or needs a question answered, they can refer to the website to get most of the answers--this would save me from answering a lot of repeat email questions from students I think.
How I envision myself using technology:
As the podcast mentioned, even after graduating college we cannot possibly know everything and will continue to learn and continue our professional development. I believe that in the future I will continue to use blogs to receive tips from experienced teachers. The teachers who blog likely have faced situations that I will encounter as a teacher and can give useful feedback. I also can see myself attending webinars to expand my knowledge in an affordable way.
Web Evaluation Assignment:
I felt like the web evaluation assignment was a really great refresher course on how to analyze sources and choose the most reliable ones. I found the powerpoint very informative. I had never thought about creating a web evaluation form to hand out to students for when they are doing a research assignment and really like the idea of this. I did struggle some with the assignment however because I felt like the instructions were somewhat unclear to me personally.
Comments:
I commented on Erika's post in regard to how we envision ourselves using technology in the future. I also commented on Mallory's post about maintaining a class website.
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Blog #6
Class Pages
I googled local schools within Leon County and looked at Leon High School's website. The teacher's pages were easily accessible and alphabetically organized by name. Obviously Leon High School is home to many students in the grades 9-12. The teacher websites included a lot of helpful information including syllabus, assignments, calendars, student resources, and even pictures!
Digital Divide
The digital divide in regard to education essentially refers to the unequal experience that various students have with technology. For example, a student from a wealthier family may have access to lots of technology at home and excel in technology based learning while students without this same privilege may do the opposite. As a teacher, I would be inclined to allow students to do more technology based assignment during school hours when it is ensured that all students have the same resources and paper assignments for homework to be fair.
Twitter
My experience with Twitter has been very beneficial so far. I had no idea that there were so many academic and teacher based Twitter accounts and would never have thought to use this particular social media platform as a PLN. I have mainly interacted with my classmates but also with academic accounts. The main struggle I have faced is keeping up with all of the posts but I believe this can solved by turning on post notifications. I believe Twitter will continue to help me in my future careers as I can continue to use and expand this PLN!
Comments
I commented on Kemory's post in regard to the teacher websites on the Leon High School website. I also commented on Brittany's post and focussed on her experience with Twitter.
I googled local schools within Leon County and looked at Leon High School's website. The teacher's pages were easily accessible and alphabetically organized by name. Obviously Leon High School is home to many students in the grades 9-12. The teacher websites included a lot of helpful information including syllabus, assignments, calendars, student resources, and even pictures!
Digital Divide
The digital divide in regard to education essentially refers to the unequal experience that various students have with technology. For example, a student from a wealthier family may have access to lots of technology at home and excel in technology based learning while students without this same privilege may do the opposite. As a teacher, I would be inclined to allow students to do more technology based assignment during school hours when it is ensured that all students have the same resources and paper assignments for homework to be fair.
My experience with Twitter has been very beneficial so far. I had no idea that there were so many academic and teacher based Twitter accounts and would never have thought to use this particular social media platform as a PLN. I have mainly interacted with my classmates but also with academic accounts. The main struggle I have faced is keeping up with all of the posts but I believe this can solved by turning on post notifications. I believe Twitter will continue to help me in my future careers as I can continue to use and expand this PLN!
Comments
I commented on Kemory's post in regard to the teacher websites on the Leon High School website. I also commented on Brittany's post and focussed on her experience with Twitter.
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Blog #5
ELA Technology Standards
The standard LAFS.5.W.1.2 (5th grade) ensures that students are able to create an informative or explanatory text in which there is an introduction, development of the main topic, connections between ideas, and a conclusion. It also requires that students use accurate formatting and precise language. While the technology used to do this can be as simple as Word, it can also be more complex and include a variety online video, poster, etc. creators because a text is not always just an essay. I personally do feel prepared to implement this standard because of both my K-12 eduction and also my major in Editing, Writing, & Media.
CPALMS
I had not previously heard of the CPALMS website but certainly see how it could be a very useful tool for teachers. There are plenty of lesson plans, virtual manipulative, student resources, etc. all organized by grade level. One resource I found was a lesson plan for 5th grade students called "Golden Nugget Words". I would use this in the classroom to help students understand the concept of using context clues to figure out the meaning of words that they do not yet know.
Canva
One Web 2.0 tool that I would strongly consider using as a teacher. Canva allows even the most inexperienced individuals to create a large variety of texts including infographics, newsletters, flyers, etc. Allowing students to create infographics themselves about the information being taught in class could be very beneficial to help them better understand it. Also, it would allow me to teach students how to create informative, explanatory, creative, argumentative, etc. texts in more ways than just essays.
Comments
I commented on Erika's post in which I focussed on her comments about the ELA technology standards for Kindergarten students. I also commented on Liz's blog about her idea to use Snapchat is a tool in the classroom.
The standard LAFS.5.W.1.2 (5th grade) ensures that students are able to create an informative or explanatory text in which there is an introduction, development of the main topic, connections between ideas, and a conclusion. It also requires that students use accurate formatting and precise language. While the technology used to do this can be as simple as Word, it can also be more complex and include a variety online video, poster, etc. creators because a text is not always just an essay. I personally do feel prepared to implement this standard because of both my K-12 eduction and also my major in Editing, Writing, & Media.
CPALMS
I had not previously heard of the CPALMS website but certainly see how it could be a very useful tool for teachers. There are plenty of lesson plans, virtual manipulative, student resources, etc. all organized by grade level. One resource I found was a lesson plan for 5th grade students called "Golden Nugget Words". I would use this in the classroom to help students understand the concept of using context clues to figure out the meaning of words that they do not yet know.
Canva
One Web 2.0 tool that I would strongly consider using as a teacher. Canva allows even the most inexperienced individuals to create a large variety of texts including infographics, newsletters, flyers, etc. Allowing students to create infographics themselves about the information being taught in class could be very beneficial to help them better understand it. Also, it would allow me to teach students how to create informative, explanatory, creative, argumentative, etc. texts in more ways than just essays.
Comments
I commented on Erika's post in which I focussed on her comments about the ELA technology standards for Kindergarten students. I also commented on Liz's blog about her idea to use Snapchat is a tool in the classroom.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Blog #4
My Prior Online Learning Experience
The first online class I ever took was a photography course my freshman year of high school. It was a graduation requirement for me to take an online class, although I will admit that I do not remember which LMS was used for the course. Since enrolling at FSU, I have take numerous online courses all of which have been asynchronous. Although fellow students and myself have always been encouraged to roughly follow a schedule, many of these online classes have allowed students to do the course work at their own pace. In our current online class, we have weekly due dates, however students are able to find time within their weekly schedule to do their work. Personally, I believe that there are benefits to learning in both the classroom and online. I believe that whether or not an online course works for a student is highly dependent on the personality of said student. Online learners often do better if they have good time management skills, dedication, and are better suited to learn by themselves with the right materials and some assistance.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
From my understanding, open educational resources are essentially informative, educational resources that can be accessed for free. This allows teachers and students everywhere, including even at poorly funded schools, to be able to access the newest and most relevant information to greatly improve their education. OERs are also associated with five rights which are retain, reuse, review, remix, and redistribute. The link that I am sharing below is to an OER called "Introduction to Technology Integration for Educators" which goes over how K-12 teachers can integrate technology in ways that help all different types of learners. I found this extremely interesting and relevant to our course.
https://www.oercommons.org/courses/introduction-to-technology-integration-for-educators
Newsletter Design
Creating a newsletter using Word was a new experience for me. I have had marketing roles in the past in which I have created newsletters, but I am much more familiar with doing so on websites such as Canva or S'more. I think it was a great experience to use Word instead because it allows a lot of creativity, however I certainly did have to be more creative myself since there are extremely limited templates on Word. I learned how to create banners (I created a chalk board banner for my newsletter) as well as many other simple but important skills such as shading a section. In the future, I hope to create a more colorful and visually appealing newsletter as I have on other platforms which I believe will become more possible with experience in doing so on Word.
The first online class I ever took was a photography course my freshman year of high school. It was a graduation requirement for me to take an online class, although I will admit that I do not remember which LMS was used for the course. Since enrolling at FSU, I have take numerous online courses all of which have been asynchronous. Although fellow students and myself have always been encouraged to roughly follow a schedule, many of these online classes have allowed students to do the course work at their own pace. In our current online class, we have weekly due dates, however students are able to find time within their weekly schedule to do their work. Personally, I believe that there are benefits to learning in both the classroom and online. I believe that whether or not an online course works for a student is highly dependent on the personality of said student. Online learners often do better if they have good time management skills, dedication, and are better suited to learn by themselves with the right materials and some assistance.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
From my understanding, open educational resources are essentially informative, educational resources that can be accessed for free. This allows teachers and students everywhere, including even at poorly funded schools, to be able to access the newest and most relevant information to greatly improve their education. OERs are also associated with five rights which are retain, reuse, review, remix, and redistribute. The link that I am sharing below is to an OER called "Introduction to Technology Integration for Educators" which goes over how K-12 teachers can integrate technology in ways that help all different types of learners. I found this extremely interesting and relevant to our course.
https://www.oercommons.org/courses/introduction-to-technology-integration-for-educators
Newsletter Design
Creating a newsletter using Word was a new experience for me. I have had marketing roles in the past in which I have created newsletters, but I am much more familiar with doing so on websites such as Canva or S'more. I think it was a great experience to use Word instead because it allows a lot of creativity, however I certainly did have to be more creative myself since there are extremely limited templates on Word. I learned how to create banners (I created a chalk board banner for my newsletter) as well as many other simple but important skills such as shading a section. In the future, I hope to create a more colorful and visually appealing newsletter as I have on other platforms which I believe will become more possible with experience in doing so on Word.
Comments
I commented on Olvia's blog post. I focussed on her comments about her prior experience with online courses. I connect with her personal experience and suggested a couple of ways in which I believe that online courses can almost mimic the same effect as the classroom effect while still allowing the benefit of taking classes online. I also commented on Hayley's blog. In this comment I focussed more on the benefits or OER.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Blog #3
Microsoft Word in My Educational Experience
Microsoft Word has been an extremely helpful technological tool throughout my educational experience, and it is therefore the software that I am most comfortable with. In elementary school, I did not use Microsoft Word myself for, but my teachers certainly used it to create assignments, quizzes, tests, notes, etc. for my peers and me. In middle school I began typing essays and other assignments using Microsoft Word which continued into high school and college becoming more frequent over the years. I began to learn different formatting styles such as MLA and APA starting in middle school, but especially in high school. At FSU, my use of Microsoft Word has expanded as I have been pushed to use more design features rather than just typing an essay. Throughout the later years of education, teachers continued to use Microsoft Word for similar purposes as in my earlier years. I expect to learn even more throughout this class about how teachers can use this software in a beneficial way such as the newsletters we are currently designing.
Copyright & Fair Use
When I was younger, I understood that I should never plagiarize someone else’s work because we were constantly reminded of the honor code in school. However, I was confused as to how to properly use the information I had researched when writing papers. Over the years, I learned how to paraphrase, quote, and cite sources. I also learned much more extensive information about fair use while studying for my degree in Editing, Writing, & Media. Fair use laws do make it much easier for students to use various sources so long as it pertains to their educations. All of these are skills that I would strive to teach my students so that they are knowledgeable of what they can and cannot do. I would, of course, adjust these lessons according to the age group of my students.
Academic Dishonesty:
Unfortunately, I feel that academic dishonesty is rather common. A potential solution to this problem is using websites such as Turnitin which check students’ work to ensure that it is not plagiarized. I would use a website like this for typed assignments such as research papers and essays. If a student did not pass the Turnitin standards, I would have a discussion with them and allow them the opportunity to fix and resubmit the assignment while ensuring that they fully understand how to properly use sources while adding their own ideas to write a strong paper. I would also try to encourage students to want to do their own work by instilling a passion for learning and explaining that they will only learn from an assignment by doing the work themselves.
Cyberbullying:
Technology in the classroom can help immensely by making both teaching and learning more effective. However, it can potentially have some downfalls such as cyberbullying. I think the most important solution to this problem is to stop it before it starts. I believe that as a teacher, it is extremely important to set standards and expectations for netiquette before students begin using online platforms. If a student disregards these expectations, I believe it is necessary to have a zero tolerance policy since no student should have to feel bullied or insecure in their learning environment.
Comments
I commented on Liz's blog post. In this comment, I focussed on copy right and fair use and recommended a video that really helped me when I was first learning about this. I also commented on Mallory's post. For this comment, I focussed more on the technology implantation issues, especially her comment on lack of funding.
Comments
I commented on Liz's blog post. In this comment, I focussed on copy right and fair use and recommended a video that really helped me when I was first learning about this. I also commented on Mallory's post. For this comment, I focussed more on the technology implantation issues, especially her comment on lack of funding.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Twitter Information
Hey everyone! My twitter handle is @AlinaEME2040
Here is the link as well: https://twitter.com/AlinaEME2040
Here is the link as well: https://twitter.com/AlinaEME2040
Blog #2
What influences teachers & students to use technology in the classroom?
I believe that there are many factors that influence teachers and students to use technology. One influence is the mere fact that we live in the 21stcentury which is an extremely digital age. We are surrounded by technology and have recognized that it can be extremely beneficial, especially in the classroom setting. I also think the school system itself is an influence. Teachers are encouraged to keep digital records of their students’ achievements and grades and attendance must be reported digitally. Students are even required to use online learning platforms in school.
ISTE Standards for Educators
One of the ISTE standards for educators that resonated with me was “Leader”. I truly believe that allowing students to hold leadership positions empowers them and encourages them to try their hardest. I think it shows students that their educator believes in them. I work with young students (ages 3-7) and even leadership positions such as line leader and door holder are very meaningful to the students. One standard that I feel is currently out of my skill set is “Citizen”. Although I agree that I it is important to encourage students to be positive and kind, I am unsure of how to make them mindful and act responsibly in the digital world.
Digital Natives & Digital Immigrants
According to the podcast, a digital native is a person “who have grown up knowing technology” whereas a digital immigrant are individuals who were introduced to technology in their teens or adult years and chose to adopt it. Throughout my educational experience, I did notice differences regarding technology between my teachers and myself. All of my teachers did adopt technology in some way even if only to record grades and make/print worksheets and tests. However, the older the teacher was, the less willing they were to elect to use technology. Younger teachers seemed to embrace the technology more but would still struggle with certain things that I did not struggle with since I was so familiar with it because the technology had been around my entire life. I do think that my generation will still become “digital immigrants” in the sense that we will be less familiar with new advances in technology than younger generations are because technology constantly changes.
Comments
I commented on Jacobs blog post. In this comment I focussed on what he said about the influences that educators and students have to use technology in the classroom. I really admired the strong arguments he made, but added my own views as well! I also commented on Mallory's blog post. I was intrigued by the comments she made about the ISTE Standards for Educators and was curious about how she thought being a facilitator of technology could be something negative which is something I would like to explore.
Comments
I commented on Jacobs blog post. In this comment I focussed on what he said about the influences that educators and students have to use technology in the classroom. I really admired the strong arguments he made, but added my own views as well! I also commented on Mallory's blog post. I was intrigued by the comments she made about the ISTE Standards for Educators and was curious about how she thought being a facilitator of technology could be something negative which is something I would like to explore.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Blog #1
Prior Experiences Using Technology:
My experience with technology is relatively vast as I have grown up in a very technologically heavy period of time. I have a lot of experience with programs such as Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Prezzi, etc. which I have used for school assignments. I am also familiar with Canva which I have used to create flyers and social media posts for a marketing position with a non-profit organization. I also consistently use various social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.
What I Hope to Learn:
With my time in EME2040, I would really like to learn how technology can benefit students in their efforts to learn new information. I think that technology can be used in many creative ways in the classroom that makes teaching easier and more effective. I am excited to learn some new ways to use technology to create a better learning environment that adheres to numerous learning styles to ensure every student benefits.
My Learning Style
According to this assessment, my learning style does not heavily lean one way or another. I only have a mild preference toward intuitive, global, and verbal. I was intrigued to find that I am more of a verbal learner, because I always thought of myself as a visual learner. These results were expected because many study styles work for me whether it is reading the textbook, watching videos, or using flashcards. The one place I had a moderate preference was for reflective rather than active learning.
My experience with technology is relatively vast as I have grown up in a very technologically heavy period of time. I have a lot of experience with programs such as Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Prezzi, etc. which I have used for school assignments. I am also familiar with Canva which I have used to create flyers and social media posts for a marketing position with a non-profit organization. I also consistently use various social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.
What I Hope to Learn:
With my time in EME2040, I would really like to learn how technology can benefit students in their efforts to learn new information. I think that technology can be used in many creative ways in the classroom that makes teaching easier and more effective. I am excited to learn some new ways to use technology to create a better learning environment that adheres to numerous learning styles to ensure every student benefits.
My Learning Style
According to this assessment, my learning style does not heavily lean one way or another. I only have a mild preference toward intuitive, global, and verbal. I was intrigued to find that I am more of a verbal learner, because I always thought of myself as a visual learner. These results were expected because many study styles work for me whether it is reading the textbook, watching videos, or using flashcards. The one place I had a moderate preference was for reflective rather than active learning.
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