Monday, February 27, 2017
ILP “Participation” – Google Glass
Blog Post #6
The class provided basically had the same display formula with little pieces of customization in each. I observed the pages for Social Studies teachers at Raa Middle School. The 2 pages I focused on most were Mrs. Inglett, who teaches Culture and Geography, and Mr. King, who teaches U.S. History. Both public page include a creative page layouts displaying different color schemes. Both either had links on the side leading to classroom materials, papers, and assignments or simply listed the assignments and questions right on the page. Each page also had pictures and descriptions pertaining to there own life and other extra-curricular school activities they might be involved. What stood out to me was the each pages approach to when it comes to they way they were organized. Mrs. Inglett's page was a more direct page as it has the latest assignments and notes posted at the top. Mr. King's page has a creative spin to it as the home page describes some of the schools extra-curricular's, the latest video pertaining to the subject, and a student of the week section.
I envision using word processing, presentation software, and online tools in order to successfully accomplish my job as a high school history teacher. My use of word processing would be most beneficial to me when writing up classroom worksheet as it would benefit in my efforts of creating worksheets that appeal to my students but also inform them and their parents on any information. I would utilize presentation software in efforts to make my lessons in the classroom entertaining while also teaching the main curriculum. I believe that online tools would be the most effective for completing my responsibilities in effective and efficient time. I would utilize online tools in and out the classroom, providing online activities and assignments that stimulate the you students minds while also using the tools to interact with other teachers through Diigo and posting assignments, note, and worksheets on a class page accessible to both students and parents.
I think that the tech sandbox was an awesome experience. It showed me alot of useful classroom tools that I feel all classes will utilize at one point. The ones I feel would be the most useful in the classroom environment I intend to teach are smart boards, virtual reality headset and sphero. I feel that all can be effective in teaching high school history in different way. VR headset could put students in the middle of historical sights around the world and maybe even recreate some of the events that happened at those site. Smart boards can let students have a whole new experience when it come to class room participation and can maybe cause more kids to be excited about learning with its touch screen abilities. Sphero's use in a history classroom is underestimated in my eyes. I feel that with the use of giant floor maps, sphero can help display the movements of whole of colonies and actions taken by countries in history.
I envision using word processing, presentation software, and online tools in order to successfully accomplish my job as a high school history teacher. My use of word processing would be most beneficial to me when writing up classroom worksheet as it would benefit in my efforts of creating worksheets that appeal to my students but also inform them and their parents on any information. I would utilize presentation software in efforts to make my lessons in the classroom entertaining while also teaching the main curriculum. I believe that online tools would be the most effective for completing my responsibilities in effective and efficient time. I would utilize online tools in and out the classroom, providing online activities and assignments that stimulate the you students minds while also using the tools to interact with other teachers through Diigo and posting assignments, note, and worksheets on a class page accessible to both students and parents.
I think that the tech sandbox was an awesome experience. It showed me alot of useful classroom tools that I feel all classes will utilize at one point. The ones I feel would be the most useful in the classroom environment I intend to teach are smart boards, virtual reality headset and sphero. I feel that all can be effective in teaching high school history in different way. VR headset could put students in the middle of historical sights around the world and maybe even recreate some of the events that happened at those site. Smart boards can let students have a whole new experience when it come to class room participation and can maybe cause more kids to be excited about learning with its touch screen abilities. Sphero's use in a history classroom is underestimated in my eyes. I feel that with the use of giant floor maps, sphero can help display the movements of whole of colonies and actions taken by countries in history.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Blog Post #5
Among the Web 2.0 tools discussed upon in the podcast, the one's I feel to be the most helpful in the classroom would be Twitter and YouTube. I feel these tools are most useful due to their popularity and simplicity for student use. Twitter and YouTube are websites that are part of the most used apps by young learners and I feel that for the level I intended to teach, high school history, they would be most helpful for my students and my development. By the time students reach high school, most of them would have a strong grip on the use of these websites. YouTube contains an abundance of educational videos that I could use for certain lesson to explain or emphasize the classroom topic and the fact that finding a video pertaining to the classroom topic is as simple as typing in the video title or topic theme helps tremendously. Twitter is a helpful tool because it's not only an easy to master tool for students to use to ask assignment question and interact, but it also a fun and enjoyable platform for students to talk, joke around, and enjoy their youth. The tool I think is not as useful is Diigo. I think that it's actually a really useful tool and can come in clutch for certain situations, but I don't think it's right for my teaching level. I feel like highschoolers would be less reluctant to use it, because I feel they would not want go through the signing up and learning new web browser tools that they wouldn't use. I also feel like some students would to take advantage of it and try to use it as a tool to cheat.
A Web 2.0 tool I would utilize as a teacher would have to be Prezi. I chose Prezi based on experiences with the tool. I used this Web 2.0 tool throughout high school and I personally feel that it's a step up from using Microsoft PowerPoint. Prezi let's presenters be a lot more creative when it comes to presenting their topic. It is more entertain and catches the eye of more students because it is a good change of pace then the same old classroom presentation. What I believe is the biggest contributing factor for using is it's video presentation settings. In PowerPoint it's almost impossible to put an actually video in the presentation, usually resulting in the placement of a video clip link which lead to exiting the slide show all together. In Prezi, you can place the actual video in the slide and play it from the slide, which means no leaving the presentation all together. Best part is that sign up is simple and free. Here's the link to the website: https://prezi.com/
The technological advancement that I feel will have the biggest impact is Gesture-Based Multitouch Displays. I feel like this is gonna have the biggest impact because it's already having a major effect on the learning right now...sorta. The placement of "Smartboards" in classrooms has already began in classrooms, which connects the bored and the computer giving teachers and students the ability to learn at the touch of the hands. I feel like this will grow over time, leading to actually touch screen boards where teachers could place pictures, figures, and words pertaining to the listen and students coming up to the board, touching the word or picture of there choice leading them to a video, games, or piece that pertains to the lesson at hand. That's how I feel it will be utilized, making learning so interactive, that it's at the tip of our fingers.
A Web 2.0 tool I would utilize as a teacher would have to be Prezi. I chose Prezi based on experiences with the tool. I used this Web 2.0 tool throughout high school and I personally feel that it's a step up from using Microsoft PowerPoint. Prezi let's presenters be a lot more creative when it comes to presenting their topic. It is more entertain and catches the eye of more students because it is a good change of pace then the same old classroom presentation. What I believe is the biggest contributing factor for using is it's video presentation settings. In PowerPoint it's almost impossible to put an actually video in the presentation, usually resulting in the placement of a video clip link which lead to exiting the slide show all together. In Prezi, you can place the actual video in the slide and play it from the slide, which means no leaving the presentation all together. Best part is that sign up is simple and free. Here's the link to the website: https://prezi.com/
The technological advancement that I feel will have the biggest impact is Gesture-Based Multitouch Displays. I feel like this is gonna have the biggest impact because it's already having a major effect on the learning right now...sorta. The placement of "Smartboards" in classrooms has already began in classrooms, which connects the bored and the computer giving teachers and students the ability to learn at the touch of the hands. I feel like this will grow over time, leading to actually touch screen boards where teachers could place pictures, figures, and words pertaining to the listen and students coming up to the board, touching the word or picture of there choice leading them to a video, games, or piece that pertains to the lesson at hand. That's how I feel it will be utilized, making learning so interactive, that it's at the tip of our fingers.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Blog Post #4
The use of twitter in this course has been a really fun experience. It really makes the class interact with each other while also letting us have an enjoyable platform to socialize on. Twitter has let me get to know my fellow classmates which is a change since in other classes I would stay to myself and not interact as much. The classmates I have interacted most with on twitter are Robert "Chip" Nettina and Will Anderson. Through twitter we expressed are feeling about the class, topics discussed in the class, and the tools taught in the class. We also discovered we share the same taste in music and humor. Twitter has been most beneficial when it comes to keeping up with class lesson and checking in on others when it comes to in-class assignments. I think is a great tool for education and I intend on having it as a major part of my future class environment. When it would come to using twitter in the classroom, I think I would utilize by using the app to answer any questions about classwork assignment and use it to update the students on any last minute changes to assignments.
The digital divide in education is really underestimated. It can actually have a major affect on a students educational success. Students that find themselves on the less educated side of the digital divide are likely to have more trouble in academics in today's school because of the overwhelming use of technology in education. It's not all the students fault that they have a disadvantage when it come to technology. Most of these students come from urban and rural homes where there parents are working class citizens that don't have the same financial advantages as others. Experience digital divide would most likely happen if I was in a urban or rural education setting like a small town or big city. If I experienced a situation involving digital divide, I would approach in a way that benefits both sides. What I would do to benefit both sides is offer those who are digital disadvantaged a series of exercise to advance there skills in technology while give those who are digital advanced exercises that help them practice and challenge there skills. I would make sure that this is all done before the class advanced to anymore digital assignments.
With the education field I intend to teach, High School History, the educational tech tools I would use most would be simulations, educational games, and typing/presentation tools. It may seem strange that I use some of these tools but there's a good reason for it. Though it might seem out of place to use simulations and education games in high school, I feel like high school is one of the best places to use it because in the modern world today, most students grow up in environments where tools like this aren't only fun, they are like relief to their day. I feel like sometimes students over-stress themselves in high school, so I would these tools not only to educate and relate to students, but I would also use it to let the students have fun and relax. The software I would use the least would probably Drill-And-Practice Software. I think practice is extremely important when it comes to learning a educational tech skill, but I hope that my students would be well educated enough when it comes technology. I also personally believe repetition has a limit and I think that overtime, my students would be exhausted and would no longer be stimulated by the same practices.
The digital divide in education is really underestimated. It can actually have a major affect on a students educational success. Students that find themselves on the less educated side of the digital divide are likely to have more trouble in academics in today's school because of the overwhelming use of technology in education. It's not all the students fault that they have a disadvantage when it come to technology. Most of these students come from urban and rural homes where there parents are working class citizens that don't have the same financial advantages as others. Experience digital divide would most likely happen if I was in a urban or rural education setting like a small town or big city. If I experienced a situation involving digital divide, I would approach in a way that benefits both sides. What I would do to benefit both sides is offer those who are digital disadvantaged a series of exercise to advance there skills in technology while give those who are digital advanced exercises that help them practice and challenge there skills. I would make sure that this is all done before the class advanced to anymore digital assignments.
With the education field I intend to teach, High School History, the educational tech tools I would use most would be simulations, educational games, and typing/presentation tools. It may seem strange that I use some of these tools but there's a good reason for it. Though it might seem out of place to use simulations and education games in high school, I feel like high school is one of the best places to use it because in the modern world today, most students grow up in environments where tools like this aren't only fun, they are like relief to their day. I feel like sometimes students over-stress themselves in high school, so I would these tools not only to educate and relate to students, but I would also use it to let the students have fun and relax. The software I would use the least would probably Drill-And-Practice Software. I think practice is extremely important when it comes to learning a educational tech skill, but I hope that my students would be well educated enough when it comes technology. I also personally believe repetition has a limit and I think that overtime, my students would be exhausted and would no longer be stimulated by the same practices.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Blog Post 3
I think teaching the ELA Technology standards will be a somewhat difficult process due to most students today only knowing the basics when it comes to using a computer for educational purposes. For my intended major and my backround history with technology, I feel that the easiest to teach would be RHST.7. This would be easiest for me to teach because it involves probably the simplest factors when it comes to teaching history. If I had to instruct students to find historical data, the easiest way for them to find it would be to look it up on google, specifically google scholar. The most difficult one for me to teach would perhaps SL.2. This one would be more difficult for me teach mainly because of the increasing difficulty and diversity of ways to teach this standard.
Teaching high school history classes will emphasize an overwhelming need to use technology. For me, as a teacher, I would like to use email as an easy and effective way for communication. I feel like email was a really helpful and effective means of communication for me in high school. I would also utilize the school provided website for grades and assignments. I would use this as an alternative means for communication if my students had trouble with email. In the classroom, I would utilize educational learning websites that involve blogs, and mash-ups to help students grasp an understanding of the subject matter. I would also use tools such as media, videos, and fun learning websites like kahoot to hopefully raise the chances of student interaction in the lesson. Through the students use of these technological academic learning tools, I will be able to see if the students are demonstrating proper digital citizenship concept. I'll make sure that the students have a general understanding of the required technological skills when it comes to surfing the web while protecting their personal information and obeying copying laws. I will also make sure that my students follow proper netiquette while participating in the classroom and the web community.
The Newsletter Design assignment really improved my skills when it comes to technology. It challenged me in a way I've never been challenge before when it comes to technology. I think the skills I was happiest to acquire from this assignment would have to be place a text in a 2 column format. I always wondered how teachers were able to do that when they made news letters. Now I know this skill which I will utilize to manage space on future Classroom Newsletters. Another skills I was happy to acquire from this assignment was the ability to place graphics in specific places. I was a novice when it came to doing this. Before I learned how to place a graphic over or under text, I would place where in the text and just write around it. Now that I know how to place graphics in certain places, I will be able to utilize this skill for when I actually become a teacher. The next time I make a newsletter, the one area I would like to improve in is graphic choice and color choice. I feel like my Newletter could've been more eye-popping and appealing and it just didn't live up to the potential.
Teaching high school history classes will emphasize an overwhelming need to use technology. For me, as a teacher, I would like to use email as an easy and effective way for communication. I feel like email was a really helpful and effective means of communication for me in high school. I would also utilize the school provided website for grades and assignments. I would use this as an alternative means for communication if my students had trouble with email. In the classroom, I would utilize educational learning websites that involve blogs, and mash-ups to help students grasp an understanding of the subject matter. I would also use tools such as media, videos, and fun learning websites like kahoot to hopefully raise the chances of student interaction in the lesson. Through the students use of these technological academic learning tools, I will be able to see if the students are demonstrating proper digital citizenship concept. I'll make sure that the students have a general understanding of the required technological skills when it comes to surfing the web while protecting their personal information and obeying copying laws. I will also make sure that my students follow proper netiquette while participating in the classroom and the web community.
The Newsletter Design assignment really improved my skills when it comes to technology. It challenged me in a way I've never been challenge before when it comes to technology. I think the skills I was happiest to acquire from this assignment would have to be place a text in a 2 column format. I always wondered how teachers were able to do that when they made news letters. Now I know this skill which I will utilize to manage space on future Classroom Newsletters. Another skills I was happy to acquire from this assignment was the ability to place graphics in specific places. I was a novice when it came to doing this. Before I learned how to place a graphic over or under text, I would place where in the text and just write around it. Now that I know how to place graphics in certain places, I will be able to utilize this skill for when I actually become a teacher. The next time I make a newsletter, the one area I would like to improve in is graphic choice and color choice. I feel like my Newletter could've been more eye-popping and appealing and it just didn't live up to the potential.
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