Blog Journal #9

 

    I enjoyed the semester as an online distance learner. I really like the flexibility online courses allow for and I like that I can spend however much time I need on any given assignment as long as it is submitted by the due date. The only thing I really dislike is not having the social interaction so I have less opportunities to learn from peers although sometimes we do comment on each others work. To improve the experience of online courses one idea would be to put students in groups at the start of the class and they could exchange contact information and stay as a group for the semester. This way they could text each other for hep or feedback and a bit later into the year when I introduced group work they would be a little bit more comfortable with each other and maybe it would encourage them to meet in person and work together to bounce ideas off of each other.

    OER or Open Education Resources are materials that can be used in a multitude of ways making them convenient for teachers. These resources are available to be copied and used in your own way with any edits or revisions you see fit and, your new work with the edits may be posted for others. They are free resources and teachers are encouraged to contribute to the OER that way teachers have materials available to them when they need it most. One example of an OER resource is, https://community.oerproject.com/b/blog/posts/redefining-black-death-plague-pandemic . This website has several articles available for anyone to read and they are all on varying subjects. 

    I really liked the PowerPoint assignments and I felt like I learned a lot from them. That was my first time recording my voice over a powerpoint so it was cool to do that. I also had never used or really even ever new that the slide master was a thing that I could use. One thing I don't particularly like is the transitions on my PowerPoints. I think I need to work on ways to implement that feature in a more interesting way.

Blog Journal #8

 

Blog Journal #7

    I visited a few teachers pages to see what there profile would contain. A few of the pages I visited contained a very minimal amount of information, sometimes just an email. However, other teachers took it a bit further and included more information for people to get to know them and also inform both students and parents of what should be completed by that point in time. A few things teachers included were the grading policy they implemented in the classroom, some teachers also had a class calendar that listed what meetings were posted for which days. This would give students and parents an idea of when the teacher may be available. https://www.leonschools.net/Page/22071

    I envision myself using various programs in the classroom in order to run an efficient class. I would use Canva to create a newsletter as we did in a previous assignment. I would also use YouTube read alouds with animated speakers to keep the students engaged. Another program I could use is AR for students to read books and test on them so I can see what level they are at.

    The group project that we have just completed was my first time using wiki. I didn't really like the way wiki was set up. It felt disorganized and a bit hard to read. I did like how the links brought you straight to the page you were intended to be on. That said it wasn't my favorite program and I don't think I would use it much in the classroom. I would like to teach at an elementary school so if I used it, it would be for parents use. I would have one page for assignments and due dates, one page for future projects, one page for parent conferences, a page for monthly newsletters, and a page for reading suggestions. This way parents could go to wiki when they have any questions and see if they can find the information they are looking for.

Blog Journal #6

 Using Diigo in this class was my first experience with the program and I have enjoyed it so far! The platform seemed to be well organized and I could easily view posts within the group. It was easy to post websites with tags and descriptions. I also liked the sticky note feature so I could add in small notes as I read an article. My favorite was the annotate feature. I think this program was really good for annotations and it made annotating really simple. I think this program would be very beneficial for many classes, especially english class. The website itself looks a bit boring which I think decreases the readability of it a bit. It's very text heavy but I do still enjoy the program.

I really like the blog website. It is very organized and very easy to read. It has a good layout and even allows you to change the theme. You can post comments as well. I have learned how to make a post visually appealing and grab the attention of the intended audience. I have also learned about the program itself and how it works.

An interesting tool I might use when teaching is Generation Genius. The tool is something I learned about during an interview with a teacher. She described the website as a modern day Bill Nye. The website has interesting videos that pertain to a variety of topics. They also have quizzes, lesson plans, and activities that can be used to entertain and educate students. The website is current, it is relevant to many topics, it does not overuse ads. The website is definitely age appropriate, it is very engaging with many diy projects to offers. I think Generation Genius is a very good program for students. Here is a link to Generation Genius; https://www.generationgenius.com/

Journal #4

 

Blog Journal #3

     Copyright is the way we protect our own work from being copied without credit.  Without this it would be difficult or impossible to create something of our own that we would actually receive credit for. Copyright allows our own work to be used only by us and those we authorize for it to be used by. Fair use is when things can be used without direct permission from the original creator, but this is determined on a case by case basis. I will deal with these concepts by creating my own work when possible and if i need to borrow from another teacher, I know that there are websites teachers use to post their worksheets and assignments for public use. I will keep in mind that if an assignment does not explicitly say it is for public use, I will need to be sure I am not be violating copyright by using it.

    One technology implementation issue listed is academic dishonesty. We have come a long way as far as technology goes and this includes new ways to spot academic dishonesty. As a teacher I would make sure my students are well aware of the systems in place, so they know they won't be able to get away with it or they will be risking their grade. I would implement these systems as many teachers have so far by having the students work go through the plagiarism software before it comes to me for grading. I will also make sure my students know I am always available to help them with assignments and they should always come to me before it gets to that point. Another issue I will deal with is decreased productivity since students are on laptops at some points during the day and may get off task. I would walk around and monitor screens when the laptops are in use.  I will also make sure that even if it is an individual assignment I am still being engaged with the students and checking in on them to keep them on task and make sure they aren't getting distracted.

    As I worked on the newsletter design assignment, I learned a lot about the tools I could use to make a paper much more interesting and visually appealing. Before completing this assignment I probably wouldn't have thought to use Canva in that way. I would have used one program or another, Canva or Word and done the newsletter entirely on that program. This assignment taught me how to use multiple programs cohesively with one end goal in mind. In the future to improve my newsletter i could make better use of the WordArt feature.  I did use it in my newsletter but only once so it didn't really match anything else. The things I learned can definitely be used as a teacher in the classroom not only for creating and sending home newsletters but also creating any worksheet or assignment at all.

Blog Journal #2

I have used Microsoft words many times as a student in middle and high school. In middle school I wasn't too familiar with the program but found it very easy to get used to and I appreciated its simplicity. In high school classwork was a lot more technology based, and MS work was my go-to program. I have now been using it for several years and it is the only thing I use to take notes and work on assignments. While I haven't used every feature it has to offer, I do like the program and it is my preference.

The standard I found most meaningful was 2.5 Designer. The designer category sets the standard for personalizing independent learning opportunities for a variety of students. I find this the most meaningful because it talks about using technology to our advantage in accommodating to students needs. I think it is very important to remember to meet students where they are instead of assuming they know pre-requisite information. With the technology and resources available to us today, we have no excuse to overlook students' level of understanding. We can also create authentic work that fits the lesson being taught perfectly. Using technology, we can make otherwise boring paper assignments fun and engaging in order to keep students attention.

I do agree with the term "digital native" for todays youth for the most part. I think that the younger generations who grew up with technology all around them are instinctively better equipped to use it. Looking around today, it is safe to assume that the majority of kids as young as 3 and up have used their parents' phone at one time or another whether it be to watch a YouTube video or play a children's game. Technology has changed the way people think because so much information is readily available to us at all times and we can know the answer to our question with a few clicks of a keyboard. I think todays generation is more open minded for those reasons. I have noticed that some teachers and students have pretty big gaps in learning styles and it has made me think about how different lessons could have been made more interactive and interesting if it was presented in a different way than the teacher went with it. I'm sure my future students will know how to use technology much better than I will but keeping this in mind I will make sure I do what I can to get on their level to ensure they have an enjoyable education experience.

School Bus by Markus Kniebes is licensed under CC0