ILP- "Design"- EDMODO

For my final ILP, I decided to do another design aspect. I feel most comfortable designing content to help my future students learn. For this ILP, I made an Edmodo for an 8th grade American Literature class. This week's class is focused on Edgar Allan Poe, specifically his piece "The Raven". Check it out! Group Code: 3wyc88

Blog #10: Data Collection Tools, Blogs and THE FUTURE

In my future classrooms, I plan to use data collection tools very frequently, specifically Excel, which is so helpful when recording and keeping track of student grades and information. I plan on teaching Language Arts/English in high school or middle school. It will be helpful to keep track of students reading level and the books that they are reading in and out of class.

While reviewing my classmates blogs, I found it very interesting that many of my classmates and I share the same views when it comes to our future classrooms. However, I really enjoyed reading about my classmates opinions on the Flipped Classroom. For the most part, my classmates supported this style of learning, but after reading their blogs, I'm still a little on the fence. I also enjoyed viewing the ways my classmates completed their website projects. We were all given the same task, but we completed them differently. The digital divide was also an interesting topic to read about on my classmates blogs. We are a very young generation, who has grown up with technology. We know how to use technology, but some of our older educators and coworkers may not.

Next, I would like to learn more/ become more efficient in Excel because I believe that it is incredibly helpful for teachers in a classroom setting, when grading papers or keeping updated information for students. I'd also like to become more efficient in website design because I believe that this will be helpful for my future classrooms. To become more efficient in both of these programs, I plan to practice. Practice makes PERFECT!!

Mexican Food Qualtrics Survey

https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9R1lyQhifTYMG33

Blog #9: Flipped Classroom

A "Flipped Classroom" is a classroom that focuses on activites, exercises, projects, etc. in class. Students are expected to watch short lecture videos at home and come to class prepared to ask questions about the material they learned the night before. Students may also be asked to do short readings before coming to class. The textbook emphasizes blended learning as being very important to a student's success, particularly shy students. One great website to help create this kind of classroom is edX, which offers information/help with a variety of university classes. https://www.edx.org/

In this week's podcast, open education, open sources and open content are discussed. These all refer to content and sources educators can use and manipulate as much as they would like. Teachers can use this material to help enhance their classroom learning experience. One website (https://www.oercommons.org/) allows teachers to search for specific open education  resources, by typing in the subject area, grade level and the CPALMs standard. This can be very helpful in a future classroom!

The PowerPoint for Information Dissemination was a very time consuming and difficult project. I was extremely frustrated with the all of the requirements, but the hardest part was finding a website that seemed legit to download a template from. I ended up just downloading a template from the Microsoft website because I was so worried about the sketchy websites. However, I believe that this will be incredibly useful as a future educator. The most useful thing is knowing how to make a masterslide, which will be so helpful when making a long powerpoint for a lecture class. Not having to continuously reformat slides will save a lot of time.

7 Tips for Stress-free Conference Presentation

This SlideShare provides useful tips for presentors, who will be presenting at a conference. I appreciate slide 17, which emphasizes the importance of rest and relaxation before a speech or presentation. People tend to forget the importance of self-care when working on presentations. Slide 19 gives a great summary and checklist of all of the tips discussed in this SlideShare.

7 Tips for Stress-free Conference Presentation from Peter Zvirinsky

Post #7: Assisting Technologies and Webpage Design

When working with students from a variety of different backgrounds and levels of abilities, assisting technologies may be needed to help them learn at the same level as other students. Speech-to-Text technologies can be helpful for students who have trouble writing or spelling. Spell-check and word predicting dictionaries also be helpful for students who have trouble with spelling. Audio books can be helpful for those who have trouble reading. I have friends who used audio books growing up to follow along with texts, so that they could improve their reading. In the classroom, I could imagine that students would feel like they are outcasts because they have to use special technology. I could also picture students who didn't need the technology wanting to use it.

Personally, I enjoy creating websites. I recently made a website for an interview and I have made websites in the past for class. However, I have never used Weebly. I have always used Wix. I will admit that Weebly is much easier to navigate than Wix. Weebly is user friendly and easier for me to understand it's apps. Weebly also runs smoother than Wix. I didn't really have much trouble. The only thing I really struggled with was putting two textboxes or photos directly next to each other. I eventually figured it out, but it did prove to be a little difficult. In the future, I can use other resources like Google to help me navigate and understand Weebly more. As a teacher, I plan to have a class website and this assignment allowed me to explore what I like and don't like for my future classes.

Visit my Weebly: http://hew15b.weebly.com/

While using Diigo, I've learned how to adequately annotate information. This can be very helpful when working with students because I can provide an article or reading for them and  highlight the most important parts. When working with a team of teachers, I can send them interesting or helpful articles/websites that I find, which could help us create more effective lesson plans. When working in my own professional efforts, Diigo will be helpful when writing papers. I can easily compile all of the resources that I use into one place, which will be helpful in the long run.

ILP- Design- Prezi

For my first Independent Learning Project, I created a Prezi. I have always used Powerpoint as way to present ideas and projects, so I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and use an application that I had not used before. My topic for this project is an Orientation Leader conference that I attended in March 2016. This workshop helped me identify and strengthen my leadership skills, which I want to help others do through teaching. This project contains information on what SROW is, the schedule of events and how what to look forward for in the future. Hope you enjoy!
To see my presentation, visit:
https://prezi.com/bi-41eb7xmu1/southern-regional-orientation-conference/

#6: Teacher Websites

On the Riley Elementary school teacher website, there is six different options in the sidebar to choose from. These options include Welcome, Meet the Teacher, Announcements, Assignments, Important Documents and Class Calendar. The page I visited is for Mr. Anthony Hall, a first grade teacher at Riley Elementary located in Tallahassee, Florida. All of the information was available publicly, but there was also no information on some of the tabs. I think that these websites can be helpful to get to  know teachers, but I also think that they can be kind of tedious to upkeep.

I can definitely see myself using Prezi for presentations in my classrooms. I like Prezi because it allows for more movement and I believe it keeps students more involved and engaged. I also think that I will use Edmoto and apps like  Blackboard that make it easy for me to input and share my students grades with them.

 · Last week, we visited the Technology Sandbox. Write a paragraph about how one or more technology that you experienced could be used in the classroom. Be specific and thorough.
Visiting the Technology Sandbox was so cool! I really like the SmartBoards and I think that this kind of interactive technology would be great in the classroom, specifically for student group projects or wanting to write on a website with information on it. I also really liked the virtual reality could be used to help learn about different environments or habitats. These technologies can also be used to allow students to see different perspectives.

#5: Web 2.0

     Personally, I believe that Web 2.0 tools are extremely helpful to the classroom. Sites like Twitter and Youtube can enhance a students learning experience by giving them access to learn with something that they are familiar with, the internet. These tools are also very interactive and help students share their thoughts and ideas withHowever, I think that these tools can sometimes be harmful to students attention. It is very easy for a student to get lost in the black hole that is Youtube or the never-ending conversations on Twitter.

     Quizlet is an innovative way to help students study for exams. This site allows students to create flashcards that can be accessed through an app that they can get on their phones, so they don't have to carry around a huge stack of note cards to study. I used this app in high school to help me study and find it extremely helpful. I believe in using this app to create study guides for students. I will most likely be using this app when I teach. https://quizlet.com/ 

     Truthfully, I think that gamification is going to be extremely important to education very soon. In class we played a game that had us spell words with our bodies and that was a great way to spike our energy. I think that students are using games much more often than before outside of class and adding them to class will make it easier for them to learn, making them more successful. It also keeps students engaged and entertained. I think that this technology can be used to create games that allow students to level up each time the answer a series of questions correctly, which will help them memorize information in the long run.

#4: The Digital Divide

     During the first half of this course, using Twitter has been beneficial. I think that it's interesting to see teachers interact in this sense. I've mostly been interacting with my peers and the EME twitter page. Using my peers as a resource and a reminder to tweet weekly has been helpful to making sure I complete my assignments. In the future, I think Twitter will be a great way for me to connect with other professionals and bounce ideas off of them, as well as share information that can be useful in my future classrooms.
   The digital divide, which discusses a persons access to technology, can seriously students. In the podcast, two students were compared. One student from a middle class family, whose father worked in IT and another student, who came from a working class family without a computer in their home. It was explained that when these students go into college or the job field, they would have different levels of knowledge, leading to the student without a computer to be at a disadvantage. A student who is actively using a computer and computer software, will be able to navigate Productivity software, such as Microsoft, making it easier from them to complete many assignments at the college level. Very often, PowerPoint or presentation software, as well as graphics are used for presentations. Being able to adequately navigate these programs is essential to making a visually pleasing assignments. Tutorials, Educational Games and Simulations help students practice and test themselves to make sure they understand information clearly. Without these, they may not be able to focus on a traditional study method, which can hinder their learning.
     There are many important points that should be considered when evaluating websites. Using the acronym ABCDT, is helpful to help remember these points. A stands for author, which focuses on the credibility of the person who created the website. B stands for bias. This point emphasizes the need to use websites and sources that do not have biased opinions. C is for content, which focuses on whether or not the information in the article is accurate, including grammar and spelling. D stands for design, focusing on how appealing the site and whether or not it is visually appropriate for students. T stands for Technology. This point emphasizes how accessible the site is and whether or not it will be easy for students to use. Other than these, I don't really use anything else to evaluate websites. Sometimes I check whether a website is a .com, .org or .edu to weigh its credibility. These points are important because they help make sure that information being used by students is appropriate and accurate.

#3: ELA Technology Standards and Technology Applications

     The ELA standard that I personally feel most comfortable with is "Producing" Tech Standard W/WHST.2: Writing to explain/ inform. With my current technological knowledge, I am able to write informative texts to display information. I know that I can make presentations, such as powerpoints, prezis, and word documents that portray information in a unique light. Adding graphics, headers, illustrations and multimedia are all things that I can easily do. I also have the ability to use and reference multiple sources. Currently, I cannot use Digital Media as effectively. I do not know how to use computer audio to make audio tapes of poems and stories.
    In my classroom, I would use the site Turnitin.com to hold my students accountable. I am very serious about using these resources to make sure that my students are being held accountable. As a student, I hated it. But as I became a college student, I began to understand the importance.
     If I am truly honest, I did not enjoy the Newsletter Design assignment. It was extremely tedious and time consuming. Of course, I have a better understanding of borders, headers and texts boxes. Next time, I could add more creativity and pizzazz, but for now I like it the way it is. I like the fact that I now understand how to make a newsletter for future classrooms. I will be able to use all of this information, especially the columns tool, when I am creating my classroom syllabus in the future, but other than that, I did not enjoy this assignment.

Newsletter Assignment

#2: The Importance of Originality

As a student, I have used Microsoft Word in a variety of ways. Mainly, I have used this program to write papers. In a few classes, I was able to use Microsoft Word to create pamphlets for projects. I have seen my professors and teachers use Microsoft to create rubrics for assignments. I've also seen my teacher use Microsoft to display class brainstorming ideas.

     Personally, I have never experienced a copyright issue. However, I once had someone use my paper for one of their projects. I had a friend who asked me to help them write a paper and suggested I send them my paper as a reference. They ended up turning my paper in. Fortunately for me, my teacher allowed me to redo the assignment, but my friend was not so lucky. As a teacher in the future, I will value making my own materials. I think authenticity in the classroom is very important, from both teachers and students. As an English teacher, I plan on reading and discussing the books with my students, which will lead to assignments being based on individual discussion. I will have my students turn papers on Turnitin.com to make sure they do not plagiarize.

    As a Twitter user, I thought that I had already known everything there is to know about the website. However, I didn't know that it was used a place for teachers to connect and share information. As an educator, I think that I will use various social medias to remind my students of upcoming assignments and keep them informed, but I will also use PLNs to stay connected with other educators and constantly improve my teaching style.

#1- ISTE Standards

     It is extremely important for students and teacher to understand how to use computers and technology. The world is very technological now and students as well as teachers must be able to keep up with technological standards. I agree with the issues raised in this chapter. It is extremely important for students to use computers in an educational setting.
     I think that the ISTE standards help create a move regimented environment. While I agree with the implementation, I think that this can sometimes be overbearing to students and teachers. I really like the ISTE standard that focuses on educators promoting creative outlets for their students. School can be tiring and having a way to release that stress is important. The ISTE standard that I believe is out my current skill set is Developing digital assignments. I'm very savvy with Microsoft programs, but not online websites.
     I do agree with the label "digital native" for today's youth. They were born and grew up in a digital age with access to technology at a very young age. I do not believe that I was a digital native because I had to adjust to learning with huge computers. I think that the many teachers struggle with technology simply because they didn't grow up learning with it.

#0 - First Blog Post

     In the past, I have taken several computer classes to help obtain the necessary skills to use a computer to its full ability. I have taken a keyboarding class, in which I learned all of the keys on the keyboard and how to reduce the amount of errors made when typing. I have also taken a computer applications class, where I became fluent in all Microsoft apps. Throughout my time in college, I have used technology in every single class, including the use of Blackboard and Outlook to communicate with professors and turn in assignments. I also run several social media accounts, including Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. The use of these various outlets has increased my knowledge of technology, while reminding me of the necessity of technology in everyday life.

     In this class, I hope to become more efficient in my use of all Microsoft programming. I feel as if I haven't learned the most up to date information on all of the Microsoft programs, specifically Excel. I would also like to have improved design skills. I want to update some of my social media accounts visually and I would love more knowledge on how to do so.

     After taking the Learning Styles test and reviewing the different learning styles, I am able to conclude that I am more of a Reflective learner, meaning that I need to think things through before I begin a project. I am also more of an intuitive learning, meaning in a classroom setting, I often get bored with memorization and repetition. I would rather expand my thinking and use multiple situations. The learning technique that came as the biggest surprise to me was Verbal learning, which means that I would rather hear directions or have written directions than see a diagram or a map. I have always had trouble reading maps or diagrams. When reading a book I tend to skip over any pictures and just focus on the written text and captions. Finally, I am a Global Learner, meaning that I need to see the big picture of something before I can focus on the small details. This also does not come as a surprise to me. I am often very frustrated with the small details of coursework, but I love watching it all come together for one final outcome.