BLOG POST 7

I would like to maintain a course website as a teacher.  There are many benefits such as having updated organized information for my students and their parents to look at.This also a fun, creative way to share information in an effective way.  They are important because it provides an organized up to date way for students to access information about the class without having to contact you. 

I envision myself using technology in many ways with my profession in the future to accomplish thing more efficiently.  As the podcast mentions, things are changing day by day we can barely keep up.  Technology has allowed teacher development to transform from finding a time and day convenient for everyone to being able to watch a recording at your convenience.  I could record a lesson and post it for my students for those that may not understand it well.  This would also help students so they could go back and replay any parts that confuse them. 

The last assignment we completed was the WebHunt.  I learned many new skills from this task that I will use in the future.  I learned how to put files into a zip and how to create a criteria chart for assignments so I can create rubrics.  I liked how we could pick any topic, but I would change and improve on mine by adding more sources.  In my future career these tools will also be handy because I am familiar with how to create a check box and chart. 

I commented on Hayleys post saying, "Hayley,

I really like how you did your Web Evaluation. Nice job! I also said the same thing about using a course website how you mentioned it is a simple way to keep everyone up to date. I like how you mentioned technology helping students and teachers when it comes to timeliness. I had never thought about this point, but it is very valid. It is interesting how you said websites are helpful, but you can do without them and you relate it to your personal experiences. Cool!"  I also commented on Malyce's blog, Malyce,
Your web evaluation looks so fancy! I like how you mention you are not sure about the class website because you do not know what your patience and time commitments would be. I like how you took that into consideration. I also enjoyed how you talked about how technology has allowed for teachers to be more flexible with webinars and conferences and not having to physically attend them. I have also noticed some professors will skype in and teach a lesson, so they can teach more people in several locations and not have to be physically there. It is incredible how technology is evolving the way we do things."

BLOG POST 6

The Class page I found is for Mrs. Davis 2nd Grade.  This class is associated with Baden Academy Charter School.  Some things I noticed that were shared publicly on this page are lots of pictures.  I can imagine most people viewing this page are parents of the students and who doesn't love seeing pictures of their child?  Another thing I noticed is their weekly schedule was uploaded including electives, homework and extra notes to parents to reinforce or practice skills at home.  This seemed to be a lot of information to anyone interested, without even logging into the system.  

http://www.badenacademy.org/mssmith/

The Digital Divide affects students success in school because children who's families can afford computers and internet have more information and learning resources at their fingertips, where as a poorer child may not.  In this day and age, technology is being incorporated more and more into learning and if you are not up to speed, you will fall behind.  The main cause I see with the Digital Divide is socioeconomic status, leading to availability.  As a teacher, I would be very aware that everyone may not have access to a computer at home, and if that is the case, offer to work with them after school in the library or even possible schedule library time during class to work on skills during the school day.  

With my early experience with Twitter in this course so far,  I have been interacting with many Educational technology accounts, my classmates and of course my teacher :). I have found it very beneficial because sometimes if i see my classmates post about homework or assignments, it will remind me to do mine or even give me an idea of creativity.  In my future career, I think Twitter will benefit me because if you follow the right accounts, just like any social media site, you will learn new ideas.  Whether it be a way to teach something or a neat article about a new web tool.  Twitter is an easy way to learn new things with a simple scroll.  

I commented on Malyce's blog, saying "I think it is really neat that you chose a class page of a school that is so close to FSU. I also wrote about the Digital Divide ultimately being because of the access children do or do not have to technology. As you said, it will be challenging to accomodate these children in the digital age we live in, but there are ways to work around this. I feel like I have learned a lot from Twitter too! It is way different than using it as a social media site but I am really enjoying it!"  I also commented on 

I also commented on Mallory’s blog, saying “I love that you looked up your old elementary school, that is so cool.  It is amazing how much information these teacher websites provide.  I also emphasized the socioeconomic factor with the Digital Divide.  I also love the learning aspects of twitter and have loved communicating with my classmates on it! It may be easy to communicate with students that are older and more mature that check social media frequently.”

BLOG POST 5

ELA Technology Standards are the English and Language Arts technology standards set by the state that children need to meet before they graduate to the next level or grade.  I chose the Grade 1 standard LAFS.1.RI.2.5.  In summary, this standard states that children need to be familiar reading information that is related to the class on an online format and be familiar.  Also, to be familiar with searching for various things using various tools on the internet.  I feel prepared to implement this skill set because I have always been good at searching for information and finding exactly what I need.  The Web Hunt assignment also prepared me for this. 

I chose the Grade 1 Educator toolkit for the subject of science.  I am choosing the STEM lessons- Model Eliciting Activity tool.  This includes activities and exercises to make students think critically.  Some of these activities are very “think outside of the box” oriented and explain to 1^st graders a difficult concept.  I would use this for the exact purpose of making a challenging concept, something easy to understand through demonstration.  The unique tasks this tool presents learning, but in a fun way.

A Web 2.0 tool I would use in my classroom is VoiceThread.  This tool is very cool because it is a more interactive version of Powerpoint.  This teaches young children mature skills through a friendlier version.  This web tool is centered around using webcam, audio, videos and design and audio upload.  It is narration based so it allows you to make a presentation without physically presenting.  It is very easy to use and makes online learning a breeze! 

https://voicethread.com/

I commented on Hayley Singer’s blog, saying I also chose first grade!  The glossary and index is a very important tool to understand how to use, even with an online textbook.  I have actually used the Remind app and I love it! I used it in high school and it saved me.  I completely forgot about this tool, but it can be very helpful.  With phones becoming more popular at a younger age, this would be a great tool to utilize.  Great job!

I also commented on Mallory’s blog, Hello! I also chose first grade standards. It seems like a lot of our classmates did, which is kind of interesting. I am also constantly learning about technology and always having an open mind about it! I am sure you will feel very confident after completing this class with your digital skills. I love how you chose the math toolkit because this age is critical for learning the foundations of math. Great post!

Khan Academy (OER)

My prior learning experience with learning management systems consisted of Schoology and canvas.  Schoology is similar to Canvas but slightly different with the layout and platform.  It was an asynchronous because there were many learning factors in the classroom, but a lot of our study tools and assignments were online.  Learning in the classroom is effective for me because I am a visual learner, but online learning is very time-affective.  I like working at my own pace and this allows you to do that.

Open educational resources are extra tools online to aid our understanding with learning in school.  For example, Khan Academy has interactive walk through videos with steps to explain almost every topic you can think of.  This open educational resource includes walk through videos and practice tests for most math and science topics.  Practice problems and videos with instruction and steps have helped me learn many concepts that would confuse me in school.  It is also nice to just get instruction from a different person that is not your teacher.

I learned many new skills completing my Newsletter Design Assignment.  I struggled a bit with placing the pictures in and using the Word Art, but I figured it out.  I also learned how to add a border to my word document.  I liked how we had artistic creativity with it.  I can use these tools to create announcements or reminders for my students.  I feel that I could use these when creating a flyer or poster as well.  Next time I can improve my Newsletter by adding more visuals and add more information by using less words on it. 

I commented on Malyce's blog, saying that I also mentioned Khan Academy in my original post and how helpful that resource was for me in middle and high school. Your newsletter was very well organized and easy to look at. Maybe next time you could condense it to less words, to get you point across without people having to read so much. I love how you mentioned that online classes are on the rise and becoming more and more popular. It saves a lot of time for students and educators who may not have that time slot in their schedule, but are disciplined to do the work without someone telling them to in person.  I also commented on Erika's blog, noting her post was great! I have not taken CGS but I have had many friends that have. The graphics on your newsletter are awesome. You seemed to have learned a lot from that assignment. I actually completed my last 2 years of high school through Florida Virtual School Full Time so I am a big advocate for online learning. The time flexibility it offers and even learning at your own pace is so individualized. It creates a unique learning experience compared to a traditional classroom.