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Blog Journal #10

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 A skill I acquired from working on the PowerPoint Interaction Assignment was the ability to hyperlink content that is within the Powerpoint already. To be more clear, being able to click on text and be taken to a different slide. I liked the ability to be creative and make a Jeopardy board. The only thing I would say I disliked about the assignment is that I wasn't immediately clear on how to disable linear navigation, but now I know for the future!  I think I will use survey tools as a teacher in a couple ways. I can make an anonymous survey that my students can fill out at any time, asking me to clarify topics. In a fourth grade science class, I could post a few options of field trip locations and see which place the students would find the most popular. Or, in an AP Psychology class, surveys could be used to see which psychological movie would be the most anticipated. A topic I found interesting from reviewing blogs was the difference in educational software all of my clas...

Blog Journal #9

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I was in an asynchronous section of EME2040. I liked that I could work on the assignments relatively at my own pace, as long as I stayed on schedule. It worked well with the rest of my classes and work. Sometimes the Canvas page felt cluttered, and I would have to scroll for a long time to find an article in a sea of information, which I didn't like. When I'm a teacher, I might have a table of contents on my class website so that students can find the unit they're looking for. This way, they can go directly to that unit and have a lot less things to weed through. But of course I do understand the limitations of Canvas! Open educational resources are those that can be accessed and used by everyone. They're often found online, and can be used for free--they can even sometimes be edited and shared. The University of Pittsburgh LibGuides compiled a list of OERs that are available. The list has sites for images, multimedia, complete courses, and more.  From working on the P...

Blog Journal #8

A new skill I learned from working on the Web Design assignment was using the software Weebly to create a website . I had only ever visited Weebly sites in the past, so it was interesting to learn the process of creating one for myself. I also learned how to embed a Google Calendar into a website. There honestly wasn't a part of the assignment I disliked. In my future career, I will try to have my own class website for students and parents to visit.  I learned how to add a sticky note and highlight from working with Diigo. I think the application can be helpful as it gives teachers a space to post websites or articles for their students to read. This could be used as a space for optional readings to be posted. With team members, it makes it easier for each person to find articles, annotate what's important to the topic, and post it to the space so that everybody's on the same page.  One site that could be used to stay informed of technology trends in education is EdTech Mag...

Blog Journal #7

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 When I was a sophomore and senior in high school, I took APUSH and AP Psych, respectively. My teacher, Mr. Pustay, had his own course website . Here he posted powerpoint, assignment descriptions, motivational messages, or just silly images. Although he retired, the site is still active, as he has posted his old presentations for students' use. I thought the website was extremely useful, and it kept everything organized. There was no log-in.  I do envision myself creating my own class website. A way in which it could increase efficiency is by giving parents and students access to it, parents can go directly to the site, rather than hearing it from another person. Rather than spending time answering parent emails/calls about assignments, etc., I could use that time for other preparations or grading. I would likely use Weebly to create this site.  To be completely honest, I didn't love working with PBWorks. The site felt visually overwhelming. I was confused on how to share...

Blog Journal #6

My initial experience with Diigo, that is setting up the account and joining the class blog, was straight-forward enough. However, the appearance of the software is somewhat confusing for me. It just feels like there's a lot going on, and it's hard to focus on one thing. In terms of creating a post, the instructions seem relatively easy. I have yet to complete my portfolio items, but looking at the instructions, it should be no problem. Overall, I liked the setup, but am not a huge fan of the organization of it. When I first heard about the blogging requirement for this class, I figured it would be about our lives. I was not expecting it to be as much about technology as it is. The instructions have been straightforward, and the site to produce the blogs has been easy to follow. I have learned a lot about other students, and educational methods I might use in my future classroom. An interesting Web 2.0 tool that I might use is Spelling City . This is a page that provides lesson...

Blog Journal #5

 This class is not the first time I have used Twitter, but when I first started, it was slightly confusing. I eventually deleted the app from my phone, as I didn't use it very often. Now, though, it's interesting to use it for educational purposes. I have been interacting with education accounts, as well as Educhats, both of which have been beneficial. Twitter might help in my future career by continuing to interact with educators across the state or country, and getting other perspectives. The digital divide creates disparities among students. This is seen when one student has full access to internet or computers, and another doesn't have this access. The student with access is at a greater advantage to be successful in school. As a teacher, I would try to be sensitive to these issues. I would make a more accessible classroom, with digital and manual options for turning in homework. I would also try to teach about technology during the school hours. Two software tools I wo...

Blog Journal #4

 The ELA Standard and Technology Matrix for Grade Kindergarten is that students learn how to use digital websites in order to publish literary works, with help. In terms of technology use, students are expected to learn how to use SmartBoard as well as online story generators. I feel prepared to implement this standard. This is because the technology is fairly straightforward and easy to incorporate and teach. The CPALMS resource I used was the Hopscotch Counting On: 11-20 video. This is a video to be played in a classroom that takes students along with two animated kids. At the end of the lesson, they will be able to identify the numbers 11-20. I would use this in my classroom as it is attention-grabbing, and another form of learning that they can take in. It relates the lesson to fictive kids their own age.  It is important to be a proficient Internet searcher as a teacher because it gives them access to online materials. Additionally, if a student asks a question that the t...