Hannah's Weekly EME Blog: 2017

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

ILP "Participation"- Lynda.com Tutorial

Short Description:
The course I chose, "Introduction to Web Design and Development, taught the very basics of web design and taught codes/other aspects of design as well. There are many tools available to web to web designers, but it is crucial to know the fundamentals before you begin.

Notes I took while watching:

Quiz before Lynda video to test knowledge... I received a 4/10
Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, & JavaScript -- core of all web content
Many tools available to make coding "easier"... be careful what websites/apps you trust
MUST know how to code
Coding isn't difficult to grasp
HTML is nothing more than a text file
Every single <html> has <head> below it
"CSS"- Cascading Style Sheets
CSS controls visual

Screen Shots:

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Blog Post #10

I would use data collection, especially Excel, for every subject to track student's grades on tests/quizzes/homework. This would help me help them by keeping up with their progress and grades and stepping in when I felt as if they were falling behind. I would use surveys at the end of the year to get a general feel for what students liked/didn't like about the school year course material. If the majority of my students didn't like a book I had them read, I would consider taking it out of the curriculum and replacing it with something different, just to make it a little more enjoyable.

I really loved seeing my classmates work and seeing what interested them/what didn't through this blog experience. Everyone in this class always did a great job in their posts and although I only had to leave 2 comments on people's blogs, I oftentimes found myself looking at everyones because they always did such a good job!

I really want to improve my skills in Microsoft Excel. It is very difficult to throughly understand, but I think out of all the technology we have experimented with during this class, Excel is one of the most helpful softwares. With a through understanding on Excel, I would be able to create charts and track data much easier. I plan on utilizing Excel and practicing with it to get better at this skill.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Blog Post #9

Flipped classroom is a creative way to think about school because literally everything in the "norm" is reversed. Instead of watching lectures and videos to learn in class and doing homework/extra helpful problems at home, it is opposite. Instead, you would save the lectures and videos for home and do the homework/assignments in the classroom. This utilizes technology a lot and I personally think it is a good idea, but I am hesitant. Students participating in the flipped classroom would have to be very driven and motivated to commit to the work outside of the classroom. I'm not sure every student would participate in this, so that's what worries me. A helpful educational website I have utilized a lot throughout my educational career is Khan Academy.

"Open source" refers to software, in the sense that it denotes for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. The source code is made freely available for anyone to access. When I googled it, I found many useful website such as Azure and Joomla. Both provided a plethora of information about open source and what it truly is.

Lastly, I learned a lot of new skills working with Power Point and also refreshed some old skills as well. Personally, I think the second assignment pushed me to learn a little more, mostly because I was using skills that I didn't know before this class. In the job world today, I think it is very important and helpful to know more than the basics when it comes to Power Point, just because it can be utilized in so many unique ways. Teachers in particular use Power Point all the time, if not daily, so knowing interesting tips and tricks would not only be helpful but might make your presentations more unique/fun.

Power Point Assignment 1:

Power Point Assignment 2:

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Blog post #8

Touring the lab was such an interesting experience and I truly learned so much through the visit. One technology I thought was super cool was the color contrasting key board for color blind students. I think this could benefit color blind students in schools greatly because it would make accessing and utilizing technology so much easier for them. I never even considered a color contrasting key board as an option but I think it is such a wonderful idea and would open doors for students with color blindness.

Bloom's taxonomy has 6 categories in the framework, and powerpoint can support student's learning at every level. Knowledge can be supported by adding details and descriptions of the lesson plan on every slide. Comprehension can be supported by adding pictures/graphics, which also helps visual/audio learned immensely. Application is supported by scenarios/questions asked by the instructor to the class, included in the power point. Analysis is included by discussion and relating the lesson to everyday life, Synthesis is supported by comparing and contrasting different ideas. Lastly, evaluation is supported by gathering feedback from what the class learned from the powerpoint.

Lastly, I think twitter is the best website for teacher's to utilize if they are trying to stay informed about technology. Twitter is always trending the latest trends and I think it is an excellent resource for teachers to use, in and out of the classroom!

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Blog Post #7

Adaptive technologies are tools that help out all types of learners and individuals with disabilities succeed and be independent in the classroom. Some adaptive technologies include talking word processing programs (help students read what they just wrote), recorded books, smart pens (assist with note taking), screen reader (computer reads what is on the screen), and many more. I have never met someone who utilized any of these, but after reading about them, I now realize how beneficial and amazing the technology is. As an educator, I would try to overcome all difficult obstacles with using them because I truly believe they could make or break a child's educational experience. A child cannot help their disabilities, and I would do my best to make sure they were learning and using the best tools possible.

I learned so much from working on my website. I did not realize how much time went into making them!! I really like the idea of having a website and as a teacher I will definitely have one one day. Next time around I would definitely spend much more time on my website. Check it out here.

I knew nothing at all about Diigo before this class, so it has been interesting working with it in this class. I like how you can make comments and see what other people comment on certain websites. It makes it an awesome forum for discussion and allows everyone to be involved and participate.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

ILP #1

I participated in the class field trip to the Technology Sandbox. I had a very cool experience and learned so much valuable information about up and coming technology. Learning about the 3-D printer was one of my favorite parts of the trip because I had never seen one in person before. They take some time to make things but can be very useful for education purposes. I also enjoyed learning about the Smart-board technology and will definitely want to implement this into my future classroom. I love how interactive it is and how it accommodates for all different types of learners.

This picture is of Anna and I at the Sandbox together!!

Monday, February 27, 2017

Blog Post #6

I initially used this prompt as an opportunity to go back to my Highschool website searching for some websites some of my former teachers may have had. Unfortunately, I found none that were easily accessible to public users. I proceeded to ask my roommate about her Highscool and was much more successful with my findings when researching hers. She attended Gainesville Highschool, which was a school for grades 9-12. After clicking around for a little while, I found a Google doc with Faculty & Staff Contact Information, which had teachers names and their website links if they had one. Many teachers websites were formatted the same and had motivational quotes about learning and education. Homework links and communication platforms were easily accessible. Many teachers also included that they used their websites for students to stay up to date if they missed a day of class.

I envision myself using e-mail and a class website the most when I am a teacher. To me, this technology will be the most useful when working with Elementary aged children. Because the kids will be so young, it will most likely be the parents utilizing the website and e-mail, so I would do my best to make it easy to navigate and find information. I would use the website to post announcements, homework, and other important information. Having this communication platform would make it easy for parents to contact me with questions and concerns regarding their child.

Lastly, I had a great time on the field trip to the technology sandbox!! I learned a lot about the up and coming technology classrooms are going to start seeing more often. In particular, I really enjoyed learning about the SmartBoard. I didn't realize how innovative and interactive this technology could be and I look forward to utilizing it in my classrooms when I need a demonstration. This also caters to all types of learners and everyone could benefit from incorporating this in my classroom.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Blog Post #5

Personally, I find Diigo, Blogs, and Wikis to be the most useful Web 2.0 tools for the classroom. Diigo allows students to take notes and comment on web pages, and also interact with their classmates. Blogs and Wikis allow students to express their beliefs and voice opinions. Blogs and Wikis can be useful for especially shy students who want to voice their opinions, but maybe are too shy to raise their hand in class. Personally, I think all social media sites (Twitter, YouTube, etc.) CAN be helpful, but also very distracting. They would need to be monitored closely by the teacher if utilized.

I found the Web 2.0 tool Scribd to be very fascinating, especially if I was teaching an English class. It pulls up different texts and books to reference and makes finding texts very easy in the classroom. It allows teachers to stay informed, and there is always something to discover.
https://www.scribd.com/

Lastly, there were many technological advancements mentioned in Chapter 12, but the one I found the most interesting and think holds the most promise is definitely "gamification." This approach encourages and motivates students to learn through video game designs and game elements. It not only makes learning more "fun", but students would be unconsciously learning through participation in the game. It maximizes engagement and focus of learners while simultaneously teaching, which in my opinion is genius and educators should definitely utilize this.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Blog Post #4

My experiences on Twitter in this class so far have been very good. I never realized how resourceful Twitter could be, if you choose to use it differently!! It has been very helpful in several ways as well. The other day, I had a test scheduled right before class and I was able to quickly send Taehyeong a direct message, letting him know I might be a few minutes late to class. This easy communication method was very helpful.

The term "digital divide" is basically a fancy word describing those who know how to use technology versus the ones who don't. Everyone has different privileges at home, and not everyone has easy access to home technology, like computers and the internet. Student's who are lucky to have this access typically do better, as sad as that may seem because student's of course cannot choose which household they are born in to and which technology they will be able to access. As a teacher, I would of course acknowledge these scenarios without singling anyone out. If the assignment had to be completed using technology, I would do my best to schedule ample computer lab time so the students could definitely complete the assignment during school hours, if they were motivated to do so.

Lastly, I would incorporate educational game software the most. I remember growing up these had a huge impact on me, helping me learn simple concepts that eventually evolved into something much greater. I want to teach 1st or 2nd grade, so I feel like these games would be a fun way to learn and the kids would enjoy playing them.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Blog Post #3

Personally, I feel most prepared with Vocabulary and Technology ELA technology standards. I understand varieties of texts easily and would describe my vocabulary as extensive. Ever since I was a young girl, I have had access to technology so I think I would be the best at teaching that. I need more preparation and help on multimedia, how to use multiple sources, and evaluating a speaker’s point of view.

As a teacher, I definitely will use Microsoft Word and Powerpoint!! Ideally, I would like to teach second grade, so I would be careful with what I chose to involve them with because they are so young. I do however think exposure is a great idea for that age and getting them engaged/involved is always a good thing! I would teach them about digital citizenship guidelines because I think it is so important to reinforce at young ages how wrong plagiarism is. There are adult individuals who struggle with this concept, so I think at least an introduction to the guidelines in 2^nd grade could only be beneficial.

Lastly, I learned just how time consuming making a newsletter is. This is something I always took advantage of as a kid and never really appreciated the time and effort my teachers put into making them for my parents and I. I really struggled with the two column formatting and wasn’t as confident in my Microsoft Word skills. I will take what I learned from this assignment and apply it to my future newsletters when I am a teacher!

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Blog Post #2

As a student, I have used Microsoft word throughout my time as a student. In Highschool, I used it to write papers and make diagrams for classes. Now, in college, I use Microsoft word primarily for note taking. My teachers have always used it to create newsletters and make tests/quizzes, it is an extremely valuable resource that can save time and produce amazing results if you know how to properly utilize it.

My experience with copyright is also from my time as a student, in high school and college. Plagiarism has always been strictly prohibited by every teacher I have ever had, and I have always had to turn in papers to turnitin.com (an anti-plagiarism website) to ensure that my work I submitted was 100% my own. As a teacher, I would also require my students to submit their work to an anti-plagiarism server and I would educate them on what plagiarism is and my expectations of them. I would also give others credit in my lesson plans, when need be, to set a positive example for my students.

While using Twitter for this class, I have realized that many educators have accounts and post tips & ideas for fellow teachers. I would definitely utilize this in my classroom and use it as a communication forum, as well as a way to get different ideas/techniques for teaching in my classroom.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Blog Post #1

To me, technology is crucial to a successful educational experience in this day and age. It is a so important to have in the work force and is quickly becoming a "life skill", due to all the technology literally everywhere. P21 skills are important as well, and especially useful when fostered in primary education. A major concern is mandating laws to have technology equally implemented all over the United States. At the moment, each state decides how technology will teach children. While this freedom is nice in some ways, it would be especially helpful, as well as beneficial, if all children were taught the same basic technology skills. I support the work ISTE performs and it makes me happy seeing their efforts towards student's reaching technology literacy before entering high school.

I whole heartedly agree with the term "digital native." It fits our generation perfectly. As a child, I was exposed to technology at a very young age. Granted, the majority of it was for educational purposes (computer games to help with vocabulary, reading, etc.), but there was exposure. I would consider my parents "digital immigrants", considering that they were exposed to technology much later in life. I would place the majority of my teachers in the same category. Because they were exposed later, they have a harder time adapting to updates and changes that occur with technology. Technology is always advancing, so it's hard for even the "digital natives" to keep up. I anticipate that my students will be more "in the know" than me, but I will be more adaptable because I've always been around technology and am open to changes and advancements.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Blog Post #0

My prior technology experience is extensive, but I don't know if I would describe it as 'advanced' by any means. I know the basics about Microsoft Word, Power-point, and Excel and the bare minimums of Adobe Photoshop and iMovie. Granted, I am a millennial, so I would consider myself 'tech savvy' when it comes to the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. For the most part, due to my past experiences, I am usually pretty quick on picking up technology and adapt to technology updates relatively well.

I hope to learn more about Excel in this class. Excel in particular because the opportunities are endless with it! I hope to pursue a job in teaching, so being able to input test scores and make comparisons would be very helpful. Excel can also be utilized in day to day life when creating budgets, or just dealing with a variety of numbers/lists in general. Being knowledgeable in this area would not only enhance my resume, but also my self confidence in organization and overall management of numbers.

I was not surprised with my results from the Learning Styles Scale, I have been a visual learner from day one! I do my very best when I can see step by step what is required of me. The highest score you can earn on the test is an "11", and that is exactly what I got in the Visual learning section. My second highest result was "Sequential", where I scored a "7" which also reflects me very well. This one was initially less obvious to me, but the more I think about it, the more fitting I think it suits me. I have a tendency to organize things in steps and usually follow logical steps to find solutions to problems. This questionnaire was enjoyable and it was very interesting to interpret my results!