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!!

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. 

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.

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.

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!