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!

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.