ILP 2: Design

As a future educator, it is important to understand how to correctly use digital video editing tools, such as iMovie. iMovie, along with other video editing softwares, allows information and graphics to be displayed in such a way that keeps the audience entertained. When my family decided to travel to San Francisco this winter, I made sure to capture videos on our GoPro, knowing that I would eventually put these clips together and make a short video showcasing our trip - this video can be seen below.

Although this video would not necessarily be considered "educational", it utilizes many aspects offered in the iMovie software and could be used as a future example for students on how to create iMovie videos properly.

Blog Post #10

If my plan to become a teacher actually follows through, then I will be using both data collection and reporting tools to better enhance my classroom experience. The data collection tool, also known as a survey, will be used to gain better insight into how my students are feeling about different assignments, tests, or just the class in general. The best part about many of these surveys is that they have the option of being anonymous, thus allowing students to share their feelings without being intimidated or worried about any possible consequences. The reporting tool, also known as Excel, will be used to record my student's grades and attendance records. Growing up, many of my teachers kept a grade book full of this information, but with the resources now present in today's society, I believe that creating an Excel spreadsheet with this information would be beneficial to both myself as a teacher and my students.

To be honest, the best part about reviewing my classmates' blogs would have to be learning about the topics from different perspectives. Although we all were given the same journal prompts, everyone has a different past experience and a different mindset, thus allowing each blog post to be unique in its own way. I also enjoyed looking at the images posted on the blog posts regarding the different assignments we had to complete - my favorite was seeing how everyone designed their interactive PowerPoints differently!

If I were to pick one technological tool to perfectly master, then I would have to pick Excel, mainly because it is one of the trickier softwares developed and is crucial to understanding as a teacher. However, as society grows and more technologies are created, I believe that it would be more beneficial to be aware of all of the tools available in the classroom rather than just mastering one - if you know enough information about every tool available to you as a teacher, then you will be quick to learn the quirks of said tool and master as many of the tools as possible.

Blog Post #9

The "Flipped Classroom" is an innovative blended delivery model structured through the use of online lectures. Teachers are using a wide range of technologies to record and share their instructions for purposes outside of the classroom. The "Flipped Class Network" website offers examples of different models utilized by teachers, along with tutorials for uploading certain material, and can be found here: http://flippedlearning.org.

According to the podcast, "open education" is all about making educational experiences available to a wide audience. Historically, learners are bound by geography - the "open education" movement has changed this. Similarly, "open source" is a term that refers to software specifically made available for anyone to access. To find more information on this topic, beyond the given podcast, click here: https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-education.

From the previous PowerPoint assignments, I have discovered the importance of making presentations aesthetically pleasing and how to properly utilize the animation features. The only change I would make to my first assignment, however, would have been to spend more time on the actual content of the presentation. Besides that, I think I did a pretty good job. The screenshots of both assignments can be found below.

Blog Post #8

During our field trip to the Assistive Technology Lab, we got to witness and experience many different types of technology that could be useful to students with disabilities - these technologies ranged from braille typewriters to speak-to-text computer programs. One of the smaller, but still essential, tools that we got to see was the different colored keyboards used by colorblind students. A picture of one of these keyboards can be seen below.

Bloom's Taxonomy, as understood by Google, is a set of models used to classify educational learning objectives - knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. You might use PowerPoint to support student knowledge by providing basic details and definitions on each slide, to support comprehension by providing explicit examples for said definitions, to support application by asking "what if" scenarios, to support analysis by asking specific discussion questions, to support synthesis by comparing the topic to another relevant issue that the audience may better understand, and to support evaluation by providing valid feedback at the end of the PowerPoint and/or discussion.

Chapter twelve pushes teachers to be the "driving force" of technology innovation in education, and the only way to be this "force" is for teachers to be aware of the educational tools that surround them. Honestly, when asked to provide a website that allows users to stay updated with technology trends, the first website that comes to mind is Twitter. Since Twitter is utilized in this course, we all understand the communication aspects it gives its audience. However, if you follow the right users, Twitter can open a world full of technology updates and upcoming educational tools. A picture from my educational Twitter page can be seen below.

Blog Post #7

For students with all manners of disabilities, technology can offer an important avenue to increased independence, participation, and success in classroom activities - these tools are referred to as adaptive technologies. Some examples include recorded books, which allow students to hear a story rather than having to read it, and talking word processing programs, which read aloud whatever a student has previously written. Although I have not known anyone that has used adaptive technology, it is important to be comfortable with these tools and be accepting of all students, especially as a future educator.

To be honest, the worst part about the web page design assignment was picking an appropriate layout for the website. After the layout had been chosen, it was easier to create the pages and assign each topic to a specific page. Although a website is certainly aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate, I do not think that it would be appropriate to use as a communication tool between teachers and students - it would, however, be much more appropriate as a school website rather than a website of just one specific teacher. The link to my web page design assignment is: https://annaswen.wixsite.com/sweneducation.

From working with Diigo, I have realized the benefits of annotating websites and utilizing the resources found by my classmates. Although I am not the biggest fan of Diigo and think that having to log into the account is a bit of a hassle, the application is useful and allows certain resources to be saved for future use. It also allows for better communication between students, which is always needed in a classroom environment.

Blog Post #6

When I read the prompt for the sixth blog post in this course, the first school that came to my mind was my elementary school - Resurrection Catholic School. I visited the website that I used to call my home and, although I could not find any specific "class" pages, I did find a curriculum page. This page highlights what specific topics those in the elementary school will be covering, along with those in the middle school. The link for the website is: http://www.rcslakeland.org/academics/curriculum/. And the screenshot of the curriculum page can be seen below!

If my plan to become a high school teacher actually follows through, then I would envision myself using technology in the classroom to better enhance my communication with students, parents, and other teachers. I would hope that I would correctly and effectively utilize productivity tools, thus allowing me to complete every day tasks in a more organized manner.

Last week, we visited the COE Tech Sandbox, where we were able to experience new technologies that may be available to us in the classroom. One of these tools, and one that I often used in both middle school and high school, was a SmartBoard. The SmartBoard is, essentially, an interactive white board. Since I have past experience with this specific tool, I feel like I would be prepared to use a SmartBoard in my own future classroom and utilize the unique experiences that only a SmartBoard can provide.

ILP 1: Participation

Last week we traveled to the COE Tech Sandbox as a class field trip and I learned a lot about different types of technology that I didn't know existed! To be honest, I didn't even know where the Tech Sandbox was located in the Stone Building and that students had access to the technology there. One of the technological tools that we got to look at can be seen below - it's a learning tool that attaches to iPads; the electronic reader can sense when the letters are placed near the device and students can even race each other to see who can spell the words the fastest.

Another cool piece of technology that we got to play with was Google glasses. Although they were hard to use at first, the prototype has a lot of potential for the future, even though the instructors at the Sandbox said that the glasses seemed to be "dead" technology. These glasses can be seen below, in a selfie I took with my friend and classmate Hannah!

Blog Post #5

Web 2.0 technologies are known as the second generation tools because they tend to be more sophisticated, interactive, and collaborative than the original web 1.0 technologies. Based on the podcast about using web 2.0 in the classroom, I think that the tool most useful in the classroom would be Twitter - it opens a world of communication previously hidden from students and allows them to directly (and quickly) message either professors, other peers, or even famous authors/politicians. However, I think that wiki pages would be less useful in the classroom; growing up, we are constantly told not to use wiki and, although we did utilize the technology in this course, I think that using wiki as a collaborative tool is both outdated and tedious. No one likes group projects, anyway.

When I was in high school, we often used a web 2.0 technology called Edmodo - it was basically designed as a Facebook page, but all of your friends were your classmates and the posts were only school-related. It even had an app that would send you notifications when your teacher posted an assignment or reply! Many students (including myself) did not appreciate Edmodo at the time, but looking at it from a teacher's point of view has made me realize the benefits that Edmodo actually has. The link is https://www.edmodo.com, but you would need a specific class code to get into a particular classroom/course.

Out of all of the advancements presented in chapter twelve, I think that the most successful/interesting would be "gamification" - it adds game elements to instructional content to increase motivation and interactivity among students. I would say that 3D printing would be the most successful and utilized in the classroom, but I have watched enough Grey's Anatomy episodes to know that 3D printing involves a long process and, in my opinion, it can be better used in the medical field.

Blog Post #4

When I was in high school, I created a personal Twitter account just because all of my friends had already done so - it was the "cool" thing to do. As I got into college, I realized how easily news can be shared via Twitter and how many politicians even had their own Twitter accounts. When we began utilizing Twitter in this course, I created another Twitter account just for my weekly tweets and educational updates. By having all of my classmates and my professor on Twitter, I have been able to better understand the material and, not to mention, my classmates' tweets serve as good reminders for any assignments that may be due. Although I have only interacted with a few of my classmates via Twitter, learning how to communicate with others on different online platforms is beneficial to any future job, especially considering the pace at which technology is advancing. After using Twitter in this course, I will definitely be considering using Twitter in my future classroom - it allows for fast communication and is exciting compared to other social media outlets!

The digital divide is a term used to describe the gap between those who do and do not have access to technology - not everyone owns a computer and not everyone has internet access at home. This divide has affected student success for years, especially as technology advances. Students who have access to technology are more likely to succeed in school, while those on the other end of the spectrum are more likely to struggle in school. As an educator, it is important to understand these differences and to treat each student according to their needs; maybe spend more time with those who are struggling or create specific assignments that will guide them in the right direction, especially when technology is being used. If a homework assignment calls for the use of technology and a student does not have those resources at home, give him or her extra time during the school day or delay the assignment's due date a week. At the end of the day, the students are our top priority as educators and we should try to help them in any way possible.

Active learning software is a diverse collection of academic software that can be used to enrich teaching and learning, both for students and teachers. Out of all of the software types presented in chapter eight, the student software that I would expect to use the most in my future classroom would be desktop publishing, which would enable me to create study materials, worksheets, flyers, posters, online magazines, and other media. The student software that I would be least likely to utilize in my future classroom, however, would be authoring systems. If my goal of becoming a high school English teacher becomes a reality, then I will not be needing authoring systems such as "Storyline" as much as I would need "Microsoft Publisher".

Blog Post #3

Out of all of the ELA technology standards, I would say that the one I would be most comfortable with teaching about would be SL.3 - "Evaluate Speaker's Point of View". This standard involves evaluating a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence or rhetoric; I often used these skills in my high school courses and feel that I would be able to communicate these skills effectively when applied to media sources. The one ELA technology standard that I would need to be more educated about, however, would be SL.5 - "Use Digital Media". This standard involves making strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information/enhance understanding of presentations. Although I have used digital media in the past, there are a wide variety of sources that I am unfamiliar with and would need extra guidance before trying to communicate this standard with others.

Based on the information presented in chapter nine, the technology application that I would like to use with my future students would be an online blog. If my current plan follows through, I will end up becoming a high school teacher in the English department and a blog would fit perfectly with the curriculum. Since I will be teaching in a high school atmosphere, the digital citizenship guideline that would appropriately fit this situation would be: "Student participation in the community is meaningful, appropriate, and on topic and advances the community as a whole". As high schoolers, they will already demonstrate the technology skills necessary to use the blog but they will need encouragement to contribute appropriately and respectfully to the assignment(s).

To be honest, the main thing that I learned from the newsletter design assignment was how much work teachers actually put into those newsletters - all those years spent in school, I didn't even realize how much time and energy went into making them! I will say, however, that I initially struggled with the "two column" function and I was even confused on how to insert a hyperlink. If I were to do this assignment a second time, I would not wait until the last minute to think of article topics, because being creative can be hard sometimes. Either way, I am pretty happy with how my newsletter design assignment turned out!

Blog Post #2

Throughout my years as a student, I have used Microsoft Word for multiple purposes - creating Science Fair boards in elementary school, drafting poems in my high school literature classes, and typing essays in my college courses here at the Florida State University. Even now as a sophomore in college, I constantly utilize Microsoft Word to take notes during class or to create graphs for certain labs. Microsoft Word is a crucial tool used in society today and, as time goes on, it will become more and more important. I have also seen my teachers use Microsoft Word for multiple purposes, especially when making tests, quizzes, or syllabi to hand out to students at the beginning of the semester. While other applications, such as PowerPoint, Prezi, and Excel, are also utilized in the classroom, Microsoft Word plays a large role in the learning and success of both students and teachers.

As a student, my experience with copyright has been limited to writing essays and citing sources for class credit. And, to be honest, I have not always had the best luck with the plagiarism checkers that teachers provide for their classes - even if I correctly cited my sources and rephrased the information that I had previously researched, I would still have a high plagiarism percentage. As a teacher, I would work with students directly, especially those who have had similar plagiarism problems as me. I would make it clear what is expected for each assignment and would give helpful hints to avoiding high plagiarism percentages when citing sources. Understanding the copyright and fair use of materials in an educational environment is crucial to succeeding in the real world, which is why these skills should be taught and reinforced in the classroom.

As discussed on page 257 of the course textbook, issues in education technology implementation are divided into three categories: legal issues, social issues, and ethical issues. Some of the legal issues outlined in the textbook include copyright, piracy, acceptable use, and the right to privacy. Similarly, the social issues presented in the textbook include digital divide/digital bridges, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, and web 2.0 interaction. And, lastly, some of the ethical issues described in the textbook include the freedom of speech, academic honesty, privacy, and hacking/malware. A solution to the legal issue of copyright would be to establish firm guidelines regarding how to correctly research outside information and cite sources. Students should know how to give proper credit to information that they have researched and utilized in their own work. A solution to the social issue of cyber-bullying would be to educate students on the real issue of cyber-bullying and provide guidelines regarding how to avoid it, whether from the point of view of the bully or the one being bullied. It is the teacher's job to prevent bullying at all costs, whether it be in person or through the use of technology. And, lastly, a solution to the ethical issue of the freedom of speech would be to carefully establish a line between what is appropriate to discuss in class and what is not appropriate, despite the platform being utilized. The freedom to express one's opinion is one of the most respected rights granted by the United States Constitution, but it is often difficult to understand the limitations necessary to establish appropriate materials and guidelines for students, which is why teachers must stand together and establish an appropriate line in the educational environment.

Blog Post #1

The growing impact that technology holds in our society influences both teachers and students to use technology in the classroom. As educators, we are charged with ensuring that our students are prepared for their place in society, thus making technology literacy a critical aspect of education. Every educator needs to master essential technology skills to accomplish their own tasks, but also to prepare their students for contemporary life. In communicating efficiently with their students, every educator should understand the factors that can interfere with the communication cycle - environmental, psychological, and personal - and should recognize the different learning styles that many students may adhere to.

After researching the ISTE standards for both teachers and students, the "creative communicator" standard stood out to me the most because, in my opinion, many creative ideas are shot down before they can be implemented and it would be nice to see these ideas take action in the physical world. The "global collaborator" standard may be outside of my current skill set because, although connecting with the world is a unique and wonderful task, my experience in that area is minimal and I would be hesitant to pursue it on my own.

A digital native refers to a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and is familiar with said technology from an early age. The differences between digital natives and digital immigrants are rather apparent, whether it be watching an older teacher struggle to use PowerPoint in the classroom or seeing a seven-year-old work with an iPad. So, yes, I agree with the label "digital native". No, I do not think that using technology at a young age is detrimental. I do, however, think that there should be limitations to the kind of technology available to children and how much time children are allotted to spend with that technology. I anticipate that, when and if I become a teacher, I will be comfortable with the technology presented in the classroom and my students may even have to teach me a thing or to about said technology.

Blog Post #0

My prior experiences using technology are rather minimal. To be honest, the last time I took a technology course would have been in middle school. Certain systems, such as Microsoft Excel, are foreign to me and I may need more help in that area than I would like to admit. I have, however, utilized PowerPoint and Prezi for my previous courses here at Florida State and I do have my own personal blog, where I share my own stories and experiences. 

I would hope that this course, EME2040, would broaden my knowledge on the different technologies available for usage in the classroom and would help me to better utilize said technologies. I hope to understand the "ins and outs" of Microsoft Excel, as well as the other computer systems that I may be hesitant to use. I definitely am ready for a semester of learning!

The learning styles results that I, personally, received after I took the quiz on my own time.