Web 2.0 tools, I believe, is the future of technology as although it is more sophisticated, it is more immersive and overall more efficient for future generations to become accustomed to to use effectively. After listening to the podcast and searching for other examples of Web 2.0 tools and technology, I believe a good platform for a classroom setting is YouTube, as I have seen it used to explain in a quick but detailed manor certain lessons while providing visual examples that manage to help all types of learners; whether it be visual or auditory. Another technology I think is useful is Twitter due to its quick nature. Students and teachers can be on the same page with twitter and share useful information for class and other forms of entertainment.
One of my personal favorite Web 2.0 technology would be google slides and google docs. Those tools have been intensely helpful with collaborating with group projects as it provides a platform we can all edit without having to be in the same room. I wish I had these tools in high school as it would have made group projects so much easier. Being able to edit and see other peoples edits on a presentation or document in real time is leagues better than having to make edits one by one, making the whole process that much more efficient and less frustrating. It also allows us to chat in a text box while we are working on it so we stay in communication. As a teacher, this tool could help students who do not have access to certain transportation but still allows them to be productive and collaborative with teammates.
I believe that 3D printing is the end all be all for our future. Right now it is in a very young stage, but the benefits we have seen from it have already opened doors for many people. From gaining a limb back that was lost, to printing cost saving technologies. Once 3D printing really gets steam beneath it, I believe our future will never be the same. Products that were costly are now cheap, perhaps houses will be able to be printed cutting out all labor costs and dangers. It will be a world where anything can be downloaded and printed at any time. It reminds me of when the first car was introduced, many claimed it had no real place over horses and that it was too much of a hassle to effectively use, now a hundred years later everyone and their kid owns a car. This will be the same with 3D printing, and so 20 years from now we will be living in a different world almost. This I am excited to see unfold in my lifetime. As for utilization in the classroom? Subjects that are being studied can be printed out in detail for students to examine, I can imagine this application being used for a biology class where hands on learning is necessary, but its applications can be spread across all classes and subjects.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Blog Post #4
I will come right out and say it, Twitter has never been a friend. It's layout is confusing and not intuitive and I have never been sure exactly what is happening. I find myself not wanting to go on Twitter at all fore anything, I do not feel it could positively help in my networking, if I wanted to do that I would log onto Linkedin. Hashtags and groups seem like too much effort, it is not streamlined and is bloated with features I really could care less about. I have attempted to use Twitter in the past but ran into the same problems. I honestly wish we did not have to use it for the course, I find it more troublesome then actually doing homework, and i keep forgetting to log on and send out tweets. I feel like I am missing a key aspect to the site, but it has not clicked for me in the slightest.
The digital divide is becoming more crucial to student success. More and more we as a society are logging on to some form of technology to communicate with each other and to do work, and those who readily have access go without wanting, but those of lower socioeconomic level have more struggles to go through just to gain access. Technology has become so prevalent that it is expected for everyone to have some form of it, and when it comes to the classroom, I find that over the years I have been utilizing technology more and more to the point where i have become extremely reliant on its benefits that I could not go back. There are still students out there who suffer poor academics simply because of the lack of access to things like a computer or the internet. The digital divide needs to be reduced on all levels for equal opportunity.
As a teacher I expect to be using Microsoft office more than anything. I need PowerPoint for presentations, I need word to create assignments and tests/quizzes, and I need excel to stay organized with all my students. Microsoft Office has always been my main software for work purposes and I do not see that changing. I have grown accustomed to it and would find it hard to change. The grade level I would be aiming for with this software is universal. Any class or grade level I go into, I would need Office to be able to get anything done. As far as software I would use the least? Hard to say. There is plenty of software I already do not utilize. I will have to think harder on it
The digital divide is becoming more crucial to student success. More and more we as a society are logging on to some form of technology to communicate with each other and to do work, and those who readily have access go without wanting, but those of lower socioeconomic level have more struggles to go through just to gain access. Technology has become so prevalent that it is expected for everyone to have some form of it, and when it comes to the classroom, I find that over the years I have been utilizing technology more and more to the point where i have become extremely reliant on its benefits that I could not go back. There are still students out there who suffer poor academics simply because of the lack of access to things like a computer or the internet. The digital divide needs to be reduced on all levels for equal opportunity.
As a teacher I expect to be using Microsoft office more than anything. I need PowerPoint for presentations, I need word to create assignments and tests/quizzes, and I need excel to stay organized with all my students. Microsoft Office has always been my main software for work purposes and I do not see that changing. I have grown accustomed to it and would find it hard to change. The grade level I would be aiming for with this software is universal. Any class or grade level I go into, I would need Office to be able to get anything done. As far as software I would use the least? Hard to say. There is plenty of software I already do not utilize. I will have to think harder on it
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Blog Post #3
After going through the ELA Technology Standards, one section in particular stood out to me, RST.7. I would feel most comfortable teaching this because I have always held an affinity for sciences, and using any resource possible to convey that information. I am familiar with the usage of graphs, models, and diagrams and so forth when it comes to presentations. Visual aids have always been helpful when I was learning about any science, and I have been able to navigate the resources at my disposal to accurately find what i am looking for that would aid me in teaching a class. The rest of the standards i could use some work on, honestly, but in particular I would need assistance with RL.5, using digital media to teach a classroom has never been my ideal method, and I am unsure of how I would even begin to do so.
Teaching a higher level Science course (for high schools) would require me to use all of my resources for creating a presentation for the students. I would use Wikis for the students so that they could be shown all relevant material and beyond for their own curiosities and have them make an online blog of their experiences in the classroom. Blogs are a good method of having students think critically about what they are learning, even if it is for themselves, it will create a better understanding of the subject material. A digital citizenship guideline I would like to reinforce among the age bracket I would be teaching is to not steal other peoples work. This is a crucially important life lesson, as the consequences of plagiarism are very serious and should not be taken lightly by students who are regularly assigned homework and papers.
The newsletter assignment was... interesting. I am not sure if I learned anything too valuable or was shown things I did not already know. I can say I did learn how to make columns, specifically how not to ruin the format and layout of a paper by editing columns which i hope will be useful. Much of the assignment was trial and error for me, figuring out what would work and what does not given my knowledge of Word, and eventually I was able to create a creative newsletter design. I understand the necessity of the assignment and I appreciate what it is trying to do, but for me it was an overall bleh thing to do, and sadly I do not even have a copy of my newsletter I created. I created it on a school computer and submitted it there as well, so I am not sure how I would gain access to the same file on my home computer.
Teaching a higher level Science course (for high schools) would require me to use all of my resources for creating a presentation for the students. I would use Wikis for the students so that they could be shown all relevant material and beyond for their own curiosities and have them make an online blog of their experiences in the classroom. Blogs are a good method of having students think critically about what they are learning, even if it is for themselves, it will create a better understanding of the subject material. A digital citizenship guideline I would like to reinforce among the age bracket I would be teaching is to not steal other peoples work. This is a crucially important life lesson, as the consequences of plagiarism are very serious and should not be taken lightly by students who are regularly assigned homework and papers.
The newsletter assignment was... interesting. I am not sure if I learned anything too valuable or was shown things I did not already know. I can say I did learn how to make columns, specifically how not to ruin the format and layout of a paper by editing columns which i hope will be useful. Much of the assignment was trial and error for me, figuring out what would work and what does not given my knowledge of Word, and eventually I was able to create a creative newsletter design. I understand the necessity of the assignment and I appreciate what it is trying to do, but for me it was an overall bleh thing to do, and sadly I do not even have a copy of my newsletter I created. I created it on a school computer and submitted it there as well, so I am not sure how I would gain access to the same file on my home computer.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Blog Post #2
As a student, MS Word has been a constant presence in my life. I will not go 2 days without having to use the program for some reason, unless I am away on vacation. I always have at least one file from MS word on my computer, which is usually a syllabus for some class. Ever since I was a child I have been using word, and have watched the program grow along with me, from MS 2007, to 2010 and so on and so forth, and each time I have learned to navigate and use it fluidly because it is required of me to know the ins and outs for doing coursework. All MS Office programs have been frequent in my life, and will I may not excel at all of them, the outlook I gained from previous experience in office work have given me invaluable knowledge, and knowledge is power. Point me to the newest update of MS word and I will be able to relearn and adjust to whatever layout they settle on, flawed and complicated as it may be. Let's face it, MS Word peaked in 2007 and they have been trying to catch lightning in a bottle since.
Legality and the internet has been a complicated relationship in my experience. Due to its nature and its relative young age, the internet has brought up countless issues that governments have been having trouble locking down illegal activities. I, myself have participated in less than legal activities on the internet regarding intellectual property and copyright, but have never used those for self profit, only entertainment. As "wrong" as it may be, to me it is a morally gray area that has not been around long enough for a social stigma to be added on. As a professional in the workplace, I would never use an illegally downloaded software for my purposes, as that impacts other people and I would not be able to manage the consequences which could turn ugly, and would expect any student to follow suit.
The issues brought up in chapter 11 reflect legal issues, such as copyright infringement, social issues like cyberbullying, and ethical issues like academic dishonesty. Copyright infringement is a complicated issue, and it is hard to prevent students from partaking on their own time, but I feel it is best to educate students on the matter and the ramifications. Informed and knowledgeable students should be aware of which choice is the right choice. Cyberbullying is a different beast altogether, it is a social issue that has pervaded society ever since the dawn of the internet. The best way to address this is to have support groups that students can turn to that will take action, or have an anonymous reporting system to crack down on those who are cyberbullying others. It is important to teach students to remember the human on the other side, and that words can hurt even through the internet, but some, or most cyberbullys already know this so it is best to crack down on those who are being hurtful. Academic dishonesty is an issue that is unique to every student, and how they perceive what is right and wrong. Some may view it as a "get done quick" scheme but fail to realize the ethical issues about what they are doing. Informing students is the best approach, and reprimand those who take others work for themselves as harshly as necessary.
Legality and the internet has been a complicated relationship in my experience. Due to its nature and its relative young age, the internet has brought up countless issues that governments have been having trouble locking down illegal activities. I, myself have participated in less than legal activities on the internet regarding intellectual property and copyright, but have never used those for self profit, only entertainment. As "wrong" as it may be, to me it is a morally gray area that has not been around long enough for a social stigma to be added on. As a professional in the workplace, I would never use an illegally downloaded software for my purposes, as that impacts other people and I would not be able to manage the consequences which could turn ugly, and would expect any student to follow suit.
The issues brought up in chapter 11 reflect legal issues, such as copyright infringement, social issues like cyberbullying, and ethical issues like academic dishonesty. Copyright infringement is a complicated issue, and it is hard to prevent students from partaking on their own time, but I feel it is best to educate students on the matter and the ramifications. Informed and knowledgeable students should be aware of which choice is the right choice. Cyberbullying is a different beast altogether, it is a social issue that has pervaded society ever since the dawn of the internet. The best way to address this is to have support groups that students can turn to that will take action, or have an anonymous reporting system to crack down on those who are cyberbullying others. It is important to teach students to remember the human on the other side, and that words can hurt even through the internet, but some, or most cyberbullys already know this so it is best to crack down on those who are being hurtful. Academic dishonesty is an issue that is unique to every student, and how they perceive what is right and wrong. Some may view it as a "get done quick" scheme but fail to realize the ethical issues about what they are doing. Informing students is the best approach, and reprimand those who take others work for themselves as harshly as necessary.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Blog Post #1
There are many reasons fueling the use of technology for teachers in the classroom, and its uses can only expand as technology improves and makes lives easier. Uses such as providing assistance with organization skills and curriculum planning have been implemented in many areas. Teachers also use new technologies for communication purposes with students and other faculty members, email, internet and cellphones are everyday things that most people have access to, and are being utilized by teachers and students alike for ease of living. A teacher can use technology to adapt to students unique learning styles as well, providing for a more wholesome and complete learning experience for students. A student may also use technology so that they can adapt material and subjects to their preferred learning style, whether it be visual or audio. Using technology to your advantage is its purpose, to make lives easier and more incorporated with daily activities and challenges faced by teachers and students alike.
ISTE standards are, in my opinion, not only appropriate but necessary for students to meet. Technology only gets more complicated, and I admire ISTE for providing a standard in learning and application of those technologies. With knowledge and understanding comes new opportunities for growth and learning, along with new horizons for creative outlets that students can take advantage of. It also provides for career development as technological implications have created a vast network of professionals who are both seeking work and providing opportunities for it. My gripe with ISTE is my personal grudge against standardized tests and how they assume people from all over the nation have equal access to these technologies, which is not the case. Some may find themselves being metaphorically held back because of unequal access to what is necessary but equal grading across the nation. Individual areas require assessment, but I do understand the plight of a standard across the board that ensures technological prowess.
While i am not a fan of labeling subgroups of people, i can agree to the "native youth" term. I say this because There is a whole new generation of people who have grown up knowing nothing without technology. Since they had these critical formative years surrounded by technology they have managed to adapt and incorporate it into their lifestyle, while older generations find the use of social networking and other things as trivial. The stark differences between how quickly a youth can learn a new technology when compared to someone much older is clear, and can be seen in many places. Students can pick up on new techs faster than their teachers, and a game of catch up has to be played on the digital immigrants part. As far as this effects learning, i am not sure. Digital immigrants have to teach the natives while learning new things as well, perhaps the direction this is all heading will weigh on the beneficial side but I cannot say for sure. As these digital natives grow up, they will still have the mental flexibility that was formed during their youth and can retain the speed of learning new technologies, but as the next generation of kids come along we may and will face new learning obstacles that we are not familiar with, and adaptation will be necessary once again.
ISTE standards are, in my opinion, not only appropriate but necessary for students to meet. Technology only gets more complicated, and I admire ISTE for providing a standard in learning and application of those technologies. With knowledge and understanding comes new opportunities for growth and learning, along with new horizons for creative outlets that students can take advantage of. It also provides for career development as technological implications have created a vast network of professionals who are both seeking work and providing opportunities for it. My gripe with ISTE is my personal grudge against standardized tests and how they assume people from all over the nation have equal access to these technologies, which is not the case. Some may find themselves being metaphorically held back because of unequal access to what is necessary but equal grading across the nation. Individual areas require assessment, but I do understand the plight of a standard across the board that ensures technological prowess.
While i am not a fan of labeling subgroups of people, i can agree to the "native youth" term. I say this because There is a whole new generation of people who have grown up knowing nothing without technology. Since they had these critical formative years surrounded by technology they have managed to adapt and incorporate it into their lifestyle, while older generations find the use of social networking and other things as trivial. The stark differences between how quickly a youth can learn a new technology when compared to someone much older is clear, and can be seen in many places. Students can pick up on new techs faster than their teachers, and a game of catch up has to be played on the digital immigrants part. As far as this effects learning, i am not sure. Digital immigrants have to teach the natives while learning new things as well, perhaps the direction this is all heading will weigh on the beneficial side but I cannot say for sure. As these digital natives grow up, they will still have the mental flexibility that was formed during their youth and can retain the speed of learning new technologies, but as the next generation of kids come along we may and will face new learning obstacles that we are not familiar with, and adaptation will be necessary once again.
Blog Post #0
I always felt that my generation has grown up through one of the stranger times in history. We entered at the dawn of technology, computers were finally becoming available in everyday homes and televisions were already a common household item, so my interaction with technology has been frequent through my life, and I believe in the lives of my peers. We are so technology based as a society and it has become so ingrained with how we get schoolwork or work done, and how we go about with social interaction, we are more connected than ever before. There are some who find this frightening, while others believe it is the necessary course of human evolution, my beliefs lie somewhere in the middle. I have always been around some sort of technology and have managed to familiarize myself with many programs over the course of my life and have used them to my advantage. I am familiar with Windows and its operation, as with Apple computers. I know office programs, but find myself unfamiliar with coding. I like to think i am a quick learner when it comes to adapting to new technology, seeing as i have always been trying to play catch up with these new techs and I look forward to what this class can offer me.
As far as what I hope to learn in this class, I cannot say for sure. Perhaps a deeper understanding behind the mechanisms used within technology and the building blocks that were necessary for creation. I would also be interested in the history of some of these technologies we may be introduced to in class. I would also be interested in seeing the application of technology in an educational environment that could cover a variety of grades to see the effects of technology and learning. I know for a fact that there are new "toys" in classrooms that I never got to experience because I have done classroom visitations recently, I would like to see the new dynamic in classrooms that exist because of these new techs.
I find that my test results tend to lie towards the middle, I am not surprised by this. I find that trying to determine somebody's entire being in 30 questions or less not effective. Some of the questions I was very unsure how to answer because in past experiences I have gone through many methods of learning and i am always adapting to new ways, and not unfamiliar with bringing back older methods, given that they work for me. I am a person who relies on my emotional state and gut instinct when given a decision, and that decision making process has led me down many paths of getting outside my comfort zone or remaining within it, it matters little to me at the end of the day. I will most likely continue to go down the path I already follow despite these test results because it is adaptive towards my learning style.
As far as what I hope to learn in this class, I cannot say for sure. Perhaps a deeper understanding behind the mechanisms used within technology and the building blocks that were necessary for creation. I would also be interested in the history of some of these technologies we may be introduced to in class. I would also be interested in seeing the application of technology in an educational environment that could cover a variety of grades to see the effects of technology and learning. I know for a fact that there are new "toys" in classrooms that I never got to experience because I have done classroom visitations recently, I would like to see the new dynamic in classrooms that exist because of these new techs.
I find that my test results tend to lie towards the middle, I am not surprised by this. I find that trying to determine somebody's entire being in 30 questions or less not effective. Some of the questions I was very unsure how to answer because in past experiences I have gone through many methods of learning and i am always adapting to new ways, and not unfamiliar with bringing back older methods, given that they work for me. I am a person who relies on my emotional state and gut instinct when given a decision, and that decision making process has led me down many paths of getting outside my comfort zone or remaining within it, it matters little to me at the end of the day. I will most likely continue to go down the path I already follow despite these test results because it is adaptive towards my learning style.
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