Journal 6

First, we are going to look at websites teachers keep to update their students and their parents. As an example, I choose a high school English teacher's website for his students. He has the agenda listed out under each link and each unit organized and corresponding links below. It appears that he has additional resources and breaks up the percentages of the tests for the students. He has a page about himself and an email for parents to reach him with. The teacher also has a section for helpful downloads. Overall, this website is a good example of how technology can be used as a means of making the classroom virtual and the tools accessible from any laptop with an internet connection.

A screenshot taken on  Mr.Bradley's class website.

As a teacher, I can definitely see myself using technology in multiple ways to make my class more interactive. First, I would have my students use PowerPoint or Prezi to give a presentation to the class when we cover new concepts. Doing that will force them to become more knowledgable about a subject because they will have to be able to explain it and not just give facts back. Secondly, if we studied plays, I would have them film and edit their group acting out a scene for the class to watch. I would also keep a class website so that the students would easily be able to access resources or things in class. I would keep our agenda on the website as well so that parents could follow along with what we are doing. Lastly, I would use Microsoft word for my students to digitally write up their homework and submit it.
In the Tech Sandbox, there was a bunch of cool technology that would make any classroom more interactive for students. The smartboards are a great way for kids to interact by drawing on it or playing with the games specifically designed for the boards. For a science class, the Oculus is a great way for kids to learn about the body or about the solar system. Touch desktops let kids create works of art without making a mess. The Tech Sandbox also has robots which can help kids learn about coding. By introducing something difficult like coding to young students with something like robots they are able to build a foundation of knowledge to build off of when they are old.



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Journal 4

So far using Twitter for my PLN has been super interesting. By following all these technology-related accounts for education I stay updates on schools of thought surrounding the subject and new technology. By starting out so early developing my PLN when I actually do start teaching I will have solid background knowledge and ideas from what I have learned. I also enjoy seeing what my other classmates find interesting. By following other students I am able to expand my web of knowledge and see things that I might not have thought to search out myself. Overall, I am starting to see the importance of teachers having a PLN in this modern world.
Digital divide is a huge issue in the education system. Technology has proven to make students more engaged in what they are learning and there should be equal access to technology regardless of the economy of the surrounding area to a particular school. As a teacher without access to computers I will be limited on the lessons I can teach and the different ways I can get my students involved in the classroom, which would be a big problem with older students as they are all very connected. Digital divide might also affect students down the road, as kids that have had less experience using advanced technology might lose a job offer to a student that did. I believe policies need to start being passed to help the digital divide by ensuring that kids have equal access to modern technology.
One software I would definitely use in my future classroom is Khan Acadamy. It offers so many different exercises for students and lesson plans to help teachers get inspired. It is a super useful and easy software that students can access from any computer. Another software I definitely would use is Diigo. It makes it easy for students and teachers to easily share information with each other. This would be helpful when trying to give kids supplemental reading.





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Journal 3

The ELA standard I feel most prepared to teach about is Prezi. Throughout my time in school, I have become very familiar with the software and think it is a great interactive tool for students. Prezi allows students to make more creative control over their slides than other software like Google Slides. One standard I feel less prepared for is teaching students how to use online data analysis tools. That would be something I have to experiment and teach to myself before I could properly assist a student trying to use the software efficiently.
One of the tools I would use in my classroom from CPALMS is the pre-made lesson plans. As a new teacher, it would give a good launching pad into a topic and give me ideas on how to create my own lesson plans for that specific topic in the future. Also, it would allow students to have access to an in-depth view of that topic. Overall, CPALMS is a great resource for teachers and students of all grade levels and subjects.
A new skill I required from the Newsletter assignment was how to make columns. Previously I would always use two text boxes to mimic the appearance of columns. Figuring out how to keep the layout of everything else in the spot that I want it to be. By watching videos and tinkering with the column function I was able to get true columns made on my Newsletter. Overall, I was really happy with how it turned out and I'm glad I learned how to use that function.

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