Journal 8

Recently in class we have been working with a website called Diigo. At first, I did not see the benefits of using this website, but the more we have been using it in class the more I have seen the value of the website. It makes it easy for a class to share information with each other and annotate what they think is important from that specific website. This can be beneficial in the classroom because the teacher can check the websites students are citing for authenticity of plagiarism. It also allows teachers to share supplemental reading easier because they can highlight the key aspects, which would make students more likely to read it. I also think it would be helpful for a group of teachers in the same subject to share websites of ideas for lessons easily.
Powerpoint could be a good tool in helping students learn at each level of Bloom's Taxonomy. Say for example students are learning about Shakespeare. At the base level knowledge, the teacher could make a PowerPoint to give basic knowledge on Shakespeare for students to build off of. At the comprehension level, PowerPoint students can review the content if they forget and use it to make flash cards to help them remember the information on the slides that are already condensed to the key points. After students have learned this information, the application level can be fulfilled by students making their own PowerPoint to explain something about Shakespeare that the teacher didn't go over. The analysis level can be met by students analyzing each other's PowerPoint.  For the synthesis level, students can use PowerPoint by combining their teams' information together to make one large PowerPoint on Shakespeare. At the end, the students can Evaluate their overall learning process on PowerPoint and decide how they can improve next time.
It is important for teachers to stay up to date with the latest technology in the classroom. If teachers are not competent with the technology they are using then the students are less likely to be engaged in the lesson, even if technology is being used. Due to this, professional development is key and teachers must stay up to date with the latest technology being used in the classroom. Through my PLN on Twitter I found an online magazine called EdTech. This website is great for keeping teachers up to date with everything technology related to grades K-12. If I was a teacher this would be the website I would rely on the most to stay up with all the technology and regulations coming out concerning education.

Screenshot of the homepage of EdTech website.

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Journal 7

Twitter has always been a big part of my social media experience. However, I never thought about how it could be used in the classroom. Throughout my time using Twitter to build my PLN I truly have seen how it is such a powerful tool when it comes to discovering new information and sharing that information so easily. By following different accounts and reading what my classmates are sharing I get such a well-rounded scope of all the different ways Twitter connects people and ideas. Overall, I think it is a tool I will continue to use as I grow as an educator.
Web design has always been something I have been interested in so I was very excited to complete this assignment. In school, my teachers always had really good websites so I had knowledge of what a successful class website looked like. Also, the examples we did in class strengthened my background knowledge, which made completely the task very enjoyable. The only part I struggled with was getting Weebly to keep the format I wanted without having to be extremely careful. However, I think this something that I can work through if I continue to experiment and use the website daily. I definitely think I will use Weebly in my future career to make contact between parents and me easy and help the students remain organized digitally. If you would like to check out my website click here.

Screenshot of the home page of the website made for class assignment discussed above.

I think with modern developments assistive technology has made great strides. When we visited Tech Sandbox they explained how 3D printing can be used to add brail for blind students to be able to read puzzles or even the periodic table in order. I think personally, I would have to do a lot of prior research to the technology my student would need if they had a disability so that I could adequately guide them through the learning process. Which would be new for me since I have never met anyone or seen first-hand assistive technology in action in a learning environment.




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ILP Design

Voice Thread explaining Prezi 



For my project I decided to look at the educational tool Prezi. I believe Prezi is a super helpful tool that allows for a lot of creativity and collaborative work within groups. In the VoiceThread I talked over a Prezi presentation of what Prezi is exactly, how it can be used in education, and lastly, a demonstration of how students how to use Prezi in an English classroom. Overall, Prezi makes communication and the sharing of knowledge very easy in a classroom and is a great tool to be implemented.



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