Independent Learning Project

1. For this project I spent some time in the Tech Sandbox. They have a lot of wonderful resources to use and I was able to try them all out. They have smart boards, ipads, virtual reality sets, and many other gadgets. But the one that stuck out to me was the 3d printer. To have that in a classroom or a school would provide infinite opportunities for learning and enhancing education. You make three dimensional models for a wide range of subjects. For STEM programs you can create cubes, chemical compounds, any type of structure, and many more things. You can create figures and signs for your classroom as well. It is a great tool for incorporating technology into the classroom and I love how it can be used for a very long time in the classroom and still provide endless possibilities.

Blog #10

1. I believe surveys and excel can be very important as a teacher. Using surveys can help you as a teacher get an idea about how students feel about a subject they are learning. It can also use data to see information they have gathered from each lesson. Then by using Excel, you can analyze quantitative data gathered from your students. You can look at their average, median, and mode test grades. This can be done at an individual level or as a class whole.  This would work for any grade, especially smaller kids. You can use excel to see where they are struggling the most based on test scores. I think middle or high school would benefit the most out of surveys.

2. I found the blogs to be pretty interesting to read throughout the semester. I really enjoyed reading about the responses from Blog #6. I found it interesting to see everyone views on school websites and how to incorporate technology in the classroom. These are relevant topics to consider when going into teaching and seeing how it would impact everyone as a teacher was very interesting. Also, I was unable to visit the tech sandbox with everyone, so I liked seeing everyone's experience.

3. Diigo was something I have never worked with or even heard of before this class. I think it is a great tool to use when filtering through information. You can highlight and bookmark important information and when revisiting the site, you can go straight to those highlighted portions. Also when working with other teachers you can share important information with each other. Although, a great tool, I do not think I would use this as a daily tool.

Blog #9

1. Flipped classrooms are an innovative way to incorporate a blended classroom of online and in person. It is unique by having the children in your class read and/or watch online instructional material or information for a lesson, then the next day the class does an activity with the given information they learned the night before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TIEwAztv9w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_p63W_2F_4

2. Open source software is one of the most common terms used. It is an amazing resource for people to be able to use, edit, and share freely. It has licenses that makes it available and to fall under the open source definition.

3. I was able to learn how to do things PowerPoint that I did not know how to do. One being non-linear presentations. I always wanted to acquire that skill, but did not learn until this course. Also having action buttons were a very helpful tool to have incorporated in my PowerPoint.

Blog #8

1. PowerPoint is an incredible learning tool for students and incorporating this into a lesson can be a great resource for student success. A great way to do this is by teaching a lesson of learning how to do division. First by remembering what the student have learned on times tables, you can review this topic and showing them on the slide. Then by understanding the key terms for division, as well as the basic steps to solve a division problem. Then apply what you know and have them each do a problem that is on a slide. By analyzing their notes and work, they can organizer their thoughts and notes given by the slides of information. Then they can then Evaluate their work by looking at the solutions and steps provided on this slide. Then the students can create new knowledge and can do an activity listed on the power point.

2. http://edtechteacher.org/
This is a great website for teachers to take online workshops and have the resources available to learn about technology in the classroom and overall professional development for educators.

Blog #7

1. adaptive technology is "any object or system that is specifically designed for the purpose of increasing or maintaining the capabilities of people with disabilities. Some of these would include, handheld amplifiers, Screen reader software, and screen magnifiers. I knew one student who went to my high school who had a visual disability and he used screen reader software so that way things on his computer would be spoken to him. I feel like the biggest challenge is not having the funds or resources to provide these devices and software to students who need them. 

2. I really liked the idea of having a website as a teacher. It is an easy way to have all your information easily accessible to parents at all times. I learned that Weebly is a great website to be able to create free websites. The only thing is I found it a tad difficult to use and set up my website exactly how I wanted it to look. I would make sure to update the website as frequently as possible for parents and make sure i am comfortable using the website. 

3. I have learned that Diigo is a great tool for myself and being able to share information with other teachers at my school or in my community. Also, when I find great information on a website, i can highlight and bookmark it so I can refer to it later. 

ILP “Participation” – Edmodo

I created an Edmodo account for my project. I think this is a great way fro you to connect with your students. You can provide contact info, assignments, survey questions, and more. I set it up as a teacher for my second grade classroom.

https://www.edmodo.com/home#/group?id=24043397

Blog #6

1. I looked at my old high school 's website. It is a school for the arts so there is a lot of information on each of the department's pages on what things are required for auditioning for the school. As well as the required department specific classes you would take while you are attending. I have provided a picture of that down below for the Orchestra department. The website also gives you contact information for every teacher within the school. Parents can also see upcoming events on the homepage. If you were to log in you would see grades, special announcements from your teachers, as well as past purchases or donations you have made to the school. https://www.harrisonarts.com/

2. I would want to stay as organized as possible when I become a teacher. Especially since the first year of teaching can be the most challenging year. I would use Excel for grading purposes. There is also an app called EverNote. It is a great way as a teacher to provide lesson plans, assignments, grades, and even classroom management.

3. I was excused that day and was unable to visit the tech sandbox