ILP "Design" Edmodo

Earlier in the year, we were introduced to a website called Edmodo. Edmodo is known for facilitating communication and collaboration within the classroom. I chose to design my own Edmodo page for this ILP because I believe I will be using it in my classroom. When I designed my Edmodo page, I ended up creating a quiz for my pretend Kindergarten class. It was easy for me to create the quiz and it had several options for the format. I was also able to post a poll, and I could share that with my classroom and with my student's parents. This website was tricky to navigate at first, but once I got the hang of it I was able to figure out all of the quirks. 

I also appreciated how you can download the Edmodo app on any device, so if my classroom has iPads my students will be able to access my website. The same goes for parents and their cellular devices. This also makes it easier for me to update the website, with polls, assignments, and quizzes.

My Edmodo: http://www.edmodo.com/mow13c 
Group Code: izg6tn

ILP: Webinar

This webinar explained how to navigate through the Library of Congress. I personally found the initial part of this webinar boring because it just kept explaining how to use the search bar, which I found redundant and not very useful. As the webinar continued I was more intrigued by the content of the website which includes a lot of resources for students and teachers. 

• They have special interest in America’s history
• You can use an “ask librarian” link and it is one of the most useful tools on the website
• They have a copyright office you can contact
• First Method: Only search within your specific database
• Second Method: Use the search bar at the top
• They have a collection of historical films
• Discover: Locate things by format
• There is a refine your search bar on the side of the screen
• You can also look at all of the digital collections (a group of digitized items as well as framing text) under the discover tab
• Each collection has featured items that can be hidden if needed
• They have a box where participants can ask questions and the panelists will answer them while the webinar is going on

• Click on the thumbnail to make it bigger
• You can zoom in or download the image as well
• They have a lot of different resources specifically for librarians
• They have a poetry and literature center
• Under the Visit tab you can find the different exhibits that have been held at the library
• They have a large range of materials in each exhibit
• They have an Education tab for teachers and students

• Poetry 180 -- a poem a day for high school students
• The have another tab for answers to “everyday mysteries”
• Teacher resources -- under thumbnail image
• Designed for teachers who want to incorporate primary source materials
• Teachers can sort the material based on standard!
• They also have lesson plans and different activities
• They have a link to different blogs related to their website
• They also have podcasts
• Over 10 million digitize newspapers
• Lookup materials based on the audience
• They have a genealogy and local history reference service
• Online web guides and bibliographies 

10 Wrapping it Up

Some of the new skills that I learned from this project was how to accurately use the Action Buttons to link my slides and make them jump around. One of the perks of this was learning how to jump around throughout PowerPoint by clicking "Browse at Kiosk". I really enjoyed working on this project because it gave my new ideas on how to review large and complicated concepts for exams. I would improve my project next time by not using a template and just trying to wing it on my own. I did like my template but I ended up changing all of the fonts and backgrounds to make it more appropriate. 

I think that I would use the data collection tool to figure out what helps the students review for their tests. I can also use the tool to see what extent my students need help on certain areas of math or reading. For my first graders they would need to learn certain standards like capitalization and basic grammar structures and with a data collection tool I can see how comfortable they are with each section and I could do the same thing for any subject.

One of the most interesting blogs I remembered reading about from my classmates would've been the use of Web 2.0 in the classroom. I already had very strong opinions about how I would be using it in my classroom but reading about how other people would use it really opened up my mind to a variety of applications that could be used. These specific blogs showed my websites that I could use daily in my classroom and I really appreciated that it so strongly relates to my future career.

Some of the technology skills I would like to learn next is group video conferences. I have seen it used in a few classrooms where students from all over the world can give presentations to other classrooms that are learning about the same topic. Seeing the insight from someone of a different region can really open up different opinions that people may not have been comfortable talking about before. This technology could also allow sick students to live stream the classroom so they don't miss as much material when they aren't there. 

One of the many ways I plan on achieving my goals as a teacher is through practice and through the help of those around me. I have learned to use a lot of different programs in this class throughout this semester and I can't wait to use them in my own classroom. I also believe that some of the connections that I made in this class will help me because I can call on some friends if I am having difficulties with some of the technology that I am using. This class has made me feel even more excited about becoming a teacher and all of these experiences make me feel a little bit more prepared than I would have been before. 

Survey: Chipotle

https://fsu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cu3snCwUganj5A1 

9 The Flipped Classroom

The "Flipped Classroom" is where the teacher assigns a video the night before a lesson, to give the students a head start on what is going to be going on the next day. The students will watch the videos the night before so during class time the teacher can work on more individualized practices and activities based on what the curriculum has in store.I like the flipped classroom because it allows the teacher to be more prepared for the activity and have more time as well. I don't like that it takes out a lot of the actual teaching that still needs to be done. This would also severely impact students who don't have access to technology at home because they would not be able to watch the videos and they would fall behind very quickly.  

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ 

While searching for websites that have educational videos, I stumbled upon Edutopia which turned out to be a great resource for professional development. This website has incorporated many of the tactics that I see in our EME class on a regular basis. The website has it's own twitter account, which provides another way for teachers to communicate. The website posts teacher strategies regularly and it also posts different ways that teachers can show school leadership. 
One of the more popular articles that this website has is "5 Tips for Avoiding Teacher Burnout". I feel like a lot of other websites can tell you how to be a good teacher and how to motivate your students, but this website can give you help where other websites lack. This website understands that there IS a struggle for teachers to continue because it is such a hard job, even though it is continuously looked down upon by others. This website is always posting new ways to help teachers with their professional development while also adding a hint of emotional development on the side. 
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-tips-avoiding-teacher-burnout-mary-beth-hertz 

On this week's assignment, I was able to use some of the new tricks that I learned in our class. I really enjoyed creating a lesson plan and then actually getting to teach it, but without the class actually being there I felt awkward just interacting with myself. I tried creating an imaginary audience with my pillows but without the responses I still felt awkward. One of my favorite things to do was group pictures together to create a bigger graphic, but I think that's just because I like to press buttons. I also liked how I got to incorporate the new techniques for PowerPoint, like using less words. It was harder than I thought initially because I just wanted to write it all out on the screen, but once I got the hang of it I was actually able to create a slide that only had 5 words. I am also obsessed with the template I found because it is super cute. 

8 Present and Future Technology

The technology advancement in chapter 12 that I believe holds the biggest promise for education would be 3D printing. 3D printing allows educators to print models of objects that wouldn't be available to them otherwise. 3D printing also can print in braille so it would be convenient for teachers who educate blind students. It would also allow other teachers to show children what it is like for people who cannot see. This technology would be utilized by several different subjects, including science, math, social studies, and art. 

One of the future technologies that was not mentioned in the book was the occulus rift. I had the opportunity to use this technology last week in the FSU Education Tech Box. I used it to simulate being on a roller coaster, but when I was talking to one of the people in there they started to talk to me about how it could be used in education. The occulus rift is currently being used on athletes to simulate an on-field experience without the chance of injury. The simulation still stimulates the adrenaline as the real-life experience but it allows the participant to go over different events without the susceptibility of concussions. 

The digital divide talks about the divide of people who do and do not have technology. I am personally on the side of the divide who does have technology, hence how I am writing this blog post. I have had the privilege to be surrounded by technology for most of my life and I also have the benefit of taking my EME class to learn more about the technology I can use. I think the digital divide will still be present when I become a teacher and therefore I will have to address the issues that come with it. I will try my hardest to make sure that the computer labs will be open for my students to access after school, even if that means that I have to stay late as well. I could set aside certain times during the week for the students to come into the classroom and work on their extra homework. I can also allow the students to come into the classroom during their lunch and recess periods to work on their assignments if they don't have the opportunity to at home. 

7 Powerpoint and Other Supporters

I would use Powerpoint to help assist my lesson plans without overpowering the students with useless information. Within my research I have found that it is better to use simpler fonts and less words. I would apply this to Bloom's Taxonomy by making sure my instruction and assessments are aligned with my lectures. Say in one of my lessons I want to talk about the importance of the Oxford Comma, I would not bullet a bunch of examples and reasons about why we should be using it, but instead I would talk more about the Oxford Comma and use the Powerpoint to assist me and use about 3-7 words per slide to make sure my point is still getting across. Some of the techniques that have been mentioned for mastering Powerpoint were to use pictures as the backgrounds and to make the font simpler but with concise information and that is what I plan on applying in my classroom. 

Some adaptive technologies can be seen in the Web 2.0 applications if you are applying these technologies to TAG students. I am a gifted student and I saw Web 2.0 used in the classroom almost everyday. We were also given differentiated instruction so we could learn at our fullest potential. Using technologies like concept mapping software kept some of the lesson plans more interesting and that keeps TAG students engaged. There are challenges with any type of application because the success of the application will also depend on the student. Other special needs student could use reading assistive technologies to help them learn the words as they are going over activities. One of these technologies is recorded books. These could help special needs students because they could listen to the words and follow along and then read them by them self. 

What I learned from the assessment was how to make a classroom appropriate webpage while still having it be cute and engaging for the students and the parents. My webpage included several different hyperlinks, photos of a fictional classroom, a fictional calendar, and information about the teacher. It gave me an idea of what I will be doing for the rest of my life and I had a lot of fun working on it. I enjoyed learning things that I will actually be doing for the rest of my life. 

http://www.msmackiesclass.weebly.com