EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM

Using surveys in my classroom will be a really efficient way to check in with students. Whether its about their progress, their opinions, or their background, surveys will allow me to receive that information in a seamless way. I would use it for opinions on books to read in class, and to check students progress, and evaluate what they were struggling or thriving in.

I loved reading about flipped classroom. I think this is a method of teaching all of us have repeatedly been exposed to, and that we all have mixed feelings about. I think we would prefer to be the learners, and they be the teachers. It takes a lot of diligence to be able to sit down, read material, and teach ourselves concepts and skills before class instruction. I personally struggle with that, because I am a visual learner who needs things to be broken down before I can master it myself. I like the idea of being instructed first, and then practicing on our own, which is the opposite of flipped classroom.

I want to really master an online interactive website. Ive had some introduction to it in this course, but I want to learn all kinds of features with games, chats, and helpful links for my students to use. Teachers with websites are way more interactive, organized, and helpful.

FLIPPED CLASSROOM

Flipped classroom is essentially a backwards method of teaching. It allows for students to teach themselves before being taught by the instructor. It's a way for students to prepare and teach themselves ahead of class time, where the teacher elaborates on the lesson further. Personally I don't agree with it, I think it increases frustration in students if they can't understand and master a subject. The teacher's job is to teach, and I believe the only time a student should have to work heavily on the material on their own is when they're practicing something they've already been taught.

OER stands for Open Educational Resource. Nowadays, textbooks at the higher education level are so expensive. Often times, students can't afford these resources and either choose flunk out of higher education classes, or avoid taking them altogether. OER's are cheaper alternatives to physical textbooks that are increasingly unaccessible and expensive. These include online textbooks, video lectures, podcasts, etc. Campus Technology made an article listing 16 essential OER resources that educators should know about to provide for their students. Some include "College Open Textbooks", "Learning Pod", & "Open Course Library", to name a few. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/07/02/16-oer-sites-every-educator-should-know.aspx

When working with Powerpoint this week, I learned a new skill that I really feel inclined to implement in my class. I learned about non linear powerpoint, and how different words can have hyperlinks that lead to different slides. It is effective for classrooms, because it can be used to direct us to new locations based off of whether or not a student selects a correct or false answer. This is a great tool to use, and I'll be implementing it in Assignment #5. I have a hard time with formatting on Powerpoint and making the aesthetic fit my desires. But I'm learning more and more skills to use in my future classroom. Below I've posted my screenshot from Assignment #4, where I did a powerpoint on class objectives for classic literature I'd want my students to read. 

DIIGO, BLOOM'S TAXONOMY, & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Diigo was a tool that took some getting used to, but I’ve grown to really appreciate its features.  I love the highlighting and annotating tool. It was nice to pinpoint different things the author would say, and then make my own commentary on it. Another thing that’s really nice about the annotation tool is that any other Diigo user in my group can access that article and not only see my annotations but they can add their own too. This would be a great way to teach students, who are becoming more and more tech savvy as the years go on, how to annotate and collaborate with others. It would also be a great way for teachers to collaborate and learn more from one another’s perspectives.

I would implement Bloom’s Taxonomy to teach my students how to operate Power point. I’d begin by informing them of the purpose of Power point and what it entails, which falls into the Knowledge and Comprehension category. I would then assign them to try to use different features like fonts, colors, layouts, etc. so they could apply their knowledge, which falls under the Application category. I would have students create a mini “presentation” and show it to their peers to be reviewed and graded, which falls into the Analysis category. Next, I wouldn’t give students a set task, but allow them to create whatever they wanted using their skills, which falls under the Synthesis category. Lastly, for the Evaluation category, I would have the student explain to me how they created their Power point explaining features they used and why they used them. I will be able to evaluate their mastery in this way.

Teachers need to grow and build their profession by collaborating with others. There is no “one size fits all” method for teaching, and the only way to grow is to be open minded and learn from others. In today’s day and age, anything that allows for connection and collaboration is useful for a teacher trying to grow their professional development.

https://kitaboo.com/trends-in-education-technology/

ILP#2 DESIGN: PREZI

For my ILP#2, I chose to talk about and create a Prezi. I made a fake "syllabus" for my future English class. I believe this is a great tool for educators and for students. Check out my Voice Thread on the subject!

https://voicethread.com/myvoice/thread/13207075/79841245/74184249

https://prezi.com/view/bsfIRrSQHuW0TpAUpaFp/

Twitter and Education

Twitter is a tool I’ve used for years for entertainment and communication. I’ve learned that it is a platform where voices are heard. It can be a great place for collaboration and expression. It is a great place for new ideas, new information, and expression. But, conflict can arise. With the lack of limitation on what people can say, it can lead to controversy, disagreements, and slander. I don’t see this occur as much on my educational twitter, but I have definitely witnessed “Twitter beef” throughout my experiences. I haven’t run into issues with Twitter, because I feel like I use it responsibly, in the way it is intended to be used. 

When making my Weebly, I didn’t use any new skills except for patience. To be frank, it’s difficult to take the time to creatively format and organize information. I had ideas for layouts, spacing, and fonts, and wasn’t always able to put those into fruition. I also learned that sometimes a website with multiple features takes a while to load, so it is important to make enough time to work on it and expect delays. Hopefully, in the future, I can learn more about unlocking features that can make it easier to customize my page! Using websites like these for my future class will really help them understand what’s going on, what to expect, and help prepare them to complete their tasks.

http://afaypane23.weebly.com

                                         

Assistive tech is great for students because it allows inclusivity. I've only seen it needed for kids who can't move around on their own, never anything more severe. it would be tough in the class  to accommodate for these kids if the school had the right funding for it. if they could provide for these kids, then thats what would make or break the class experience.

Teacher Websites

Upon landing on Ms. Aimee Mullins’ 11^th grade English lll page from Redwater High School, I’ve found a multitude of resources available to her students. She immediately provides her contact information and a schedule for all of her class periods. She sections off every bit of information with different bold headings that make it easier to navigate the site. Additionally, she includes course descriptions for each of the classes she teaches, and gives links to each of their syllabi. The purpose of a teacher page should be to assure that students are given the guidance and resources they so desperately need in order to succeed in the classroom, and I believe that’s exactly what Ms. Mullins accomplished. 

https://www.redwaterisd.org/185359_3

As far as using technology in my own classroom, I feel that I will use it to increase efficiency with information sharing. I would use things like Remind 101 to remind my kids of upcoming assignments and important due dates. I would give them online quizzes and opportunities for discussion posts for participation grades. I would want my English class to focus more on the literature and practicing annotations as opposed to making everything digital.

In the tech sandbox, we were shown a smart board that folded over like a table and allowed for multiple hands to touch it. This would be a great tool for elementary students because it allowed for split screens and provided. different apps for different subjects. This would allow kids to collaborate, problem solve, and be tested on different subjects, all while it just feels like a bunch of games. If my school had the funding, I would love to allow my kids to use it for annotations, reading comprehension, or vocabulary quizzes. As previously mentioned, though I want to keep up with the times as technological advancements in the classroom are placed, I want to also allow books, paper, and pencils to be the main tools we use.

Diigo, Blogs, and Web 2.0

Prior to creating a Diigo account in EME 2040, I had never heard of, or even used, the site. I did not realize that it was a tool for bookmarking and sharing information with colleagues and friends. Diigo, standing for “Digest of Internet Information, Groups, and Other stuff” allows for creating online collections of information and resources. Being someone who had never used a website like this, I was very unfamiliar and uncomfortable at first. I tend to share links on different social media platforms, but I’ve never used a site formatted like Diigo. I found It difficult to use at first, and was not proficient at commenting on others’ posts, or using sticky note functions. One feature that I do enjoy, though, is the screenshot feature. I like being able to select a portion of an article and sharing a picture of that paragraph to Diigo. I think that feature is more efficient than trying to quote a site, and really gives a visual element to a post. Hopefully, as I use Diigo more, I’ll learn and master more features.

Blogging is something that I truly enjoy. I’ve always enjoyed creative and expository writing, and I appreciate the outlet that blogging provides. My faith is something that is really important to me, and I’ve always wanted to create blog posts centered around that. I like the creative aspects of blogging and personalizing a page, as I really enjoy self-expression. Blogging is a balance of opinion and organization, and sometimes, particularly for this class, I have a hard time following prompts, while also including a flow between my paragraphs. Organizing our thoughts in a way that expresses our voice and individuality is key when blogging, whether it is for educational purposes or if it is based on our hobbies and preferences. 

As far as Web 2.0 goes, this is the only age of the internet I’ve never known. I’ve never known an internet that didn’t provide interactive features and connection. If I were to implement a Web 2.0 tool in my class, I’d utilize Socrative. Socrative allows for classroom assignments, quizzes, trivia competitions, and student feedback. This would be really helpful for my English class for vocab activities, reading quizzes, and student evaluation and progress tracking,  https://socrative.com