Blog Journal 10

Data Collection in my Classroom

As a future teacher, I can definitely see myself using Excel and Data Collection strategies in my classroom. I think it extremely helpful when it comes to grading. Being able to input all of my students' grades on various assignment, then simply inputting a formula to compute what the class average is a huge time-saver. It also is a great way to log grades and track progress. I also plan on using Data Collection in projects and assignments. I want to encourage my students to become comfortable with technology and this is one way that is possible. My goal is to teach grades 3-5 but I would most likely only introduce Excel to 5th grades. I can assign projects that include surveying their classmates, tracking something over time like a science experiment, and/or evaluating one's own time management. Those are just a few ideas on how Excel can be incorporated into a lesson. Lastly, I can use Excel to collect data on my teacher stats so that I am able to track my improvement year-to-year.

Classmate Blogs

From reading my classmates' blogs, I have learned a lot. One topic I found very interesting was the one on the Flipped Classroom. I, personally, like the concept of flipping the classroom but it was interesting to listen to the reasons why my classmates had opposing opinions. It made me look at it from a different perspective and consider more of the cons of the Flipped Classroom. I also found the topic on Web 2.0 to be very beneficial. It was a way for me to learn about the different types of online programs that I can use as a student now and as a teacher in the future. Lastly, the topic on Diigo was interesting, too. It was cool to see how people plan on utilizing Diigo and how I could use those strategies in my own study habits and writing.

Next Tech Skill?

I have learned so much throughout this semester about technology. The next skill I would like to learn, or become more comfortable with, is Photoshop. I took a class on Photoshop in high school and I really enjoyed it. However, after not using it for more than 3 years, I have definitely forgotten how to navigate Photoshop. I want to develop this skill again because it can come in handy. I have come across multiple instances where a flyer needed to be made, an image needed to be edited, or a project needed a unique graphic. In all those cases, Photoshop could have been utilized. I am not entirely sure how I will achieve this goal but I do know some people who are really good at using Photoshop that I can go to for help. I also have heard of some seminars at FSU that teach different computer programs so I will also be looking into that. 

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Blog Journal 9

“The Flipped Classroom”
(On Flipgrid)

Open Educational Resources

Open educational resources (OER) are online portals that provide users with permission to view, edit,, remix, and/share information on various topics. They are extremely beneficial to teachers and students because they allow them to gain basic knowledge and different perspectives on topics. It also allows them to collaborate with educators in the same field as them. The online open education resource I found was the World Digital Library. This Library includes useful and significant primary sources from numerous countries and cultures around the world. These are sources teachers and students can use lessons, homework, research, and more. The World Digital Library is also free and provides a multilingual format.

PowerPoint Skills

I have learned so much from doing the PowerPoint assignments. From Assignment 4, I really got to refresh the skills I already had. I got to work with animations which is something I always liked incorporating. One thing I was somewhat unfamiliar with was transitions. The second assignment really helped me learn a lot. I have never made an interactive PowerPoint game before so this was a great experience. I learned how to link text to other parts of the presentation. I also learned how to use transitions effectively alongside animations and sound effects. I also learned the importance of credits in a presentation. I liked making the Jeopardy game a lot & look toward to using them in my future classroom. The only thing I did not like was the repetitiveness of making the game. I wish there was an easier and more time-effective way to create interactive PowerPoints like these.

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Blog Journal 8

Working with Diigo

Diigo is an application that I never heard of or used before being introduced to it in class. However, when we first started playing around with, I was instantly drawn in. I love that Diigo is a browser extension because it gives the user flexibility and the ability to use it on any website/article. From using Diigo, I have learned how to highlight, comment, and effectively annotate an article. This can be extremely helpful in classrooms because it gives students, and teachers, the opportunity to decide if an article is relevant to whatever the topic at hand is. I have also learned how to apply specific tags to an article that will help myself and others access it in the future. This is extremely helpful when it comes to teamwork. Having the ability to group certain articles together by tags saves so much time and keeps things organized. I have also learned how to look through other people's articles and annotations with Diigo. This helps me as an individual because it allows me to inform myself on topics and articles that I may have missed or did not think to read. I learn a lot from going through  my peers' articles and seeing what they feel is important.

PowerPoint & Bloom's Taxonomy

The 1st level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Create. PowerPoint gives me the opportunity to put together and organize information in a way that is clear to students and easy for me to efficiently teach. The 2nd level is Evaluate. With PowerPoint, one is able to look at all of the information that is laid out and develop their own opinions on it. The 3rd level is Analyze. PowerPoint gives creators the ability to put differing, or similar, ideas side-by-side so that students can clearly compare and/or contrast them. The 4th level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Apply. PowerPoint has so many creative options, such as making games like Jeopardy, that will push students to apply what they are learning in order to win. The 5th level is Understand. Incorporating a conclusion slide in a PowerPoint presentation allows teachers to go through the main ideas of a lesson to ensure that students have fully grasped what the lesson was about. The 6th and last level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Remember. PowerPoint's are easily shareable and accessible, giving students the chance to revisit them when necessary. 

 EdTech Roundup

Edtech Roundup is a website that allows educators to stay ahead of progress and news in the area of educational technology. This website provides up-to-date articles, application/product reviews, editorials, other education technology links, lesson plans, and a weekly podcast. All of these things can ensure that a teacher will know what the newest technological advances in their field are.

http://www.edtechroundup.org/

Independent Learning Project 1

ILP #1

For my first ILP, I decided to do the Design option. I chose to evaluate Prezi, an alternative presentation application. I chose Prezi because I have used it in the past, I think it is a very effective and creative teaching tool, and it fits within different topics that we have discussed in class. It was a great experience being able to create a lesson I could teach a class and analyzing what makes this tool good for classroom implementation. 

My Voice Thread

My Prezi

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Blog Journal 6

School Teacher Page

On school websites, it is pretty common for teachers to have their own webpage to display and explain what goes on in their classroom. I looked into the class pages of the teaches at Western Ave. Elementary School in Geneva, IL. The school's main website has a list of all the teacher names and links to their individual pages attached to their names. A few webpages that stood out to me were Mrs. Brooke Helmlinger's Kindergarten class, Ms. Bethany Carrignan's first grade class, and Mrs. Karen Farley's second grade class. All of the webpages include basic information such as teacher background information, contact information, and classroom policies, and helpful links. However, they each go on to add cool and technology advanced features to their pages as well. Mrs. Helmlinger includes a Welcome video for students and a Welcome video parents, as well as videos and photos of her students and the class's fun activities and trips. Ms. Carrignan incorporates a Twitter sidebar thread that shows her tweets about what her classroom is currently participating in and what is coming up. Lastly, Mrs. Farley includes a current newsletter, homework, and educational game websites to keep parents and students up-to-date and on track. 

http://www.geneva304.org/TeacherWebpages_WAS.aspx

My Future Use of Technology

Regarding my future profession, I envision myself using technology to the fullest degree possible. I plan on having not only a webpage on my school's website, but also my own personal website that dives deeper into my background, what I have planned for my classroom/students, and constant updates of what is actually going on in class. I will make sure that all parents get the link to these sites through email in order to remain updated. I also would like to include an online binder for my teaching documents. This would be a more organized way to keep all of my documents in order and in one location, plus I would give my students' parents access to view the binder and leave comments so they have the opportunity to ask questions and express any concerns they may have regarding instructional material and lesson plans. I will also utilize online discipline programs such as ClassDojo to keep my students engaged and following classroom rules while also being able to instantly message parents when I am having an issue with their child. 

Technology Sandbox

The FSU Tech Sandbox is a great experience and resource for (future) educators. One technology that  I can definitely see myself using in my future classroom is the Microsoft Surface Studio. The Studio is like a large tablet that comes with several instructional applications. It can be used to display a skeleton and its parts, the solar system, and science experiments. All of these things give students the opportunity to interact with realistic examples of worldly phenomenons and procedures. I would also like to incorporate the Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies. These devices are head/eye pieces that individuals can pair with their electronic devices (phones, iPads, desktops, etc.) to immerse themselves in real-world settings and experiences. There are different cities, landscapes, movies, video games, and more that individuals can participate in. This can be extremely beneficial in classrooms because the teacher the ability to get their students as engaged and interested in the classroom as they would be on a field trip or when playing with their friends. 

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Blog Journal 5

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on Diigo, Blogging, and the Animaker Web 2.0 technology! Click here to head over to my Voice Thread.

Animaker link: https://www.animaker.com


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Blog Journal 4

VT on Twitter, Digital Divide, and Academic Software
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Blog Journal 3

ELA Technology

Of all of the technology standards presented in the ELA Standards and Technology Matrix (Grade 2) table, I would be most prepared to teach using the SmartBoard or Promethean. I have visited the Tech Sandbox a couple of times and learned how I can utilize various tools and features that the SmartBoard/Promethean have. However, I am most comfortable with the SmartBoard because the Promethean seems a little more outdated. I am also comfortable using the Wordsmyth when finding ways to explain and present different versions and meanings of words. The technology I need to familiarize myself with more is StoryJumper and MyStorybook.com. I have never used these before but I do see how they can be useful for things like presenting a specific text, creating an audio recording of a book, and creating visuals. I also need to learn more about pixlr. I do not know how often I would need to use something like this but, it does seem like a great tool and came come in handy with creating beautiful and useful graphics.

CPALMS Educator Toolkit

One CPALMS Educator resource I would use is the STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity. With this resource comes a variety of activities and experiments the students can participate in that directly relate to them and encompass several subject areas in one. For example, the "Pop, Pop, Pop!" Lesson Plan allows the students to work both independently and collaboratively. With this lesson, the students will "utilize mathematical computation skills and knowledge of the effects of sugar and caffeine on their health to decide which soft drinks should be removed from vending machines to keep the school compliant with the Healthy School grant" (cpalms.org). It calls for the utilization of several technological devices/programs such as computers, interactive whiteboards, and Microsoft Office. It incorporates Science, Social Studies, Mathematics and Language Arts. It also is a great way to pin-point a specific issue that affects students on a local and national scale. This resource can alleviate so much stress from teachers and give them effective ways to implement STEM topics in the classroom.

Newsletter

Working on the newsletter was an eye-opening experience. It made me realize how much I am already familiar with on Microsoft Word. I liked using the Word Art, images, page color, and page border features. They all added some dimension to the newsletter. However, there were some things that were challenging. I struggled with getting the 2-column feature to work properly and finding where it would be most effective to use it. I also had some trouble incorporating the hyperlink and getting it to direct to the correct website. Next time I do something like this, I will make sure to utilize my space better. There were some places where I could of added more useful information instead of a graphic. I also think I could have been a little more creative with the layout of the newsletter. One major thing I learned was that it is not a good idea to create something on a Mac and then transfer it over to a PC. I ran into an issue with this because when I transferred it, the entire layout and format of the newsletter changed and I had to alter/fix almost everything on the pages. For my future in education, I have learned that implementing something like a newsletter can be very useful in the classroom. It is a creative and personalized way that I, as a teacher, can reach my students and their parents to let them know what is going on in the classroom.

References:

http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/73479

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Blog Journal 2

Using Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is an amazing program. Personally, I have used it more times than I can remember. I have used it to write essays and journals. I have also used it to create flyers, posters, and to advertisements. My teachers in the past have used Microsoft Word for many purposes, as well. Some of those include displaying rubrics and syllabi, writing letters, and giving in-class instructions. Currently, a few of my teachers mainly use Microsoft Word to edit and/or comment my essays and other pieces of work. 

My Experience with Copyright

My experience with copyright and fair use materials has not been that extensive. However, I have abided by copyright laws when writing essays. As a college student, I am constantly being reminded to cite and reference an article, website, video, image, etc. when using them in my work so that I do not run into plagiarism issues. I have also used copyright in high school when creating flyers and advertisement on Photoshop. I have seen Youtubers use copyright so that other influencers do not take their work or so that they do not get in trouble for using someone else's work. I have also seen teachers use this frequently when creating and displaying PowerPoints, lessons, and other personal work. In developing my own work as a teacher, I will make sure to give credit to other teachers and publishers that influence the work that I create and share. I will also encourage my students to do the same when they turn in work. Citations are a sign of respect for other creators and I want my students to know that.

Classroom Solutions

Academic honesty can be a major issue in classrooms. In order to keep this under control, I would give out a printed document stating what Academic honesty is and have my students read and sign it at the beginning of the school year so that I know they understand what it is and can hold them accountable for practicing it, or not. In regard to cyberbullying, I think it would be beneficial to show videos or a movie on cyberbullying and its effects on an individual or group. I would also give my students an opportunity to speak to me, or the school counselor, about their personal experiences with cyberbullying. I would even introduce a website in which students can anonymously write their thoughts, concerns, and experiences. Lastly, digital divide is the gap between the individuals who have ready access to computers/technology, and those who do not. This can create issues and tension within the classroom. To solve this, I would have days that the students can bring in their devices to complete partner work. The students who do not have a device will pair up with a student who does so that everyone has a fair chance of working with technology.

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Blog Journal 1

Influences to use Technology in the Classroom

Teachers and students are influenced by the society to use technology in the classroom. Our society is changing constantly and new generations of students are exposed to much more technology than they were in the past. Teachers implement technology in order to keep students interested and students use technology to work more effectively and efficiently.

ISTE Standards

ISTE standards are extremely beneficial to the education system and learning environments today. It ensures that no matter the generation the teacher is a part of, they can become adequate in implementing and utilizing new technology. With this, teacher-student relationships become more cohesive, understanding, and reciprocal. Students will enjoy learning more and teachers will have a greater impact on the class. The Innovative Designer states that "students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions" (ISTE, 2019). This is meaningful to me because I am a strong believer that students all learn differently and there are different ways to go about teaching and demonstrating concepts so that it can satisfy the learning style of all students. The Innovative Designer allows students to take control over their learning style and develop problem-solving skills that are unique to them. The Global Collaborator seems to be outside of my current skill set. It states that "students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally" (ISTE, 2019). I have not practiced or been trained to interact with others in other countries. I wouldn't really know where to begin or how to communicate effectively.

"Digital Natives"

Digital natives are those who are part of Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2012. They are said to learn best in media-rich environment, have short attention spans, prefer to learn via technology, and dislike reading. I do agree with the label "digital native" for today's youth. The newest generations were exposed to technology and technological advance throughout their entire lives. They also tend to use technology, or want to use it, whenever they are given the chance because that is what they are familiar and comfortable with. Teachers and parents are usually slower and fidgety when it comes to using technology. It does not come as natural to them and they often ask for, or need, help from their student or child. Teachers also sometimes tend to lean more towards using textbooks and worksheets, paper agendas, poster boards, etc. for classwork and projects. If it was up to the student, they would probably want to use online resources and apps to complete their work. In the future, I see myself in the same position my teachers are in today. I will be a little more effective than my teachers are because I do have more experience with technology, but I know my students will be quicker, more technologically savvy, and more socially withdrawn than me.

ISTE. (2019). ISTE Standards for STUDENTS. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students
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Initial Blog Post (#0)

About Me

My name is Marilda Tavares. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to Orlando, Florida when I was 8 years old. Both of my parents were born in Cape Verde, ten small islands located off the west coast of Africa. My sister and I were exposed to the Cape Verdean culture, language, and values at a very young age and those things are now engrained in us. I attend The Florida State University and am majoring in Family & Child Sciences with minors in Education and Psychology. I hope to become a counselor some day, but I am not yet sure on what level. 

Experience with Educational Technology
Throughout my years of schooling I have been exposed to a few different types of technology within the classroom. Some of these include things like the using SmartBoards and Elmos to present and learn information. Others include the utilization of iClickers and SMART Clickers to take in-class assessment. I have also used helpful aids such as Kahoot and Quizlet to memorize and learn information. In college, I have gotten to experience the use of Virtual Reality, 3D printing, and 3D pens/drawing.

In this class...
During this semester I would like to come in contact with forms of technology that I have not yet been exposed to. I would also like to learn more things about the types of educational technology I have utilized already. I am not expert with any of the technological devices that I use so, I would like to develop a deeper understanding for them and various ways that I can implement them in educational settings. I also am excited to create and personalize my blog. I hope that it inspires me to use blogging as an outlet more often and to appreciate technology even more.

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