Final Reflection

As the course of this semester began in August, I thought this class was going to be one for the books, and it turns out it was one for the books; however, each chapter of the class consisted of positive aspects.  Each chapter of this class brought about new learning experiences.  Some of these learning experiences included learning how to develop my own successful website, making a standardized test, and overall creating a blogfolio.  However, where I encountered success within this class I encountered weaknesses.

Some of the weaknesses that I encountered in this class included the varying assignments we received over the course of this semester.  Some weaknesses were more prominent than others.  Those prominent weaknesses include not being able to figure out how to properly put my computer on high contrast mode for our assistive technology assignment, not being able to create a perfect header and footer for my website, and not being able to link all my assignments correctly on my blog.  Where there are weaknesses, there are strengths.  Some of my strengths within this course includes creating a successful standardized test and key, a creative concept map, and a short movie, so I can positively say that despite my weaknesses my strengths have allowed me to be successful within this class.  I was able to gain such success within this class from my peers and instructor.  If it was not for my peers and instructor, I would have not received the needed instruction and step-by-step tutorial to help gain success within all of my assignments.  One can see that I am in full agreement for peer and instructor instruction during the course of a semester because I believe that form of instruction equals success within other students and within me.  I was able to have this form of instruction through the communication tools such as email and Blackboard Collaborate.  Like the advantages and disadvantages that came along with this course so did the advantages and disadvantages of communication tools such as email and Blackboard Collaborate.  Some of the advantages of these tools include instant instructional feedback and live communication.  Some of the disadvantages include no real face-to-face communication and no in class instruction.  Like I have said before, every form of instruction has its positives and negatives, but with those aspects of positives and negatives comes success.  With that success comes the development of my blogfolio.

I truly enjoyed my experience with developing my blogfolio because I have never had the chance to create something like this until the course of this semester.  I loved that this assignment allowed me to express myself through writing.  This assignment also allowed me to create a number of creative and unique technology based assignments to implement into my future classroom, but with this creativity came obstacles.  Some of the obstacles that I faced while developing my blogfolio was how to link my classmates into my blogroll, how to link my assignments into my blog, and how to create new tabs within my blogfolio.  These obstacles did not shy me away from complementing this assignment and enjoying all aspects of it.  Overall, I absolutely loved this assignment, and I will certainly be using this blogfolio in my future school and work career.

Assistive Technology

At first sight, I thought that this project would be a lot to take on; however, once I got started, I found out that I was completely wrong.  This assignment was one of my favorites.  I enjoyed this assignment because it was strictly a step-by-step tutorial.  What would be easier than that?  Although I enjoyed this assignment, I still encountered some problems while completing this assignment.  One of the problems I encountered was the High Contrast part of this assignment.  I could not figure out how to solve the problem for awhile until I read the step-by-step instructions that Dr. Wang gave us.  I realized that my computer was all ready set on the High Contrast mode.  It was an easy solution to the problem.  Another problem I encountered was the Magnifier part of this assignment; however, I solved this problem yet again by reading Dr. Wang’s step-by-step instructions again.  I figured out the problem.  As one can see, Dr. Wang’s step-by-step instructions were the key to making my assignment successful.  Overall, I truly enjoyed this assignment.  It was exactly the opposite of what I expected, but I learned a lot from the assignment.  I can guarantee that I will be using this type of assignment into my future classroom because I think it is a great following directions activity.  I cannot wait to use this assignment in the near future.

Assistive Tech, Taylor Gilbert

The End to Plagiarism!

 

I believe that plagiarism is a major crime for high school and college students; however, I think that there are several software’s that can help alleviate the crime of plagiarism.  One of those software’s is known as Turnitin.  This week I was able to have the pleasure of using this software.  I truly enjoyed using this software and completing my assignment; however, I encountered a problem while using this software.  After completing my assignment, it was time to turn my assignment into the Turnitin software.  As I started to turn in my assignment, the link would not pop up.  I could not seem to figure out the problem, so I decided to email one of my blogroll members.  She helped me out a tremendous bit because she made me realize that the Turnitin assignment cannot open in Internet Explorer by in Google Chrome.  After I opened the software in Google Chrome, everything went smoothly.  Overall, I thought this assignment was a great learning experience.  I knew there were software’s like Turnitin, but this assignment allowed me to learn how it works first-hand.  I think this software is great for high school and college students, and I can absolutely say that I will be using this software in my future classroom.  I believe that plagiarism can be stopped.

Turnitin Assignment (Re-Worked)

My First Website!

I truly enjoyed creating my own classroom website.  I never thought it would be so easy to create a website, but once I started, I was proven very wrong.  It was completely effortless and fun.  I barely encountered any problems except for inserting a banner and footer onto my website.  Every time I would try to insert a banner and footer it would throw me out of the edit screen and back to the home screen of my website.  I found the solution to this problem by following the step-by-step instructions given to us by Dr. Wang.  Her instructions helped me tremendously when finding the solution to my problem because I was able to complete my website without any problems after that point.  So I can definitely say that I will be creating a website for my future classroom.  I think that it is a great way to stay connected with students and parents.  I also think it is a great tool to enhance a student’s learning through extra interactive activities presented on the website.  I feel that any extra practice is important for a student’s overall success.  Overall, I truly enjoyed this assignment.  It was the easiest assignment to navigate through and be the most creative.  I give this assignment an overall A+.

My Website

The Integration of Technology!

3. Key strategies for integrating technology into mathematics and science curriculum.

Integrating technology into a classroom setting is the key to the twenty-first century curriculum.  Through integrating technology into a curriculum, certain strategies come into play.  Today we are going to talk about the key strategies for integrating technology into the mathematics and science curriculum.  Integrating mathematics into the curriculum involves some strategies that include data-driven curricula, supportive mathematical problem solving, and motivated skill building and practice.  Each of these strategies have specific benefits that aid in the integrating technology process.  Some of the benefits of the data-driven curricula strategy allow for the development of skills within data analysis, exploration and presentation of data within a graphical form, and provides access to data sets.  The supportive mathematical problem solving strategy benefits involves the opportunity for authentic contexts within mathematics, allows for the gathering of data to help problem solve, and provides an adequate problem-solving environment.  I think it is extremely important for students to have an environment within a classroom to aid in the problem-solving process.  The last strategy to integrate into technology is the motivated skill building and practice. The benefits involving this strategy include more of a structured environment for instruction and more motivation within foundation skills for higher-level learning; however, the integration of technology does not stop there.  Technology is integrated into the science curriculum.  The key strategies implemented into the science form of technology is through engaging students in engineering topics through robotics, assessing science tools and information, and processing scientific inquiry.  The benefits within engaging students in engineering topics through robotics are the overall experience within engineering and gets students thinking about careers within engineering.  The benefits of assessing science tools and information are lesson plans, science topics, and other additional information.  Lesson plans are a key within a curriculum because lesson plans are detailed description of the lesson at hand. Some of the benefits involving the processing of scientific inquiry are manageable analysis and data collection, improvement within student communication and inquires, and helps students with locating and obtaining information to support inquiry.  Overall, integrating technology into the mathematics and science curriculum has its strategies and benefits to help every classroom succeed.  I will sure be integrating technology into my mathematics and science curriculum.

7. Identify current issues affecting the acquisition and use of technology in special education and explore applications of assistive, instructional, and productivity technologies commonly used by students with disabilities and their teachers.

There are many issues that affect the use of technology within a general education classroom; however, those issues differ within a special education classroom.  Issues that affect the acquisition and use of technology in special education classrooms are the increase in autistic children and American Sign Language (ASL) children because of environmental settings for a disabled child; however, there are several technological strategies for integrating the use of technology within a special education classroom.  This integrating applications include assistive, instructional, and productivity technologies for disabled children.  Each of these applications are designed to help with remediation and compensation purposes.  Remediation purposes within technology allows for disabled children to get extra help within a given subject or subjects whereas compensation is a technology based form that helps with accommodation purposes.  Overall, technology is an important tool for disabled children.  It allows disabled children to receive the extra needed help for success.

Web-Based Curriculum

In today’s century, web-based curriculum is considered the norm because it is used within classrooms across the globe.  Web-based curriculum is an undying and advancing form of technology that continues to be a resource and tool within a classroom setting.  Some resources that can be identified within classrooms across the globe are individual lesson plans and online lesson enhancements; however, higher grade levels implement the use of online courses and curriculum through web-based instruction.  Individual lesson plans are provided as a resource for teachers to integrate into their classroom whereas online lesson enhancements are used to enhance the overall knowledge of students during an individual lesson plan. However, a web-based curriculum does not stop there because web-based tools are then brought into play such as electronic (virtual) field trips, electronic publishing, and problem-based learning.  Virtual field trips are implemented into classrooms worldwide because virtual field trips allow for the advancement of knowledge within students by never leaving the classroom.  I believe that not every school has the funding to take students and teachers on physical field trips, so virtual field trips are the exception.  Another known web-based tool is electronic publishing.  Electronic publishing allows for students to express themselves through publishing their work on an electronic base that allows for the views of teachers, parents, and peers.  Overall, I love what web-based resources and tools offer within a classroom, so one can say I will be using several of these web-based resources and tools within my future classroom.

Software’s that Stick!

 I truly enjoyed this project.  I thought all of the software’s were easy to use and creative; however, I did encounter some minor problems.  The main problems I encountered were from the Easy Test-Maker software. The first problem I encountered was saving the answer to an open-ended and fill-in-the-blank question.  I conquered this problem through trial and error.  I figured out the problem in a matter of minutes.  Another problem I encountered was the answer key.  I could not locate the answer key within the software.  I found the solution to this problem through a tutorial on the Easy Test-Maker software but despite the problems I thought it was an easy and great software to use.  I enjoyed it so much that I will be implementing it into my own classroom as well as the other software’s.  I will use the Easy Test-Maker to make worksheets that are more personal to the lessons I am teaching.   I will incorporate the RubiStar software to create personal rubrics on projects and assignments that I do in my classroom.  I believe that not every rubric goes along perfectly with every project and assignment given.  I would use the TrackStar software to further lessons through educational games and interactive activities.  Overall, I had a great time making this project, and I will certainly be using thesesoftware’s in my future classroom.

Prime and Composite Quiz #1

Prime and Composite Quiz #1 Answer Key

URL for Prime and Composite Numbers

Integrating the Internet into the Curriculum!

The internet has become a major source in the curriculum of schools because of its tools and resources that it provides.   The main tool and resource that the internet provides is email.  The email tool and resource is used by teachers across the globe.  Email allows for teachers to communicate with other co-workers, administration, and parents, but email does not just stop there.  It allows for advancement in curriculum.  How might email advance curriculum?  Email advances curriculum through lessons, lesson activities, and lesson plans sent to them via email.  Through sending these through email, it makes the instruction of lessons easier and more convenient.  Some other internet tools and resources offered by the internet include: bulletin boards, blogs, listservs,chatrooms, instant messaging, text messaging, and videoconferencing.  The other two tools and resources I want to focus on are instant messaging and videoconferencing.  Instant messaging is similar to text messaging except instant messaging is communication via internet.  This is a tool and resource that teachers use to preform instant chats with teachers, administration, and parents.  This improves curriculum because it allows for teachers to preform their meetings and conferences without leaving the classroom.  That allows for more instruction time because teachers will not be pulled from their classrooms for meetings and conferences.  Another benefit of the internet is videoconferencing.  Videoconferencing is similar to instant messaging; however, videoconferencing allows for visual images and hearing to be performed.  It still allows for the teacher to be present within a classroom will having a meeting or conference via videoconferencing.  Overall, I love the tools and resources that the internet has to over teachers.  Although I already use some of these, I plan on implementing these tools and resources within my future classroom.

The Resources and Skills Required for Multimedia/Hypermedia Design, Development, and Integration!

Today, we are going to discuss the resources and skills needed for multimedia/hypermedia design.  Multimedia is basically known as “a combination of media” where as hypermedia is referred to as an “interactive media;” however, both of these medias are designed to be one (Pages 172 and 173).  According to Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, “most multimedia products are also hypermedia systems” (Page 174).  The combination of both medias allows information to be connected from one media to the next, and this combination process leads to hypertext link which we refer to them today as hyperlinks.  The use of hypertext (hyperlinks) is often connected to the source of an internet which leads us to the resource behind multimedia/hypermedia.  The resource behind multimedia/hypermedia is the internet, and the internet is the key to an endless amount of possible resources.  However, multimedia/hypermedia do not step there because they possess a number of adequate skills that develop through the abundance of resources.  Through these resources, society is able to develop the needed skills to navigate through editing systems, to create virtual environments, to produce individual hypermedia products, etc.  In my opinion, I think multimedia/hypermedia is a great twenty-first century tool to implement into the classroom.  I think that this form of media will allow for endless possibilities among twenty-first century students.  I cannot wait to use this form of media into my classroom.

Resources:

Doering, Aaron, and M.D. Roblyer. Integrating Educational Technology into

     Teaching. Pearson Education,Inc, 2013. Print.

Not the Basics!

I truly enjoyed working on my Google Group Project.  My group was awesome; however, we encountered several problems, but the problems I encountered on my own were copying and pasting URLs, wrapping an image, and posting a thread question.  I encountered copying a pasting URLs in the digital drop box.  I tried a dozen different ways to get the URLs to work but nothing happened.  In order to solve this problem, I copied and pasted by URLs into a word document so I wouldn’t be late on submitting my assignment.  Another problem I encountered was wrapping an image into the story.  The way I solved this problem is through examining the tools and right clicking the image to find the words image text wrapping.  My last and final problem I encountered was posting a thread question.  At first I posted the second thread question on the first thread question, I figured out my mistake.  I fixed my mistake by going back to our group discussion and clicking on a new thread to start.  I have to say it was an easy fix.  Overall, I enjoyed my experience using Google Group.  I learned a number of new things about my Gmail account, and I will definitely being implementing these tools into my classroom.  I think it is a great idea to introduce my students to new software tools rather than just the basics.

Google Group Project