Module 10: Mobile Devices

Mobile Devices

Devices are becoming more efficient every day! Many applications can make your life easier and fun, either personal or professional. Today I will review three of these many applications and how they can help us in a classroom environment.

TED

Ted talk is an organization that provides tons of videos related to any subject, featuring fascinating lectures: science, biology, chemistry, and more. I could use these videos to perfectly suited for sparking classroom discussions and online debates, while others can serve as inspiration for students creating new lesson plans or lectures.

A challenge for this app is having something to where you could access it and having an internet source.

REMIND

This has been an application I have had on my iPhone since I started studying at Northwestern State University. I love the fact that it has saved me from last-minute assignments. This app can be used with teachers and students to communicate throughout the semester. like I said before, you can share documents and keep updates with unexpected changes from the course. 

A challenge for this app is trying to register at the beginning, it can be complicated for some students, apart from that you just need to wait for a message to know if their news for the course. 

POCKET

The pocket app can be very useful to students and teachers by saving articles, videos, and other web content pertinent to your current or class lectures. You can view saved files offline and students can even be listening to them without a network connection, through text-to-speech voices.

A challenge for this app is that you might be interrupted with advertisements as you are listing to an article. I know there is a premium version, but my intentions with students are to learn and not spend money on apps.

Thanks for reading; be safe.

Peace out✌

Module 9: Interactive Whiteboard Technology

Interactive Whiteboard Technology

 Interactive Whiteboard Technology can be found in various professional settings, it can't only be found in the classroom but in hospitals too. For this blog, we will be describing 3 sources (tools) and how we could apply it in our future professions or personal life.

 CLASS FLOW

This tool is a website that allows the users to create lessons and delivery them for interactive display. No subscription is required than just creating an account like any other useful tool. I can foster collaboration and self-management skills, I can send quizzes, polls, and activities to students, recognize outstanding students' behavior, and discover lots of interactive activities and resources available for free. Quite Epic, right.

A challenge is having a strong WiFi connection and to be sure the students could access such a tool. What I mean is that they have a device and also the availability to the internet and having weekly reports to how they are adapting to such learning methods.

PROMETHEAN ACTIVINSPIRE

This software allows teachers and students to interact with powerful activities, blending real-time assessment and real-world experience into the learning process, and grabbing student's attention. This software has different communities: projectors, Interactive Flat Panels, Interactive Whiteboard, Software solutions, and Accessories. I can use this software, and the dual-user input to grow the collaboration with the students. Technology comes along with different values we have to adapt and not change them.

A Challenge for this software tool is making sure I use every feature useful. I normally have a hard time when discovering something new and getting used to it. I want the students to benefit from such tools but first, it will be a challenge for me. A challenge I can overcome with a matter of time.

OPEN-BOARD

Open-board is a software that facilitates the environment of students and teachers. It can be used both with interactive whiteboards or in a dual-screen setup with a pen-tablet display and a beamer. Import of PDF documents to Openboard, organize, and access your library of sounds, videos, images, shapes, animations, inter-activities, and OpenBoard applications (called Apps) as well as perform web searches.

A  challenge for this software would be the same as the two tools from above. My intentions in using this software as a teacher have to fulfill the student's accessibility and learning.

Thanks for reading; be safe.

Peace out✌

Module 8: Visual Learning

Visual Learning!!

For this blog, I'll be sharing some resources I searched and see how these resources could help us professional or personal.

 PINTEREST

The Pinterest Website has been very useful to me. I normally have a hard time having creative ideas but with Pinterest, I get to pin other's tips or advice. I could use Pinterest to help me organize my classroom, be more creative, entertain the students and overall having fun while learning. Pinterest is a safe (pin) ideas board. I like it, It helped me in my EDUC 2020 class!

A challenge for this website is to be sure that the idea I plan to incorporate in the classroom benefits the student and not just myself in applying it as a teacher. The ideas I choose have to be related to an education environment and respectful. 

WORDLE

Wordle is a website that produces "Word Clouds," these word clouds can be from any text you provide. Wordle gives the option to update color, fonts, style, in other words, it gives you the option to be creative when using this website. It also gives you the option of 'images,' you can save, print, or use it as desktop wallpaper. Students can use WORDLE for projects, for fun, or at the beginning of the semester, the (ICE BREAKING GAME).

A challenge for WORDLE is to make sure the students understand the purpose of this source and to maintain a respectful environment with one another. Students should also have access to a computer since the app will have to be download for every user to use.

FLICKR

It is online photo management and sharing application in the world. Its main goals are to help people make their photos available to the people that matter to them and to provide an organization of photos and videos. This resource can be used with the students. Personally, when I was in my senior year in high school, I wished we were given an album of photos with remarkable moments we shared as a classroom but unfortunately, it did happen so. Therefore, I think school is an important part of life, and graduating is something even more special and should be cherished to the fullest. Students can use Flickr and save photos among classmates for important occasions as a school or classroom. 

A challenge is to keep a respectful environment and respect other rules. Notify students about the purpose of such an application and to let them know they will have access to the account where they could edit or comments. 

Thanks for reading, be safe!

PEACE OUT✌

Module 7: Virtual Learning

For this module, Virtual Learning, we got exposed to many websites where we can adapt to school with the students. Virtual Learning is a great opportunity to explore and learn how to navigate around the world, therefore, I will be sharing my views of the 3 favorite Virtual App/Tools I got to analyze for these past weeks. I hope this blog inspires and motivates you for future use for these amazing tools we have available anytime.

Skype:

Skype, the main advantage of this tool is that you can access it worldwide. You can access a video or a call conference with a capacity of 50 members. You can add subtitles, access live captions or a smart chat. I could use this tool to reach out to the students and be available to them at any time with just a call. A challenge for this tool is the internet, a weak connection.  It is also a challenging tool because your computer should be on to receive calls and answer them. 

Big Blue Button:

Big Blue Button is a web application that enables teachers to teach students online. It is a virtual tool that can be accessed with the internet and you can video instead of a face to face meeting. As a future teacher, I can provide online classes and the students can record those presentations and chat with their classmates. A challenge for this tool is that the students should have access to an internet connection and also to a computer.

Google for Education:

Just like the title, Google is the main source of this virtual tool. Google for Education gives access to teachers and students, giving an advantage to its users and facilitating the learning to students. Teachers can share documents and use another website to fulfill their lesson plans. A challenge for this Virtual tool is to find adequate tasks for students and making sure this virtual learning is having positive feedback on students.

Thank you for reading his blog, Be safe, wash your hands and sing happy birthday to yourself! 

Peace out✌

Module 6: COLLABORATION

This blog will be useful because various collaboration tools can be used in the professional area. You can use them in middle school, High school, and even tertiary level. I will be sharing my thoughts of 3 collaboration tools I like the most from this module.

Google Drive

This tool is very helpful when it comes to sharing documents with peers, parents, and even among teachers. I like Google Drive because I could implement this tool at school when I need to share files with the students, I'll have access to it as the students. Just recently I shared my calculus electronic file with a friend how was having a hard time downloading the document on her laptop, so I shared her the link and she accesses the file to copy the homework problems. Another tip, is that with Google Drive you can access it in any computer once you remember you username and password for the account.
A challenge I found for this tool, is that the shares aren't limited and your documents could be shared by anyone who has access to the link.

Poll Everywhere

It is an interesting tool, its main purpose is to have feedback from the participants. In other words a tally of the options you provided as choices. As the presenter, you have to option to do multiple choice questions, open-end questions, rank order, clickable images and Q&A (which is another method provided from this tool). Poll Every Where can be used in the classroom with the students to know their points of view toward a situation. I think it's a useful tool to implement with them and have great outcomes of what the students need or think.
A challenge would be that students would randomly choose an answer to get over with the task or that their thoughts towards a question aren't listed or don't fit their perspectives.

TeamViewer 

This tool is mainly used for online meetings. It's adequate to use if members from the group are far or not available to meet face to face. I could use this at school with the students If I'm ever assigned to teach in an online class. I find this tool great because students can actually learn about technology while doing also the purpose of the meeting.
Some well common challenges with online meetings are making sure the time is adequate for all members, to make sure they aren't disturbed with the surroundings (example: loud music from the neighbor, bad internet connection or even the computer's battery life running out).

PEACE OUT✌

Module 5: Evaluation and Assessment

Evaluation and Assessments are helpful tools for teachers and students to create tasks. Tasks that are related to the topic taught, tasks that are projects assign to students or just normal quizzes. These tools make the environment easier and available anywhere. Therefore, I'll be sharing my thoughts about three tools I found really interesting.

Quia

Creating a Quia account gives you many advantages such as being the instructor or a student, limiting the attempts of a quiz, letting it be anonymous or assigning a specific passcode to your students so its not available to anyone. With Quia you can evaluate the students with quizzes, you can assign them surveys, have a class web and many more exciting stuffs. 

A challenge would be to make sure students have access at the internet or have a device where they could do certain tasks.

Quizlet

I would recommend quizlet for a study tool. It has productive methods to screen information and the actual flash cards swipe when you press the button. I more for a review tool and therefore I would share with the students to take advantage of this website. They can create account and even share them among each other or even create a competitive environment while still studying but having fun.

A challenge would be to ensure that the questions created are straight forward, free of grammar errors, and with the correct answer provided to each flashcard.

Actively Learn

This website develops the reading skills of anyone. Actively Learn provides passages and questions as students proceed the text. Its a useful strategy because for students to finish the text the would have to read and asked the question one by one. I can use this website to help the student increase their reading skills and be actively reading articles. Share articles and have reading experiences to talk.

A challenge for this tools would be to find the right article related to the topic and that it is available for you to share with the students.

These tools are useful in a classroom's environment and I'm looking forward to use them in the future with the students.

#PEACE_OUT👊✌

Module 4: MULTIMEDIA

Multimedia can be used for personal accounts or can even be used in school with students. The majority of this generation is well known for the use of technology when available, therefore applying this method of interacting can be fun among students and teachers and the objectives are being fulfilled.

In this module, I explored many multimedia tools. I will be sharing my three favorites.

1) VOKI

This website is a very creative way to express your concern or feeling about something. With Voki you can design your own character and dress them as to how you want, it also contains a speak option. In this option, you can write a text and press the play button when satisfied. It is a good way to relieve yourself and enjoy the advantages of this website, it is available for anyone.
A challenge for this website can be that some students might not like comics as much as others do or they could get obsess in a specific character non-available unless a payment is made. One of my aims as a teacher is to make the students welcome and for them to show interest in the class and not to be worrying about another payment.

2) PREZI

Prezi is a technology tool very useful for a presentation situation. Students can create powerpoints with different creative templates suiting their topics. It is also used for educational purposes and students can find this software as a designing event were they can include expressing their thoughts and beliefs. 

A challenge while using Prezi is that it could be confusing at first. My reason is that it's all connected and filling the sections requires time and patience. I also has some different promotions, as a free account or you have the option of having advance templates available if you pay. 

3) YOUTUBE

Youtube is used for many purposes such as; searching for recipes, tutorials, guidance, music, hacks and many more. Therefore, I can use this tool with the my classroom and show videos of math formulas, some tips to use in calculators. I can also use youtube as a teacher's benefit. In other words, if I need guidance or reminders of some theory of calculus or even algebra I can reach youtube, subscribe to some tutorials and be ready for class.

A challenge for this site its that it is a multipurpose and some accounts are just created for fun and experiments, some accounts don't have the source that supports their ideas and many videos are not recommendable to try.

Module 3: Universal Design for Learning & Digital Citizenship

UDL stands for Universal Design for Learning.

Definition: A framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. URLs can be accessed here.

UDL has three types of brain network!

• Affective Network ( Engagement)
• Recognition Network (Representation)
• Strategic Network (Action and Expression)

Affective Network is by how educators keep engaged and stay motivated in classrooms because yes, these concepts can be applied to a classroom with students. this network relates to methods students use to get inspired.

An easy way to understand the Recognition Network is by how students describe facts and how they group what we see, hear and read such as identifying letters, words, or an author's style. 

For Strategic Network, we mainly organizing, planning differents duties to express your self more secure and adaptable. An example of this would provide a better method to solve a math problem or writing an essay.

iSolvelt-   

Click here for more information

It is a mobile digital learning surrounding to helps students develop logical thinking and reasoning skills. Its basic course would be math algebra and its general concept would be puzzles that related to our topic, Universal Design for Learning.

 A challenge would be that exceptional students would need to have a more tactile activity rather than an onscreen tool. 

UDL Book Builder: 

you can access the link by clicking here

This is another great site for students to create, share, and read digital texts. This site supports learners according to their needs. Providing this site to a classroom can strengthen the reading of students and interact with one another more.

A challenge would be that they might reduce the time spent will reading since it will be constant activity and there thought about what they might want to create may hurt someone else.

Digital Citizenship

Definition: Digital Citizenship makes reference to the responsible use of technology (computer, the internet, and digital devices attracting society) You can click here for more details.

There are nine elements that are Norms of appropriate & responsible behavior with technology.

1. Digital Commerce
2. Digital communication
3. Digital Literacy
4. Digital Access
5. Digital Security
6. Digital Health & Wellness
7. Digital Law
8. Digital Etiquette
9. Digital Rights & Responsibilities

Nowadays, technology has been important to classrooms. Integrating a child to technology at an early age is even applied at home. Therefore, having the source where students can be updated such as a bulletin board or even at the syllabus provided to students at the being of each semester serves a reminder of these responsibilities.
 A challenge would be that students need to understand the safety and responsibility when handling a technology anywhere not only in the classroom or on campus but even at home where computers, laptops, and mobile phones are available for them.

Module 2: SOCIAL BOOKMARKING

The three technology tools used in module 2 were Twitter, Pixton, and Diigo. My dream is to be a Mathematics Secondary Teacher, therefore I want the students to be in a welcome surrounding where mathematics isn't found hard or complicated but a fun way of finding different methods to get the answer right. (This is without breaking math rules of course.)

 Twitter is a connection site, allowing people to post or comment on their thoughts about a specific topic. I plan to use Twitter with the students and expose them to resources related to mathematics and have them reflect on it for the following meeting. Pixton is a comic site. I personally like comic pictures and wouldn't hesitate to make a math class actually more fun. Also, Diigo is a program with many advantages. with Diigo you can annotate, highlight, and save documents or links you are interested in. Diigo can be used with students to highlight basic or even math formulas. Nowadays, math textbooks are electronic text (e-text), and having to save the important notes and highlight the solution of a problem would make things easier as a teacher and also for students.

As to how there are advantages in each technology tools, there are also challenging situations for the users. Using Twitter as a site of resources can lead students to lose interest in having to read articles since math is more for solving and manipulation formulas. Pixton can be a more fun area and as a future teacher, I need to be sure that no inappropriate creations are spread among the students. Diigo can be challenging for some students because as teachers we should consider what class is the student what I refer to class is if the student has a high family class, medium class, or low class. Not having access to the internet can be considered as a challenge for some students.