Posts

Blog Post 10!

I think I'll use surveys in my future as an educator to better learn where my students are at and how I can help them. In other words, to adjust my curriculum through a course evaluation. But I'd want to keep using it throughout the semester and year and not have it be just a one time thing. I really enjoy when my professors give surveys that aren't only the university mandated ones. A lot of the times you can tell when they actually care about improving their course and don't just do it because it's mandatory. I really enjoyed reading what my classmates plan on using surveys for in their future but most importantly if it even applies to them. One in particular mentioned that she didn't think making surveys didn't really apply to her and that she wouldn't do them because she plans on being a kindergarten teacher. Which I think makes total sense. It comes down to the fact that with children that age it comes down to the instructor to lead them in their ...

Technology and Teacher Professional Development

I learned about a bunch of new resources including #TagBoard and Ted Talks for Education. I really like #TagBoard because I think it's very important to stay up to date when it comes to education, especially education technology. I learned, through viewing my classmates bookmarks, that everyone is very into the forum format. It's a nicer way to share ideas and respond to your colleagues. Examples include Education Forums, Google Hangouts, and Diigo.

Blog Post 7!

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Using Twitter these past weeks has been interesting. It's been really cool seeing my classmates tweets on what they've gotten out of this course so far and I love being able to see their retweets on information about educational technology. Since I am an avid Twitter, it's been hard keeping track of my EME account and remembering to tweet from it. I still don't think I would use Twitter in this setting past this course. Maybe I'll follow some education technology accounts on my actual account that I use daily but I think there needs to be a separation from entertainment and business.  I have made websites in the past for other classes and I am excited to make one for my hypothetical class that I teach. I think the skills that will be different from the other websites I make is that this will have to serve a purpose to inform. I think websites are an excellent way to communicate to your students, parents, and fellow teachers what your class has been up to and what ...

ILP #1 "Participation"- Lynda.com Tutorial

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For my first ILP, I decided to do the "Persuading Others" tutorial under the Business/Communication section. This is supposed to help those watching to hone in their persuading skills and how to use them in the workplace to their advantage. Dorie Clark wants to help the audience build credibility when meeting new people. It's a beginner level tutorial and it came with the option to upgrade your profile so you could get the exercise files and use them offline if wanted. I didn't because you had to pay extra past the free trial.                                         It was a very hands on experience, although not as much as I wanted. But then again it was a tutorial based on improving your people skills so the most effective practice would be to go out and actually meet new people. The tutorial gave us Chapter Quizzes after each section and it helped me remember what ...

CRAP Group Activity w/ Claudia Berroa!

Mrs. McMahon's 3rd Grade Class Website Contrast The contrast is good. The background is white and you can see the darker font in front of it easily. The blue links stand out against the lighter background and can be found quickly to access. They do not clash with the white background.  Repetition The same font is used throughout the web page. All the external links are blue and the same font, same with the tabs that guide you through the website: same color and font.  Alignment The simple alignment is found in the Quick Links, and also with the body of the post . Same with the tabs: they are aligned and are the same size so they match with each other.  Proximity The link, tabs, and body of the text under each tab are all grouped separately. You can find each separate element easily while being able to distinguish each element from each other. 

Blog Post 6!

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I visited Elizabeth Meyer's 5th Grade class website and it was really clean and simple website. Overall, the websites that I visited mostly contained in class updates on what the classroom did that day. Also, the website almost always contained a full about me section where the teacher went into depth about what she does, her background, and her current life status. Ms. Meyer's website shared class updates about what her students were learning, what activities they did, and her plans for the week. As a future educator, I can see myself using blogs, digital calendars, and hopefully iPads in my classroom. I like the idea of students posting discussions on blogs rather than turning in papers so often because I feel that it allows for a greater conversation flow and also for more creativity. Digital calendars seem like a good idea because this way the students and parents can look ahead and see what they missed and also can look ahead and see what the week will look like...