Technology Tools Assessment

Below are a few online tools I have used during this semester mostly for our Technology Applications class, and also for my other classes. Using a point scale I created, I assessed how useful the tool is, especially for students like me.

Point Scale 

✰--NOPE, not really
✰✰-- Eh, it's okay
✰✰✰--Awesome Possum

Moodle  Rating:✰✰

I first started using Moodle my freshman year here at the University and it's fairly easy to operate. UOG's Moodle is a bit bland for my taste--it lacks color and pictures. Individual instructors' class pages, however, sometimes look a bit better. Turning in and retrieving assignments is very convenient and easy. I also like how it indicates the due date and when assignments were turned in. I would definitely consider using Moodle as a teacher. 

Firefox   Rating: ✰✰

Compared to the two web browsers I use which are Safari and Google Chrome, Firefox is okay. They all pretty much have the same features, I just like the look and feel of Safari and Google Chrome a lot better. Sometimes Firefox doesn't operate as well and Safari and Google Chrome prove to be more reliable. 

Google Apps   Rating: ✰✰✰

I LOVE GOOGLE APPS! It is amazingly convenient to store and share documents and to communicate with others. It has been immensely efficient and utilised throughout my entire college career and I definitely would suggest that my future students use it. I mostly use Gmail, Google Docs, and Blogger. All of the apps are easy to use and navigate through and it is always available and FREE! 

LiveBinders   Rating: ✰✰

LiveBinders is a good way to compile content area information and resources and share them with students. To me, it does not offer a lot of options to customise the binder, but if the purpose is just to share resources, it does the job. I would use LiveBinders to share with my students and probably have them create binders of their own. 

sliderocket   Rating: ✰✰✰

I liked sliderocket. It's similar to the Microsoft Office PowerPoint program but you do not need to download software to use it. You simply can save the presentation online to be viewed and presented. I love that it's free and the custom options are awesome! It did not take me long to figure out how to use it and I have used it for presentations in class. 

Dropbox   Rating:✰✰✰

Dropbox is awesome because I can retrieve files anywhere that has internet. I use it to back up my files and it has been proven useful and has saved my butt when my laptop was down. Sharing folders is a breeze and sharing documents is also a feature too. My biology professor sends us our files and assignments via Dropbox and I know as a prospective science teacher, I can do the same. The only thing I wish was easier was to get a lot more space without buying it. 

Pinterest Rating: ✰✰✰

Pinterest is awesome! I use it to get ideas for projects and presentations, as well as for recipes. I love how we can "re-pin" ideas onto our board and save it for use later. There are so many ideas shared through Pinterest, and a lot of them are cheap and easy to do. I would suggest that my students use Pinterest as a means for project ideas as well, and it also helps promote re-using household items. 

Prezi   Rating: ✰✰✰

At first, Prezi was a bit hard to use. I had a difficult time trying to figure out how the whole program worked and getting it to how I wanted it was a challenge. However, after using it for awhile, I got used to it and now I use it to create interactive presentations, different from regular slide presentations. I like how it can zoom in and out of areas on the canvas and you can put media and text. After showing my future students how to use Prezi, I would at least have them do one Prezi presentation. 

Reflections: Digital Safety

The intention of this assignment was to exhibit to us the importance of protecting ourselves on the Internet. We then, should be obliged to pass this information to those we know, like our family members, and most especially, teach it to our students. “If kids don’t protect their personal information, there are many potential risks: damage to the hardware, identity theft, or financial loss. But children may not realize they are putting their information in jeopardy, because the warning signs aren’t always obvious”(Knorr, 2010). As teachers, we should perpetuate Digital and Internet safety, giving our students guidelines and cautions of the Internet and digital technology like cell phones.

I felt all five topics were very important, one not having precedence over the other. Each topic represented an important aspect of being safe in our digital world. Each group became a master of their respective topic, and then shared their research with the other groups. This is a good idea for covering a broad subject such as digital and Internet safety. I would not omit any of these topics. I felt they all came together very well. However, if I had to add something, the only thing I can think of is being safe on the road by not taking calls and texting while driving. Many deaths have occurred from this act, causing it then to be made illegal in many places. Teens have been charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle while using a phone (Kantor, 2011).

            Wiggio proved to be useful for our group for this assignment. Our group liked it very much and we were able to get the assignment done, and were able to communicate through it very well. We all agreed that Wiggio was our favorite tool for communication. There are a good number of online tools that can be used to get group projects done, but it depends on the goals and objectives of the group. We’ve looked over a few tools that were viable for use for group projects, however the biggest limitation was the fact that most, if not all, required premium Internet connection. Guam’s Internet is not exactly the best for optimum use of these tools. Wiggio pretty much was the unanimous choice and go to for the class since it worked the best for all of us.

            As far as suggestions for this assignment, I feel that there is not much of a need for revision or addition. The parameters seemed pretty straightforward and were conducive to learning about different ways of being digitally safe. I had no problems with the assignment, and working with my classmates is always fun. Probably the hardest thing was finding time to meet outside of class to rehearse and work on the project since we all have busy lives. However, we were able to get things done, especially through Wiggio.

References:

1.    Kantor, I. (2011, May 27). Teen pleads not guilty to texting in fatal crash. Boston herald. Retrieved from http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_0527teen_pleads_not_guilty_to_texting_in_fatal_crash/srvc=home

2.    Knorr, C. W. (2010, September 08). Help your kids stay safe and secure in a 24/7 digital world. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/help-your-kids-stay-safe-and-secure-247-digital-world

Enabling Dreams

After viewing the short movie Enabling Dreams, I was reminded of the heartbreaking reality of people with disabilities. Not to say that I was unaware of the difficulties they face just to get by, but lets just say I’m more appreciative of having full use of my limbs and appendages. I often forget and take for granted the fact that there are people who have it harder than I do.

            Addressing this reality from a teacher’s point of view, of course we will have to create lesson plans for our students and make sure that we make accommodations for students who need them. These accommodations therefore will provide opportunities for the whole class to be active in the lesson. In the video for example, computers and microphones were provided for students to do classwork and homework.

            As a prospective teacher, I would never want any of my students to feel left out, especially if they have a learning disability. I would imagine they feel bad and different enough already, knowing how kids can be at times. Therefore, I definitely plan to integrate accommodations within my lessons. For example, since I would be teaching science, if my student with a disability required the use of a computer to do work, I would create a computer version of a worksheet I’d give to the class so they can do the work as well.

            In order to make sure that my revisions and accommodations to my lessons are appropriate for my students with needs, of course I would have to take into consideration their personal disability, and try to determine whether I am excluding them from any opportunity for learning presented through my regular lessons. I have to make sure that there are enough learning opportunities possible for my students with disabilities, and it should equal, as much as possible, that of students without disabilities. Of course I have to be realistic but I should always ensure that the learning opportunity is there for my students and it is optimized. One accommodation I can do, for example, is allow the student extra time to take an exam, or even have them take the exam in another room where distractions could be lessened (DO-IT, 2012).

Honestly, having had the dream of becoming a teacher for so long, I’ve had a fear of having students with any type of disability. I don’t fear having a disabled student; I just fear that I might not know how to handle their particular situation thereby depriving them of the best education they deserve.  For example, my auntie once had a student who was blind, and never having experienced working with blind students, had to figure out a way to teach the student as normally as possible. She admitted that she didn’t know how she could effectively teach someone who couldn’t see what she was talking about.

I fear that I would be in the same position as my auntie. I know that teaching itself is not an easy feat, even with students that are considered to be without disabilities, but I just really fear failing to give all of my students the best education possible.  A personal experience is that in my present biology class, I have a classmate who takes tests on a computer and has a personal note taker in class. Of course, having these accommodations have enhanced his education since he is able to do the work, and I’ve spoken to him and so far, he’s doing well.

After watching the video, I researched different methods of how to address students who have disabilities. I’ve come across an online article called “Academic Accommodations for Students With Disabilities” in which it discusses an article by Barbara Gross from UC Berkeley discussing students with disabilities. One important point was “Remember that disabled students are students first, disabled second” (Martes, 2007). Growing up, I’ve never really had any disabled classmates so I barely had any experience with people who are disabled. I’m sure that most people are somewhat hesitant, and don’t know how to act around disabled people, but we should treat them as normally as possible.

Enabling Dreams sparked a hope in me for my students, because I see that technology continues to be integrated into different aspects of life, especially in education. The fact that people are coming up with more ways for people to live life wholly, disabled or not, makes the future, and education, appear so much brighter.

References:

1. DO-IT University of Washington. (2012, April 12). Academic accommodations for students with     learning disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/PDF/accomm_ld.pdf

2. Martes, L. (2007, October 16). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://lourdes- tecnologiaasistiva.blogspot.com/2007/10/academic-accomodations-for-students.html

Reflection on the Online Educational Game Assignment

The internet provides us with tons of resources in which we can obtain information, as well as have a means to entertain ourselves for when we get bored. It has proven to be an invaluable learning tool for those who know how to use it correctly and efficiently. Teachers, employed and aspiring, could use the internet to their advantage by using those resources for their students. Many resources are available for students to use including research articles, search engines, and educational and recreational online games. Schools and universities are beginning to use the internet as part of their course curriculum, just like how we have a special course in technology. According to an article about the internet as a learning tool in universities, "using [the] Web in teaching and research makes it available for the students who prefer or require to learn outside the classroom to study at their convenient time and place" (Kamba, 2007).

This class of course is one that incorporates the internet as a tool for learning. One assignment for our group was to create a rubric for our online educational game. The task that presented the most challenge for us in creating our rubric was probably deciding on what criteria, or categories, we would use to evaluate the game our group would choose. We already had the idea of using a scale system for grading which would incorporate a scale of 1-3; 3 being excellent, 2 being satisfactory, and 1 indicating a need for improvement. Total points was also based on a scale in which games that received a total of 15-18 points were highly recommended, games with a score of 10-14 provided some elements that could enhance learning, and games with a score of 6-9 were not recommended. We came into an agreement almost instantly when determining how the game will be scored, but coming up with the categories took some time for us. Eventually, we agreed upon six categories, with the help of examples of existing rubrics that were created for a similar purpose.

 As an aspiring secondary science teacher, I am unsure of how my students could make use of this game or if it would be of any interest to them. Considering that the range of grade levels I would be teaching is from 6th-12th grade, there is a great chance that would have had enough practice with their multiplication and would have already acquired some degree of practice and mastery. Should individual students prove otherwise, I would then recommend the game as a favorite activity to pass time, thereby allowing students to see it as an activity rather than something they need to practice.

I feel that the requirements for both the rubric assignment and the presentation for our game was not too difficult to manage. The time allotted to complete both assignments was sufficient for our group to work together. If I were to use an activity or assignment with similar goals to those of this assignment, I feel that I would not change too much of any of the provisions. Of course, I would consider the time available for my students to meet and if it would be possible for them to meet outside of class time. Probably the biggest difference would be that students would have to use class time to work on this assignment since it might not be possible for groups to work outside of class.

If I feel that students might not be able to meet outside of the class, there could still be the option of them working on it together even outside of the classroom and at home. For example, Wiggio provided a means for communication within our group members. We were able to set up reminders using Wiggio of times we would meet up to create our rubric and to put our presentation together. Along with Wiggio, we also used Google Docs to share our ideas for the rubric and to edit it for when we were not together as a group. I could simply introduce a few websites that offer sharing features and that could prove to be helpful and efficient.

Overall, I enjoyed this assignment and the experiences with my group members and look forward to working with them more for the rest of the semester.

References:
Kamba, M. (2007). The internet as a tool for interactive learning,teaching, and research:nigerian experience.International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/641182/THE_INTERNET_AS_A_TOOL_FOR_INTERACTIVE_LEARNING_TEACHING_AND_RESEARCH_NIGERIAN_EXPERIENCE