Blog Journal #9

In high school, I participated in distance learning through Florida Virtual School. I also participated in distance learning in college during Covid19. I enjoyed distance learning because when I was in high school, it allowed me the opportunity to enroll in honors courses that were not offered in person. I was able to complete assignments at my own pace. I could choose my learning environment. I think that while I liked the idea of working at my own pace, it did not actually work for me because I would often procrastinate. I did ot like distance learning because it felt isolating. I enjoyed leaving my house and walking to class every day. Learning in person keeps me accountable because I know I will see my teacher and have to turn in assignments. As a teacher, I can create activities for students to collaborate with each other, so they do not feel so alone. For example, I could plan a virtual lunch or coffee hour for students to connect.

Open educational resources (OER) are educational resources which anyone can access. Students often use them to gain access to textbooks they may not otherwise be able to afford. However, educators can use them too. Click here for an open educational resource on assessing linguistically diverse students. This resource provides information on assessment practices and examines how we can make assessments more inclusive to linguistically diverse students.
In the first powerpoint assignment, I learned how to create a voice over for the lesson. I did not like that when I would play a video, there would be an echo. I liked this assignment because it could be helpful for teaching students certain concepts if you are away. In the interactive powerpoint assignment, I learned how to create a virtual escape room. I appreciated that the images I added had alt text. However, the assignment took a very long time because there was not a straight forward accessible method of adding hyperlinks. In addition, it was a tedious process to add the action buttons and link them to different slides. Despite the challenges, I am proud of my work.

Blog Journal #8

The educational environment should be accessible for all students. My key takeaway is to ensure that students with disabilities are accommodated by providing a variety of technology for them to use. For visually impaired students, I can accommodate them by ensuring that the computers have screen reader software. I can accommodate students who are hard of hearing by using a microphone when speaking. Students who are non speaking can use a communication device.

I enjoyed learning about Diigo. I can use it when networking with other teachers. We can share different resources on the platform. We can then engage in further discussion on how these resources might be beneficial for students. Some resources we could share on Diigo include journal articles on educational topics, teaching videos, and resources to incorporate technology into the classroom.

I believe that the best way for teachers to stay on top of technology trends in education is to take note of what technology students are already using in their every day lives. Students are more likely to stay engaged with the lesson because they will be familiar with the platform. A teacher could use TikTok to have students duet a video for a part assessment. Teachers can also learn about technology trends through Twitter chats and podcasts. Ed Tech Magazine is another great website.

Click here for an article on trends in education technology.

Blog Journal 7

I looked at the DMS choir website. I liked it because the teacher published a welcome message with a bio. There was also a calendar posted on the website. The website featured descriptions of each choir and the performances they participate in during the school year. My favorite was the Google form for parents to request a meeting if they have concerns.

Here is the link to the website.

I plan to use technology to become more productive with the things outside of actual teaching. When I teach, I can use Google Classroom to post announcements and assignments. I can publish a website with resources for students and parents. I can create events on Google Calendar and send reminders via Remind101.

I believe the website design assignment can be transferred to my future career because I can use the website I created for this course as a template. I learned how to add a Google Calendar to the website. In addition, I learned how to post announcements and links to resources. I especially liked the Google Calendar for creating important events. I did not like the drag and drop boxes or that some buttons were inaccessible with my screen reader.

Here is a link to my website.