Blog Post 7

      In a classroom setting, tools such as PowerPoint can be greatly beneficial in the process of educating students. For example, I could be teaching a lesson on racial oppression in America in a high school class. To achieve the first level of Bloom's Taxonomy the students would have to show that they could recall facts. I could use PowerPoint to present the lesson with visual and other engaging features offered by Microsoft Office.  After the lesson is taught, I could have a slide with a quick quiz testing their ability to recall some key terms from the lesson.  To reach level 2, I could include some short answer questions asking students to describe or even display some discussion questions and facilitate conversation on the topic.  For level 3, I could examples of racial oppression displayed and encourage them to interpret the situation with our lesson in mind.  This ties into the next step where we could have students differentiate what is and is not racial oppression and discuss the idea of reverse racism.  Then we could use a PowerPoint presentation on effective debate and then set up a debate topic regarding racial oppression.  The class would then participate in formal debate and have the ability argue their points. With the top tier of Bloom's taxonomy in mind, students will create their own PowerPoint in groups on a specific topic within racial oppression.
     Alternative input and output regarding the use of computers for educational purposes is an example of adaptive technology.  Hardware such as joysticks or tracks balls can allow students who do not have the ability to use a mouse to partake in the use of these resources.  Voice recognition systems can also be utilized for those who have trouble typing.  In addition the use of a magnified screen or screen reader allows for students who are visually-impaired to receive information from web resources, visual files, and so much more. Personally, I do not know anyone who has used these technologies, but my father is partially blind.  He was schooled in a very poor region of Jamaica and did not have resources such as these at his disposal. I don't see any challenges other than funding because some schools are better equipped than other and it is unfortunate that people's education will be compromised based off of their current economic standing.  
     Through the web design project I learned more about the design of websites and how to navigate Wix.  I focused on including the required content and making it as aesthetically pleasing as possible!  I enjoyed the project because I am really happy with the end product and I think my website is kind of solid. It was just difficult because the website I was working from is so loaded with features so it would lag as I worked. In my future, this is beneficial because the world is digital-based and having the ability to build a website is crucial.  Next time, I will reach a little further with the design and see where I could take it.
My website can be found here: http://campbellbmarie.wix.com/collegegenetics

Blog Post 6

When looking at a few class pages for a school website I see photos, videos, a course description, archives, online resources, and summer assignments.  All of these options are open to the public.  The school’s name is Stevenson School and I mainly focused on checking out their Chinese class page.  The grade levels run from PK-7^th, so the page is fairly broad regarding the age of the students.  Some videos require a login and the site is based off of Weebly which is a web 2.0 resource we have previously discussed.  Some video require a log in to view them.

The site can be found at this address: http://stevensonmandarin.weebly.com/

            The set up for the website I viewed was very effective in the way that it allowed for parents to see what their students have been working on and gives students a place to display their work.  I would utilize a class website to encourage parent involvement which is crucial to a student’s success.  Having the parents set up on a notifications system so each time something is posted they are alerted would help increase their knowledge and involvement in the students’ studies.  In addition, adding maybe a calendar for the semester would help parents better understand what is going on.  I could also post PowerPoint presentations or supplementary materials for students to aid them in learning and studying.

            While working on the current project, I learned how to create a wiki in a group setting and format a wiki page.  These skills can be useful to me in the future.  I felt as if the assignment was doable in the amount of time given to us.  Group projects in general make me anxious because I am consistently afraid I’ll be the only one doing something but the organization of our group and the division of the working being equal and purposeful was helpful.  The only thing that I say could have been fixed was the clarity of the instruction because I consistently found myself feeling confused.  I can use these skills in my career as I want to take the journalism route and since news is becoming so digitized, simply working with technology is beneficial to me.   

Blog Post 5

             

           Web 2.0 tools such as Prezi, YouTube, blogging platforms, Quizlet, social media, and sites such as Edmodo are useful tools for the classroom and progress as a teacher.  Not only can students learn and share new concepts via these tools, they begin to gain knowledge on the workings of technology. The podcast does mention these topics and leads me into the next piece.  As helpful as these tools may be, they can be equally hindering if not used with purpose and safety in mind.  These tactics often involve user-created content, meaning any number of this information found could be inaccurate or inappropriate.  In addition, the privacy of the students must be kept in mind while implementing these tools into the classroom.  Computer hardware necessary includes a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and system unit. In addition, an internet connection is crucial to the use of Web 2.0 tools.  Periphery equipment such as audio computer devices and projectors are necessary to display information to students and fully utilize Web 2.0 tools.

            A Web 2.0 tool I find interesting and used constantly throughout my high school career was Quizlet.  Quizlet is program where the user inputs information and it is translated into different forms such as flashcards, tests, and games to facilitate studying and information retention.  This is web-based tool so an Internet connection is necessary to use the program. In contrast, the website is very accessible in the fact that it can be used on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. This also students to bring their study materials with them practically anywhere.  The program I have described can be found at this link:  https://quizlet.com/

            When teaching, I would avidly incorporate Quizlet.  As an assignment, I would have student work in groups to create a Quizlet set based on a topic we are studying.  I would check the content for accuracy and then I would have the other groups in the class take a test on their peer’s Quizlet sets and then print email me their scores. This not only engages them in creation of content, but truly learning and understanding it. These sets will work as constant resource for studying, which they can use during mid-terms and finals.

            When creating a concept map, I learned how to format, create, and organize information into a visual within Microsoft Word.  I gained knowledge on which map would work best for the message I am trying to convey and how I could use maps to express ideas.  This gave me a new platform for organization in personal thought and academic work.  I was able to change the color, input text, and change the shapes from the given template. This made me more aware of the feature in Word and how limitless the options are.