ILP #2- another webinar!

For my second Independent Learning Project I watched a webinar called “Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education” by Will Richardson. I find webinars super interesting so I decided to make my second learning project about one as well. I think it's awesome that we can be connected all over the United States and more watching a video presentation live.

This 50 minute webinar talked about what PLNs are, how they influence our learning and future success. It started out with someone introducing Will Richardson then he jumped in. In this webinar, I learned how to begin to construct PLN’s using different Web tools and I understood the implications it had for student’s schools and professional practice. He also talked about safety entering the online learning environment. When you put yourself out there on the internet, you need to be aware that anyone can view what you post. Richardson talked about how education and the internet are connected, saying that PLNs are the “future of education.” He also shared this story about a famous cinematographer named Mark Klassen to show that others can achieve their goals using online resources. He also talks about how we are trying to get students to learn technology instead of flipping the traditional classroom around and having the students learn using that technology. Not only do we need to apply technology in the classroom but teachers need to be educated as well. My favorite quote that he said was “teachers are learners, but teachers networked are learners first.”

10. Finally!

This week’s assignment (PowerPoint Interaction) actually caused a lot of problems for me. I had a really tough time getting the slides to hyperlink and I think that my template was to blame. Besides the fact, I think the idea of interactive games using PowerPoint is a great way to teach a lesson. I think that going through all the problems I did with this assignment, I have really learned how to master it. I will probably be using this after I teach a lesson to keep the kids interested and still learning.

Some of the most interesting topics I found on my classmates’ blogs was when we worked on our concept maps. I thought it was so cool to see all the different ways you can concept map and how you can design them. The only thing about concept maps that isn’t so great is that some subjects maybe aren’t best to concept map. I noticed some classmates’ maps that didn’t really connect well just because that subject wasn’t meant to be mapped out. Another thing that was super awesome about the classmates’ blogs was reading their different writing styles. I am an English major specializing in Editing, Writing, and Media so I am always looking for flow and style when I read. Some of you are really great writers!

              I think the next technology-related skill that I would want to learn is definitely Photoshop. I have always thought it was so cool that you could morph and change images and add and subtract sections of an image. Photoshop is used in the market worldwide. Advertisers use it to promote their product, clothes, and food. I think learning how to use it, it could give me some insight to how much Photoshop is really done when I see an image advertising something. I also think it would just be fun. My roommate took a Photoshop class and she photo shopped herself next to Drake as a joke and it really looked real! I thought it was so funny and cool and I think it would be really awesome to learn how to do that too.

I never thought that technology could be such a huge part of my future career. Even if I don’t become a teacher, I have to use technology every day! Many things that I learned in this class will apply to my career and I will definitely use. I think it is super important that I stay up-to-date on all the new technology as soon as it comes out so that I can use it. Becca mentioned the FSU tech sandbox in her blog and how great of a resource it is. I couldn’t agree more! The tech sandbox can keep my tech skills sharp and continually learning. EME2040 opened my eyes to how much technology there is out there and how little it is used and applied in the classroom. 

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ILP- webinar

For my independent learning project I listened to a webinar called “Making Online Student Safety a Priority” by Gaggle. There were 3 different speakers. In one of the sections called “Digital Citizenship: Fills the Digital Literacy Gap” I found out that youth aged 8-18 spend about 45% of their day exposed to media. To me, that’s crazy! In this section they talked about how students need to learn how to use technology wisely and competently. They also mentioned how important digital literacy skills are, and I strongly agree. But I also found out that teachers lack the easy-to-use tools needed to meet digital literacy standards. It is necessary that they learn professional development in digital literacy. In this same section, spoken by Diana Graber, she brings up topics that Digital Citizenship focuses on such as; online safety and security, online privacy, plagiarism, copyright, search strategies, and ethical decision-making. They also talked a lot about some of the statistics of use of social media with students. Towards the end they had a question and answer section. Listening to this webinar opened up my eyes to how much social media affects teenagers, good and bad. One of the negative things about social media they addressed was cyber bullying. I was never aware of how common cyber bullying was and I’m glad they took the time to address this very important issue. They are currently working on getting all schools to monitor the devices being use to send out these hateful comments. One of the callers, Rob, actually wanted to work with them. I really enjoyed listening to this webinar and I learned a lot! Here are a few screenshots from the webinar.

9. Flipping out over this technology!

Flipped classroom is a new method of teaching that is revolutionizing the traditional classroom. Flipped classroom uses technology to let students learn at their own pace. In flipped classroom, students can watch lectures at home and communicate with their peers and teachers by online discussions. Through the use of education technology, flipped classroom influences students learning environments and it provides an opportunity to learn through activities. Teachers can create videos for students to watch at home instead of in the classroom saving class time and providing more information for the students to succeed in school.  Flipped classroom improves access to instruction. Here is a link to an educational video that some teachers might assign students learning about the solar system.

The website that I found on professional development you can find by clicking here. When finding a web-based resource there a few things you need to consider to see if it is a good site. The first thing you need to confirm is if the site has the information you need, and in this case, my website did have all the information I needed. Another thing that is important is if the site is easy to navigate. My site is as well. The next thing that is important is if it is appropriate for the age level you are educating.

              When finding a web-based resource you also want to make sure that all content is aligned to NSDC, AASL, and ISTE national standards to be ideal for teachers. And lastly, the most important thing is that the site is credible. My site is from the Library of Congress which makes it very credible. Another way you can check is to look at their references. All and all this is a good web-based resource on professional development.

              Working on this week’s assignment was a little tough for me due to the fact that I was sick on Monday so I missed class. Thankfully, one of my classmates, Kristen Burkett, reached out to me and met with me to help me on the assignment. With her help, I was able to completely understand what had to be done and knocked out this assignment. I think PowerPoint is a great learning tool and I strongly believe that I will use this in the future. Using Jing also is an awesome way to teach lessons. I think that I could even use Jing in flipped classroom. I really like using PowerPoint now that I understand some cool ways I can make better presentations. The only thing I didn’t like about this assignment is how many different elements we had to add. In the instructions, it gave us so many different things we had to add to our PowerPoint that it almost got overwhelming and I kept having to check to make sure I had each one done. This assignment actually took me a pretty long time to complete too. If I were to assign something like this, I would probably assign which slide gets each different feature and how to do it. I would also post an example PowerPoint so my students can make sure they get everything right. Here is a little snippet of the PowerPoint I made.

8. Digital Divide No More!

Reading through chapter 12, there were so many different technologies that could be useful in future education. The one that stood out to me the most was electronic paper. This is just so cool to me, it is a flexible light-weight printed material that could replace e-books and tablets. Now, this technology is in developmental stages, but I think it could be a huge breakthrough in the classroom setting. This electronic paper can be folded and rolled up, making it compact and unbreakable, so kids won’t have the worry that if they drop it, it could break. Not only that, it has low power consumption and replaces paper products; making it better for the environment.  It displays information from a network or cloud onto the screen. It prevents using paper handouts because it is able to change its content and display different information throughout the class day. Printed paper is used all the time in the classrooms, electronic paper is sure to be the same. I personally would use this product all the time in my classroom.

One of the “future technologies” not mentioned in the textbook is the 3D movies. 3D is everywhere nowadays, the theaters, even people’s homes, but is it in the classrooms? I think that 3D screens should be in every classroom. When learning about a subject, say coral reefs, the teachers often show videos and pictures to the students.  By using a 3D screen to watch those videos, the students could feel more engaged, almost like they were in the coral reefs themselves! It creates interest and excitement when things seem more real.Find the TV's here!

The digital divide is a term used to describe the gap between people who have access to technology and those who do not. Not only is this a problem in developing countries but it is also a huge issue in the US. Typically this term refers to the educational context; students having access to computers and internet at home and at school versus those who don’t. I am on the side in where I believe all students should have access to technology. I think if the parents cannot provide that, the schools and classrooms should. The problem with a digital divide is that some students will grow up uncomfortable with technology and that can hurt them in their later careers. It doesn’t just affect students by not having access but it affects their knowledge about technology and their skill. Students with access to computers and technology have an advantage over those who don’t have technology readily available. Students who grow up around technology and having access to technology will have more confidence in technology use for their career. Because some students don’t have access, it can create a divided workforce. This could greatly affect my future classroom if some students continue to not have access to technology. I wouldn’t be able to post assignments solely online, I couldn’t require a typed essay, little things like that can be a huge problem for those without access. In the future, I will make sure my school has easy, readily available access of technology for all students.

Make your Powerpoint more interesting!

I love this presentation because it shows us different ways to be more creative on PowerPoint. This presentation caught my interest.

8 Tips for an Awesome Powerpoint Presentation from Damon Nofar