Blog Post #8

 A new skill I acquired from working on the web design assignment was embedding links into a website. I disliked how form fitting each program was, I felt like I could not design a website I was happy with and reflected who I am to others. I liked the ability to have everything in one place so parents and students have access to the same information, which can avoid confusion and unnecessary phone calls from concerned parents. 

https://sites.google.com/view/miss-becks-class/about-me

I feel like I have not learned anything new from working with Diigo. I have previously used sticky notes and highlighted websites so nothing really stuck out to me. Personally, I would not use Diigo in my classroom. I feel that it is too much information in a layout that kids will not understand. If the information was sectioned off and better accessible I would be willing to consider using it, unfortunately right now it seems like a jumbled mess. 

Teacher development and technology go hand in hand especially as more things are becoming digital. It is important for teachers to stay up to date in changes and new technology to better improve their teaching. I think that teacher education chats on twitter is a great way to see what other teachers are doing and what things might be beneficial even if it is just to experiment.

https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/how-keep-ed-tech-trends-over-summer-break1706.html

Blog Post #7

 After looking into nearly 15 different schools to find teacher pages, I found Chiles High School. I found that some teachers did have a website linked on the main school's page, some of the information included their previous educational endeavors including high school, college, and prior teaching jobs. They also included where students can find their assignments and the what content the class is going to cover throughout the year. 

https://www.leonschools.net/Page/9924 

When I become a teacher I do not want to depend on too much technology inside the classroom. I want to have hands on lessons and interaction with my students. I will give computer time occasionally for them to use educational resources like IXL math or BrainPop Junior. On the teacher side of it, I will use an interactive calendar that is shared with the parents to keep them in the loop this will include field trips days, class parties, and upcoming tests. I would also let this be a volunteer sign-up if they are interested in coming in to help out with an activity. I would also use Canva, I love using Canva. I would make presentations to show the class as well as weekly newsletters that get sent home with students. 

Personally, working on Canvas went a lot better than how I thought. We were able to work all at the same time which meant we weren't slow down waiting on one person to finish to start our part. It also allowed us to communicate with each other through the platform, although it does not give you a notification when you have a message right away so we decided to text each other instead. I don't think I would use Canvas as a staple in my classroom but if you are sick and are missing assignments I would make them available online but they would be turned in in person. I plan to teach elementary school and I feel that they don't need everything to be using technology, it is important for them to handwrite assignments because not everything can be done online.

Blog Post #6

 My initial experience with Diigo has been fairly good. I think that it is easy to get used to creating posts and using tools such as sticky notes and highlighters on the articles. One thing that I do not like about Diigo is the layout. I feel that everything is right on top of each other and I become uninterested because it looks like words were just throw up on the page instead of an easy to read and digestible format. 

So far I have enjoyed blogging, the only downside is that it feels more like a discussion board without the replies to classmates. When I think of a blog I think it is more open-ended, for example what did you learn in class this week or creating a scenario  in which you would use techniques discussed in class. It can also be used to ask questions that my need answers or just opinions in general. 

A Web 2.0 tool I am use in my future classroom is Youtube. I would use youtube to show videos about corresponding topics in my classroom as well as a way to post videos for my class if we did an educational lesson that involved a song for example so they are able to go back later if they need help remembering the helpful hints they were given. I think Youtube is a great choice for the classroom because as long as you view the content before playing any video it can be beneficial to the learning environment. You are also able to have videos that are seen as "my eyes only" that you can share with a specific group which makes it super user friendly.

https://www.youtube.com/

Blog Post #5

 Although I have no been interacting with Twitter much I have kinda found that it was not as helpful when it comes to getting answers in a timely manner. For me, I would not consider using Twitter as my main source of help in my future career. I would rather ask fellow teachers or even teaching groups on Facebook that get answers in a time sensitive matter. I have struggled finding correct answers on Twitter because everyone has their own opinion and it doesn't give a solid answer as in answers to teaching standards, classroom management strategies, etc.

The digital divide can affect student success in school because even though technology is available in the classroom it is possible that students do no have access to the internet at home. For example, during the pandemic most learning transitioned to online learning which some students were not able to access so they began to fall behind. As a teacher, you may run into one student not having basic technical abilities that make it difficult to operate a computer. Not everyone will have the same level of knowledge when it comes to the use of technology outside of school.

Two software tools I will implement into the classroom is Microsoft Office and design software. The first software I would incorporate is Outlook, which is a destination where you can receive emails, this is important because it allows parents to get updates on the class as well as if you need to contact a certain parent regarding their student separately. The next software I would use is Canva. I choose Canva because I can create newsletter that go home to parents and presentations that can be shown in class to students. It is also a tool that students can use to create their own presentations as a project for them in correlation with a lesson. The software is also age appropriate and they easy to understand and operate for elementary aged students all the way to high school aged students.