ILP “Design” – InfoGraphic

     For my final independent learning project I chose to create an InfoGraph on classroom rules and behavior. I thought this would have educational benefit to students in younger grade levels who benefit from having rules posted around the room. I made the graphic using Canva in a flow chart style so that it was easy for students to read and come to a conclusion.

ILP "Design" - iMovie

     Instead of participating in a research participation pool, I chose to do an extra Independent Learning Project. For my ILP a made an educational video on the different types of triangles and their properties. This video would be good for students in grades 5-6. I made the video using iMovie editing software.

Survey

If you would like to participate in my survey please use the link below.
Thank you!
https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0pO4FbySwSNILZP

Journal #10

     As a future teacher, I believe that it is important to have organized ways to record student information within the classroom. Microsoft's Excel program is one of the best recording software tools because it allows teachers to develop their own lists with personalized functions. I can see how Excel could be useful for recording grades, marking who is/is not present, or listing out which student might still need to tern in paper work or fees. As an elementary school teacher, specifically 5th grade, there would be plenty of "end of the year" items to check off. Say all students are given the opportunity to purchase a class shirt, Excel could be used to list students by name, mark their shirt size, and make not of who has or has not paid. Surveys could also be done within this grade level to record which middle schools the students are graduating to and their final grades. These tools and collections of data are important to teachers since they can easily organize large lists of information.

     When reviewing my classmates' blogs I found it interesting how many of us shared the same ideas or opinion on our own individual assignments. Both me and Alissandra shared the same visual aid and site when talking about the flipped classroom. Many female students such as myself, Madison, and Lauren chose to talk about Pinterest for our content curation post. This is not to accuse anyone of copying another, but it's interesting to see the parallel thinking among students and the different ways we chose to talk about the subjects. One post that I saw that interested me was Hannah's resources for technology trends in Journal #8. The article she provided was one I had never seen before and was interesting to read, I would have never previously looked to Reader's Digest for news on technology.

     The next technology related skill I would like to master would be video editing. I think there is a certain art to creating visually pleasing but also informative lessons through video. If I was able to make quick informative videos varying by subject for my students I think it would add a nice personal flare to my teaching, and also keep my students entertained. I have a basic knowledge on how to trim clips and put them together using iMovie on my phone, but to truly learn how to add graphics and make more complex content I would want to download a video editing software to my computer. Tutorials on YouTube, or Lynda.com would be my main educational source and would help me practice this new skill. I am unsure how long it will take me to become completely comfortable editing on my own, but am thankful that I have plenty of online resources to help me.

Journal #9

     Today the idea of a flipped classroom is being used more prevalent all over the country. This teaching style strays away from the typical setup of a teacher standing at the from of the room and lecturing the entire class. A flipped classroom utilizes the idea of independent student work and learning. Here students are expected to have done there own learning of a topic outside of the classroom, whether it be by reading textbook material or watching online lectures.  By putting instruction as a task outside of class time it allows the opportunity for in class activities and practice of information. The teacher in this classroom is meant to guide the students through the activities, offer some assistance when needed, but not take control of the assignment. This is meant to motivate students since all works becomes their own responsibility. Students who want to learn will put in the effort outside of class and then succeed within the classroom, while students who do not put in an effort will see the consequences. This is talked about and shown with video evidence on The University of Texas at Austin website.

     Open education is a belief that high-quality education and resources should be available to all people of the world. The philosophy works to fight modern obstructions to the availability of high-quality education. Proponents of this idea try to make as much educational content open and free to all, believing that sharing is one of the core values of education. Open content describes educational materials that are free of copyright and are available for use for all teachers. This content stretches over a far range, but can include lesson plans, images, worksheets, or even entire textbooks. In order to wave copyright most providers use creative commons licenses which give the ability to access, modify, reuse, and translate content. Open source software gives its users to modify or inspect their content. The resources is not always free, but typically provides an access code which enables users to actually edit the program and enhance it to their need. This is able to help educators as they gain control of the software can can use it to better benefit the classroom. I gained much of my knowledge of open resources from opensource.com which provides resources on the goal and reasoning behind open content.

      The two PowerPoint assignments that I have done this semester have taught me many skills which I previously did not know. I used to consider myself a PowerPoint pro, but I now see there were so many different skills I did not utilize. Before the assignments I did not know the non linear capabilities that PowerPoint had, and had never used a hyperlink action before. I also rarely used animations within my PowerPoint, and had never attempted to used more than the two most basic slide layouts. These presentations helped me be more creative with my design and instruction. I enjoyed creating a story with the non linear format and creating an interactive challenge. One element I did not like was having to record the first presentation and add my own audio. I found the recording a little difficult to edit, which made me discouraged to do too many takes. Next time I will focus more on how to record slide by slide to create a more precise and clear audio.

   

Content Curation: Diigo and Pinterest

     After working with both content creation tools I can see the pros and cons of both sources. Diigo I feel has a more professional feel, and I liked that being in a certain group, rather than just following someone, what how your content was sorted. I also Liked how diigo displayed sources by titile and then positioned the description directly underneath. I felt like this web source was incredibly organized and the use of tags and topics made all of the content extremely easy to find. Pinterest was fun to use because of its more playful layout. This site more heavily focuses on eye-catching visuals, so the descriptions of some content seemed to get lost. I did enjoy though that you were able to see content from everybody's boards and pins and nothing felt limited. Overall I feel diigo was better for professional sorting of content among peers, while pinterest was good for finding good more fun lists and articles from all different sources.

Content Curation

Here is a pinterest board I created to post curated content on teacher professional development.
https://pin.it/sjlnabtgnaeltr

Journal #8

     Adaptive technologies have made enhancements in modern day classroom to meet the needs of multiple different learning styles. The technology aims to make coursework and curriculum met the needs of individual students and the different learning disabilities they may possess. Many technologies work to track a students progress to show which areas they are proficient in, and where they need more help.  Adaptive technology is more specific than assistive technology because it works with an existing technology to help disabled students use the technology. In my classroom experience I have had peers that required captioning to be put on videos displayed to the class to help counteract their hearing disability. I believe that these technologies are extremely beneficial within a classroom to help meet students needs, and are easier to adapt widely used technologies to struggling students. I do expect though it to be challenging to acquire all the additional pieces of needed to meet the needs of all students.
   
      PowerPoint would be an effective way to help students at all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. The presentation would need to be structured to help a student remember, comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the main ideas of a lesson. To help a student remember the PowerPoint should make an effort to highlight or bold important terms or concepts, so that way students recognize their importance on the slide and are more likely to remember. To make sure students comprehend the lesson the lesson the presentation should have a slide asking for students to compare different ideas. This will make sure that students understand both concepts individually and in relation to another. To help the students apply their knowledge the presentation by showing specific problems and examples. A slide could feature an issue and first ask for students responses, and then the next slide could feature an explanation on how to get the solution. The PowerPoint should also help students analyze the concepts by into specific lists and showing the relationships. The lesson can be synthesized in the PowerPoint by adding a slide which putting all of the part of the lesson together into one main point. The lesson can finally be evaluated by showing the validity of the work. and giving specific reasoning as to why the lesson is correct.

     

     EdSurge is a website which provide the latest updates in technology resources. The site publishes articles and reviews of different products to help schools and teachers make the best decision when choosing to purchase new equipment and supplies.

Journal #7

     In my twitter experience so far, I have begun to enjoy the interaction that the site provides. The application makes it extremely simple to connect with others, even those not in the class. By tweeting about my website creation process I received a response from the Wix website twitter account. From using twitter I have learned how easy is it to talk to others and share ideas. My articles that appear on my feed also provide me with the latest news in education. I enjoy have this specified feed on content that relates just to my field of interest, and provides more than a regular news app would. So far I have not experiences any issues other than the lack of editing features on tweets. One of the most early tweets I posted to my feed had a typo in it, yet the app does not give the ability to fix this mistake. I know that this is a feature many have complained about in the past, but now experiencing it on my own I see the importance of adding an editing feature to the app.

     Building my own personal website has been a challenge but I have enjoyed getting to be creative with my sites design. I chose to use Wix to create my website because I had had a basic introduction to the platform in another class. I enjoy the flexibility in the Wix layout and how customizable every aspect of the page can be. So far I have only found troubles in small things like color matching specific elements on the page, or how the site doesn't show you which fonts are already in use on the page. I still need to add more pictures and text elements to my site in order to finish it. I can i'm prove the site by making sure every page is organized and follows the CRAP principles. I'm glad to get practice at making a site in this assignment because I know as a teacher I will need to have a professional page for students and teachers to visit.

My site so far.

     

      Diigo is a tool that prior to this semester I had no experience with or knowledge of. In the past few weeks I have learned of the sites many uses in bookmarking, annotating, and sharing with others. Before I would bookmark all sites I found on the internet simply by using the built in chrome feature. Often I would not even name the bookmark or categorize it, simply allowing it to get lost in the hundreds of others. Diigo has helped learn how to organize useful tools in a more helpful way, and shows me the possibility of accessing other resources book marked by fellow educators. Within the classroom this site will be helpful for managing learning resources and websites that can be used in lessons, or by students in their own time. Diigo can also help teachers within a school in similar grade level and subjects share these resources. On my own I can choose to have my own person bookmarks that I can use to store websites that focus on class instruction and lesson plans. Diigo is an extremely helpful tool for sharing knowledge on the internet.

CRAP

Contrast:
Is the contrast good so that different elements stand out?
Within the website there are a variety of contrast levels. While the text on the homepages body is stark against the white background, other text elements(like the text in the comments box) so not provide enough of a contrast to stand out and be easily read. The text and back ground colors should be be contrasting shade of light and dark in order to make the page navigable.

Repetition:
Are the similar visual elements repeated throughout the webpage?
The font for the website seems to change on every single page. The home page uses a basic heading with a bold font, and both the course page and the Instructor page switch to a new style. The color scheme of the site also seems off since the shade of blue change between the first two pages and are then abandoned on the instructor page.

Alignment:
Are similar element aligner to represent a visual connection?
The text does seem to be properly aligned on each page but other visual elements are not. The pictures on the home page are all different sizes and are unequal distances apart. They are also not aligned to one side, making then look staggered and shift when the page size is change.

Proximity:
Are similar visual elements grouped together and different visual element grouped separately so that they communicate relationship/variability?

On every page the use of paragraph shape and the picture position is shifted. Because of this there is no cohesive flow throughout the site and every page feels disconnected.

http://educationaltechnologyandyou.weebly.com/

Journal #6

     To get an idea of what a good teacher website should look like, I look at 3 different second grade classroom pages on the Florida State University Schools website. Most teachers were consistent in having there website open to a very minimally decorated welcome page. Each teacher used one graphic to make the page interesting, but the formatting didn't look entirely professional. All of the teachers similarly had an "about the teacher page," and then typically a page for newsletters or class schedules. Some stopped here, but others also included pages mapping the curriculum, and addition pages on events or field trips. The sites that were organized with more links would be more helpful to parents because of the easy navigability. On all pages I was able to view all of this information without a login. Although the only person information given was the teachers, there were dates on the site for when the students would be visiting places on field trips. This could potentially be problematic if the wrong person were in search for this information. Overall the web pages followed a very simple format and had few difference between different teachers sites.

https://www.fsus.school/Domain/44

     As a teacher I hope I can effectively run a classroom by keeping all of my information and work organized. I know the best way to do this is to utilize online resources since anything just don't on pen and paper can get lost. In the past I have used programs like Google keep in order to mange an quick notes or thoughts I might have. Buy writing down notes digitally though online source like this, or even just by using the sticky note feature on PC, thoughts are less likely to get lost. Another tool similar to this is an online cloud. Like the notes on Google keep, anything stored in the cloud can be accessed anywhere. As a teacher is would be good to utilize this to make sure no file with important lessons plans or test files were left at home or saved on the wrong flash drive. This online storage makes access to files much more stream-line and convenient. Another way to avoid lost papers with important information would be to digitally interact with students parent's. Just as the teachers sites on FSUS website did, its important to give parents easy access to newsletters so that no key dates or deadlines are lost to the trashcan. Not only this, but for more student specific goals it is now essential to send an email to ensure good communication. This way there is no student as a middle man delivering important notices.
     On Florida State University campus, the Technology sandbox offers so many cool resources for students. One of my favorites was the 3D pen which enabled its users to draw in 3D. Although the tool might be too complex for an elementary school student, there are many ways it could be used in upper level classes. as early as middle school the pen could help students learn concepts of physics. The pen, although for 3D purposes, has some dimensional restrictions. When building upwards only short straight lines must be done at one time, and the student must manage turning the pen off and allowing the structure enough time to dry before the structure can stand on its own. If a student doesn't understand gravity's effect then they will be surely disappointed in their results. In high school drafting or engineering classes the pen would help students understand the importance of a support structure in a design. With the pen another restriction is the need for a good base to support top heavy designs. This would help students grasp a similar idea of importance in other designs. This tool is not only fun to use, but challenging in a way that is beneficial to students.

ILP "Design" - Prezi

For my first Independent Learning Project I chose to use Prezi to create an informational presentation on the water cycle. For my presentation I also chose to create my own background image since none of the Prezi templates satisfied what I wanted to present. I made the background image of the water cycle using Microsoft PowerPoint. I used the shape tool and image effects to create the landscape on a slide and then was able to save the file as a PNG to use in the presentation. I enjoyed diagramming the water cycle since its one of my favorite elementary science concepts.

https://prezi.com/view/me5ACkFlI1HsDAafs6A1/

Journal #5

     Web 2.0 refers to the new, more interactive categories of websites that became prominent in the 21st century. These sites, unlike Web 1.0, focus on the users ability to offer feedback or contribute to the sites material. ELA standards call for this type of web interaction and not only encourage it, but require it. I think Web 2.0 tools that are the most helpful are those that allow teachers to connect with their students. This can be done by social network style websites such as blogs or google classroom. Blogs give a teachers a space to post content for all members of of the class to see. On this format student are also able to easily respond back to their teacher, or provide their own information to share with the class. Though these websites can be good resources, how helpful they actually are can be debated. Since these sources are typically open to everyone on the world wide web teachers must be careful to not expose their students to dangerous people. To prevent this most online content between students and teachers are on password protected or closed sites. This allows the class to interact while still keeping students privacy.

     One of the best online web sources I have seen for classroom interaction is Google Classroom. This site is free for anyone with a google account and can be used to connect teachers and students online. The site gives students access to other google programs such as Google Docs, Drive, Sheets and Slides. The resources provide an alternative to Microsoft Office tools that some students may not possess at home. Most important thought, is the site giving teachers the ability to create an assignment and distribute it to their students. Classrooms and assignments are closed only to those who have access, making it a safe environment for students. The site is also available in app form for both iOS and Android, giving students convenient access to their assignments even on their phones. Google classroom gives schools an easy and cheap way to create an online learning environment.

     One of the biggest promises for education in the upcoming years is the technological advancement in Gamification. As silly as it might seem, nothing motivates a student to learn more that the idea of having fun. In my experience classes went wild on days where we reviewed using Jeopardy style games, or when online learning tools were introduced that students could compete on. For example, my 2nd grade class was obsessed with Fast Math, and my classmates would go home an play for hours so that they could brag about their achievements on the site. This was over ten years ago and now games used with in the classroom have evolved into complex and smart applications. Games now allow students to test and develop ideas so that students are actively learning while playing. Examples like ATOMS and the World Peace Game have students critically think and solve problems, which is important in 21st century learning. This technology would be used in classrooms to promote learning and important skill development in students while entertaining to the point where it doesn't even feel like learning.

     

Journal #4

     My twitter use so far has primarily focused on retweeting  and replying to others. I follow many educational twitter accounts, so I try to find educational articles that pertain to technological advancements in the classroom. I vary between simply retweeting and also quote tweeting so that I can provide my own input. I enjoy looking through all of the articles and comments people post on my feed but can find it intimidating to tweet my own words or reply to others. I'm glad that response to others is mandatory though since it makes me figure what opinions I want to express. In my reply tweets I have tried to show enthusiasm for what ever the topic may be, but provide a clear reason as to why I think it is positive. I choose to respond to bigger accounts, such as @educationweek or @GoogleForEdu, because the sources seem reliable. I can see how a twitter could help teachers connect to other educators from around the world. I think that if I choose to have a twitter when I enter the field of education I will follow many other educators and retweet articles in order to get their own expert opinions on the subject. I can allow see myself tweeting out when I have any questions about teaching techniques. I have enjoyed my experience so far and look forward to getting better connected to my fellow EME2040 classmates on the site.

     The digital divide creates an unbalanced education technology for students of different backgrounds. Students who are familiar with technology all of their lives are more likely to feel ease when adapting to new technology software. This confidence will transfer into the workforce as tech savvy kids feel little to no intimidation when face with learning a new program for a job. On the opposite end of the spectrum, students who are given limited access to technological resources struggle with learning new tools. Even if a program or software is unique to a job, a student who grew up with out technology is at a disadvantage since learning can become a daunting task. This is unfortunate since jobs in the tech sector are rapidly growing. The divide in technological preparation stems from economic and geographical differences in home life. A student in the city with upper  middle class parents is more likely to have access to a computer and other tech tools, while a low income rural student may have very limited access. As a teacher I must be prepared to help close this divide so that non-tech friendly kids are given enough experience. Since assigning online homework is unfair to those students, technology activities should be done in class. This can mean shared time on in class computers, or a class trip to a computer lab where beneficial skills can be learned. Providing this experience to children at an early age creates a more even playing field as the students grow older and enter the work force.

      Because I want to teach at the elementary school level I will use mainly basic student softwares.I will want to use web resources that are activities or fun for the students to participate in. This will be used primarily in class since it would be unfair to assign any online sources as homework for students who lack the resources. I will want my students at the second grade level and above to learn how to use the programs on Microsoft office. Word and power point are important sources the students can use to write up their assignments or create presentations. At such an early grade level I do not think I will find any use in networking tools, such as social media or discussion boards. These might be too advanced for early education students, and would require much management and regulation. Though at the second grade level a software such as Moodle, or other learning management systems, would be helpful for creating a virtual classroom space that students could access with their parents help. These programs would help enrich the class environment and still be usable for a student at the age of 7-8. 

Assignment 3: Website Evaluation

Online sources can often be helpful tools to enhance students learning experience. For the subject of 4th grade science I have found 2 helpful sites that both fun and high quality.

1. e-learning for kids
     E-Learning for kids is a website designed to provide quality online learning to students regardless of where or who they are. The site is accessible for anyone with a computer and wants to enhance students existing knowledge. The site's science section provides multiple interactive lessons for students to participate in. This site is high quality because it is certified and accredited for educational use. The sites currency is supported by its news column which contained articles publish by the site, most recently January 8th. All of the links on the site also lead to their described sections. and provide relevant and updated lessons. The site is relevant for science instruction since it is provided by the Scienceworld, another site owned by the publishing company, curriculum. From the home page you can easy select the subject of science, and then when on the science page you can choose from grades K-6+ for subject level. After making these selections the link back to the home page is still located at the top of the screen for easy access. Content is all written legibly and can be filtered to show a specific topic. The site was founded by Prof. Dr. Nick Van Dam who has work for many years in the field of education, and has personal contact information given on the sites Team page. The site's About is not a mere page but an entire section dedicated to discussing the sites goal and the experience of its team members in order to show its authority. Though the webpage is a .org it still provides relevant content. The content provided on the site is accurate since it provides correct facts about science at the 4th grade level. The site establishes that its lessons plans come from the Scienceworld database. The sites purpose to give a source of quality education to all students. This is described in depth on the sites Manifesto page. The use of the sponsors in very public on the site, and even encourages users to donate to help support the site's mission. Professional and non-extreme language is used throughout the site to describe its features. Overall the site is reliable for providing educational lessons to students.

2. Funology
     Funology is a website which provides educational activities to keep students focused and interested. The website is updated regularly and has a blog featured within its main menu. It's currency is further shown by its 2018 copyright found at the bottom of the page. The links on the page function and send you to the sites sections. From the websites home page you can easily navigate from sections such as "crafts," "recipes," and "science." The science tab is also divided to allow students to select experiments from different topic areas. The home page is always accessible from the title at the top of the page. The information on the page also provides relevance since it is spelling error free. All the science experiments provided are at a level that 4th grade students will be able to understand. The sites authority can be found on the about page that is linked on the bottom of every page. The page credits that "Funology" is a site produced by Big Fish Designs, a company located in Washington D.C. that has created many other sites. The company's website is provided, and many contact links are provided on every page. The lessons on the page appear accurate, but are not just provided by the site. Teachers and Parents are able to submit projects, and are credited if their submission is used on the site. The sites purpose is to provide fun activities which parents can use to educate their children, rather than just allowing them to watch television. The site does indicate sponsorship as there are ads on the pages of the site, all though school or kid focused. The sites purpose is primarily entertainment as well as education, but remains focused in using appropriate language. This site is a good source for science activities to give to students.

Journal #3

     The ELA standards prescribe the Common Core State Standards for the subject of English Language Arts within multiple other subjects. There are specific standards in the ELA on how technology should be used within each grade level to further learning. I feel prepared to teach to teach the LAFS.1.RI.2.5 standard, which states students in first grade must be able to use multiple different features in the text in order to find information in the text. This skill is within my teaching abilities right now since I have experience using many different forms of literature. Within my own classes I have had to read articles, book chapters, and online textbooks. Because of this I understand how different forms of print and text are organized to show information. I will be required to learn more in order to teach the skill of LAFS.1.W.2.6, which states students should be able to use digital tools to create/publish writing. I have never been required to use a program other than MS word to type up my writing, so In will need to become acquainted with a variety of sites before I can properly teach this skill.

     Within my classroom I would like to use a variety of online tools to further my lesson plans. From MS office to other educational games that may be online or downloaded to the class computers. I plan to teach students in elementary school, preferably first or second grade. Meaning they will range in age from 6-8 years old during the school year. Despite being so young it is still important that the students understand the importance of digital citizenship. Children in modern times are increasingly young when they become tech savvy, so rules must be explained early. It will be important to teach respect for other students and their work they may do online in the classroom. This not only teaches the students that others have freedom of speech, but also creates a respectful environment that will not encourage cyber bullying. Students must also grasp academic dishonestly and learn not to copy work from online sources since this is plagiarism. It might not be appropriate to teach the students to avoid hacking and malware, but he concepts should still be touched on. Teaching these concepts early promotes a healthier online space.

     While working on my newsletter I had to fine tune my formatting abilities on a word document. I had never before made a newsletter like document and had to learn how to make many stylistic choices with the header and the columns arrangement. I enjoyed how my layout looked visually in the finished document. Using headings to divide the sections and using different styles, shaded lists and order forms, created a well rounded document. I did not like how my final banner looked on my document though, as I am not the best graphic designer. I tried to make it look balanced with the gecko images on the side, but in the end it bland to me. The assignment itself made me think about all the little non-teaching things that are required to run a classroom. This document was not to instruct the children on academics but rather to inform guardians about upcoming events. I'm glad this project made me look at new forms of structure in a document, rather than just a typed up essay. Next time I create a newsletter I want to figure out a more visually pleasing way, and create a template that I could use for my actual future classroom.

My Twitter Account!

Follow me on twitter @CBryanFSU !

Journal #2

     Microsoft Word is a program I feel like I have been using my whole life. Even before I entered the classroom I watched my older sisters play with the program's "word art" feature, creating fun invitations and posters. When ever I got into school and was required to type up essays or homework, MS word was always what was used at school and in my household. After elementary school I was already pretty savvy with the program, and as a result passed technology lessons on the program in both middle and high school. Throughout school nearly every teacher I had used word in order to create their tests or print outs. Whenever I reached high school I even had teachers require papers to be submitted as a MS word document. The program has always been the staple way of turning in/sharing large amounts of text or information.

      Up until middle school I don't think I really learned the true purpose of copyright. Whenever I started writing essays that required sources I was introduced to the ideas of plagiarism and infringement. It was stressed by all of my teachers that you could not copy another person piece of work. I only really recognized this importance in written text up until high school when I was taught to also cite images I use in my work. I think as a teacher I'd deal with copyright by finding different fair use content to use within the classroom. I want to be able to incorporate videos from television and movies that relate back to my subject so that my students are entertained. I think using visuals that students are familiar with will help spark an interest in the subject. Here it is important that I follow the rule of fair use and make sure its necessary for the educational goal. I will offer my students additional resources which they can use to avoid copyright infringement, such as creative commons. I will stress the importance of proper citation to make sure that any work used is fair.

     The implementation of technology is an important subject area which teachers must have within their classrooms. Technological literacy is a skill that is required for anyone to succeed in the current era. There are some issues that teachers face though that create barriers when trying to implement the subject. As a teacher I would maintain student privacy on technology by always gaining permission from students parents before posting any examples of student work, and by never sharing students personal grades on assignments submitted to me. I would work against software piracy by making sure that all students legally buy their copies of software. I'll teach the importance of avoiding piracy, and make sure students understand that copies they receive from friends might not be legitimate. I would also teach students to wary of cyber-bullying. To prevent the issue I would teach preventative measures about the importance of digital citizenship and good behavior online. I would also take an anti-bullying approach to make sure that students know that the words they say online can have a harsh effect. Through these measures I would be able to implement technology while also keeping students safe.

ISTE Standards Activity

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bEL_gb3VkrQitzyw2Ik2ckuujwxelFRJfzabdcOv1IY/edit?usp=sharing

     During this activity in class I had to use multiple ISTE standards to find solutions and resources for the student standard of Innovative Designer.

• I was a learner as I explored multiple new resources which could be used to teach design to students. I not only learned from my own searching but also from the ideas of my partner, and made sure to read and understand which each suggested source did. 
• I was also a collaborator as I worked with my partner in order to find the sources. My partner Ryan and I planned out our work within a google doc, which in it self is a digital resource, and both input our ideas on the document. This collaborative tool allowed us to work simultaneously from across the room
• My skills as a citizen were also used as I explored the digital world in order to find multiple different sources for innovative design. I critically analyzed sources and only examined sites if the seemed safe and well reviewed to ensure that I was selecting the best material for students.
• In order to look at the sources and think of ways in which they could benefit students I had to be a designer. With each source I had to imagine the different learning activities that would align with the standard of innovative designer.

In order to find the best resources for students over half of the standards for educators were used. This shows their importance in the growing world of technology, and how following the standards is both necessary and should be simple for educators of today.

Journal #1

     The digital world is increasingly affecting the everyday life of teachers and students alike. While we can look at students of the current generation as participants of the technological lifestyle, teachers differ in being more work oriented adapters to the change. Teachers are influenced by functionality of technology and how it can better improve the affect of their classroom. New tech such as smart boards allow the teacher to create a more streamline and interactive class then the typical whiteboard. Technological proficiency is an important skill to have since it allows teachers to better interact with knowledgeable students. Students use technology in the classroom because it is part of their everyday life. Technological concepts come easily which allows an active participation and interest in the class.

     The ISTE standards have been set in place to ensure change is being made in the field of education, which insists educators, students, and leaders alike all follow the same guidelines for what technological skills are necessary to possess and succeed in the current world. Within the skill sets for students I resonate with the importance of Digital Citizenship. This standard stresses the importance of recognizing both the rights you have in a  digital space, and the rules and responsibilities you must uphold. I find this standard important because it helps create a safe and informative space in the digital world that is not taken for granted. Within standards for educators I do not yet feel extremely comfortable identifying as a Collaborator. I need more experience working with peers to find new ways to use technology, and must become more familiar with collaborative tools.

     I do believe that the label of  "digital native" is an accurate description of today's youth. People of my generation were introduced to technology as soon as we entered kindergarten, and now today we have cell phones and mobile devices that are practically an extension of ourselves. Digital natives know little of a world without technology since it has always been apart of out lives, and are excited to try new devices and software as change occurs. A difference is found in the classroom as teachers of the "digital immigrant" generation sometimes can come off as less knowledgeable than the students themselves. In technology based classes I see an excitement with teaching the new ideas and principles of computers, while in other core classes I see a teacher struggle with accessing even a video online for the class, and an unwillingness to receive help from students. It has always been easier to learn in a class where the teacher knows how to operate their devices. In the future I hope that I uphold my ongoing transition to learn new technology and stay up to date, but if I struggle I hope I can swallow my pride enough to accept the help of a student.

Journal #0

Prior to EME 2040 I used technology everyday of my life. Not just in school, but also in my personal life of communicating to all my friends via smartphone. As I've older the use of technology has become increasingly important. As a child all I would use technology for was to play games when I was bored. Throughout my educational experience though, technology has become my main form of communication with teachers and with classmate. I learned how to create documents on my computer and presentations for school. Having access to technology and knowing how to use it was crucial for my school experience.

In this class I hope to learn how to better my understanding of all of my technological resources. I want to be able to use many different materials or programs in order to present ideas and lessons that I would use in teaching. I think its important that I gain an understanding now as technology in still rapidly expanding in all things it can do. By learning now how to properly use my resources I how to make my self prepared to continue to adapt to new forms of technology in and out of the classroom.