Blog #8

I really liked the idea of the glasses that tracked where you look. I think it would be especially beneficial to teachers deciding how to design a classroom. By putting the glasses on students, they could see what distracts students, where their eyes are drawn to, etc. Additionally a teacher could wear the glasses themselves and better understand which students they pay more attention to versus which students actually need more attention.

Bloom's Taxonomy addresses the different levels of learning that can be utilized, starting with lower level learning (knowledge, facts, etc) to creating and developing new ideas. For example, for a history project presentation using PowerPoint, a student could create a timeline to accomplish the first step, remember. The timeline would give simple facts to be learned and memorized, like "the Declaration of Independence was signed on the fourth of July, 1776" (it actually was approved by congress on this date and was probably signed on August 2nd, but for the purposes of this I'll use the commonly believed misconception). The next step, understanding, would give more explanation as to how and why these events happened. This would show that they, for example, understand that taxation without representation acted as large motivator for the continental congress to call for independence from the crown. Applying their knowledge via PowerPoint, they could show a list of sources they used for their presentations. To accomplish the steps of analyzing and evaluating, students could critique each other's presentations, asking questions and commenting on elements that weren't clear. And for create, they could use PowerPoint's design features to make a new constitution, complete with amendments they think should be added.

To stay up to date with technology I would use http://www.techradar.com/, a site that prides itself with keeping regular people up to date with the newest technology and the best prices. While the site might look a little unprofessional, it offers valuable information on what new technology is available and trending. Additionally, by looking at its section on purchasing, teachers can stay up to date with how affordable new technologies are.

Blog #7

I really like the idea of text-to-speech and vise versa technology. I think it could be useful for multiple disabilities including blindness, Parkinson's, cerebral palsy, and even anxiety. A friend of mine actually uses this technology in coordination with their severe anxiety. After reading homework for a really long time or when they're feeling particularly anxious, their eyes will not focus any more on the words before them. With these technologies they are able to get their readings done on time with a clear understanding of what they read.

The website development helped me with spacing and how best to lay out materials in a manner that doesn't overwhelm the viewer. I wasn't a big fan of the website, it's templating method was very strict and there wasn't a lot of wiggle room. In the future I'd like to use some fancier techniques in terms of template and effects, but I have plenty of time to hone those skills.  http://haleyeme2040.weebly.com/

Working with Diigo pushed me to find key words quickly in an article, as well as helping me find ways to stay connected with other teachers and students. As a person planning on teaching college level students, I can definitely see myself using this tool as a way of encouraging students to comment on articles we read in class.

At first I went to the website of my old high school, but found no teacher websites. So instead I went to the one for Leon High. I looked at several websites of teachers, beginning with one from a Spanish teacher. The website was fun and eye catching, with the teacher introducing themselves in Spanish before continuing in Spanish. The sidebar had plenty of extra links to homework, extra credit assignments, announcements, and other things. The teacher fully embraced the requirements and the  time they spent shows.

Another teacher, however, was obviously not happy with the requirements. The only things on her website is the school calendar, which I saw featured on every teacher's website and seems to be updated by the school rather than the individual teachers, and her opening remarks from the beginning of the year. She opens with welcoming the students and parents, and then states that she wants to meet with all the parents in person, by appointment. She says things like "attached, you will find..." which makes me think she printed this and several other things out for students, and then didn't even edit her letter before posting it online. She says that she has been teaching for 26+ years, and seems to be from the generation of teachers that is uncomfortable with technology. 

I like the idea of using Diigo to actually have online conversations with students, I plan on teaching grad school, so using Diigo to have online discussions on important documents, that can then be expounded upon in class. 

I like the idea of using Occulus to go on "field trips" to museums with students. This would have to be a smaller class, and we would have to be viewing a very specific exhibit but I think there is a lot to be said for being able to see something in person, and Occulus would be a good tool to make it half-way. Especially if I teach at a University like FSU, I could make an appointment with the education technology people at my school and get my students to experience a museum in a way they might not be able to otherwise.

ILP "Participation" - Lynda.com Tutorial on Excel for Beginners

I'm actually very nervous about using Excel. The few times I have used it, I felt entirely lost and ended up accidentally deleting all of the data at least three times, and doing formulas manually which made the program feel useless. Because of this, I decided I wanted a bit of a head-start on the class, and took a Lynda.com tutorial. The tutorial was around an hour and a half long, and began with a basic discussion of what Excel is and why people use it. The first "chapter" described how to input data, how to use and create formulas, and over all how to access the functionality of the website. The second "chapter" discussed the different ways you can format the sheets in order to make them more neat and professional looking. The last "chapter," the shortest, talked about how to share the sheets, both by using the cloud and by emailing.

While some of the formatting tips were a bit obvious, I genuinely didn't know that Excel could do all of the things it can in terms of formulas, recommending charts, recognizing patterns, etc. As a history major I don't have many projects in which I enter data, but I could definitely see this being used by teachers to calculate grades.

Post #5

I think blogs and Diigo are good for classes because they allow for interaction directly between the creator and viewer. There is plenty of room for discussion, students can always go back for more updates, etc. I'm not a big fan of wikis for classes though. While its true also of blogs and Diigo that anyone can post things, at least with the first two their is some level of accountability for who says what. Wikipedia might be good for getting simple background knowledge on a topic, but might not be right for a classroom setting.

One Web 2.0 site that I'm interested in is Brightly, a website on reading strategies that can be helpful to both parents and teachers. Covering everything from the importance of story time to the best books for 9 and 10 year old children, it provides information in a fun manner that gets the reader excited about reading with children. It suggests books to tie in larger topics as well, which would be especially useful in cases where teachers have to decide between an in depth history lesson or an in depth language arts lesson. This way, the teacher could do both by incorporating a book with a historical theme.

I could see Google Glasses being incorporated, but more in the way of smart phones rather than something the school buys. I could definitely see students using glasses to help themselves stay on schedule and on task, as well as creating a way for students to take more efficient notes. While reading the article, I kept thinking about various teachers who would get angry about students having their hands raised in the middle of a lecture. They preferred for you to write it down and then ask it later. I could see something similar being done with the glasses, where the students could write out the question before their very eyes, and just have it ready to go once the teacher started taking questions.

Post #4

My early experiences have so far been pleasant. I followed a handful full of history twitters that, while maybe not useful for the class, are quite interesting. I've retweeted a few things from edutopia and I've been keeping up with events in the politics of education, something I was not particularly interested in, via the Department of Education. Especially in this sense, using my twitter for work could definitely help me stay up to date with my field.

The digital divide refers to the fact that not all students have the same accessibility to software as other students. In the case of application software, like presentation software, students may find themselves falling behind if they do not have these software available to them outside of class. Even if a teacher does not require or expect students to do so, students with plenty of access at home can spend more hours practicing what they learned in class, as compared to a student who has little to no access outside of the classroom. In an example for graphics software, take my little sister: growing up, she had plenty of access to computers both at home and at school. When she came home after school, she would open up the Paint program and make characters and scenes by using the basic tools. As time went on, she became more practiced and picked up on the more nuanced skills that one can use in Paint. She now wants to create video games. If she hadn't had early access in which she was able to hone in her abilities, she might not have as much potential as she currently does. A similar situation can apply to imaging software. A student who has helped their parents fix family photos via photoshop at home will potentially have a greater success in an assignment calling for the creation of a fake magazine. Even if the students can only work during class, one student may have years of experience where another student is starting the project with a blank slate. Reference software can also pose similar problems. When I was growing up, it was an internet game to go to a random location on google earth and try to find the nearest airport while on street view. Part of the fun was that, since google earth's street view had just been released, it was a bit difficult to navigate. Now, while finding the airport may still be difficult, I know the basics of using Google Earth. Others who did not have ready access to computers at home might not be able to say the same.

When evaluating websites, it is important to see if you can find the author(s)'s name(s), because this implies some level of accountability for what the site does, says, etc. Bias should be taken note of, because any bias changes how a person should use the website. Content, of course, is very important, because you're relying on the content to be correct and right. Design is important especially when discussing a topic in which images are heavy and/or necessary. Technical effects might not be the most important, but a poorly set-up website could imply that it might not be the most reliable source. Personally, when looking at a website, I like to see if it mentions the last date it was updated. New information is constantly coming forward and I need the most up to date for my research. I also check for affiliations. Something affiliated with a government department, for example, would probably be more credible than one affiliated with a news network, which can give bias.