ILP #2: PLN

I decided to do my ILP #2 on a Pinterest Board designed for teachers. The Pinterest Board was really interesting to follow along with. I found everyone to be encouraging and posting really great lesson plans and tips and tricks! You can find a link to my VoiceThread that goes into more depth about the benefits and limitations that I found, along with my overall thoughts.

Blog Journal 8

Diigo was an interesting application that I had never heard of before this class. The new skills I learned were how to annotate something on the internet without having to use Adobe (especially since Adobe editor is not free). This can be used in the classroom in multiple ways depending on the user. I could see myself using Diigo to annotate lesson plans online to prepare for class, but it could also be used in group projects by the students.

PowerPoint is a very useful tool that can be used by teacher or students. For example, if I were assigning a project about the Solar System, I could have my students use PowerPoint to show their work. This could address the different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy by: (1) Remember: this could allow students to remember the information when trying to give a class presentation, (2) Understand: students can put basic information on the slides and explain this to the students they're presenting to so those students understand, (3) Apply: One of the requirements could be for the students to apply the basic understanding they have to another concept or situation, (4) Analyze: Students could analyze the information using the graph or chart function in PowerPoint, (5) Evaluate: this could be utilized in an in class debate. PowerPoint could be used for students to prepare ahead of time and to show their arguments, (6): Create: This is the ultimate usage of PowerPoint, it allows students to create their own work and projects.

Teachers are expected to stay up to date with new technologies that are constantly changing. One way for them to stay up to date is with online magazine subscriptions, like Input Magazine. This magazine is useful for many things including new physical technologies, like phones or tablets (that can be used in the classroom), new educational toys, and much more! The screenshot below shows what the homepage of this website looks like. 

Blog Journal 7

I really enjoy Twitter! I've had one for awhile and like using it to connect with celebrities, share funny memes, and to have a good laugh. This year, however, I learned the usefulness of Twitter for the academic world. Twitter can be helpful for job posts, connecting before and during conferences, and sharing new research! The only issue I've faced is having too many Twitters and it being difficult to check them regularly. I have a personal Twitter, a professional Twitter, and one for this class. I think I would be better if I enabled notifications so I knew when people were reaching out to me and trying to connect.

Working on the web design assignment taught me a lot of new skills. For one, I have never made a website so that was a new skill! I also taught myself how to make it look more appealing, how to add hyperlinks, and how to just feel more comfortable with Weebly. If I become a teacher, this knowledge will be very helpful so that I can create an easy to use website for my students' parents to use!  See below for a photo of the homepage of my website.

Both assistive and adaptive technologies are helpful for learners and people on the everyday. For example, using assistive technology, such as grammarly, is helpful for learners when writing a paper to ensure good grammar. A lot of my friends utilize this type of technology along with others! The challenge I see with these technologies could be stigma towards students who "need" these technologies. This can be toward gifted learners that require more assistance, nonenglish language speakers, or students with disabilities. Kids can be cruel so I can see them teasing kids who would require additional assistance.