Claudia's EME2040 Blog

Through individual efforts, I found that there area lot of discussion forums for teachers and students to use. What I found interesting was that there were a wide variety of forums for many different situations, subjects, and topics within those subjects that allow for more in-depth conversation on interesting areas. It is something I could see myself and other teachers using to get new ideas or see what other teachers have to say on a subject. It basically gives a fresh perspective that I and another teachers at my school might not have. From using Diigo and viewing bookmarks, I learned a little more about websites I already knew existed but never looked into. Some platforms for communication and sharing aren't always immediately thought of as resources for teachers and are typically more informal ways to communicate. So seeing those really opened my eyes to other possible uses. I also noticed some websites that were specifically for updating teachers on technology or teaching s...

On my own, I learned that there are so many different types of learners that I never really thought of because I didn't see them in my time as a student. I never had any classmates with major learning disabilities. As a teacher, I know that I will have to be able to recognize when a student is having more trouble with learning than the rest of my students. I learned that there are more technologies and software than just audio recorders and text-to-speech. From the presentations made by my peers, I learned that there are a multitude of new ways diverse learners can be helped. I learned that there are tools for reading such as reading guides and books that can be printed in Braille. For writing there are tools such as pencil weights and grips that make it easier for children to write. There are also sticky keys that help children type if their motor skills aren't as fast as other students. Other ways diverse students can learn is using technology such as an iPad to play educat...

There are a lot of new technologies that were made to accommodate learners with disabilities . A few for those that are fully blind or on their way to being fully blind are audio players and software such as text-to-speech that read out what is on a child's screen. They could also use audio recorders if they have trouble writing notes so that they can record their teacher's lessons. Another cool tool for children that have trouble focusing while reading are reading guides. Reading guides are when a book is read aloud and the words being read are highlighted, so it helps them focus on the words. Adaptive devices just help children learn in a way that is easier for them since the way people normally learn, isn't always so easy. I have never used adaptive technology and I do not think that I know someone that does. I feel like the pace classes go would be faster than the pace the adaptive technology can go. I wouldn't say its a burden but I haven't experienced much ...

Through individual efforts, I learned about a website that allows students to take learning to a whole new level. It allowed students to work at a pace that is beneficial to them, to do projects and use technology to record and submit the projects. Teachers are able to give immediate feedback and control the standards. It also allows parents to see their child's progress immediately too. It is an incredible tool that seems to be more student-centered, which tend to be pretty effective. What did you learn today viewing the bookmarks and annotations of others? When viewing the bookmarks and annotations of others, I realized that my peers see things a lot differently than I do. Sometimes I find that they see the uses for software and websites a lot differently than I do. Other times they annotate and highlight information I would've never thought to even look at or find useful. So being able to see what other people do on Diigo has been an eye-opening experience.

Using a "professional" twitter has been a positive experience. I have been able to see my peers different perspectives on similar topics and was able to find out about many teacher productivity resources through their tweets. I have also followed a few accounts that tweet updates on the use of technology in classrooms. The accounts I follow tweet everything education related, from game-based learning to protecting digital native students from cyber-bullying.  Twitter has helped me find several important websites that teachers are already using in their classrooms that have made it easier to keep students focused.  Although it is usually not used for education purposes, I have many links to helpful sites and perspectives on all kinds of topics at my fingertips. It is such an easy way to communicate with educators all around the world. I have never created a web page before so this is a totally new experience for me. I've had some difficulties doing all the assignment ...

Individual Learning Project Activity Log ILP “Participation”- Understanding Classroom Interaction MOOC. October 1: Module 1 Finally found a MOOC that related to the career I wanted to pursue. Began MOOC and worked on Module 1,  which was about classroom interaction, types of questions teachers ask their students and different forms of communication in the classroom. Greetings (ways you say hello and goodbye to different people): I will always say hello or maybe say it in spanish for any hispanic students. Names and nicknames you use for yourself and others: I probably wouldn’t use any nicknames for myself but if a student is more comfortable will being called by their nickname, then I will address them that way. Ways of addressing the professor and each other: The students should address me as Ms.Berroa and with respect. Popular culture references (TV, Social Media, Music, Movies, etc.): I might use social media, movies or music references to relate to m...

Claudia Berroa and Jazmin Murillo Mrs. McMahon Class Website Contrast The contrast is good. The background is white and allows for the text with darker fonts to easily be seen. Blue links also stand out, can be found quickly and do not clash with the white background.  Repetition The same font was used through-out the website so there would not be any confusion from the students or parents reading the website. The tabs, text, and links area consistent font.  Alignment The simple alignment makes it all easy to read. Similar elements are aligned and separated to represent a visual connection. Proximity All links and tabs are separate from the main text and are grouped with their similar elements to keep organization.  Again, easy to read and visually pleasing. 

Through the use of Diigo, I was able to see different kinds of  articles, software and applications that are beneficial to both teachers and students. I found software and articles I probably would have never found on my own through Diigo. It encourages collaboration and communication through annotations and comments. They help other students see other people's opinion on the same article they read and help them understand their thought process. It also allows students to share sources that they know can help someone else. Diigo can be used by teachers to share sources and ideas for new educational games, lesson plans, and other things that can be used in the classroom. I can see myself using Diigo in the future and might introduce it to my future students. It is really easy to use and very helpful.

I could not find a school that had course pages written by teachers but I did find a school that provided summaries of each course. Middleton High School has a pdf  on their website with all kinds of information on things such as how many credits students need to graduate and what classes they have the option to take. The school publicly provides information such as how many credits a course is and what the overall objective of the class is. Some subjects even include what materials might be needed. As an educator, I will have to be organized and precise with my responsibilities such as grading and lesson notes. I will also have to be able to effectively communicate with my colleagues. Using technology can sometimes be better than documenting lessons on paper. If my lesson plans and grades are documented on paper, there will be more room for error. Technology makes planning less difficult and word processed plans are much easier to revise. Another way technology can be more u...

Web 2.0 tools that would be useful in the classroom would be YouTube because it has plenty of videos that can be used for educational purposes such as tutorials and simulations. Twitter could be used specifically for a class as a way to share ideas with your peers and send feedback.  Blogs are also Web 2.0 tools that can be used in a classroom setting to keep track or log experiences with classmates and share what has been learned in an easy way. Diigo is another resource used by classes to bookmark useful websites and share them with other members in the class. It allows students to write short notes and descriptions about the website and the tags make it super easy to find a website you're looking for. Out of these tools, twitter could be the least effective because students could very easily become distracted and follow accounts that are not relevant to the course. One web 2.0 tool that I most likely will use while teaching would be MangaHigh. Its a free website that makes lea...

Just saw @allyballybee16 blog post about the use of SmartBoards in classrooms. Good stuff! #FSUEdTech — Claudia Berroa (@claudiabteachin) October 3, 2017

My Twitter experience so far has been a positive one. I have followed a few teachers and fellow students and they have given me so much insight on where I can find resources for my future students to effectively learn and they have shown me new software that I could use to teach my students. It is also an easy way to communicate with others to find new ideas or to ask for help when you do not understand something. In my future career, I could have my students summarize what they learned that day in a tweet, conduct an anonymous poll, and get opinions from other teachers.   A student with more access to technology might be more prepared and confident in their ability to use technology throughout their years in school and will more likely be able to apply the skills they already know when it comes to college and whatever future career they choose. Family income and region have a lot to do with the digital divide. A student that lives in a rural area and lives in a low inc...