Techy Tool Craze!

Rating Scale

0 -Not Useful or User-friendly at all

1 - Could be Useful but not User-friendly

2 - Somewhat Useful and Somewhat User-friendly

3 - Useful and User-friendly

4 - Very Useful and Extremely User-friendly

5 - YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO USE THIS! 

1. Moodle 

Rating: 3
Having used Moodle before, I was familiar with its functions and capabilities before using it for this class. I have even used a different "moodle" site for another online class here at UOG and have found UOG's Moodle page to be easier to use. I do, however, think it could be a bit more user-friendly. Certain functions are just harder to navigate to when there should be an accessible link from any page on the site. Other than that, Moodle was extremely helpful in staying on task throughout the semester.

2. Firefox

Rating: 4
Choosing the web browser Firefox is an easy choice to make when concerned about keeping your computer safe from unwanted malware and other harmful viruses and tracking means when using the Internet. I had to rate Firefox a 4 because I have encountered websites that Firefox has problems with loading scripts. One example of these sites is Wiggio. For some reason, when accessing Wiggio through Firefox, a warning message pops up stating that some of the necessary scripts for the site to run at its best are unable to load. Other than that, Firefox is a reliable technological tool that keeps computers safe from unwanted security issues!

3. Google Apps

Rating: 5
Google Apps are everyday lifesavers! My Gmail account is my cyber best friend. I love its interface and how it's connected to Google Calendars, Google Docs, and basically every other extremely useful Google App! I cannot say that I have used them all but the apps that I have are always so helpful! Google Scholar makes researching a breeze, Google Docs saves me from using pesky thumb drives that are susceptible to viruses, Google Folders keeps my inbox organized so I don't go crazy, and Gmail keeps me in contact with everyone I need to be in contact with! In all seriousness, Google Apps save my "cyber" life everyday!

4. LiveBinders

Rating: 5
Live Binders is such a useful tool for keeping resources organized and literally only a click away! I loved how easy it was to create a binder and fill it with tabs and subtabs to my liking. The interface is simple enough to navigate through after only using it for a few minutes and the capability to upload personal files such as PDFs and personally owned photos makes this the ultimate resource organizing tool! I can honestly say that I will be using this tool for as long as it is available!

5. Wiggio

Rating: 5
Wiggio really is the easiest way to work in groups (just like it says on the homepage). The interface is extremely easy to use and the greatest feature was being able to subscribe to the conversation so any new posts are emailed to my gmail account right away and all I have to do is reply straight from my email...no need to go to the site to sign in or anything! That feature made it so easy to communicate with my group because I always have access to my email...whether I'm at work or even on the go because I can receive emails on my iPhone and constant access to email meant constant communication when we were planning our project and its execution. I really like that you can also choose to only send messages to specific individuals instead of the whole group all at once. This prevented confusion when planning our individual responsibilities for our group project.

6. Prezi

Rating: 3
Prezi takes the predictability out of multimedia presentations. We have all had more than our fair share of boring PowerPoint and KeyNote presentations where presenters fill their slides with too much information and then just read exactly what their slides say. Prezi gives presenters more options to be creative with every little aspect of their presentations and that creativity makes audiences want to pay attention to the presentation. I had to give Prezi a 3 because there are some functions that are just unnatural and therefore take longer to gauge and become a bit harder to do what should be a simple task. Also, it's difficult to go back to a portion of the presentation when the situation arises. I might not have used it enough to master ever function...but in this day and age when technology is apart of more aspects of everyday life than ever before, web tools should be designed so it should not take more than one or two uses to get used to the basic functions of the tool.


7. iMovie

Rating: 5
iMovie makes me feel like a professional film maker. I feel so in control of every little aspect of whatever video project I am working on and the design of the program works so well with other programs such as iPhoto and iTunes so that it is almost effortless to integrate still photos and audio tracks to video projects. Theme, transition, and text options are overly abundant and the newest iLife even includes a feature that creates minute-long trailers with a few simple drags and clicks! iMovie for iPads and iPhones also make it easy to fine tune videos recorded on mobile devices before uploading to YouTube or Vimeo or even social networking sites. iMovie is just a fantastic technological tool all around!


8. Blogger

Rating: 4

My favorite feature of Blogger is that it is connected to my Google account. I swear, it just makes life easier not having to sign in using a different username and password for every single tool I use. Sites like Blogger and YouTube that are directly connected to my Google account function so that as soon as I go to the site, my account is signed in and ready to be used. I also loved the option of creating multiple blogs on one account. I liked this because I am able to separate what I want to separate and have consistency throughout my blogs. It was also extremely easy to customize the look and feel of my blogs and posting is effortless! It is even great for posting photos and other media. Overall, Blogger takes the mystery out of blogging.

(Photos are all personal screen shots taken with my MacBook Pro and the tools I rated are all hyperlinked. Si Yu'os Ma'ase'!)

There Is No Such Thing As Being Too Safe!

   Digital Safety is more important now than it ever was before. The ease of access and extreme convenience of the Internet have allowed multitudes of individuals to use it for almost anything in their lives. Digital Safety knowledge will empower individuals to safeguard themselves from becoming targets of unnecessary for situations they would never want to experience. Whether it be from identity theft through phishing and pharming or the painful harassment through cyber bullying and textual harassment, digital safety knowledge will help many people become cognizant of the signs and equipped with solutions to any of the issues that may arise. Copyright and Fair User Practice, Digital Safety and Privacy, Cyber Bullying,  Textual Harassment and Sexting, and Phishing and Pharming are five general topics regarding Digital Safety that will equip individuals with enough information to use the Internet safely. I would probably add an overview of the security features that come with the browser they choose to use: Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, or Internet Explorer. Each browser has its own semi-protection against personal information being compromised.        
     I always feel a bit overwhelmed when I think about the time when I will finally be in the classroom and am tasked with teaching my students about digital safety. Kevin Butler, who writes for District Administration: Solutions for School District Management, wrote, "Increasingly, K12 educators are seeing the need to not only utilize the Internet in instruction, but also to teach students the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to be safe and responsible digital citizens both inside and outside of school" (2010). Younger and younger children are using computers, tablets, and smart phones and are exposed to computers and the Internet at a younger age thereby making young adults more proficient at using technology and the Internet. I fear that my lessons on digital safety will just be ignored because my students will feel as if they know better because of the amount of time they spend on the Internet. I have always believed that the most effective way to teach students lessons is to introduce and teach the information and then do activities to that present them with practical situations and allow them to choose a solution based on the background knowledge they have. NETS-T standard 1(b) states, "(Teacher) engage(s) students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources" (ISTE, 2008) and is the basic premise for my practical situations method of reinforcing lessons.
     My group was comprised of four extremely busy individuals who juggle multiple classes, jobs, and family responsibilities. Our busy schedules made it difficult to agree on a meeting time but Wiggio relieved that issue. The online meeting site allowed us to communicate with each other in every phase of our project, from planning to finalizing. It also provided us with an accessible log of all communication so that whenever any of us became confused, we would be able to read the meeting's history to answer our own questions. It was especially helpful in sharing files and ideas when creating our website: Copyright and Fair User Practice. Personally, Wiggio's e-mail feature made it the best communication tool because it was just so convenient. I received e-mails every time one of my group mates posted on our Wiggio thread and was able to respond by simply replying to the e-mail from my inbox. The elimination of the hassle of opening an Internet browser, waiting for the site to load, logging in, and again waiting for the site to load made my love for Wiggio grow. 
     This perfect assignment taught me the most valuable information regarding my Internet usage. The five topics covered enough Digital Safety information to warn me of the possible situations that may arise and effective solutions to end the situations. I am definitely a safer Internet user than I ever was before.

Reference List

Butler, K. (2010, June 1). Cybersafety in the classroom. Retrieved from
          http://www.districtadministration.com/article/cybersafety-classroom


International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) (2008). NETS for Teachers.
     Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-T_Standards.sflb.ashx

Inspiration and Motivation to Teach Students with Disabilities

            Over the course of my relatively short lifespan, I’ve acquired a set of skills and talents that allow me to perform tasks and to perform them well. By the grace of my Creator, I have been blessed with full-functioning body parts and a minimal number of impairments. Edutopia’s How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams opened my eyes to a realm of technology that I knew little about, including the use of assistive technology to play musical instruments as Lukas Bratcher did (Ellis, 2005). I now understand the importance of assistive technology for those who need it. The teachers interviewed in the video portrayed the importance of specifications in lesson plans to include tools such as assistive technology devices to ensure that students with disabilities have every opportunity to fully participate and successfully complete in and out of classroom assignments. For example, George Rehmet explained that one of his students could only move his eyebrows. This meant that Mr. Rehmet had to incorporate a technological tool into his lesson plan that catered to his student’s specific need in order to ensure that he was a successful participant in his lessons.

            Mr. Rehmet’s example of ensuring accommodation for his students’ special needs has reminded and inspired me to be extremely resourceful when I start teaching in a classroom. There is no doubt that I will, at one point or another, have a student with special needs in my classroom. To ensure that he or she is capable of succeeding in my classroom, I would assess his or her specific needs and research the best tools to be used in the classroom and at home so that the tools I provide or suggest have the greatest chance at helping my student to be successful. I would also keep the specific needs in mind when designing lesson plans so that no student is left out due to physical or mental impairments. This would include specifying roles or tasks for students with special needs and assessing what other students in the classroom can assist when necessary.

            In order to ensure that I do all I can to foster successful participation in my classroom, I will refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act for guidance on preventing discrimination due to disabilities in the classroom. Becoming acquainted with this Act and all its numerous amendments will allow me to set up my classroom in a manner that is conducive to every student in my classroom, regardless of whether or not the student has a disability.  Websites such as Federal Resources for Educational Excellence will assist in my task of equipping my classroom with resources for my students, especially students with disabilities.  I will also refer to the Disability & Education Laws article and resources on the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities website as a basis to assess the appropriateness of my planned classroom activities for the inclusion of students with disabilities. Combining these three resources will allow me to assess my lesson plans completely and will give me a basis for revision and improvement.

            My cousin Donovan was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 4 years old and is almost completely deaf. His hearing aid has allowed him to go to school and participate in his lifestyle classes. His disorder has left him without the ability to speak normally but is very expressive with his hands and grunts that have become very specific with the help of his hearing aid. Hearing the tone of his family, teachers, and peers has allowed him to mimic tones that are relevant to what he is trying to relay. Without his hearing aid, he would have an extremely difficult time communicating and others would experience great difficulty understanding him.

Reference List

Ellis, K. (Producer). (2005, February 2).  How assistive technology enables dreams.

Edutopia. Video retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. (2010, September).

            Disability and Education Laws. Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/laws

This video is "[a] quick look at the benefits of using assistive technologies in the classroom for children with sensory impairments, and a motivational tool for teachers to use assistive technologies in their classroom."

Pave the Path to better Memory in the Classroom!

      Working memory is essential for productive classroom learning. Students and teachers alike would benefit from educational games that work their “memory muscles” to make sure they are in the best shape for optimal classroom learning. Path Memory is a memory game that can be used in classrooms ranging from second grade all the way up to the college level because it is simple enough for young children to understand and it is engaging enough for a whole range of intelligent beings to enjoy. In a Social Studies classroom in particular, Path Memory can be used to promote working memory before teaching about important historical events. There is so much information to be memorized in History and Geography related subjects and Path Memory can be used to promote healthy working memory.

A rubric is a great, generalized tool that allows individuals to judge a whole slew of things depending on what each rubric is geared toward. The most challenging aspect of developing a rubric is making it specific enough to the subject matter being judged but also keep it general enough as not to constrain judges to options they would not want to use. When creating the rubric for Path Memory, wording each category proved to be the most challenging. We chose a scale with only 3 components: poor, fair, and outstanding. We felt that constraining our scale to these three components kept our rubric simple enough to judge our game and website but specific enough to get a good sense of the game and site without even seeing it. Our categories were simple and straightforward so that those using the rubric and reading the rubric would be able to understand it with ease.

Our rubric was definitely far from perfect and would need to be changed before being used in the classroom. Some categories were a bit redundant and could have been grouped together because of their similarity. After consolidating similar categories, I would add categories specific to NETST standards such as: Game “enabled all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress” (International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE], 2008). Path Memory is efficient in meeting this standard because the game allows players to go as fast or as slow as they need to in remembering the path set out for them. 

     Path Memory is also efficient in meeting this standard because it prominently displays players' progress at every step in the game. This is important for players to assess their own progress and to either log or simply put to memory how far they get through the game each time they play it. This game is so versatile it can be used in a range of classrooms for students and individuals in a range of grades and ages. Memory is important for everyone!

Works Cited

International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE] (2008). NETS●T [PDF document].

                Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

Rubric: Path Memory on Play Kids Games

Group B: Irene, Krystal, Andrealline, Elizabeth

Imagination and Creativity are Key

                According to Jennifer Nelson, “[t]he ASSURE model is an (Instructional Systems Design) process that is designed to integrate technology and media into the teaching and learning environment. […] The ASSURE model is a six step planning framework used to plan lessons and promote effective pedagogical practice” (Nelson, 2009). Using the ASSURE model for this lesson plan demystified my clueless predisposition to creating lesson plans because the framework is so clear and concise that it made creating a clear lesson plan extremely easy.

                NETS●S Standard 2a states, “Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity” (International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE], 2008). This lesson plan takes students’ prior knowledge of data tables and gives them a new technological tool to create and format digital data tables that can be shared with not only the rest of the class but also their parents and other organizations when the need arises. By giving students the simple task of finding and organizing data into a digital spreadsheet, teachers set the foundation for numerous uses of digital spreadsheets including, but not limited to, scientific research and exploration results, student organization data, and fundraising monetary spreadsheets.

                The simplicity of the ASSURE lesson plan model allows for imaginative and creative expansions for this simple Cereal Nutrition lesson plan. From the start, I imagined complicating the lesson a bit to have my students use ten or more different cereals, organize the sugar, fat, and salt content into a digital spreadsheet and then use the software’s ability to create different charts and graphs to interpret the data in a number of different ways. Charts and graphs will allow students to visualize the different sugar, fat, and salt content of each cereal and compare all nutritional value of each cereal. Even further than comparing the sugar, fat, and salt content of the cereals, students will be able to compare each cereal against the suggested daily intake values of sugar, fat, and salt and come to a conclusion of which cereal is the best in terms of the suggested daily intake of sugar, fat, and salt. This would also challenge students to recognize serving sizes by tapping into their prior knowledge of both the Metric and U.S. measuring systems. I loved the adaptability of this lesson plan and the numerous possibilities I imagined for it.

                Since this was my first experience creating a lesson plan, it was difficult for me to get started because I had to break though my personal barriers and hesitations with respect to planning lessons. The fact that my lesson plans are the foundation for what my students will learn when I finally step into my classroom weighs heavily on my mind because the responsibility for shaping young minds is so huge and I would hate to be the teacher that “drops the ball”. Even though this lesson plan is hypothetical, I still felt the importance of making it thorough and clear so that it can be easily executed. Once I was able to get passed my personal barrier to start the lesson plan, I reached another one when thinking about how this lesson plan would have to change in order to accommodate students with disabilities. The first thing I had to realize is that each and every one of my students can walk into my classroom with a plethora of disabilities that I would have to accommodate for. Realizing this made me aware of having to be able to think on my feet in addition to planning for a number of scenarios that can come up in the classroom. Specifically for this lesson plan, if I have an autistic individual in my class that is high-functioning but reacts negatively when working in a group and presenting alone to the whole class, I can modify the lesson plan so that he or she can work with one partner so they can work and present their findings together.

                I am glad that my first lesson plan followed the ASSURE lesson plan model. Having a clear frame to work with lessened my anxiety in preparing the lesson and allowed my imagination to run with the simple plan and think of all the possibilities to expand it.

Reference List

International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE] (2008). NETS●T [PDF document].

                Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

Nelson, Jennifer (September 14, 2009). Lesson Plan Models: ASSURE Model. Retrieved

                from http://clifmims.wetpaint.com/page/Lesson+Plan+Models

Pre-War Malesso'

"As I Turn the Pages"

"Hungry fingers feed searching eyes; rummage reams of text between the lines, map the margins, you'll never find recordation of Chamorro minds." -C. T. Perez