Journal #8

COMMUNICATION:

1. AAC: Is a term used to is related to the different ways of communication that replaces writing, communicating, and speech with using a type of aid for the student.

2. An example of a no/low tech tool that helps students communicate is a food category board. This is something simple and is considered no/low tech tool because it needs no technology or batteries to be used. This tools can be used in the classroom to teach students simple food items, which could be beneficial in teaching about health and dieting. It is used when asking about an object and the child is to make a gesture, head nod or some other indication in what the answer is.
    An example of a high tech tool used for students with special needs would be a speech generating device. This is an example of a high tech tool because it speaks words and phrases aloud for the children to hear how it is being said so that it can help them learn to correct their speech. This would be used in a classroom to increase vocabulary, and is a great way to teach students more words to learn.


ACCESSIBILITY:

1. Input Device is a tool we use to put information into a computer, and there are many ways to do this, cd, camera, mouse, tablet, microphone, scanner and many more.

2. An example of a Hardware tool is the joystick. This tool allows children to play games as well as navigate on a computer. A child can use their chin, hands, and mouth. This is like a normal computer cursor but is used for children with not all the correct motor skills. This tool can be used in the classroom if there was a project or assignment that needed to be done on the computer, this way everyone can use the computer.
An example of a software tool is something that can be downloaded and accessible at all times. An example would be,  Proloquo 2go. This is a software tool because it can be taken anywhere and is awesome because it can even be kept in your pocket. This tool helps speech for students that need help because it has updated symbols and a large vocabulary. This is also cool for the students because it is like an iphone. This can be used in the classroom a lot, because it is so easy to get information from since it is small and simple.

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Journal #10

McAnear, A. (2011, February). Cool tools should be transparent and student selected. Learning and Leading, Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-november-2011.aspx
I found an article on Learning and Leading that was very interesting to me and it was based on the idea if all schools should eventually go paperless. This article was interesting because I could tell that the writer as well as some others agreed that schools should to make things easier and more exciting for children. But at the end of the article a poll was taken where readers were able to give their opinions and I was surprised to read that a lot of people think no. At the beginning of this article I agreed with the author in the fact that eventually schools should go paperless. Then when reading the polls and others opinions, it made me think differently. For example, schools do not have enough money for a full supply of paper stock for their classrooms, there is no way there is enough money for individual computers and more. Another thing that caught my eye was when it came to math. Someone said that "calculators can't do everything." This statement is so true, yes calculators are great but how can kids truly learn how to solve equations if everything is done for them? I feel as this will be an ongoing topic that no one can predict what will happen.

Do I believe that in the next 10 years, schools will be paperless?

-No, and this is simply because of how the economy is today. There isn't enough money for the amount of teachers available, there is no way enough money for all the technology that would be needed for all the schools. Maybe when my kids grow up and have kids is when this might happen, but who knows what the world will be like then. Maybe there won't be schools, every kid will be able to teach themselves from home on their computer...the future cannot be predicted. 

Journal #9

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading With Technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-november-2011.aspx


I found this article very interesting to read because my family just bought my mom a Kindle for her birthday this last month and she has fallen in love. My mom and I are constant readers as it is but since she has had her Kindle, her reading has been taken to another level. I asked her why she thinks this is after reading this article and she said she doesn't really know besides that it makes it so easy to read. Like in this article, new advances in this area of technology has made it more easier for readers to read. My mom has poor eyesight and so having the Kindle has helped with that because it allows readers to enlarge text easily. I think inventions like these recent ones are great because I believe that more people should read more as well as should be able to understand what they are reading. To read online, Kindle, or Ipad, it allows people to look up certain words that they may be confused about or want to learn more about.

How can advances in technology with reading benefit myself as a future teacher?

-These technological advances can really help make my classroom more exciting and cool. I have 3+ years until I will become a teacher and that is a long time in technology days, new advances and ideas are coming out every day! This is a great way to make reading more exciting and easier for students and this should be practiced more often.

Journal #6

Google +

Parr, B. (2011, July 16). Google : the complete guide. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/07/16/google-plus-guide

Before reading this article I didn't really know much about Google+ but had heard some good and not so great things about it. As of right now, I have a Facebook and find it pretty easy to use as well as a great tool to stay in contact with friends and family. I read that Google+ is a little more complicated and can seem to be a little harder to use and navigate through. This might just be because it just started so they will probably find better ways to make it easier for all users. Something I really liked that I noticed that Facebook is trying to do now is the labeling of friend groups. This is a new feature to Facebook and I am assuming that this is coming from Google+. While in Facebook you have to scroll down a list to add all your friends to different groups, in Google+ all you have to do is drag and drop. This seems a lot easier and more efficient for its users. Something I really liked reading about was how you can send a message or post/comment to only a specific group and not to all of your friends. This is something Facebook should try because it is a great idea. It seems as though Google+ might be for more adults not really the college/high school and now even younger kids.

How could Google+ be beneficial to me when I become a teacher?

-When I become a teacher I would use Google+ to be in contact with other colleagues or teachers around the world to share ideas and get insight on certain teaching ideas. This can also be a great way to put yourself out there to the teaching world if you are jobless because you can offer to substitute for schools and this way you  can get your name out there.

Brogan, C. (2011, September 30). Educators - google plus is for you. Retrieved from http://www.chrisbrogan.com/gpluseducators

After reading this article I thought it was a truly helpful article that all teachers should read. It was very beneficial to read because he gave a lot of good ways how educators can use Google+ to their benefit. For example, posting lesson plans for other teachers to read, important You-tube videos, and even assignments for your students. Technology is a great way for kids to like what they are doing in the classroom. I mean telling your students to go home and get on the computer to do their homework is exciting, as well as a change. I learned a lot from this article and am now interested in getting an account on Google+.

Is Google+ a viable source for teachers?

-Yes! I do think that Google+ is a viable source for teachers because there are a lot of great benefits of being apart of this website. However, there are a lot of sites out there that I think can be useful to teachers. Since I have never used Google+ in this way I am not certain of all the great benefits or even its downfalls but from these two articles it seems as though it can be a great source for teachers to use.

Crossword Puzzle

Journal #7: My Personal Learning Network

A Personal Learning Network which is also known as PLN is a visual format in which enables someone to express ones knowledge and learning tools, that can also be used for future learning. The tools I used to create my PLN consisted of a Diigo account where I can follow other users who are interested and in the same field as I am, and a Twitter account where I can participate in active conversations between other followers where we can share ideas and learn from one another. My PLN will help me greatly in the future when I become a teacher by allowing me to reflect on my prior resources as well as share these with my colleagues. I am aware that throughout my profession there will be many times in which I will need to bring new information into my classroom to continually make it interesting as well as have resources that I trust that the information is correct. There is never a time someone can stop learning, because there is always something out there that can be considered new knowledge and this is a great way to explore this.
My use of Twitter is different than a lot of people my age, and this is because I have recognized this resource as a positive way to connect with other teachers, programs, and other inspiring people. The people who are in my network that I am currently following mainly consists of the other students in my class as well as a few bigger groups and organizations. For example, train the teacher, edutopia, education_world, and the CA Teachers Association. These are more examples of great resources and why it is important to use tools like these so that I can learn from other educators. The educational chat that I participated in was the #NTChat which is the chat on Twitter for New teachers. The topic of discussion was on "How Should a Principle Support a New Teacher? It was interesting to see new teachers post on here about what they want to see in a future principle of their school. A lot of other participants included many links where one can go to look for further information. One follower wrote, "I would like to see the administration and other teachers reach out more because being a new teacher they can be very intimidating." This is very interesting because even know I am not in the current process of getting into a school as a teacher I am still intimidated and I know that if there were open and welcoming arms when I start at a school it would make the whole process a lot easier. Overall, I found the whole chat process intriguing because I really had no idea teachers actually participated in things like this. It is also reassuring because I know that when I am a teacher who has questions that I can go onto something like this and not feel alone because there are others out there who might have the same questions too. I am glad I am provided chats like these currently so that I can get a hang of how they work and at what times and such they take place. This is a great tool for teachers and educators. I use Diigo as a tool for my educational learning because it also allows me to follow users we have great information based on topics related to what I am interested in and that can benefit my career. I am currently only following five other people Angela Maiers, Emily Snow, Jeffery Heil, Rich Kicker, and Sherilyn Crawford. I chose to follow these certain people due to their same interests as I as well as the things they are posting are interesting to read due to the content. The main three tools that I bookmarked PLN were "The Educators PLN," "Twitter Building a PLN," and "USA Today Education." These three resources caught my attention because they all deal with PLN which is important because this is what I am working on currently.
The Digital Discussion that I chose to join is the Educators PLN and this site allows users to connect on the same database where more useful information can be shared. For example, important videos, blogs, ideas, news, as well as other websites. The Blog I chose to read and found very touching and inspiring was "What's Love Got to do With It?" and this blog was about a little boy that came from a home where there was no love due to circumstances that were out of his control. While the rest of the school board saw this student as a problem child, one teacher saw him as an innocent child who just needed some love in his life. This is inspiring because it is important to look beyond the outside of people sometimes and teachers need to know that they can truly help children if they take the time and work to change someones life.