My Final Presentation

As part of the requirement of my audio visual course, I have created a video to share who I am as a technology proficient educator after taking the class. I decided to use Movie Maker for the very first time so please bare with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVaZl5J9DGQ

My Handy Dandy Tech Tools

Learning how and being exposed to many tech tools was quite an experience. I came across frustration from time to time as I was getting used to doing all my assignments online. Being that I am not very “tech savvy,” did not make things any easier. I will be assessing 8 different technology tools, rating them from 1-5.

MOODLE
The MOODLE is a very effective tool. It allows students to easily access the website to find out instruction on assignments, due dates, grades, and extra materials posted by the instructor. I like the fact that you do not have to worry about hassling other people to verify information—what is expected of the assignments are all present. In addition, submitting work is a lot easier since you simply upload your assignments—no hard copies necessary! Most importantly, I value the fact that although the whole class has access to the MOODLE, grades are still kept private.
Rating: 5/5

Firefox
Since I have been introduced to using the internet, I always used Internet Explorer. I did find that Firefox is indeed faster and seems to be more secured. However, I still find myself using Internet Explorer.
Rating: 4/5

del.icio.us
Prior to taking this course, I have always had the habit of writing down websites (which I also have the tendency to lose) on a piece of paper, if not I save it onto my “favorites” list. Doing so gets quite useless—it is sometimes hard to find exactly where you save it and you do not much opportunity to organize your list. However, using Delicious enabled me to save websites which can quickly be found when used properly. It helps a lot especially when you are not using a personal computer and you need to save interesting/important sites. I like how you can access your bookmarks with any computer (as long as you have internet connection). It also gives you the option of securing your books marks which is a good way to keep passwords for reference.
Rating: 5/5

Google Suites
I have always used Google. However, I truly cannot believe what you are capable of doing on Google! Prior to taking this course, I did not know that there are so many other uses (free of charge) like: blogger, web pages, docs, calendar, etc. Excellent and useful tools!
Rating: 5/5

Dogpile
I have always been a “Googler”. I Google anything and everything! This is probably because I only knew of Google. When we were introduced to other search engines, I found that Dogpile can be more useful—it really broadens your search.
Rating: 5/5

Weebly
This site is good to use for beginners interesting in creating a webpage. It is very simple and user friendly. You can create layouts by simply clicking and dragging items down. I am new to creating web pages and I find it helpful.
Rating: 4/5

Window Movie Maker
Movie Maker is a simple tool to use to edit videos and even create slide shows. I figured out to use it on my own with minor difficulties. In fact, it was pretty entertaining. I like it a lot!
Rating: 5/5

SynthaSite
My first impression of the Synthasite home page was it was very good. The site invites the user to create a new website for free and presents the information with a professional look and feel. I like the professional look and feel of the templates which Synthasite has. This is a good tool to create and publish websites for free.
Rating: 4/5

A Mission Accomplished

The process of creating a multimedia lesson plan was a bit of a frustration. Although we weren’t limited to a certain subject area, I was indefinite of where I wanted to go with my lesson. I found myself jumping from one subject to another and starting over and over again.However, as ideas came to mind, my lesson plan became clearer and I was able to produce a lesson that I thought would be interesting. I found this lesson to be easier than the first since I am already familiar with using the ASSURE model (1996). In fact, the ASSURE model assisted me in laying out my thoughts.


In completing my multimedia assignment, I learned how create a web page. I found it to be beneficial since it is a great way to share sources. The main standard that applied to completing this assignment according to the National Education Technology Standards for teachers is NETS-T.1.B, “demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies” (ISTE NETS).Creating a multimedia media lesson plan appropriate for 4th grade students was good experience. I do not think I would revise it to make it more challenging. I think children would really enjoy learning using technology. However, I would probably revise my lesson to make it more understanding for my fourth grade students. I enjoyed creating my first multimedia lesson plan. I liked that we did not have limitations. Learning how to create a web page was interesting as well.








REFERENCES

1. ISTE NETS. (2003). Educational technology standards and performance indicators for all teachers. ISTE: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2000Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2000.htm

2. ASSURE Model (1996). Course Construction: ASSURE. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from
http://www.mscd.edu/~act2/courseconstruct/assure.html

A Lifeline for Others

We use technology is many ways. For many of us, we see technology as a form of fashion—we buy it because it is the “in thing." Some use tech gadgets because it is just so much easier and entertaining. Those with disabilities use it as a lifeline and it is evident in the video clip, Enabling Dreams.

Susanna Martini, a college student uses assistive technology in her daily life. Born with cerebral palsy, she relies on a wheelchair to get places, a cell phone for emergencies, a lap top, and a voice activated software to help her do school work. Compared to us, she uses these things because she needs them, stating how she wouldn’t be able to be where she is today.
Sheryl Burgstahler explained how technology helps students learn to do things they are unable to do to in other ways. She also emphasized how technology enables students to become independent, go to college, and find careers. The clip also showed how students use gadget as early as preschool years. Students learned using hand held devices, touch screen gadgets, and other tools as a means of learning. Not to mention, there was a student who had a device attached to his head that enabled him to respond by moving his eyebrow. Finding the right assistive tools to help students at earlier ages is important—“The earlier they are introduced to assistive technology, the faster they can master how to use it and focus on content area” was one of the statements made by a teacher.

The video clip made me realize how important technology really is, especially for those who rely on it to function in their daily lives. There were many amazing assistive technology tools that I had no clue existed in the video clip. It is amazing how students are able to learn despite their disabilities. With the help of technology, the are endless possibilities!

Why Cyber Bullying?

Often motivated by:

• Anger
• Revenge
• Frustration
• Entertainment
• Accident

The Four Types of Cyber Bullies

1. The Vengeful Angel
2. The Power-Hungry or Revenge of the Nerds
3. The Mean Girls
4. Inadvertent Cyber Bully

A difficult task

I usually do well in creating lesson plans but the process of producing a lesson that incorporated the use of a digital spreadsheet seemed to be an impossible task. Although we were given ample time to work on the lesson, I could not figure out how to teach such young children (kindergarten) how to use a digital spreadsheet. I spent a lot time thinking things through but time was flying and I was getting nowhere. I was beginning to feel so frustrated and getting familiarized with using the ASSURE model did not make things any easier.
As I googled my way in hope of generating some ideas, I found myself going nowhere—all I found was a whole lot of useless information. Luckily, I was introduced to many helpful technological tools that came in really handy, such as: dog pile, my Moodle, and my delicious list. Through these sources, I was able to find some examples of the ASSURE model (ASSURE, 1996) and figured out what it was.
One night, I came up with an idea of doing a recycling activity that I would be able to teach using a spreadsheet. I opened the ASSURE template and found that it was useful, since it assisted me in my planning and organizing my thoughts. As I built on my ideas, I was slowly but surely able to complete what was at first such an impossible task.
This assignment was completed using various technology tools such as the search engine dog pile, my delicious list, and various web sites. I learned a great deal in the process of completing this task—the main standard that applied in this assignment overall, according to the National Education Technology Standards for teachers, is NETS-T.1.B, “demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies” (ISTE NETS Project). I did not only use what I already knew in getting my work done—I used many sources that I never knew existed. Although it took a while to get used to, it will be very useful.
I learned that planning a lesson using a different template (ASSURE) can be stressful but very beneficial. I have just been so accustomed to doing things one way that that this assignment made me feel so overwhelmed. Because I am not as “tech savvy” as others, this assignment made me realize that there are so many tools that can assist me when I become a teacher. I also realized that it is not impossible—it just takes practice.