Blog #7

Twitter is a good way to share your thoughts and see what events are going on around your school. It is easy to communicate ad get updates from accounts which interest you. So far from using Twitter I have learned how to summarize things I want to say better, since there is a character limit. I have learned how to use their system pretty well. I have also learned a new way to communicate with others. So far I have experienced no issues with Twitter.

The Web Design assignment really helped me learn how to make a webpage. This is something I will have to do as a teacher in the future, so it is good to know these skills now.  I learned how to manage and operate the computer pretty well after this assignment. I had a lot of difficulties working the websites and trying to pick the right one. I did like how I now know how to make a website because that could help with many different things in the future.

https://gap16h.my-free.website/

Adaptive and assistant technology is something that is very useful to the world. Imagine getting the chance to help kids with disabilities learn easier. From wheelchair ramps to having computers that speak for you, assistive technology is something that could benefit the classroom greatly. The only technology for assistant learning I have been exposed to or remember is the hearing aid. My sister is partially deaf in one ear so she got a hearing aid to help with that and I remember seeing how much it helped her. The challenges I see using adaptive/assistant technology is the price. I can only imagine how much it would cost for classrooms. Also, as a teacher I would have to incorporate the technology into my lesson plans which could be difficult.

Blog #6

For the class website I looked at, I went to John G. Riley Elementary school and went to Mrs. Gainous's 3rd grade class page. Along with looking at other pages, I found a lot of similarities within class pages. Most all of them had a "Meet the Teacher" sections where it had information about the teacher herself. There was a page for assignments where the parents and students could look at them to see what they had to do. Most all of them had their class calendar posted with important dates throughout the year.

Website I looked at! https://www.leonschools.net/Page/12384

I imagine myself to use technology in my classroom through websites like class websites and blogs. I think it is a great way for students to interact and be up to date with what is going on so there is no confusion. Also, I think that a couple of iPads for children to use would be very good. There are many innovative apps that could be used on it and it would be a fun way for students to learn.

The technology I would most incorporate in my classroom after visiting the Sandbox would be the AR or Augmented Reality. It comes as apps on phones, most of them free, and can show many different things such as the inside of a body and brain. If I had an unlimited budget, I would get the Microsoft computer they had in the Sandbox lab. It could do so much from art to anatomy and is easy to learn. It would be a great way for the kids to get hands on experience with subjects.

Blog #5

Using Diigo was a little bit confusing at first, since I had to learn about it on my own. But, once I got the hang of it, it was not so scary. It is an easy way to communicate and get your ideas across. It has features such as annotating sources which makes it easy to publish posts.

Personally, I have never blogged for school or personally. I was a little confused at first having to blog for a class, but I have liked the results. It is easy to communicated my thoughts through a blog post. It will be good for my class in order to get their feedback about things such as readings. I do not like how you have to look on individual websites for each persons post. I would have one blog people can post on.

The Web 2.0 tool I have found interesting is Glogster. It has you make posters for any subject and make them visually appealing. This can help kids to understand problems and subjects better while also getting a better understanding of technology. It is simple to use for any age and can include things such as visual and audio effects.
http://edu.glogster.com/?ref=com

Blog #4

For blog #4 we did a Voice thread:
https://voicethread.com/share/11474430/