NETS I - Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Classroom Blog
A blog is a web based journal usually maintained by an individual or a group. I used a blog creation website owned by Google known as Blogger to create my classroom blog. My blog is designed with with multiple tabs for easy navigation of the embedded items like a tagroll from my social bookmarks gathered on the website Diigo, a survey drafted on Google Drive, a presentation created using Prezi, and other examples of my work using technology. I further personalised the blog by choosing a desired template, font, and color scheme. The blog is designed with a feature that allows the reader to make comments on each blog post, allowing for collaborative feedback on an online environment. I can use the knowledge of how to construct and thoughtfully design a blog that I have gained from this project to model the skills necessary to effectively communicate to a real-world audience. Also, assigning a project like this to my future students will promote their collaborative learning by allowing them to give and receive feedback from their peers in an online environment.
Classroom Newsletter
Using Microsoft Word I created a Newsletter that can communicate updates to students, parents, and other faculty. Such updates can include educational expectations, recent achievements, and important changes. I was able to achieve this Newsletter by utilizing the clip art features, inserting graphic customized pictures, and inserting wordart for customized titling. These technical graphic stylizations allowed for a pleasant looking newsletter with interesting graphics to help facilitate creative understanding. Furthermore I created the Newsletter by placing customized bullets, modifying the page margins, modifying the border lines, utilizing the line between features between each article, and utilizing the dropcap option to begin each article. These all allowed for a well formatted and presentable Newsletter. The technical use of Microsoft Word exhibited my digital tool knowledge which provides an example to students in being creative on a technical platform. In addition, creatively presenting class activities through Microsoft Word allowed me to model for students on how to solve real world problems using digital tools and resources.
NETS II - Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Excel Crossword
I created an SAT vocabulary word crossword puzzle utilizing Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet software. The crossword puzzle is designed to be completed in Excel or on paper. I viewed a video tutorial on a website known as Atomic Learning on how to constructing a geometry crossword puzzle using Excel. I then selected eleven SAT vocabulary words and arranged them, one letter per square, into a crossword formation. I added a clues by inserting a comment into the first letter of each word used. When the cursor is over the first square of each word, the clue appears in a small text box. The completion of the crossword is made simpler with the use of conditional formatting. If the first letter is of a word inputted is incorrect the letter turns red, conversely when the first letter is correct the letter turns green. My future students could be tasked with the creation and completion of their own and their peers’ crossword puzzle. They would be adapting the memorization of SAT vocabulary words by incorporating an Excel lesson, simultaneously promoting their learning of the vocabulary and the software.
Google Forms
Using the Forms feature of GoogleDocs, a free web-based office suite, I created a survey designed as an assessment of my NETS-S presentation. Once the survey is completed, I can view the answers selected and the time the survey was submitted in a spreadsheet format in GoogleDocs. When constructing the survey, I included five questions in four forms: short answer, checkbox, scale, and multiple choice, and personalized it by selecting a Google provided theme. Upon completion, I embedded the presentation into my blog beneath my NETS-S presentation to facilitate the immediate assessment of my presentation. I was forced to modify the HTML code used to embed my presentation in order to properly center and size the survey to be visually appealing. The ability to design an assessment, review the results, and assess peers allows students to actively participate in their own learning. Also, learning how to successfully produce a form in GoogleDocs provides a technology enriched learning environment.
NETS III - Model Digital Age Work and Learning
Prezi
Prezi is a web-based multimedia software that I used to create a presentation that demonstrates my knowledge of the NETS-S and my ideas of how to integrate the standards into my 9-12 grade curriculum. I framed each performance indicator individually, titled each frame set with the NETS-S reference number, and discussed how this might be accomplished in my classroom. Additionally, I included a graphic image to each slide that is relevant to the topic, while insuring that all the images contain a citation from their original source. I included the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of my source for the NETS-S, the ISTE page for NETS-S. Finally, I connected the performance indicators by linking them through a cohesive path that guides the viewer through the presentation by zooming in and and out of the completed project. Through my completion of a cohesive presentation with an innovative web-based tool, I have demonstrated fluency beyond simple linear presentation software. The use of Prezi will allow me to support student success through encouraging the use of the tool in their work.
Mind Map
Using the web-based mindmapping tool, bubbl.us, I created a mind map in the form of flowchart to plan which artifacts I would choose to demonstrate how I have met each of the NETS-T. The mind map provided visual assistance in the planning of this assignment. I began constructing my mind map with my main topic in the center bubble. I then branched off from the center bubble to create a bubble for each of the five NETS-Ts, created two new bubbles for each artifact that exemplifies the standard. For each artifact, I provided text from the standard that represents its relationship to my artifact. I color coded the subcategories in order to easily distinguish their order in the mind map. Finally, I saved the finished product as a picture and then uploaded the picture into my blog as its own page. The use of this tool will allow my students to transfer their current knowledge of drafting an outline to plan an essay into the drafting of a flowchart to plan an essay. Bubbl.us wll allow me to communicate the hierarchy of governmental instutions, the different generations of a family tree, or a school year’s desired learning outcomes to students, parents, or peers.
NETS IV - Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Cybersafety Website
My classmates and I collaboratively created a website to provide information and resources regarding cyber safety to students, parents, and educators. Using Weebly, a free online website creator, I addressed one of the six sub-topics of cyber safety, piracy and plagiarism. My classmates addressed the other five sub-topics: cyberbullying, social networks, identity safety, inappropriate content, and cyber predators. My page of the collaborative website defined the topic, discussed the legal issues, and provided tips for students, educators, and parents on how to identify and avoid plagiarism and piracy. I modeled proper citation of all sources with the assistance of a tool known as the Citation Machine, a free online resource that forms APA citations from information inputted into a form. I posted the links to the websites that I had cited as a resources for further information. Finally, I selected then embedded a video from youtube that succinctly explained how to avoid plagiarizing while researching and writing papers. By researching my topic and creating this website I learned about the important issues surround cyber safety in education while simultaneously learning how to use Weebly as a collaboration tool. I also modeled ethical use of my research by appropriately documenting my sources.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) Journal
The topic of my journal entry number 8 on my classroom blog is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes all forms of communication (other than oral speech) that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. I focused my research on one non-technological tool and one high tech tool that assists special needs students in the communication process. The second focus of my research was one hardware option and one software option that assists special needs students with accessibility to digital tools. Upon completion of my research, which was conducted solely online, I began my journal by defining AAC. I went on to explain the high and non-technological tools and discuss how they would assist in a classroom setting. An example of a non-technological tool that can be used in the classroom is the Mid-sized Communication book, which allows individuals with speech impairments to communicate by pointing at the pictures in the book. I began the discussion of my second area of research by defining the term input device with regard to students with special needs, explained the hardware and software tools, and discussed how to use them in classrooms. An example of software input device is the Dragon NaturallySpeaking which is speech recognition software that allows the user to launch programs by voice and switch between applications simply by speaking. I integrated a picture of each device into the relevant text. This research topic will help me address the diverse needs of all learners by raising my awareness of the tools available to assist with communication and accessibility. Being knowledgeable of the resources and tools available is an important element of providing equitable access to all learners.
NETS V - Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Professional Learning Network (PLN)
A personal learning network (PLN) is an informal learning network that consists of the people a learner interacts with and derives knowledge from in a personal learning environment. The tools that I use to establish and communicate with this network include: Twitter (an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets") Diigo (a social bookmarking website), and The Educator's PLN (a website dedicated to the support of a Personal Learning Network for Educators). Twitter provides me with broad range of educators to interact with. I am following, subscribing to a person’s tweets, my Education 422: Technology for Educators professor in order to continue my access to the resources he discovers. I participated in a Twitter moderated chat on current educational topics which provided me with instantaneous feedback to my query. Diigo provides me access to websites other educators have found valuable. The Educator’s PLN allows me to participate in a community dedicated to sharing the latest educational resources, ideas, and tools. Having a PLN has helped introduce me to websites and other resources that assist in the advancement of my knowledge and skills as an educator. My PLN allows me to further appreciate the accessibility and collaborative nature of global educators interested in contributing to the effectiveness of the teaching profession.
Reflective Journal
I selected four articles obtained from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) publication Learning and Leading with Technology to review in the form of reflective journals which I posted on my blog. Each journal I drafted began with an APA citation of the article which was obtained with the assistance of a tool known as the Citation Machine, a free online resource that forms APA citations from information inputted into a form. The citation was followed by a summary then an analysis of the information I had gathered. I concluded my journal with two questions which were not addressed by the article. I attempted to answer each question with combination of my educational philosophy and my prior knowledge of education. I reviewed an article entitled “Ten Reasons to Get Rid of Homework (and Five Alternatives)” which made a strong argument for abolishing homework as we know it. I also reviewed an article entitled “Upside Down, and Inside Out: Flip Your Classroom to Improve Student Learning” which was a case study of a high school that successfully flipped their math classes. By reviewing the publication articles I was able to evaluate and reflect on the current research and professional practices I had read about. Writing and posting reviews of relevant and topical educational issues on my blog allows me to contribute to the discourse and vital relevance of the teaching profession.