Monday, October 24, 2016

21st Century Technology in the Classroom

Materials Generators
  • Doc to Form Add-On:
    • This Google doc add- on helps “produce instructional materials” (Roblyer, 2016, p.141). This add-on takes Google documents and creates forms that teachers can use as instructional materials.
    • (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/doc-to-form)
  • Worksheet Generator:
    • This website allows teachers to create worksheets to give students to help with various lessons and exercises.
    • (http://www.education.com/worksheet-generator/)

Data Collection and Analysis Tools
  • Revision History Analytics Add-On:
    • This add-on I was particularly excited about because it automatically creates summaries and charts showing the user's’ interaction with the particular document. This type of software would be particularly helpful when students are collaborating and the teacher needs to see what interactions each student had with the document.
    • (http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/05/google-docs-addons.html)
  • Behavioral Assessment Generator:
    • This software is a tool for teachers to track and organize behavioral incidents in the classroom. It helps “teachers collect or organize information to provide feedback and support decision making” (Roblyer, 2016, p.141).
    • (http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/fba/)

Testing and Grading Tools
  • OrangeSlice Teacher Rubric:
    • This is a Google Doc add-on that helps “collect and track assessment information to measure student progress” (Roblyer, 2016, p.141). I particularly like this add-on because I think rubrics are beneficial not only to teachers, but also gives students precise expectations for them to follow.
    • (http://www.edgaged.net/2015/10/orange-slice-rubrics.html)
  • Quizlet:
    • Quizlet is a website that provides teachers with the software needed to create quizzes, tests, and exams in an easy to fill out interface.  
    • (https://quizlet.com)

Graphics Tools
  • LucidChart Diagrams:
    • This a great Google Doc add-on for both students and teachers because it allows the user to create charts and diagrams to better organize information or materials.
  • Map Manipulator:

Planning  and Organizing Tools
  • Doc-IQ:
    • This Google Doc add-on helps “teachers and students conceptualize, organize, and communicate their ideas” (Roblyer, 2016, p.141) by allowing its users to set deadlines for individual people or sections inside of the document.  
  • Lesson Plan Generator:
    • I found this website helpful because it provided software to help teachers easily organize their lessons into properly outlined lesson plans
    • (http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/lesson_plan/)

Research and Reference Tools
  • SAS Writing Review:
    • This Google Doc add-on was suggested to me from one of the teachers that we visited while observing technology use in the classroom at Hoover City Schools. It “assists with using correct spelling and word use” (Roblyer, 2016, p.142), which is important for students when writing essays.
    • (http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/10/4-great-google-docs-add-ons-to-help.html)
  • Google maps:
    • This is a great reference tools, especially in Social Science classes, because it allows for students to have a visual of the locations that they are learning about.
    • (https://maps.google.com)

Content-Area Tool

Monday, October 10, 2016

A Look at Online Tools and Web Security

Search Engines and Web Navigation:
In order for my students to use the Internet for research, I have to be able to teach them. I think it is incredibly important for teachers to be proficient with search engines so they can teach their students how to find information on the Internet. Once you are familiar with search engines, you realize that this knowledge helps you do research quicker and find more reliable websites. For example, Subject Index searches are a good way to find many websites at once that pertain to one topic. "The search engine site provides a list of topics you can click on" (Roblyer 2016, p.183). I believe it is a smart way to begin research since you are presented with many different resources at once all related to your topic. Another example would be using advanced searches. "Keyword searches in search engines allow several kinds of "advanced search" options to narrow the search for you so you won't get so many irrelevant hits" (Roblyer 2016, p.183). You can use this option to filter your results making it easier to find the information you are searching for.
Website Evaluation Video:
I plan on showing this video before doing any extensive research for a project. I believe this video does a good job in explaining the different types of websites and how their information may be biased based on the domain type.  

Favorite Websites:
  1. http://www.learner.org- Annenberg Learner
This website is beneficial because its “content is free from bias” (Roblyer 2016, p. 198). It has many helpful tools such as lesson plans that can help me as a new teacher.

  1. http://www.nea.org/- National Education Association
I think this website’s content is not only helpful but it is also extremely easy to navigate because “you can get to information  within three clicks” (Roblyer 2016, p. 198).

Online Safety and Security:
Privacy issues are a huge concern to me as a future educator. I believe many privacy issues stem from teachers and administrators making careless mistakes and releasing personal information about their students. I think in our day in age, it is easy to accidently post personal information. One example could be posting a picture to snapchat showing all the papers you have graded but in doing so accidently posted a child’s full name and grade they received. The book points out that “teachers should be careful not to identify students with last names, addresses and other personal information” (Roblyer 2016, p.175). I think it is important to be aware of how easy it is to make these errors in hopes of avoiding them.