Comments:

For those looking to comment on my Final Reflection and my NET S Standard reflections, please comment on this post. Both documents can be found in on the side of the screen under "My Artifacts."

Thanks!

Kara Palmer

WELCOME!!!!!!!

Welcome to my Blogfolio. This blogfolio is comprised of a myriad of my writings throughout my time in the It365 course. This blog is designed to give the reader a helpful insight into what I have done throughout the semester, and to give the reader ideas to use in their classroom. Use the “Artifacts” listed on the side to quickly link to teaching tools I have designed, or scroll through the blog to read reflections of the text.
In order to properly reflect on the course, this blogfolio includes reflections on text readings, NET S standards for educators, and a collaboration of assignments throughout the course. The reflections on the text readings are excellent examples of my writing skills in addition to providing accurate evidence that all the reading was accomplished. Also, for those seeking information covered in the chapters, these reflections provide a quick yet thorough answers to specific questions covered in each chapter. The reflection of the NET S standards also give a brief depiction of the legal requirements for educators as they pertain to technology.
I hope you find this blog easy to navigate and helpful to use. It is my desire that you will benefit from all the work I have done. May your classroom be the strongest and best classroom you can create for your students.
Kara Palmer

Chapter 12

Reflect on ways to use the classroom website with students

Within recent years, teachers across the globe have benefited from using classroom websites. These websites serve as a connection between student and teachers in addition to teachers and parents.
Classroom websites benefit the student teacher relationship very distinct manners: they allow for access to homework assignments, class supply list, and class policies. A teacher saves both time and money- and trees for the possums- by posting homework assignments online. Also in so doing teachers rob the students of any and all excuses of ignorance of assignments! Also, students are fully aware of what they need to have for class and the behavior expected daily.
Classroom website are also and excellent way for parents to connect with the classroom. Through posting announcements of upcoming events and pictures of past classroom activities, teachers are able to keep parents up to par with their son’s or daughter’s education. Newsletters get stuffed into the darkest depths of the backpack never to see the sun again, and e-mails can easily get shuffled into the junk folder. By providing students and parents with a classroom website, teachers are able to better keep in contact with students and parents.
In the same manner, by allowing students to post to the website, teachers can receive feedback on activities and suggestions on improvements. Also, an honesty box could provide helpful insight to what changes for the better could be made. And who doesn’t like and encouraging word every now and again? Overall, classroom websites can benefit all those who choose to use it, be it a teacher, a student, or a parent.

Chapter 11

Reflect on the advantages of using web-based tools in your classroom to create
slideshows

Web-based tools have begun to revolutionize the classroom. Not only do they provide almost limitless resources, but also they are accessible to all students, enhance creativity, and are easy to collaborate with.
The Internet has almost every possible piece of information-fact or fiction- posted somewhere one it. With a few key words and a Google search bar, the possibilities are endless. Using a web-based tool to create a slideshow allows for easy access and easy transference for a myriad of learning enhancers: pictures, movies, games, and music. These allow students to have a more fun and interactive learning experience. In addition, it really spices up the traditional: “Now class, please turn in your books to page….”
Also, web-based tools, especially those pertaining to slideshows, greatly enhance creativity. Frequently the web-tool will allow for photo editing. A child’s mind can go crazy, the sky is the limit. They can fade, black/white, sepia, or comic book any picture. Not only are they messing around with the Internet and photographs, but also learning the benefits of texture and color.
Lastly, web-based tools allow for students to work with other students. Most students have access to the Internet, either at home or at school. Together they can all create an account and each individually work together to create an overall project. They can edit what has been added or add new material. This forces students to practice editing other peoples word and find things that are beneficial to the project. Working as a team, being creative as they possibly can, students can greatly benefit from using web-based tools especially those for slideshows.

Chapter 7 Reflection

Reflect on ways to integrate digital images into your classroom.

A picture is worth a thousand words: a phrase we are all far more than familiar with. This is extremely true within the realms of education. Pictures can allow students to experience countries they will never see, food they will never eat, and art they could never fathom.
Within the classroom, digital images are a fantastic tool. With ever increasing usage of power point, overhead projections, and even individual computer use, digital images are easily and cost-effectively displayed. One picture can be used within a power point in order to give the entire classroom a better look into what is being taught. For instance, if a classroom was working on identifying different types of sharks, displaying a power point with a digital image of each different species of shark would benefit the learning experience. Then, come test time, a student could be tested on matching picture to description so as to incorporate more sections of the brain in learning.
Digital images can also be used through the use of camera scavenger hunts, of web graphs, or even CD ROMs. Give a student a project to procure their own digital image. This will increase creativity in addition to a solid understanding of the subject being taught. Or, design a web graphs that would assist students in connecting abstract concepts or even creating food chains to demonstrate the complexity of the universe around us. Lastly, interactive CD-ROMs make learning more fun and visually appealing. As you can see, digital images can greatly enhance learning in and out of the classroom.

Chapter 5 Reflections

Identify Web 2.0 Tools and how they can be used in the classroom.


As technology revolutionizes the classroom today, Web tools have become a vital asset to this revolution. Web tools take the Internet and transform it into a form that is easily applicable to students. Web tools allow students to expound their creativity in addition to collaborating ideas with other students such as a Wiki. Web tools also allow for teachers and educators to provide students with a myriad of study tools such as podcasts.
Wikis are a website that allows for multiple peoples to add and edit to its content. Students find wikis incredibly helpful while working on a class project. Instead of trying to find a time that the group can all meet, students can just post their work to the wiki. At a time convenient for the other students fin the group. Because anyone and everyone is allowed to edit a Wiki, Wiki sources are not always reliable. Even though one might think he or she knows everything in the world, they may not. Wiki sources are not to be cited on official research projects.
Perhaps one the most beneficial sources Web tools provide for students is the podcast. Podcast allow educators to record lectures or other audio files and post them so that students can access them later. This is really handy if a student is ill one day and happens to miss a lecture, or is studying for a test and would like to review in-class lectures to help prepare. Also, podcasts enhance the learning experience for students who are audio and not visual learners.
As one can see, Web Tools 2.0 have great application in the classroom. From Wikis to podcasts, students and teachers alike benefit from web tools.

Chapter 8 Reflections:

How Concept Mapping Helps Special Learners

Not all students learn best from straightforward reading of a book. Not all students learn best from sitting still and listening. The discrepancy between a teacher’s teaching style and a students learning style can cause a student to perform poorly. Thought this applies to the traditional classroom as well, this problem is especially prevalent with special learners. Concept Maps can make learning easier for these students through weeding out extraneous reading and intergrading interactive learning techniques.
Some students have an easier time reasoning out what they need to focus on for an upcoming test. However, many times, students with special needs struggle with what to study and what to cut out. Concept Mapping helps make this process much simpler. Concept mapping mainly focuses on the biggest points, already weeding out unnecessary information. Not only does this make the information more organized for the educator, but it also gives students a more direct approach to new material. Experimental evidence supports the claim that concept mapping helps students with special needs understand and learn information better.
Not only do concept maps thin information presented, they also allow for quick access to interactive learning. Students positively respond to video and other Internet sources. Concept Mapping allows a teacher to integrate quick links to videos and photo’s online to enhance the learning experience. This variation of the mundane lecture will hold students attention and hopefully allow the teacher to more thoroughly cover a deeper variety of subjects!

Chapter 3 Reflections:

Characteristics and Function of Software Types

To categorize all software as being the same would be as preposterous as claiming that all vertebrates look, act, and are the same. Simply false. Software can be divided into specific type: operating systems, application, Internet, and assistive.

Operating systems are the brain of your computer. Traditionally they are either one of the following: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. The common way to depict them is ask “Do you have a Mac or PC?” From the answer of this question you have the type of operating system your computer is working on. The operating system will decipher the type of application software available to you. Application programs would be your word processing, database, spreadsheet, paint, graphics, or multimedia programs. For instance, the traditional Microsoft Work will not work if you have a Mac OS X operating system, instead you need to purchase the word processing for your Mac.

Perhaps of the most used software programs would be your Interent. These programs would encompass you email and browser. Do you use Explorer? Firefox? Safari? Most Internet software programs are free! Along with Brower software, Internet also includes your media players or plug-ins. Without these you would not be able to see your beloved YouTube!

The last software type I will reflect on is assistive software. Assistive software is especially crucial in the realm of education due to the programs available for grading, task generating, instructional games, and simulation programs. All these types of assistive software are beyond beneficial to the educator in today’s society.

Chapter 2 Reflections:

Methods for adapting and using computers for special learners

As we discovered in the Chapter 1 Reflection, computers have become a vital part of learning for those children with special needs. Almost every part of the computer can be adapted to work for any special needs, from the monitor to the mouse!

Some of the most unique adaptations are those for people with poor to no eyesight. Monitors can be made to magnify what is on the screen, or a magnifier can be placed over the top. Keyboards can be adapted to have Braille symbols on them instead of the traditional lettering. In some situations, speech output software can be installed. Using this program, everything on the screen is read out loud to the controller. One can see how using these tools could greatly impact the education of a student with visual impairments for the better.

The keyboard and the mouse play a vital role in inputting data into the computer; therefore, they have cleverly adapted to aid those students with special need with data input. Keyboards may be color coded instead of lettered. Special protective sheets may be placed over the keyboard to protect from spills or other damage. The keyboard may be adapted so that one can strike with a wand or stick instead of fingers. In the same manner, a mouse may be a joystick so that its base remains stable. Or in fact the mouse may have a stable base with an exposed ball that can be rotated to control the cursor. Either way, by making the base of the mouse more stable one can assume better control of the cursor.

Previously mentioned methods of adapting computers to fit those with special needs barely scratches the surface. Technology has taken special education to an entirely new level. As technology continues to advance, I cannot wait to see what changes it will bring next for special needs learners.

Chapter 1 Reflection:

How technology helps special learners

As an educator, one comes in contact with a myriad of individuals. Some come from English speaking backgrounds, some do not. Some come from wealthy families, some do not. Some have full physical capabilities, some do not. Each child however, is full of equal potential.

In recent years, the implementing of technology in the school system has greatly benefited many children with special needs. There is legal legislation promoting the use of assistive technology or AT within the classroom. AT is any technological mechanism that helps a person. ATs can be implanted surgically or purchased on the shelf of you nearest retailer. Many are affordable to students, and they pay off for investing in many programs is remarkable.

In order to benefit widest span of individuals, the market is pushing for educators to own and operate AT devices so that one device might benefit more that one student. This change in distribution of product has been pushed especially forcefully for AT that will benefit children with milder disabilities such as ADD or ADHD. Those students with severe physical handicaps still benefit the most from individualized software and personalized systems. Therefore, one can see that if the educators are the ones being marketed for most AT in classrooms, training in AT is imperative!

I have personally witnessed all the unique things that technology can do for those students with disabilities. From voice recording systems, to Braille keyboards, to interactive computer learning games, technology is a great classroom tool.

NETS-T standards

Below are listed the National standards for teachers as pertaining to technology:

1. Visionary Leadership. Educational Administrators inspire and lead development and implementation of a shared vision
for comprehensive integration of technology to promote excellence and support transformation throughout the organization.

2. Digital-Age Learning Culture. Educational Administrators create, promote, and sustain a dynamic, digital-age
learning culture that provides a rigorous, relevant, and engaging education for all students.

3. Excellence in Professional Practice. Educational Administrators promote an environment of professional learning
and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources.

4. Systemic Improvement. Educational Administrators provide digital-age leadership and management to continuously
improve the organization through the effective use of information and technology resources.

5. Digital Citizenship. Educational Administrators model and facilitate understanding of social, ethical, and legal issues and
responsibilities related to an evolving digital culture.

http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS

Welcome to my Blog!

Hello all!

My name is Kara Palmer, and I am a sophomore here at the University of Southern Mississippi! I am currently studying Exercise Science with the ambition to continue on to occupational therapy school. I would like to establish my own personal practice assisting special needs children with basic occupational functions.
Both in the classroom and in the workplace, technology is a vital part of today's society. Throughout my education I have been using technology for presentations and papers. I feel comfortable with technology and the student; however I am a little overwhelmed in the role that technology plays in the the job market. The importance of having and online portfolio is stressful, but I am confident that through this class I will create a strong online resume.