Journal #7 PLN Reflection

Out of all PLN’s that we used I found out that you can find a lot of valuable information to use in a classroom setting. I enjoyed using Digg a lot for the reason that I was able to find tons of great historical sources. I found a few groups that were just littered with viable materials that would be very suitable for the classroom.  I would say that that I used the RSS feed just slightly less because I was unable to find as many good groups as I did with Digg.  The affinity group that I joined was called “modern technology” and it was a very interesting group that kept up with various technological breakthroughs, but it was nothing I would find as valuable in a class I would be teaching. I did look for history affinity groups, but it was VERY difficult to find them. I even looked on Twitter for a historical affinity group, but was still not able to find one that I found suitable.

The last of the PLN’s that I really used was Twitter. I am not a huge fan of Twitter, but I do see how it can be used in the classroom if handled correctly. Although my experiences with Twitter was more about “trending” topics you can still explore and have good content for modern/ current event assignments. These are the experiences that I have had with the PLN’s that we used for class. Lastly, I do believe most of these do have a space in the classroom, they just have to be utilized effectively.

Q1 Do you think PLN’s will change over time?

A1 Yes I believe that things like Social media will continue to progress, and in about 20 years from now we might have a different social media that will take over things such as Facebook or Twitter. These new websites or apps might be more beneficial in due time, and might even transition to a more educational mindset (maybe).

Q2 Do you think ALL PLN’s have a place for the classroom

A2 Although I would love to say yes, I can’t. I do not believe things such as Facebook or even Apps like snapchat or Instagram will lever find its way into the classroom. That would be just because I find it very difficult to manage these apps and websites. I feel that some PLN’s are very good opportunities, while some should just stay in the social media realm. 

Journal #6 Reflection

     Over the first 5 weeks of class I have learned many skills. For the most part I have been familiarized with both HTML and CSS. I believe that these skills are both the easiest AND hardest things that I have learned so far this quarter. This would be because now since I have a greater understanding of the system, there are still things that I struggle to understand. If I look at straight code, I do have a good sense on what is going on, but when I want to put those codes in action it is fairly difficult to just start coding by memory. Also, I believe the toughest project to come is going to be the website final. This is because it will require pretty much everything that we have earned this quarter to accomplish. Also, HTML is the hardest because it is very unforgiving when it comes down to it. You can have multiple lines of code entered in perfectly, but if you so much misspell or forget a comma or even a bracket, the whole process would not work. It is by far a very tedious and complex process. The most rewarding assignment that I have completed in the course would have to be the pimp my shoes assignment. This would be because it required so much of us to complete. It required us to make boxes, clickable options, and even to make sure it would be able to link to another website for confirmation that an application was successfully sent and accepted. Although this class has taught me many different things with CSS, HTML, and even Photoshop I have to say that the most rewarding and difficult thing that I have gone through is the HTML coding. Although for the reasons I have stated make it seem tough, I am very determined to learn as much as I can. 

Journal #5 Twitter

I believe that Twitter can be used as a very effective educational tool. As I spent about an hour getting used to it (I did not own a twitter account before this class) I started to see the potential that lies within the popular mobile app. I believe that the “moments” tab can be one of the most interesting. Although the “moments” tab is very random and not very educational in nature, it keeps up with trending topics. This could be good when it comes down to following current world events or news.

I was thinking that it could be very possible to assign students current event assignments that revolved around world situations or even important events happening. Also, I can see it as a way to have collaborative discussions between students. Since you are able to tweet AT people, it is expected that they will have the ability to have their own opinions on certain events or even topics. I do believe that it can have draw backs though as with other social media approaches. This would be because you would have to strictly monitor and administrate the questions and responses to make sure everyone is taking the assignment seriously. Other than that, I believe twitter can be used very effectively if done right!

Can twitter groups be controlled by an admin?

Yes you can create “lists” that allow you to control who can subscribe to certain tweeting groups or twitter accounts that you might be interested in making contact with.

Do you think that twitter can be used effectively?

Yes I do believe it can, especially with how often the students are on their phone (hours per day) I believe that if done well it might be even more effective than traditional homework strategies. 

Journal 4 Project Plan

Site Title: Origins of Ancient Rome

I picked this as the site title because I wanted to do something that I could hopefully incorporate into my future classroom. And I do love world history, specifically ancient world history so I decided it would be a fun project for not only me, but a fun site for future students as well.

Developer: Me

Rational: The overall goals of the site are to familiarize ancient Rome with my students by tapping into its origin stories. These stories will be things such as Romulus and Remus, also involving characters such as Aeneas. Through these creation stories the students will have a better understanding of how the Roman civilization was thought to have existed. This will actually be something that students will be required to know due to California State standards as well.

Main Features: The main Features of this site are going to be multiple pages with explanatory text. It will also have pictures and video as well that will link to YouTube videos that explain the story of these significant characters.

Content- The subtopics of this site will be

An intro page- This page will briefly talk about the rise of the Roman Empire and a little about their beliefs.

Romulus and Remus- This will talk about the story of Romulus and Remus and their creation story. How they were raised and their rivalry.

Aeneas- What was his take on the story of Roman creation, and who he was as an individual

Actual factual evidence on how the Romans Became a strong Empire- How the Alps helped them, military advancements, political advancements.

Targeted audience- The targeted audience will be 6-10 graders primarily

Design Goals- The Design goals are going to be primarily nice flush colors with maybe a ancient looking border around the website. Also including many visuals per page to keep the site interesting.

Limiting Factors- Mostly time, also relative skill on how to complete everything as I want them to be done.

Journal #3

Journal #3

Social Media in the Learning Setting: Opportunities and Challenges

Tara Coffin & Janice Fournier, UW-IT, Academic and Collaborative Applications

               

  Reflecting on this article was very interesting. Although I come from a new generation of teachers and most of us should be pretty tech savvy (that is because we grew up with the technology) I already had a big idea of how social media could be beneficial for education. As the article states, many students these days not only feel very comfortable with the idea of social media as an educational outlet, but are very professionals in a sense on these types of websites.

                Ideas such as digital office hours could be a great alternative to answer questions in a broad sense. I believe with this idea, you can post up questions and answers on a social media website and not only address that one students initial question, but be able to inform the rest of the class at the same time as well. Also the idea of a closed group on social Medias such as Facebook can give many students the opportunity to not only express opinions but scaffold ideas off of each other as well. This could ultimately help shape critical thinking activities.

Q1: Can using social media have its downsides as well?

A1: Yes, social media can also have its down sides. This is because sometimes closed groups can get out of control and you have to make sure it is strictly used in a professional manner. This is because is handled unprofessionally there could be some backlash from other teachers, parents, or administrators.

Q2: Is Facebook the only social media you can use?

A2: No, other social Medias can also be used such as twitter to post questions or answers! Any social media that allows you to engage and interact with students would be looked at as acceptable

Journal 2 Chapters 4-5

Journal# 2 Digg and Affinity Groups

This Week I signed up for a affinity group that is located on twitter.

https://twitter.com/tagtechorg?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

This affinity group is solely based on technology/ new technology that is currently being released or developed. It is fairly interesting because it allows you to look at videos, and even Q & A sessions that the group might be part of.  When I went to my Digg account I searched for a few things on World History (since I have a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science) and a ton of great things popped up. One of the most interesting things I found right off the bat inked me to a Tumblr. Post on different maps that showcased how Europe viewed Africa between the 1700-1800’s

http://ilovecharts.tumblr.com/post/32742769770/africa-mapped-how-europe-drew-a-continent

Although this is what I have found as the most interesting, there was still tons of material that caught my eye. Also I enjoyed how you can almost search for anything, and within specific topics as well. I believe that you can use this as school assignments as students for school projects as well. I do believe that Digg can be used as a very functional and effective website for both starting/ veteran teachers!

Q 1: Do affinity groups only exist on academic sites?

A1: NO, affinity groups can actually be found in many social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Q2:  Can Digg be used to look up multiple different topics?

A2: Yes, Digg can be used to look up many different topics that might span from education to non education materials! All you have to do is type in a topic in the search bar.

Journal 1 Blog Post Chapters 1-3

Journal #1 Robbin Chapter 1-3

Summary: Within these three chapters Robbins gives a very detailed breakdown on what is crucial when it comes to constructing or running a successful web page. He gives details on what types of jobs that are required, what type of hardware/ software that is suggested, and even what types of formatting from text to borders that can be used to add greater professionalism to the project.  Differences from defining the Web opposed to the Internet is used to make a connection to other important factors such as IP and DNS  and how they are used to make HTTP web addresses, and what are the components of HTTP web addresses.

Robins uses the first three chapters to cater to both advanced and beginning web developers. He lays out the bare bones of strategy, necessity, and experience gap.

Q1: Is Web design usually a solo job or a team effort?

A1: Web design can be looked at as both. Some people might be making web pages that are for very small companies or for personal use. Usually with these, it is not uncommon to see one person doing it all. On the other hand, for bigger corporate jobs it is not unusual to see big teams working on the same project. Some people have niches such as being very experienced with graphic design, while others might be better with HTML coding.

Q2:  Is Web surfing becoming more complex over time or staying stagnant?

A2: Web surfing is becoming far more complex as time goes on. This would be because as time progresses many different outlets are becoming available for Web surfing use. Things such as Mobile Phones, Tablets, PC’s, and even some refrigerators now have web browsing capabilities! As Technology progresses, the means of Web surfing will continue to broaden greatly.