Module 10

In Module 10, we got to do research on three different types of apps, one that an educator would use, one that you would use in your future profession, and one that you personally enjoy. I really liked this assignment because we got to focus on something that most of us are already familiar with, which is apps on our cell phones. The three apps that I chose to talk about were ClassDojo (which I have mentioned before), Epic!, and Amazon Kindle. ClassDojo is a neat little app that can help a teacher keep up with conversations with parents, the students behaviors, and more. The only negative thing that I can come up with for this app is that there is not a feature on the app to where the children can also use it. You never know though, this could be included in an update in the future. The second app I chose to research was Epic! This app allows unlimited access to thousand of children’s books to educators, parents, and children. The app allows for one month of free access, and then you are expected to pay $7.99 per month with an account. This seems like a lot at first, but I, personally, think its worth it, considering the price of individual books, and the fact that you have unlimited access to an unlimited amount of books. The downside to some people on this app is that you would have to pay a monthly fee after the first month of free access. The third app I chose is the Amazon Kindle app. I have been using this app for a long time now and part of the reason I like it so much is because I am so familiar with it. I mainly enjoy this app because I can keep all of my virtual books that I own on Amazon in one place that provides easy access. The downside to this for some people is that you have to have an Amazon account to be able to use this app. Also, even if you do have an Amazon account, you have to purchase the books just like any other book. This doesn’t bother me though because I often read book pretty regularly and I’m always up for paying a little less money for a virtual book rather than the actually price for a real book. 

Module 9

In module 9 we had to complete an interactive whiteboard lesson. To be able to complete the lesson, we had to learn how to use technological tools such as ActivInspire and SmartNotebook. I used the ActiveInspire software to complete my lesson, and I did my lesson over recognizing nouns and verbs as an overview for students in elementary school. The module was really fun and enjoyable and I liked learning it very much because I know I probably will have to know how to use it one day with wanting to become a teacher. Within the module for the lesson, I had to also use a technological tool that wasn’t part of the ActiveSoftware. I used ClassDojo. ClassDojo is a neat little tool that allows you, as a teacher, to be able to interact with the students and give them points, and prizes, and so on. I absolutely do expect to be using this tool in the future. I also used QuizEgg to be able to create a quiz for my lesson. The site was very easy to understand and it was very easy to use and create. The only thing I noticed is that it might not be very suitable for elementary students like I was hoping for. I really enjoyed this module because it focused a lot on what I want to be in the future!

Module 8

In Module 8 I was assigned to explore more technological tools and to create a Digital Story. My favorite technological tools were Pinterest, Wordle, and Flickr. I used these three tools within my Digital Story, and I completed my Digital Story on Equity vs. Equality since I want to become and elementary school teacher. Pinterest is good to use because it gives you a lot of ideas about anything that you admire. If you want ideas on how to decorate your classroom, or ideas on which lesson plan to use, you can always check Pinterest to see different things you can do, as long as you give credit of course. One thing I found that I didn’t like much about Pinterest is if I found something I liked, so I would click on the picture to be able to go to the website where it was pinned from, and sometimes, the pin doesn’t lead to a website, therefore I don’t receive the information I was looking for. The second technological tool I enjoyed using was Wordle. On Wordle, you can type in a lot of different words that you choose and when you are done, the Website jumbles all of those words together to make a really cool looking graphic. The down side to this for me is that it’s hard for me to focus on all of the words, because of the way they are jumbled together. The third tool that I used for my Digital Story is Flickr. Flickr has a lot of different photos on it. It would be good to find a different variety of pictures if you ever need any for the classroom. The downside to flickr is that I wouldn’t say its kid friendly when it comes to elementary. I say this because there’s a search engine and you never now what may pop up. I really enjoyed creating my Digital Story from Wideo, and I had a lot of fun making it!

Module 7

In Module 7, I learned about several technological tools that taught me about virtual learning. The three that I enjoyed most were Wix, TheBigBlueButton, and the Virtual Field Trip that we had to take. With the Wix website, you can make a website on your own, with amazing characteristics that it very easy to understand and navigate through. As a teacher, you can make friendly and age-appropriate website that your students can easily use when you please. One negative thing about the Wix website maker is that to be able to have certain things or to be able to remove the Wix watermark, you have to pay for a subscription. BigBluButton is another very cool website that can be used by teachers and students. BigBlueButton is a website that allows you and your students to be able to learn with each other virtually. I found on the internet that many people have issues with BigBlueButton being able to respect different time zones. Other than this issue, BigBlueButton seems like a very reliable website that would be extremely useful. The last technological tool that I absolutely loved is being able to create a Virtual Field Trip. I made my Virtual Field Trip on Microsoft Word Powerpoint. My Virtual Field Trip was done over The Hershey Company and Hershey, PA. I enjoyed every second of the research and being able to make the powerpoint! The only thing I see wrong with this idea is that it might not be “as fun” for students since it's not a “real” field trip. This shouldn’t matter though because it was literally so much fun!