Blog Journal #6

None of my teachers at my previous schools had websites, and I had a lot of trouble finding ones that were pertinent to my planned career path as a history teacher. However I did find one, Mr.R's Classroom. His website includes overviews of the class, different sections of their lectures, class syllabi, and grading breakdown. I think his website is nicely set up, it doesn't make my eyes hurt to view. It is from Baldwin High School and is for 9th and 10th grade. 

I'll probably have my own classroom website, because I love being organized and the less paper we use the better! I can't say for certain what types or amounts of technology I'll be able to use in my classroom, because I would prefer to work in a rural area and those areas are usually less funded and have less access to the types of technologies that more affluent schools would. 

The VR devices in the Tech Sandbox were so cool! They were also the one technology I could clearly see myself using in my classroom if I were given the opportunity. It would be a really cool way to let students experience areas of major historical significance, like the Colosseum or Tower of London. I'm sure there are programs that someone has/ or will made that will also enable people to do walkthroughs of major historical events/ places that are no longer accessible, such as the Titanic. 

ILP Participation - Leading With Emotional Intelligence

I watched a Lynda tutorial about emotional intelligence in the business world, but I felt like it was also really applicable for teachers. It was a five part course, and each section focused on different ways to be an effective leader and to utilize your emotional intelligence in the work setting.

You can access my voicethread here

Blog Journal #5

This class is my first exposure to Diigo, but it slightly reminds me of Pinterest. I don't really like Diigo, but that will probably change ever time as I develop more of a need and use for it. I think it could be more user friendly, and designed in a more pleasant way. The way it is structured is just a bit harsh to me, and is really industrial.

I was excited to know that we would be blogging in this class. I was actually considering making a personal blog recently, but was unsure about it. I really enjoy the structure around what we need to post, and I like that Ms. Ginny gives us an opportunity to be personal as well as complete the assignment. The only part I struggle with is when we have to comment in class, but that's more so because I just never know what to say, haha. Another thing I struggle with is the formatting though, it always comes out weird. 

Pinterest is a Web 2.0 tool I think I would use a lot while teaching. I think it could be considered a social bookmarking tool, like Diigo. I know a lot of teachers currently use Pinterest, also. I like it because you can sort different pages, that you "pin" to your personal account. It also allows you to view and follow others that have the same interests as you, but it's not a "social media" type exchange like on Facebook or Instagram, it's more of an idea exchange.

Blog Journal #4

My first experiences using twitter was doing my freshman year, when another student and I were running a "corn" appreciation twitter, for a project about Big Agriculture vs. small town farms. During the twitter for this class I have interacted with a few of my classmates, but I won't lie, I have trouble thinking of things to tweet out because I don't really like / use the platform in my personal life. Twitter could be helpful in my future career as an educator, but I'm not sure if it would even be relevant anymore by the time I become a teacher.

The digital divide not only affects academic success within schools, but it can also lead to personal feelings of negativity and the feeling of not being as good as others. It can lead into being unprepared for college, or the workforce, and can even develop into being inept on social media platforms. The digital divide is more than just an economic issue. It's also caused by the inaccessibility of Internet in rural areas, or older communities. As a teacher, I think I will be more aware of the digital divide within my walls, and be as accommodating as possible to those without reliable access to Internet off school grounds. Not a lot of history is done using technology though, so I'm confident my teaching and lessons won't suffer a student without that access. 

Some software I think would be good to introduce and implement into my classroom would be Photo shop, and Microsoft. I think not only could it advance students grasp of some concepts, but it will also be a good exercise in preparing them for college. For photoshop, a specific project they could do would be to design their own war propaganda posters, like the Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter ones. For Microsoft, I could easily assign any number of essays or powerpoints on multiple topics. I think it's important for teachers to lay groundwork that will help students build their skills in the future, and prepare them for the more advanced things they may encounter.