#17 - Final Blogfolio

 1. Introduction Video

 

Standards Linked to this Assignment:

2a - Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 

This standard fits this assignment because we were taught to incorporate a digital tool, video recording, to something simple like an introduction and turn it into a creative opportunity for learning. 

Assignment Reflection:

During this assignment I learned that posting a video recording of myself wasn't quite as scary as I thought it would be. When I first started this assignment I wasn't looking forward to it at all. I've never been one to that outgoing or like people looking at me, but I knew I needed to work on that if I'm going to be a teacher. So, I sucked it up and found out that it wasn't quite so bad. I think an assignment like this is good for students who may be shy in front of a classroom, but feel more comfortable with technology. I would integrate this into my class by possibly having them give oral presentations using video instead of doing a presentation at the front of the class, then the class could watch the presentations on the smart board projectors. 

2. Concept Map

Standards Linked to this Assignment:
1b - Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. 
3c - communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. 
These standards fit this assignment because I used real world issues, Natural Disasters, and taught it in a new, digitally fun format. The second standard fits because I was able to communicate the information about Natural Disasters to the students using digital aged formats.
Assignment Reflection: In this assignment I learned how to make a concept map in the program Inspiration. It was a little confusing at first, but after a while of practicing it became easier. The main problem I had with this assignment was how detailed my topic was and how hard it was to lay out the topics in a clean and organized manner. It took a while to organize and to look decent, but I finally got it down. The other problem I had was in posting the graphic organizer part to the blog. It wouldn't format correctly, but I fixed it by typing out most of the layout myself. In order to integrate this into my own classroom I would use it to teach topics in a fun and participatory way, but I think I would go with the Prezi program instead. It is more crisp and easier to organize for me.

3. Website 

Standards Linked to this Assignment:

3c - communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. 

4c - promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information. 

These standards go well with this assignment because it provides information for both the students and the parents on what is going on in the classroom that month. 

Assignment Reflection: 

I liked this assignment overall. I had never made a website before and thought this would be a good thing to learn so that one day I'd be able to make one of my own for my classroom. I wasn't sure where to start so I had to Google examples of things to say as a teacher to parents. I had only a few problems choosing a layout and finding appropriate wordings of things, but I fixed the layout by playing around with the website and the examples I found on other teacher websites helped out a lot. In order to integrate this into my classroom, I would make sure the website was updated regularly and I kept the classroom calender filled with details for the parents. I would also make sure to add extra copies of the homework assignments or any other assignments that the parents might need. 

4. Window's Movie Maker

Standards Linked to this Assignment:

1a - promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. 

2a - design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 

This assignment goes with the mentioned standards because it was all about creativity in the story telling process. We were given a goal, but were also given free range on what we could do our stories on. This process allowed us to learn about digital tools and technology but in a way that still allowed us to play with our creativity. 

Assignment Reflection:

I really enjoyed this assignment. I've always liked being able to use creativity with free range and making a story movie was a lot of fun. I knew my laptop had Window's Movie Maker, but I never knew how to use it. It was a pretty easy project, but I did have difficulty getting the pictures to show up after saving the movie as a project and trying to reopen it in the Lab. It was easily fixed though when I figured out how to resubmit them to the projects. This assignment could be integrated into the classroom easily. Students can make a book trailer about a book they've read in the classroom, or they could make their own story books using a camera and putting them into the movie maker. I think students would really enjoy this. 

5. TurnItIn Assignments

Standards Linked to this Assignment 

1b - engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. 
4a - advocate, model, and teach safe, legal and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
These standards fit this assignment because this assignment was all about plagiarism. Plagiarism is a real issue and Turn-it in addresses this problem using digital resources. This assignment also addresses the ethical use of information and technology. It also addresses the appropriate use of sources.
Assignment Reflection:   
I was familiar with TurnItIn before this assignment. I had to use this program at my community college for both Comp 1 and Comp 2. However, I had not purposefully plagiarized before and I felt really awkward and guilty being assigned a project that required me to plagiarize. I had a few issues with the TurnItIn. The first was I copied and pasted from 5 different sources but couldn't get above 86% on the similarity, even after resubmitting it with another plagiarized source. My revised submission was no problem at all. I always got 2% or lower in Comp 1 and Comp 2 so I wasn't really worried about that part at all. I think in order to incorporate this into my classroom, I'd need to use it on older students. Maybe 5th or 6th grade because they have grasped a better concept on ways to not plagiarize and the moral compass of the situation. You could show this to younger children but I'm not sure if the program would address a 3rd graders attempt on avoiding plagiarism.

6. Webtools

Standards Linked to this Assignment:
2b - develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own education goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. 
2c - customize and personalize learning activities to address student's diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. 
3a - demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
These standards fit this assignment because this assignment was all about finding new and fun/informative ways to teach and assess students. Trackstar allowed the students to use different technological resources to learn and assess, Big Bus Testmaker gives a digital form of a small test, and Rubistar allows the teacher to make a rubric easy in no time using technology.
Assignment Reflection:
During this assignment I learned a handful of things about how easy things can be thanks to technology. I especially liked the rubric maker. I had to make my own rubric recently in another class, using word. I wish I had known about Rubistar before I used Word because Rubistar was about 100x easier. The only issues I had with this assignment was with the links. I forgot the 4 in the Rubistar and Trackstar links and I got sent to 2 random websites that had nothing to do with teaching. Putting the 4 in the link fixed that though. Incorporating this into my own classroom would be easy. I'm not so sure I'd use the testmaker because I didn't really like it too much, but rubistar would be helpful for assessing students and trackstar is extremely useful for the computer area and giving the students a fun way to learn without them going to random websites.

7. Google Groups & Google Docs 

Standards Linked with this Assignment: 
1a - promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. 
1c - promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. 
1d - model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleaugues and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. 
3c - communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
5b - exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others. 
These standards fit because all the different things we did with Google (questions, story, and slide show) have everything to do with creative thinking and inventiveness. The questions promoted reflection and assessment purposes, the story allowed us to be creative while using a new technology and the slide show allowed us to use a new technology while assessing our knowledge and research.
Assignment Reflection: 
This assignment was a little confusing at times. The questions were easy to figure out how to do in Google groups and the story was easy to figure out in Google Docs, but I was a little confused on the Slide Show portion. I had to ask a group-mate for more detail on the assignment but we figured it out together. I actually ended up using the Google Docs at another time during the same week because it came in so handy after I figured out how to use it. I think I would incorporate this into my class for group assignments at the computer zone. Students could easily work on the same paper at the same time for group research projects or use the slideshow option to work together too.

OVERALL COURSE REFLECTION:

To be honest, at first, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to learn in this class because I considered myself pretty tech-savvy. However, after going through the whole semester, I can honestly say that I learned quite a bit that I didn't know how to do, brand new technologies I didn't know you could use in your classroom, new rules and standards to incorporate in the classroom and things that children need to be aware of when growing up in a technological generation. 

One of my favorite assignments was the Movie Maker one. I really enjoyed adding pictures to music and making a movie story to go with it. It may have been because I could use it to tell a cute, cheesy and sappy love story, but I never knew how to do that before. Now, I can make movies with pictures for all the people I care about. I could even make one to go with my classroom for projects, parties, etc and share it on the classroom website. 

Overall, I had fun in this class. I can honestly say that I have things to take away from this class and the experience. I know have many different skills and abilities, I didn't have before, that I can take with me to my career and pass down to my students. I'm looking forward to incorporating all I've learned into my future.

#16 - Safe Practices for Life Online. 13 Q&A.

Questions 1 - 6 : Peyton Griggs
Questions 7-8: Jon'Marie Baucum
Question 9: Lauryn Heneghan
Questions 10 - 13 : Lindsay Fuller

1. Name 3 Social Media Sites

Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat

2. Name the Consequences

If students threaten a faculty member, the school, fellow students, or administrators online, they will be arrested. For example, in Beaverton, Oregon, two students were arrested for threatening the school with a shooting on Twitter. In another example, a high school senior tweeted about something explicit that happened between himself and a high school teacher.

3. Define: 

Sexting - Sending suggestive, sexual, explicit messages or pictures via text messages or social media. ("Let's settle this once and for all: what exactly is sexting?" by sam biddle, 7/22/2011, Gizmodo)
Cramming - Try to learn a lot right before an exam.
Cookies - It is a small piece of information about your computer that web browsers use when visiting certain websites that allow you to access certain pages.
Trojan Horse - Virus on your computer that tricks your computer into believing that it is fighting viruses but actually fills your computer with viruses.
Phishing - Getting financial information from people online and claiming that it is a legitimate business.
Spyware - Software that allows a computer user to get information about another user's activity secretly.
Rootkit - Software that allows a user that is unauthorized to gain control of a computer undetected.
Zombie - A computer that has been compromised by a hacker, virus, or a Trojan Horse.

4. Why are these screen names poor choices? (Trashmouth, IHaveOnePairPants, BoogerDude, Pig)

These screen names are poor choices because they are degrading to the user and are immature and unprofessional.

5. Why might someone harass those with these screen names? (InYoFace, Badboy2U, Lookin4Luv, IMAHottie, FatMama, suPaFlirt)

Those screen names are degrading and inappropriate and can draw undesired attention to the user that chose the name.

6. What info is being revealed through the following screen names? (Tom_Evans34, Missy-13, AndyKarateKid, ViolinGurl, restlinmatch)

When you use a screen name that gives out information about your interests, full name, age, or location, you are risking someone taking advantage of that information.

7. Good and bad choices of screen names. Write whether you think these are good choices or poor choices and why.

i8sushi2  I think this is bad because this does not seem like it would be very professional

Soccerstar  This one does not seem like it is very professional but I think it is still ok for younger people who are not looking for a profession at the time.

Puppygirl1234  This one seems ok for little children but not for adults or teenagers.

KeKe1995  I think this one is fine. There is nothing offensive or out of line. It is just her name and probably date of birth.

Bookworm  This one has nothing bad, but again, it would not be a very good one for someone looking to be taken seriously.

2BorNot2b This one is not good at all. It is not professional

Choco-holic This one would be ok for children I guess. It still doesn't put off a good image in my opinion

CapitlOfens I don't even know what this says so that is frustrating. I feel like whether you are a child, teenager, or adult you need to have a screen name that can be understood!

AmrcanIdol2 This one seems ok for younger children and teenagers but it might need to be changed if this person is looking for a job it needs to be changed.

BellaIsabella If this is this girls actually name then this is ok for all ages.

DarkAngel666 This one is a very bad one to use because it can be very offensive to people who are big into religion

Karla-Love-1996 This one is ok for anyone and it depends on the profession if it's ok. It isn't offensive or bad but it might not be as professional as some people may like

SimpyMe I don't know if this is a name or suppose to say simply so I'm confused. So it may not be a good one to use because it might confuse other people.

gUn4hiRe I dont think this one should be used as an adult because it is not professional

BabyfaceLA this one is ok for teenagers, but once this person is in there 20s it needs to go.

Watup? This one is ok for younger people but the horrible grammar will definitely turn off potential employers.

8.Create three different screen names that you think will met all of the following guidelines:

Unlikely to attract negative attention

Free of bad language

Don't reveal too much personal information

Don't reveal a real name, age, or gender

SouthernMiss15

USMprofessor

USMgoldeneagle

9. How likely is it that a password can be cracked? 

My current password has a score of eight based on these questions. It is important to access your password based on these and similar criteria in order to protect yourself from internet predators and hackers. Passwords should not use common or easy to figure out information because it would be too easy to crack and make the user vulnerable to hackers.

10. Most & Least common reason students' online accounts are broken into each year:

MOST: Others who know personal things about the student guess the password.
LEAST: A password cracking program is used to crack their password.

11. Malware Analysis: Drive-By Download Thoughts and Summary:

The video, while super cheesy, was actually informative. The man in the video is logging into an infected website with his own computer to show just how quickly your computer can get infected. He also is showing how sneaky and dangerous these websites are. He begins explaining exactly what is going on with the computer and what the program is doing. "Some attacks tip you off by crashing stuff, other times it does nothing, then shows itself later." The website he went to, specifically, was loading the site normally, but when he minimized his screen he showed what was really going on. His computer's desktop changed to a message claiming that he has a spyware infection on his laptop. In his tray there is a new icon also saying, "Your computer is infected. Windows has detected spyware infection!" He clicks the popup icon and a program pops up that he never installed claiming to be a virus scanner.
Other visual cues that a drive-by has hit your machine:

• Unusual apps in your program bar
• Your web browser's homepage changed
• Unfamiliar toolbar appears in your web browser
• Your browser has new bookmarks that you didn't make
• Pop-up windows display ads
• Unusual files in different directories on your computer

After he infects his computer he showed the viewers several different applications and spywares the Malware added then explains how you can prevent this from happening to your own computer. Such as:

• Keep up with patches - Malware uses tricks to get around old patches
• Harden your web browser - keep the web setting at the highest security setting
• Block dangerous file types at your firebox - http & https proxies (inbound and outbound)
• Use antivirus and anti-spyware software - keep it up to date

Watching this video made me a little paranoid about my own anti-virus scanner not working so I updated it right after. I knew how important it was to have a virus scanner and how bad malware and spyware can be, but seeing just how many programs can be installed on your computer in just one click, really puts it into perspective.

12. 3 Tests to Stay Safe Online 8 Tests

1. Is your computer protected?
   For this quiz I was at a low risk for being unprotected. The 2 questions that made the bar go up were "Do you have a wireless computer" "yes" and "Do you back up your files on a regular basis?" "no".
2. Are you protecting your identity?
   I was at a medium/low risk for this quiz. I got this score because I don't check my bank statement monthly. I know I have no money, so I don't bother checking. I should check anyway. I don't run a regular credit check on myself, annually, like you're supposed to do. I've done it maybe once before. I'm also really bad about not checking for HTTPS before I make any online purchases. 
3. Are you an unwitting accomplice in crime?
   I was once again at a medium/low risk on this quiz. I play a lot of online video games so many of these questions seemed to go against me asking about people I met online. 

13. False Sales Advertisements Lead to Financial Loss in Excess of $20 Million - A Summary

"From June 2009 to June 2014 the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 6800 complaints regarding criminals targeting online consumers by posting false advertisements for high priced items such as automobiles, boats, heavy equipment, recreational vehicles, lawn mowers, tractors, and other similar items. These complaints total more than $20 million in reported losses."

According to the article, criminals post false advertisements that put an item up for sale with a fake photo to entice the buyer even more. The criminal also uses a phone number or email, then the consumer calls or emails the criminal to buy the item. After the consumer gives the criminal their email, the criminal sends them pictures about the item they're supposedly selling and ensures the consumer's purchase will be safe and secure by using Ebay. However, it's not really Ebay. The criminal sends a false Ebay confirmation email that includes the fraudulent transaction number and expected delivery date of the item. 

If the consumer tries to call about their item, the calls are ignored or the line is "busy". Because of this, the consumer never receives their item and they lose whatever amount of money they paid the criminal. The article gives these tips to avoid this happening to others:

• Use search engines or other websites to research the advertised item or person/company selling the item.
• Search the Internet for any negative feedback or reviews on the seller, their e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or other searchable identifiers.
• Research the company policies before completing a transaction. For example, ensure the seller accepts payments via credit card as Ebay does not conduct wire transfers and only uses PayPal to conduct transactions.
• Be cautious when responding to advertisements and special offers.
• Be cautious when dealing with persons/companies from outside the country.
• Maintain records for all online transactions.

Lastly, they suggest that if you suspect you have become a victim of an internet-related crime to report and file a complain with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

#15 - Webtools

1. RubiStar

Story Telling : A Chair for My Mother Teacher Name: Ms. fuller Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Accuracy of Retelling A Story	The storyteller includes all major points and several details of the story s/he is retelling.	The storyteller includes all major points and 1-2 details of the story s/he is retelling.	The storyteller includes all major points of the story s/he is retelling.	The storyteller forgets major points of the story s/he is retelling.
Characters	The student is able to name the main characters in the story. (The unnamed girl, the mother, the grandmother, Aunt Ida, Uncle Sandy, and Josephine (the mother's boss)).	The student is able to name some of the main characters in the story, including the girl, the mother, grandmother, Aunt Ida and Uncle Sandy but not Josephine.	The student is able to name the girl, her mother and grandmother but not Josephine, Uncle Sandy or Aunt Ida.	The student is able to name the girl and her mother but not the grandmother, Josephine, uncle sandy or aunt Ida.
Setting	Lots of vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story takes place.	Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story takes place.	The audience can figure out when and where the story took place, but there isn\'t much detail (e.g., once upon a time in a land far, far away).	The audience has trouble telling when and where the story takes place.
Problem	It is very easy for the audience to understand what problem the main character(s) face and why it is a problem.	It is fairly easy for the audience to understand what problem the main character(s) face and why it is a problem.	It is fairly easy for the audience to understand what problem the main character(s) face and but it is not clear why it is a problem.	It is not clear what problem the main character(s) face.
Solution to Problem in Story	The solution to the problem is easy-to-understand and is logical. There are no loose ends.	The solution to the problem is easy-to-understand and is somewhat logical.	The solution to the problem was a little hard to understand.	No solution was attempted or it was impossible to understand.

2. Big Bus Testmaker

3. Trackstar

Track #456841

#14 - Creating Tech-Friendly Classroom Management Strategies

Strategy One: Do Your Homework

Make the lesson plan integrate technology. Such as, the internet snowman and writing a short story about their snowman using a power point template. You  need to make sure the computers in your classroom have the software to be able to support your lesson plan. You also need to make the websites you're using easy for your students to find by bookmarking them.

Strategy Two: Identify Learning Goals

You have to tell the students what they'll be learning, and what you expect them to learn from it. The two examples the article gave are: 

Example Goal 1: “After working with snowman shapes online, you’ll be able to describe the difference between an oval and a circle to a friend.” This statement reflects a goal that specifically relates to basic geometry.

Example Goal 2: “Before class is over, you will be able to identify and write down three details about your snowman.” This statement reflects a writing goal.

According to the article, telling the students what they're going to learn and what they can expect increases focus and keeps them on task. 

Strategy Three: Step Away from the Computer

If you sense your students becoming restless or agitated you need to pull them out of the technology and into good old fashioned auditory/listening/face to face learning. There needs to be a balance of all learning styles. 

Strategy Four: Capitalize on Their Desire to Explore

There comes a point when you need to let go and allow your students time to explore the technology themselves. People don't learn everything there is to know about technology in a technology classroom. Often times it's through person exploration. "When students are given the freedom to explore technology, many are naturally motivated to pay attention."

#13 - "Why so many kids can't sit still in school today"

Summary

More and more children are having a hard time sitting still in class. Not only are the children with ADHD suffering, but the other children as well. Students are being forced to sit still in classrooms and if they wiggle, fidget, or need to move they get in trouble. Students as young as kindergarten age are being forced to sit quietly for 30 minutes at a time. As a result their physical and balancing is all messed up because they need so much time to move around for their skills to develop.

How I plan to deal with this issue

When students begin to fidget and wiggle around, the problem lies with the teacher not recognizing the fact that kids need to move to get all that energy out so they can focus. I am quite fidgety in class. I've had this problem since childhood. Although, now I can't just get up and move during class. I've recognized that it is unacceptable behavior as I got older. Now I just play with my pencil, wiggle my feet, fidget with my binder, etc. However, this is still keeping me from paying my full attention to the teacher. There are several different things on pinterest I found to help keep fidgety students occupied. One was to attach a nut and twist to each pencil to allow the children who tend to be a distraction to mess with the pencil rather than cause a disturbance in the classroom. 

Also, I remember certain teachers allowing us to take a 5-10 minute break throughout the day to stretch and walk around the room before we started on the next lesson. This allowed students to break away from the sleepy haze that so many students, including myself, tend to get. 

#12 - Must Watch Videos on 21st Education

1. Classroom of Tomorrow

This video showed a lot of options for technology in the classroom or school setting. However, all it showed was students and teachers with their faces stuck to screens. There was hardly anyone doing any kind of personable interactions. While technology is an important and a nice addition to the classroom, I do not believe it should replace face-to-face classroom interactions. 

2. The Voice of an Active Learner - Education from a Digital Native's Perspective

This video encourages adults and teachers alike to keep up with the students of today and tomorrow. They are going to grow up in the age of technology. I agree that it is important for us to keep up in order to keep them challenged. However, the fact that the video said by 2019 it is projected to have about half of high school classrooms online...that doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I feel like by having high schoolers take most of their courses online, it's setting them up for unnecessary distractions, lack of face-to-face help when they need it, and just not doing the work. 

3. The Future Starts Now - 2012 Edition

This video was extremely well done. It had many valid points as to why we need to integrate and stay up to date with our technology in the schools. Technology does have a way of keeping people interested. I liked that the narrator mentioned using technology to help people better understand harder subjects via fun rather than cram sessions. I believe that technology could be so much fun if it's used in the right way. Interactive technology, like the kind the Narrator is speaking of, would be extremely useful both today and tomorrow. 

4. Designing Schools for 21st Century Learning

Stimulus rich environments improve learning. Research shows that if you don't have enough stimulus you're setting yourself up for failure. Your brain likes things that keeps it's interest and keeps oxygen pumping through. This video is about building new schools in at risk neighborhoods. The environment for a student is crucial. I like the ideas about the open classroom settings but for me, it would be extremely distracting. I could see how it would be useful for group work but for basic classroom instruction or initial teaching, I don't see it as a good idea. The architect believes that you should have floor to ceiling windows to feel connected, but this is not very feasible for the ADHD students. The students who get easily distracted by the slightest thing will be staring out those windows more often than not, unless there is enough going on in the classroom to keep them engaged. However, I do like the interactive atmosphere of their classroom settings and how close the students and teachers seem to be. The teachers in this environment seem genuinely interested in their student's success. 21st century learners need a different set of skills for sure.

5. Tools and Resources for the 21st Century Educator

This video was a little odd. It was just music with a lot of apps being posted around for the 21st century educator. I felt as though this was a waste of 3 minutes because I could read a list of these apps with the description of what they do exactly rather than see the name, "Storify" and wonder what on earth it does. While it was a nicely animated video, I don't think it was the best possible resource they could have used to get their point across. 

6. A Vision of 21st Century Teachers

This video was about teachers integrating technology in the classroom, what it does to help their students, and how much time they spend integrating the technology. One teacher said she spends 4 hours a week maintaining a classroom website, another said she spends 20 hours a week working on interactive whiteboard lessons. Several teachers said their students participate in blogs and actually talk, including the shy ones. They make blogs, music, movies about what they learn, capture pictures of real life math situations, etc. Technology in the classroom in combination with face-to-face instruction is extremely helpful in keeping the kids interested in what they're learning. 

#11 - A Long Distance Love Story