Erika's Blog

As we reach the midpoint of the semester, we reflect on course websites and their efficiency in the classroom. Before taking this class, I was never exposed to the benefits that having a website could provide. The ability to keep students and parents updated on classroom events and material allows for a dependable method of communication. I personally would definitely invest in constructing a website for my classroom in the future. This is because it allows for a common place that all parties can resort to when needing to locate answers. When looking at our blogs, one can see that the set-up was nearly effortless. Despite having to learn yourself how to construct a course website, the benefits outweigh this time and should not be viewed as a trouble. Although I do believe that they are important, I also believe that it is equally important to put out a physical copy of a newsletter to those who do not have access to the internet. Catering to both groups allows for a successful classroo...

I decided to look at Mr. Diaz's teacher page from Franklin High School ( https://www.franklinboe.org/Page/12926 ). It appears he is a band teacher based off of his tabs on the page. These tabs include percussion ensemble, keyboard I/II, and band. The pages are filled with tons of information such as important dates and contact information for Mr. Diaz. When you click on the tabs, the assignments for those specific classrooms will be listed in case students forget! He also has links to google docs to register for certain events. I think this is a great idea to keep both students and parents in the know!  The digital divide creates a cyclical routine of failure between those who have access to technology and those who do not. Typically, students who have limited access to technology find themselves falling behind in the classroom due to lack of resources. When teachers assign work that is heavily dependent on information from the internet or directly on the internet, students are ...

Just like any basis of comparison, a standard is necessary to understand what it considered acceptable. Technological standards are especially important to ensure both educators and students are kept up to date on the latest programs and pieces of technology. I have previously discussed the importance of balancing traditional values of education with modern ones. This belief is particularly directed towards the younger generation. When observing the ELA standards, I chose the kindergarten grade to explore. I was pleased to find that there were very minimal standards to uphold. Some of these standards included becoming familiar with the Paint feature on Microsoft, as well as learning how to use the Smartboard and work collaboratively with other peers. Implementing this would be extremely easy if I chose to teach kindergarteners because I have used the Smartboard before when I was in grade school. I also used paint programs. I believe that the standards for this grade level are a good ba...

My experience with online learning started when I was just a freshman here at Florida State University. My first class was a computer fluency class know as CGS2060. Here I learned not only the applications that a computer consisted of, but also the mechanical parts such as the CPU, RAM, motherboard, and more. This course was on the LMS known as Canvas with a asynchronous style where we could complete modules in any order desired and discuss freely amongst our instructor and peers. Although I believe it is easier to meet with educators in person, I find that online classes allow for all the information to be available at the click of a button. If you fall behind, it is easy to catch up because you aren't missing out on the lecture component. There are many benefits to both in-class and online courses, it just depends on preference! OER's are known as pieces of work that are accessible to anyone, typically through online means. Because some pieces are protected under the copyri...

Microsoft Office can easily be considered one of the most renowned softwares used to construct documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and more! It's course of development has allowed us to both organize and format our thoughts and ideas by simpler means. One component of the MO program is known as Microsoft Word. Being a word processor, Word consists of many different features that construct documents of all sorts. Over the course of my education I have seen Word being used in many ways as both by us as students and by educators. Speaking for myself, I have used Word to write essays, organize schedules for my jobs, and journal. Educators on the other hand are more likely to use Word to construct exams and create outlines for lesson plans. Through the development of Word, another component known as Google Docs allows for documents to be shared between both parties while simultaneously being worked on. Because the program is multifunctional, it serves many purposes in assisting both...

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As previously discussed, technology is becoming more advanced and prominent in today's society. When observing our world, we see phones for person-to-person communication, computers for taking notes in the classroom, and so much more. It only makes sense that implementing technology in the classroom is a crucial must simply due to the fact that we now live in a technologically based world. With this, however, comes a lot of controversy. Some people believe that the dependency and early exposure to technology causes students to lose certain elements of socialization and mental processes. Although this holds true to an extent, we should aim to find a balance between utilizing technology and instilling traditional social and cognitive values before technology. Because many students use technology at home, it only makes sense to also use it in the classroom. We must remember that if we do not move forward with our innovations we could be playing a constant game of "catch-up...