ED271 Story Book (Professional Proficient Presentation)

This presentation encompasses various technology tools that I learned in this class such as Joomag, Pixton, and GarageBand. In addition, I used QuickTime Player to record the screen and edited the video on iMovie. 

I hope you enjoy!

Assessment on 8 Technology Tools

Purcell et al. (2013) state, “A survey of 2,462 Advanced Placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) teachers finds that digital technologies have helped them in teaching their middle school and high school students in many ways.” Because educators should embrace 21^st century learning, it is important to discover and evaluate technology tools that could be incorporated into the classroom. I would be assessing eight technology tools based on my personal experience.

Rating Scale: 
1 - Do not use! 
2 - Not recommended
3 - Neutral 
4 - Somewhat recommended 
5 - Highly recommended

1.     MOODLE

As a college student, I favor MOODLE, because it is a useful resource. It has features such as calendar to remind what assignments are due and specific breakdown of the grades. I am able to obtain brief description of the weekly lesson depending on the professor. If the professors provide materials or resources for the students, they have the option of exploring and even downloading it. It also helps maintain communication with the professors, which I believe is more effective than obtaining individual email like some professors do. When submitting assignments, MOODLE will send a confirmation email. In the past, I have experienced problems regarding communication and submission, because they never received my email. MOODLE is more reliable, but it has its flaws. At first, MOODLE was difficult to use and it has its glitch. Also it lacks creativity, because it does not give much option to modify settings.

    2.     Firefox 

Michael Muchmore (2014) states “Firefox remains a favorite among the browsing cognoscenti for its leading customization possibilities, attractive design, and open-source provenance.” I started using Firefox for ED-271 class, but I am not crazy about it. I do like the simplicity of Firefox. It is also safe and customizable, but from personal experience, it is slow. I downloaded Firefox on my MacBook Pro to test it, but it takes a while for a page to load in comparison to other browsers such as Safari and Chrome.

    3.     LiveBinders

I believe LiveBinders is a great resource for both students and professionals to reference from based on other’s experiences and opinions. LiveBinders is user friendly and auto saves frequently. When I made my account, I did not have any difficulty making and editing my binder. I am able to insert videos and websites, so viewers can see without having to click on the link. One downfall would be that not all websites and resources could be presented. LiveBinders is meant to simply display the URL or HTML that is inserted. LiveBinders can resize an image that was inserted, but other than that there is no feature to edit images or do voice over. User would have to utilize other technology tools to create videos and avatars.

    4.     Googleapps 

Google apps have various features that attract variety of people. Google apps include YouTube and BlogSpot, which are popular to many young people. I thought Google was simply just a search engine, but as I began to explore it features, I was dumbfounded. Google drive allows the user to save important files online such as spreadsheets, documents, and PowerPoint. Users can share the file to anyone who has an email account even from different providers. But only a Gmail user can edit the files upon creator’s approval. As a college student, Google drive has helped group members to work effectively together at the same time without having to physically meet. The only problem I have with Google apps is that loading takes a bit of time in comparison to using Hotmail. 

    

    5.     PowToon

PowToon is free and easy to use with various animations to choose from. The only limitations with the free version are that some sounds and animations cannot be utilized. I believe those that are provided for the free version are good enough. It has various backgrounds, transitions, and text animations. Also users have the option of uploading their own music and images. In PowToon, users can record their own voices and music. It provides options to search images based on approval from creators, so there’s no fear of running into copyright issues. The downfall is that once the user uploads an image, user can no longer edit it.    

    6.     Joomag

Joomag is a free eBook creator that can be used for various purposes such as promoting businesses or raising awareness. Although I love the appearance of the eBook, I had difficulty using the website. Because Joomag lacks essential directions to utilize this website, I was lost. I had to learn through many trials and errors, which was time consuming. It was a hassle to even add a page on Joomag, because I could not directly do it while I was editing. I originally thought Joomag was not capable of inserting HTML, but with research, I realized I could through the hotspot feature. Joomag allows user to add videos and images. I appreciated that Wix had variety of editing options, but Joomag only has the option to add effects to text and images. In comparison to other technology tools, Joomag was limiting. 

    7.     Masher

Masher is a free tool to create video mash-ups. Signing up for Masher is easy to do. Users can upload images and video clips. Users can add texts as well. The process of creating video mash-ups is easy, but there are huge limitations. The options are very limited regarding themes. The site states that there are more themes coming soon, but as of now, there are only four themes. Users are unable to do any voice over or recording directly from the site. Also users cannot edit video clips that were uploaded.

    8.     Wix

Wix is a free website builder that is easy to use. With Wix, anyone can showcase their creativity to their maximum potential. There are 280 beautiful templates, but once the user selects a template, there is no way to change it. Even in the free version, users are able to access all tools, so the limitations are bearable. I enjoy features such as the editing tools to fix and enhance uploaded images, which was one component that a lot of technology tools lacked. 

References

Muchmore, M. (2014, March 12). Firefox 27. PCMAG. Retrieved from 

                http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2349494,00.asp

Purcell, K., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., & Friedrich, L. (2013). How Teachers Are Using Technology at

                Home and in Their Classrooms. Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. 

                Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/02/28/how-teachers-are-using-

                technology-at-home-and-in-their-classrooms/

Teaching Digital Safety

"Stop Cyberbullying"

     I remember making a myspace account in my 8^th grade without having any proper background knowledge about what the Internet was capable of. After these insightful presentations, I realized I could have easily been a victim. By involving myself in the digital world, I was in constant danger. Students are often naïve and we automatically assume, everyone is a nice person. We do not consider the horrific consequences that it can have on us – emotionally and physically. The four topics – cyberbullying, copyrights and fair use, phishing and pharming, and textual harassment and sexting – raised realistic concerns in a digital world that we live in.
     As technology advances, there are new dangers emerging in the digital world. I would add online sexual predators into the educational unit. Instead of face-to-face interaction, the digital world access screen-to-face interaction. It allows people to remain anonymous, while sharing vital information that can potentially risk a child. According to the Journal of Adolescent Health (2010), “65% of online sex offenders used the victim’s social networking site to gain home and school information about the victim.” A harmless social network that children created for engaging with others became a portal for predators. In some cases, predators enact their fantasies into reality by abducting innocent children and using them for their pleasure.
    There are stigmas attached to talking about online sexual predators, but we have to spread awareness to prevent any more victims. As a future educator, I would teach my students the dangers that lie in the digital world, because students are mandated to be active online participants to succeed in school. I would introduce true stories about children who were attacked by online predators such as Alicia Kozakiewicz. At the age of 13, she was abducted and tortured by an online predator, who she thought was her best friend. Kozakiewicz said “people who do not believe that their children could ever become victimized online are living in an unrealistic world” (2013). It can happen to anyone and certainly it could have happened to me.
     In school, we are often focused on academic performances and tend to neglect teaching social factors that are as important in the student’s life. After seeing videos that incorporates cyberbullying, sexting, online predators, and many more, I would encourage creating a media project to help raise awareness for students, who do not understand the danger of the digital world. It is important for people to understand digital safety as technology continues to advance. Now we must share our knowledge to others and help those who are wounded.
     Although tools help communication between group members, participation in a group project depends on the individual’s effort and motivation. We used Wiggio to communicate, but some of the members would not respond in a timely manner. Nonetheless we worked together to complete the assignment to inform the class about copyright issues and fair user practices. Joomag was the selection of our choice as presentation tool. Although I liked the overall features and the look of the website, I disliked that we had to take turns to input information and edit the page. 
     All the digital safety topics that were addressed in the class were important for students to be aware of, because we live in a world that is drastically influenced by technology. If I were to change something about the assignment, I would make it a creative video project that addresses the consequences of ignorance. It can be an infomercial to spread awareness especially for teenagers, because cyberbullying, textual harassment, and sexting are happening in the school system. We have to be responsible and take any measures to prevent irreversible consequences such as suicide.   

Predator 101. (2009). InternetSafety101.org: Statistics. Retrieved from

           http://www.internetsafety101.org/Predatorstatistics.htm

Enough is Enough. (2011). Alicia’s Story. [Video file]. Retrieved from
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR0bXZrIErE

Enabling Dreams with Assistive Technology

"Assistive technology is a set of adaptive tools that support students with disabilities in learning activities and daily life task, and it is having a particularly important impact on these students" (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). It also provides resources to overcome barriers that the disability has created. For students with special needs like Susanna Sweeney-Martini, she says, “Assistive technology is the major foundation of my life. Without it, I could not exist as I am today” (Ken, 2005). In order for Susanna to successfully participate, she needs accommodations that incorporated assistive technology into the curriculum such as a wheelchair, laptop, and speech recognition devices. The problem is the lack of awareness in the teachers to implement these assistive technologies in the classroom. Also under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disability are required to have these tools.  

When implementing an assistive technology in the classroom, it is important to personalize the tools for an individual. Students who are under IDEA have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which the school must abide to. Not a single student has the same IEP, because students have different disabilities and needs. I am in favor of collaboration of assistive technology, because I understand how these tools impact student's academic and functioning skills. But for general education teachers, they may disregard implementing assistive technology in their classroom, because they do not understand. With the current movement of mainstreaming and inclusion, general education teachers are bound to have a student with disability. So teachers must incorporate these tools into the lesson plan for students with disability to actively participate in the least restricted environment (LRE). 

I have a cousin, named Kouta in Japan. Until few years ago, I did not know he had severe intellectual disability. In comparison to the American culture, the Japanese culture is not as open. My father's side of the family cares about opinions, so they tend hide bits of information from us, "children." It is unfortunate, but it is the truth. Kouta is 8 years old. He is unable to communicate and often lost in his own world. In Japan, students with disability are often segregated from regular school and instead attend specialized school. His parent gave up on the idea of Kouta being able to talk and act like his twin brother. I could sense hopelessness that his parent was experiencing. I wish  I could share some success stories with assistive technology, but I cannot. Because it did not happen yet. 

Instead, I want to share a remakable story about a girl named Carly Fleischmann and how technology helped enable her dreams. Carly has severe autism and moderate intellectual disability. Her disability disabled her from communicating and connecting with the people around her. Being diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, her parent did not believe she would be like her twin sister, who does not have a disability. "Therapists say the key lesson from Carly's story is for families to never give up and to be ever creative in helping children with autism find their voice" (McKenzie, 2008). After a decade of intensive therapy sessions, she found her inner voice with the help of technology. She is now able to communicate with others. When I first saw her story, I thought about my cousin and hoped Kouta would have a chance to find his voice as well.

  I believe that every student has the potential to blossom with some help from the community. Although assistive technology is a valuable resources, it also depends on the people who work closely with the students. They are teachers, therapists, psychologists, and mostly importantly parents. Carly's story illustrated that parental involvement is an essential factor for students to progress. As a future special education teacher, I believe we must be positive and hopeful that our students will be able to achieve anything that they desire. Although assitive technology cannot be the solution for all the disabilities, we must still continue to incorporate it in the lesson plan. The goals are for students with disability to be included in the general education classroom as much as possible and develop skills to successfully transition into the real world. 

This is a short video I made using PowToon. It is intended for younger children to give them a general idea about assistive technology and how it can enable dreams. 

References

Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2012). Educational Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: 

              Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Ellis, Ken. (2005). Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams [Video File]. Retrieved from 

              http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video

McKenzie, John. (2008). Autism breakthrough: Girl's writings explain her behavior and 

              feelings. ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4311223