PowerPoint Reflection

Brief description of the lesson/topic presented on the PowerPoint

My content area is mathematics so I chose to create a PowerPoint on Matrices. In the presentation, I go over the basic operation of matrices including adding matrices, subtracting matrices, and multiplying matrices by a scalar. I also included a real life problem to show how to organize data into a matrix.

Brief description of the features used in your PowerPoint. Did you use any "challenge" features? Why/Why not.

I used many basic features in my PowerPoint and also tried to incorporate some "challenge" features as well. For basic features, I used a slide theme and incorporated WordArt for the titles on each page. I had a lot of fun playing around with the custom animations and transitions as well. I used images for the matrices I found online and included hyperlinks to cite my resources. I also included images from Photo Booth on my Mac and had a lot of fun with that! Some "challenge features" I used were tables for my data and SmartArt graphics.

Did you learn anything new in the process?

In this process I learned about the SmartArt graphics. I had no idea what that was until I explored it and looked at the various layouts. I was surprised how many graphics they provide and found them very useful in making the presentation more appealing. I will definitely use SmartArt graphics in my future PowerPoint presentation.

How can a lesson be enhanced with Presentation Software (e.g. PowerPoint, Google Docs Presentation software, etc.)

Presentations can be enhanced with presentation software like PowerPoint by making lessons and lectures more appealing and more interesting. They also provide a framework for both the teacher and the student. For the teacher, they can use their PowerPoint as a reference to refer to and to help them throughout their lesson or lecture. For students, a PowerPoint helps them to see the main points laid out for them to take notes from or to guide their learning.

T2P Week 5

If teachers approach conundrums in the learning environment with pedagogical beliefs of relational care, then the teacher's solution will directly benefit the students and more likely solve the problem because a foundation has already been established.

While creating a heuristic to approach a conundrum, I believe teachers should use their pedagogical care to support their thought process in coming up with a strategy. Teachers need to have the ability to look past their bias and listen to their students without passing judgment. It is also important to consider affect in understanding the problem. Teachers need to care in the sense that their students feel cared for when solving the problem. It is important for teachers to think of their students as their own. When teachers are autonomous in their work and conscientiously pursue certain goals for their students, they are acting as a parent and putting all their time and effort into coming to a solution that is best for the students. As teachers, all our energy needs to flow towards the cared for. If we've developed a caring relationship with out students, we will more likely find a solution to a conundrum because we have already created that caring foundation.

EDCI 5825 Week 5 Blog Questions

1. Should all teachers be encouraged to create online activities for students within traditional classrooms? Please explain.

In a world surrounded by technology, all teachers should be encouraged to create online activities for students within their traditional classrooms. Although personal, face-to-face contact is important and necessary in the learning environment, online activities create new opportunities for students that provide many benefits. One benefit is that some students feel safer expressing themselves online (November, 2010). Students can interact and respond to each other freely on their own time, allowing them to be more thoughtful with their feedback “without fear of recrimination” (November, 2010, p. 89).

Another benefit of online activities for students is the advantage of a collaborative environment on the Internet where students reach out and work together creating a positive relationship between peers (November, 2010). Since the Internet is a highly shared tool, students work and rely on each other and “learn what each other think and believe” (November, 2010, p. 89). In regular classrooms, there is not as much sharing of ideas because students fear they are being judged; online activities create a judgment-free zone. November (2010) mentions one student from an online school known as VHS who says, “You can really know someone just by what’s inside them, by the comments they say and that type of thing, instead of thinking, ‘Ooo, that person looks weird’” (p. 90).

Finally, online activities allow students to take on the responsibility of managing information (November, 2010). November (2010) says, “With online learning, students can do their work when they are best prepared mentally and physically to do it, whether that is 9 a.m., 8 p.m., or 2 a.m.” (p. 91). Students are given the responsibly to manage their time freely and motivate themselves to complete their work (November, 2010). Online learning activities are not for everyone but I think it is important to encourage teachers to create some online activities and take advantage of all the benefits the Internet has to offer.

2. Envision the role of social networking in 21st century learning environments. Write a brief description of this vision.

Social networking has and will continue to develop throughout the 21^st century. The power of social interaction will continue where we build complex networks of resources allowing for learning to be a “continuous conversation among many participants” (Richardson, 2010, p. 86). With the explosion of Twitter, schools can communicate with parents and others in the community as well as find links to student work, presentation, or relevant articles on a variety of topics (Richardson, 2010). Social bookmarking sites such as Delicious and Diigo, create learning environments where teachers and students can organize “vast libraries of information” on their own as a great tool for sharing information (Richardson, 2010, p. 91).

Social networking also gives students a new experience to engage in “self-directed, peer based learning” different from what they are used to in traditional classrooms (Richardson, 2010, p. 132). From an educational standpoint, social network sites such as Facebook and Ning create an interest-based learning environment (Richardson, 2010). “The key to both of these sites for educators is to move beyond the friendship-based connections and really explore the potentials of the networked, interest-based learning that’s possible within these frames” (Richardson, 2010, p. 132). Social networked learning creates a 21^st century vision that stresses “cooperation, interactivity, mutual benefit, and social engagement” (Richardson, 2010, p. 133). Let the social connecting and learning begin!

T2P Hypotheses "Voices of Youth Today"

The Power of Whole Brain Teaching

If teachers encourage students to draw, mirror, talk, or model, attending to their various learning styles, then they will be more likely to progress as learners enabling them to retain information and get closer to independent performance. For example, in the video "Whole Brain Teaching: High School Math," Kristin DeWit teaches her class a lively algebra lesson, what she calls "whole brain teaching." She has her students mirror the concepts she is teaching and then has them teach each other in pairs creatively referring to half the students as the "north" and half the students as the "south." She says, "North, I'd like you to tell the south about the four types of lines we have. (clap, clap) Teach." She also uses rhymes to keep the students entertained and engaged. She says, "Classsss" and the students respond, "Yessss." Vygotsky would say this teaching method is effective because learning cannot be separated from social context. In the zone of proximal development, students' assisted performance allows them to become closer to independent performance. As a teacher, I think that students should be actively engaged in a lesson, whether it involves talking concepts out with peers, mirroring concepts for repetition, or incorporating visuals into a lesson. By creating an engaging learning environment that does not separate social context, my students will achieve, progressing through their entire learning experience.

Pedagogical Care

If teachers develop a trusting, nurturing student-teacher relationship where they show students that they care and will never give up on them, then students will feel empowered to make change in their lives and stay out of trouble to reach their goals towards a better future. For example, in the video "Youth Voices," Eric, a fifteen year old 9th grader, talks about his father's struggle to get a job as a construction worker. He talks about his math teachers that really made an impact in his life. "Miss Vondant, she's trying to help me out too. She helps me fill out job applications because I tell her I need the money to help my dad and she's like 'just do good in school Eric, we'll all be here to help you, for anything.'" Eric also says that he wants to join the army and then become a cop, "something that will keep me out of the streets." About Eric, Noddings would say that his teacher portrays relational care, establishing a "framework" for learning that pushes Eric to pursue his goals to make a better future for himself and his father. As a teacher, I understand that I must first listen to my students and give them a chance. I accept my responsibility to provide a "relational sense of caring" where my students feel cared for and provide them with memorable experiences as a foundation to their learning toward a positive future.

Students Speaking from the Heart

If students, living a life surrounded by debt and family struggles, come together in learning environments where teachers provide a place where their voices can be heard, then students can express their feelings and bond together to solve their problems and build a better world. For example, in the video "Is Anybody Listening?" Village Academy High School students speak out about the struggle they face every day and the stress in their lives. Their teacher, Michael Steinman, allows his students to speak from the heart and gives them a chance to share their personal stories. "We decided to put together a very heart felt testimony to what kids are going through...let their thoughts flow freely." In the testimony, one student named Ana says, "I have lots of stress, I'm getting sick of it. I can't even concentrate in school anymore." Michael Steinman says, "The students have come to realize they have to bond together, as a community we have to bond together, and work to solve these problems....we're all in this." About these students, Maslow would say that their basic needs must be met in order for them to achieve needs higher in the Hierarchy of Needs. Their basic needs are not being met outside the classroom and this is the reason why the students are struggling to focus in school. Maslow would say that their teacher is providing them with a safe, structured classroom environment where they can express their emotions freely meeting their basic needs. As a teacher, I think it is important to give your students a voice and allow them to express their emotions and come together to relate to one another. There are so many things out there, and it is my job to show students that their dreams are attainable.

Website Creation

Here is the link to my website:

Maureen C's Website

What is your reaction to the entire web development process? Please describe any positive and negative reactions.

I had very positive reactions to the entire web development process. I always have been curious to learn how to create a website and this project showed me how easy this process can be! I didn't know there were free programs out like like Weebly to use! The only negative reaction I had during this process was when I couldn't figure out how to include some features.

What was involved in the process of developing your site? What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome those obstacles? What successes did you encounter?

To develop my site, I used Weebly and used images I obtained from Google to add to my site and make it more appealing. I decided to include a home page, a homework page, a contact page, and a class blog. On the homepage, I added a funny mathematics video and a link to a fun website for students to go to for math practice and games. On the homework page, I included a link to a tutorial for their calculators. Some obstacles I encountered were having trouble adding an image or link. To overcome these obstacles I used my peers as resources and they helped by showing me how to add these features.

Will you continue to build on/update this site after this course ends? Why/Why not? Please explain.

I think I will use this website in my future classroom but I will definitely need to makes some changes and add more important information. I would use this website instead of creating a new website because I have already added some basic features that I would want in my future classroom's website. I could use build on this one instead of starting from scratch.

What errors/issues did you find when you tested your web site for 508 compliance? Based on those errors/issues, what changes would you make to your site?

One error I found when I tested my website for 508 compliance was "The use of color must not be a single method for indicating important information on a web page." I think this means that I need to make sure that all the information on my page in color needs to also be made available without color. That way people who are color blind can see my information.

Here is the entire list of my results: Results

Internet Workshop Reflection

What feedback on your Internet Workshop did you receive from your two group members online?

After going over my Internet workshop, the overall feedback that I received was positive. They liked that I incorporated group work right at the start of the workshop. They said that by having the students work in pairs, each student can feed off of each other and learn from each other. One partner might see one aspect and another partner might look at something different and together they might see things that they wouldn't if they worked alone. They also liked how I decided to do my Internet workshop in 2 class periods and thought this was a sufficient amount of time for my task. They also said that the preparation for teachers section on my lesson plan was well thought out. My peers also said that my idea to have the students come back and evaluate another website together of the overhead projector is a great way to access their learning. One piece of advice I received was on my rubric. Although it was well thought out, my peers said that it might be too wordy and a little too overwhelming for my students. They thought it would be better if I shortened it a bit and made things clearer.

Will you use the Internet Workshop, or use a revised version of the Internet Workshop in your future classroom? Please explain.

I think that I would use this Internet workshop in my future classroom. I think it is important for my students to know how to evaluate mathematics websites online so that they know whether or not they are credible and can use them as resources for extra practice in mathematics. I would probably take my peers advice and revise the rubric before using it in my classroom but other than that I think this workshop is a great lesson for my students.

Briefly summarize your group's discussion of the statement, "Students will become victims of the expansive dark side of the Internet unless we teach the critical thinking necessary to make meaning out of the overwhelming and potentially manipulative amount of information that is now available and growing every day" (November, 2010, p.27).

During our discussion of this quote we said that with hoax websites that are available online, students may take everything they read as true and that is why it is our jobs as teachers to army our students with the skills to critically evaluate a website. There are also a lot of corporate websites on the Web that have a lot of information on them but are sneaky with a hidden purpose of trying to sell the reader something. Internet is a big part of our lives today and students go to the Web a lot more than books for research so we must educate students and provide them evaluation skills. There is no way to get around the Internet, is has become an essential part of our lives. In our discussion we also talked about how in another class we talked about G. Siemens and his idea of "cognitive off-loading." In today's world full of technology, we no longer have to remember things. Instead we off load knowledge into something else such as a device that we can refer to. A great example is cell phones. A majority of people would say that without their cell phone they would not know people's numbers other than their home or maybe their parents. Instead of having the knowledge in our head, we must become competent in knowing how to critically evaluate other resources where information is stored. Since we live in an age where we go to resources for knowledge and don't need to have everything stored in our heads, it is crucial for students to be equipped with the skills to determine if something is valid.

T2P Week 4

Theorists provide multiple modes of learning that help to assign the teacher's role in the learning process as well as the student's role in the learning process. I think it is interesting to look into each theorist's role and compare their views to another theorist. I made the most connection with Nel Noddings. I believe that in order to have a positive, effective learning environment, teachers need to develop a trusting, caring student-teacher relationship. Teachers need to adopt "relational caring" where it is more than looking at their claim to care but to care in the sense that the student recognizes he or she is being cared for. Students will be more efficient in their productivity if there is a foundation of trust and care. Teachers need to uncover their students already inherent goals for learning by developing a caring relationship, and focusing through student-centered teaching. When a teacher takes extra time to create a curriculum that includes student interests, they not only benefit the students but also feel more competent themselves. To me, that is powerful stuff!