Participation Portfolio Item 31

 

I am developing a 3D printer integration project for my Intro to Educational Technology Class, and I thought it would be in my best interest to look into free courses relating to 3D printing. This particular class is labeled as "beginner" on Coursera, a MOOC site, and explains how 3D printers work and the booming industry that is developing because of this revolutionary technology.

For my second course, I chose to look into a class that would help me develop my Personal Learning Network (PLN). This class is also considered "beginner," and it explores how educators should use and protect data, and subsequently share or employ that knowledge with/on their students. The class is specifically designed to equip K-12 educators; I could apply the skills learned to my future career. 

Blog Assignment #10

     Surveys are a wonderful and functional tool that can tell teachers a lot about their students. I aspire to become a kindergarten teacher; my online surveys will specifically target parents for obvious reasons, but I plan to include paper surveys for students. Any form of data collection is valuable! For my students, I will probably survey their understanding of a new lesson before and after I teach it.

    One topic I found particularly interesting while reading my classmates' blogs was their opinions about the blogs. One of my peers said he did not have difficulty coming up with things to talk about (as he had many strong opinions), and I often find myself struggling with content. Like him, I also found building blogs to be an interesting process; the viewers do not necessarily see or notice all the features that go into building an interactive, online space. Either way, these blogs have allowed me to feel not as remote in my learning experience.

    I would like to look into making or finding platforms to make worksheets I could sell or offer to other teachers online. I am referring to the designs found for all subjects on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers that educators and parents (or students!) can access. I feel like I could sincerely help other teachers, and I could make some side money to invest in resources for my students. I will most likely have to look into design tutorials and software that is affordable as well as easy to use in order to achieve my goal.

Blog Assignment #9

     Online learning has some benefits, but it is not an ideal education. I am saving thousands of dollars staying at home and completing my classes remotely, but the experience is not the same. I do not enjoy watching hour long lecture videos or painfully awkward breakout rooms on Zoom calls. As a teacher, I would be sure to keep my Zoom classes engaging, and help my students build relationships with one another through online games,

    Open Education Resources (OER) are free online resources that educators and anyone else who depends on them can access to enhance their teaching skills. Most teachers rely on OER for lesson plan ideas and ways to improve their students' learning experience. A great example of this would literally be the OER Commons, a search platform packed with valuable resources for any grade and subject. You can explore this site here. 

    I loved how valuable the PowerPoint projects were for me as a future educator. My knowledge in PowerPoint was very limited prior to making those two assignments, and I learned how to create a non-linear presentation! I was limited on time to practice everything I needed to get a high pass, but I did the best I could. Next time, I want to practice applying rolling credits and sounds to non-linear PowerPoints.