Technology Assessment 2

Google Apps

I can honestly say that before taking this class, the only things I had ever done on Google would be to use it as a search engine or check my G-mail account.  There is so much more to Google.  Google Docs, Google Maps, and Google Translate are a few applications on the site.  I love how Google Docs is interactive.  Instead of sending and re-sending documents through e-mail, individuals can post a document on Google Docs and then share it with a classmate, student, colleague, or friend.  However, you would need a G-mail account to do this.  

I signed up for a G-mail account almost 3 years ago and I prefer it over my other e-mail accounts.  I love how it allows you to view attached documents on the e-mail.  For example, it you have an earlier version of Microsoft Word and are unable to download the document in a newer version, you can view the document on G-mail.  It is easy to navigate and very user-friendly.

I also like Google's wonder wheel.  It helps in narrowing the search results for research topics.

RATING: 5/5

Mozilla Firefox

 Mozilla Firefox is easy to navigate, user-friendly, and loads pretty quickly.  I have used Internet Explorer and Google Chrome in the past.  Firefox is free to download on any computer. It will block websites from installing spyware and has a good popup blocker.

Rating: 5/5

Moodle

I had never heard of Moodle before this course.  I like that it is easy to understand and navigate.  There are links so you can get from page to page very easily.  It has a page strictly dedicated to grades and assignments so you do not have to scroll down too much.  It is kept confidential and requires a password.  It shows due dates and times.

I have encountered some problems on Moodle.  The submission button was missing when I had to turn in assignments and there have been two or more instances when Moodle was under maintenance.

RATING: 3/5

Gloglster

Glogster is simple to use.  You simply click on the desired tool and place the object anywhere on the page.  It is easy to navigate.  Glogster is another multimedia tool and allows you to add images, video, sound, and so on.  I love how colorful it is.  You can get very creative with it.

RATING: 4/5

Twitter

I never saw the point of using Twitter before this class.  I figured it was the same as Facebook.  Now I know that there are more things you can do with Twitter such as search for research topics by searching key terms.

RATING: 4/5

Eyejot

Eyejot is very simple to use and is fast to download and send to another individual.  You do not need to add them as a contact in order for them to view your video.

RATING: 5/5

LiveBinder

 LiveBinder is extremely easy to use.  It is very simple and fast.  You can create different binders and make it public or private.  It offers the option to create topics and subtopics in each binder.  A picture of the website appears while it downloads to LiveBinder so you can see which site you are downloading it.  It is also viewable when you click on the respective tab.

RATING: 5/5 

                                                        

This website is a great tool to use if you want to learn how to do something new.  It offers instructions and advise on different subject areas for everything from home design and fashion to computers and education.  You can learn to do many things by visiting this website.  It is user-friendly and easily navigable.  Not only does it offer text instructions on the website but it also offers videos and gives demonstrations as well.

RATING: 5/5

Multimedia Lesson Plan Reflection

    Teachers need to take many things into consideration while planning a lesson.  They need to come up with an effective way to teach the subject matter to students, make accommodations or modifications for fast and slow learners, and constantly evaluate themselves, the students, and the lesson itself.
    I believe Standard 2A of the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS*T) applies to this assignment.  Standard 2A of NETS*T states that teachers will "design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity" (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).  Our group created relevant learning experiences for the students and incorporated digital tools by having them view the video and play the educational game on the computer.  The students were to create a glog on Gloster.com to display information of the planet they were assigned.
   Some revisions we can make to the lesson plan to accommodate students with disabilities would probably be to alter the medium.  For example, we can adjust the brightness or contrast levels for students with visual impairments and we can increase the volume levels for students with hearing impairments.  The difficulty level on the educational game can be switched to "easy".  Students who need a challenge can research and write more information on their glog.
    I enjoyed collaborating with my group members when making this multimedia lesson plan because we were able to critique each other's ideas.  Everyone contributed something.  We found interesting websites for songs and games.  Our group divided the workload and we each had a task to complete.  Two of us had to type out the lesson plan format, two worked on the assessment, and the others worked on putting together the website but we all searched for games, activities, and other sources for the lesson.  It did not take us a long time to complete this assignment at all.  It took a while for us to understand what it was we needed to do, but after looking at previous students' samples we were able to have a better understanding of the assignment.  Another reason I liked this assignment was that it allowed us to incorporate technology into our lesson.  Linda Bennet, an editor and associate professor at the MU College of Education's Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum, said, "We have to prepare students for today's society, and if we are not using technology in the classroom, then we are not preparing them adequately" (Faddis, 2007).  I believe that statement to be true.  Not only will our students be engaged, but they will be learning the basics of technology to use in society.
   Teachers must analyze and evaluate their lesson plans, students, and methods of teaching in order to improve the quality of learning for students.  I believe creating this multimedia lesson plan allowed me to consider all aspects of a lesson.  When creating lessons, I usually generalize ideas and keep my lesson plan simple.  I can honestly say I have not worked on a lesson plan as intensely as I have on this lesson plan.  I believe that students will be interested in this lesson because it incorporates technology.  I plan on using this in my classroom in the future.

International Society for Technology in Education (2008). NETS for Teachers 2008. 

    Retrieved from: http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Faddis, J (2008). Teachers should embrace technology and incorporate it into the classroom.

    Retrieved from: http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2007/0614-technology-classroom.php