Week 14- Distance Education and Virtual Schooling

This week we discussed not only distance education but the idea of using games with children. One of the games that we discussed the most was Second Life. This is an online program that is actually a virtual reality. Since it came online in 2003 it was become increasingly popular and the University of Florida even uses it to teach its students. There are some problems with online games like this though.

As an education major, I find that one of the most important things that I can learn is how to use different tools and programs in order to make the children that I teach have the absolute best educational experience. I believe that games are an important way to gain childrens attention and to help them learn new things. By making learning fun and exciting, not only will students want to learn, but I think that the information that they learn will stick with them longer.

While I do believe that online games can be beneficial, there are some problems. The link below is to an article that talks about problems that have occurred with people who are involved in the virtual reality, Second Life. This link shows that even though there might be some advantages to online games there are definately some reasons to be concerned.


http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/10/23/2031506-online-divorcee-jailed-after-killing-virtual-hubby

Week 13- Creating a Professional Web Presence

This week, in addition to learning about how to create a web presence, we also learned about distance education. Distance education is something that seems relatively new, but it has been going on for many years. Distance education can take place in a variety of different ways. Today, most of the larger universities offer online courses which can be supplemented by regular classes. Some universities are completely online. Distance education is something that is gradually changing education in a very big way.

Distance education is something that I have to be very mindful of considering the fact that I am going to be a teacher. By the time I graduate with my masters I am sure the distance education will be something that is even more popular and I will need to know the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating it into my classroom. I believe that distance education is something that can be very useful in the years to come.

https://elearning2.courses.ufl.edu/portal

The link above is to the online website at the University of Florida. Every semester I have had atleast one online class and this is the website that you have to go to in order to get to your online classes. The reason that I chose this link is because it is a perfect example of what distance education looks like to many college students. Right now, large universities have many different online courses that a student could take. This shows how UF goes about having online courses.

Week 12-Social Tools and Cloud Computing

In week 12 we discussed social tools and cloud computing. Cloud computing are tools online that you can use in order to create something without having the program being tied to a specific platform. An example of cloud computing would be Delicious. This is a website that allows you to bookmark your favorite websites or programs online. Social tools are things like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace, to name some of the most popular ones. These are tools that allow poeple to connect with other people online. There is some controversy over these programs due to the fact that they make contact with people impersonal.

In education tools like Delicious or social networking sites are important for many different reasons. One, it is a way as a teacher to bookmark websites that students and teachers can use, which will further enhance their educational experience. Social networking sites are ways for teachers and students to connect and to stay in contact. This means that the educational experience can be taken beyond the actual classroom and into the home. This makes the experience even more intense, which can be a good thing.

www.delicious.com/allysonwyllie

The link above is to my specific delicious website. The reason that I used this link is because it is the perfect example of delicious and it includes social networking sites, websites related to educaiton, and other websites that can be used. This link shows how delicious can be used as well.

Week 11- Open Source Software

This week we learned about open source software. Basically, this is software that is available on the web and the best part about it is that it is free! There are a variety of different programs that someone can find on the web to use in place of expensive programs like Microsoft Office. One example of open source software is Google Docs. This is a program that many people can find uses for.

Open source software is something that I think would be absolutely wonderful for a teacher. I already use programs like google chrome and it is something that I plan on using well into the future. A teacher salary is not very much, and as a teacher I am going to want to have the best tools at my service in order to better teach my students. Without open source software that is something that would not have been possible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_software

The above link is to a wikipedia page with information about open source software. I thought that this website was important because it gives information that anyone wanting to use the software would want to know. it also gives specific programs that are the most popular for people to use.

Week 10-Spring Break

Even though this week was Spring Break I still actually had a chance to use something that I learned in the class. I had to drive home to Panama City and its not a short drive so I decided to download one of my favorite comedians on my ipod through a podcast. I knew about podcasts before the class but i wouldnt have necessarily thought about it except for the fact that we had just learned about podcasts the week before. even though this was something that i used for personal use there is a way to use it for educational purposes.

Like I said in a previous posts, podcasts and voicefiles are new ways for teachers to connect with their students and get their information across. Apple is a company that is becoming bigger and bigger and more children are connected to them in different ways. podcasts are something that students can learn to use for their educaiton alon g with personal uses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

The link above is to a wikipedia page that talks about podcasts specifically and the different ways that they can be used. I think that this website is important to use because it gives specific information and allows someone to learn more about a product that is becoming more and more common in todays day and age.

Week 9 The Sound of Podcasting

This week we learned about audiofiles. Things like podcasts can be used for many different reasons and we learned about different programs that we can use like Garage Band which can create these files for us. The important thing that we learned is the importance of audiofiles in our everday life. Podcasts are now widely used for many different reasons.

I think that it is important to know about programs like garage band in the education profession. it is a new ways that teachers can get information to their students and it is something that students will know how to use. Technology is something that is becoming more and more important in education and being able to use things like garage band are becoming essential in todays day and age.

http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/

The link above is to apples website. it is the specific page that can show people how to use garageband and the different applications that are included in the program. i think that this website was important to use because it takes you straight to the source and allows you to learn more about a prgram that i think is important for everyone to know how to use.

Week 8 Digital Storytelling

This week we did not have class, but we did have the opportunity to work on our Photoshop tutorial project and others as well. This blog will be focusing on the practice tutorial mainly. First I would like to say that it was great being able to practice on photoshop before actually having to do a real project with it. Also, having the instructions written out word for word is something that really helped me. Learning how to work with all of the different applications and layers of photoshop was fun and interesting, as well as a little difficult.

Photoshop is a program that takes a lot of practice and patience to use, especially for someone like me who is not good at anything technical. But, I believe that this program is very useful for teaching and education. While i would not recommend the program to every grade in school, if teachers know how to use it then it can be utilized to create an even better classroom. Teachers can create unique pieces in different things that the students are learning and help the students keep the information fresh in their mind with a good project. I also think that teaching the students in middle school or high school how to use it could be important. For kids that want to go into journalism, advertising, etc, photoshop is a great program to learn how to utilize.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Photoshop

The link that i used for this post is a link to wikipedia talking about photoshop. I know that many times wikipedia isnt considered to be a credible site, but i think that mostly it has some relevant information that is easy to follow and learn about. The website gives information about the program and can help a new user learn about the program and grasp the knowledge that they need to use the program effectively.

Week 7 Visual Literacy

In class this week we discussed digital storytelling. This is the concept of combining narrative with digital content.  This is an idea that is catching on really quick, and it is the new way to get a story across. Today, a digital story is a way of creating an emotional piece on the computer by combining images, sound, voice notes, etc...The days of creating a masterpiece on the computer are here. I personally find this concept interesting due to the fact that with programs like imovie or animoto it is not only quick but also easy. for someone who is technologically challenged, this is the perfect way to create a piece of work.

In education, things are changing rapidly. Technology is becoming more and more integrated into everyday life in the classroom. Programs on the computer like animoto and imovie can easily replace the old days where a student had to write a paper about something and turn it in. this gives a student a way to actually incorporate many different things into a project and become more creative. With these programs, students are expanding their horizons and raising the bar for future students to come.

http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/

The link above is to the University of Houston's website on digital storytelling. it talks about the educational importance of digital storytelling and goes into great depth about different software that you can use, examples, tools, how to use it, etc. One of the reasons that I used this site is because in the article that we read about digital storytelling talks about the college of education at the university and the great advances that it has made in using digital storytelling and telling the public about its importance.

Week 6 Media and Information Literacy

This week in class we discussed the concept of visual literacy. This is something that I think that everyone knows what it is but its not something that many people actually take the time to look at and realize the importance of it. the idea of visual literacy is that a picture can be read and information can be conveyed through this picture. the classic example of this would be Photoshop. It basically takes an image and allows a message to be conveyed through it. I believe that visual images are much more exciting and catch peoples attention more than words on a page do so this is an interesting concept.

In education, especially early childhood education, which is what i am interested in, visual clues are something that are essential in helping children to learn. Programs like photoshop can really help a teacher to help children learn by making something fun and interesting. like i stated previously, images are much more exciting than words, and preK and kindergarten children cannot read well anyways, so pictures and images are the ways that a teacher can help them to learn.


http://k-8visual.info/

The link above is to a website that talks about how visual literacy helps children from kindergarten to eighth grade learn. the website explains why and it even offers some free examples that you can download and use. i think that this website was a good choice because it is not only a good example, it is also a website that i would use once i actually became a teacher. it even has  toolkit that you can use to help you get started. a website like this is certainly helpful in utilizing all of the tools that you can in order to help children learn the best way.

Week 5: Webspiration

In week five we discussed an application known as Webspiration. It is a site that allows for mind mapping. What this essentially does is allows you to take an idea or a list and categorize it the way that you would like. I thought that it was very interesting and I am glad that I learned about it because I need some way to stay organized and I think that this is a great way to do it.

This particular tool could be very helpful for teachers and students alike. Teachers who need to outline their curriculum, or organize their lesson plans can look to this tool to create a quick easy, ready to use visual outline. For those that aren't visual, there is also a text that shows the outline of thoughts. Students can use it to keep track of homework assignments, do projects, and many other things.

 http://www.mywebspiration.com/

 The link above is a direct link to Webspiration and allows you to sign up to be able to use it. I thought that I should go ahead and show the exact website so that if anyone would like to try out this new tool then they would be directed to the site upon immediately clicking on the link.

Extra Blog Post:Copyright Video

The video that I am posting is about internet ethics and certain examples that show the violation of copyright laws, such as the wikileaks. I obtained this video from Youtube. I believe that this video is important to look at because it shows the importance of copyright laws and what happens when someone does not follow them. It also relates directly to the internet and copyright laws which I thought was especially essential for this class.

Week 4 Copyright Law, Plagarism, and Ethical Issues

In week four we discussed copyright laws and exactly what they cover. We also learned about the ethical issues regarding copyright law and how people are protected through copyright laws. Copyright allows authors, songwriters, inventors, and many more to publish their work freely without the fear that someone will copy it, take credit for it, or use it in a way that the author did not intend. I believe that copyright laws are very important and that they should be taken seriously. Without the protection of ideas and thoughts then I think that many people would be hesitant to share their thoughts with the world and I believe that would lead to a decline in society.

 Education is a field that revolves around the sharing of ideas. Without copyright laws, or some sort of enforcement the sharing of ideas would lessen and not as much teaching would be done. Copyright laws are important because it gives scholars the chance to publish their works and share them with the world without fear of having their work stolen, corrupted, or used in a way that it wasn't intended.

 http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/copyright/?DCMP=KNC-Copyright&HBX_PK=copyright+laws&HBX_OU=50

The link that is listed above is a site that gives the details on copyright laws and lists all of the actual laws. I thought that it was important to use this website because it sheds light on many of the specifics regarding copyright law and explains everything so that anyone who is confused about the matter can look and see the distinct features of all of the copyright laws.

Week 3 Web 2.0

In week three we discussed Web 2.0. It is basically a new version of the internet that is much more user friendly and allows for many more operations. In this new web there are so many different applications that someone can use. Our assignment for the week was to look up three different "tools" accessible in Web 2.0. Web 2.0 isn't actually a new web. It is a shift in trends in web designs that allows users to own, add and share content collaboratively. This gave rise to social networking sites, sites where you can share anything from pictures to recipes to ideas, and other new sites.


This concept of Web 2.0 is very important to the field of technology as well as other fields. In the field of technology, social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace can be used to gather students online and use it as a way to teach. You could create classroom groups that allow for discussion of ideas, and allows for students to ask questions, all while getting to know each other better. There are also sites that could be used to create a collaboration of ideas from students. This could help students learn better and learn more. Being able to have these tools at our disposal is important and we should take every opportunity that we have to explore and use them.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

The site that is listed above is an article that shows the history and concepts of Facebook, which is arguable the most popular social networking site in the world right now. It has influenced so many things in our culture today. It has led to an increase in globalization, which is essentially bringing the world together. I think that it is important to look at Facebook because it has had such a huge impact on society, and it is a direct influence of Web 2.0.

Week 2 Mac OS X

This week we discussed Macintosh computers and how to use them. We went over the differences between a Mac and a PC, the layout of a Mac, and how to perform specific functions on a Mac such as creating and saving a file, taking a screen shot, and many other things. It was interesting in going over all of the differences between a Mac and PC because I have never really used a Mac before and I was pretty terrified that I would not be able to do anything in class on the Mac. The tutorial really helped though and I now understand most of the basic principles needed to navigate this new computer. In learning about the icons on the desk top it was really helpful to navigate the computer quickly and efficiently. The finder application was so helpful and I am enjoying learning how to use this new computer.

 I believe that it is very important to learn about new and different technology. Being in the education field it is safe to say that technology is ever changing and in order to offer the best to students it is important to know what the best is. Our world is becoming increasingly more centered upon technology and many things are done on the computer in the classroom. I believe that many classrooms will soon focus on the use of technology in order to enhance the learning of the students. In education, you always need to be up to date with the technology that is out there, and right now Macs are dominating the field of technology. Many schools are solely using Macs and having the students use them as well. Without learning about them in this class I would be a hindrance to my students because I would not know how to use one or help them use one.

 http://www.apple.com/why-mac/

The link listed above is a link to the apple website giving reasons as to why a consumer would want to buy a Mac over a PC. The reason that I included this link, even with the obvious bias, is that everything that they listed as a reason for buying a Mac was a fact. For example, if you need windows then you can just download it onto a Mac. That way you have the best of both worlds. As a PC user, I am becoming more and more interested in Mac and would actually like to purchase one myself. After looking at all of the advantages of having one, I believe that other people will be interested as well.