Blog Post #3

Today I will be evaluating Twitter as a website by the ABCDT acronym. As the Evaluating Internet Resources Podcast says it’s important to evaluate websites especially if they are being used in the classroom. Twitter has become extremely prominent not only in society, but also in schools too. A is for Author. Twitter does not necessarily have an author; you become your own author. This is great for classrooms because the teacher can control what is and is not being posted on the class page. B is for bias. Twitter can be biased depending on the people you follow and the advertisements that are posted, but as teacher you get the chance to keep an unbiased conversation going on social media. C is for content. The podcast asked if the content of the website is accurate and if the grammar is correct. This is another thing that you can control as a teacher. You can post accurate articles on your classroom page and open up a discussion for homework which would then give you the chance to correct the students grammar if need be. D is for design. The design of Twitter is warm and inviting for users, not to mention easy to navigate once you have made your own account. T is for technical extras. Twitter loads quickly and allows students to say what the need to say. It is a great way to open discussion outside of the classroom while introducing students to another form of technology.

            In my classroom I would use the Internet to get my students involved with technology. I plan to teach PreK- Second Grade so I would use websites like FunBrain and other learning websites to get them acclimated to technology. Something else that I think is every important for students, is to have them practice typing on a keyboard. I will have them play key boarding games and rewrite sentences over and over again so that they become comfortable with typing at a young age. Of course depending on which of those grades I am teaching, the amount of practice will vary. Digital citizenship is extremely important not only in the classroom but at home too. Each week I will send out an electronic newsletter to the parents stating my expectations of their involvement with their children. I want them to see their children improving with technology and help them adapt to it.

            Designing my newsletter was definitely a challenge, though I must say that I really like how it turned out. Figuring out how to get the banner on the top without messing up the content of my letters was the hardest part. I spent about 45 minutes trying to figure out what I was doing, but I finally got it where I wanted it to go. I really learned how to use the space of the paper effectively, and playing with different color themes and fonts was really fun. I think the next time I have to make one, I will be able to finish it efficiently and not worry about where certain buttons are in MS Word.

Blog Post #2

Microsoft Word has been around for quite some time. I remember using it when I was no bigger than a second grader. I grew up going to private schools and they put you in a computer class the second you learned your A,B,Cs. As I got older, I began using MS Word a lot more frequently. I probably use it most when I have an essay or blog post due. It's great for these assignments because it has spell and grammar check. Since I have been at college, I see people use it to take notes during lectures. As for teachers, I have seen a lot of them use MS Word to make study guides when a big test is coming up. Some just print it out and others post the file to the class access page. The textbook says that MS Word is a great way to keep your classroom documents organized. As a teacher, I would use it to organize my syllabus in the beginning of the year, write letters to the parents about their child's progress, and construct tests.

When it comes to copyright and fair use of materials in education, I must admit that I do not have mush experience. This concept of not taking pictures of powerpoint or photocopying a textbook is an issue I have only seen in college. I, personally, think that it is ridiculous that some teachers cannot post the powerpoints they use in class because of copyright mandates. As a teacher, I would makes my own notes and powerpoints so the children are able to copy down and use the notes without fear of violating the academic honor policy around the nation. My students should have full access to the information I teach in class.

I am fairly familiar with Twitter and find it fascinating that there is so much more to it than i thought. The last time I used it, or even opened the application, was senior year of high school. I really like how it is a networking site more than anything. You can learn so much from the people you follow, and even the people you don't through hashtags. As a teacher, I would use Twitter to have extra credit discussion randomly throughout all my classes. I think it would be cool to combine all the classes together, through social media, to discuss something important going on in the school, community, or even the world.

Twitter Username

This is my Twitter username for this class @katielove2121. Follow me!