Lynda Tutorial: DIY Photography

Activity Log:

After logging on to my existing Lynda account, I began my search for an interesting video. After some looking, I decided to settle on a DIY Photography video on how to get the perfect aerial view by attaching a camera to a painter's pole. The link to that video can be found here. Once settling on the video, I pressed play and stated learning new photography techniques. The video opened with a man trying to get a nice photograph of a tall building. Much to his dismay, the angle of the photograph was off because he was not tall enough to get a straight view of the building. When Joseph (the man in the video) got far enough away to get a straight on view of the building, much of the photo was lost to the surrounding parts of the picture. There was no focus on the building, as much of the picture was taken up by its surroundings. To solve this problem, Joseph pulls out a simple painter's pole. With an adaptive tool he bought off the internet, Joseph attaches his camera to the pole. By programing the intervalometer on his camera to take a picture every second, Joseph makes the camera start taking photos and raises the painter's pole with the camera into the air. With a little bit of adjustment of the painter's pole, Joseph is able to capture the perfect image of the building. Joseph ends the tutorial with words of advice as to how important of a tool a painter's pole can be in a photographer's arsenal. Though the video had no interactive parts, I could see exactly what Joseph was doing with his camera and it made the video easy to follow along with.

Learning Experience:

I was surprised at how simple of a DIY Joseph's Lynda tutorial turned out to be. There were no interactive parts, but Joseph acted out every step necessary in the video. Joseph's physical actions in addition to his explanations showed me how to do everything I could need to know in the tutorial. I would really like to become more experienced with photography. This being said, Joseph offered a lot of great techniques that made his videos fun to watch. Instead of making the videos less interesting, he incorporated a lot of his own personality into the videos and made them more fun to watch. I plan to continue watching his videos, as I found what Joseph had to offer very interesting.

Evidence:

Lynda Tutorial: Tips and Tricks from Google Photos

Activity Log:

 

Upon finding Lynda's website, I signed up for a free tutorial so I could begin learning how to accomplish a new skill in photography. Once I had my account, I scrolled to the photography tutorial tab. Here, I chose to learn about Google Photos. The first video I watched was an overview of what Google Photos was. I learned it was a cloud-like server where its user can upload photos and buy storage to keep all of your photos and videos safe. The second video I watched explained how Google Photos can integrate photos from a variety of places into your storage cloud. Here, I learned that the user can set up their Google Photos account to automatically save pictures into Google. For example, you can make Google Photos save your images every time you insert a memory card into your computer. The next video I watched explained how Google Photos has three different views: assistant, photos, and collections. Assistant view allows the user to see status messages about recently uploaded images. Photos view allows the user to see all the photos synched from various devices. The collections view allows the user to see a combination of their photos, videos, and albums. In the next video, I learned about the Google Photos Assistant. The assistant gives the user notifications about any updates that may be going on within an account. Letting the user know if they are running out of space, new recommendations for collages, and creating animations are just a few of the features offered by Google Photos Assistant. The next video segment of the tutorial gave a detailed description of how to manage photos through dragging items into the trash. The point of this video was to give users who take a lot of photos the option to quickly delete unwanted items. This same feature allows the user to select several photos at once, and as long as the photo is hi-lighted, the user can use them to create a new animation, graphic, or collage. If the user makes a mistake at this point, Google Photos has an undo button. The final video focused on how Google Photos has a search feature that allows the user to quickly access any photos they may be looking for. Facial recognition, the places the photos were take in, identifying words such as "hat", and device type are just a few of the identifiers users can to find their photos more quickly. The tutorial I watched had no interactive parts, instead, I simply watched a collection of videos. The link to the tutorial I watched can be found here.

Learning Experience: 

In my Lynda tutorial on how to use Google Photos, I learned a lot more than I expected. I had heard of this program before, but I did not know all of the capabilities it had. One of the more interesting parts of the tutorial I found focused on the algorithms Google Photos has for searching for images. Though the videos were not at all interactive, I could see exactly what was happening on screens at all times during the tutorial. The live action tour of Google Photos in addition to the voiceover was more than enough to make me feel confident about operating the program. I will definitely be looking into using Google Photos in the future, especially since I recently ran out of storage in my iCloud account. 

Evidence: 

Blog Post 10

     This week, I learned how to make a non-linear powerpoint. After a long struggle, I found that the slide title part of the assignment did not work the same way on my laptop as it did on the desktop computers in  the classroom. One thing I think that could be improved on for the next group of students who complete this is making the instruction more inclusive for Mac users. Other than the difficulty I had in completing the project on different types of computers, it was an overall very enjoyable experience. The way the project was so open-ended allowed for me to find something I could be creative and have fun with. In my future career, a non-linear powerpoint could provide me with a great tool to make interactive study guides for my students. As they could turn learning into a game, information would be less of a burden and more fun to learn. I never had a teacher create a game like this as a study tool, but I'm sure if I would have gotten a tool like this, I would have greatly appreciated it.

     I think data collecting is immeasurably important as it allows teachers and professors to adjust their instructional styles to fit the needs of their students. I plan to be a college professor. Because I would be in such a large classroom setting, data collecting would allow me to have a grasp of the general understanding of the classroom, despite the lack of individual interaction I may have with my students. I would like to teach American history at whatever institution I find myself employed at. With my particular subject, I think it would be important to ask my students if they found what I was talking about to be interesting. Students cannot learn history without some sort of eagerness and excitement toward the subject, and using data collection, I could tailor my lessons to fit my student's needs.

     Looking at my other classmate's blogs, it was so interesting to see how different our styles are and how differently we all answered the same questions. My favorite blog that I found was Briana's. I really appreciated the time she spent ensuring her blog was aesthetically pleasing. The books she used as her background were adorable. Stephanie's blog was also quite impressive, as she made her blog beautiful. In blog post 9, Stephanie did a great job of explaining SchoolRack. I had never heard of this technology prior to reading her blog, and I was surprised to know that there were so many forums where teachers can design their own websites. 

     Even though I have limited access to it, I would love to learn how to use a 3D printer. Even using the software to make 3D models would be interesting to me. If I learned how to use this technology, I have a few connections in my hometown that would allow me to access a 3D printer. Regardless of how accessible the technology is, I think that 3D printers will become more commonplace as technology continues to evolve. As this change continues, I think a great skill would be background knowledge of the uses and operations of the printer. What is now a highly technical skill may become elementary as 3D printing becomes more common.

     As my future in education tech progresses, it is my goal to stay relevant and up to date with the world's continually evolving technologies. I can meet this goal by following technology journals that write about continually evolving and improving technologies. As I will be surrounded by students in my future, I think it would be beneficial to talk to my students about which technologies they would like to see me integrate into my classroom. If I have learned one thing in this course that will stick with me for the rest of my life, it's that the world will continue to change. This world will leave you behind if you don't make an effort to change with it. Because of this, I want to ensure that my experience with technology remains relevant in the modern world.

Blog Post 9

     The flipped classroom is a model in which students learn material at home, through the means of informational videos, and work on projects and assignments in class. This method of teaching allows for students to get the help they need in more interactive assignments, rather than using class time for less interactive lessons. One of the most popular websites that can be used in the flipped classroom, according to chapter 10, is Khan Academy. In this website, students watch videos recorded by teachers and professors as they share their knowledge of the subjects they are teaching. As teachers delve into their subjects, they provide step-by-step instructions of how to accomplish any task. When students learn in a flipped classroom, they have learn new materials in a way that can help their gained knowledge stick with them. The only problem I have with the flipped classroom model is that some  students may not watch the videos that allow them to learn new material at home. Whether this is due to limited internet access or laziness, this could hinder the learning process for other students as teachers struggle to keep their kids on the same page.
     Professional development is the way teachers change their techniques in order to mirror the future ways children may need to process information. A teacher's professional development reelects the ways their students will be able to apply the things they learn in class to the modern world. In my personal career as an educator, I think v-logs have some of the best opportunities for future learning developments. Using v-logs, students and teachers can be connected on a personal level no matter where they are. Even when a student is face to face with their teacher, v-logs can help students explore new options in the educational field by removing any boarders students have from receiving international lessons.
    Beyond exploring new cultures through the use of international lessons, v-logs could revolutionize the way students stay home from school due to illness. Right now, if a student misses a class, they lose the educational exposure they would have received in class. In the future, v-logs will make it possible for students to hear and experience a lesson from their homes, if necessary. With the rapid development of the world today, each missed day of education has the potential to disrupt a child's future. In my own personal means of professional development, I will use these up and coming technologies to protect the vigor of my students' education. I have mentioned a few of the ways v-logs can help further the educational process, but I'm sure these services can offer more helpful techniques than I ever imagined. There are a number of resources available to make my v-log dream a reality. Through the use of Skype for education and helpful resources from Microsoft Education, I can better myself in my endeavors to professionally develop v-logs in my classroom.
     I learned that Powerpoint is much easier to use than I remembered in the Information Dissemination project. I have not made a Powerpoint in almost a year before this project, and I was truly relieved to find that Microsoft had streamlined the process so much. I am so glad that we got to choose a fun topic for our powerpoint. I think this made me put more effort into the project, as I enjoyed what I was working with. If I had to make a complaint about the project, I would say that I did not like the animations we had to put on two of the slides. Other than that, the project was an enjoyable experience. I've been doing a lot of thinking recently, and I have decided I would like to become a teacher. Because of this, I need to become extremely Powerpoint savvy in order to present information well to my students. This being said, the information dissemination project gave me a great opportunity to manipulate Powerpoint. Below are some screenshots of my project:

Blog Post 8

     Chapter 12 offered a look into the use of many tools that will shape the future of education. The tool that I found held the most potential for change is 3D printing. I think this technology is so important because it opens the door for all types of learners to have a chance to interact with models of what they are learning. In a school with an engineering program, 3D printers can give students the opportunity to make better machines as they develop their interests in engineering. For blind or visually impaired students, 3D printing creates interactive models that allow those students to quite literally get a "feel" for what they are learning. For history lessons, 3D printing would give students a hands-on opportunity to see the artifacts of the past and hold them. This concrete object would make the learning process more memorable and interactive. 3D printing offers so many opportunities for students to learn in better and more interactive ways. Beyond the general advantages offered by 3D printing, it is a technology that can allow students with special needs and disabilities to have a better learning experience.
     One advancement that I think could be really useful for education in the future is the incorporation of AutoCad software into more classrooms. AutoCad allows students to dip their toes into the waters of engineering, as it is a programing tool that lets its users build 2D and 3D models. Though it may not be the most practical tool for every day learning, having experience with AutoCad could change the lives of students as they learn what they are passionate about. Some of my friends who experimented with AutoCad decided to major in engineering because of this software. Others decided not to go into the engineering field because they did not enjoy working with AutoCad. Despite the outcomes, I think it was an important learning experience for both groups of people. As school systems are making a push to get students involved with more STEM related subjects, I think this tool would be a great building block for students to have some of their first interactions with computer coding with. I am not familiar with the program at all, but I wish I would have been introduced to it at an earlier age. It is this longing for experience that makes me think AutoCad would be a great "future technology" to introduce to students. Information on AutoCad and how to download it can be found here.
     Now that I've moved to FSU, I'm definitely on the more technologically advanced side of the digital divide. When I was at home, I did not have wifi because of the rural area I lived in. This is not to say that I did not have internet access, I did. It was just more of a hassle to use the personal hotspot on my phone to use my laptop than it is now, especially due to the insanely high cost of data. Now that I have unlimited access to wifi and data, I know that I fall on the opposite side of the spectrum than I was previously. I have to say, since this change has occurred my life has gotten much easier. The digital divide will affect my classroom poorly as I have to teach elementary skills to the children who need it. For students who live on the more privileged side of the digital divide, these skills will be boring. The children who need these skills may feel a pressure to not say anything when they are confused about these skills out of embarrassment. In order to address this issue, I plan to teach technology basics in the most exciting way possible. By turning new information into a game, I can ensure that all of my students are stimulated throughout my lessons. When assigning homework, I would always take into account the digital divide. I would always ensure that every student had the means to do the assignment I gave them before I made it a grade. Though I wish all students had the same opportunity, I know the digital divide will affect my classroom in the future. In regards to this situation, I will do everything in my power to equalize the opportunity for success among students.

Blog Post 7

     Bloom's taxonomy follows a hierarchy of evaluation, synthesis, analysis, application, comprehension and knowledge. With the help of powerpoint, each of these points can be met in a comprehensive way to further the learning process. In my example, I will describe Bloom's taxonomy in reference to an English literature powerpoint. In order to use evaluation in a lesson, my powerpoint  would compare the ideas and outcomes present in two different novels. Synthesis can be present in a powerpoint presentation as the slides can spark discussion that forces students to make inferences and predictions based on the novels they would have read in my class. Powerpoints create cues of analysis, as they drive discussion. In my case, I would use terms that would force students to think about different ways they could look at literature. As students meet the application requirement of Bloom's taxonomy, they use problem solving methods to learn more about the subjects they are studying. In my lit powerpoint, students will have to think about the different ways novels can be presented, and what this means in relation to its overall meaning. Comprehension requires that students understand what is going on in the lesson they are being taught, and nothing can provide a clear explanation better than a powerpoint. In my powerpoint the compilation of all the elements of the lesson and Bloom's taxonomy will allow students to comprehend what I am trying to teach them. The most basic part of Bloom's taxonomy is knowledge. Without it, I could not use my powerpoint to give my students information, just as my students would not be able to comprehend the material.
     As the podcast said, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) broke the ground for new assistive technologies to become available in the classroom. These technologies have since made the lives of people with physical, mental, and learning disabilities much easier. Some of the technologies described in chapter 4 that make the learning process easier for those with any type of disability are modified keyboards, visually adaptive monitors, braille printers, and voice input tools. These tools can help learners with either impediments properly access the tools they need to learn to their full potential. Though the list of actual adaptive technologies is exhaustive, I found these to be among the most useful. Growing up, my grandfather was blind. Because of this, I have seen the revolutions in technologies for the visually impaired in real time. As technology advances, more and more tools become available to those who need it the most. I have seen my grandfather use modified keyboards and voice input devices to communicate with his loved ones. The only problem I see stemming from adaptive technology in the classroom is the costs associated with it. In order for these technologies to be as effective as possible, they must remain up to date. With the constant budget cuts education faces, the cost of modernity may pose a problem for assistive technologies.
     I had a surprising amount of fun working on my web design. I came into the project nervous that I would not understand how to use the technology at all, but I was met with a shockingly simple approach to creating websites. I loved that I had so much creative freedom with the design of the websites. I really enjoy working with aesthetics, so this was a fun project for me. This knowledge of how to create a website is going to be so important in my future as an educator, as I will have the ability to connect with my students in a much more streamlined way. With proper design skills, I can earn the respect of my students and their parents. The only part of the project I did not like were the website generators that were not Weebly. I found the design process of these other sites to be over complicated, and I would recommend omitting them in future assignments.

My Website

Blog Post 6

     At my high school, teachers had the option of whether or not they kept class websites. In the English department at my school, most of the teachers chose to keep their students informed through the use of a blog. I am focusing on the senior English classes at Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida. In these websites, the teachers posted different tools to keep students on track as they tried to complete assignments outside of class. Every teacher that had a website, and posted their syllabus on it. Specific directions for upcoming assignments were updated in conjunction with the syllabus. Some teachers opted to post their lesson plans for the year in addition to their syllabus for the class. A couple of the teachers chose to include a brief autobiography about themselves in their websites. Contact information was provided by each teacher. Student work could be accessed through a google classroom that some teachers had a link to on their websites, but not everyone could access this information as it infringed on the privacy of students. The websites are some of the most useful ways for students to collect information from their teachers. Pictured below is an example of one of my past teacher's classroom blogs and the website where you could access classroom blogs.

     Technology use in the classroom is the best way to ensure that my responsibilities as a professional are met efficiently and effectively. According to the podcast, the Microsoft Office Suite is one of, if not the most important tools a teacher can use to manage their classroom. Word and Powerpoint would allow me to save my work and lecture notes for years, rather than have to recreate a lesson each time a topic is brought up. If I use a word processor such as ever note to save my lesson plans, I can save any information I may need for my classes. This process of saving my plans digitally would save me time and keep my resources together as I taught similar material in the future. Chapter 7 gave me the idea of using GoDocs on a mobile device. This would make my work more efficient as I could always access and edit something that I was working on, if i deemed it necessary. Technology offers a streamlined approach to education that allows teachers to work from their old ideas rather than creating entirely new plans for every situation. I think these tools will become the most important tools I use in my future career as an educator. 

     In the Web Evaluation assignment, I learned a way to do group work without having to meet with other members in person. Wikis allowed my group to work on our project on our own time and at our own pace, which is so important for making sure our work gets done in spite of our busy schedules. I liked the Wiki project because it allowed me to interact with my first online group project in a low stress environment. We all got to grow together with this new information, rather than us being thrown into a project with more experienced people. The only part of the project I did not like was the fact that the instructions for our Wiki were confusing at first. Even this small problem was resolved as I got more involved with the project, and the directions became far more clear. The directions are the only part of the assignment that need to be improved, in my opinion. I can use the tools I learned in this project in my future endeavors as an educator in two very important ways. I can show my future students an easy way to accomplish group work, and I can collaborate with other instructors on lesson plans and teaching tools.