To be honest, some of the best information I found wasn't really about teaching in and of itself, but more on how to pass the Physics CSET. I want to have job security so I am going to attempt this test over the summer, but my physics is rusty. The PLN I joined had a lot of helpful threads from people who have taken and passed the exam. Many listed the study materials they felt were essential. I haven't really had time to contribute but I found the Chemistry and Biology exams very easy so maybe in the future I can add some helpful hints and tips for others trying to pass those two exams.
There are a number of great threads on teaching as well, some of which I have browsed. To be honest, time is just a major factor for me and I just don't have a whole lot of time to communicate this way. I do most of my professional development with my colleagues at my school site. If I want to advice or want to try something new I usually just Google something like, "hands-on method of teaching stoichiometry" or "inquiry-based lab on chemical bonding" and get a lot of great stuff. While I think the PLN I joined is great, it isn't easy to hop-on, login and communicate when you are pressed for time. I think it would be kind of cool if they had a app that allowed you to easily browse the forums on your mobile phone, but that doesn't exist as of this posting.
As far as Twitter goes, I really didn't use it. I don't like it and don't ever see myself trying this. I prefer Remind101 to send messages to students and parents. The only downside is they can't respond to you directly through text, but in my opinion that isn't really a bad thing; I don't want to receive text messages from my students or their parents at any time throughout the day. My email is available on my website so they can always contact me that way.
The RSS feed, to be honest, wasn't all that helpful for me, I just didn't have time to log-in and read up on stuff. While I think it is nice to have all of your feeds in one spot, I'd rather just visit the sites themselves if I was interested. The Mac has an OS X app called caffeinated that is essentially an RSS feeder that I might try at some point later on. Most of the stuff I was sent through the RSS feed was from Nat Geo and it was interesting, but I just didn't find it all that useful.
The blog I thought could be implemented into my class and I might try it if I could find a "safe" way of doing it. I am always worried about student content going live because I don't have complete control over it and I don't have the time to monitor everything students say. While I didn't share this blog with students I often find myself doing or experiencing something in daily life and thinking it would be a great example to share with my students (typically about science or Chemistry specifically). I might start a part of my webpage as a blog where I can write about how science is found in everyday life/things and allow the students to read and comment on it. I would like to have the students do something similar, maybe as an extra credit project. Again, my only reservation is having them do it online, I don't trust all of my students to behave appropriately and I don't want to have the blame put on me for something they do or say. If I could find a safe way of implementing student blogs that didn't require me to monitor everything, I would probably implement this.
Website with Labs and Book Assignments:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~rrgarcia/Labs.html
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Half Way Reflection
I am actually fairly surprised at some of the things I have learned this semester. I find CSS to be really interesting. I remember coding simple HTML websites back in the day and things have changed so much. I remember having to change font colors for every single < font > tag I used when I wanted to change them; it was a real headache, especially as I started adding in a whole bunch of pages. I wish CSS had been around then. I like the idea of designing my websites to look the same and only having to create one style sheet. To be honest I always considered CSS to be something I would never try learning, because honestly, I don't need it. Nevertheless, I am enjoying learning it and plan to try using some of the coding to enhance my Weebly site.
I have also been really excited to learn about FTP. I remember when I had my site it had a built in editor (I think it was AngelFire) and I always used that. I preferred using NoteBook for my coding but couldn't because I didn't know how to upload it using FTP protocol. After trying it in this class I have found that it is actually really easy and would have made things easier for me in the past. The built in editor for AngelFire was so small it was hard to see all of the code at once. I remember also having to create a website for an anthropology class and I had to go back and create it in AngelFire instead of doing it through the CPP server, it was a headache; I wish I had known how to do it.
Summary: Most difficult, truthfully is attending class, I don't get back home after work so I'm essentially busy from 6:30 when I get up to 10:00 in the night. Nevertheless it is interesting once I get there.
Most rewarding: finally being able to use FTP successfully and understanding it.
Favorite Lab: Adding the gradients to the navigation button and having them change when a mouse is hovered over it. Really cool!
http://www.csupomona.edu/~rrgarcia/Labs.html
I have also been really excited to learn about FTP. I remember when I had my site it had a built in editor (I think it was AngelFire) and I always used that. I preferred using NoteBook for my coding but couldn't because I didn't know how to upload it using FTP protocol. After trying it in this class I have found that it is actually really easy and would have made things easier for me in the past. The built in editor for AngelFire was so small it was hard to see all of the code at once. I remember also having to create a website for an anthropology class and I had to go back and create it in AngelFire instead of doing it through the CPP server, it was a headache; I wish I had known how to do it.
Summary: Most difficult, truthfully is attending class, I don't get back home after work so I'm essentially busy from 6:30 when I get up to 10:00 in the night. Nevertheless it is interesting once I get there.
Most rewarding: finally being able to use FTP successfully and understanding it.
Favorite Lab: Adding the gradients to the navigation button and having them change when a mouse is hovered over it. Really cool!
http://www.csupomona.edu/~rrgarcia/Labs.html
Monday, November 4, 2013
Journal #5 - Twitter
I really do not like social media, including Twitter. I don't see the point of posting little blurbs about what you're doing or how you feel and I am even less inclined to follow other people to see what they're doing and how they feel. I think there are better things to do with my time and I don't find anyone interesting enough to follow. This particular social media app really has me confused, at least FaceBook is more involved; really don't understand how anyone could use this on a personal level, not to offend.
Nevertheless I can kind of see how it could be used in the classroom, I just feel like the particular benefits listed would be suitable for a single classroom or for my classroom in particular. I think it would be great as a communication tool but it still puts the teacher at risk for disciplinary action if a student does something stupid. I'd rather use Remind101 which practically eliminated any risks and works just as well; I personally don't want the students to be able to communicate with me whenever they want, so Remind101 fits my needs best.
I think I just have a natural aversion to social media apps and this one in particular really strikes me as being quite useless. I understand it could be beneficial for a classroom, I just think the benefits aren't worth having students sign up for another account or the teacher having to manage another account.
Nevertheless I can kind of see how it could be used in the classroom, I just feel like the particular benefits listed would be suitable for a single classroom or for my classroom in particular. I think it would be great as a communication tool but it still puts the teacher at risk for disciplinary action if a student does something stupid. I'd rather use Remind101 which practically eliminated any risks and works just as well; I personally don't want the students to be able to communicate with me whenever they want, so Remind101 fits my needs best.
I think I just have a natural aversion to social media apps and this one in particular really strikes me as being quite useless. I understand it could be beneficial for a classroom, I just think the benefits aren't worth having students sign up for another account or the teacher having to manage another account.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Journal #4
Site Title: The Importance of Science
Developer: Rick Garcia
Focus: This website may serve as a site to link to from my class website so that students can explore the importance of learning science. I currently do not have any presentations on this, so it would be very helpful, especially at the beginning of the year.
Main Features: Explorations of the importance of science both globally, locally and personally. It will include external links to reputable sources for students to explore further.
Content: Students will find a website that focuses on the importance of science globally, locally and personally. I hope to be able to provide examples for each so that students can explore how science affects them. There will be at least two examples per category.
For global aspects I may include some examples of deforestation, ocean pollution, species extinction, important medical advancements, human rights, global warming, etc. I will choose examples that will best provide the students with a sense that scientific studies affect them on a larger scale (globally).
For local aspects I may include examples of technology, medicine, university, community projects, etc.
For personal aspects I may include examples of human behavior, medicine, career options, technology, personal hobbies, literacy and thinking skills, etc.
I am not 100% sure which topics I will cover in each category but the above are some topics I may include. As you can see the overall website will be showing students why we bother teaching them science in high school.
There will also be a contact information area.
Target Audience: Since i have to create website from scratch, I figure I might as well make one that I can actually use. With this in mind I decided to create this website to link from my main Weebly site. It would be a good activity for students next year, a webquest of some sort. That isn't to say the website would be only for students; people of all ages do not understand how science has an impact on their daily lives, so the audience could be much broader than high school students. So, my audience is any person who doesn't understand the importance of science, but my target audience is high school science students.
Design: I want the website to match that of my Weebly site; dark gray and black colors for background with teal and white colored text and images. I want the website to be very easy to navigate to keep student confusion to a minimum. I would like each example to have an external link so students can find more information from a reputable source. I would like the examples to link from the main page and "flow" like a PowerPoint from one slide to the next (options to go back to the main page will still be available on every page); once all examples have been completed for each area, it will go to the next one. (Global Example 1 -? Global Example 2, Global Example 3 -> Local Example 1, etc)
Limitations: One of the major limitations is the age of my target audience. The website should be clear and concise without being too lengthy or wordy. The information needs to be easy to find and understand. The website also has to be very easy to navigate so they do not get frustrated and leave without exploring all of the content. Furthermore, it should be "nice"; either colorful or, in my opinion, black with colorful marking.
Developer: Rick Garcia
Focus: This website may serve as a site to link to from my class website so that students can explore the importance of learning science. I currently do not have any presentations on this, so it would be very helpful, especially at the beginning of the year.
Main Features: Explorations of the importance of science both globally, locally and personally. It will include external links to reputable sources for students to explore further.
Content: Students will find a website that focuses on the importance of science globally, locally and personally. I hope to be able to provide examples for each so that students can explore how science affects them. There will be at least two examples per category.
For global aspects I may include some examples of deforestation, ocean pollution, species extinction, important medical advancements, human rights, global warming, etc. I will choose examples that will best provide the students with a sense that scientific studies affect them on a larger scale (globally).
For local aspects I may include examples of technology, medicine, university, community projects, etc.
For personal aspects I may include examples of human behavior, medicine, career options, technology, personal hobbies, literacy and thinking skills, etc.
I am not 100% sure which topics I will cover in each category but the above are some topics I may include. As you can see the overall website will be showing students why we bother teaching them science in high school.
There will also be a contact information area.
Target Audience: Since i have to create website from scratch, I figure I might as well make one that I can actually use. With this in mind I decided to create this website to link from my main Weebly site. It would be a good activity for students next year, a webquest of some sort. That isn't to say the website would be only for students; people of all ages do not understand how science has an impact on their daily lives, so the audience could be much broader than high school students. So, my audience is any person who doesn't understand the importance of science, but my target audience is high school science students.
Design: I want the website to match that of my Weebly site; dark gray and black colors for background with teal and white colored text and images. I want the website to be very easy to navigate to keep student confusion to a minimum. I would like each example to have an external link so students can find more information from a reputable source. I would like the examples to link from the main page and "flow" like a PowerPoint from one slide to the next (options to go back to the main page will still be available on every page); once all examples have been completed for each area, it will go to the next one. (Global Example 1 -? Global Example 2, Global Example 3 -> Local Example 1, etc)
Limitations: One of the major limitations is the age of my target audience. The website should be clear and concise without being too lengthy or wordy. The information needs to be easy to find and understand. The website also has to be very easy to navigate so they do not get frustrated and leave without exploring all of the content. Furthermore, it should be "nice"; either colorful or, in my opinion, black with colorful marking.
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| Site WireFrame |
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| Site Map |
Monday, October 21, 2013
Journal #3
I really think using social media could be a major benefit to students. While I am concerned with online predators and bullies, I think the problem is made to be larger than it really is. Truthfully, although students are "safer" at school, the truth is they would be exposed to these dangers at home anyways. I think the key is to teach the students how to be safe rather than simply avoiding social media all together. With that said I do not use social media simply because in today's day and age, blame for anything that goes wrong is always placed on the teacher. Every year there is always some ridiculous story about a teacher being fired because of what was found on a social media site (sometimes it isn't even the teacher's profile). This is why I stay away from it; I don't want to be the next teacher being fired because a student posted something they shouldn't have on a class blog.
I think it is unfair that teachers would be the first ones to be blamed and it is because of this mentality that I feel many teachers don't implement this kind of technology. I was honestly thinking about starting an edmodo until I heard so many other teachers at my site mention how it could eventually lead to problems, so that ended my flirtation with social media in the classroom. I think until this attitude of "blame the teacher" stops, many teachers will refuse to use this kind of technology, despite the power it could possibly hold. I know this is the case for many teachers at my school site. Plus, I hate social media to be honest.
Despite that, two things form the article really made me want to integrate social media into my classroom. I thought the teacher that was able to show students are willing to do assignments simply because it was social media was pretty ingenious. I never thought something like this would work and it does show that students may be willing to work if you simply provide them with a means to do the work in a way they are familiar. I really can't believe that over 100 students participated in the no-credit assignments; I wish I could get something like this started in my class without having to fear for my job safety. Many students seem like they just need something to do and their phones make it so easy. So I guess providing them with a way to integrate their learning into their social media makes a lot of sense. I think if I started this I would have to offer extra credit to really make it take off. Nevertheless, I think it would be cool to have students take pictures of a chemical reaction they see taking place at home and upload it to their profile, or something similar.
The other thing is the talk about collaboration. I personally do not like collaborating on anything. I like doing things myself and feel like I can always do a better job when I work alone. Typically when forced to work in groups I let the other group members know I will do the entire project myself and put their names on it; no one has ever rejected my proposal. Nevertheless, I have found collaboration to be a powerful tool in the teaching profession and have come to realize that it is expected in the job force. It is important that students learn how to collaborate because it does require some skill and knowledge. Students have to learn how to work with a group before they enter the job force; it requires being both a leader and a follower, not something many people can do well without some practice. This can be worked into the classroom without the use of social media though so I think many teachers can do something like this without the use of FaceBook and the like. I really do hate FaceBook.
I think it is unfair that teachers would be the first ones to be blamed and it is because of this mentality that I feel many teachers don't implement this kind of technology. I was honestly thinking about starting an edmodo until I heard so many other teachers at my site mention how it could eventually lead to problems, so that ended my flirtation with social media in the classroom. I think until this attitude of "blame the teacher" stops, many teachers will refuse to use this kind of technology, despite the power it could possibly hold. I know this is the case for many teachers at my school site. Plus, I hate social media to be honest.
Despite that, two things form the article really made me want to integrate social media into my classroom. I thought the teacher that was able to show students are willing to do assignments simply because it was social media was pretty ingenious. I never thought something like this would work and it does show that students may be willing to work if you simply provide them with a means to do the work in a way they are familiar. I really can't believe that over 100 students participated in the no-credit assignments; I wish I could get something like this started in my class without having to fear for my job safety. Many students seem like they just need something to do and their phones make it so easy. So I guess providing them with a way to integrate their learning into their social media makes a lot of sense. I think if I started this I would have to offer extra credit to really make it take off. Nevertheless, I think it would be cool to have students take pictures of a chemical reaction they see taking place at home and upload it to their profile, or something similar.
The other thing is the talk about collaboration. I personally do not like collaborating on anything. I like doing things myself and feel like I can always do a better job when I work alone. Typically when forced to work in groups I let the other group members know I will do the entire project myself and put their names on it; no one has ever rejected my proposal. Nevertheless, I have found collaboration to be a powerful tool in the teaching profession and have come to realize that it is expected in the job force. It is important that students learn how to collaborate because it does require some skill and knowledge. Students have to learn how to work with a group before they enter the job force; it requires being both a leader and a follower, not something many people can do well without some practice. This can be worked into the classroom without the use of social media though so I think many teachers can do something like this without the use of FaceBook and the like. I really do hate FaceBook.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Journal #2
I decided to join the AZ Teacher Stuff affinity group. I
love this forum and have browsed it often over the years, especially when I was
preparing for my CSET exams. I never actually made it a point to join and start
sharing some of what I know with other members. Now that I have a number of
years of teaching experience and have went through the process, I believe I can
add some insight to a number of the discussions. The site doesn’t focus on test
prep exclusively, but on almost any topic you can think of in the realm of
education. It is a great site filled with support for educators.
I was browsing the forums and found a post from a teacher
disappointed with her students not studying for her class. This is something I
currently have problems with as well; seeing other teachers with similar
problems made me feel like, at the very least, I wasn’t the only one.
Furthermore, comments with tips and suggestions were listed from other educators,
which provided me with inspiration to try a few of them and determine if they
could in fact be successful for my students. One teacher mentioned something
that I had not really considered; some of my students may not study because
they do not know how. With this information I plan to start showing the
students the best ways to study for my class, which might get some of them to
start putting in a little more study time. Overall I hope to gain more insight
into my teaching practice.
I personally do not like the DIGG reader. I am becoming more
“mobile” and having to open up a browser on a desktop to look at the
information is not feasible for me. I prefer mobile apps like FlipBoard. Unfortunately,
the “boards” on this app are very general and there isn’t one that focuses on
education. Nevertheless, finding the news you are interested in is easier. I
think using an RSS reader for mobile phones might work better for me as I would
be able to open it on my phone when I’m bored and browse. Mobile devices really
are taking over for me.
11. How can you participate and be an active member
in the affinity group?
I believe taking the time to post a
few comments every week will make me an active member of the group. I hope to
be able to share some insight with other educators from my own experiences as a
teacher. I believe this is a great way to actually collaborate with educators
that are not at my school site.
22. Is there a way to make RSS available for people
who prefer mobile platforms vs. traditional desktops?
I have found a number of apps available for
mobile platforms but have not had an opportunity to try them yet. I believe it
would be much easier for me to actually use the RSS feeder if it was a simple
app on my phone. I use FlipBoard a lot when I am bored, this would provide me
with a similar way to burn some time and get some information.
Affinity Group Link: http://forums.atozteacherstuff.com/
Monday, October 7, 2013
Week One - Chapters 1-3
As I went through the first chapter I was surprised to see how many changes and additions have been made since the last time I did any website development. I never designed websites professionally but I had a fan site for a favorite TV show of mine that I learned how to create all by myself. This was in 1996 when websites were still pretty basic. I learned HTML all by myself and at some point stopped practicing with it. Now with things like Weebly and Yola, beautiful website creators, I never really felt like going back to learn of all the changes. I had never heard of CSS, XML, PHP, FLASH and the like and am excited to learn about them. Despite having a fairly cool Weebly website for my class, I would still like to have the freedom to develop a website exactly the way I want it with no limitations. So I am excited to start looking at the website development portion of this class.
Something else that really caught my eye was how many “things” now have access to the web. I started with a computer and now I have so many web connected devices I don’t think I could count them. Recently I bought a new car that has access to the web for MOG. The picture of the refrigerator with web access seems funny but I bet something like that is already in production. It would actually be kind of cool if it could access the web for recipes and the like. I also have TV’s that can now receive signals from the web directly allowing me to ditch the ROKU box. Truly, access to the web is expanding so much and it seems so normal now, but in 1996 it probably would have sounded like science fiction to me. I have actually become really interested in getting started with website production now and hope I could actually create my own site for both web browsers on desktop computers and maybe even a mobile version (most of my students connect this way)
I found the reduced search time data interesting as well. It is something I would never think about to be honest. Amazon increased their overall sales by simply reducing the amount of load time for their searches. It makes sense because I know I get really pushy when websites don’t load fast enough. I was also surprised to see that web access on mobile devices is looking to become the primary way users connect. I have only built simple websites where optimization wasn’t really an issue, but I can see how it could quickly become an issue for some users with slow internet connections.
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