Blog Post 8

Adaptive technologies allows teachers to teach per the student and helps students to focus on their own strengths and weaknesses. This is incredibly helpful because a general teaching style does not work for everyone. Not everyone can listen to a lecture and get all of the information perfectly and only have to read the textbook to study for a test. Some students need to see it on a PowerPoint or need to see a graph in order to grasp the concept. By focusing on the student rather just trying to get the information across, students will have a more enjoyable learning experience. I have never used any technology like this but I have had a teacher that told me they used this kind of software. He used it as a first day ice breaker in his computer classes. Unfortunately I was his TA so I never did it, but it tested the students to see how they learned best. With this information, he adapted his teaching style to ensure all of the students were getting the best experience possible from the class.

A challenge with adaptive technology is that it can be distracting and can be abused. Although many students will benefit from it, others might use it as an opportunity to have a free day on FunBrain. Also, students may be distracted by something going on on another students computer and not be zoned into what they are suppose to be doing, even if it is specifically geared towards that student. Another general issue with relying on technology is that it is not perfect. If there is an issue with the internet that day or a specific program is not formatted properly, the whole day now needs to be reinvented on the spot, which can be very stressful for the teacher. 

I found the website EdSurge and it was really impressive. It had current information on technology in the Education field and things that are in development. It included numerous different categories of news and ranges from Kindergarten to higher education and accounts for everything in between. This would be a very helpful website for a teacher because it allows them to keep up with the news that directly affects them and their ability to have the most efficient classroom.

PLN

One of the first personal learning networks I thought of was Facebook. Many students assume right away that Facebook it only for posting embarrassing photos of friends or changing your profile picture so you get more likes. Since being in college, I have definitely used Facebook in a different way. I have joined numerous groups and pages where people are talking about statistics or ENC2135 or honestly any subject I have been struggling in. It is good to know that you are not the only one struggling as well as reaching out to students that may have a better understanding of the subject matter and be willing to help. This is something that could be incredibly useful in a teaching environment. Facebook allows you to post in the group, so this could allow teachers to reach out for help with how to manage a certain type of student or cater to a certain kind of learner. They are able to get feedback from people all over the country and hopefully take away a tactic that will be helpful in their classroom.
https://www.facebook.com/

Another helpful source is Groupme. Groupme is an app where people can be added into a group with similar people. Again this has been very helpful in college with juggling numerous clubs and organizations. It keeps things organized and easy to access. With Groupme, one person can pose a question and get 20 responses in minutes. It also stores all of the texts and photos so it is easy to go back in the group and find something that may have been asked previously. You also have the ability to personally message someone outside of the group. This has an advantage because if you see someone saying exactly the same issues you are having, you can reach out to them on a more personal level to discuss what the other has seen work or fail.
https://groupme.com/en-US/

Blog Post 7

I have actually really enjoyed Twitter but I am struggling keeping up with the weekly tweets. I do not typically utilize social media in my daily life so it is slightly difficult to remember to continuously tweet. Something that has been very beneficial is reading articles and seeing tweets directly from people. In today's society I think it is easy to get mixed up and confused to someones true intentions with words. Through twitter, people can say exactly what they mean and make statements more clearly. This goes for politicians, celebrities, and the guy next door. It does not place more value on one or the other because someone else tweeting does not take away from your ability to tweet as well. I also appreciate the articles people retweet because it is usually something relevant and something I would actually care to read, rather than going on a news network and having to sort through a lot of topics that may not interest me as much.

I struggled a lot in the beginning of making my website, I'm not going to lie. The first one I made I somehow deleted and had to start all over! But once I worked out the kinks, it was actually really fun! I liked being able to mess around with it and see all of the different ways I could make my website. I also loved being able to pick a theme. I didn't know if it would have everything already picked for me, so being able to choose exactly what I wanted to do in the colors I chose was pretty cool! Next time, I think I would make it more dynamic. The website I made looked like it could have been done on word. I think by making it more like a functioning website, I would reap more benefits and possibly share it with some friends! 

http://jmcgrath3.weebly.com

Prior to this class, I had never heard of nor used Diigo. After being introduced to the application, I am so disappointed I never used it in a class! I think Diigo is genius and just plain awesome. I have stated in numerous other posts that an incentive system is one of the best ways to inspire kids to get involved and behave in the classroom. When I was in school, we had a chart and every time we answered a question or helped the teacher, we got a star to put on our chart. When we misbehaved, we got a star taken away. Something as little as a sticker star was absolutely amazing because you were the coolest kid around if you had a lot of stars. Diigo is essentially that but modernized. It is a way for child to be rewarded and inspired to do good in the classroom. One of the other amazing perks is that parents are able to see how their child is doing. If your child is misbehaving, parents can have a conversation with their child, instead of getting a call out of the blue saying how horrible your child has been! I think Diigo is incredibly useful in a classroom setting and is definitely something I would consider utilizing in my classroom.