Post Number 4

As a teacher, I would have students do basic outlines of the chapter they will be presenting on to get the general idea of the content. The outlines would be typed using a word processing program and then turned in for grading. From their outline, students could then make an idea map, using a program such as Inspiration. After all of the initial research and outlining, the students would then make their presentation using storyboard software, so their presentation is both interactive and fun for the other students.

I would encourage outlines because it involves the students in active reading so they know what the key concepts are in each chapter. I would also encourage idea maps if I am requiring a presentation from the information because it provides an organizational structure that will make subsequent ideas easier to address. It also provides a way for students to make sure they are following their topic and not getting off subject or out of order. I would not necessarily require a storyboard presentation because they can be very indepth in creation and time consuming. For a larger, maybe end of the semester project, I would have students prepare one, but for little presentations in between I would only require PowerPoint presentations.

We didn't have class last week, but from the prior week, I enjoyed learning about Inspiration because it could prove to be very useful. I think that working our way around the web was supposed to be the topic for last week, and I would have enjoyed learning how to help students navigate the web in doing research for a class and making sure they find the right information and know how to cite the information they use so they don't get in trouble. The internet is a very powerful tool, but students need to be aware of its pitfalls and know how to give credit where credit is due.

Post Number 3

I would like to be a high school History teacher, so my lesson plan would be something along those lines. For the sake of this entry, I will make my lesson plan for Advanced Placement European History. Generally, this is a senior class, but juniors, and sometimes sophomores, also take the class. I would use Inspiration to create my lesson plan because it allows me to easily creat flow charts and have multiple branches. Each class could be a different branch and from their different branches I could have their lesson for the day. I could also use Microsoft Word to make a pacing guide and the anticipated assignments and lessons for a given day to pass out to students in case they are getting behind or miss class for any reason.

My visual critique will be of the Facebook homepage. The Facebook homepage makes good use of limited color, and provides of an accent or contrasting color to improve visual interest. The page has eliminated superfluous items and provided only the necessities with one image related to page content. There is no stacked text, which makes it easy to read, and the text lines are short. It makes proper use of upper and lower case lettering and does not use flashing text to get the attention of the reader. The size of the image helps to relay the message of the site without the use of written words. The screen is well organized to provide visual efficiency and orient the users. The type styles are limited which helps maintain the user's attention without being flashy. Bold text is used in an appropriate manner to grab the user's attention. The site anticipates its audience and the focus is on one idea - signing up.

I have always been very conscientious of copyright laws and have always done my very best to give credit where credit is due. Unfortunately, I know some people who don't do this and it makes me very angry. In my opinion, it would be easier to type your own thoughts or come up with your own ideas, rather than copying and pasting an entire paper. There is technology to detect these instances, such as turnitin.com, and I am glad when teachers utilize this because it hurts those that did not do their own work and reinforces the good feeling of knowing you did the right thing for those who did. Students don't have to worry about being penalized if they do their own work, knowing that it will be checked for plagiarism. In my classroom, I will make sure to use the materials that have been provided and are available for copying, but I will also use outside materials. If I use other material, I will ensure that it is either public domain or comes from a membership site where you pay an annual fee to copy materials posted by others. With my students, I will go over the pitfalls of copying another's work, and emphasizing that they can be caught through the use of something like turnitin.com. There will be harsh penalties for those who try to cheat the system by violating copyright laws and grade will be lowered tremendously, if not a failing grade period. However, as long as they use footnotes and/or citations, then students have nothing to worry about since they cited their source.

Post Number 2

As a student, I've used Microsoft Word in various ways. I've written papers for different classes or typed notes from chapters that were assigned to read from these classes. I've seen my teachers use Microsoft Word in different ways as well. Some of them have used it to make tests, while others use it to make study guides which they distribute to the class. Many of my teachers have also used it to write letters at the beginning of the year and for different updates throughout the year.

As a teacher, I have different ideas as to how I want to utilize Microsoft Word. At various points throughout the school year, I will have my students do research papers and they will have to use a word processing program such as Microsoft Word. I also plan to write letters to parents, make tests and study guides, and even possibly teach my students more about Microsoft Word by having tutorials different times throughout the course.

So far in the class, I have learned how to use print screen and mail merge. Print screen will come in handy for demonstrations and tutorials, which I will probably do throughout the year. Mail merge will be very useful in making class labels and distributing letters to parents. I like the skills I have learned so far in the class and plan to make the best use of them throughout my teaching career.