Assistive Technology Assignment

I would like to start off by saying that this activity was very hard for me. I am not a computer genius. After making all the changes on my computer for the different steps I was unable to change it back to normal. I had to end up bringing my computer to someone for them to get all my settings corrected. I was also very unsure about steps 7 & 8. I ended up adding text in mine so that if the child could not focus on the picture, the words are at the bottom in the same hgh contrast colors that were used in step 2.

This activity was very difficult for me. I do think that it is extremely important for all educators to know how to modify all of their assignments and activites for students with disabilities. I have to say that I never knew that my computer was capable of all of those accessability options. I am glad that I now know that if I had to, I could modify clasroom computers so that everyone could access the assignemt. I am also posting my example of the assignment on here. I pasted two versions of my artifact. The first one contains the words on the last few slides and the second one is just the sounds.

Assistive Technology

Assisstive Technology 2

Using Turnitin...

My experience with the "turnitin" website hasn't been bad so far. I have had to use it since I started school at USM. I know that most of the teachers require you to use this when you turn in your major papers. They do this so that they can find the slackers who do not uphold the University's policy on plagiarism. I know that most of my teachers required that you had a certain percentage when they pulled up your paper. I am keeping my fingers crossed, because so far I have never been over 4%.

I feel that it is very important to prove the originality of each student's work. It is not fair that to the students who actually try to write a paper on their own, if their neighbor takes someone else's work and tries to pass it as their own. I think that websites such as these help teachers weed through the people who are really trying and those who waited until the last minute to do their assignment.


Turnitin 1

Turninit 2

Creating a Website...

This was probably my favorite assignment so far. I am a perfectionist and kept changing and updating my site several times. I have not quite finished my reference page, but I am working on it. I feel that it is important for teachers to create classroom websites for their students' parents and community members to see. Sometimes parents want to see and know what their children are leanring in school. If the teacher has their own website set up, then the parents can simply go online and check their child's lessons.

I feel that i would be very goo at this when I start teaching. I find it fun as well as educational. Nine times out of ten parents are learning along with their children. They have already had this type of learning, but they forget about. If a teacher has their own web site they can leave tutorials for parents so that they can help their children with their homework. It is extremely important to show artifacts to higher administration such as principals or board members. Having artifacts allows the teacher to have their back covered in case any type of questioning arises.


Kinder-Class

Chapter 11 Reflection...

Question #1- Reflect on ways to integrate multimedia tools into their classrooms I think that adding slide shows and digital stories is a very good idea. The digital stories give students the chance to express themselves or tell a story in their own words. I would probably use it as an introduction to myself and my classroom for the first day of school. I think it would also be a neat assignment to give the students so that they could share THEIR stories with their fellow classmates. I know that when I was younger we were told on the first day of class that we had to bring and item of value to class the next day and tell the class a little bit about us and our families. I think that seeing pictures and have the students tell the class about their family in their won words would be a wonderful idea. I personally enjoyed making the video. I did not like hearing my voice telling the story. There for, this one is not fully complete. I have to figure out what I would like to say during the video. So I hope you all enjoy this one so far!