Blog Journal #9

On Distance Learning:

    During the second half of my 7th grade year, I attended school through Zoom, and completed all my assignments on Google Classroom.  This was a big shift from traditional instruction, as my school primarily used pen and paper for assignments, and Chromebook as additional tools for learning.  Regardless, my school adapted very efficiently and rapidly, taking into consideration the learning curve that this was for both faculty and students.  Every day, we would log onto Zoom at our regular schedule hours, and we would follow lectures and participate in activities just as we would do in class.  We would use Google Classroom to submit assignments, as well as the other Google apps (Docs, Slides) to complete assignments for our respective classes.  These technologies were effective, and although I preferred traditional instruction, we transitioned very smoothly.  Some of the distance-learning platforms that were popular but I did not experience were Khan Academy.  I know some schools would use their resources to expand instruction beyond online lectures, as some students were not getting the same results and needed additional online support.  I think Khan Academy would have been a good resource for Math, for example.

On Open Educational Resources: 

    These are resources available to all through the internet, from which students can extract valuable knowledge across subjects.  These textbooks, softwares, or videos are made available thanks to Creative Commons Licenses.  An example of an OER is OER Commons, a website accessible to all, in which one can find a diverse arrangement of learning resources such as worksheets, sample exams, lessons, etc.  Even better--these resources can be filtered quite effectively, from grade level to even meeting a specific state standard!  These would be tailored more specifically to teachers, yet students can also make use of the specificity of these searches.

On Assignment 4:

    Working on Assignment 4 has taught me about PowerPoint altogether because, although I knew about the platform, I had never used it.  I personally prefer Canva or Slides, yet PowerPoint features are very specific, and if you know how to utilize them to your advantage, you are able to create a great presentation that is both informative and engaging for students.  I liked the way that we could choose freely what subject and grade level we wanted to teach, as that made me more motivated to work harder on the project.  Next time that I use PowerPoint, I will be more of an expert in working the platform, and will be more effective in provide a higher quality presentation.  At the end of the day, practice makes perfect!