Kathleen Gilmore

EDU214 Fall 2017

Assignment Reflections

Assignment 1 (8/31/17)

My Personal Essay

This was a great introductory assignment. I enjoyed starting with word processing just to

grease the wheels and get familiar with the basic usage of MS Word. This was more fun than it

was difficult. I did not submit my essay to smart thinking. However, now that I am familiar with

the resource I will do it every time I submit anything I write.

This can be a great way to teach students to be aware of their writing skills as well as

how to organize a topic into essay form. The Vark score can be utilized in the start of a class for

a fun activity. Students can go home or use school computers to take the Vark quiz, and report

back to me. After they do the quiz we can go over what the scores mean and it could be a good

icebreaker, or learning opportunity. Grade 100/100

Assignment 2 (9/5/17)

Designing your Classroom

There is so much to say about this assignment, but mostly because I could have worked

on it forever. I had a hard time navigating in the beginning, because I had never needed to use

the draw tool. After a few hours I got the hang of it, and began to enjoy the creative process. I

thoroughly enjoyed envisioning my ideal classroom and its functions. This motivated me

towards my teaching goals.

 This can be used to introduce students to all the features MS Word has, making it a

diverse educational tool that they are comfortable using. I would love to incorporate a blue print

exercise for the students to create. They could really explore all the tools word has to offer, and

become confident for future projects. I wish I had this assignment as a high school student it

would have been nice to know how to use these tools years ago. Grade 100/100

Assignment 3 (9/7/17)

Create Classroom Flyer/ Award

This assignment was so much fun. I thought about what I would do for hours. Then, I

finally got into MS Word and it only took me an hour to complete both. The templates made

these activities easier to navigate compared to the assignment 2. Since it was my second time

creating in MS Word it was less intensive. I really enjoyed imagining a classroom full of student

receiving these creations.

This can be used for so many seasonal projects for students to get familiar with different

templates in a fun activity. For example, the students could search available templates, or

download a new one to create an award they would like to give to a classmate they admire. This

would teach teamwork as well as introducing a new way to utilize MS Word. Another idea for a

class activity would be to design a flyer for an upcoming school event. They could create them,

and make them more motivated to give them to their parents. Grade 100/100

Assignment 4 (9/11/17)

Using CSN/CCSD sites/ Create E-Portfolio

 Initially I was intimidated by the sound of these activities. However, navigating the

CSN/CCSD websites was not difficult at all. Although there was so much content, I really

enjoyed as a parent finding all the resources/ information available. I was so happy having the

Weebly tutorial, it made creating and navigation essential. I cannot wait to add to my E-

Portfolio.

This would be a great way for older students to start thinking of career/ college goals as it

is a more professional way to display bodies of work. I would incorporate a whole weeks of

lesson planning for this assignment. First, assigning the introduction, and tutorial video on

Weebly. Next, letting the students create their site over a few days. Finally, they could present it

to the class with a portfolio of projects they are proud of. Grade 200/200

Assignment 5 (9/14/17)

Buying a Computer

This assignment was a little intimidating, because I am not very savvy when it comes to

buying electronics. I did a lot of research mainly online and asked around about what I should be

looking for. The research distracted me from completely detailing points fully. I was distracted

by making sure to list all the facts with proper grammar and format. I tried to make this report

unique and interesting while still giving the information requested.

This assignment could be used to teach students that funding is an important factor when

deciding on what technology is used in the classroom. Students might not realize how lucky

some schools are to get the technology, and funding they need to efficiently teach its students.

Also, this could be an excellent way to get students excited about research, as it might be a topic

they are very interested in. Grade 88/100

Assignment 6 (9/18/17)

Using Presentation Software PPT

This was another enjoyable activity to complete, as well as seeing what other classmates

did. I took my time and thought out an activity to present. I also spent all day perfecting every

aspect of the presentation. I could have played around with the features all day. The features

allow you to create a very personal presentation and put your signature touch on it. From slide

transition to inserting online photos and GIFs PPT allows room to play. I found MS Power Point

to be very versatile for both students and educators.

I could use PPT to have students introduce themselves to the class by inserting self-

describing pictures, and facts about their lives. This could teach them how to navigate, and

utilize all the tools in the program. While learning they are also motivated to show their

personalities by creating this presentation. Grade 100/100

Assignment 7 (9/21/17)

Creating a Spreadsheet

I am going to start by saying I was very intimidated by the assignment. I knew that this

would be a tool I would need to familiarize myself for my future career. I found Excel to be just

as easy to self-navigate as PPT. Trial and error led to discovering many features I used to build

my grading spreadsheet. It was a little difficult to figure out how to translate what I was

envisioning. However, I learned how to personalize my spreadsheets so I could understand the

information I was inputting.

 I know I could integrate this as into a lesson plan on any grade level. For example, I

could ask students to create a generic list to budget what it would cost to supply their household

with groceries for a month. This could be a great way introduce basic Excel skills. They would

have to also do research on the products, and learn how to organize and categorize the

information. By introducing this assignment, the students would have an idea of how teachers

use the program, also how they can incorporate it into everyday life. Grade 100/100

Assignment 8 (9/25/17)

Emerging Technologies

I am glad I was able to research some articles with great points about technology. I was

very motivated by what I read. Technology remains a source of intimidation for me, especially

on a professional level. However, I know that the use of technology is not only necessary, it is

only getting more integrated into education. I wish I had more time to fully report on what I read.

This article was a nine-page article so it was a relief that the assignment changed to write less.

However, I found it challenging to explain what I needed to in a couple of paragraphs.

This assignment would be great to teach students how to find an article and report the

information in and organized way. Searching for an article for a subject is something students

should learn as early as possible. This could be a great exercise for a group project as well. Not

all data bases are the same and they should know how to navigate a search. This could be

modified for any grade level. Most students are doing research everyday with you tube, or

google. This could help them refine their skills with that. Grade 100/100

Assignment 8 pt 2 (9/28/17)

Technology in special education

 I was very excited for this assignment as I have a son who is a special education student.

I started this thinking I would discover new resources for my future students as well as my son.

However, I must have went wrong somewhere as I only received half points for my work. I

touched on all the points laid out in the assignment description. Still I was unable to get the

entire ideas of the ten-page article into two paragraphs. I can see how the technology I found was

different from the other reports I read as it was more for the future of technology.

This would be another great way to introduce students to reporting information about

technology. It would be a great exercise for general education students to know that they are not

so different from their fellow special education classmates. I could use this assignment to

introduce the fact that technology is needed in all aspects of education. Grade 50/100

Assignment 9 (10/5/17)

Using Prezi Multimedia Software

Prezi was very professional and reminded me of the Weebly site. I was intimidated by

this assignment as well as I have never even heard of it. I felt like that lack of knowledge was a

weakness. The tutorial was not of the basic form of Prezi, and I did not get much tutoring from it.

The assignment required a couple of things that was not easy to figure out in Prezi. The animated

feature was not supported, but the template I chose was set up to navigate the rest of my tasks

sufficiently.

I would introduce this with older students the same as a way to get students to think about

their future, and long-term goals. For example, I would have students build a presentation of a

list of colleges they wish to attend. This presentation could have a spot for each school, and sup-

topics to describe the features they enjoy about the school. Also, a topic that is interesting and
motivating would be a career they are working towards. Then, they could present these creations

the same as a PPT slide show to the class. Grade 100/100

Assignment 10 (10/9/17)

Evaluating Educational Software

This assignment was very informative. I enjoyed getting familiar with software that I

could be utilizing in my own classroom. I did not have a problem navigating the three sites.

However, I did become overwhelmed a bit by the amount of content. I wanted to make sure I

explored the sites thoroughly to give a fair evaluation. This research allowed me to discover

useful content available for teachers and students educational needs.

This might be a good activity for students to get familiar with using different educational

software. Students could discover new educational resources. I could have them research the site,

and report back their favorite one. This report would explain why they think a site is useful and

how they could apply it to their own needs. It also exercises their research, and reporting skills.

Grade /100

Assignment 11 (10/12/17)

Using graphic organizers- inspiration

This assignment was very useful because, I had never made a graphic organizer. I decide

to use the MS Word draw tool to create my brain map. I tried to use inspiration, and it was very

one dimensional, this would have been a weakness in my final product. I felt like the inspiration

tool was not allowing my ideas to fully come alive. I really got excited about this lesson plan as I
envisioned having students participate in this activity. I learned the importance of having a vision

on paper to fully realize an idea.

This is a great way to update the bubble map and get students familiar with using

program tools to create a brain map. I would have students map out an outline to an essay. This

could be a fun, and creative way to get students excited about writing a paper. Brain maps have

an endless use in the classroom for several assignments. I look forward to incorporating brain

maps in every writing assignment. Grade /100

Midterm Project (10/2/17)

Part 1: Curriculum Table

1) The curriculum table was actually very fun to configure as it was more of an exploratory

activity. This was another motivating task as I found many lesson plans and chose the ones that I

would use in my classroom. Looking the lessons up by software was very simple. The site I used

the most was educationworld.com, because the layout was very simple to understand. I would

use this as activity for students to discover how lesson plans not just given but created, approved,

and sometimes shared for the betterment of education.

Part 2: a) Teacher Interview b) Administrator Interview

2a) In the teacher interview I feel like I had it very easy, because for one the educator was my

husband, but secondly, I enjoy asking people about their experiences. This is the best way for me

to learn, by paying attention to those who have come before me. I learned that integrating

technology into the classroom is quite a process. As I discovered in my research paper about

buying a computer for the classroom with a budget. Funding can sometimes hinder a teacher
from integrating technology in the way they want. I would also use this interviewing process to

show students how to learn from teachers.

2b) In the administrator interview I learned even more as there are so many rules and regulations

governing the use of technology within the entire school. What an amazing lesson I have learned

to interview an education administrator. I was nervous that he may not be as candid as I would

have needed to get the information necessary. He was like an open book which was perfect,

because it allowed me to learn things I could carry with me into my career. This would be an

amazing lesson to get students to learn how to really learn from an interview. Grade 297/300

Final (10/16/17)

Lesson Plan

This was a very engaging assignment. I learned a lot about myself, and what I would like

to teach. Even thought the assignment was to design a specific type of lesson I still felt like the

lesson idea was my own creation. I decided to use a template for writing up a lesson plan that

was already in MS Word. It was very helpful in organizing the information I needed to input. A

weakness was I had never written a lesson plan, much less design one with accommodations for

a special needs student. It was an inspiring experience. I cannot wait to teach students how

rewarding it is to create a plan that teaches others. With the templates in MS Word students

could easily create their own lessons as an activity for my class.

Rubric

The creation of the rubric was very intimidating as I have never created one. I could not

remember even having them in school. I know my son gets them for every project he does in

school so I was familiar with the layout. I referenced the example in the modules to help build
my own, and fit my lesson. First, I thought of what I would like the students to successfully

complete. Then, I thought of what would be an unsuccessful assignment. Finally, I filled in the

rest of the rubric with ideas that met those two criteria. I think this would be a great assignment

to teach students to be more mindful of how to successfully complete, and deliver a project.

Lesson Script

This was the most fun I had in the whole assignment. I have never done this type of script

before so this was a weakness for me. I really hope I was able to translate my lesson in the Power

Point Presentation. This was not an easy assignment by far. I found myself going back to it

several times to make sure I did not leave any ideas out. This would be a great way to have

students be mindful of the way they speak in a presentation. This assignment would also teach

students how to use the PPT program.

E-Portfolio

My E-Portfolio is an assignment that can last me through my whole college career, and

beyond. I was excited to have some more real content to add to my web page. At this point the

only weakness I might have is that I have not had to input so much content at once. A strength I

had this time around was that I knew exactly how to insert the components I needed to while

designing a good-looking page. This assignment would be a good way to introduce students to an

online portfolio of their work that grows with them.

Reflections

The reflections of all my assignments of this class essentially was a compilation of the

thoughts I had during, and after each assignment was complete. I think the posts we made after

every assignment on canvas was close to what this document would become. However, with
these entries I could reference them at any time. I think that any major project should have the

student reflect on it in some form. I would incorporate this assignment for projects worth a lot of

points, as a sort of cool down from the pressure of a big assignment.