Khan/Koller Review

When exploring Khan Academy I was surprised at how many topics and age groups were covered. When looking at something I would use I clicked on the Chemistry and Biology tabs. These are two subjects I have never been strong at and have not taken since high school, so these seem like useful pages to get me prepared for when I take them in college. I would definitely use this in my classroom and tell my parents and students to reference the work on Khan Academy at home. This will get technology involved in my early education classroom and give us a fun activity besides writing on a chalkboard and a piece of paper.

Following some of the videos I noticed that when I watched some 1st grade math and examined some of the exercises they seem pretty easy to follow, although saying that as a college student with advanced math I may be a little biased. I do not think that online courses would be helpful for younger children. Yes young adults and older adults because online education is flexible, but children need the fun learning environment and activities, not just staring at a computer all day.
Coursera was harder for me to maneuver. Khan Academy had the information under certain tabs so I kind of had to go searching. I think the courses that look the most interesting to me was the personal development classes. These include career success, grammar lessons, and even managing lessons. These would probably not help me in my teaching career, but maybe as a role model and strong leader in my profession.

Although I could not find if Columbus State accepts Coursera transfer credits I did notice on the website that they are not listed in the institutions involved with Coursera. Coursera does not look challenging for the courses I have already taken. It looks as though it is slowly paced so the work is more laid out. I do not think it matters who is teaching the course, but how they are teaching it and getting the message across.

Finally, I do not think online courses are the wave of the future. I cannot be a teacher of other students if I am in front of a computer everyday not getting the field experience in my own classroom. Yes it is convenient, but I would have to work harder to receive my education with understanding and applying it on top of watching videos and answering questions.

Exploring Standards-Based Lesson Plans

I want to teach Early Childhood Education which is grades Kindergarten through 3rd. With that being said I would love to end up teaching 1st grade. The subject area for the lesson I chose is Economics. Although this seems like a tough subject area for 1st graders, this lesson is extremely important to learn at a young age. “Toys for Me” is a lesson of scarcity and choice. Some children have the opportunity to get every toy they want and others have to choose between toys based on if they would play with it or its cost. Students in this lesson must be able to define scarcity and opportunity cost and complete different activities and discussion topics to learn the wants and needs in everyday life.

Some Common Core Standards for this lesson include participating in topic discussions and following rules for the discussion. Students should try and provide examples for this subject and relate it to their lives. With help from their teacher (me) they should be able to answer written questions following up on the topic of discussion. This is addressed in this lesson because students will be learning about wants and needs and then I will start a discussion on how we can use this is our lives. Then I will share stories of others experiences, some written questions and examples on scarcity and opportunity cost, and some online activities to get the children involved.

I would implement this lesson by keeping it present in the classroom even after we have discussed it. I would guide children to go home and maybe donate a toy they are not using or when they go to buy a toy see if it something they really want and will use. One problem I think we will run into is getting them to grasp this concept. At a young age I was not concerned with costs or what toy I really wanted, I just wanted it all and wanted what my friends had. At such a young age I did not really know what the value of a dollar was, I got a one dollar bill when I was on good behavior and we would go to the store and buy candy. Children in 1st grade are not suppose to worry about the parents' money, they just want to play and be a kid. My focus would be to push the idea that choosing between and really thinking about the toys my students buy and whether a child who does not have as many toys could use it more. My hopes for this challenging idea is that children will understand needs and wants. It is okay to want things from time to time, but the amount of use the child gets out of it is also important. I think I would also get in touch will parents to work on this activity with their child and show them how to give up some toys and give to others for things they do not actually need.

This is the poem that goes along with this lesson:
Toys for Me Poem

Here is the link to an in depth look of the lesson I chose: Toys for Me: A Lesson on Choice

Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairment

Visual impairments in children is very hard to cope with. Having difficulties seeing would be very scary and growing up that way would be tough. Being young, children do not know that not everyone has visual issues. As they get older they will realize the challenges they face and ways to cope. It limits their learning because they are not able to see shapes, colors, numbers, or letters. They can listen to a teacher but are not able to see what is being taught or play with their friends on the playground without risking their physical safety. “According to the Parent Center Hub children must use their other four senses to make up for the loss of sight. Developing their senses can make up for setbacks they may have in their everyday activities. Parent Center Hub also mentioned that help from others like family, friends, and teachers can help the child feel safe and comfortable with their learning strategy” (ParentCenterHub.com).

The American Foundation for the Blind offers many different assistive technologies. One specific technology is an “off-the-shelf computer that reads what is on the screen to you.” It can also enlarge the texts on the screen for those with partial vision. This is such a smart tool. There is no need to buy a special computer, just the programming, and it allows those visually impaired to use technology like everyone else. Another type of technology is a type of scanner that can speak printed material. Children get printed material everyday in classrooms. It is how we turn in papers and complete assignments. Technology is very important in our lives, but being able to have a device that helps the visually impaired with non technological things is just as important (afb.rog).

By doing a general search online I actually found where products for the visually impaired can be bought. "One specific assistive technology is a Braille Embosser. Essentially you feed the paper through the embosser and it changes the recorded words on the device to braille" (enablemart.com).This is such an advanced technology and impacts the learning abilities significantly.

My future projections for visual impairment technologies is a steady increase of advancement. There has been many pieces of technology already created, but our world is starting to advance quickly and that could mean even better technologies. Watching Rachael Ray a couple of months ago there was a man and his girlfriend who have struggled with the his loss of vision. Rachael was able to give the man a new pair of technology glasses that allowed him to see his girlfriend, whom he had not seen clearly in years and he proposed to her. These technologies are not just letting them cope with their impairment, but it gives them an easier way of life so they are able to enjoy it and do not feel like they are missing out. To watch the video you can visit Rachael's website here: Rachael Ray.

References:

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/visualimpairment/

http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/using-technology/assistive-technology/123

https://www.enablemart.com/juliet-120-double-sided-braille-emboser

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/22238_watch_a_visually_impaired_man_sees_his_girlfriend_for_the_first_time_then_proposes/

Ohio DL Schools

When reviewing the five websites I analyzed them on first impression, amount of information, and then on if I would send my children there. When doing my first initial review I noticed that Ohio Connections Academy and ECOT stood out the most. They had the most appealing websites and a ton of information. When I think of my imaginary children I picture them in elementary school. If that was the case I would choose Ohio Connections Academy because they had a simple website and pictures of all of their staff online. Seeing the faces of those teaching my children is important to me. I want to see a friendly, kind face that looks like they would be willing to take the time with my child to teach them as well as keep me involved. If my child was older I would choose ECOT because it seems to have a solid plan of getting a diploma. They also require 25 hours a week of active online learning, so that would make my child stick with it, which is important.

The distance learning school that I would not choose is Parent Connection. I could not find any information on their website about their online teachers and plans to get children through school. There were a few tabs to choose from, but once selected there was minimal information that did not answer any of my analyses questions. When clicking on each grade breakdown there were FAQ's and not a structured page with information.Why would I send my child somewhere that cannot even provide me with information?