Changemakers - Say It Now

    Being a future educator I am open to all tips and tricks. This course alone has given me so many outlets and options that I am inclined to use in my class as a new teacher. Navigating around WE Virtual Learning Center  has made me excited for future use.

  I located the Virtual Learning Center on the website which provides so many cool courses and organizational tools for teacher use. They provide calendars to help plan our days and lesson plans as well as courses to help teachers navigate student engagement and empowerment.

  They also provide downloadable resources for teachers as walk through, step-by-step instructional lessons. I like the We Have Gratitude lesson and could definitely see my self using this in my class. This downloadable resource provides the purpose and objective of the lesson. It provides the skills that will be used, the time that will be consumed and the materials that are needed.

    Not only do these lesson plans lay things out for us, they are fun and interactive. Even the modules are colorful and intriguing. Here is a screenshot of part of an activity given in the We Have Gratitude downloadable content, which walks the teacher and the students through the lesson plans. 

    WE Virtual Learning Center seems like such a good tool to use in the classroom especially for new coming teachers who really don't know how to run things yet. I will for sure be using programs like this and others to help direct my classes! 

Accessibility Tools

 This week I researched 7 different accessibility tools that can help in the classroom. Being a future educator I want to ensure I am aware of any kind of platforms that can be used to help provide the best possible outcomes for my students. There are going to be students who struggle more than others and who need different measures to accommodate them. 

Google Text-to-Speech is the first accessibility tool I researched. This tool will convert text to a natural-sounding voice. This would be a great tool for students that maybe have hard time comprehending instructions. 

C-Pen is also a text-to-speech tool. This tool specifically scans words on paper and reads them aloud. Not only does this pen help people that might suffer from learning disabilities, it also supports multiple languages and can help someone who is trying to learn a different language. 

Smart Pens are another great accessibility tool! Smart Pens often go hand in hand with tablets or smart notebooks. The pens will translate the information you are writing and transform them over to the device you choose to store your notes on. This can help with organization and also helps share with other people! 

Screen Readers are programs that allow the blind or visually impaired the ability to read text. Screen readers converts text and other elements into a Braille output allowing the users to interact with digital content. 

Voice Typing is a type of software that lets you speak into a microphone and transforms those words onto a digital document. This is a great accessibility tool for those who might suffer from physical disabilities and don't have the opportunity to physically type on a keyboard. 

Zoom and magnification tools on browsers are great for users who might have visibility issues. The tools give them the option to enlarge words pictures, and videos making it easier to see and view content. 

Open Dyslexic is a free program that can be downloaded onto a browser that converts text to create increased readability for readers with dyslexia. The program offers regular, bold, and italic styles and offering 2 typefaces of OpenDyslexic and OpenDyslexic-Alta. 

Learning About HyperDocs

 What is a HyperDoc?
A HyperDoc is an interactive document, like a slide presentation or google doc, that provides students with access to all learning materials, resources, and activities in one, easily accessible document. HyperDocs shift instruction, providing students the content needed to explore and apply their learning by using communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. 

How does it enhance student learning?

HyperDocs enhance student learning in a number of ways. There are hyperlinks, embedded videos, interactive elements, and various activities to make learning for students more dynamic and engaging. Teachers can customize HyperDocs to meet the specific needs of individual students or groups, allowing for differentiated instruction. It also allows for students to explore content and topics at their own pace, and in ways that suit their learning needs best. HyperDocs can include reflection prompts to encourage students to think critically about their learning and make connections to real-world applications.

What is an example of a HyperDoc?
An example of a HyperDoc I had viewed, was a simple one-paged google doc. Students would access this document and see the content they need to view and the assignment to complete in three easy steps. The first step is to click on the link provided in the doc, and watch the video. After watching the video, they will follow the next step and look at an infographic of kids in nature. After reviewing the infographic, they will follow the last step on the HyperDoc, which asks a question. They are guided to click on the link which will take them to another google doc, which provides them with pictures, a graphic organizer, and steps to completing the assignment. Each HyperDoc is designed in a clean and colorful way, while incorporating pictures or videos, which make it engaging for students. 

Classroom Communication

     After reading Sail the 7 C's chapter 2 on Communicators, it has really opened my mind on all of the different ways to communicate. A perfect example would be this class specifically, we are on online based class and the only way to communicate amongst each other is through emails or through our blog posts. Keeping those paths of communication open could potentially open more doors for us students to share phone numbers, social medias, and even potentially get together in person. 

    I have been attending my entire three years of college strictly online and can honestly say I've never noticed or had such clear communication as I do now. I'm not sure if it's just due to me maturing and being more attentive to my work, or if it's the different platforms we have been given access to. We have all created social media account for this course and followed each other, liked each other's posts, commented on each other's posts, and have shared each other's posts. We also have been given access to this blog, with each blog we all individually post, we are given the opportunity to make comments and communicate on the topics being discussed. 

    When I hear communication I often think of speaking in person and making eye contact. It's never really dawned on me until reading chapter 2 that there are many different forms of communication and we have access to all of them in this course. The communication that has taken place so far this semester I can say honestly is top tier. I've seen many different opinions and views amongst all of us, but we have all kept a level of respect amongst each other and have kept our lines of communication open.