Virtual Field Trip: Stellarium Web

Virtual Field Trip: Stellarium Web

On Stellarium the website, you are greeted with a stunning view of stars and planets. Why leave the house when you can take a virtual field trip? On this website, you’re able to view many constellations, planets, and stars that add to the scenery. Due to its interactive nature, you’re also able to touch any of the dots in the night sky, and it will give you more information about it. It even tracks satellites as well! They offer the site to be navigated like a reversed globe, giving you the North, West, South, and East directions on the screen for your convenience. 

Not only this, but near the bottom of the screen, there are different viewing options to look through, such as atmosphere, landscape, and even constellation art. By clicking on any of these options, it changes your view to show a better representation of what you're looking for! This website is amazing to show kids within the classroom, offering them a virtual field trip, while they research what speaks to them. 

Virtual Field Trip San Diego Zoo

The virtual field trip to the San Diego Zoo provided an engaging and educational experience, allowing viewers to explore the zoo’s diverse animal exhibits from the comfort of their own homes. Through high-quality video tours and expert commentary, participants learned about various species, their habitats, and conservation efforts. The tour highlighted the zoo’s mission to protect endangered animals and offered a closer look at the care and enrichment provided for them. This digital experience made it possible to appreciate the beauty and importance of wildlife without the need for physical travel.

One of the highlights of the virtual trip was watching the live penguin cam, which offered a real-time glimpse into the daily lives of the African penguins at the zoo. Observers could see the penguins waddle, swim, and interact with one another in their carefully designed habitat. The cam allowed for an up-close look at their behaviors, including preening, feeding, and playful social interactions. The ability to watch these birds in real-time created an immersive and dynamic experience, making it feel as though viewers were right there with the animals.

Overall, the virtual field trip and penguin cam provided an exciting way to connect with wildlife while learning about the importance of conservation. The experience demonstrated how technology can bring nature closer to people, fostering a deeper appreciation for animals and their environments. By witnessing the zoo’s efforts in caring for these creatures, viewers gained insight into the significance of protecting wildlife and preserving natural habitats for future generations.

Penguin Cam!

Visit London Virtual Tour - Michael Hoey

 For my virtual field trip, I chose Visit London Virtual Tour (http://360.visitlondon.com/#), through this tour I got to see multiple interesting locations using the 360-degree views given, making it feel like I was there truly looking at all the sites. London is a cool city filled with tons of history, rich culture, and famous landmarks and here are some of the places that caught my eye:

1.)   The Guards on Horses at the Whitehall:

-       This was an interesting image to me because in America you do not see any police officers or guards dressed like that or sitting on horses protecting anything. These guards are iconic with their uniforms and their large horses, this gives a sense of culture when looking at this.

 

2.)   Colorful Designed Theatre:

-       When coming across this theatre I do not remember ever seeing a theatre so lit-up and vibrant. This caught my eye very quickly and makes me want to sit in this theatre and watch a show. Gives a glimpse of the energy in London I feel like.

 

3.)   Cricket Field – Kia Oval

-       I stopped across this athletic field which interested me right away. I first thought it was a stadium for soccer but later found out it was one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world. In the U.S. cricket is barely recognized, so I do not know much about it, but this stadium looks awesome, and it gives me a chance to appreciate how big it is in London.

 

 This virtual tour through the city of London gave me an interesting but cool glimpse into the traditions, culture, entertainment, and sports. I like the idea of virtual field trips because unfortunately field trips can be pricey and not all can afford, so having the ability to have it virtually gives all students a chance to dive in on cool sights like this and learn all about these historic places.

communication

 

Communication with coinsideration.

As many of us know, communication is key to people's lives. Communication is essential in all aspects of our lives. Whether we're studying, working, or doing any other daily activity, the key to better development in all of this is communication. But we often overlook one of the most important aspects of communication that can make a big difference: consideration.

I think one of the things I learned from chapter two is not only the importance of communication, but above all, how it goes hand in hand with consideration. In this blog, we'll be talking about the benefits of communication and, above all, the importance of incorporating it into our daily lives.

First of all, we must understand what consideration is: based on its meaning, it is the careful reflection on something. You may be wondering how this relates to communication. Consideration in communication refers to the act of being empathetic and, above all, respectful of the other person's perspective and feelings. It is about being aware of how our words affect other people, but also how to understand them. In chapter 2 from the book Sail the 7cs,  coinsideration is about ¨other-oriented¨ and taking the time to think about how our messege will be received. we learn that coinsideration is important because biuld the trust, avoids misundertanding and also conflicts. in the chapter we see an example of this. the maneger was lacking coisideration in the email and this led to misundertanding and a conflic with one of the employee. the lack of empathy shows how the knowledge to a concern was missing. coinsideration in communication is not only found or use in a verbally form but also like this example in a written form. 

There is multiple way of practicing coinsideration such as being in the other person shoes, be empathic, be aware of the tone we use among others.

To conclude coisideration in communication is a very important tool that can help us build stronger relationship and also to avoid disagreements or problems. incorporate this to our lifes and we will see a change in our life. As we learn from Chapter 2, coisideration will make us a better communicators.

global education

 

BILINGUAL KIDSPOT.

Bilingual Kidspot is a website that helps parents raising bilingual or multilingual kids. This website can be used as a tool, providing advice, resources, and personal experiences that help parents navigate the struggles and benefits of raising bilingual kids.

What are some of the topics or resources you might find on this website? On Bilingual Kidspot, you can find advice on raising bilingual kids, such as the importance of having a language routine and how to deal with switching between both languages. It also provides resources to facilitate language learning, such as books, games, and apps that help kids improve their linguistic abilities. And last but not least, the website shares personal experiences from parents raising bilingual kids, offering helpful tips and inspiration for other parents who are going through the same challenges. It brings parents together, creating a space of comfort where they can feel supported and understood by others.

This is a great website and tool for those that are in the process or want to learn or teach kids a new language, and even if you want to read a free book this page will be great for you. 

Communication

 

I always knew communication was key, I think it is extremely important. Especially as a teacher. Teachers have to communicate with students, parents, administrators, and other teachers. Communication comes with teaching. After reading The “Communicators” chapter in the textbook Sail the 7 C’s taught me so many new tools that will be helpful for furthering my education and also for when I’m a teacher. One tool such as the immersive reader, this tool is great for people who have might have a vision issue, need translation, dyslexia ,or people who are auditory learners. This tool allows students to adjust text size, spacing, font style, and background color. This tool can also do text to speech which is amazing for auditory learners. I used this tool so many times growing up and think it is such an important tool.

Lots of people when they think of communication might think face-to-face but there are so many other ways to communicate. I think that this course is so informative as well and has informed me on so many tools and I am very excited to use them in my future classroom. 

Communication

 When reading chapter two: Communication, I learned a lot about the importance of communication and making students feeling welcomed. Effective communication is key for any successful collaboration whether it is a business or a school. It is so important for effective communication to be accessible despite language barriers. Microsoft Translator is such a cool tool that helps break down language barriers and help promote communication and collaboration. 

Microsoft Translator is a service that enables real-time translations and supports almost every language. Many schools are unable to afford and provide aids to students that need extra support or may not speak English. It supports multilingual classrooms since a large populations of schools across the country and it helps student's keep up and understand their lessons in English along with their native language with real time translation. 

This will enhance inclusivity and belonging. A section of the chapter, a mother spoke how she was upset due to there not being a "russian table" due to there not being a Russian interpreter. "It's not about the number impacted; it's about each person as an individual." (Keene & Kersznowski, chapter 2 2020).

This shows how essential having a real-time translator is when there is absence of a human translator provided. 

Communication

 Flip (Formally Flipgrid) 

Flip is like a virtual classroom bulletin board where students and teachers can share short videos to discuss topics, answer questions, or simply express their ideas. Imagine a social media platform specifically designed for educational purposes. Instead of just writing out answers or participating in traditional classroom discussions, students record themselves speaking, allowing them to share their thoughts and engage with the material in a more personal and dynamic way. It's a fantastic tool for amplifying student voices and creating a more interactive learning environment.

The core concept revolves around "grids," which are essentially online spaces created by teachers for specific topics or classes. Within each grid, teachers can post prompts or questions, and students respond by recording short video clips. These videos are then displayed on the grid, allowing everyone in the class to view and react to each other's contributions. This creates a sense of community and encourages students to learn from one another, as they can see and hear different perspectives on the same subject matter. One of the key advantages of Flip is its simplicity and accessibility. The platform is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for both teachers and students to navigate and use, regardless of their technical skills. It also offers a range of features to enhance the learning experience, such as video editing tools, filters, and stickers, allowing students to personalize their responses and express themselves creatively. This can be particularly engaging for students who might be hesitant to participate in traditional classroom discussions.

Flip is exceptionally good for communication because it promotes active listening and thoughtful responses. When students watch each other's videos, they are actively listening to different viewpoints and considering how their own ideas relate to those of their peers. This encourages them to think critically about the topic at hand and formulate well-reasoned responses. The video format also allows for nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions and body language, which can add depth and nuance to the message being conveyed.

Furthermore, Flip provides a safe and supportive environment for students to practice their communication skills. It allows them to express themselves in a low-pressure setting, where they can take their time to formulate their thoughts and record their responses. This can be particularly beneficial for students who are shy or hesitant to speak up in class. By providing a platform for students to share their ideas and engage in meaningful dialogue, Flip helps them develop confidence in their communication abilities and a more collaborative and engaging learning environment.

References

FLIP (Formally flipgrid) – student resources. (n.d.). https://studentresources.oneboldfuture.com/other-academic-technology-support/flipgrid/

Communication In Community

 

Microsoft Tools

Microsoft has been around for quite some time now. Time that has let them prosper and create all new types of tools for people to use. A way of communication Microsoft has created is Immersive Reader. Immersive reader is a tool that is compounded into Microsoft apps such as Word and PowerPoint that helps to edit and improve reading and writing for all ages and levels of reading. This tool is helpful in creating ways of speaking that can be easier to understand for different types of audiences. 

Microsoft has also created an app called Microsoft Teams. This is an app that concludes of many useful tools in one that help tremendously with communication in communities. Teams helps to provide ways of messaging others personally or in groups, calling personally or in groups as well as audio call or video call. Not only does Teams help with the basics of creating community, but you can also search communities to join that can help expand your common knowledge. Educators can also use Teams to aid students as well as give them assignments or use the notepad. This can help to bring online classes together to share thoughts and feeling. Communication within community is important for adults and children to be heard and have a sense of belonging with any group of people.

Overall, Microsoft has many different types of websites and apps that can be useful for communication and community. These tools are important for a number of reasons and having them be accessible to the majority not only promotes that company, but also helps people connect with each other in a new way. Although websites like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook exist and say they promote community, lots of times they end of separating groups of people instead of bringing them together due to bias and negative posts being allowed. Microsoft apps and websites allow only for positive and useful information to be shared and accessible to its people to allow for a better time.

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.

Communicators

 

      

 Blog Post 4

The "Communicators" chapter in the textbook Sail the 7 C's was very informative and I learned of many new tools and resources to further my learning. I think it is especially important to familiarize myself with various physical and virtual educational instruments. Such as the Immersive Reader feature, it is available to use on Office products, which I utilize for school. I like this feature because I know many people with vision issues, including myself, and I think this tool makes it much easier to follow along with a text without my glasses on. In general, I think this tool would be great for people who have reading difficulties or hearing impairment. It can be useful for: translating text, reading text aloud, adjust text size, adjust text color, etc. There are many situations where this tool could be of use, and I really like how customizable it can be. 

Another tool that I really enjoyed seeing in this chapter is Minecraft. This is a video game I was familiar with prior, but I see a big educational opportunity in the game. When I read that Microsoft launched an Education Specific version of the game, I was curious about it, so I looked up videos about it. It looks identical to the real game which I thought was great. I think the aspect of building structures, tending to a garden, and mining for metals can all be part of a teaching lesson. While also being a fun tool, this resource is highly interactive and collaborative too. I think it provides an opportunity for students to work together or even work as teams against each other on a collaborative minecraft world. 

Overall, I thought chapter 2 was very informative and I will personally be using these two web tools!

Communication

 A classroom is a diverse space and home to all different kinds of learners. For that reason it is so important that we find creative and innovative ways to support our different learners. While reading Sail the 7 Cs, I learned about the wonderful ways that Microsoft Translator can help our Multilingual Learners. Many of the classrooms I've been in have had students with a native language other than English. Some of them already had a good grasp of the English language and were capable of navigating the complex learning of a high school science class with little extra help. Many students who were much newer to learning English however, had a much harder time. To make matters worse, most of these students' teachers did not speak a language other than English, and outside their designated ML periods did have much support in the classroom.

 Microsoft Translator can be a great way of supporting these learners and making things easier on both them and their teachers. Microsoft Translator provides not only a live speech-to-text translation to help people communicate face-to-face, it also provides a number of other services including live subtitles of lecture and presentations. teachers can use it to translate their lectures as they speak into a chosen language and display on their screen to the class. This feature can also be used to provide regular captions for hard or hearing or deaf students. If you have learners who speak different languages in your classroom, the feature can translate into multiple different languages to display on students screens as they choose. The Study Groups option even allows students to message each other and easily translate their messages for others to read, making group projects easier and more inclusive. The best part is, Microsoft Translator currently has 179 different languages and dialects available for translation! Microsoft Translator is such a great way for us to be able to support our diverse classroom of learners.

Communication

 After reading our textbook, Sail the 7 C's chapter two communication. I learned different tools I can use in regular life that can increase my communication and later on in a classroom I can teach different learning techniques to my students. Hence, they understand the importance of communication. Communication is very important and sometimes it can be extremely difficult because of the language barrier. When dealing with a student who does not understand a language you are speaking you still have to understand and teach the kid who is having a misunderstanding. When you're working with a student who doesn't understand the language you're speaking, it’s important to remember that teaching goes beyond just talking to them. It’s about finding ways to help them connect with the material, even if language is a barrier. As a teacher, you need to think creatively—using visual aids, gestures, or simpler language—to make sure they can still grasp what’s being taught. It also requires a lot of patience and empathy, because the student might be feeling frustrated or left out. You have to create a space where they feel comfortable asking questions and admitting when they don’t understand. At the end of the day, it's about adjusting your approach so that every student, no matter the language barrier, has the opportunity to learn and feel included.

Communication

 

After reading Chapter 2 (communicators) in Sail the 7 C's I learned more about communication and how Microsoft is creating new ways to improve it. Communication is always a key part in a group. It does not matter if its at school or work, communication will make getting the job done easier. In a perfect world communication will go well and everyone will share their thoughts however, not everyone speak the same language. Interpreters are always a huge help, but having an interpreter for every language is not possible. For this reason, tools like Microsoft Translator exists. Microsoft Translator is a tool that helps narrow the language gap difference. The tools allow a host to initiate a conversation via voice or chat, and the Translator will interpret to 140 different languages. Tools like this are always really useful and help the world become a better place.

 Communication 

After reading our textbook, Sail the 7 C's chapter two communication, I learned bout different tools that can be utilized in the classroom and even in a daily life to enhance communication. Communication is extremely important in all aspects of our life. It allows you to build connections and relationships. One tool I learned about that was very cool in the reading was the translator app. As someone who experiences a language barrier both personally and in the classroom this tool is super helpful. You are able to speak into the phone and it will instantly translate your sentence to the person you are speaking with to their native language. My family is from Cuba and my grandparents never earned to speak English so talking to them has always been difficult. In addition, in the classroom I have two ML students. One speaks Spanish and the other Ukrainian. For these student's parent teacher conferences we used the translating app to communicate with the parents and it was very neat. It helps break down a wall between people and allow for everyone to be heard. 

Communication

Reading Sail the 7 Cs helped me realize that communication isn’t one-size-fits-all. I’m most comfortable with written communication, but I know it’s not always the best option for everyone. It’s important to find a middle ground that works for everyone, rather than forcing one way of communicating, like many schools do. One example in the text that stood out to me was the chat feature in Minecraft. It’s an easy way for people to communicate long-distance without having to speak out loud, which is a form of electronic communication I hadn’t really thought about before. It made me think about how we often underestimate the power of written or text-based communication, especially in situations where speaking isn't possible. The chapter also made me realize that effective communication isn’t just about speaking or writing clearly. It’s about understanding the audience and the context. Whether it’s face-to-face, through chat, or in a classroom, tailoring your message to the situation can make all the difference. It reminded me of how important it is to be flexible in our communication styles.

What is Communication?

During this week’s reading of
Sail The 7 C’s, we took apart information about communication and really developed it into a good lesson. I learned that communication isn’t only about speaking. It can be non verbal, written instead of using actions to effectively communicate what is being spoken. Communication can also be portrayed through translation, where students or others who’s dominant language isn’t the same as yours will be able to understand when it comes to communicating. 

I also learned that there are multiple apps that can be used to communicate. Let's take playing a game online with a friend for example. Without voice to text, or voice to voice communication features, it would practically be impossible for people to communicate with each other. Now, let's say we do take those features away. Although it seems impossible, it's not entirely yet. Communication can still happen, whether you use emotes in the game, spell something while building, or even portray in body language of the character towards others. We see that communication happens on a day to day basis, and we seem to lack the acknowledgement of it. 

Overall, communication is predominately effective to everyone around the world, despite any barriers we come across. 

Communication in education

 

Written Communications

  While reading Sail the 7 Cs, I learned the many different ways to better my communication. I am the most comfortable in written communication but I understand that not everyone likes it that way. I believe It is better to try and find a middle ground that everyone is comfortable with. Unlike how in most schools you are either to one or the other. In the text, they use the example of the chat in Minecraft where they can easily communicate and talk about what is happening. This is a way of long-distance communication or electronic communication. this allows others to communicate without having to verbally speak with one another.

    

    Microsft Translation

Another thing I have learned is that Microsoft Translator. Microsoft Translator is a strong tool that enables teachers, students, and families to converse in multiple languages in real time. Using live captions, speech, or text translation, the tool enables effortless multilingual communication. My personal experience using a translator is with learning what people from other places write about. Teachers utilize Microsoft Translator during parent-teacher meetings to translate, making sure each family receives the information they need. Students can also use the tool for translating lessons and instructions, keeping non-English-speaking students on track. The live caption tool helps students who have difficulty with hearing learn as well.

Presenter Coach: AI presentation assistance

For many people, presenting is difficult. Although they try their hardest to be prepared, they ultimately may do so without proper assistance. What exactly is the goal when practicing for a presentation? Is it memorization? Is it sounding good? Is it sounding like you know what you're talking about? In the pursuit of practice, we may focus on one or none of those things. Microsoft saw this issue and, alongside their PowerPoint and with the explosion of AI, developed Presenter Coach. Which is quite literally a presentation coach. Released in 2022, Microsoft's presenter coach is "an artificial intelligence-powered technology assistant that can help teachers and students prepare for presentations," and it works by "listening to your voice as you present, scanning the slide for content, and determining what you may need to work on"(Sail the 7 Cs with Microsoft Education, communicators chapter). This tool enables the PowerPoint itself to grade how well you are presenting. Instead of consulting a multitude of websites, people, or anything else, Microsoft's AI can run and aid you from the comfort of your desk, couch, chair, or really anywhere you can set up and work. As AI continues to become refined, this tool will surely be improved to understand more within whatever context is presented to it. Now, safety and privacy could be a concern with voice recording. However, Microsoft does not store information or voice logs, instead, Presenter Coach simply gives feedback and deletes voice logs afterwards(Sail the 7 Cs with Microsoft Education, communicators chapter). This is important because it reinforces Microsoft's stance on privacy and really shows that they care for the protection of students or youth who use their tool.

In the classroom, both students and teachers can utilize this tool. Teachers, to prepare for a lesson that involves lecturing off slides; Students, to prepare for a project that has them reading off slides. Of course, eventually, maybe with the aid of Presenter Coach, both students and teachers should become capable of presenting and not reading off slides. With the ability to publically speak so important, Presenter Coach proves to be a valuable tool to aid those who struggle in that sector and to help those who are skilled refine said skills. Tools like this, built in for free, are reasons why PowerPoint is the number 1 presentation software worldwide. As long as Microsoft continues to produce new tools and refine preexisting tools that aid students and teachers alike, it will continue to be on top of the presentation software industry. PowerPoint Presenter Coach is a perfect example of Microsoft adapting to the rise of AI and harnesing it to create opportunities for their users. 

Bridging the Language Gap with Microsoft Translator

    In the diverse learning environments of today, effective communication between educators, students, and families is more important than ever. Many students come from multilingual backgrounds, and language barriers can create challenges in learning, engagement, and family involvement. As educators, we need to ensure that every student and their family feels heard, understood, and supported regardless of what language they speak.

Why Language Accessibility Matters

     With the multicultural nature of schools and with students and families speaking a wide range of languages, many schools are struggling. This struggle with providing translation services is due to a lack of resources with hiring language interpreters for each language being very costly. I have found that there is another way to help break the language barrier through the use of technology, in this case using Microsoft Translator.

How Microsoft Translator can Help

     Microsoft Translator is a powerful tool that allows educators, students, and families to communicate in multiple languages in real time. Whether through text translation, live captions, or speech to text conversations, this tool makes multilingual communication seamless. Using Microsoft Translator educators can effectively translate in real time during parent teacher meetings which ensures that every family has access to important information. Teachers can also use Translator to translate instructions and lessons to make sure that non English learners don't fall behind.

Using Microsoft Translator

The best part about Microsoft Translator is its ease of use. Teachers, students, and parents can access it through a mobile app or integrate it with platforms like OneNote and Word for written translations. It’s a simple yet powerful way to ensure that no one feels left out due to language differences. If you’re an educator looking for ways to improve communication in your school, Microsoft Translator is a tool worth exploring.