blog post 7

I don't use twitter very much, and only use it for assignments. I feel like I pay too much attention to social media when I have it and try to use it seriously, and find my life improved overall when I am not spending my time absorb in my phone or mindlessly scrolling on the computer. I see the benefits of increased communication, especially in states of crisis or when disaster strikes the amount of time it takes to reach people becomes more valuable than ever. But that is not enough for me to give up part of my day to it. I typically use reddit if I want to see what is happening in the world, and I don't want more than one platform to keep track of.

My website isn't finished yet, so I will include a link and analysis of a website I've created in the past for another class. I learned how to set up an interface in a manner that is pleasing to the visitor, and how easy it is to create a free website via wix. I learned how to set up multiple pages that have multiple kinds of media. Websites are very functional as they can provide a multimodal experience on a single topic, and have the opportunity to utilize text, pictures, video, etc.
Here's a screenshot; feel free to visit, although it doesn't work properly when I try it.

coahnarlin.wixsite.com/finalmgp

I've worked for the special olympics for a number roof years and have sen first hand assistive technologies used to assist and maintain the capability of persons with disabilities. I'm not sure how we are defining adaptive and assistive technologies, but I have witnessed multiple examples of adaptive technologies assist athletes with disabilities. It can be challenging to bring outdated classrooms up to speed with emerging adaptive technologies because it requires funding and somebody willing to learn how to use, teach, and implement new technologies. 

See y'all l8r, and god bless my friend. 

ILP (DESIGN)

I created this short graphic for a club while we were voting for new staff leaders. Encouraging people to vote is educating them of their right to democracy.

Number 6!

I visited my alma matter's website, which I hadn't actually done until nearly four years after I graduated. There was lots of general information like a calendar of current events, pages of staff information, student services, and activities and clubs offered to students. There's also information regarding the current weather conditions at the school, which I found really neat since there may be hurricanes that suddenly whip through (I'm looking' at you, Michael!) or other circumstances in which parents, guardians, or fellow students might like to check on the conditions surrounding the school. The website's chocked full of just about everything you might want to know about Pace High School. Here's a screen snag of the front page, check it out:
Here's a link: https://www.pacehighschool.net

I envision myself having to rely largely on technology in the foreseeable future. Whether or not I go into education, more and more fields are switching over to a digital format of operation for a variety of reasons. Personally, I want to go into a field that relies on either writing, photography, or a combination of the two, which today are almost entirely digital practices if you want to keep up with the modern world. Film photography is more of a niche hobby, and writing in pen and paper is best for taking notes or for editing/personal purposes. Efficiency, accuracy, and expediency are key guidelines in the modern world 's exchanging of ideas and information; generally speaking, those with access to the highest amount of bandwidth for the exchange/cross-examinaton/assessment of ideas and information will be the most well-equipped for their jobs. Or so seems to be the attitude in the rapid technological realignment of society, and therefore I think it's probably best to adapt to change. Otherwise, if one doesn't try and be pliable with technological advances, they'll be left in the dust. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't like breathing in dust!

The technology sandbox is awesome. I am really happy I know what it is, where it is, and all I can access within it. I particularly enjoyed the oculus rift Virtual Reality tech. I found a google maps feature within it, and it was mind-blowing how the difference in perception (or lack thereof)  made it feel all the more real. What I found useful was the 3-D printers, as I had never considered the vast amount of uses for them. All sorts of small-scale models of things like bones, brains, faces, flowers, etc. can be incredibly useful in a classroom setting where getting an actual full-scale model of a brain or various bones could be vary expensive and several days or weeks to arrive. The 3-D printer is as useful as you choose to make it and can save teacher and students a lot of money on various new classroom materials.

Well, that's all for today. Until next time—take care, friends.
 

A little late, but still accomplished

I explored Diigo on my own, and found it very useful for somebody who wants to pay for it. I completely understand the financial backing it requires to operate site like this and don't necessarily think it should be free.  I would pay for this if I had some kind of disposable income and enough time to explore and take advantage of all the storage and collaboration. But I do not have either of those things, so I will keep utilizing other ways of obtaining and sharing information.

I have really enjoyed blogging so far. It keeps me actively engaged with the material, which is very helpful in a class that only meet once weekly. It is fun to answer questions in a more nonchalant format because it doesn't feel like I'm going to give a wrong answer. It's more akin to having a conversation than taking a test or a quiz. It's often fun to see where you end up in your answer. I've learned that I rather enjoy blogging, and will probably start doing it full-time. I enjoy it more than other forms of socila media like twitter or Facebook. It feels more personal, despite being almost strictly text-based.

I'm not sure if we discussed this one or not, but Skype is a wonderful web tool for a classroom setting. I've been in several classes where we have "skyped" with other professors working at other universities, where they gave talks and had open dialogue with us students afterwards. For people without classroom access, Skype is wonderful for long-distance online students and professors. With more and more of the world gaining internet access daily, the amount of people able to learn through online courses is also rising. So now more than ever, communication tools like Skype will become more and more ubiquitous within an educational setting.

Link: Skype | Communication tool for free calls and chathttps://www.skype.com/en/