Educational Technology

Hello all!
So sadly, I just realized I am suppose to be writing a blog about class as well... so bear with me as  I try to catch up.

We have been doing many different online activities, all which have been very interesting to me, especially as my online knowledge is limited. However, the one thing that was really an "ah-ha" moment for me came last week. I hadn't really understood how the google sites worked, and apparently I was creating a completely different site every time I just wanted to add a page to my previous one... OOPS! As soon as professor Potts showed me how it really works, I finally understood how people could create a functioning website! It was a great "ah-ha" moment, that I will definitely never forget. As well, it turns out it wasn't just me who realized this. A lot of us were on the same page. This just goes to show, that if you have a question, even if it seems silly, someone else is probably thinking the same thing.

In terms of what we have been learning and my own lessons, I would love to adapt a lot of it. In particular, I really like the Plicker activity. It allows students to answer a question anonymously, and you get instant feedback. It also takes no time for students to log on like in a Kahoot, and doesn't involve everyone needing their own device, just you! I had never seen this activity before, but I will definitely be using it in the future! Below is a quick guideline as to how Plicker works.

With these "ah-ha" moments, and the numerous activities we are being shown, I am definitely feeling better about educational technology. Instead of being scared about it, I am learning to embrace it. For my passion project, I even learned how to create different routes on google maps, and embedded those onto my blog. When I used to see itinerary's done this way, I assumed people were technology geniuses. However, it was extremely easy once I did the first one! 

Whenever I encounter a challenge, such as this week when my blog about Colombia, which surprisingly took me absolutely forever, was finally finished but wouldn't publish, I looked up online if anyone had a solution. It talked about switching to the HTML view, and doing some things from there. Before this class, I would have been terrified as I had never used this mode before. However, I followed the directions carefully, and it finally worked ! Rather than getting upset and frustrated, I just looked for the answer online. 

All in all, I am really liking this class. I find it extremely time-consuming, and I have realized I may need to cut back on how long I spend each week on my passion-project, but I am learning a lot. How are you guys finding it? Are you learning lots? What challenges have you overcome? Let me know in the comments below!

That's all for now, 

Miss Sydor