My Wiki on Caribbean Culture

The Wiki was design to teach grade five about Caribbean Culture, this include the influence of various ethnic groups on Caribbean culture, some of the cultural similarities and differences among Caribbean people and the rich cultural heritage of the Caribbean. To view this Wiki click here
 

My Webquest on Caribbean History

This Webquest is about Caribbean History, in it you will learn about some of the common historical experiences of the Caribbean people. To view this Webquest click here

                                                                

                                                               

Reflections on Educational Technology course

         

        Educational Technology course was an excellent course for me, even though sometimes, the lecturer was moving very fast and some of the computers were not working properly on numerous occasions, sometimes I was left behind, but I still learned a lot. My expectation from this course was that it would have equip me with the knowledge and skills to be competent in a variety of ways, where I would be well able to use Technology effectively to complete a wide range of different task, especially in a era where Technology is taking over. Those expectation was accomplish, for instance I have learn how to make puzzles, jeopardy games, web quest, wiki, podcast and among other  things that I never knew how to make before. When I was on my two week teaching practicum, I needed a puzzle and I just went on puzzle maker and in a few minutes, I had my puzzle, this was possible for me, through the knowledge I gain in the Educational Technology course.

         One of the main tools that we use in this course was Schoology. Schoology is a collaborative learning platform, combining the course content and functionality of traditional learning management systems with the immediacy, access, and connectivity of social networking tools. We were able to learn a whole lot of things through this forum, which was new to me. We were able to get into discussion with classmate and our lecturer through the Schoology forum on a wide range of various topics, it make me learn new things and it gave me new in site on things that I  never saw in a particular way before.  I was able to get my classmate interpretation on various topics, which was very good, because by doing that, I have learned a lot from my classmate and it has boarder my knowledge. Schoology was also very convenience for me, I was able to go and use it out of normal school hours to view and do my assignment, read comments and participate in discussions.

          Schoology allows teachers to effectively and securely conduct quizzes and tests, host discussions about course materials, provide supplemental insights on daily lessons, offer one to one feedback on assignment, assign and collect homework, and expand in-class learning by sharing supplemental content and linking to additional reference materials. Schoology also provide a secure and safe area where students collaborate and communicate with each other. All teachers and students need is a computer with an internet connection and since Schoology is cloud-based, it is completely online. There is no software to install, no extra equipment, and no maintenance required. It is private, secure and protected. It layout resembles the look of other popular social media tools, so it is comfortable, familiar and easy for technology novices to quickly learn and use. The greatest benefit is the stronger connections and collaboration it fosters among students and their teachers along with parents, because parents can also sign up too, so that they can be more frequent communication with their child’s teacher and engage in their learning process, which is a critical component of every student’s success.

           The initial idea for Schoology came about  when three friends, Jeremy Friedman, Ryan Hwang and Tim Trinidad was in college and they tried to develop an effective platform for sharing lecturer notes with everyone in the class. After two weeks of development, the project gained traction, but not in higher education, however students began actively using the service. Friedman and his friends saw that the university learning management system handled the basic things, but did not have the collaborative and more effective tool for both the professors and students and also most schools did not even have a management flat form. So Friedman though  “Why not create a platform for K-12 that looks and feels like the tools people use outside the classroom, but contains the functionality of a learning platform?” “Better yet why not provide a platform that could be implemented in a single classroom with teachers and students, or implemented on a school-wide basis without any cost or friction?” (Friedman). After which Schoology was started by four people, Jeremy Friedman, Ryan Hwang, Tim Trinidad and Bill Kindler. They started working on developing Schoology after graduation from college in May 2009 and the first marketable flat form was launched in September 2010.  The name Schoology was invented because they see it as a collaborative platform that excels in learning, because in Greek language, “the logy” suffix is used to identify core knowledge about a specific theme like sociology, theology and the word “school” is an instantly recognizable term for any place of learning, whether it is a virtual university, a traditional elementary school classroom or any other school.

My Philosophy for using technology in education

        

          As an emerging professional, my philosophy for using technology in education is the fact that, technology has opened many doors and breaks down many barriers in the education system. Technology is one of the best things that ever happen to the educational system, it has changed the education system in a positive way. Both teachers and students are benefiting from using technology in education, it promote individual learning and research, it allow students to learn on their own, because technology provide them with the tools that enable them to learn on their own. In this era students are learning from anywhere in the world and teachers can easily reach their students from anywhere around the world. Students grade are been improve through the use of technology, because it gave them easy access to information that they need to know for any content area and it enable persons to access unprecedented amounts of information within seconds and it make them better prepare now for the future ahead.

            Technology also improves reading and writing skills, by using computers in the classroom it help students learn how to write educative essays and other pieces of school work. Many students also find it easier to use the computer to take notes or to write an essay, because they find it a lot easier and more interesting typing with a keyboard, then writing with a pen. Technology has made educational material more accessible to anymore around the world; this has helped students from developing countries to get a chance to access valuable educational material. Technology in education has also open the door for  persons who are working and want to upgrade their academic level, they can use online education, which is very flexible and convenient  for them, so they can attend their lesson after work or on their own convenient time. Using technology in education has also improve students attitude towards learning, because they do not get bored while learning, they also play educational games to solve puzzles and other problem, which help to develop their critical thinking skills.