Lesson Plan Supplemental Materials

The lesson plan I created was designed with fourth graders in mind. The topic chosen was on plants that are pollinated and the animals/insects that pollinate them. The lesson plan includes 5 days of lessons that are about 35-40 minutes each. The week would begin by a short discussion, followed by a picture diagram given to assess students prior knowledge of the subject area. They would be given a PowerPoint presentation, along with a Youtube video that helps to explain the topic.

Students would be given then do a group activity where the class was split into four. They would have to make fake bees out of pipe cleaners, and use those bees to collect “pollen” from one paper flower to the other paper flower. This would be to help familiarize them with how the actual process takes place. It would also be helpful with those students who are visual learners, rather than audio.

The students would then be split into two person groups. They would have to discuss ideas, and then create flowers on pixelart.com that fits the description of their partner. The flowers would have to be labeled with the vocab words. Students would later present their flowers to the class.

There would be an online game given to further aid students in remembering facts. A quiz would also be given near the end of the week. On the last day, students would have to bring in a fruit/food that was pollinated by a specific pollinator which was assigned to them at the beginning of the week. The weeks assignments would also help students work on skills such as art, teamwork, public speaking, and use of different technologies.

http://www.pixilart.net/art/Make-your-own-flower-1e160248dd

The above image is a student example of an in class assignment. The picture was drawn on pixelart.com, and then submitted to the instructor to be presented in front of the class later. Students had to break off into pairs, and discuss with their partners simple personality traits like their favorite color, food, smell, ext. is. The flowers then had to be labeled with the vocab words provided on their flowers, although this student was a rebel and missed that step. It reads "Smells like bacon, tastes like PB & J, has camo print. Favorite colors are black, grey, green, purple. Likes letter M".

Click here for larger version

This game is an activity the students would do to prepare them for the quiz at the end of the week. Most of the questions were taken from the quiz, while a few are based on information gotten from the PowerPoint lesson presented in class. It is used as what would hopefully be a helpful study tool. Students would work individually in the games, then in groups. 

My Technology Lesson Plan

My Technology Lesson Plan

PicMonkey

Picture taken from http://www.koppiekatz.com/ 

I thought PicMonkey was simple and fun to use. At first I didn't feel like figuring out how to use the edit the photo, based on my confusion with Photoshop, but as I went on I realized it was a lot simpler and easier to understand than Photoshop. I'm not trying to say that Photoshop doesn't have it's great benefits. For those in graphic design, photography, or other forms of art, might prefer Photoshop because of the fine details you can get to. However with PicMonkey, you can be as simplistic or detailed as you like. It is easy to maneuver in the website, and I didn't find myself getting lost and giving up in the process, like I expected to happen. I would honestly use this website again if I ever find myself in need of a photo editing tool. Another great benefit is that since you don't have to download the program, it is very convenient for the occasional edit. There is a huge variety of design options for a free program, which was pleasantly surprising.

QR Code

http://goqr.me/

Growing Up Online

Growing Up Online is about how a new generation is growing up using computers on a daily basis, the effects the internet has on their social lives, and how it creates a huge generation gap between the youth and their parents. People now begin using social media sites at much younger ages than before. They use them for any number of reasons, but most commonly to interact with friends outside of school. Ironically, people spend so much time on social media, that they end up missing chances to have real interactions with family or friends in the same room. Teens may use the internet as a means to vent about their daily lives, develop an alternate persona, while others experience cyber-bullying, which is basically bullying through the internet.

1) “Parental concerns over media now center on the Internet, particularly in relation to values, commercialism, privacy and, most of all, sexual material” (Livingstone, 18). Some parents also fear online predators and cyberbullies. Children and teens spend increasingly more time on the internet, and that may concern some parents as to what their children could possibly be doing all those hours alone. Other parents believe “ that computers pose health hazards, developmental problems, stunt the imagination, isolate children from the adult world and so forth, although little evidence is cited in support of this alternative view or and none has shown that ICTs undermine traditional learning.” (Livingstone, 16)

Here is the PDF file the quotes came from:

http://www.infoamerica.org/documentos_pdf/livingstone04.pdf

2) I do think that finding material online and copying it for your assignment is cheating. A person who does that is not doing the work asked, and it not critically thinking. I liked the idea of having students write as much as possible in class. Students could also be given individualized assignments. This obviously would work better in small classes. This wouldn’t need to be done with each assignment, but for example, in an essay, each students has a slightly different prompt. Another relatively simple step to preventing plagiarism is for the teachers to also not plagiarize. Some teachers will copy exactly the same homework assignments, quizzes, or even tests, from the textbook or online. Most textbooks will offer answer pages at the end, and if the test, or assignment was copied off another website, there is sure to be several websites that provide free answers to those questions to use as study guides, that are easy to locate. They aren’t meant as a means to cheat, in fact, some websites offer practice quizzes or tests based on a chapter, and give the answers and explanations after submitting. Teachers often go and use those same questions all from the same assignment. Or with assigning essays, try to come up with a unique topic, rather googling good topics online. If you looked up the prompt, a student can also look up an essay written on that prompt. Teachers need to be familiarized with how the latest uses of the internet can be used for cheating. If they know they system, it becomes a little harder to be fooled by it.

3) In a way it is understandable if it would be considered wrong to use websites like Spark notes, but both sides have to be looked at. No, they aren’t reading the assignment as directed, but teachers can really be unrealistic about how much time there is in a day, particularly how much time can be directed towards reading large chapter books. I understand his guilt, as it is nothing to be proud of, especially if you never read the actual material, as he does. I think that if students had more time to do things like read large books for a single assignment, they would, I personally have had many instances in high school where I struggled to keep up with the reading projects because of a lack of time. I love reading, and would only choose books for an assignment that I enjoyed reading about, but even that wasn’t enough. I only stayed after school a couple days per week, and it was mostly spent doing homework, and yet it is still hard to find the time to complete it all. Yes he should feel guilty over never reading, but schools and teachers should include eating, sleeping, and social life (at least with family), when creating lesson plans.

4) I think it’s fair to consider people like Edows to be celebrities. To be perfectly honest it doesn’t matter to me either way. In current times, everyone wants to be known as unique and to have the whole world know their uniqueness.  That’s impossible in reality, as everyone cannot be known by everyone. If someone manages to become famous and praiseworthy (although I don’t consider Edows or most other famous people to be praiseworthy), then yes they can be called celebrities. They should not be considered celebrities if they make, or were featured on one or two videos that went viral because they made fools of themselves. But if they are still being talked about years down the road, then perhaps. Achieving fame through the internet has in a way affected our values as a society. Now people are convinced that with just the right video made just the right way, they too can become famous and possibly rich. There are enough examples of people who have become “successful” through those means. People who are overnight celebrities. Thankfully though, that fame only lasts a short while. But the ones who were in the video become hooked, and crave more attention. Not to mention the millions of dollars some Youtubers receive for having several thousand views on their videos, which is another huge incentive

5) A Syrian father of two was seen selling pens while holding his sleeping four year old daughter Reem. The activist who saw him took a photo and posted it on Twitter asking people to donate to help this refugee take care of his family. Once the photo was posted, there were many requests to re-locate the man so he would be able to receive funding. After a 2 day search they located him and his daughter, and told people on Twitter that he was found. Within 30 minutes, they reached their goal of $5,000, and within 24 hours had raised $80,000. The father, Abdul, said he could finally send his two children to school with the money. He also plans to help other refugees with the funding. This young girl and her family can now be much more at ease with their necessities taken care of.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/28/middleeast/social-media-and-syrian-refugee/index.html

6) The girl who flirts online and latter says she was joking, was experiencing several of the disinhibition effects. Particularly invisibility and dissociative personality. She is a lot more open and flirtatious online and behaves in ways that she wouldn’t behave face to face, indicating dissociative personality. The reason she gives for this misleading flirting is that “no one can do anything, you're at your house, they’re at their house”. This also has to do with invisibility, as she feels more comfortable expressing herself when nobody can see or hear her. I think it is both disinhibition effects as not only does she feel comfortable being open because of invisibility, she is creating a persona slightly different from her own by being flirtatious when she ordinarily wouldn’t be.

7) I have not seriously thought of completely disconnecting from all online technology. I did consider, and succeeded in staying off of Facebook. Although family members do occasionally convince me to get back on because they want to keep in contact with me there. The way I see it is many people weren’t using the website to keep in contact with me anyway, so it shouldn’t make a huge difference. I also had the phone numbers of everyone I cared to keep in contact with, or I knew the number of someone who could provide it for me. In most cases, if I didn’t have a person’s number, it’s because I hardly contacted them anyway, so they wouldn’t miss me. It was hard staying off the website at first, but then I reminded myself that I never wanted a Facebook account in the first place, and it has brought very little benefit in my life. I simply wasted lots of time on there reading things I didn’t care much or anything about. To me it was a huge time waster, and a distraction from more important things in life. No I wouldn’t completely disconnect, however if it was for a challenge, I do think I could do it. I’m not one of those people who have to send a text message, photo, ext. to people every 10 minutes or less. In fact, I use my phone so little at times that I may have someone call my phone 5 or 6 times a day because I keep losing track or it. Some people on the other hand, use their phone so much that it would be very difficult to catch them in a scenario where they don’t know where their phone is. I personally hope I never need to disconnect because of an addiction (such as being on social media), however if some people I trust suggested it, I probably would.

Tech Tool Review

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ydng-aRq58C_CX68W16t47yeaoaduXP86aZRRaMSRi4/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=5000

ORC Lesson Plan

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/literature-circles-getting-started-19.html?tab=3#tabs

I chose a literature reading circle for my assignment. This is applicable for Grades 3-5 in English Literature.  Students ask each other questions about the book, define interesting words within the text, grade the participation and comprehension of other students, summarize, and search for parts of the book that stand out to them and explain why. They switch roles until each student has fulfilled each one. The jobs are: Discussion Director (Promotes critical thinking by asking pre-made questions about the content), Vocabulary Enricher (finds difficult or interesting words to define by using context clues as well as the dictionary), Literary Luminary (selects 4 parts from the reading and explains why they were chosen. Reasons include:thought provoking, sets a mood, funny, confusing, ext, and explains decisions to group), and Checker (assesses peoples' participation, their prior understanding of the chapter content, group ethics, and ability/ willingness to complete work).

The Common Core Standards that this activity fulfills include:

OH.CC.RL.3.		Reading Standards for Literature
		Key Ideas and Details
RL.3.1.		Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL.3.2.		Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
RL.3.3.		Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
		Craft and Structure
RL.3.4.		Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
RL.3.5.		Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
		Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.3.9.		Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).
RL.3.10.		By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
OH.CC.RF.3.		Reading Standards: Foundational Skills
RF.3.4.		Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RF.3.4(a)		Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
RF.3.4(c)		Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
OH.CC.W.3.		Writing Standards
		Text Types and Purposes
W.3.1.		Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
W.3.1(a)		Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.
W.3.1(b)		Provide reasons that support the opinion.
W.3.1(c)		Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons.
W.3.1(d)		Provide a concluding statement or section.
W.3.2.		Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.3.2(c)		Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.
W.3.2(d)		Provide a concluding statement or section.
OH.CC.SL.3.		Speaking and Listening Standards
		Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.3.1.		Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.3.1(a)		Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL.3.1(b)		Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
SL.3.1(c)		Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.
SL.3.1(d)		Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
SL.3.2.		Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
OH.CC.L.3.		Language Standards
		Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.3.4.		Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.3.4(a)		Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
L.3.4(d)		Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
L.3.5.		Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
L.3.5(a)		Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
L.3.5(b)		Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
L.3.6.		Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).

The different roles in this activity promote useful skills such as critical thinking, learning to use a dictionary, recognizing integral or interesting parts of a story, lead discussions, take responsibility, working in groups, analyzing text, and many others. Each student would get the change to partake in each role. It allows students to analyze situations and characters in the book, as well as picking grasping better understandings of difficult or confusing content. Students get to improve reading and writing skills.

I would have the students Pick 4 short stories, or 1 chapter book with at least 8 chapters.  Students break into small groups of four, each with a roll to fulfill. They take turns switching between roles as the book progresses. Before students began the activity I would explain the purpose of this activity, and explain each of the roles they would have to fulfill. They would have assigned groups in the hopes of better productivity and increased bond between students who otherwise don't talk to each other. Since it is estimates that there will be about 10 50 minute sessions, This would likely have to be a long term assignment, doing a bit each day. Students would read 2 chapters each day if possible, and then analyze those two chapters in the circle time activity. If it seems too long of a project, I would shorten the number of sessions and chapters. There may even be a large project after this circle time activity is finished in order to take full advantage of this extensive assignment.

I think some children would have trouble with the Literary Luminary job. The instructions for this part aren't as obvious as the rest of the roles even for me. Maybe I just aren't able to grasp a concept that is easy for others. One reason I think this would pose a challenge is that the student would have to think about the entire chapter and pick several parts that they would like to clarify more. This task requires that the student actually pay attention to the reading the entire time, as well as figure out what is challenging and why. I think the peer grading might also pose a small problem in the groups. Students don't tend to want to grade their peers, particularly friends, so they might want to be extra lenient with this part. I would have to explain to them ahead of time that what they put down on those peer review papers aren't used primarily as a grading tool, but rather to increase other useful skills. I wouldn't say that they aren't used at all, or they really wouldn't take them seriously, but rather say be honest because I'll also be observing. So if a student who was rowdy the entire circle time got full marks on their peer review, I'd know that there was quite a bit of generosity or peer pressure there.

Introduction to the instructions for the first session

Worksheet for the Literary Luminary role

Online group assessment chart if you want to save paper

Khan/Koller Review

I really enjoyed looking at the Khan Academy website. I found myself agreeing with a lot of what Khan was describing about how educations needs to be reformed. I personally have already used some of his videos on courses that I was struggling with, and I imagine I will continue to use them in the future. The videos were easy to follow and understand, which is why I even added the video series to my favorites on YouTube. I didn't know that Khan taught more than math as I had only watched his videos explaining math concepts.

After reading the article about the school that implemented Khan Academy videos as a learning tool in class, I found myself liking that Idea as well. I do like how some of the teachers had their students watch the videos at home so that they would have more time at school to practice problems and ask questions to the teacher. I think I would like to apply something similar to this when I eventually teach. I would try to almost never give my students homework other than reading or watching videos.  The difference I would use though is that I would also teach them the content before they watched the videos.This would allow them to have more free time at home for whatever they wanted.

I do think learning is increasingly leaning towards online education. I don't ever think online education could replace traditional learning, however with the increase in the digital world, and the added convenience, and often affordability, of online learning, it will thrive. There are specific groups of people who tend to use online courses, mostly out of need, rather than wanting to be isolated. Because of that group of similar people, there will always be a large demand for online courses. It simplifies learning for many people, and as it becomes more popular, it will also become more respected.

When I looked at some of the classes offered at Coursera, I knew I would be very interested in finding classes about education and teaching. I found a course series that seems to be interesting and relevant to my field of study called the "Teach English Now!". Each one picks a different area of focus, but share a common theme of discovering ways to more efficiently teach English to students. This is particularly of interest to me because I had decided that if I had to chose two areas of focus in terms of teaching, it would be English and Science. This allows me to get more familiarized with teaching one of those subjects.

CSCC doesn't appear to accept classes offered at Coursera, as I was not able to find any proof that they do. In addition to that, CSCC has not yet partnered with Coursera, which would indicate that the school doesn't accept them. The courses offered at Coursera seem to be easier than my regular classes for a couple of reasons. As a general fact, you are able to take how many classes you want at a time on Coursera, but while in a University, you would have a minimum as to how many classes you must be enrolled in to receive financial aid. The problem with that is that because Universities tell you exactly how many classes to take  and, in general, the specific subjects, students become more easily bored, as they are waking up early to take a class they aren't interested. While learning online, students can opt to only chose topics they are passionate about, leading to a better experience. Although I don't doubt that the instituters at Coursera make the classes just as challenging, it not more, than regular classes, but the benefits of  taking the same course online outweigh the negative.

I believe that MOOCs will become more widespread, as there is also an increasing rate`of computer use, and there is still certain people who greatly benefit from taking courses at home. I think it will be too convenient to not become more widespread. Some people struggle from a lack of a social relationship with fellow students when they learn from home. Others take advantage of resources and events near where they go to school in order to fulfill the social aspect. Students who take MOOCs would likely find an increased desire to use technology to learn, rather than waiting on someone to give them the the attention they deserve while simultaneously teaching dozens or even a hundreds of students.

Pinterest in the Classroom

I enjoyed using Pinterest because it gave me inspiration and ideas for things that can be done in the classroom that I might not have otherwise thought of. I do like thinking of ways in which I might teach in the best way possible, and this is giving me ways in which I might be able to have a more organized, efficiently run classroom.

As a teacher I believe I would mainly use Pinterest to get ideas on classroom management, design, activities, and other basic tips. I would take advantage of different peoples ideas because I know mine alone aren't always good enough. Ideas from many combined minds tend to be more developed and effective than ideas that stemmed from only one person.

I like how clocking on a picture can take me to another website where I can read more about the thing being posted. Often I end up looking further on that secondary website because I am drawn to other posts they have made, leading to even more inspiration. I also like that I can make my own boards because then I can look back at all the ideas I liked, or even save some for latter if I don't have the time to thoroughly look at them at the moment. It is a convenient, simple, attractive way to look back at websites that I wanted to retrieve useful or desired materials from, without having to make loads of additional bookmarks in my computers files. The pictures given with each pin is a simple reminder of what the website content is, which saves time when trying to locate a page previously liked.

One downside to Pinterest is that not all useful pages utilize pictures. I have come across many useful pages in the past that don't have several, or in some cases, any pictures. This would limit Pinterest's ability to make a quick reference to some creative ideas. The other downside to the website is that there sometimes just seems to be an overwhelming amount of pages and ideas you can look at. Don't misunderstand though, as I love the idea of new thoughts constantly popping up for you to get inspired with. However, because new ideas are always showing up, it is also easy to miss things that may have otherwise been beneficial to you, as it is impossible to look at everything, and undesirable at that.

I guess my main reason for my second complaint is because I have found Pinterest to be so addicting that whenever I do log on, it is very difficult to get off. That would probably be my largest and last complaint. How am I supposed to continue with my day if I keep wanting to scroll down and see what other ideas I may come across?

Ohio DL Schools

I like that Ohio Connections Academy, ECOT, and VCS of Ohio provide free computers and internet service. I honestly think this is a huge benefit to assist in online learning. I liked Ohio Connections Academy’s website the best, as well as what they seemed to be offering. I’m going to be honest though, my opinions were also greatly swayed by the setup and organization of each website. Besides OCA, ECOT, and Ohio Virtual Academy had the most attractive, straightforward websites, however, OCA had the most details and explanations given. I didn’t like that OVA makes you contact them in order to receive more information as that is inconvenient. It also was hugely lacking in any details on what their school is actually about, or how it’s run.

If I had to choose a school for my son to go to based on what information I was able to see from these websites, I would choose to send him to Ohio Connections Academy. I like the fact that the tuition is free (although most seemed to offer this benefit), and that they had a free computer and internet reimbursement. I also thought it was good that each class provided supplies to the student if necessary. The website for this school was set up in a way that seemed to reassure visitors that they are a legitimate school that cares dearly for the students, in spite of it being online, The main issue I had with homeschooling, although I definitely want to do it in the early years, is the lack of social interaction, I was afraid that if I home schooled my children, or had them at an online school, they would be lacking in social skills, and the experience of being in a classroom setting. Those worries seemed to vanish as I watched videos and read students’ and parents’ testimonials about the school. Of course I cannot tell by this short survey of a couple websites which school is actually best, but it is necessary for an online school to have an organized, attractive, detailed, yet simple website, and OCA offered this to me.

The one school I could tell I wouldn’t send my children to is Virtual School House. There is really one main reason for this: location. From what I could tell, the students would have to physically attend the school, which although I have no problem sending them to school, the building is located more than 2 hours away. I also couldn’t really get a good idea of how the school is set up. The website was lacking in detail, which is very important for a virtual school. Also They seemed too focused on using technology to learn for a school that is a face to face experience. I do know the advantages that computers and other learning technology have for students, however I think kids spend too much time as it is looking at a screen. If I were to send my kids to a school rather than having them be home schooled, they need to focus on what I think is the most important aspect of sending kids to school: human interactions. I wouldn’t want them there staring at a screen all day, only to come home and stare at a screen even longer while doing homework or relaxing. I do like that the school offers blended courses similar to what is offered in universities, although I never really liked blended courses, I can see the benefit.

Assistive Technology For Deaf- Blind People

Deaf-blindness is a condition in which a person is struggling from a combination of both hearing and visual impairment and/ or loss. This term doesn’t necessarily mean that the deaf-blind person is actually deaf or blind, but rather they have significant trouble hearing and seeing to the extent that it affects their social or educational, lives. This condition can come about in a variety of ways, and results in varying degrees of deaf/ blindness. “About 50% of the deaf-blind community have Usher Syndrome. This is a genetic condition where a person is born deaf or hard of hearing, or with normal hearing, and loses their vision later on in life from retinitis pigmentosa” (aadb.org). A person can also be born with normal hearing and sight, and then gradually lose them both later on in life. Others can lose their vision or hearing due to illness or injuries. Dead-blind people would have a more difficult time learning to communicate and function in society than people who suffer from only one of these conditions, although each is challenging enough on its own. People suffering with this condition would have to put in a greater effort to figure out the world around them and get used to surroundings they can neither see nor hear.

One modern form of technology for deaf-blind people is Braille Sense Plus. It is a compact multimedia device that has many functions such as: sending and receiving emails, managing files, making word documents, listening to and creating audio files, surfing the web, online chatting, and sharing files with PCs. It also has an alarm clock, schedule, GPS, address book, calculator, and much more. It comes in two keyboard choices and also has a braille keyboard at the bottom. It seems to be a very convenient way to access everyday tasks that would’ve otherwise been more difficult to achieve. There seem to be two downsides to this device, the first being the weight. At two pounds, It’s heavier than the tablet equivalent of it would be. But considering it’s also like a mini laptop, two pounds isn’t too bad given the benefits. The most obvious negative part about the Braille Sense is the price. Although it was difficult to get an exact pricing, similar products from the same company ranged from $3,000-$6,500. Having outrageous prices seemed to be a common trend among tools that could assist deaf- blind people with everyday prices.

NexTalk Text Service is a free way for deaf-blind people to keep in contact with others. It has an option to allow users to make TTY calls to another person with a TTY device. A TTY is basically a phone that has a qwerty or Braille keyboard that will relay the message of the person making the call to the person they are trying to reach. This is useful for people who have trouble speaking verbally, so they can still talk long distance. NexTalk has this system built in for added convenience and to help relieve a otherwise huge financial burden on a person needing a TTY communicator. Users can send instant messages, make calls, and use the video service. There is also a toll free number that can be used to assist a hearing person in communicating with deaf a deaf person, without the need for them to also figure out how a TTY works.

Perhaps in the future, assistive technology for deaf-blind people will be more readily available and affordable. It seems as though ipads and other computer tablets are becoming more popular as a learning tool for children with disabilities. “There are devices that plug into a phone and turn text messages into moving braille for the fingertips to read. There are GPS devices that provide talking maps. Apps that use the camera on an iPhone to read the denomination of a bill to the user” (usatoday). There are also apps that serve as motion detectors, which are useful if someone or something is approaching a blind person. The Color ID app tells blind people if fruit are ripe based on their color, if their outfits match, and identify colors in general. Some apps that can sense if the lights are turned on or off, and others tell the user how many bus stops they have left before they have to depart. These are just some of many apps that have been created to make everyday tasks simpler for blind people, which can also be used in the blind- deaf community.

References:

http://www.aadb.org/FAQ/faq_DeafBlindness.html

http://documents.nationaldb.org/products/dviqanindya.pdf

http://hims-inc.com/products/braille-sense-plus/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/06/27/helen-keller-birthday-deaf-blind-apps-technology/11496293/

Welcome to My Blog

Hello, my name is Maryam Najib. When I was in about 3rd grade, I decided that I wanted to be a teacher. I cannot recall exactly what made me reach this conclusion. I also decided that same year that I wanted to marry my childhood friend Yousuf and name one of our future children Esa. I have accomplished two of those goals, and now I am working towards the third: my education degree. I moved to Columbus about 2 1/2 years ago after getting married, and previously lived in Toledo, my hometown. I have three sisters and two brothers, all of who have all decided to be teachers except my 12 year old brother. I'll give him some time though, children are always changing their minds about careers.

I used to enjoy reading, art, taking walks outside, hanging out with friends, Karate, swordsmanship, sleeping, video games, watching movies, the list goes on. However, the older I got, the less time I had to enjoy each of these hobbies. It got to the point where I was doing almost none of these except on rare occasions. What happened? Homework. Like so many other people, school was slowly draining any social life I had until I began to resent going to school despite previously loving it. I was so tired of memorizing and then regurgitating information I had "learned" at 2 or 3 a.m., only to almost completely forget that information by the following school year. 

That's why as a teacher, one of my main goals is to get students to learn in what I hope will be, fun, inspiring, and memorable ways. I know this is the goal of most teachers, but it's desired for a reason. I aim to get them to learn, not just memorize, to participate out of a desire to, not just because of pressure, and to continue to look forward to that next day of school, instead of by dreading it. Most importantly though, students should have some time to enjoy their daily lives with family and friends, rather than dedicating the majority of what can be 17+ years to staring at a book or a board with words on it. If people don't have time for a life outside of school, how are they then going to apply what they've learned into their daily lives? How would they get the chance to decide what they really want to do as careers? How will they be able to develop themselves if they don't have time for themselves?