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.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
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?
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?
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
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.
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Wednesday, September 16, 2015
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?
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