Khan/Koller Review

When I visited the Khan Academy site, I envisioned myself using it as a tool to polish up on some of my math skills. I took the pretest and the program determined what content I had mastered and where I needed to go from there. I plan to use this website with my students. I liked the simplicity of the videos and how Khan casually “thinks out loud” as he explains how to determine the answer. I do think that this site would be helpful to my students because it is easy to follow and learn from. Only time will tell whether Salman Khan is right when he says that in the future we will rely more on “credentialing” through the use of online courses. However, it seems limiting because it can only benefit those individuals that have access to computers. I do believe we are on an upward trend in the use of online courses. Learning online does make learning more accessible for more students. For example, individuals without reliable transportation can benefit from online courses. Individuals that have to work during the day also can still learn, but from their home and within the demands of their schedule. 

   As I explored the Coursera course offerings, I found the number of schools that are participating to be of great interest. The course entitled, “Blended Learning: Personalizing Education for Students” from The New Teacher Center was one that I would consider taking. There were so many that caught my eye…even beginners guitar class at Berklee College of Music. At this time, Columbus State does not appear to accept Coursera transfer credits. I could not find any information about Coursera on either website. I don’t think that Cousera courses appear to be more challenging than others I have taken. Each course gives an estimated amount of time that a student should expect to spend each week on the course. It also states how long the course is. I’m sure a course’s complexity could be influenced by who is teaching it, especially if their teaching style fits most closely to a student’s learning style or personality.

          I believe that MOOCs are the “wave of the future.” It would definitely change the way students would receive their education because of the limitations of social interaction. MOOCs could really change the world as it opens up the door of opportunity for more people through free education.

Ohio DL Schools

	Connections Academy	ECOT	Ohio Virtual Academy	Virtual Community School of Ohio	Virtual Schoolhouse
Clarity and understandability of information	Yes, but font is too small for majority of text throughout the webpage.	Yes	Yes	Limited, poor font choice and size	Yes
Look and feel of the DL environment	Appealing, use of photographs	Includes photographs and testimonials	Appealing, lots of information in drop-down buttons.	Not a clean look to the site. Homepage needs to be more captivating.	Very appealing to the eye with wide screen video on home page. Use of buttons and drop down menus.
Presence of a FAQ page	Yes	Yes	Yes, specifically broken down into separate pages	Under the “How It Works” tab, there are FAQ’s for grade levels, special educ. and part-time classes	No

In this post, I reviewed five distance learning choices for families desiring to school through an online school.

Below are the top five distance learning options I would want to find in a school for my children: 

1. Child can learn at their own pace.

2. Choice for which field trips we are required to attend.

3. Lowest possible time spent on computer

4. Provides computer to use and connectivity expenses

5. High teacher support

The five distance learning options I would not pick: 

1. Standardized testing 

2. Brick and mortar school (Ex. VSH)

3. Excessive computer screen time

4. Workbook based learning

5. Doesn't offer year round schooling

Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairment

Report on Assistive Technology for Visual Impairment

The disability I chose for my report on Assistive Technology (AT) is Visual Impairment. A child with a visual impairment can be limited in their learning because they are unable to see images clearly, thus interfering with their ability to take in and comprehend information.  Since their “eyesight cannot be corrected to a “normal level” (http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-visual-impairment.aspx), the teacher can use AT to positively affect their educational performance.  Visual impairment can range from complete loss of vision (Braille/Tactile Learner) or Low Vision (Print Learner). Limitations can also vary based on the age of the child. For instance, a young child may have impressive expressive speech, but receptive language is often delayed. An older student may have difficulty carrying on a conversation that is cohesive. Their conversations could also tend to be related to their self-interests, while a secondary student would struggle with starting conversation with peers and sustaining peer relationships.

There are many types of AT designed to help students with visual impairment to be successful in the classroom. I would like to share two specific types. The first is Supernova Access Suite. This AT is a “complete screen reader with natural sounding speech and integrated screen magnifier with Braille display support”. A specialized, large print keyboard can also be purchased with the software. To see the various software choices, go to http://www.teachthought.com/technology/8-helpful-assistive-technology-tools-for-your-classroom/. A variety of assistive keyboards, can also be seen in the slide show at http://www.slideshare.net/SFecich/assistive-technology-for-students-with-visual-impairments. This technology is available in several different forms, allowing for ability to meet the varying levels of visual impairment. To try out a free download to see if it meets your student’s needs, go to YourDolphin.com.

The second type of AT that improves the functionality of visually impaired students are video magnifiers. A video magnifier “uses a video camera to display a magnified image on a monitor or television screen” (http://www.teachthought.com/technology/8-helpful-assistive-technology-tools-for-your-classroom/). They are especially helpful for students with low vision that are struggling in their reading and writing. Multiple styles can be found at Ulva.com. This AT is also referred to as a kind of “closed-circuit television” or CCTV.

The future direction of AT for students with visual impairment is promising considering the advancement of technology in recent years. A company out of Boston called Visus Technology, Inc. is investigating a new “interactive wireless system” that will enable individuals with visual impairment to identify faces, recognize colors, and move functionally in the world through the use of wireless technology (The Carroll Center for the Blind). As technology continues to advance, I am certain that the options for visually impaired students will continue to increase.

References

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/8-helpful-assistive-technology-tools-for-your-classroom/

http://www.slideshare.net/SFecich/assistive-technology-for-students-with-visual-impairments

http://ulva.com/Online-Store/Video-Magnifiers/home.htm

http://www.tsbvi.edu/instructional-resources/105-learning-disabilities-and-visual-impairments-workshop

http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-visual-impairment.aspx

http://carroll.org/2013/07/22/visually-impaired-students-test-technology-of-the-future

https://www.setbc.org/Download/LearningCentre/Vision/Reading_Strategies_for_Visual_Impairments.pdf

Blog Evaluation Activity

1. What is the name of the blog you reviewed? Please include an ACTIVE link to the blog here. The blog I am assigned to review is Ramla's Blog. The following is an active link to her blog: http://horizonteacher.blogspot.com/.

2. Is the style of the writing in the blog you reviewed suited to the blogger’s intended audience? In other words, is the writing professional enough for a teaching blog? Ramla is professional in her writing style and it is suitable for her intended audience. 

3. Are the colors/fonts appropriate? She uses a variety of colors and font sizes and her pictures and images are pleasing to the eye. Are there things that are distracting about the blog that need to be changed (ie. Pictures/images too large or too small, hard-to-read font, distracting backgrounds, etc). I did not find anything to be distracting about her blog. Are Vokis in the right place (they should be only on the sidebar).  Her Voki is in the appropriate place. 

4. Is the spacing and layout easy to navigate? Are there “repeats” of posts? Does the flow and direction of the blog make sense?  I really liked her choice of background wallpaper (books on shelves). I found her blog to be easy to navigate, with appropriate spacing and layout. She does not repeat any posts. The flow and the direction of the blog make sense. 

5. Are correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar used? She uses correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. 

6. What is your overall impression of the blog?  (Include any suggestions you may have for improvement. If you have any questions or additional comments, please include them here). It is evident that Ramla has invested time and effort into her blog. My only suggestion would be to make the font size of all her posts the same. This would add to eye appeal. Great work, Ramla! :) 

PicMonkey

I had a great time exploring PicMonkey with my daughter. She is eager to tinker around with the app on her own. While there are a variety of free options to choose from, I could see the benefit of upgrading to a Royale Account if you were going to use the site frequently. I added stars into my photo. I also was able to whiten my teeth and add some make-up, in addition to changing the softness of the photo. There were a variety of fun fonts that I could experiment with.

My GoAnimate Video

I Forgot My Math Book by klisteducator on GoAnimate

QR Code

This is a QR code to my blog. I made for free at GoQR.me.