Blog Post 4

-    I’ve been an interactive Twitter user ever since my Seventh grade, twelve-year-old days. Therefore, I have a basic understanding on how to use and navigate the social networking site in a “tech savvy” manor. Although thinking back on my formative schooling years (K-12) there was no introduction to or inclusion of Twitter within the classroom setting. Not until I came to Florida State University did I use Twitter in the classroom as tool and resource, rather than for my own personal fulfillment or as a social media distraction. Since I’ve been enrolled in EME 2040 this semester, I’ve used my twitter handle to interact with all kinds of education-friendly twitter accounts including but not limited to FSU’s Education department, FSU’s Advertising Club, Huffington Post Tech, and Tech Learning. I’ve found its inclusion into the educational process to be extremely beneficial by its ability to improve my tech skills and develop an online community through hash-tags. In the future I plan to become an Educator, as an effective educator I would Twitter and other social media sites to my advantage as a bulletin for students to stay up to date. I also believe by using Twitter in class students would learn to tolerate all opinions, break down barriers on talking to other people with whom you are not familiar, write short messages to perfect the art of “headlining”, plus Twitters availability to the general public makes it an excellent go-to resource for class communication.

--       The term adaptive technology refers to any product, device, or equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified or customized, that is used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities (American Disability Act). Common computer-related adaptive/assistive technology products include screen magnifiers, large-key keyboards, alternative input devices such as touch-screen displays and speech recognition programs. Software application that empowers and produces active learning such as productivity software, presentation software, desktop publishing software, graphic software and special needs software are all categories that should be put to use in the classroom. Some examples of these types of software include: word-processing to demonstrate real time essay editing, Microsoft Office’s applications, Encyclopedia Britannica, Nouns and Sounds and Math Analogies.


--       While evaluation a website one must take into consideration a multitude of things in which differentiate the good from the not so good. Some particular aspects/points to consider include he currency of the information provided to the audience, whether the pages are updated recently or not, who is responsible for the site (the authority), the accuracy of the information given- are the facts documented and well-researched? Are the sources reliable? Also, one must consider the objectivity of the sit as a whole- what the purpose of the site is. Last but not least, one must consider the relevance of the material for instructional purposes. Personally, I began evaluating a site by checking whether or not the information provided is up to date and current and then follow up by checking if it’s reliable. By doing this I feel as though I have a pretty strong grasp on the website itself as a whole and what it’s trying to portray.