7- "swans a swimming"

The categories for Bloom’s Taxonomy include remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. PowerPoint can be a useful tool to use because it can support learning at each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. For the category of remembering a useful tool on PowerPoint would be making a story map, or concept map to recall and restate information. In order for students to meet the understanding level, students should be able to interpret what they have learned. I would show a slide on PowerPoint restating the events of a story and ask them to get in groups and discuss what the main ideas are. To apply the information students need to use the information in a new situation. I could have the students go on computers individually and make a storybook of an alternative ending of the story on PowerPoint. To analyze the students can compare and contrast the characters in the story by creating a Venn diagram on PowerPoint. To evaluate the story students can use PowerPoint to make a “rule book” of rules that the characters should have followed in the story. This gives them the chance to evaluate and judge the characters actions. The last level is creating which involves students creating new and original work. Students can use PowerPoint to plan a TV show based off of the story. I have just listed a handful examples about how PowerPoint can be used to meet each learning level stated in Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Adaptive technologies are used to support learners. Adaptive technologies help people with disabilities more effectively used technology equipment. In most cases using computers and technology is more difficult for people with disabilities, so accommodations need to be made. If a student cannot use a computer due to their disabilities, then they can use alternative input and output devices to assist them. Just one example of an input tool is using voice recognition software instead of typing on a keyboard. An example of an output tool is a magnified screen monitor so that the student can read the information on the computer more easily. There is a wide range of productivity tools that can be used to help students with disabilities. After matching a good tool to fit a particular student’s needs, it’s your job as the teacher to gain access of that tool. I haven’t known anyone who has used adaptive technologies so I learned a lot from the podcast and textbook. I think that my biggest challenge that I will have using adaptive technologies in my classroom, is my lack of knowledge. I need to keep learning about the different adaptive technologies out there in order to be able to accommodate my students with disabilities.

The Web Page Design assignment is my favorite assignment yet! I loved getting the chance to be creative and make my class page exactly how I wanted it to be. Weebly was so easy to navigate and some of the tools were just too cool not to include on my website. I found myself just running with this assignment. I wasn’t satisfied with just meeting the general assignment requirements, and added even more links, and tools like a survey. Because of the skills that I learned through completing this assignment, I feel prepared to make a class website when I become a teacher. Once I am actually a teacher I can improve my website by adding more pages and expand the amount of events on the calendar. 

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