The Importance of PLN's

Today there are  endless technology resources for educators to utilize and experiment with. Technology is constantly growing and developing which means systems and software are always changing. This makes accessibility and assistive technological resources wonderful and challenging for educators to use. With these resources, come convenience and improvement, however, it also brings difficulties and can be time consuming to incorporate. In the end, assistive technology is important to utilize in the classroom because there are many sources which will aid the students and teacher in creating a better learning experience and environment. Technology can assist students with a variety of needs and diverse learning abilities.  When using assistive technology in the classroom, it is important to practice patience and remember that it is being used for the betterment of the diverse group of students. For example assistive technologies are "developed to answer visual, hearing, and mobility

The world of 2023 has so much to offer when it comes to technology and how it affects education positively and negatively. Within these options, there are a variety of programs which offer the opportunity to meet with one or more people on video through the online environment. This has been a great step in educational and corporate environments as we recently dealt with a pandemic which closed school doors, and businesses. Online video meetings can prepare people and students for their future careers with the high usage in the professional setting. For instance, "about one in three Americans use live video chat to communicate with businesses" (Ivan Blagojevic). because However, there are also many cons that came along with this form of interaction. Recently, we have seen a rise in technological usage, including the use of online video interactions like zoom, google meet, FaceTime, Skype, etc.  These video conferencing sources can be used within education to have a virtual cla

Google has many tools that can be used to access a variety of resources for our convenience and knowledge development. One of the tools which really stand out to me, is Google Earth. Often, I use Google Earth for searching what an area looks like, where there might be a cute area to walk around, or what a house I am looking into buying may be like. However, there is so much more to Google Earth and its ability to provide useful information about the world.  Google Earth is combined of "satellite imagery and geospatial data sets" which provide teacher, scientists, researchers, and professionals the ability to explore the earth. Things that can be found consist of trends, changes in the earth, locations, and researchers can "quantify differences on the earth's surface". Google earth is continuing to be a free resources for academics and research, however, it is also used for commercial reasons now. (https://earthengine.google.com) There are many ways the Google Ea

Each day technology is developing rapidly in the world and United States. Each year a new phone or computer comes out, which is better than the last. New apps are being published rapidly for anyone to purchase. People are posting on social media daily, worldwide. These are all simple examples of how technology is developing. With the growth, there are many positives, but also negatives. Technology and media can provide wonderful opportunities, but can also be a danger to humanity. As  educators it is crucial to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses in technology in order to utilize it effectively for communication in the classroom. Cell phones have provided an opportunity for people to communicate from far distances at any time which is an amazing privilege. However, cell phones can limit the personal contact and communication of an individual by providing the easy option of a call, text, email, etc. Technology can take away from the gift of being in person with someone. It can limi

       Professional networking has provided opportunities, resources, and experiences for many individuals in their life and career. Linked In performed a study to research the impact of professional networking and found that 85% of professionals found networking to be a vital part of their success (LinkedIn). Furthermore, 80% of individuals receive a job through networking according to Apollo Technical. Networking is a way to glean from and influence others in a similar or differing profession. People around the US and the world each have different views, opinions, and resources. There are also many people with the same or similar profession, but they may take different precautions and have differing procedures. With a variety of beliefs and skills, networking provides an opportunity for people to learn and grow in their profession. This has been happening for years upon end, however, the networking platform has developed tremendously through technological growth, and social media.