Journal #6-Self Reflection

     Over the last few weeks, I have been impressed at how much I have learned about html and css. At the beginning of the quarter, everything that I heard during class instruction and the readings seemed like a foreign language. At times, I have felt frustrated while trying to complete certain book exercises, such as linking pages. I have noticed that I tend to make careless mistakes, and that makes a huge difference on the outcome. I think that will is one of the areas that I need to work on is making sure that I have everything in the correct place. One example, was when I had to input the link on the port template for the css layout, I forgot a less than sign which resulted in a broken link. Another area which I have found to be the hardest yet the most rewarding is doing css. There are so many codes and rules to remember to get the desired format and layout of a web page. 

http://www.csupomona.edu/~marthad/512_2014/labs/css%20index.html

     I hope that after doing a few more book exercises and labs, I will begin to feel more comfortable using css. It will take a lot of practice to get familiar with knowing what to input to get the desired web page.

Journal #5: Try Twitter

I began using Twitter this year, and have found it useful in my personal and professional environment. After looking at the video and reading the PowerPoint, I realized that there are so many different ways that Twitter can be used in the classroom.  At my daughter’s school, Twitter is being used and I find it helpful because it keeps me updated on upcoming events. Sometimes I do not receive the paper flyers of school events, so it is nice to get the news in a timely manner. Twitter is a great for students to share information and resources. Students who may be afraid to talk in class, may feel more comfortable sharing ideas online. Another interesting idea was doing a Wordle through Twitter, in which students share with their peers any synonyms or antonyms that would make their writing more descriptive. In class, students are continuously encourage to provide detail in their writing, so if students are able to use this kind of tool they will be more engaged in the assignment. Also, having students communicate with experts is another great idea that would motivate students to learn more about a certain topic. 

Q.How can teachers control what students do on Twitter in the class?

Teachers would have to set the expectations before students use Twitter in the class. I think that it would be difficult to know if students are on Twitter when they are suppose to be.

Q.What are some ways that teachers can use Twitter in the classroom?

One of the ways that Twitter can be used in the classroom is to graph opinions and collect information. At the middle school that I work at, students participated in a mock election that was done by paper and pencil. I think it would have been more effective if the students would have voted using Twitter.