Monday, March 5, 2012
LT8_Act 4
From this class, I learned that I am very particular. I would spend hours and hours making sure that everything was lined up exactly. Then I would redo it when I found something better. I spent way more time on the details than I should have, but that is just who I am.
LT8_Act 3
Old Classroom Website
I do not have anyone’s page to evaluate, so I took a look at a classroom website I created my first year of teaching. It is so bad. Too many color, too much stuff on the front page, I do not like the layout, you cannot code the site. I could go one forever. It is just a bad site.
I do not have anyone’s page to evaluate, so I took a look at a classroom website I created my first year of teaching. It is so bad. Too many color, too much stuff on the front page, I do not like the layout, you cannot code the site. I could go one forever. It is just a bad site.
LT8_Act 2
I decided not to use the site I created earlier in this course because it was flashed based and users could not access it in their iPhones.
New Classroom Website
New Classroom Website
LT8_Act 1
This was the most difficult course I have taken. It was by far the most time consuming. I think it is because of how unfamiliar I was with all the different topics. I know how to read a book and write a paper about the book, but I do not how HTML code a site from scratch, so it took me forever. It was also difficult because no one around me knew how to do it either. I do not think advanced we design is for me. I will, however, keep working to improve the site I have created.
LT7_Act5
To increase the accessibility of my site, I changed which site I was using. At first, I was using a Wix, because I liked the streamlined designs, but the Wix was unable to load on many older computers, it also was a flashed-based site. Flash can slow your computer down and cause loading issues. Flash is also not available on iPhones or iPads and with the increasing number of people who have iDevices, I cannot exclude them from accessing the classroom website. I also chose to do this because there is the very simple feature on the iDevices that allows all screen text to be read to the user. This will improve accessibility for those who have a difficult time reading. I have also enabled the mobile option for my site so it changes the layout to an easy to view layout while on the mobile device.
LT7_Act4
I did not do a lot of the SEO techniques. I did ones that I could easily undo because I do not want search engines to find my site. It is a safety issue.
Before the changes
I added a site description.
I added Meta-tag Keywords. These are world that the search engines read to help find your site, but people do not see them.
And finally, I hid my website from all search engines to protect the safety of my students and their families.
After all the changes
Before the changes
I added a site description.
I added Meta-tag Keywords. These are world that the search engines read to help find your site, but people do not see them.
And finally, I hid my website from all search engines to protect the safety of my students and their families.
After all the changes
LT7_Act3
• What is the most simplistic way of describing search engine optimization to a person who has never heard of it before?
Search Engine Optimization is make your website easy for people to find when they search sites like Google.
• Would the SEO goals and techniques of a small business website owner be different or similar to an educator with a website or a student-generated website?
As an educator, I do not want my site to be easily found by any Google or Yahoo search. My website is for my students and their families only, not for the general public. A small business website is one that could truly benefit from SEO to get people more familiar with their product or service.
• At what point in the web design is it best to learn about SEO? Why?
I think it would have been more beneficial to learn about this before creating the website. If I know exactly what the search engines will be looking for, I can keep that in mind when I create my title, description and meta-tag. If I do it after, I have to go back ad fix everything.
• What are the best SEO techniques? What are the worst or most unethical methods (black hat) sometimes used to achieve search engine optimization? Are there consequences for trying to “trick the system”?
Two techniques that I found to be especially unethical are having hidden text and cloaking. Adding hidden text to your site is putting text on a background that is the same color as the text. Your viewers do not see it, but the search engines read it. Cloaking is making a fake page for search engines to read and when you viewer clicks on the link for your site, they get redirected to an actual site. Both of these techniques sound like good old fashioned cheating. These cheating techniques will work for a short time, but once the search engine catches onto what you are doing, they will no longer carry your site in their index. Cheaters usually get caught.
Search Engine Optimization is make your website easy for people to find when they search sites like Google.
• Would the SEO goals and techniques of a small business website owner be different or similar to an educator with a website or a student-generated website?
As an educator, I do not want my site to be easily found by any Google or Yahoo search. My website is for my students and their families only, not for the general public. A small business website is one that could truly benefit from SEO to get people more familiar with their product or service.
• At what point in the web design is it best to learn about SEO? Why?
I think it would have been more beneficial to learn about this before creating the website. If I know exactly what the search engines will be looking for, I can keep that in mind when I create my title, description and meta-tag. If I do it after, I have to go back ad fix everything.
• What are the best SEO techniques? What are the worst or most unethical methods (black hat) sometimes used to achieve search engine optimization? Are there consequences for trying to “trick the system”?
Two techniques that I found to be especially unethical are having hidden text and cloaking. Adding hidden text to your site is putting text on a background that is the same color as the text. Your viewers do not see it, but the search engines read it. Cloaking is making a fake page for search engines to read and when you viewer clicks on the link for your site, they get redirected to an actual site. Both of these techniques sound like good old fashioned cheating. These cheating techniques will work for a short time, but once the search engine catches onto what you are doing, they will no longer carry your site in their index. Cheaters usually get caught.
LT7_Act1
• What type of forethought should be put into selecting a domain name? What right or wrong choices are there as far as name selections go?
o A domain name needs to relate to the site you are publishing. My domain name should not be coolcars.com if I am trying to sell football apparel.
o The domain name needs to be something that people will remember, not seemingly random numbers or letters.
o The domain name should not be something that is often misspelled like areyouthere.com vs. areyoutheir.com.
o Lastly, a domain name should be short and to the point.
• How would you explain in plain English how to go about purchasing and registering a domain name? How long does this typically take? What should a potential user be wary of?
Register domain name. Click on a few sites to check out. Pick one and register you domain name. It will cost about $15 and last for 10 years. Make sure you do not pick a name that can be easily confused with another domain name.
• What type of web hosting would be the most beneficial for the typical educator wanting to create a classroom website for students and their parents? What types of hosting should educators recognize as “overkill”?
Educators should not register a domain name. They should us one of the free, easy to use classroom website hosts available. As teachers, we do not have a lot of “free time” and we should use it wisely. Pick the site that fits your needs and is the easiest to use.
• What are some ways an educator could research a particular web hosting service (beyond what the service says about itself on its own site)?
I went to my district website and checked out all of the different elementary schools. I saw which teachers had webpages and which hosts they used. I noted what I liked and disliked about each host and picked a site from there.
• Are promises of “Unlimited site traffic” or “Unlimited hosting space” really viable offers by hosting providers? Why or why not?
Unlimited site traffic is not real; sites get bogged down with too many guests. A host can offer the ability to have more traffic on a site than another host, but ultimately there is always a limit.
Unlimited hosting space is not real either. I webserver can only hold so much data-period. One site can hold more than another, but ultimately there is an amount that the host will not hold.
o A domain name needs to relate to the site you are publishing. My domain name should not be coolcars.com if I am trying to sell football apparel.
o The domain name needs to be something that people will remember, not seemingly random numbers or letters.
o The domain name should not be something that is often misspelled like areyouthere.com vs. areyoutheir.com.
o Lastly, a domain name should be short and to the point.
• How would you explain in plain English how to go about purchasing and registering a domain name? How long does this typically take? What should a potential user be wary of?
Register domain name. Click on a few sites to check out. Pick one and register you domain name. It will cost about $15 and last for 10 years. Make sure you do not pick a name that can be easily confused with another domain name.
• What type of web hosting would be the most beneficial for the typical educator wanting to create a classroom website for students and their parents? What types of hosting should educators recognize as “overkill”?
Educators should not register a domain name. They should us one of the free, easy to use classroom website hosts available. As teachers, we do not have a lot of “free time” and we should use it wisely. Pick the site that fits your needs and is the easiest to use.
• What are some ways an educator could research a particular web hosting service (beyond what the service says about itself on its own site)?
I went to my district website and checked out all of the different elementary schools. I saw which teachers had webpages and which hosts they used. I noted what I liked and disliked about each host and picked a site from there.
• Are promises of “Unlimited site traffic” or “Unlimited hosting space” really viable offers by hosting providers? Why or why not?
Unlimited site traffic is not real; sites get bogged down with too many guests. A host can offer the ability to have more traffic on a site than another host, but ultimately there is always a limit.
Unlimited hosting space is not real either. I webserver can only hold so much data-period. One site can hold more than another, but ultimately there is an amount that the host will not hold.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
LT6_Act2
Thesis
Everything in our world has evolved, isn’t it time copyright laws do the same?
On the side of…
Copyright-
If someone works hard to create something, someone else should not be able to come along and use his or her work. The original artist should be the only on who can profit from his/her work. With that being said, I wonder how Apple creates the iPad and now other companies are profiting from the same concept by copy the idea, design, and form or the iPad.
Copy-sharing-
Copy sharing is the new way of doing things. It is designed under the concept that two minds are greater than one. Greater things are created when people work together instead of against each other.
I am a person that is all for sharing. I will be embracing the Creative Commons license. I will add the attribution and not for commercial use license to my WordPress. I think that people who can, should be able to benefit from my work and ideas. I do think that everyone should give credit where credit is due. I do not think that it is okay for someone is use my idea and make millions from it, without sharing the wealth. I shared my idea and you could not have done it without me, therefore when you make money from it, you should share the wealth. If someone wants to use my idea to make money, then s/he will have to ask me for permission.
Everything in our world has evolved, isn’t it time copyright laws do the same?
On the side of…
Copyright-
If someone works hard to create something, someone else should not be able to come along and use his or her work. The original artist should be the only on who can profit from his/her work. With that being said, I wonder how Apple creates the iPad and now other companies are profiting from the same concept by copy the idea, design, and form or the iPad.
Copy-sharing-
Copy sharing is the new way of doing things. It is designed under the concept that two minds are greater than one. Greater things are created when people work together instead of against each other.
I am a person that is all for sharing. I will be embracing the Creative Commons license. I will add the attribution and not for commercial use license to my WordPress. I think that people who can, should be able to benefit from my work and ideas. I do think that everyone should give credit where credit is due. I do not think that it is okay for someone is use my idea and make millions from it, without sharing the wealth. I shared my idea and you could not have done it without me, therefore when you make money from it, you should share the wealth. If someone wants to use my idea to make money, then s/he will have to ask me for permission.
LT6_Act3
I will not be uploading these images to my blog at this time. This is a project my students will work on the last three weeks of the school year when we study Africa. This is an example of what the students are expected to complete. I will post it on my website so parents are aware of what we are studying and the expectations.
African Animals Research Project
African Animals Research Project
LT5_Act3
Steps: Open new- click text icon- type text- click-filters-alpha to logo- glossy- color one select FG to transparent (purple)- color two select neon yellow.
Steps: Open new image in GIMP- make it 1150 px by 1150 px- fill white- open new layer use rectangular selection tool to selection 1150 px by 225 px section- fill with FG color of the teal- open new layer use rectangular selection tool to selection 1150 px by 20 px section- fill with FG color of the purple-click text icon-choose font, size and yellow-type “kindergarten”- click rotate tool- rotate -90 degrees- edit-copy-edit-paste- paste the copied text on the other side of the image- click rotate icon- rotate 180 degrees- make sure all layers are lined up.
Steps: Open dinosaur image in GIMP- use the path tool to carefully select the dinosaur only- edit-select from path-edit- cut- file-new- edit-paste-Open boy image-use the path tool to carefully select the boy only-edit- select from path- -edit-cut- paste as a new layer in dinosaur image- click scale icon to make the boy small.
Image Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Allosaurus_Plastic.jpg
Before
After
Steps: Open new file in Gimp- click any selection icon- select a section that matches the area you want to cover- click the clone icon- click the stamp icon on the area you want covered- stamp it until it is all covered- uses the blur icon to blur the edges of the newly pasted areas to make it more seamless.
Image Source: Christopher Jansz http://www.fotopedia.com/items/3fkdu6tf6mguh-0s7KZQxPjnw
LT5_Act2
Visual Literacy
Visual literacy is a topic that we have addressed in many other classes. I interpret it as using images to convey meaning. With that said, we must teach our students how to derive meaning from images. I teach Kindergarten and the concept of using images is a form of best practice. I also teach at a school with a high number of English Language Leaners and the use of visual aides are an integral part of our teaching, school-wide. I have been in other classrooms where they did not use images at all and the students who did not speak English as a first language really struggled. I believe that supporting students with images is the first step toward teaching students to interpret images for meaning. With a world that is constantly changing, we must adapt our teaching to meet the demands of the world. Our students receive so much information through visual stimulants, yet teaching is mainly auditory and textual. How are we helping our students if we are not teaching them the way they learn?
Even though I see the importance of images and know that they convey meaning, I had not thought of how that applies to my website. I have a lot to think about. I want to convey a message of quality and show that I have an accepting, enriching classroom that focuses on community building and developing the skills necessary for success.
Additional resources:
Teaching Enterprise
The Visual Literacy Toolbox
Expanding the Definition of Literacy
Visual literacy is a topic that we have addressed in many other classes. I interpret it as using images to convey meaning. With that said, we must teach our students how to derive meaning from images. I teach Kindergarten and the concept of using images is a form of best practice. I also teach at a school with a high number of English Language Leaners and the use of visual aides are an integral part of our teaching, school-wide. I have been in other classrooms where they did not use images at all and the students who did not speak English as a first language really struggled. I believe that supporting students with images is the first step toward teaching students to interpret images for meaning. With a world that is constantly changing, we must adapt our teaching to meet the demands of the world. Our students receive so much information through visual stimulants, yet teaching is mainly auditory and textual. How are we helping our students if we are not teaching them the way they learn?
Even though I see the importance of images and know that they convey meaning, I had not thought of how that applies to my website. I have a lot to think about. I want to convey a message of quality and show that I have an accepting, enriching classroom that focuses on community building and developing the skills necessary for success.
Additional resources:
Teaching Enterprise
The Visual Literacy Toolbox
Expanding the Definition of Literacy
Lt4_Act4
I never thought that websites could be so complicated. There is a lot to learn when making a quality website and most people do not know even the basics. I was surprised by the amount of professional websites that were poorly designed. Yet, when I looked at the sites through the lens of a designer, they were bad. It makes me wonder if a true, educated web designer crated their site or if it was just a tech savvy company employee.
I now know that any ideas I had for a classroom website will be erased and replaced with ideas that fit what I have learned in this class.
I now know that any ideas I had for a classroom website will be erased and replaced with ideas that fit what I have learned in this class.
LT4_Act2
• How does knowing basic code and being able to insert or tweak code extend the designer’s control in a site?
The ability to code allows the designer to have somewhat endless possibilities with the site s/he designs. S/he can change the layout, colors, fonts, links or anything. When designing my site, I felt empowered by being able to change anything I knew how to code.
• Evaluate each tool type on the tool’s ability to allow users to make choices in text, color, layout, and design.
iWeb was the easiest tool to use; it allowed you to use different colors, fonts, and layouts with the simple click of a button. While you could embed something in your site, I was unable to find where I could change the coding of the site.
Weebly was also easy to use. You are able to change the font, color, layout and design with a drag and drop format. You can also code the site with ease, which opens the world of possibilities.
• Support why you would recommend each tool for both ease of use and its ability to allow code tweaking – hand code insertion.
I recommend iWeb for ease of use, only. My overall recommendation is for Weebly because it is easy to use and the coding is straightforward. It offers free sites to educators, which is always a plus.
• Recommend and support your reasoning for which tool you would recommend for 1) a primary school student website on insects and, 2) a high school computer science course
I recommend Weebly for both of the aforementioned situations because it is easy to use, you can code it, and best of all, it is free.
The ability to code allows the designer to have somewhat endless possibilities with the site s/he designs. S/he can change the layout, colors, fonts, links or anything. When designing my site, I felt empowered by being able to change anything I knew how to code.
• Evaluate each tool type on the tool’s ability to allow users to make choices in text, color, layout, and design.
iWeb was the easiest tool to use; it allowed you to use different colors, fonts, and layouts with the simple click of a button. While you could embed something in your site, I was unable to find where I could change the coding of the site.
Weebly was also easy to use. You are able to change the font, color, layout and design with a drag and drop format. You can also code the site with ease, which opens the world of possibilities.
• Support why you would recommend each tool for both ease of use and its ability to allow code tweaking – hand code insertion.
I recommend iWeb for ease of use, only. My overall recommendation is for Weebly because it is easy to use and the coding is straightforward. It offers free sites to educators, which is always a plus.
• Recommend and support your reasoning for which tool you would recommend for 1) a primary school student website on insects and, 2) a high school computer science course
I recommend Weebly for both of the aforementioned situations because it is easy to use, you can code it, and best of all, it is free.
LT3_Act4
• _Is one type/placement of navigation better than another?
Typically, a horizontal navigation bar is best. It should be located near the top of the homepage. If you use a horizontal navigation bar, the user’s eyes are drawn to it making your site more user friendly.
• _When should a designer use breadcrumb trails as a navigational aid?
A designer should use breadcrumbs when they have multiple steps for getting to content. If the user needs to click more that two buttons to get to what they are looking for, then breadcrumbs should be used.
• _Are there logical reasons for using breadcrumb trails in website design?
Using breadcrumbs helps users navigate backward through a site when they have made an incorrect click or need to look at something else. It is also useful when the navigation bar is very general and the breadcrumbs are more specific.
• _How important is consistency for successful user experiences?
Consistency is extremely important in retaining users. One of the more important features of a website is the ease of use. If users have to look all over your site for different links each time they visit your site, they are more likely to leave your site for one they know exactly how to navigate.
Typically, a horizontal navigation bar is best. It should be located near the top of the homepage. If you use a horizontal navigation bar, the user’s eyes are drawn to it making your site more user friendly.
• _When should a designer use breadcrumb trails as a navigational aid?
A designer should use breadcrumbs when they have multiple steps for getting to content. If the user needs to click more that two buttons to get to what they are looking for, then breadcrumbs should be used.
• _Are there logical reasons for using breadcrumb trails in website design?
Using breadcrumbs helps users navigate backward through a site when they have made an incorrect click or need to look at something else. It is also useful when the navigation bar is very general and the breadcrumbs are more specific.
• _How important is consistency for successful user experiences?
Consistency is extremely important in retaining users. One of the more important features of a website is the ease of use. If users have to look all over your site for different links each time they visit your site, they are more likely to leave your site for one they know exactly how to navigate.
LT3_Act1
After interviewing a large range of teachers, I found that the four most important factors in choosing a website are website content, layout of information, accessibility, and ease of use. The things that make users discredit a site are anything that makes the site inaccessible. They do not like links that do not work, “under construction” pages, or only information with no links to more information or features (depth of information).
The majority of the teacher I asked had very similar answers no matter if the were young or mature. I do feel that if I were to make a group of teenagers that the answers would be different.
The majority of the teacher I asked had very similar answers no matter if the were young or mature. I do feel that if I were to make a group of teenagers that the answers would be different.
LT2_Act5
There were a limited number of widgets available for a WordPress.com site. I did not find any other than the basic search, recent posts, and archives that are included with most of the templates. I like the live streaming from VideoPress, but I do not think it would be applicable to my ePortfolio. If I were using this for personal purposes I might use the Facebook or Twitter widgets. I was disappointed that I did not see a visit counter widget. I would like to have one of these if I were using WordPress for a classroom or school website. I would like to know if people are visiting my page.
LT2_Act4
Thanks for asking about the different options for a WordPress for your classroom website. I know that our schedules are super busy so I will try to be as brief as possible.
There are two main WordPress options, WordPress.com and Word Press.org. When deciding between the two, you should think about what you want to get out of the site. If you want a simple, straightforward, easy to create, basic site you want to use the .com.
I compare the two to Toyota and Lexus.
WordPress.com is the Toyota. It is the simple, straightforward, easy to create, basic site that gets the job done.
WordPress.org is the Lexus. It is the same site as the .com version with more customizable options.
For the majority of teachers, I would recommend the .com version. This site is simple and gets the job done. It will allow you to choose a theme from limited options, add widgets that allow users to search your site or leave comments. You can even add different pages to your site. To create this site you simply register, select blog name and start posting. It takes about five minutes and the best part is that it is FREE! Since teachers have limited time and money, this is typically the best solution.
For more tech savvy teachers I would recommend going with the .org version. The .org version has all the capabilities of the .com version, but is more difficult to create. This is because it has more options available. With the .org version, you can use any theme you would like. The .com has a few and none of them are geared toward elementary education. You can edit the HTML code to make the site look however you want. But in order to do this, you need knowledge of HTM and PHP codes. For the .org have to have a hosting site that will also give you a domain name and that will you cost about $7-12 per month. However, with .org you can add advertising to help offset the cost.
So it really comes down to one question:
Do you want the Lexus or will the Toyota do?
Here are a couple of articles of you want for information.
http://www.expand2web.com/blog/wordpressorg-vs-wordpresscom-which-one-should-i-use/
http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/wordpress/wordpress-com-org-difference/
There are two main WordPress options, WordPress.com and Word Press.org. When deciding between the two, you should think about what you want to get out of the site. If you want a simple, straightforward, easy to create, basic site you want to use the .com.
I compare the two to Toyota and Lexus.
WordPress.com is the Toyota. It is the simple, straightforward, easy to create, basic site that gets the job done.
WordPress.org is the Lexus. It is the same site as the .com version with more customizable options.
For the majority of teachers, I would recommend the .com version. This site is simple and gets the job done. It will allow you to choose a theme from limited options, add widgets that allow users to search your site or leave comments. You can even add different pages to your site. To create this site you simply register, select blog name and start posting. It takes about five minutes and the best part is that it is FREE! Since teachers have limited time and money, this is typically the best solution.
For more tech savvy teachers I would recommend going with the .org version. The .org version has all the capabilities of the .com version, but is more difficult to create. This is because it has more options available. With the .org version, you can use any theme you would like. The .com has a few and none of them are geared toward elementary education. You can edit the HTML code to make the site look however you want. But in order to do this, you need knowledge of HTM and PHP codes. For the .org have to have a hosting site that will also give you a domain name and that will you cost about $7-12 per month. However, with .org you can add advertising to help offset the cost.
So it really comes down to one question:
Do you want the Lexus or will the Toyota do?
Here are a couple of articles of you want for information.
http://www.expand2web.com/blog/wordpressorg-vs-wordpresscom-which-one-should-i-use/
http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/wordpress/wordpress-com-org-difference/
LT2_Act2
LT2_Act2
Dave Cormier writes many articles pertaining to technology in general and technology in education. In his article he talks about the important things to look for when decided on a CMS. I think that point that he makes that simple is not always better is something that we often forget. With a very simple and easy installation of your CMS, you may find that you are not able to customize it to fit your needs. Simple can equal basic, so it just depends on what you are looking for.
The most important item that Dave recommends is a helpful user community. I could not agree with him more. I find that I get so much more support from the user of a site than from the actual support that a site offers. You get better knowledge and support from those who are in the trenches with you using the site every day. They have tired things first hand and can share their experiences with you.
http://davecormier.com/edblog/2009/01/27/how-to-choose-the-right-cms-for-education/
Dave Cormier writes many articles pertaining to technology in general and technology in education. In his article he talks about the important things to look for when decided on a CMS. I think that point that he makes that simple is not always better is something that we often forget. With a very simple and easy installation of your CMS, you may find that you are not able to customize it to fit your needs. Simple can equal basic, so it just depends on what you are looking for.
The most important item that Dave recommends is a helpful user community. I could not agree with him more. I find that I get so much more support from the user of a site than from the actual support that a site offers. You get better knowledge and support from those who are in the trenches with you using the site every day. They have tired things first hand and can share their experiences with you.
http://davecormier.com/edblog/2009/01/27/how-to-choose-the-right-cms-for-education/
LT2_Act1
Share what your initial reactions were when looking at these sites.
• Additionally, pay attention to specific features that catch your eye.
• What were these features?
• Do these sites look more or less professional and sophisticated than the typical website made by educators?
Before I looked at the WordPress website provided, I thought WordPresses were just another blog. I thought they were similar to, but more polished than ones found on Blogger. After reviewing the provided site, I have found that WPs are much more than blogs. They are “real” websites with many more features and capabilities than a typical blog. I liked the built in links that take you to the different topics and pages. The WPs do seem to look better than most teacher created sites, although they remind me of Glogs.
• Additionally, pay attention to specific features that catch your eye.
• What were these features?
• Do these sites look more or less professional and sophisticated than the typical website made by educators?
Before I looked at the WordPress website provided, I thought WordPresses were just another blog. I thought they were similar to, but more polished than ones found on Blogger. After reviewing the provided site, I have found that WPs are much more than blogs. They are “real” websites with many more features and capabilities than a typical blog. I liked the built in links that take you to the different topics and pages. The WPs do seem to look better than most teacher created sites, although they remind me of Glogs.
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