THE LAST BLOG POST EVER?!?! HOW COULD IT BE?! 

I've low-key really enjoyed this part of my week getting to sit down with my iced coffee and talking technology in education with yall! 

So, without further ado, grab your iced coffee and let's get to chatting!

One technology-related skill that I would like to learn next is photoshop! I know this would not be the most necessary skill to have for teaching, but I think it would make newsletters and powerpoints fun and interactive for the kids and parents!! I took photography in high school and started learning photoshop a little, and I loved it and learned a lot of practical uses actually. I also think it would be neat to teach my kids about it if I know how to use it, and I think they would find it really fun. I plan on achieving this goal by practicing the skills I acquired in high school, but have not tapped into in a while and then watching some tutorials on YouTube along with consulting with a close friend of mine who is pretty proficient in it!!

WELP, its been real fellow bloggers of EME 2040! If any of us happen to have a class together in the coming semesters, feel free to say hi!! Catch y'all on the flip side! PEACE

check out my very last comments on Bailey and Gabi's posts!!! 

Oh hello!!! Only ONE more post after this?! How can that be?! Woah

Anywhos, today should be a light read so go ahead and grab your iced coffee and let's get to chatting!!

Do I see myself using technology as a future educator? Oh gosh, even if I didn't want to, I think that it would be impossible not to. Fortunately, I definitely see myself using many forms of technology in my classroom. Off the top of my head I see myself using smart boards, computers, projectors. Then moving into things that aren't devices, PowerPoint, Excel, Kahoot, Khan Academy, Word, and so much more. I'm sure there are going to be technological devices and softwares that I'm not even thinking of or will think of until I have my own classroom because technology is so prominent and useful for education. I specifically am going to be in a special ed classroom so I am sure there are going to be a few extra devices that I will be using in addition to the ones that typically come to mind.

From working on the two PowerPoint assignments, the biggest thing that I was actually able to learn was how to disable the next and previous buttons and having to add in shapes with hyperlinks to the next slide. I never thought that I would ever need to do that sort of thing, but I now see how it would be super helpful for a study game or whatnot. I was actually surprised at how much I didn't know about PowerPoint. None of it was hard, but I was just shocked at how much you can actually do besides the basics. Definitely a tool I want to keep exploring for my future job as a teacher!!

With that being said, I will see y'all next week to "chat with Lucy"!!! Have a great week!!!

Feel free to check out my two PowerPoint assignments here:

Also check out my comments on Bailey and Gabi's posts!!

Hello and welcome back!!! Only TWO more blog posts to go!! Where has the time gone?!
I hope you all had a great week and that your Monday is off to a great start!! Grab your iced coffee and let's get chatting with Lucy!!!

*disclaimer that I'm actually drinking an iced blueberry tea (highly recommend) from Starbucks right now because I already had my iced coffee this morning- WHOOPS*

Let's start with the topic of "the flipped classroom"! Being completely honest with you, I have zero experience in this method of teaching. My high school did not offer virtual classes or ever assigned "lecture videos" for homework and just discuss that in class so I cannot say I personally know what it is like. I did have a few friends in high school, though, that did get to experience this flipped classroom and really enjoyed it. They liked having the freedom to do their classes on their own time and at their own pace. The only issue I really ever saw was when physical fitness classes were online because I think that children- even in high school- need to actually get outside and do some physical activity and these flipped classrooms did not guarantee that aspect. In every other aspect, I have seen this to be a very positive method. It allowed some of my friends to get ahead for college or just learn easier because it worked better for the way they needed to be taught. I personally enjoy and need face to face interaction with my teachers, but I think it is a good option for people who need to opposite of me.

Now onto the digital divide! This is a term used to describe people who can or cannot access certain technology. This is a major factor in education as students who have access to media and technology at home are seen to be at an advantage over their peers who do not have this luxury. School access also adds to this as certain schools have more funding for technology and devices than less funded schools. These differences could be caused by simple location. Schools closer to cities are more likely to have more computers, computer labs, and technological devices than a school in a more rural area that has less access to internet. Another reason could be due to teaching methods as well. Some educational systems do not think access to technology is necessary, where others fully embrace it and make it readily available to their students. I think in my future teaching career I will encounter students whose family cannot afford a computer and have to go to the library to get any assignments done. I have to be sensitive and compassionate to those students and will probably have to work with them and allow time in class to get some work done that other students may be able to do at home.

From working on both PowerPoint assignments I actually learned more than I thought I would. I did not learn anything monumental, but I did learn how to disable the arrow keys and insert buttons that hyperlinked to the next or previous slides that I found very neat and useful for certain future assignments. I never got to use PP all that often growing up so it was actually fun and enjoyable to do these last assignments because I do not find PP to be all that difficult. I think I will be using it in my future career, especially once I learn more tools and tricks.

Feel free to look at my two PP assignments:
The first one was a presentation about the scientific method- what it is, how to use it, and an example!!

For the second assignment I decided to make a Quizlet style, flashcard review for a science test- feel free to check that one out below!

Last thing! Feel free to check out my comments on Gabi and Amanda's posts!!!

Let's chat next week!!!!

Hello and welcome back to my blog!! I hope you all had a fun and safe Fourth of July and are ready to get back into the swing of things with classes!!
Week 9 already?!?!?! Where did the time go?!?! There's only a few more blog posts and then we're done, and, surprisingly, I think I'm going to be a little sad to end this blog.

Anywhos! Grab your iced coffee and "let's chat with Lucy"!!
***forgive me because I'm actually having tea this week as I don't feel the greatest***

Assistive and adaptive technologies are some of the most fascinating things in my opinion. I have never had to use any form of them while I have been in school, nor have did I have any kids in my class have to use any, but I have been to a few churches when I go on vacation that have assistive devices for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. These devices in classrooms can be a wide a ray of things such as braille assignments and signs, voice recognition, trackballs, joysticks, etc. which help those with some disability have a smoother classroom experience. These devices help children feel like every other kid who doesn't have to "struggle" to hear their teacher or read a computer. I actually had to observe a teacher for one of my education classes and one of her students was hard of hearing so she wore a headset or mic that transmitted to a small speaker on the little boy's desk which in turn projected louder into his hearing aid. It was one of the neatest things I have ever seen in my entire life. Technology is crazy, man! I think the only challenge I would have would be in the initial transition phase of getting use to the technology.

I envision myself using technology more than I would like to to accomplish my professional responsibilities. I like to be as detached from my technology as I can, when I can, but that is so difficult in today's day in age and I only image to get more difficult as the years go by. There are so many helpful tools, softwares, and devices that I cannot see myself NOT using- they're just too useful than I could ever be as a single person. It would be a disservice to my students to not try and be as technologically advanced as possible, whether I use it all or not.

The WebQuest assignment was actually really neat!! Once I found the website that I liked, it was actually fun to put together. I learned how to arrange a proper website with different sections to it. It was the first thing I've made that semi resembled something I may use in my future teaching career and I was actually quite proud of it!! I think next time I can learn how to use the provided website a little better so that my specific page turns out a little better, but it helped me learn how useful a class or teacher website can be for the parents of my future students.

FEEL FREE TO CHECK IT OUT HERE: https://licerpa99.wixsite.com/mysite

Have a great week, let's chat next week!!!! 

Check out my comments on Gabi and Amanda's posts!

Hello and welcome back to another week here on "Let's Chat with Lucy"!! Grab your iced coffee and let's get this show on a role!!

Side note: Happy early Fourth of July!! If you're going out of town for it, safe travels!! 'Merica!!!

Now, back to what we need to talk about! Teacher pages! From my observations, these are either not as popular as they used to be or schools in Tallahassee don't use them frequently. In the schools that I did find though, it was pretty popular to have the class newsletter attached along with some announcements and possibly the curriculum for the year. The particular teacher page that I am using as my example though is very detailed and contains links to all the homework and particular subject areas for her class. It has a whole theme and is very detailed for all her parents, which I really enjoy.

Here is the link to the class I used and a picture of the math page:
https://sites.google.com/a/viking.portage.k12.oh.us/p-bane/activities-calander

Now, to my experience with blogging... I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. Overall, I think I really enjoy it, but in this context I am not the biggest fan. I like having an outlet to write on because I have always considered myself better in writing than in verbal communication of my feelings. I also really like being able to interact with others and bringing my own style in my posts. I do not really like having this be an assignment, but would rather it be for recreation. Overall, I think I really enjoy the platform and would consider continuing it for another outlet choice. It has taught me how to express certain things along with provide my own insight while being aesthetically pleasing through hyperlinks and inserts.

Honestly, on the last assignment, I just learned how to make an evaluation sheet. I had never had to make one or think about things that would go on one, so to have that opportunity was actually really neat and I enjoyed it. I knew all the tools of adding a box and text, but have never applied them to this particular assessment. I see myself having to make them in my future teaching career so I am glad I got to practice with this one. I see myself possibly being able to make it a little more professional and thorough in the future, but I think that will come with having an actual assignment to attach it to. 

Here is my example: 

Hope you enjoyed this week's post, and don't forget to "chat with Lucy" next week!!! Again, Happy Fourth of July!! Talk soon!

Check out my comments on Gabi and Amanda's posts!!

Good afternoon and welcome back!! As per usual, grab your iced coffee and let's get started!!

This week we're going to talk about academic softwares for students. When thinking about what I would want my own students to use, I had to think back to my high school days and what my teachers had me use. I went to a high school where everyone actually had their own ipad so we actually used a lot of different softwares. Two specifically that I would want to use with my future classroom are Khan Academy and Google drive. The first software of Khan Academy is a tool that offers a lot of extra videos and practices that I used specifically for math. Math was the one subject I struggled with and the tools that Khan Academy offers really helped me get the extra practice that I wasn't getting in class. The other software of Google drive is one that I still use up in college. It allows me to store so many different things from pictures to documents to powerpoint. I can also allow other people to collaborate on those documents which is super helpful in school with group projects. I have experienced a ton of useful softwares in my years, but of them all I think these two are my top favorites.

Now when it comes to my Twitter experience, I am not sure how beneficial it has been truthfully. The one thing I will say is that I have come across and shared some really interesting articles, but I have not interacted with too many people. Either way, I think it is a great place to find articles and see other educator's opinions on different techniques and software. I think it would be beneficial in a classroom setting, but I think my students would have to be invested in finding people to follow and interact with.

Have a great week and feel free to tune in next week to "Chat with Lucy"!!! :)

Check out my comments on Gabi and Amanda's blogs!!

Week 5!! Woohoo!!
Quick little shoutout to my dad on this Father's Day weekend!! Also, Happy Father's Day to all your dads! Or moms if they had to play both roles!!!

Let's hop right on in! As always, grab your coffee- still haven't had mine today so this is perfect timing- and let's start talking about education!

ELA standards are something that is not totally foreign to me as English has always been my favorite subject in school and as I am studying to become a teacher myself. I believe I would feel most comfortable at this present moment with the standard for First Graders that specifies oral communication and learning. This summer I am actually working as a preschool teacher and my favorite thing has been to stretch my kid's language by asking them questions, making them explain things to me, or making them use their "big girl or boy" words. Oral tests have always been a good learning method for me and I think other kids benefit from it as well, so it is something I would feel confident in at the present moment.

Now onto the CPALMS toolkit! I found this whole website super cool and beneficial! Definitely something I want to continue to go back to as I get deeper into my own teaching career. Specifically, I enjoyed the Health Education section that was available. It actually gives an activity to teach the students about health in a way that they would enjoy. The activity for First Grade was ranking school lunches and I think a lot of students would love to do that. Eduction goes beyond math, science, and English; you have to teach life skills and knowledge and health would be at the top for me so I found this tool super insightful and helpful.

Working on the newsletter was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed utilizing the column tool as I have written a lot of papers in my school years and those never include columns. Being able to use this feature was super neat and simple but gave a touch to the newsletter and allowed me to include more information that didn't look like one giant piece of paper with words on it. It spread things out and helped with the entire flow. Next time I think I think my newsletter as a whole could be a little more eye catching. Using the column tool along with clipart makes a parent actually want to read the letter rather than just throwing it out. The assignment as a whole really gave me a piece of what my future career is going to comprise of. I totally forgot that teachers pass those out weekly, monthly, or quarterly. I remember my mom loving an update on what was going on in my class, and I plan on using newsletters for the parents of my future students as well!!

It's been a great week folks, but this is where my post ends! Hope you enjoyed your coffee and this light read! Catch you next week ladies and gents!!

Feel free to take a look as my newsletter before you leave!

I commented on Bailey's and Gabi's posts!!

Hello and welcome back!! Week 4 already?!?! Well, as per usual, grab your iced coffee and let's do this thing!

This week we discussed open education, open content, and open source. To start, we will discuss open education. https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-education expands on the idea that open education is the belief, and practice, of resources pertaining to education being readily available (whether that be easy access or free access) for teachers and educators of all sorts. The hope is that the ways in which teachers teach their students would be more expansive and provide more options if there were to be more options available at their fingertips.

The second concept of open content refers to the more copyright area of the open education resources mentioned above. According to https://opencontent.org/definition/ open content would be resources that teachers do not have to worry about copyright issues because the information would come from a public domain or would allow teachers to use the 5Rs (retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute) in order to use the information being provided. Open content would allow teachers to find this open education and then not worry about having to change it completely so that they are not stealing someone else's work.

Lastly, open source refers to actual software that is available for use and redistribution without worry. This would probably be the least available at this point in time because no one wants to make their softwares available for everyone to use freely. Surprisingly, there are many softwares that many teachers pay out of pocket subscriptions for just to that they can use them in the classroom. If teachers wouldn't have to worry about paying for these softwares then maybe the classroom would be a little more advanced. Open sources would allow for that.

Open education resources are crucial for students at all stages of education. Students need to know that there are websites and sources out there for them to help expand their knowledge without breaking the bank with tutors and other sources along those lines. While that may be necessary, open education resources need to be an option as well because they can provide outlooks and options that a teacher or tutor may not ever think of. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/07/02/16-oer-sites-every-educator-should-know.aspx does a great job of providing 16 open education resources!!! Take a look!!

Thanks for tuning in, I think I kept this shorter than last week's!!! Forgive me if I didn't, still a bit of a talker!! Anyways have a great week ladies and gents and, as always, let's chat next week!!!

CHECK OUT MY COMMENTS ON:
https://kinsleysouthworth.blogspot.com/2019/06/blog-3.html#comment-form
and
https://kriveme2040.blogspot.com/2019/06/my-senior-year-of-high-school-i-took.html?showComment=1560140990647#c3339103156770259497

Hello and welcome back!! Week 3, let's go!! As always, grab your cup of (iced) coffee and get ready to Chat With Lucy!!

Let's start off by talking about the famous application of MS Word. My goodness, I cannot even remember a time that I haven't been using Word for school. I clearly remember a President assignment on Theodore Rosevelt in the third grade that made me use Word- I got an A if you were wondering. So I have been using it since I was in elementary school for simple projects where I had to write a paragraph to a 20 page conspiracy theory paper in APA format during my senior year of high school. I would consider myself a low-key pro at Word after the thousands (okay maybe just hundreds) of assignments I have made on Word. I have written papers, resumes, brochures, posters, magazine covers, and so much more. It really is the perfect application that I would not know what to do without, especially for school!!
I have also seen my teachers use it for just about everything under the sun. They've made class newsletters, permission slips, directions, tests, quizzes, announcements, and so much more. I could confidently say that the majority of my teachers would have been lost without Word. It has the power to create charts, insert pictures, write words, and so much more. It can be so simple yet so complex at the same time!

Now onto a more daunting topic of conversation... copyright and fair use of materials. I am not going to lie, I was not too concerned with this topic when I in elementary school and probably even middle school. It did not become a big deal until I got to high school and learned the ramifications that can come from intentionally- or even unintentionally!!!- plagiarize someone else. Copyright specifically though played a huge role when I was a Junior and Senior in high school and was taking multimedia classes. I had to put together a lot of videos that needed background music and, man, it was hard to find songs and noises that wouldn't get copyrighted once I uploaded the assignment. It was difficult when I had a specific song in mind for a video and then realized that I couldn't even include it.
When it comes to dealing with all of this in the future as I begin to teach though, I want to make sure I am following every guideline possible because it is so easy to unintentionally use something that I am not allowed to. I do not think the situations will be as numerous as they are in my time as a student, but I have no doubt that they will be present and that will be where it may even be easier to not know and copyright something than when I have been hyperaware as aa student myself. I would also make sure my students are well educated on what they can and cannot incorporate and then why. I want them to be fully educated before they start than get flagged after the fact and have to learn then.

Now when it comes to the technology implementation issues, I want to start with academic honesty. That is something that we have all heard our entire careers as students. In order to fix this I would want to make all of my students sign a contract at the beginning of the year stating what this looks like and the consequences of not following it. I would then like to actually implement theses consequences as situations arise because I feel as if a lot of the issues we have are because teachers want to be nice and just have a discussion about this and not actually hold it to as high of a standard as they originally said they would. The second issue I want to address is privacy. I would fix this issue by allowing my students to use pseudonyms. I think there would be a lot of more growth within students if they had a way to feel more comfortable on assignments that allowed them to be more authentic. Fear of judgement gets in the way of fully expressing themselves so no effort is put into half of their assignments. The third issue would be cyberbullying. While I am positive that there is no solution to this, I would want to help the cause by calling my students out. If I see it happening, I want to publicly address it. I think when this topic is considered "private" then students get away with it more frequently because no one really knew that it happened and they think no one will ever know since it was so privately dealt with. People always hate being called out on their wrongdoings, so why would this be any different? Make them see how unpopular they become once they realize how uncool this actually is and the cyberbullying may actually decrease.

Thanks for "Chatting With Lucy"!! If you made it to the end, congrats!! I'll try and keep next week's post shorter, but I'm a talker if you couldn't tell!! Have a great week ladies and gents!!!

ALSO, "Let's Chat with Lucy" is now on Twitter!!!!! Feel free to follow @cerpa_lucy

Hello, Good Morning, sit down and grab a cup of (iced) coffee to join us on our second post as we "Chat With Lucy"!

First off, I hope you all had a great week and that as we celebrate Memorial Day you tell those that you know who have served "thank you", and if you don't know anyone personally, to try and say thank you to the next man or woman in uniform. They appreciate it more than you know. While I have no lost anyone to active duty, I do want to say thank you to my brother who is active duty in the Army right now.

Okay, back to the topic at hand! Today we will discuss influences to use technology in the classroom, ISTE standards, and the term "digital native". To start off, I think the main reason teachers and students are influenced to use technology in the classroom is to stay up to date with the times. There are so many technological advances made in this world, and while they have made negative impacts on the younger generations, there are a lot of these tools that can we beneficial in the classroom. For example, a small, magnified projector is super helpful when wanting to show or go through a worksheet that most of the class would not be able to see by just holding it up. Another one would be smart boards and their ability to draw on, search the internet, or even pull up textbooks. Refusing to at least try some of the new technology that has come about will just push students away from school. These children are growing in a very technologically advanced time and we have to give a little and try to grow with them to gain their interest.

Now, when it comes to the ISTE standards, I found most of these very interesting and pretty "basic" but necessary because many may look over them and their importance. The one standard that I know and is meaningful would be the "facilitator" standard for educators. I currently work at a school as an after school counselor for fourth graders and I have very much had to facilitate a lot of activities, thinking, and more for my kids. I have loved being able to show them how to work more individually because they are older, but also how to work as a group cohesively and in a more structured way. Having to facilitate "enrichments", which are activities that are fun and engaging but still teaching a lesson, has shown me how to be creative and attend to the different needs and wants of each student. Now, one standard that has not really applied to me just yet would be the designer standard for educators. I have facilitated a lot of activities that other educators have designed for me, but I have not designed my own yet. I am excited to see what resources technology has to offer when I do design activities in the near future because each student learns different and there are so many way for me to cater to each individual child now.

Lastly, let's discuss the term "digital native" and "digital immigrant". Sit back and sip your coffee because I have thoughts. First and foremost, I think my generation in specific is stuck in a weird in between of being natives and immigrants. We grew up in a time when technology was evolving and advancing, but it wasn't really established yet. We were in a transitional phase that made us more aware and accustomed than our parents but nearly as native as generations right under us. So, simply put, I agree with the term, but I think the cut off of who fits into which one is a little blurrier than most assume. But that is just my personal opinion! I could just be the odd man out who still struggles with the new technology at 20 years old lol. Kids that I babysit know how to use my phone better than I do so they are definitely more natives than I am. On the other hand though, my own father, who is about to be 50, can use and learn technology better and faster than I can so I'm not so sure the characteristics of an immigrant apply to him so much. I have seen some of my teachers really embrace technology while I have also seen others who refuse to. It is the same with them as it is with my dad, some know how to use it so easily and love it more than I do while others cannot comprehend it nor do they want to. As s future educator, I hope to incorporate technology in my classroom but to also be aware of my students and which ones like using and which do not. I do not want to force a program or device on them if they learn better a different way. I think technology is going to be super beneficial, but need to put my students needs above my own.

Let's chat next week!!! Have a fun Memorial Day!!

Check out my comments on https://minnieseducationblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/influences-ste-standards-and-digital.html?showComment=1559614769477#c154197575589955938 and https://littleeme2040.blogspot.com/2019/05/blog-post-2-iste-standards-and-digital.html?showComment=1559615634392#c7364624638912433412

Welcome to Let's Chat with Lucy! I am Lucy Cerpa, a Junior at Florida State University studying Special Education with a Child Development minor. The Special Ed program is actually going to allow me to graduate in a total of five years with two degrees (a bachelors and masters- how cool!). I was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL, and, yes, I have a lot of pride in that so... DUUUVVAAALLL!! I have one older brother who is 22 and in the Army where he is currently stationed in Oklahoma. Ethnically, I am half Colombian and half Puerto Rican (the best combo) and actually learned Spanish as my first language!! All my extended family resides in New Jersey and I think that is where my love for the cold weather comes from even though I am from Florida. So, plan on catching me somewhere a little more Northern after I graduate in three years ;)

Now, when it comes to my prior knowledge with technology, I obviously grew up in an up and coming era of technological advances. My parents were very adamant in not having my brother and I on technology though and I could not be more glad for that. Because of that I feel as if I can be a grandma and not be up to date with he newest apps and whatnot, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I did not get my own personal laptop until I got to college by using my high school graduation money to buy my own MacBook Air. I did attend a private Catholic high school though and we were each issued an iPad for all four years. A majority of my textbooks were on there so I was pretty technologically knowledgeable during that time. Now. I try and stay off of social media as much as possible, but I do have and love all the popular apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (although some may argue that is for "old people", I love it).

Out of this class I want to see how I can incorporate technology in a classroom as I want to be a teacher. Since I want to be a Special Ed teacher I also think it would be super neat to find technology that can aid my future students in the ways that they need. I think technology has become something way bigger than most would have expected, and it has its cons, but I believe there are many pros that I am so excited to explore and incorporate into my future.