Blog 8

Using Diigo, I learned about another way to interact with other people of similar interests in the technological world. I learned how to bookmark a website and save it to certain different groups. I learned how to highlight and make notes for myself on articles that I found interesting. Diigo can be useful in the classroom because it is a helpful space to keep track of certain articles teachers find interesting and useful for their subjects. It is also helpful for students who need a space to keep track of articles and websites they might need for certain classes or projects. Other than that, Diigo is another great space to interact and share thoughts and ideas with people around the world. 

PowerPoint is a tool that can be used in so many different instances. It is mostly used in learning environments (aka: classrooms, meetings, lectures). One tool, called Bloom's Taxonomy, is an idea that is used to analyze the level of learning and understanding a student receives from certain lessons. In Bloom's Taxonomy, the lowest level is labeled as "remember," meaning a student is able to recall information. The highest level is labeled as "create," where a student is able to imagine and produce new and original work on their own. PowerPoint, used properly can facilitate each of the 6 levels in Bloom's Taxonomy. At its simplest, PP can be a tool specifically for memorization, but when used to its maximum, PP can be a place of creativity and learning through use and understanding. As a teacher, I might use PP for each of the purposes in BT: memorization, understanding, application, analysis, evaluation, and creation. I would present topics utilizing each purpose to increase my students' level of knowledge and understanding. The final level, the creation level, would be where I allow my students to create their own PP lessons to test their knowledge of the material and ability to teach it to their peers.  

As a teacher, you never really stop being a student. Teachers are always learning, inside the classroom and out.  In order to always provide the best- and most accurate- information for their students, teachers are encouraged, and sometimes required, to attend conferences, workshops, classes and more for the purpose of professional development. This goes for teachers of subjects like science and history that are constantly making developments. Also for teachers who want to stay up-to-date on the best ways to relay information to their students. Today, with the rise of technology in classrooms, teachers are also encouraged to stay up-to-date on the best classroom technologies. Depending on the class and grade-level, teachers are expected to understand and be able to explain every tool that enters their classrooms. 
Below is a screenshot and a link to a website that aims at assisting teachers in their professional development wishes. 

https://www.teacher.org/topic/professional-development-teachers/