#9 - Flipped Classroom, Open Sources, PowerPoint Assignment

    In chapter 10 of the textbook, I read about the concept of a "flipped classroom." I think it is a very interesting idea. It is so weird to think about how different the future (especially in the education world) will be! A flipped classroom is basically a blend of a physical classroom and an online classroom. Students will read the chapter or watch an instructional video before they come to class, and in class, they will be able to ask questions or just have the time to work on their homework. As the textbook says, the idea of blended learning is particularly beneficial to the students who are a little more shy and self-conscious. A great website for educational videos is Khan Academy. I used this website throughout high school for additional help in subjects that are harder for me. While I used Khan as a tutor and homework helper, many use Khan's instructional videos as their full-time schooling. Interestingly enough, Bill Gates loves the idea so much that he has his own children learn by using it. (https://www.khanacademy.org/)

   Open sources and content are software/programs that can be modified and distributed for any purpose. According to a website I found (http://www.opencontent.org/definition/), an open source "is licensed in a manner that provides users with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities." Those are 1) retain, 2) reuse, 3) revise, 4) remix. and 5) redistribute.

    I learned a lot through the PowerPoint for Information Dissemination assignment. In particular, I learned how to use master slide. Master slide is extremely helpful when you want to make each slide look the same or if you want to modify the slide template. I also really enjoyed being able to search for my own template online and change it. I found it difficult at first to find an appealing template, but after a lot of searching, I found one that worked for my theme and I modified it to look a more modern and aesthetically pleasing. I think my least favorite thing about this assignment was having to record my voice (yikes!) Overall, this assignment taught me a lot about the more complex features in PowerPoint and I know they will be useful in the future.