ACCESS

Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators and Students Statewide, also known as ACCESS, is a program that is being adopted throughout several schools in Alabama. It is a technological resource that allows high school students to take different courses via the internet. Students can access classroom's statewide and take many courses that will help prepare them for college. They will learn to navigate the web and computer with ease adapting to different teaching styles in areas that deal with core, advanced, honors, AP, remediation, elective and supplemental courses. This program gives students learning benefits that have never been available before.

Not only is this an exceptional program for students but there is also several benefits for teachers that participate. They will be able to view many different teaching styles that may help them develop there own programs and share them with other schools. This will allow them to be critiqued and critique other teachers to improve their programs and this learning technology. It will also open doors to extended resources that they can use or modify for their own benefit. With ACCESS eventually being expanded to all schools in Alabama the teachers and students will finally have opportunities that they have never had before.

ALEX

ALEX, Alabama Learning Exchange, is a website that was developed as a tool for educators, administrators, students and parents to access information on every course offered in the public schools. It was set up for easy use by listing grade levels and the courses that each level will use throughout the year. Anyone can use it. All you have to do is click on the subject and grade level to view information in that particular area. Many teacher’s across the country use this website to view and use lesson plans that have been shared in hopes to give them ideas on how to deliver concepts in a creative manner. Since ALEX is being updated regularly it gives the user a chance to combine several lesson plans in one to create your own way of teaching with the most current information available.

ALEX is a very valuable tool for teachers and administrators. It allows them, by creating their own account, to view shared work but also to have their own workspace to enhance their own ideas and ways of teaching. As a teacher, we are always looking for ways to learn and receive professional instruction from other administrators and teachers. This program allows us to receive this instruction so that we can develop in all areas and deliver a more knowledgeable lesson to our students with the best and most recent information. As a previous teacher, renewing her certificate, I am very excited and will make very good use of this educational tool.
http://alex.state.al.us/

Plagiarism and Copyrights

Plagiarism is when a person uses someone else’s ideas, thoughts and words for their own personal use in school, work and other areas. It usually occurs because someone either writes exactly what the other person has written or too closely to what they have written trying to paraphrase. Most people believe, especially younger students, that as long as they use some of their own thought’s and words then it would not be considered plagiarism and until they are taught differently and develop a better understanding this will continue. Another way to plagiaries is to directly buy or steal someone else’s work. This has been a popular way in the past but with today’s technology it is very easily discovered, making it very hard for someone to pass the work off as their own. The last way a person can plagiarize is usually done unintentionally. This happens when someone uses another person’s words intentionally but unintentionally forgets to write their source in their paper giving credit where credit is due.

The Copyright Act is a law that has been in affect since 1976. It was put into place to protect the artist, whether in music, art or literature, from being pirated by other individuals. It protects the use of published or unpublished works, for ones own use, without permission from the creator. This is most commonly used in the illegal reproduction of DVDs and CDs with the intent to sell or just freely give to the public, friends and family. Even though this law was put into affect to protect the creator from someone taking and using their work, most people disregard it. The copyright act is still in place but until there is a way to discover and identify when an artist work is being reproduced and distributed illegally it will continue to be a part of everyday life around the world.

Alternative Computer Devices for the Visually Impaired or Blind.

I was very impressed by the computer technology for the seeing impaired and the blind. The Hal is one of the systems I was particularly impressed with. It is software that has been developed to allow the blind computer user to interact and communicate by using a speech synthesizer or a Braille display. It will allow the user to know exactly what they are typing by announcing words or characters and by pressing a single key it allows the entire document to be read. The Hal can assist the user in navigating complex websites with ease and to use window menus and icons. It is very impressive software that has many more specific uses and I am very interested in learning more.

The Mobile Speak Smartphone is definitely today’s greatest break through. The phone allows the visually impaired and blind to us cell phones like normal people. Its features allow the user to hear what normal users take advantage of. It reads the screen giving feedback on data coming through the phone. Every screen of the Speak Smartphone is read to the user where they will not need assistance using the phone. They always know the numbers they are dialing, who’s calling them, whose texting and what is being text. It provides information on signal strength, battery level, number of missed calls and unread messages, just to name a few. The visually impaired or blind have every opportunity to have a normal life thanks to speech feedback of the Mobile Speak Smartphone.

All About Me!

Hello, my name is Kim Hinojosa and I am a single mother of three beautiful boys. My oldest son Brant is 17 and attends Spanish Fort High School. My middle child is 8 and my youngest is 5 and they both attend Rockwell Elementary. I am originally from Tennessee where I graduated from Lawrence County High School and received a full paid scholarship in volleyball to a division one college. During my time playing at Middle Tennessee I set several records that still stand at the university and received several awards including student of the year, academic All-American, APHERD Professionalism Award, All-State, All-Region and was captain of the volleyball team. While I was playing volleyball I was working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. I graduated with honors and received my diploma in 1998.

After receiving my diploma I attained a position as the physical education teacher and head volleyball coach at Robertsdale High School. During the two years there I worked 98 hours a week, was a full time mom and allowed my son to play one sport each season. I was tired, warn out and ready for a break. I had been dating a guy for five years and finally agreed to marry him. I ended up pregnant a short time later and stopped teaching to raise my youngest two sons. While raising them my teachers certificate expired and that is why I am now at USA college, to get my certificate renewed.

Now I am a student and a mother of three. The only things that keep me sane is being able to enjoy my hobbies. I scuba dive, play tennis, golf, am an avid weight lifter and the biggest fan of all three son’s in everything they do. So, I am now looking forward to teaching, raising my kids and getting my new part time business off the ground.

Well, now you know a little about me and you will learn more during my presentation. I will discuss my kids and how remarkable each are, my home town where I came from and where I feel I am going. You will see a few of my interests, my friends and other very important people in my life. I hope you will find it interesting and will enjoy yourself.