Bianca Bartolomei

     During my K-12 education, I engaged in distance learning primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Platforms such as Zoom, Google Classroom, and Canvas facilitated virtual classes and assignment submissions. While Zoom enabled live interactions, maintaining focus and engagement was sometimes challenging in a remote environment. I have not yet experienced virtual or augmented reality tools in education but am interested in exploring them, as they could make learning more immersive and interactive, particularly in subjects like science and history.      Open Educational Resources are freely accessible teaching and learning materials available online. They encompass a wide range of formats, including textbooks, videos, quizzes, and lesson plans, all designed to support education without the constraints of traditional copyright restrictions. A notable resource is the blog "OER and Beyond," which serves as a platform for discussions on open education, open ac...

     Through the Web Design assignment using Weebly’s basic version, I developed several new skills related to creating and organizing a classroom website. I learned how to structure a homepage, create navigation tabs for various subjects, and insert images and external links. In designing the site, I applied key design principles such as alignment, contrast, and simplicity. For example, I ensured all text and images were properly aligned to maintain a clean and cohesive layout. I used color contrast to improve readability and chose a simple, uncluttered format to make the website accessible for both students and parents. I appreciated how intuitive the Weebly platform was, especially for beginners, although I found the limited customization options on the free version somewhat frustrating. In the future, these website design skills may be valuable for building a classroom site to share updates, resources, and student work with families and the broader school community. ...