# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sydney Reid | Professional Profile | LinkedIn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
View Sydney Reid's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Sydney has 4 jobs listed on their profile. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Sydney's connections and jobs at similar companies.

# data[].attributes.body
After reading an article about e-portfolios, I realized that although a lot of what I thought about an e-portfolio was correct, there is much more to them than previously thought. I never thought to include information about yourself such as stories or photos of friends and family. I assumed that an e-portfolio had to be maintained professionally and I never considered adding personal effects to it. I also never thought that out of school activities, and pieces of evidence of participation could be essential to be considered in a potential new job. After reading this article, I think that I will be sure to include some writing samples of reports and such in my future e-portfolio. Mainly because I enjoy writing and I think that it is something that could potentially impress viewers of my e-portfolio. I also believe that reflective statements of self-evaluation and progress are critical even though I had never thought about them before. They are helpful in demonstrating how you are able to grow as a professional and as a person, so they can show your employer that you are able to adapt and manage new situations. Answering questions like how your work has changed, or how you use your new knowledge is important for an employer to see a level of self-knowledge in how you work and how well you can adapt your work to fit the needs of the position. I definitely think that e-portfolios are beneficial because they can be very organized, and a great place to add many small pieces of information that could make your work look more appealing and more interesting. They also give more of a sense of a person than a regular resume. These portfolios can tell more about personality than a resume can, and that can help determine if you are a good fit. I also think a pro is that the online aspect can never get overloaded, and you can continue to add papers and thoughts and notes as you grow as a student and as a professional. The most prominent con that I can see with e-portfolios are the technological aspects, and if someone is not entirely comfortable with new technologies, then they may not be using the tool to the best of their ability. It may cause a problem with potential employers because, depending on their level of technological skill, it may be hard for them to access. However, I find personally that the pros far outweigh the cons with e-portfolios.

# data[].attributes.body
Using the internet and technology in the classroom and in daily life comes with many benefits as well as drawbacks. A digital footprint is left unintentionally by anyone using the internet, and it can leave either a positive or a negative outlook on someone's character or personality depending on how one uses the internet and on how aware of a digital footprint one is.

1.  That people's social media accounts actually do contribute to someone's acceptance to a university or consideration in a job opening. Online posts do have a real-life impact. Posting inappropriate content on your Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat can ultimately lead to an issue in being hired in the future. Any forms of questionable involvement or cyberbullying can leave a negative impact on your personality and on your opportunities in future endeavors.

http://www.teachhub.com/10-things-your-students-should-know-about-their-digital-footprints

2. That you can positively brand yourself online to look good to future colleges and employers. By posting appropriate content, and some content that may be relevant to your working skills or your education you can make yourself look more appealing to future employers or to admissions boards. It is entirely possible to have a positive digital footprint that in fact helps you get farther in future goals and dreams.

http://www.teachhub.com/10-things-your-students-should-know-about-their-digital-footprints

3. That there are professional places on the internet such as Professional Learning Networks that one can share resources and connect and talk to other professionals, thus creating a positive digital imprint in terms of learning and becoming educated on the internet. Schools and businesses can set this up for themselves so that their colleagues can participate and share idea and grow as teachers and as educators.

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.allbvc.talonline.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=b03a3962-fb1b-4a9b-b1d2-d659e3cae72b%40sessionmgr120

4.  Not to overshare on the internet. Creating a profile on a site that is absolutely you, without going into depth on politics, religion, or other controversial areas can be beneficial to your digital footprint. Having privacy settings set correctly will also help for future endeavors, as it will establish your identity online as more of a professional presence instead of a personal one. Similarly, following the Golden Rule online is important for preserving a positive identity on the internet.

http://www.teachhub.com/10-things-your-students-should-know-about-their-digital-footprints

5. Everything is permanent. Simply deleting something that you once shared will not get rid of it forever. Therefore, it is important to maintain a sense of professionality on the internet. One way or another, past posts will be able to be tied back to the person who posted them, and that may cause issues.

http://www.teachhub.com/10-things-your-students-should-know-about-their-digital-footprints

In conclusion, the internet is very permanent and very unforgiving. Everything posted will stay there, even if it was deleted. This is why professionality is essential to maintain on the internet. This professionality can be achieved through privacy settings, being considerate online, and likely even setting up a Professional Learning Network online to grow a positive digital footprint. It can help teachers learn and teach each other while also maintaining a professional tone and providing a positive impact on one's digital identity.

# data[].attributes.body
Cyberbullying is a cruel form of bullying that can affect many children in many different countries and walks of life. Most commonly, children are bullied for being different from others. However, online it is much more difficult to tell if someone is different. This means that anyone can be subject to cyberbullying. Although there are forms of prevention such as shutting down your computer or ceasing long timed use on a cell phone, it is challenging to stop a cyber bully. There are ways to block people who hurt others online. However, there is also an increased element of anonymity that comes with the internet. This means that one may never even be able to tell who it is that is causing the cyberbullying. This can be detrimental to the development of children because they can be affected by cyberbullying at any age if they are allowed access to the internet. I have not personally been affected by cyberbullying; however, I do know friends who have. One of my previous high school friends was hurt by a bully that was never identified for close to a year, and unfortunately blocking their account numerous times would not stop them as they simply made new email addresses and signed up with a new account on Instagram to continue their harassment. After a couple of months, nearly 10, the bully got bored and gave up on their task. Not everyone is so lucky though, many people are deeply affected by bullying, especially cyberbullying, and they can be hurt for life.

# data[].attributes.headline
Journal Entry on Technology that I Would Use in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Journal Entry on Technology that I Would Use in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Personally, I enjoy using Youtube quite a bit. I like seeing the funny and entertaining videos, however, I am also very interested in the educational side of Youtube as well. There are plenty of interesting Ted talks, and real-world physics problems such as "What would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time?" These real questions are often ones that many people have pondered. I would never want to leave real-world analogies out of the classroom. These are what help me learn the most, and even if they don't quite help everyone learn they can relate information that is on the learning objectives to events that people have likely experienced. This could be explaining condensation and the water cycle on the planet through the analogy of making ice cubes or picking up a cold glass of water to find water drops on the outside of it. I enjoy informative YouTube videos as tools to open up children and people to new ideas, and to get them thinking about how the information that is about to be taught can relate to the real world. These videos as openers, or small analogical clips are a piece of technology that I would never want to leave out of the classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
My top 5 character strengths are:

1. Kindness

2. Creativity

3. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence

4. Perspective

5. Curiosity

I actually quite agree that these are my top 5 character strengths. They describe me very well, and three of them are wisdom based strengths which is where I feel most developed in terms of personality. I find myself very good at explaining things in a different way and in helping someone by looking at the world differently which aligns with Perspective.  Furthermore, I enjoy many creative things and I like to find new ways of doing things that are productive and interesting which corresponds to Creativity. My top character strength, however, I do not agree with. Although everyone would love to be considered kind, I think that curiosity should have taken a higher place on the list and that kindness should have been moved down one or two slots. I am an incredibly curious person, I find many subjects fascinating and interesting. I personally went to college out of curiosity about its difference for high school and out of my curiosity of English and fascination in the language that made me want to continue my learning on the subject. My kindness should have been at number 3 I think, under curiosity and perspective. Because although I do like to help people and take care of people I do not think I do as many good favors out of the kindness of my heart as I likely should if kindness should be at the top. My career pathway is on track to becoming a high school teacher, and I think that these traits are a very good fit for that job. A teacher needs to be able to explain things well and have perspective on the different ways that someone can learn and in different ways that you can explain it. A teacher also needs to be kind and caring towards students who may be having difficulties, and they need to be curious enough in their subject to want to teach it for years on end, especially as a high school teacher specializing in Biology and English. I also evidently have an ability to appreciate beauty and excellence in English, math, and sciences which rings true to teachers as well. A teacher must be able to love what they're doing in order to do it well, and I can say that I absolutely do have a strong appreciation of English.

# data[].attributes.body
My test score gave me a 4.23 out of 5 for happiness and I think that this score is entirely accurate for me! Personally, I think the biggest thing that dragged it down was the question of doing meaningful things all the time because I often waste time on my phone or watching television. Happiness is so important to me! I believe that happiness is a journey rather than a destination and that there will never be one day where you wake up and are suddenly happy. I think that it is changing and always evolving, as well as your personal definition of what happiness is. When you are 25, your definition of happiness could be being a mother, then at 35, your happiness could be the prospect of a vacation! I do however characterize myself as a very happy person, I enjoy many of the things that I do in my life, and although there are always sad days, I think that life is so amazing that it doesn't really benefit anyone to be unhappy. Seligman's research is actually very interesting to me. I have always thought that pleasure is to happiness what lust is to love. Two of them, pleasure and lust, are fleeting, momentary, and entirely emotional. They both happen when one gets caught up in the moment, such as seeing a flyer for a new mascara or consumer good or having to eat that really yummy hamburger. Love and happiness are on the other end of the spectrum. They are long-lasting, and they focus on things that will benefit in the long term. In love, that could be communication, and in happiness that could be saving money or eating healthy so that you can have a strong body. I personally think that the thing that is most related to my personal happiness is my love of learning and going to college and constantly expanding my mind is one of the biggest things that I have always wanted to do! I remember being about 7 or 8 and already listing down things that I had to do to get into a good college, studying, joining extracurricular activities, etc. I have always wanted to do what I am doing now, and I could not be happier to do so. I also think that personal relationships are very closely related to happiness, being able to talk to my brother and mom as if they are my best friends, having sleepovers at my friend's house, going out on date nights with my fiance. They are all people that I need in my life, and having them there with me and having a close relationship with them makes me so much happier. One thing that I could do to have greater happiness is probably unplugging. I find myself watching way too much television, and spending way too much time on social media. I think that if I allow myself more time to do more meaningful activities I will find that I will be happier. I also think it is incredibly important to help other people be happy. I have always firmly believed that humans were put on earth to help each other be happy. To support each other and to learn from each other and to have a wonderful life together. I believe that helping others find happiness is our life's purpose. I also think that laughter and humor are great indicators of happiness. For many people, laughing while crying is just about impossible unless they are crying from laughter. I think that joking around and sharing things that made us happy are small instances where others are made to feel happy as well. Gratitude also plays a very important role in happiness, because everyone has some parts of their life that they are unhappy with. Everyone has something that they are ashamed of or that they wish they could improve. However, gratitude is part of the long-lasting aspect of happiness, where even though there are some miserable parts in life, ultimately, we have to be grateful and happy for the parts of our life that we do love and that we do feel happy in. Gratitude is a part of loving the good and living through the bad, you have to stay optimistic and grateful for what you have and for what may come in the future that will be better than the present.

# data[].attributes.body
There are thousands of web 2.0 tools that can be used in the classroom.  What are some of the barriers that can prevent an educator from bringing these tools into the classroom?  Perhaps reflect about these barriers in your Course Thoughts Journal.

Even though there are countless incredible web 2.0 tools that can be used in the classroom, there are barriers, just like apps, that students may have to go through to use these tools. Of course, accessability can always be an issue, and although many children now have laptops, or computers at home, there may be a couple of students that do not. And it could be an issue to use the computers at school seeing as schools have set hours that they are open. Also, there can be issues with the ability to learn how to use these tools. It may take more time for a student to learn how to use a web 2.0 tool than time actually creating the presentation. Often times this can take away from learning, so teachers have to make sure that they are bringing in tools that are easy to learn, or that students have the required amount of time to truly get the hang of them, before actually assigning and expecting a project.

# data[].attributes.body
Is there an app you want but don't have?

No, actually. For the most part all of the apps that I want I have already downloaded. I would enjoy a free photoshop app for my laptop but of course, that does not exist! Maybe I could use an organizational app for my photo gallery. I take a lot of pictures, and recently I have been taking photos of my friends and family. This leads to about triple the amount of photos being uploaded and posted and deleted from my phone. Although my gallery allows for the photos to be sorted into albums, I wish it could go further and sort it into content, maybe dates, and even sorted by edited and unedited versions of photos. Just a thought for an app that could be very helpful to photographers.

# data[].attributes.body
Are you part of the mobile age?  Can you believe that all phones use to be attached to walls?  Reflect on your mobile device use in your Thought Journal.

I am definitely part of the mobile age! I grew up with cell phones and social media, I never had a phone that was attached to the wall. I also very vaguely remember having a VCR which was quickly replaced with a Blue Ray DVD system! Looking back on it, all I have ever really known has been technology. I have always learned how to use different programs, I was an avid student in my technology class in junior high and high school. I enjoyed learning about Photoshop, and about how to code and animate things. I think that it's very beneficial for the technology that we have to continue advancing. I mean we have made gigantic leaps in technology in the past two decades, and I only see that moving forward just as rapidly as before.

# data[].attributes.body
For your journal, you are to provide a link to the tool, describe it, and how you would like to use it in the classroom. Feel free to discuss both strengths and limitations.

For my personal choice of a technology tool that I would incorporate into the classroom, I would ask for some presentations to be done in Prezi. In case you are not familiar with this site, it allows for a boring Powerpoint presentation to be done in a way that engages students much more. Prezi presentations move along through information, and students are able to use their creative side to make the information into a large picture, sort of like mind mapping but with more freedom to create. In the classroom, I would likely ask for one or two presentations to be done in Prezi, and of course students would also have a choice of using the usual Powerpoint, poster paper, or mind mapping formats. However, when I was in junior high and high school I personally loved to use Prezi. These presentations are done in a way that almost all students will be captivated by them, as it enhances the use of kinesthetics for learners who need to get hands on with projects. It allows them to create almost a flow that the presentation takes on. It is also incredibly useful to the visual learners, as it can allow for the information itself to be organized into a bigger picture. Some students may not remember the information that is copy and pasted onto a Powerpoint presentation, because many of the slides look almost identical. It is hard to differentiate between related information and non-related information. However, students using Prezi will be able to group information into different areas of the blank canvas, and present it in a way that allows people looking at the entire presentation to visually differentiate between different sections of information. However, Prezi may be distracting to a degree, as it allows students to get very creative with their projects. Some students may spend more time on colors and pictures that can be placed in the presentation than the information itself. This program also does not necessarily cater to auditory learners who may need a bit more time to process the presentation. As with all technology in the classroom, children can get distracted, but this presentation service stretches far beyond the limits in a Powerpoint and allows children to visualize the information much more, and enjoy the hands on organization aspect that comes along with it.

# data[].attributes.headline
My Reasons for Deciding to Become a Teacher

# data[].attributes.subject
My Reasons for Deciding to Become a Teacher

# data[].attributes.body
Becoming a teacher, a hard choice that ultimately leads to some of the most rewarding moments that one can ask for. I truly believe, just as the textbook says, that teaching is the world's most important profession (Becoming a Teacher, Page 2). I personally want to teach High School English or Biology. There are many reasons behind this choice, however, the most prominent is my personal beliefs that I want to make a difference in the world, and that I want to be happy with my future profession.

Initially, my interest in teaching came from the purpose that is placed behind the profession. The idea that I will have the opportunity to shape young people's minds. It is repeated in movies, books, and in daily life that by being a teacher, there is the ability of influence over young people. I, personally, had an incredible English teacher in my high school years. She encouraged me to do better, to put more work into my essays, to challenge my own ideas. She marked me harder than the rest of the class, and that was for a reason. She wanted me to do my best, she saw a potential in my writing that I had failed to see. This influence that she had inspired my love of reading, of writing, and of the English language. Ultimately, because of her tough love, I ended up with the highest mark in English 30-1 in my entire graduating class. I even beat out the Valedictorian. That was my proudest moment in high school, even more so than graduating itself. It was all because my English teacher pushed me beyond my limits, challenging me to better myself. She is one of the most prominent reasons that I want to teach.

Another strong reason that I wish to teach is the love that I have for the subjects themselves. Of course, my English teacher inspired my love of English. However, I found my passion for Biology on my own. I truly believe that these two subjects are so important in the futures of the next generations. English will catapult the youth into a new era of communication because the use of the English language is changing rapidly and constantly. With emoji's and slang, it is a fluid and changing subject. I am excited to be a part of the future of English and to pass it on. With Biology, however, I personally love the intricacy of it. I have always had a passion for knowing what is internal, for having a knowledge of what is truly inside the body. Every organ's functions, every disease that can occur as a result of the body refusing to perform the way it is supposed to. I have always loved it because it gives me an understanding of myself, where headaches come from and why they happen, what happens when you have a rush of adrenaline, how your heart pumps blood. I am excited to teach children who hopefully hold a similar love for these subjects, even if I only encounter two or three passionate kids in my teaching years.

# data[].attributes.headline
Response to the Prompt: How Will Education Change in the Next 5-25 Years?

# data[].attributes.subject
Response to the Prompt: How Will Education Change in the Next 5-25 Years?

# data[].attributes.body
Education is rapid and evolving constantly. There are different ways to teach that emerge every year, from the adaptation of technology into the classroom to expanding and ever changing issues that youth face in their home life or in their community. The future of education has to be able to accommodate to every curve that is thrown at it, needing teachers to be increasingly technology smart, and able to discuss and handle topics such as gender, race, sexuality, and culture. Not to mention the onslaught of personal and national issues that can affect youth such as cyber bullying, politics, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse.

The future of education needs to adapt to these changes. Teachers need to be able to use a smartboard, and they need to incorporate technology into their lessons to keep them up to date and modernized. They may do this by the allowance of devices in schools, like students using their phones to look up explanations of questions, or bringing their laptop into class to take notes in highschool and middle school. Technology can be implemented in ways that allow students to effectively finish their projects, such as creating online graphs or mind maps to explain a concept, or creating a presentation using prezi or powerpoint. These technological advances will greatly increase productivity and learning abilities for students, as well as provide teachers with increasing ways to teach providing they understand the technology. I predict that our world is on a fast track to a fully technological classroom in 25 years.

However progressive and revolutionary the use of technology in a classroom will be in 25 years, I believe that students will also face many problems. Cyberbullying has been rising along with the use of laptops and smartphones, as well as an increase of procrastination. It is difficult to focus on one topic when the entire internet is pulling a student to watch youtube videos or Netflix or instagram. These issues may have a strong impact on the ability of students to learn in 10 years. Although the internet is a great resource for many students, it is also a great distraction to many.

Politics is changing rapidly as well, and today’s youth are much more involved in the policies and bills that the government is implementing. Transgender youth may feel threatened, as their rights are not fully established in some countries, and the homosexual population was just recently acknowledged as legally able to marry. The youth in the future will still be dealing with these politics, and with their identity not being fully recognized as the norm. Things like gender, race, ethnicity, culture, and sexuality are a part of a human being’s identity, however many of these are very taboo to talk about. This means that the education system of the future will need to remove the stigma around these topics and work to an inclusive environment for every student that attends the school.

Another issue that future schools will feel the pressure of is the home life of many youths. Substance abuse and teen pregnancy are common in today's youth, much more than in previous decades. This means that the future education system will need to be able to counsel and help youth who are struggling outside of school, and as a result, struggling inside the classroom. This may mean implementing more school counsellors into the schools, or making available peer help programs, or drug and sexual education awareness programs. These issues need to be talked about in the school environment in order to encourage youth to get any help that they may need to succeed. I believe that future schools will need to be much more aware of these problems, and more equipped to handle them.

Personally, I believe the biggest change will be the evolving technology that will be brought into the school. There are always new programs and new ideas that are coming out to help teachers, and to help students learn. The biggest task will be the ability of teachers to stay updated with these changes and work to make them an asset to learning instead of a hinderance.

# data[].attributes.headline
How will you integrate technology into your daily work life?  How can you use technology to give yourself a competitive advantage in the workplace?  What tools or techniques in particular do you think are the most helpful? 

# data[].attributes.subject
How will you integrate technology into your daily work life?  How can you use technology to give yourself a competitive advantage in the workplace?  What tools or techniques in particular do you think are the most helpful? 

# data[].attributes.body
I think that it is very challenging to work technology into one's daily work life. However, it is worth the time to go through new web 2.0 tools and apps every once in a while to continue learning and expanding my abilities in technology. Technology can be integrated into many different aspects of work life. After this course, I absolutely see myself using Prezi for more slideshow presentations. It presents the information in a way that is very engaging and compelling to watch. I will also likely integrate Animoto into some sort of daily school lesson. It is very nice to watch, and easy for students to create a fast and wonderful video. I also enjoyed Pixton to create cute comic strips. These could be used by students to explain small learning objectives, and it can be used by the teacher to introduce ideas. I enjoy using apps as well, and I can see myself integrating apps like Remind into my classroom to allow a way for students and teachers to get in touch, as well as parents and teachers.

I think technology can give me a competitive advantage in the workplace. Especially if one stays up to date on the new apps and web 2.0 tools that are being created every month or year. As long as I can make sure that the tool can be helpful in the classroom then it is likely that I will attempt to incorporate it into the class. Helpful tools give a competitive advantage in the workplace because they allow work to be done in a fun and interactive way, as well as some tools, provide more efficiency. I think that if an app or tool slows you down then it isn't quite worth being incorporated into the day to day life in a classroom. I can also use technology that I learned in this class to compile lists of tools and apps to provide to students to have the option to use. This gives students more options and abilities in completing assignments and understanding the material.

I think my favorite tool was Prezi. I also quite liked some of the apps that I found. I found one app that was called Instructables and it was really interesting to see all of the different types of lessons that are in the app. It could really be used well as an extracurricular app that could give students more ideas. I enjoyed seeing all the different web 2.0 tools, and I personally played around with Mindmiester a bit and had a very easy time creating a mind map with my brother for one of his English classes. It was nice that you didn't have to pay for it, and it was easy to figure out how to format and use the app. I think that the most important technique that I learned was to go through the app before introducing it to any class, and I really liked the sheets that we got to go through whether an app was a content or a creation app. It helped me analyze an app based more off of whether it was too big to download or if the music on the app took away from its helpfulness or not, and many more questions that I would have never thought of.