Blog 8

    While working on the Web Design assignment, I learned how to make a website look clear and organized. I used design ideas like balance, color contrast, and spacing to make my website easy to read. For example, I used light text on a dark background to make words stand out, and I made sure pictures and text were lined up evenly on each page. I liked being creative and choosing colors and fonts that matched my theme, but I didn’t like when the layout changed on different screens. These skills will help me in the future because I can use them to make classroom websites, online lessons, or even digital portfolios.

    

    QR codes are a simple but powerful bridge between printed and digital classroom materials and extended resources. A creative way I might use them is to build a learning trail around the classroom or school. Each station on the trail would have a QR code linking to a short lesson, a 60–90 second explainer video, a reflective question, or a tiny interactive quiz. Students would rotate through stations and scan codes to access the content on their devices. This turns the classroom into an active scavenger hunt and supports multiple learning styles. Visual learners can watch a clip, readers can access text, and kinesthetic learners can move physically between stations. I could also use QR codes to link printed exit tickets back to a Google Form, making collection and analysis of student responses faster while keeping it classroom centered.

Case: Ms. Rivera is a second-grade teacher who wants to bring more creativity and personalization into her classroom. She uses a generative AI tool (like ChatGPT or an image generator) to help design her weekly lesson plans and create engaging materials.

Example of Use:
For a unit on habitats, Ms. Rivera asks the AI to:

• Generate simple, age-appropriate reading passages about different animal habitats.

• Create custom illustrations of animals in their environments.

• Suggest differentiated activities (e.g., drawing, writing, or sorting exercises) for students with varying reading levels.

This saves her several hours of planning each week and allows her to spend more time supporting students directly. The students enjoy the colorful, AI-generated images and stories that feature animals “talking” about their homes.

Ethical Dilemma:
One day, Ms. Rivera decides to generate personalized reading passages that include her students’ names and interests to make the stories more engaging. She uploads some basic student information (first names, hobbies, and reading levels) into the AI tool to generate the materials.

Afterward, she wonders:

• Did she protect her students’ privacy appropriately?

• Is it ethical to input student data into an AI system, even if it’s for an educational purpose?

• Should she disclose to parents or administrators that she used AI to generate personalized learning content

Response and ethical solution:
    If I were Ms. Rivera, I would be careful about using student data in any online tool. I would first check the school’s rules and privacy policy to make sure the AI system is approved for classroom use. Instead of putting student names into the tool, I could use initials or made up names to keep their information private. I would also tell parents and administrators that I used AI to create the materials, so everything is transparent. This would be an ethical choice because it protects student privacy, follows school guidelines, and builds trust between the teacher, parents, and students.