Cyber Safety Wiki

Nets 4
Each one of the group was assigned a particular topic on Cyber Safety, we researched our topic and created a page on the website. The page was hyperlink from the homepage, which we all collaborated on. On our page we defined our topic, why it is a safety concern and gave three tips for parents and teachers as well as three tips for students on what they can do to protect themselves. Each page also had links to resources and references we used to create our wiki. With the collaborative site, I promoted and modeled digital etiquette amongst my peers, practiced responsible social interactions through Google sites by helping out my peers and working together on a common goal. Engaged with colleagues through digital aged communication such as emails and collaboration tools such as creating a Google site. Not only was the Wiki website a collaborative effort, the content on the site helped to model, teach safe, legal and ethical use of the internet. The website’s content was on Cyber Safety with links to resources available on the topic and tips available to adults and students.

Journal 8 Find the Truth about the Pacific Tree Octopus

NETS 5

One of their publications was Learning and Leading with Technology, this publication has many articles on technology in the classroom, I read, summarized and actively thought about the articles on twitter, internet usage, augmented reality and the future of technology in the classroom. By actively thinking about the article and strategies I tried to imagine how I would use it in my classroom. I posted my reflection on the article on my blog to share and gain insight from others within my network. Becoming a member of iste.com and reading as well as reflecting on articles on technology in the classroom helps keep me a life long learner. I am up to date on current research and practice, i make regular and effective use of digital journal articles to help support student learning.


Ferrell, K. (2011). Find the truth about the pacific tree octopus. Learning and leading with technology,39(1), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-august-2011.aspx

This article is about teaching students how to identify the proper and factual sources for research. The author asks students to search google for a tree octopus and explorers. The tree octopus was a hoax created by a few silly individuals. The edited photos of an octopus in the trees and created a realistic scientific name for it. They created a website seeking for help to preserve the endangered species. The website was very elaborate and convincing, if only looked at that one source. The author posted back a few of the more ridiculous statements made by his students. The lesson was not about finding information about the octopus but to find good sources, multiple sources and learn how to identify the right source.

Would I use the tree octopus lesson to help my students learn about the internet?

Yes I would use this lesson to help them learn how to do research online, what the different .coms mean and which one are more reliable, .edu, .gov., .org.

What other lesson can I pair up with this one?

Similar to the old adage of measure twice cut once, I would use this lesson as an example to always fact check things online. Check where your sources are from and fact check with other sources on the same subject. Just help to ingrain into students to slow down a bit look at your info and make sure its good.

Journal 6 Student Voices for Change

NETS 5


One of their publications was Learning and Leading with Technology, this publication has many articles on technology in the classroom, I read, summarized and actively thought about the articles on twitter, internet usage, augmented reality and the future of technology in the classroom. By actively thinking about the article and strategies I tried to imagine how I would use it in my classroom. I posted my reflection on the article on my blog to share and gain insight from others within my network. Becoming a member of iste.com and reading as well as reflecting on articles on technology in the classroom helps keep me a life long learner. I am up to date on current research and practice, i make regular and effective use of digital journal articles to help support student learning.


Mille, S. (2011). Student voices for change. Learning and leading with technology,38(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2011.aspx

When a person hears about a classroom with a 1:1 laptop to student ratio one envisions a technologically advance classroom in Japan. When reading about a school in Iowa starting a 1:1 laptop to student ratio I was blown away. Reading about how much the students are learning and how much they are creating with the availability of technology was amazing. The article highlights some students who presented at a legislative meeting and blew away the congressmen. The students as young as 12 all the way up to 17 all had their own take on technology and showed how much they’ve grown academically through access of computers. Collaboration with students all over the world helped these students become more culturally aware of their surroundings and gave them voices in their own education. Slowly becoming leaders of their own education.

Q1: If you had a 1:1 ratio computer to student ratio, how would you use it?

I would not use laptops in my class, this would not be conducive to my classroom, howeverI would rather use ipads. They are way more portable and useful to my population of students. I would use the Ipads for communcation, schedules and rec leisure.

Q2: How would you prepare your students to show some members of congress that ipads are useful?

I would have a few of my students go to a meeting and just be social, use their ipads to say hi and compliment them on their appearance. Showing that students with moderate to severe disabilities can be socialized with the general population and with a voice they are able to communicate.

CSUSM PSA

NETS 4-iMovie

This iMovie assignment surrounds importing clips, editing clips, screen effects, creating and inputing title, texts and credits, transitions, voiceovers, fading and ducking music, exporting with quicktime and uploading video to this place right here.


CSUSM PSA TLT 2nd try from thao to on Vimeo.

Journal 9-Special Education

Communication (AAC)  Alternative/augmentative communication (1 no/low tech, 2 high tech)




AAC is a term that denotes methods of assisting communication.  An AAC device helps to assist people without a voice have a voice, whether electronically or through words and pictures.  There are different types of AAC devices, no/low tech devices where students communicate through pictures or simple sentences and full voice output devices where students can communicate through electronic means.

A no/low tech AAC device would be the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).  This system was originally developed for children with autism, to help teach them a functional communication system.  A functional communication system teaches students the basics of communication, how to request their wants and needs.  PECS uses picture icons to teach students how to request their wants and needs.  Started with the simple exchange of one picture to someone, then moving on to sentence strips.  The pictures become the student’s voice.  This system gives students a basic premise, stepping stone to more advance AAC devices.



A more advance AAC device would either be an ipad with a communication program or a Dynavox V+ device.  The Dynavox V+ device is a voice output device.  A voice output device is similar to PECS in that you start out with pictures, align the pictures into the sentence you want to say and then instead of exchanging the sentence strip like in PECS to be the person’s voice, there is a computerize voice.  A cheaper alternative to the Dynavox would be an iPad with Proloquo2go.  The use of the iPad has been ever increasing in the classroom.  It is very portable and easy to use.  Students and children in general seem to pic it up very easily and know how to use it better than some adults.  Proloquo2go is an AAC application for the iPad.  Very similar to other AAC devices, it helps to change the iPad to a full on alternative/augmentative communication system with voice output.



Accessibility (1 hardware options, 2 software options)



When teaching in a special needs classroom, whether mild to moderate or moderate to severe, the ultimate goal would be to help students become generalized into the general education population.  To help students become apart of a computer or tech class there are some input devices that help with certain disabilities.



For students with physical disabilities that make it difficult to type or navigate a mouse there are input devices available for these students.  An input device is a keyboard or mouse, something you use to put in information into the computer.  A really cool input device for students with physical disabilities would be the Tobii Eye tracker.  This piece of hardware actually tracks your eye movements.(link leads to video of eyetracking)  Your eye is the cursor on the computer screen.  This will help students type and navigate on the computer as well as play various computer games.




Using eye tracking devices is revolutionary as an input device.  Coupled with an on screen keyboard would make computer use accessible and usable for students with physical disabilities.  On screen keyboards is a software program that is already available through both MACs and PC’s through their accessibility options.  Anyone can use an on screen keyboard instantly.  Another software option to help with disabilities would be Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking.  This program is a voice input system, speech to text.  You can use your voice to control your computer and “type” up a report.  This is a powerful software program that allows computers to become accessible to people with physical disabilities.

Inspiration-mindmapping NETS

NETS 3

I listed the five standards and what and how each artifacts were linked up to each standard. Each artifact was connected to two sub-standards. With available resources online and the program I matched up visuals to each standard and each artifact. I used Google image search to find relevant images of each artifact and standard. The software program is very easy to use, point and click where I want text or images to be, link up standards and artifacts with available arrow visuals. Using the software inspiration to create a mind map, helps to show that I am fluent in technology systems and able to transfer my knowledge on NETS-T to new technologies. Using inspiration software I will also beable to communicate relevant ideas and information to students and parents who are more visual learners.

Journal 7 PLN

NETS 5

As a special education teacher my PLN consists of other special education teachers, advocacy groups, people involved with special needs students and parents of special needs children that I have met and follow on twitter.com, diigo.com and Educator’s PLN forums. By following other special education teachers on twitter.com and diigo.com, I can stay current on special education strategies and technologies that my PLN tweets about or bookmarks on diigo.com. I can also stay current by reading forum posts and watching online videos from Educator’s PLN forum. Being apart of twitter, diigo and Educator’s PLN I am participating in a global learning community, exploring creative various teaching strategies and applications of technology for student learning. With the participation of those technologies and community building I am able to exhibit how to infuse technology in my learning, I am able to help my peers learn from what I tweet, bookmark and post on twitter.com, diigo.com and Educator’s PLN.

A personal learning network (PLN) is a group of people connecting and interacting about with similar interests.  As a special education teacher my PLN consists of other special education teachers, advocacy groups, people involved with special needs students and parents of special needs children that I have met on the internet.  I discuss and share knowledge with my peers through the use of Diigo.com, Twitter.com and discussion forums such as The Educator’s PLN.  I also share information to my PLN through my blog.

I use Twitter.com to connect with my network by the use of hashtags.  Hashtags are used in Twitter.com to filter information during searches.  When searching for a topic or group, I would search for a specific hashtag.  In my case I searched for SPEDCHAT.  Searching for SPEDCHAT led me to discovering peers who are in the special education community.  I follow their tweets and read what they have to say.  I also found out that there is an online discussion on Tuesdays at 5:30 for regarding special education.  People within the field of special education will post on Twitter.com questions and comments pertaining to the topic during the discussion.   By searching SPEDCHAT at 5:30 on Tuesday I was able to follow along to the current discussion regarding special education.  Tuesday August 2^nd’s discussion was on inclusion, meaning including special needs students into a general education classroom.  The discussion flowed very quickly and it was hard to keep up, but also informative.  Of course there are disagreements here and there because opinions are opinions.  Some links were posted and information regarding various programs was out there.

Diigo.com is an online bookmarking website.  To bookmark a website means to save that website address so you can access it later.  You are able to save all your bookmarks online and have them accessible to any computer with Internet access.  All Internet browsers can bookmark/save websites, the unique thing about Diigo.com is that it saves it online and makes your bookmarks available to your circle of friends, or PLN.  The websites that you save/bookmark are tagged by you and then saved, to tag a bookmark means to assign keywords to a specific saved website.  These keywords are sometimes universal, so if other people were to be interested in topic, they can search Diigo.com, for a keyword/tag and websites pertaining to those topics would come up.  You can follow people on Diigo.com, just like Twitter.com and watch the various types of websites they save.   I choose to follow people who saved and shared websites that pertain to special education.   I currently follow my esteem technology professor, various awesome classmates such as Amy S and mringerson.   I searched for any websites with the special education keyword and followed those who are in the field and post up a lot of special education articles and websites.  With my search I found and followed a technology professor at University of Conneticut, David Warlick (citation machine creator),  and two other special education teachers

A discussion forum I chose to join was Educators PLN.  This website has a plethora of information.   It has links to educator’s blog posts, Twitter.com, Diigo.com’s and Youtube videos.  There is a lot of information available on this website.  I read a blog post on stepping outside the comfort zone.  This commentary was regarding the older teacher’s reluctance in moving forward.  Standing still and sticking to the blackboard and chalk.  Teaching with old methods and being content.  The author urges teachers to keep on moving forward, move with the advancement of technology, learn how to incorporate technology into the classroom, and step outside the comfort zone.  It was very interesting, urging the older generation to be with the new generation, because it is really about the students, not about your own comfort zone.  Educators PLN is a great resource to find other teachers in the same boat as you.  You are not alone with some of your thoughts.

About ME Me ME me mE Me

Journal 4: One size never fits all

NETS 5

One of their publications was Learning and Leading with Technology, this publication has many articles on technology in the classroom, I read, summarized and actively thought about the articles on twitter, internet usage, augmented reality and the future of technology in the classroom. By actively thinking about the article and strategies I tried to imagine how I would use it in my classroom. I posted my reflection on the article on my blog to share and gain insight from others within my network. Becoming a member of iste.com and reading as well as reflecting on articles on technology in the classroom helps keep me a life long learner. I am up to date on current research and practice, i make regular and effective use of digital journal articles to help support student learning.

Courduff, J. (2011). One size never fits all: tech integration for special needs. Learning and leading with technology, 38(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2011.aspx

We use to see the size tag one size fits all on various articles of clothing. People come in all sizes theirs is always someone too big or too small, clothing manufacturers no longer use one size fits all, but have been using one size fits most size tag. In education, specifically special education, one size never fits all. What can work for one student may not work for other students. But it is important to try, implementing various strategies to help aid and guide student learning. The article describes an innovated way of training teachers on technology and its uses. Instead of number of years for training, it is tiers. Instead of time based trainings, it is knowledge based trainings. What the teacher knows and how it is integrated into the classroom denotes the teacher’s technology tier level. The article also writes about success stories for students with mild to moderate disabilities using technology appropriately. Students with reading and writing deficiencies use technology to become more motivated to write, to present, to read.

Q1: Do you think the tier structure of trainings to be a good switch from the traditional time based structure?

Yes, I believe learning and moving on to the next level based on what you know is important. With time based trainings you never know how much you really know. Using tiered based you move on based on how much you know and have done, not how long you’ve sat through a lecture.

Q2: What are some ways technology can help in the special education classroom?

I believe technology can be used to help students communicate, organize and stay motivated. Students can work for computer time, or use the compute as a way to assist in their every day lives.

Journal 3: Abracadabra it's Augmented Reality

NETS 5


One of their publications was Learning and Leading with Technology, this publication has many articles on technology in the classroom, I read, summarized and actively thought about the articles on twitter, internet usage, augmented reality and the future of technology in the classroom. By actively thinking about the article and strategies I tried to imagine how I would use it in my classroom. I posted my reflection on the article on my blog to share and gain insight from others within my network. Becoming a member of iste.com and reading as well as reflecting on articles on technology in the classroom helps keep me a life long learner. I am up to date on current research and practice, i make regular and effective use of digital journal articles to help support student learning.


Rapheal, R. (2011). Abracadabra—it's augmented reality!. Learning and leading with technology,38(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2011.aspx

The article describes what augmented reality is, how it has been implemented and how everyone has seen it. This technology when seen through a device such as a computer screen puts a layer of information into the real world. The author cites examples of augmented reality in TV and amusement parks of the first down line for football games, the ads behind home plate for baseball games and the ghosts riding with you at Disneyland during the haunted mansion ride. Augmented reality is already in use for leisure, there are few uses for education at the moment. There are some books with augmented reality symbols and various items in education. Most of the uses right now are for story telling and creativity. The direction of the use of augmented reality in education is unclear, the possibilities are great, however it is still new and using it successfully still needs to be realized.

Q1: How would I use augmented reality in the classroom?

I teach in a moderate to severe special education setting. The students have deficits in communication and social skills. Often times when a behavior occurs it takes a lot of reinforcement to get the student to calm down. Using computers and augmented reality I can create a break area or quiet zone for the student. The student can be immerse in a augmented reality with calming items to help him be more at ease until he is back on track.

Q2: What uses of augmented reality do you see in the classroom?

I see augmented reality as a tool to help motivate students to try new things. It can aid in story telling and creating a safe zone for students. He can provide a different way to access information and research; a more visual approach.

Technology Self Assessment: School 2.0

Reflection results for NETS-T Module: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

1. I I design and customize technology-enriched learning experiences that enable students to demonstrate mastery of specific content and/or technology standards as well as engage students in developing research questions about real-world issues or problems, proposing and evaluating multiple creative solutions, and presenting a report to an audience, either face-to-face or virtually, for feedback.

Too Cool for School? No Way! Using the TPACK framework: You can have your hot tools.

Punja Mishra and Matthew Koehler

This article from School 2.0’s website highlights technology. Cleverly defining technology to different groups of people. To students technology could mean Bluetooth and iPods/iPads. To those born in the 70/80’s websites and laptop computers can be considered technology. With the advent of various types of technology, the article explains how to use various types of technology appropriately in the classroom. The article explains to use technology not just as a tool but apart of a teacher’s lesson in the classroom. The author introduces the TPACK frame work and defines it as teachers coordinating content, technology and pedagogy into teaching. The author brings up a few examples of the TPACK framwork; using of twitter, visual search engines and DJ software to teach different types of content in the classroom. The use of DJ software to teach math was the most interesting because it incorporates music as well as technology. Defining how music is orchestrated, how songs and symphonies are made up of well composed beats at regular intervals/fractions. Having students “make beats” have fun and learn fractions at the same time. Overall the article was very informative and gave a good introductory insight on how to repurpose technology for the classroom.

Journal 2: Join the flock!

NETS 5


One of their publications was Learning and Leading with Technology, this publication has many articles on technology in the classroom, I read, summarized and actively thought about the articles on twitter, internet usage, augmented reality and the future of technology in the classroom. By actively thinking about the article and strategies I tried to imagine how I would use it in my classroom. I posted my reflection on the article on my blog to share and gain insight from others within my network. Becoming a member of iste.com and reading as well as reflecting on articles on technology in the classroom helps keep me a life long learner. I am up to date on current research and practice, i make regular and effective use of digital journal articles to help support student learning.


Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock!. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july- 2011.aspx

The Internet has helped to bring people all over the world together. It has been used to find a soul mate, reconnect with lost friends, find various items from the past, buy completely random items from all over the world, and stalk ex-girlfriends and/or boyfriends. The Internet is a huge resource with unlimited uses. Finding the proper use for an educator is one of the points in the article. The author describes how twitter can benefit educators. How a teacher can use twitter to make it work for his professional career. The author states that twitter can help create a personal learning network, an online community of professionals from all over the world with different levels of experience discussing and sharing ideas. The use of twitter’s technology can help filter relevant information and make it accessible to the educator. The article defines twitter terms, discusses best practices, how to’s and guides the reader towards a personal learning network of educators on twitter.

Q1. How will I use twitter to further my learning?

I will use twitter as a way to gather information from other special education teachers. Having already tried using the hashtag #spedchat, I have gained a little insight from special education teachers from all around and seen the resources available. I have been able to get new ideas and learning materials for my classroom through #spedchat.

Q2. How can I contribute to my peers through twitter?

If I read an article that I like or see conferences on education in my area, I can tweet that information, hashtag it education, or special ed. If there is an online discussion on a topic I am knowledgeable in I can join in and provide information. Helping to brand myself and get myself out in the web in a positive light rather than silly pictures and videos of me.

Journal 1: 100 things that make me happy

1. My Fiancee Leslie Liebelt

2. My mom

3. My dad

4. My sister

5. My dog

6. My grandma

7. My grandpa

8. My uncles

9. My aunts

10. My Culture and Heritage

11. My Patience

12. My friend Loc

13. My friend Sung

14. My friend Michael

15. My friend Steve

16. My friend Vo

17. My friend Brent

(friends 12-17 are my groosmans =))

18. My friend John

19. My friend Vivian

20. The rest of my friends

21. Seeing my dad's smile when he saw me graduate with a MA hood

22. My dad's smile when he showed me his old hometown in Vietnam and the house he grew up in

23. The place where I proposed to my fiancee (Balboa Island,Newport Beach)

24. My Fiancee's smile

25. My Fiancee's laugh

26. My Camera lens 24-70 2.8L

27. My Camera Canon 7d

28. My phone

29. My desktop computer

30. My laptop

31. My home

32. My job

33. Toilet Training a 16 year old

34. Teaching a 15 year old functional communication

35. Giving a 19 year old the opportunity to have a meaningful adult life

36. Writing and completing my thesis

37. Graduating with a MA in Education in June 2011

38. My Weber Gas bbq Grill

39. My car

40. My Heiniken Beer tender

41. Heiniken Beer

42. Happy hour

43. Happy hour with friends

44. Harry Potter

45. Pho

46. Korean BBQ

47. Kirin

48. Slaters 50/50

49. Nachos

50. a good burger

51. Spam

52. Rice

53. Looking like i'm 12

54. Dressing like i'm 12

55. Sometimes acting like i'm 12

56. The syfy channel

57. My mancave

58. My alone time

59. In N out

60. Hong Kong Style Chow Mein

61. Ninjas

62. The Simpsons

63. Creativity

64. Happy people

65. Good team work

66. The lakers

67. Mcdonalds Frenchfries

68. My child hood memories

69. G.I. Joe cartoon

70. Transformers Cartoon

71. Batman Beyond

72. Ducktales

73. Darkwing Duck

74. Tailspin

75. Chip n Dale's Rescue Rangers

76. Garfield and friends

77. Tiesto

78. Daft Punk

79. Armin

80. Nike Air Force 1's

81. Nike Dunks

82. Venomenon

83. Silly tshirts

84. Cool hats

85. Colorful shoes

86. Adobe Photoshop

87. Adobe Illustrator

88. Adobe after effects

89. Thehundreds.com

90. The Chive

91. Cool backpacks

92. innovative designs

93. Legos

94. Making slideshows

95. Camp Pendleton Mudruns

96. Having friends over

97. Seeing happy parents

98. Hearing praise from parents

99. seeing old pictures

100. Knowing this is the last class i need to clear my credential... hopefully...

Drawn Thao

Drawn by Me

Hello World!

NETS 1

Available on my blog are my educational reflections on educational technology and class assignments. My interests are listed, embedded, posted within the blog and hyperlinked, a click-able reference to a document that the reader can directly follow, to help make information easily accessible. My class assignments are posted or embedded either as a blog post or a page. Each blog posting provide the reader with my insights, references and research available within the blog. I am modelling collaborative knowledge to students with the use of the blog. Students can see how my collaborative efforts with other teachers within my network, an interconnected group of teachers and educational specialists online, to create lesson plans, how I obtain information from various sources and as well as the amount of information and research I have available to them through the blog, a virtual world. Showing students the possibilities of collaboration through modeling my use of collaboration on the blog. I engage students through my blog by encouraging and sometimes requiring commenting on each blog and also by the use of GoogleForms, a web-based data gathering tool that allows the student to answer specific questions to help students reflect on any particular blog post or page.


Hello fellow classmates. My name is Thao To, I was born in Wichita, Kansas. I went to preschool and midway through kindergarten in Kansas. I moved to Orange, California and finished kindergarten at Prospect Elementary School. I stayed at Prospect up until 2nd grade. My family moved to Fountain Valley, CA after 2nd grade. I spent the rest of my elementary, middle school and High school years in Fountain Valley, going to Plavan, Masuda and Fountain Valley High School. My undergrad was at UCi where i majored in Psychology and minored in Education. I also got my multiple subject teaching credential at UCi. My teacher job search only led to substitute teaching and teacher aide positions. However, that gave me the opportunity to work with students with Autism and interested in teaching special needs students. I then began my search for a Special Education Program and Classroom. I found CSUM, went there CSUSM for my Level 1 and Level 2 Education Specialist Credential for Mild to Moderate and Moderate to Severe disabilities. This is my fourth year teaching in a moderate to severe classroom at a NPS in Orange County. I finished the Level 2 and MA coursework in June 2011 somehow I slipped through the cracks and was told that I did not complete a prerequisite for Level 2 as I was applying for my clear credential. Hence me being here now =).

I grew up with computers and was apart of the internet rise with American Online and Juno for my dialup services in HS first with a 28.8k and then with a blazing fast of a 56k modem. I partly paid for college through making websites and selling items on ebay. I had a geocities and angel fire website. I have used computers all through High school and College, recently switched over to mac 3 years ago. I competent in photoshop, ms word, and excel.

From reading the mission statement what speaks to me the most is the ongoing life learning and the student centered aspect of teaching. Having students learn through teachers who also want to keep on learning and perfecting their craft is amazing. Letting the student be your focus is something education should be about. Your students should be the focus and from that you incorporate whatever is appropriate to better his or her learning and understanding of the subject matter.