Final Reflection

I hope to be teaching early elementary students. I will be a special education teacher. Obviously my students will have special needs which will of course, vary from one student to the next. Each student will learn differently. I want to teach in away that is integrated so that all the students will "see" the lesson. I want my students to learn by doing.

I would like for my students to be able to Skype with other classrooms like theirs. I would like for them to tell others what they learned and explain it to them. I feel that I you can show someone what you have learned and explain it clearly then you really know the material. I believe this will be especially valuable when teaching math and science lessons.

I intend to implement a class blog and web page. No more lost assignments or "I wasn't sure what to do" excuses. I think this will be useful the students as well as their parents. So the parents can see what is happening in class, as well as what should be happening at home. I am very excited about the kids having their own blog and for them to use it like the old fashioned notebooks I used to keep as a child.As well as a daily journal.

However, first and foremost I want to create an environment of respect. Respect for me, their classmates and the rules set out for them in the classroom as well as in the digital world. I will set rules and expect them to respect and honor those rules. In this happens everyone can be content. They must learn respect for each other and their "superiors". In today's world not enough of our youngsters know the value of respect.

Now and Then
I wouldn't change what I wrote at the beginning of the semester. I still think respect for me and fellow classmates as well as self respect is key to a productive learning environment and I still would like to be able to incorporate related lessons like history and art. But I have learned about so many new ways to do this. There are so many tools out there for us right at our fingertips.

For example, when learning about the Alamo my students could try to skype or twitter with students who've been there! Or take a virtual tour of the Louvre for art lessons. We can visit the Grand Canyon and learn all kinds of geological facts right through our laptops, Ipads and even phones! These are really exciting technological times. There are new advancements every day. Virtual classrooms will allow a sick child to come to class everyday and also American students can attend class in Japan and vice versa we have so much to learn from and teach each other around the world it's mind boggling! Final Reflection Video

Team Terriffic 13

For our SMART project we used a variety of tools. We uploaded, shared and viewed items in Google Drive. We shared emails and texts and well as the instant message feature in Gmail. We used the SMART Exchange for brainstorming ideas. It was very helpful. Using these tools helped to make our “facetime” much more productive as we already had a plan of action all we had to do was implement each piece. Due to unfortunate circumstances that required a member to be out of state, we could not meet to record our project on the planned day.We used Skype and texting to plan a new day/time. We also used skype and texting to plan possible alternative options if our "plan B" fell through also. Skype was a great experience and it is possible to use it on your phone also! The technology we have learned how to use from this class, has been very helpful with finding alternative ways to communicate and plan.a

Project 16

SMART board project part 2

Post 14

This article is reporting about a new software that tracks how often a student uses digital textbooks. It tracks how and what they may be highlighting and reading. This information is then put into an index score, the more a student uses the software the higher the score. The whole point is to track whether the students are reading the material and is it useful to them. Some students who showed a relatively low score were still scoring well on tests and quizzes. Is this a reflection of the usefulness of the text? Is the teacher lecturing so well that text isn't needed? More data is needed.

I like the idea being able to tell my students are reading the material. It could tell whether the text is useful and/or helpful to the students. It could also tell whether it was wasteful and useless. This is not a end all be all solution however, I think it could be a useful tool. Which students read more? Are their scores better than the students who take a lot of notes on their own? To me, it would have to be a piece of the learning puzzle. You have to have all the pieces to see the whole picture.

As a student I feel like this software is not at all useful. It can mislead a teacher's perception. The teacher may think this student isn't reading he/she must not put much stock in this class. Which may not be true, I once took a class where I read from the text ONCE. I took good notes, went to class every time, took advantage of SI (student instructor) sessions and I had an A in that class. So tracking how much I read the text is not a reflection of me as a student. I think this kind of tracking is really only useful to the textbook publishers not necessarily to teachers. It may improve the usefulness to students as time progresses but, to me , now, it is not helpful or useful.

1. What did you hope to learn from this technology? 2. Did the software teach you something new about the way students study? 3. Were you surprised by the number of students who were doing well yet, apparently not reading the material? 4. Knowing what you learned this software would you use it again? 5. Would it change the way you teach/assign reading?

1. Did knowing the software was attached to your text change the way you studied? 2. Some of you stated privacy wasn't really an issue, does anyone feel a little weird knowing the teacher knows you didn't do the reading assignment? 3. Did you find it useful/helpful? 4.Would you use it again?

This software is not for me. I don't think it truly reflects what the students are really learning. The text is only one portion of the learning experience. Tracking how much a student reads won't tell me if they are engaged.

C4T 4

This post was a letter to author's of children's books. She was encouraging author's to make their books more affordable. Actually I think the word she used was cheap. She suggested they make offers from time to time on sites like kindle daily deal.kindledailydeal She talks about her students having access to an iPad and i Pods through their school library. She encourages the authors to give deals to get recognized and there by increase sales of all their books.
Today I read an older post because the assigned teacher hasn't posted since December. In this post she was recounting trying to teach empathy to her students. She did so by assigning 3 books to choose from. After they chose they had to blog about the main character(who has a disability). In class they had discussion on how the characters were different and how they would feel if they had the same problem. The students commented: “I think just smiling at people is important. Melody tried to smile, but people didn’t know it.” & “Sometimes we think we might know what’s in other people’s heads but I think we don’t know.”
Mrs.White really seems to enjoy her students. It seems she really puts reading at the forefront of her lessons. Reading is pivotal whether it be on an IPad or Kindle or just a paper book. Reading can introduce our students to places, subjects, and times they will never experience in their own towns, homes and schools.

C4k 9- final

Today's post was from Cheyanne she wrote a post called character development. It seems to be a description of the main character in the books she is reading. I encouraged her to post descriptions on the other characters and that it sounded like and interesting one so far.
Today's post was from Shakira, a 5th grader. She told about her year so far. She spoke a lot about math and what her class was doing lately. They recently worked on perimeter and area. She told of a dice game they played to help them learn these concepts. She also told about a couple of science experiments they were conducting.
I have really enjoyed reading the kids blogs. The kids have always impressed me. They always step up to the plate and hit a homerun. I am excited to have a class of my own and get the kids blogging so I can see what they accomplish in writing.

Progress Report

Team Terrific has decided to do a video. We have drawn up an outline and have come up with questions to ask one another in the video. We hope to be able to complete and edit the video on Wednesday of this week.

Post 13

I really enjoy watching folks like Mr. Crosby. He is so fired up about his kids and how they are learning and what they are learning and expressing it. Orally, writing blogs, and commenting on other peoples blogs too. The high hopes project was awesome and the fact that the kids got so many others to participate was great. I like the idea of the kids being able toSkype in with other classrooms around the world to "teach" other kids how to do the can crush experiment. If you can tell/teach someone else what you have learned with clarity then you've got it. You know it. So much went into 17:43 of video I am interested to see more from Mr. Crosby.

Mr.Bozeman really drove home the point if you can explain it you have learned it. I like his strategy. Start with questions, expand on your learning with specific readings, watching videos, reviews and if the students don't get it more reviews. Then and only then do they move on to a quiz. All along they are self evaluating and meeting benchmarks set out for them. I think this is a good way for students to learn. They can keep up and are accountable to themselves as well as the teacher. I think this can be important because it lets students know where they stand at any given time.

Special Assignment

I can't say for sure why I missed the metaphor. Especially since my first thought when looking at the cartoon was they look like the the Mac commercial guys."> I thought maybe he is using them like a spoof. I guess I just over thought it.
Metaphors
1. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into heaven. 2. Better to beg forgiveness than to ask for permission. 3. We waited a lifetime. 4. Let your light so shine before man that he may see your good deeds. 5. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Helping Students Understand
I think the best way to help them understand is to use them. Then ask Do you know what that means? Have a discussion about how they interpreted it and why they thought the way they did.Maybe get them to make up their own and get their classmates to see if they get the meaning.You could get them started with something like... playing outside is... "Let the kids run with it" and see what happens.
Why we use Metaphors.
Metaphor - a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money) (Webster) We use metaphors to get a point across. They are often used to convey sarcasm. They are sometimes used as a comparison of two unlike things.

Post 12

Diversity and disability can and should be taught in our classroom. Watch these videos and read the blogs I linked for you. How will you teach your kids about diversity and disability? Have you ever had an experience with a disabled person or maybe just someone very different from you how did you handle it?Would you do anything differently? What did you learn from it? How could you use your experience to teach your class? Also, create an activity that would teach diversity. (ex. brown/white eggs same on the inside even though different on the outside.)


diversityblog
kindnessblog

Post 11

I enjoyed watching Ms. Cassidy's students explain how they use technology in the classroom. I like her ideas on teaching them good "digital citizenship." I think before using the computer every child should learn some digital etiquette. They should know ways to keep themselves safe and places that are appropriate. Also as she said in her interview, depending upon their age, what to do if they feel they've reached a site or game that is not appropriate or if they feel they are compromised in any way. These are very important and would be a must in my classroom.

I like the idea of the students blog being their "portfolio." I like that she uses the class blog for links to games and activities that are appropriate for the lessons at hand. I like the class blog in that student always have access to the homework assignments they can go and get enrichment through games and other links. I hope I can implement a class blog or web page as useful and extended as hers. I like that she collaborated with other teacher from the same grade level. I really think that being able to see and hear what other kids from other place are doing could really be a draw for kids. In that, they can comment as well as receive comments from other kids and adults too.

Technology is all around us and our student we must keep up or get left behind. Kids are smart and soak up anything we teach. So as with anything we do with them, when using technology and the internet, we set rules and boundaries and expect them to abide by them. When and if those rules are broken or boundaries crossed there will be consequences like no free time to play games. Kids are smart they know whats right from wrong and most will follow the rules we set for them.

C4K 5-8

Today's kid left a statement regarding the Constitution and the 1st Amendment. He said without it, he could not choose his religion. I commented that he was right and that the U.S. was very lucky in that we have that right.
Today's assigned kid did not have a post, so I chose "Rachel The Uber Awesome" and she left a really substantive blog on why her town should not allow fast food drive throughs in her town. She was very thoughtful and stated all of her points. I comment on how well she wrote and how I would now have been thinking of such things as a middle schooler. I encouraged her to keep up the good work and to always speak out for what she believes in.
Today I read Ana's Blog she wrote a short post about the real reason for Easter not just eggs and candy but, the death and resurrection of Jesus. I agreed with her and told her she should keep praising and posting.Today I read Marissa's post intended to be an intro and description of herself to Russian students. She told a little about herself and asked a little about them. I replied by giving an intro and description of my self.
The blogs were all very different this go round. Each student has something to say in his own way. I especially enjoyed "Rachel The Uber Awesome" not just because she calls herself as such but she really had alot to say and gave real reasons why she felt strongly against drive throughs in the restaurants in her town. Imagine that no drive throughs and a kid in favor of it.

C4T #1 #2

Today I read a couple of Mrs. Ripp's posts. The one that caught my eye the most and the one I will comment on is "Let's Celebrate Those Kids." She talks about being in a rut. And since lately I have been feeling the same. Routine , routine, more of the same. Where is this going? Where am I going and when will I get there? She is encouraging us to look at the small things. What about the kid who complained about hating to write a few weeks ago but now wants help to make his story great with more details? Let's celebrate the child that remembered the formula for a triangle and then was able to teach the rest of the class. Let's celebrate the kids who try, try, try and then tell others about how they are trying.The kids who aren't afraid to put their faith in me every day hoping that the adventure we are about to go on is something worth there time.Let's celebrate the kids who try, try, try and then tell others about how they are trying.The kids who aren't afraid to put their faith in me every day hoping that the adventure we are about to go on is something worth there time. I think this will and can be an important lesson not just with our classrooms but in life as well. Remember the little thing that encourage us and make us smile.

Today Mrs.Ripp's post was about assumptions. She says we should never just assume a child was raised the way we were. We shouldn't assume someone is from where we are from. My Grandaddy always said "you know what happens when we assume." Then he would say "you make an ass out of u and me." This is so true we should never assume that a child knows what we mean or that he or she can relate to us. They may not have been taught the same rules and moral we were taught. Take time to really know your students, where they are from, what they like, what rules at home are like. This may make understanding for you and your students grow.
Mrs. Ripp seems really neat. I like her. She says what she feels even if it doesn't quite make sense to her. She puts it all out there then asks for feedback.