Blog Post #6

The Networked System

I think it is pretty awesome that you can contact whoever you want to get help on a certain topic on the web. It is true that a lot of things posted on the web is inaccurate, if you double check your findings then you can get a idea if the facts are right. This could be good for the classrooms and help with student's assignments.

The system needs a teacher because he/she will teach the student how to work it and take advantage of the opportunity. The teacher is also needed for guidance when a student gets stuck. One of the most important things the teacher will teach the student is how to properly communicate with others and ask for help. Hopefully the student will remember all the teaching and use it in the future.

I believe I am ready to be a networked teacher. I will be able to show students how to use the web and technology properly. I will also use ideas from this class and from other places. I am sure I will be learning new technology and different methods I can use for my teaching style. I think all future teachers my age will be ready to be a networked teacher because all the old style teachers will be weeded out and new technology advanced teachers will replace them.

My Sentence Movie

Project #5 Presentation

Blog Post #4

Langwitches

Langwitches is a perfect example on who to create a functional podcast. The podcast has the students reading "Dinosaurs Before Dark." It a shows the students following along to each others voices. This seems to keep their attention as they wait to hear their own voice and if one student gets off track there is sound at the end of each chapter to get them back on track. Having students create podcast is a great way to keep them being a creative. It is also a easy way to introduce them to technology.

Podcasting with First Graders

The first graders in the blog heard the second grade's podcast and wanted their own too. During that time the class was reading a book from the Magic Tree House Series, one of my favorite when I was there age. They were recorded doing a Q&A with the main characters. The sentences that the students are suppose to read help in reading comprehension skills. The students seemed to be excited using the podcast, even if they did not realize that they were learning. I probably would had enjoyed making an podcast when I was that age too.

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley is a great idea because it helps students realize how big and different the world is. The students get to pick a location of their choosing and have to research on it; then write a short script on it. Not only does Flat Stanley show students culture, geographical differences of the world but help them in their reading and writing skills. I would love to use this in my class one day!

C4T Assignment

Do You Trust Students?

Micheal Kaechele's blog us frequently updated with a variety of ideas and opinions. The first blog I read was about trusting students. He had giving the class a project on the Cold War and Vietnam War. He discussed the details of the projects and what he expected them to accomplish. Kaechele was blown away by some of his students creativity. For expample, some students used a temporary wall to draw scenes for their video project. He talked about struggling with letting them go and hoping that they would use their time wisely. Most teachers can probably agree that they struggle with the same problem and I most likely will too in the future.

Why Teach Primary Sources?

Kaechele's second post I read was about an argument of why to teach primary sources. Sometimes primary sources can be difficult for students. Often they use high vocabulary and complex sentences that students may not understand. What Kaechele is trying to say is there is no harm in using a video as an source as long as the students understand the topic and get answers right during a discussion.

Blog Post #5

My Dream School

The thought of having the ability to build a school with no limitations is staggering. Where should I start? I would make both the outside and inside of the school colorful. I would have the school broke down into different sections based off different subjects. For instance, I would have a history hall with the walls painted people, events and other things that the students would learn in a history class. The same would go for an English, Math, Art, etc. halls. Every classroom would have up-to-date technology in them. This would include computers for students and projectors, smart boards for the teachers. The students would not be required a bunch of classes they did not want to take. If a student did not want to learn Chemistry, then he/she would not be forced to. The aim is for the students to enjoy learning, not for them struggle to stay awake in a class they did not like. I was not a big fan of end of the semester exams when I was in school. So at my dream school students would only have to take a semester exam if they have a grade lower than an 85 in the class. As a student I wished that my high school's lunchroom had better food at lunch. I want my dream school to have the best food that would also be healthy at the same time; some people may laugh at the sentence because all the good food usually isn't good for you! I would want my students to feel safe at all times, so I would have a security guard at every entrance. By no means am I trying to start a heated debate on political views, I am just simple posting a part of my dream school.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

It is pretty awesome to see someone take the time and effort to make the virtual choir. People who are interested in choirs and are not able to travel can now listen to one from the comfort of their own home. It also shows that it can connect people all over the world for one common interest.

Teaching in the 21st Century

Teaching in the 21st Century is certainly different from previous ones. I would get a laugh to see a teacher from fifty years ago see the changes in the classroom. The way teachers connect with students has gotten easier with emails and social networks.

Flipped Classroom

Flipping the classroom idea is a very creative way to give students extra time to learn a subject. Using modern technology like YouTube, teachers can post lectures online so the students can learn at the own speed. This allows fewer lecture in the classroom and gives teachers more time to actually teach the students. This also allows the class not to be stuck on a particular subject for multiple days and allows them to not to get behind on the class schedule.

Blog Post #3

Peer Editing

Peer editing can be very helpful for students of any ages. It is editing your work with someone your own age, usually a classmate. Generally getting suggestions or comments from a peer can be better received rather from a teacher. The first rule of peer editing is to always stay positive! It is best to start off by pointing out something the writer has done. Next you need to make suggestions, but remember to stay specific and positive. Some areas to focus on are word choice, using detail, organization, and topics. The third and final step in the process is making corrections. Meaning that your check the person's paper for grammar and spelling mistakes, missing punctuation and incomplete or run-on sentences. Follow these instructions and you will be a successful peer editor.

There are a lot of mistakes that can happen when peer editing. What I mean is that people may not do a quality job in giving or receiving criticism. Some people can be a "Picky Patty," where they pick out little mistakes like lightly marked period at the end of a sentence or too much of a space between a comma and the following word. Some people often are a "Whatever William," meaning that he/she does not care about the process. They let the assistance go in one ear and out the other! Another mistake that can be made is an "Off-Task Oliver," and unfortunately I have been an Off-Task Oliver. Always remember to stay focused on the task at hand and there will be time later to talk about what else is on your mind.

Assistive Technologies

The Mountbatten is an incredible tool that can be used for the blind and visually impaired. Immediate feedback is important for slow learners and the Mountbatten does this. The machine allows the student to feel the braille that is type while audio feedback is given on what was typed. The machine can save files and also send or receive other files from a computer. This is such an advanced machine and should be used in any classroom that has blind or visually impaired students.

Students who are blind or visually impaired certainly do have a harder time in the classroom. The technology has incredibly improved in the past decade. Students today who are impaired have it a lot better than students ten, fifteen years ago. With the tools and technology they have an equal chance of learning and graduating school than students without any impairment.

The Mountbatten is an excellent tool for the blind or visually impaired, and should be placed in schools across America. But, I do realize that may be a problem with certain school's money situations. The math tool created by Professor Karshmer and USF, allows students that are impaired to easily learn math the same way a student without a impairment. To me this instrument would seem to be cheaper and more affordable for a school to buy. The iPad is the most accessible and affordable for someone who is blind. The settings is able to be changed where someone who is impaired may be able to read from iBook or use any learning app he/she may have downloaded.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Vicki Davis is from a rural town in Georgia. She is a perfect example of how teachers can use technology in their classroom to help students learn. She uses a variety of technology to help her students learn; from blogging, Wiki, and a virtual life program called Open Sim. Open Sim looks similar to the popular Sims computer game, but with Open Sim the students learn by teaching each other how to use it.

Davis and another teacher also created Digi Teen. This is a program where kids from different schools are able to study and teach each other digital information. They also created the Flat Classroom Project, which helps students study and experience trends in information technology. What Davis is doing is helping her students and other students around the world open their eyes to what it has to offer. That just because you are from a rural town in Georgia does not mean that you confined to that town.