Blog Wordle

Take Away Message 4/14/14

 

                            Take Away Message 4/14/14

 

In an ideal classroom, if each of my students had a smart phone, I could see the benefits of using the voice thread. I think having each student create their own video on what life is like from them in the Bronx would be pretty cool. It seems like another teacher had done that and some of the videos showed the students culture aswell as important landmarks in the Bronx. I'm going to be honest, I don't think I will be using it in my classroom. The resources are just not there for my students and I don't feel it would be interactive enough. I wasn't that crazy about it.

I do think that the power points that we looked at tonight in class were really awesome. I'm happy that I now know how to hyperlink to pages to guide students through a presentation smoother. I also think that students respond really well with it from my own personal experience in the classroom.

 Another topic of conversation this evening was the "email 101" course. I think all students should take the course we created this evening! It would outline HOW and WHY emails should be written the way they are. It will not only help them gear up for college, but get them ready for the real world. They will not only have to communicate with their boss but also with their co-workers and having the experience from a young age will benefit them greatly.

Blog 6 - Chapter 8&9

              During my read of chapter 8, the focus was mostly on the teacher/student communication via blogs or wikis. One of the key areas that stuck out to me was the use of "instant messaging" for student/ teacher contact. Personally, I like the idea of a blog or wiki way more than an instant message. I feel that students today would not seperate "friend" talk with "teacher" talk when using instant messaging. While it would be a fast way to contact, I think sticking with emails or discussion boards would be better for both parties.
             This chapter also discussed the importance of teaching interactively. There are so many ways to keep the thoughts moving in the students minds after class. An example would be to post a discussion board topic or post suggested further readings on a specific topic online. I agree that students would benefit from the extra time and thought on their own and open up more of a broad understanding of the subject matter.
                Chapter 9 spoke about using POWER POINT. I use powerpoint for many of my lessons. I create my lessons in a more interactive way by posting my questions or charts onto the smart board. It is a simple program to use and many teacher programs with lessons that you can download using it. As the chapter discussed, it is way more visual for the children.
                 Using video in the classroom is another way to bring visuals into learning. Watching video clips or educational movies can enrich the text book in ways that simple "lessons" could not. I also really liked the idea of the "concept books." The concept books are great especially for ELL students. Using digital photographs in concept books are a great way to enrich topics.
Class Questions:
1) Does your school offer you/ Would you ever push to get the backings of a digital camera for your students? This way they can create their own movies or find their own visuals?
2) Brain Pop Jr. is a video page that I constantly use to enrich my lessons, does anyone know of another page like this one that is just as good?
3) What is your opinion of Movie making by students, in the lower grades, to help enrich their learning? 

Take Away Message 4/7/14

 

 

              I haven't thought about my E-portfolio since I created it as a means to conclude student teaching 2 years ago. I never used it on a job interview. It just didn't seem as important as the physical portfolio I had made to bring on interviews with me. Tonight, I am thinking a little differently about my E-Portfolio. My teaching philosophy is so different than two years ago because I have grown and experienced a day to day classroom. I have set new goals for myself as an educator and what better way to show this progress than to have it displayed on an E-Portfolio.

 

             We also discussed using it as a sense of reflection. I actually think this would be an important part of your online identy because it would show your growth and it would show that you took the time to reflect. This under the new teacher evaluation would be considered "Highly Effective". I'm excited to update my portfolio and share my new views on education.