I really enjoyed this class! My favorite part was learning about all the different presentation tools and fun technology we could utilize in the classroom. Though I don't know if I would use most of it, the ideas were really cool and I realized there was a lot more technology available to teachers than I originally realized. Since I'll be teaching high school in the future, I really think a lot of the technology we learned about would make it more fun for my future students, not to mention it's probably something they'd be more familiar with.
There wasn't really anything I didn't like about the course itself....everything we learned was useful information and was relevant to the course and my future career in teaching. I thought it was a perfect balance of fun and work, and also important, relevant teaching topics with fun technology (hence the name of the course). However, I did find the portfolio to be extremely tedious and very difficult for me especially, because I haven't even done my student teaching yet. I felt like I was kind of BSing a lot, which isn't how it should be. I would have rather done this when I could actually offer first-hand experience and ideas. Overall though, loved the class and I'm sad to see it end!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
My Web 2.0 Tool: Webspiration
For my Web 2.0 tool, I chose Webspiration, which is a secure and safe way for students to create fun and professional-looking webs and graphic organizers as a way of brainstorming for their papers.
1. How does this advance my curriculum and apply to my content area?
Since I will be an English teacher, I think this tool will greatly help students improve their writing by brainstorming in a fun way. This helps students get their ideas on paper in a visual and more enhanced format that allows them to see all their ideas that they will use in their essays. This gives them the chance to see how they all connect and relate to each other, which will help them ultimately enhance their writing and overall content.
2. Is it secure?
It is secure and requires a username and password to log in, which is nice because I won't have to worry about my students' ideas or mine escaping into the web. However, you can still collaborate with others and share your webs and organizers with other students, which will come in handy in the classroom for students to share ideas with one another.
3. Does it enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the content in a critical, creative manner?
I think it does enable students to gain a deeper understandings of the content, and most especially their own personal content of their essays. Rather than just writing it on their own without even planning out their ideas, they can draw it out in a fun format and visually see it and think critically about how their ideas all relate to one another, and figure out the best way to make their essays flow.
1. How does this advance my curriculum and apply to my content area?
Since I will be an English teacher, I think this tool will greatly help students improve their writing by brainstorming in a fun way. This helps students get their ideas on paper in a visual and more enhanced format that allows them to see all their ideas that they will use in their essays. This gives them the chance to see how they all connect and relate to each other, which will help them ultimately enhance their writing and overall content.
2. Is it secure?
It is secure and requires a username and password to log in, which is nice because I won't have to worry about my students' ideas or mine escaping into the web. However, you can still collaborate with others and share your webs and organizers with other students, which will come in handy in the classroom for students to share ideas with one another.
3. Does it enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the content in a critical, creative manner?
I think it does enable students to gain a deeper understandings of the content, and most especially their own personal content of their essays. Rather than just writing it on their own without even planning out their ideas, they can draw it out in a fun format and visually see it and think critically about how their ideas all relate to one another, and figure out the best way to make their essays flow.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
PLN
For my PLN, I chose to join English Companion!
(click link to go to site)
I really loved this PLN because it had some great ideas from other English teachers who share my same problems or can offer advice for whatever lesson I may have planned. It has so much to offer, and I love that people can contribute their very own lesson plans to help others out! This will be so helpful for me!! Though I'm not a teacher yet, I will most definitely be using this very frequently when I teach high school English in a couple years!
(click link to go to site)
I really loved this PLN because it had some great ideas from other English teachers who share my same problems or can offer advice for whatever lesson I may have planned. It has so much to offer, and I love that people can contribute their very own lesson plans to help others out! This will be so helpful for me!! Though I'm not a teacher yet, I will most definitely be using this very frequently when I teach high school English in a couple years!
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