What did I learn this week and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned about interactive whiteboards. I have not had much experience with interactive boards in the classroom. When I was a substitute teacher some of the classes I filled in had them. The extent of my use was using them to show videos the other teachers would leave for me. Now I've learned how I can really use the different kinds (because they are not all the same, and they are not all SMARTBOARDS!) in order to teach--not just show Daddy Day Care. I especially enjoyed how teachers can allow students to come up to the interactive whiteboard and actually interact. I know a lot of my students find class boring because they are mainly interacting with a textbook or our educational software. If I could get them moving, get them standing up and actually engaging the information, I know that they would start to become more motivated to work in class.

I can take this information and directly transfer it to my classroom. There are so many ways to use technology to the benefit of learning. I would never have thought just having a PC in the classroom would allow me the type of freedom interactive whiteboards can provide. Being able to control the PC from the board would make life 100% easier, because you can maintain the flow of your lesson and you don't have to waste time walking over to your PC and possibly losing everyone's attention.

What did I learn this week and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned about digital storytelling. It's a very fun way to get your students involved in class. First you come up with a basic script of the story you want to tell. For our project assignment I chose a funny take on a string of events that occurred when I studied abroad in 2005. I still have some pictures from my trip to Europe that were taken in Ireland, so I looked through them and selected those that could help flesh out my story.

In the classroom you can take pictures from historic events, or of historic places, and add your own words to them to tell a story to the class. One of the most powerful aspects of digital storytelling is that your students don't need to be in the classroom to watch and listen to the file. Students can access the videos and podcasts from anywhere, which helps bridge information from the classroom to their real lives.

This week I learned the step by step procedures in creating a podcast. I can take this information by creating more podcasts that are specific to the lessons I teach. This is important because students aren't just subjected to handouts and textbooks. The podcasts tell stories, show interesting pictures, and make learning REAL.

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned a lot about inquiry based learning and differentiation. Inquiry based learning moves the students closer to the steering wheel in regard to their education. Students can ask questions and then seek answers, all while in the classroom. Students can begin with basic facts, work to concepts, and then take that information into real life. That is the point of inquiry based learning: connection information to real life in order to engage students and get them motivated to take a more active role in their education.

Differentiation speaks of adapting your teaching style to reach all of your students. Your students aren't all cut from the same mold. They have strengths and weaknesses, and it is our job as teachers to teach to their strengths. I can use this information in the future to reach more of my students and to hopefully get them more interested in education overall.

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned about different resources teachers can use online to become better teachers in the classroom. I specifically focused on Teacher Tube and Puzzlemaker. Teacher Tube is basically YouTube for teachers. It has many different videos by all levels of teachers. Some are veterans of 20 years, while others are like me, under the three year mark. The site is very useful for questions that pop up every day for me. It's a good resource to use when other teachers aren't readily available, or if you don't want to ask a "stupid" question and come off looking clueless.

The Puzzlemaker resource is a way to incorporate spelling, reading comprehension, and vocabulary in the classroom. You enter words that your students are learning and they can then unscramble the puzzle, all while learning! It's a good combination that gets students involved and engaged in an area that students regularly find boring. Very helpful stuff!

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned about creating web pages. My family got a computer for Christmas when I was nine years old. At first I resented the idea altogether. I remember being angry the computer was the only thing we got (Back then a Gateway Desktop was about $2,000.). My mom told me I said something along the lines of "Why did we get a computer?" Flash forward many, many hours of gaming, web surfing, instant chatting, music discovering, and too many other things to count, and I can't think of a more stupid question for past me to ask.

One of the things I got into as a young computer user was creating my own website. Back then I used Angelfire.com and Geocities.com. Back then you had to use HTML. I don't think either of the sites provided other options. I remember trying to add a guest book to my site for people to comment on. The HTML tag for it was a paragraph long. At that time I didn't know how to copy and paste, so I wrote it down on a piece of paper and typed it character for character into the HTML box. Wow.

Anyway, the information I learned in class this week was a good refresher on what makes a good website, and, more importantly, how to make one without too much trouble. I can take the information I learned in class directly into my own classroom by creating a website for the class to use both inside and outside the classroom. A site would help make the students feel more involved and connected to the class.

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week I learned about how to assess educational websites. This is a very important concept, because as teachers we are required to use accurate and up to date information. If we consult a website that isn't reputable, and then we take that information and use it in the classroom, we would be doing a disservice to our students, not to mention a horrible job as a teacher.

I can use this information in the future by keeping a copy of the website review checklist for future sources of information. I can test the authenticity and make note of dates, references, and other important items on the checklist.

What did I learn and how can I use it in the future?

This week we learned a lot about adaptive technology. A lot of the information presented was brand new to me. Some of it was familiar. I had a student last year who was legally blind, but could still read and see things when they were very close to his eyes. For class we adapted our instruction by obtaining a closed circuit television (CCTV). The CCTV was basically a computer monitor attached to a magnifying lens. When you placed books--or anything at all--under the the lens, it would increase the size and display it on the monitor. It was an amazing device and allowed him to read an impressive amount.

I found the braille writer to be fascinating. Whenever I see braille on a wall or a sign, I always run my fingers across it and try to imagine obtaining information from the little bumps on my fingertips. I actually started memorizing the braille alphabet for fun, but let me tell you, it's much different seeing it and trying to discern what the letters are when you don't use your eyes. Anyway, the braille writer is a great device because it allows people to type and create braille documents instantly. That is amazing because it allows students with vision disabilities to work and create braille without any long or tedious processes. This is a great example of adaptive technology in the classroom.

I have learned this week about adaptive technology. I know many of the different tools, and I have a better understanding of how they work. I can take this information directly into my classroom, where I can use this adaptive technology to give my special education students the instruction they deserve.