Blog Post #4

In her blog Podcasting with 1st Grade Silvia Tolisano says, “Believe it or not, but having an audience matters… even to 6 year olds.” I could not agree with this statement more. When writing and speaking the audience is important. The author or speaker needs to know what rhetoric to use when delivering his or her message. Creating a podcast is no different. Everyone, youngsters especially, loves praise. Podcasting is a great way to teach students the value of their work through feedback.

Tolisano’s post 1st Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Book had my mind turning. I have a 5 and 7 year old that would love to do this sort of thing, and we may give it a try this summer when we all have some free time. This is a great way to teach students how spoken language can display emotion through sounds. It can teach them why an exclamation mark is “loud,” as my kindergartner refers to it. I was shocked to see that the book was all script, no pictures. I think this is a great way to get children interested in reading without the use of illustrations.

Tolisano mentions several skills that podcasts activities address:
• listening
• speaking
• presenting
• comprehension
• storytelling
• performance
• voice acting
• oral fluency
• media
• technology

In addition to these skills, I feel a podcast of a book will also encourage a child’s interest in reading by allowing the child to follow along in the book while hearing his or her own voice.

Comprehension is hard work for some students, rather it be reading or listening. I myself struggle with some material and wish it were available in an audio format so that I could read along while hearing the material. The process of critically thinking while logically organizing bits of information does not come natural for all of us. Tolisano’s post Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting is a great way to help students, of all ages, learn to process a message. Creating a sound puzzle for students to unscramble can aid in teaching them how to organize information as well as how to decide what bits of information are important in a sentence or passage. I believe this activity could be particularly helpful in the English classroom when presenting a unit on the parts of speech.

Blog Post #3

Grammar and Peer Revision

If we do not refresh our memory on the rules of grammar and mechanics, they often escape us. Even as an English major, I make mistakes. As I read through my assigned student’s blog, I did notice some grammatical and mechanical errors. I, like Paige Ellis explained in her blog post, wondered if it was my responsibility to point out the errors.

Though I have been known to “playfully” correct my mother’s grammar on Facebook, I, personally, do not feel comfortable correcting someone’s grammar on a public blog, unless the post is about grammar. I do not feel it is my place to publicly correct them. I am comfortable privately offering the author advice in order to improve his or her writing and noting any errors I have noticed. As a result, I have decided to email my assigned student.

I recognize EDM310 as a class in which writing well is essential to success, I believe it would be helpful to include links to those pesky grammar rules that are often forgotten. Below, I have listed a few links to help with the grammar mistakes that I often see in peer writing.

Commas
Possessive, Plural, and the Apostrophe
Homophones
Quotation Punctuation

I found the video Writing Peer Review TOP 10 Mistakes (4:01) humorously accurate in depicting how I remember peer editing before college. As an English teacher, I predict I will have similar occurrences in my classroom. Over the past few semesters, I have participated in quite a bit of peer review. In my experience, my peers wanted a "Picky Patty" because our instructors counted off for even something as seemingly insignificant as an extra space between two words. There is a time and place for such critiquing. Sometimes, simply acknowledging good word choice or mentioning a grammar rule is enough to help someone understand where he or she can improve.

In addition to the assigned video for this post, I recommend all EDM310 students watch How to Avoid 10 Common Grammar Mistakes (3:26). It has useful tips for writers who are unaware of common mistakes and who simply want a refresher.



Assistive Technology

The Mountbatten is an intriguing piece of technology. Inside the English classroom, this machine would be a wonderful piece of equipment for a student who is blind. The Mountbatten would enable the student to compose a writing assignment without the assistance of another individual, as well as provide the teacher with the means to read it by sending a file to a computer. The machine also receives files which would provide the option of sharing information with the student in written form, as opposed to in auditory format.

I had not given much thought to assistive technology, until I took a class on special education. I, of course, had thought about students with learning disabilities and such, but I had neglected to think about students who are blind or deaf. I am in awe at the technology available to enhance the learning process for blind students. The iPad VoiceOver function for blind users seems quite beneficial. It offers a combination of helpful tools for blind users including the ability to read books and surf the web. After watching iPad Usage for the Blind (6:36) and Teaching Mom What Her Deaf/Blind Child Is (5:35) , I would assume learning to use the voice over software would be frustrating for the student, teacher, and parents. However, once the process is learned, the iPad VoiceOver software offers the user a variety of tools. This would be great asset for a blind student in any classroom, particularly in my future English classroom. VoiceOver provides students who are blind easy access to due dates and note taking. It also provides them with a means of reading without the timely use of Braille.

According to Professor Art Karshmer, blind students have extreme difficulty learning both basic and advanced mathematics. In the video Teaching Math to the Blind (3:27) Karshmer introduces a workspace to assist blind students in using Braille, which is “linear in nature,” in a dimensional way. Karshmer’s demonstration of the workspace details how difficult math can be for a blind student.

Watching videos on assistive technology for blind students has brought to light the difficulties they face, especially the difficulty of learning to use the new technology available to assist them. As a teacher, I will have to catch on quickly to the technology available for a student in my classroom who needs assistive technology.



Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts (4:51)

I found it intriguing that Vicki Davis was able to adapt innovative ideas to fit her classroom objectives and the curriculum. She is truly an inspiration. I also attended a rural high school and graduated in 2000; I did not have near the technological resources available today. The internet was just gaining popularity, and teachers were uncomfortable with its use. I would have thoroughly enjoyed the resources available today. Connecting a rural high school to the world is an achievement in itself.

I look forward to utilizing technology in the classroom, specifically blogging and web pages such as Wiki. These types of activities will offer students the opportunity to write for various reasons, including personal, technical, informative, and so forth. Also, today’s technology will provide students with a way to “publish” their work. When I was writing papers in high school, the only feedback I received was from the teacher and possibly from peer review. But today’s technology allows students to learn the value of a publishing, and allows them to receive feedback from people worldwide.

Blog Post #2

Did You Know? 3.0 - A John Strange 2012 Version Revised Sept 2012 (3:41)

Technology has and will always contribute to the changing of the world. Educators will never be able to predict how the world will be once a student has graduated and is prepared to enter the job force. I graduated high school in 2000. It is fair to say that most of the teachers I had would never have guessed that online courses could exist.

The video poses the question, “What is your role … [i]n preparing your students to use technologies that do not yet exist?” While I believe the theory is complex, the answer is simple. Technology is always changing; however, the basics reading, writing, and arithmetic are still a crucial part of everyday life. Educators need to realize that technology has impacted the “basics.” Today a calculator is comparable with a pencil and paper in the world of math. Technology wise, a modern math tool is a spreadsheet formula. Mail was replaced by email, and now we have programs like Google Docs. The basics today are not the same as they were just a few years ago.

Educators are not merely just teaching a subject, but also teaching a student to be successful in the world. Today, a lack of technological experience is detrimental in the job search phase. There is no possible way to anticipate where the world will be in 2022, but educators should stay up to date on the common technological trends and incorporate them in the classroom. Educators should allow their students the opportunity to explore technology so that the student can continue to develop.



Mr. Winkle Wakes by Matthew Needleman (2:51)

This intriguing video points out, somewhat comically, that technology has advanced in every aspect of life while schools are falling behind. Perhaps the reason is for finical reasons. With our nation's debt steadily increasing, there is little room for states to receive more funding for educational purposes. This results in the inability to fund technology inside the classroom. However, most students have access to tablets, computers, and other devices that allow for internet service, in which an unlimited amount of technologically aided activities can be reached. I recently took a class on teaching writing. In the class, we briefly discussed technology and writing. The class pointed out that one of the key factors in our schools falling behind in technology is that educators are not up to date on technology. Regardless of the technology a student has access to, if the teacher is not willing to utilize technological means because he or she is not comfortable with his or her own technological knowledge, then the technology schools have funded will continue to sit and collect dust as the video suggests.



Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of Creativity (19:21)

In the video, Robinsion states that “creativity now is as important in education as literacy.” I completely agree, and it seems to me that inside the English classroom the two complement one another.

The English classroom provides students with an opportunity to utilize their creative side. Projects can range from writing stories, poems, and speeches to drawing illustrations, acting, and even interpretive dance. One issue with creativity inside the classroom is the difficulty a teacher faces when grading a student’s creativity. Should the teacher set a rubric or simply go by a pass or fail guideline? Asking a ninth grader to write creatively and returning the project covered in red ink sends the wrong message to the student.

I feel that placing a large emphasis on linguistic rules can take away from creativity. I often times find myself rewording sentences or leaving out an interjection because I am concerned that my professor may not appreciate the style, even though it is grammatically correct. From my own experience, I can admit that I have changed my writing style to meet the standards of a “dry cut” professor. Funny thing is, the professor encouraged me to think outside of the box. It seems to be an epidemic inside the classroom. On day one, the instructor encourages students to join in discussion, think creatively, and assert themselves. On day two, students' opinions are shot down. Later in the week, assignment one is returned with suggestions of how to meet the professor’s standards. Often times, this means the student needs to readjust his or her writing style.

One of my favorite assignments during my college experience so far was writing about the rhetoric of my home. This assignment was for a 400 level English course; therefore, adhering to linguistic rules was not an option but a necessity. Although the assignment called for meeting specific rhetorical analysis standards, I was allowed to play around with style. My paper was quite personal and full of emotion. I enjoyed combining both playfulness and melancholy. As I wrote, I could hear the lines being read in a tone that exhibited emotion, and this inspired me. This was my second course with the same instructor, and I earned “A’s” on all of his assignments. But on this paper, he wrote, “Perhaps your best yet.” Exhilarating.

I want to offer my students the same opportunity. Inside my classroom, I hope to promote a balance which both encourages creativity and supports linguistic rules, while allowing my students to explore their style. I want to guide them in developing it and not allow it to be diminished by rules. The professor I referred to above once told me, “Once you know the rules, you can break them.”

One way of achieving my goal is by utilizing technology and having my students create a blog online. A blog allows students to express themselves and receive feedback worldwide. A blog activity would allow my students to discover their style while also discovering how the world as we know it is continuously changing.



Pinterest for Educators:

Pinterest is a helpful tool both inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to cleaning, organizing, workout, and recipe tips, Pinterest offers useful educational material for teachers, students, and parents. As a parent, I have searched Pinterest for activities and ideas to help my boys with math and reading. For a high school setting, one of Pinterest’s most useful resources is the vast amount of technology related pins. For Pinterest to be beneficial, the key is to be selective when choosing boards to follow or pins to repin. When visiting the link to a pin, check the source for credibility. Also one should keep in mind that boards and pins can become overwhelming, and “okay” ideas may end up spamming out “great” ideas. I chose to follow Shelly Terrell’s Digital Storytelling board. The board contains pins including story prompts, journal activities, and other idea generating activities. Though a lot of the pins are aimed at lower grades, I believe I can adapt them and use them in a high school setting. I am also following the Edudemic’s board titled The Teacher Spot. The Teacher Spot board offers a variety of classroom related pins. There are several pins pertaining to the use of social media and tablets inside the classroom. The board also offers a few teacher and technology related eCards for a quick stress reliever while searching for the perfect resources to enhance the classroom.

One way to use Pinterest in the classroom is to have students select a pinned activity to present to the class. In my English classroom, I could provide students with a guideline of finding a pin that has directions to complete an activity. The students could then write an evaluation of their project and the directions that were provided. In this case, I would provide my students with the opportunity to utilize technology and give them the freedom to choose a creative activity while enhancing their writing and evaluation skills.

Project #2 Wordle

It is a Wordle about me. Awesome! I love that the first Wordle I created, popped up with "boys" in the center, and my boys names are on each side! Completely random, but a great representation of my life symbolizing them as the center of my world!

Blog Post #1

About me:

Hi! I am Amanda Christopher. I am from Lucedale, Ms. Currently, I am a fulltime mommy and student, and I am blessed enough to be able to focus on the two without working. I have an interest in photography; however, I rarely have time for it during the spring and fall semesters.

I attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) right out of high school in 2000. In January of 2002, I moved to Las Vegas for a year for work with the family. Upon returning I completed another year at MGCCC. I then took another break from school and had my two boys before enrolling at South in 2010 where I am now pursuing a secondary education English / language arts degree. Since enrolling in South in 2010, somehow between, a divorce, raising two boys, their school activities, their sports activities, and life in general I have maintained a 4.0gpa.

I enjoy the grammar and the writing part of English and language arts. I’m really not that big on the literature part. I know, I know, but it is not my favorite. I look forward to teaching, and I hope to be in a grade in which grammar is still being taught. I believe everyone should at least strive to be grammatically correct. I regret that grammar is not taught as often as it should be, and I hope to teach my students to avoid at least the most common mistakes. I make mistakes myself, but I will admit that I secretly correct posts on social networking sights and texts I receive. I do not do this because I am judging the writer but for my own practice, and I suppose it is a bit habital now.

My two little boys are Mason and Adison. Mason is seven and has my temper. Adison is five and, like me, expects to always get his way. They both keep me busy. I am happiest when I am playing games or watching movies with my boys. Our favorite thing to do is to go to the movie theater, and we go often, eight times in a month this past summer. The three of us are addicted to Angry Birds and Sour Patch candy. We spend a lot of time helping each other open the next level and eating the color of candy the other one doesn’t like. Okay, that sounds like a “Brady Bunch” line, doesn’t it? I should probably note that during this “happy” time, I serve as a moderator, a referee, and often times a warden. There are plenty of heated moments. As I mentioned earlier, Mason has my temper, and Adison expects to get his way. There is never a dull moment.

About my classroom:

I will be teaching high school English. I specifically hope to be teaching 11th grade. I picture a classroom in which every student desires to learn, believes that writing is important to his or her daily life, and finds text speech as repulsive as I do. And then I wake up. So, these are some values of English that I would like to instill in my students. How will I do this? How will I inspire high school students to view writing and grammar as a vital component of everyday life? I know that I will hear at least one student utter, “You know what I meant. So, why do I have to say it correctly?”

I have this fantasy of having my students describe what writing and grammar means to them. I would guess that many of the students will find little importance in the two. I hope to prompt them to give me examples of how written language is used daily and specifically how it will be used in their lives beyond high school. I’m prepared to counter argue that every possible occupation utilizes some form of written language. I want to teach my students that grammar and writing extend well beyond high school. My “planned” tool and theory to achieve this goal is to get to know my students and find some way to convey this message on a level they will understand and appreciate. I feel I must relate the use of grammar and writing to my students’ lives.

One exercise I would like to complete to show my students how correct grammar is crucial to the clarity of a written message, is to have them bring in copies of (school appropriate) texts, letters, emails, and social networking posts from friends. Together, we can read over them and discuss the many ways of interpreting the messages, as well as the correct way of conveying ones intentions through written language by the utilization of correct grammar, word choice, and syntax.

I suppose that I have high hopes that my students will learn to appreciate the idea that grammar is as important as adding numbers. With one misplaced comma, a message can be completely misinterpreted and yield negative consequences both in high school and in life after high school in a resume.

I’m excited just thinking about it. I know there will be curriculums and state standards which I will have to adhere to, but I hope through all the formalities of teaching I can find some way to help my students relate grammar to the real world. Even if my only opportunity to achieve such a goal is through ice breakers and brain puzzlers during the first five minutes of class.

Randy Pausch on Time Management 3:59

Prior to watching the assigned video, I had never heard of Dr. Pausch. I agree with his views. I guess the biggest thing I learned from his video is that not everyone thinks like I do. I see money and time as being closely related. I make to-do lists. The one thing I do differently than the advice offered in the video is that I normally save a larger task for last. Not because I am putting it off in an attempt to avoid it, but so that I can devote more time and focus on that particular task after completing any smaller tasks. This process is efficient for me, as I do well with time management. I am somewhat a perfectionist, and I do not enjoy waiting until the last minute and rushing through something.

About time management:

I have never really experienced time management issues. I have been enrolled at USA since 2010, and I have a 4.0 in addition to raising two boys. I have managed to handle my life and course load well so far. I am taking 15 hours including EDM 310. Between my classes and other priorities in life, which also include attending church three times a week, I will certainly consider time management tips. As Penn State University's page Time Management Exercises suggests, I will be more specific in my to-do lists.

I truly believe some of the tips listed can be helpful for people who experience time management issues. However, I have to chuckle at the one that suggests "setting times or a signal to indicate you are studying and need to be left alone." The page even suggests using a "Do Not Disturb" sign. I chuckle because I know my five and seven year old have no respect for a "Do Not Disturb" sign. And regardless of any agreement we may decide upon for my study time, one of them will certainly fail to uphold his end of the bargain. As with any area of life, what works for one person will not necessarily work for another, and a person has to use his or her own judgement when deciding if a tip will contribute to his or her time saving skills or simply be a waste of time itself.

Test #1

This is test number 1.