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.