Learning Manners Annotated Playlist

Here is an Annotated Playlist I created on learning manners in the classroom, the library, and on the playground! The annotations are done by myself personally and the video's of Mikey and Al the Alligator are from Disney Junior. Enjoy!

Continue Reading...

Letter to my Idol- Rubric

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Curricular Area: Learning how to write a letter
Standards: Idaho Common Core Standard W.2.1
         Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic they are writing about, state an opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Assignment Description: Students will pick an Idol of theirs to write a letter to, students will preferably pick someone famous (singer, actor, professional athlete, etc). We will then be writing letters explaining why we are writing to them, why we look up to them, what we like about them, a little bit about ourselves, and whatever else students may want to add! Students will also write a concluding statement, asking them to write back at our school address. I will then find the celebrities fan mail address and mail them out. Hopefully we will get a couple of fun responses for students to share with the class!
Link to Rubric

Continue Reading...

Reflections of Assistive Technologies

Mason is a first grader who is visually impaired. He is completely blind in his left eye and has 3300 vision in his right eye.  With the help of AT, Mason s able to learn reading and writing in the same classroom as his sighted peers. He uses a device called a MoPad, a device that he types on, when he types the computer says the letter aloud, and then types it in braille. Mason is also able to use the iPad when he is at home to play a variety of educational games. The resolution and large pictures make the iPad useable for him. He can also use the smart board in class for this same reason. When he’s at home he plays the Wii, which allows him to play and feel like a normal 6 year old boy.

Elle has Cerebral Palsy and uses a DynaVox to communicate with her family, friends, peers, and teachers. It is a computer attached to her wheelchair that she types on and it says what she types aloud. This device changed Elle’s world and her ability to communicate with others. It allows her to tell people what she is thinking and what she needs. The IEP team at Elle’s school did extensive research and decided this would be the best adaptation for Elle. It has created social opportunities in her personal life and education that she wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Lukas Bratcher has a condition called Amyoplasia Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, a condition that renders his limbs nearly useless. He is missing some of his muscles in his legs and hands because of it. This condition makes daily tasks difficult for Lukas but does not stop him by any means. He has a passion for music and technology has helped allow him to fill this love. With the assistance of technological engineering and a joystick attached to a euphonium Lukas Bratcher is now able to play in his high schools orchestra. He is able to play a hundred percent of the musical show and finds a great deal of happiness in it. 

Continue Reading...

Netiquette Guidelines for 2nd Grade.

What is Netiquette?


The term comes from the words "network" and "etiquette". It refers to maintaining good manners when interacting with others while online.
Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Avoid using bad language and don't say things to make others feel bad.
Understand what is acceptable to do and say and what isn’t. For example, if you type a message to someone in UPPER CASE they may think you are shouting at them.
Take care of yourself. If someone says something rude or something that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t respond. Leave the chat room or forum straight away.
Keep your password secret. Don’t even share it with your friends.
Tell an adult if you feel uncomfortable, sad or scared about anything you have seen online.

Here is a short video about bullying on the Web:
Cyberbullying: Your Not Alone

It is really important to THINK about what you are doing and how you are behaving online. Stay CyberSmart:)

Continue Reading...

How was socrative?

My experience using Socrative was very positive. I thought the software was very user-friendly and well-designed. I was able to create a 10-page quiz in about 15 minutes. I loved having the option to create a question that was either true or false, multiple choice, or short answer. I used a mixture of all three question styles on my quiz to provide variety. I also added pictures into my quiz. I thought that was a great feature. I could definitely see myself using this program in my classroom. Elementary schools usually only have 4 computers in each class so I could create a quiz as one of my "centers" during daily activities and have students rotate onto the computers to take the quiz. I think it puts a fun twist on quiz taking. I loved getting to watch the members in my group take my quiz, and see the immediate feedback. I then had the ability to export it into an Excel file, so I could save it to my computer with the information displayed nicely in a graph; it was very innovative. Aside from the standard quiz feature, there are three other programs available on this site; quick question, space race, and exit ticket. I picture these programs for an older classroom, probably college-aged, where students each have their own computer or phone to access the question from their desks. I am glad I got to become familiar with a tool that will be very useful throughout my teaching career.

Continue Reading...

Classroom of the Future

There were many similarities in the technology presented in the "Classroom of the Future"  videos and the technology we use today in our classrooms of 2014. They used internet-based data to conduct their research for the paper they were writing. They also used video conferencing.

The two students used video conferencing to collaborate on the information they both found. They were each able to work from home and then video conference to discuss their findings. We are able to do this today through a video chat called, Skype. Skype is a very valuable resource for us today. It allows you to Skype people from anywhere in the world. They can simply be in another part of town, another part of the state, or even another country. I haven't had any teachers video chat with a student who wasn't in class like the teacher did in this video. But it would definitely be possible and a great way to include a student who couldn't make it to class. My mom uses video chat for work very often. They do video conference calls where each member of the conference call logs in via video chat, and they conduct the meeting that way. I think it allows people to feel more involved, rather than a conference call over the phone. They do a video chat because the people on the call all live in different states. My sister-in-law also uses this for her job, she does a lot of conference calls with people in China. It's very convenient and allows the meeting  to be more personal.

The videos showed Will doing his research on the Internet. I think this is how most students today also do their research. There are many databases on the Web for students to access and find information. Technology has really become a part of our education system today, as predicted in the videos. College courses, high school courses, and even middle school and elementary schools now use technology and computers in the classroom, which is much different then it was 20-25 years ago when the video was made. I though it was funny how at first Will wasn't sure about the technology and thought his Dad was lucky for not having it when he grew up. However after doing his research, he found the computer and way of gathering and sending information via the Internet was very valuable.

Continue Reading...

Blowing up the grade book.

Here is the comment I posted on Professor Chris Haskell's you tube video,

"Blowing up the grade book."

I like a lot of the points and ideas made in this video. I do have a concern with home work and due dates. I am currently in Ed Tech 202, playing the 3D game lab quest, I am on week 2 and it takes a lot of focus and time management to prioritize this class above other things I have going on because there are no due dates. I just wonder how well younger kids will do this? Will  kids in high school or middle school make it a priority to keep up on their class? Or will they be waiting to the last minute to cram as much of it in as possible? If that's the case I can't imagine them retaining much of the knowledge. Just something to think about. Maybe deadlines should be put in place? But if a student doesn't hit them they don't instantly failed, it just gets brought to the teachers attention and the student should be talked to about it. I also like guidance from a teacher and one-on-one help, I feel like I lost that with an online class. If I'm at home working on an assignment and have no clue how to teach myself, it can be discouraging and I might move to something else I understand better..
The quest based class is great for many reason. It brings a fun new approach to learning. Especially in a society that is currently filled with technology. It also teaches students responsibility and independence.

Continue Reading...