Blog Post #16

Final Reflection

Blog Post #5 Part 2

Final Summary of My Personal Learning Networks

Starting this class I had no idea what a Personal Learning Network was. I mean to me, it's really just a fancy way of saying social media. From this class I have expanded my PLN immensely. Although I have not used it much I have created a Symbaloo account that I plan to grow on in the future. I also have: Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Delicious, Netflix, and many others. These PLN's could very well be useful to teachers in the classroom. Skype would allow you connect with students all over the world that you otherwise would not be able to. Facebook, Twitter and Blogger could be useful with connecting with parents and also with other teachers and/or students. I have found these PLN very useful so far and plan to use them further in my future career as a teacher.

Blog Post #14

Teaching Can Be a Profession By: Joel Klein

   For this blog post we were to read the article Teaching our children can be a profession, by Mr. Klein. As I was reading this article I found a couple of problems that bothered me with the way that people view teaching and teachers in general. The first problem that stood out was that anyone with a college degree can become a teacher. This was a very hard thing for me to accept when I decided I wanted to become a teacher. I always knew it was my passion to work with children but I also knew that the pay was not very good. I honestly don't think just anyone should be given a degree unless they have a true passion. I people don't just want to teach for the money, they should want to teach because they have a love for children.

   The second problem that I came across in this article was Seniority Distraction. "Job Security and seniority dictate the way our schools operate". This could not be a more true statement. Some teachers all they care about is working hard to get their tenure and then from there, they're in for the long run and don't care. On the other hand it's also frustrating knowing that teachers that are just coming out of college are getting paid the same exact salary as those who have been there for many years. I think if your teaching is effective and you are going beyond what you are asked to do for your students, then you should get paid more than someone that is just starting out.

C4K Summary for April

Sean J's Blog: C4K#8 

     Sean's post about Johnah, is very interesting. He talks about God helping Johnah in his time of need. When you are in need of help or support it's really comforting knowing that there are people out there that are willing to help you along that way. I really enjoyed reading Sean's blog.

Faith's Blog: C4K#9

    Faith is a student in Mr. Gardner's 5th grade class at Holly Elementary. I chose to read and comment on Faith's, This is Me, post. It doesn't give any instruction as to what their assignment was, but I am guessing it was to tell a little about themselves. Faith writes on her blog and tells us that she likes to read and do math while listening to music and she also likes to sing and dance with her friends.

Kalonji's Blog: C4K#10

    Kalonji is a student in Ms. Thomas' Class at John Hanson French Immersion School. I read Kalonji's blog on his Making a Mark on the World . He wrote that he wants to be a professional basketball player and host basketball camps sponsored by himself and he also told us that with the money that he raises he would give it to charity. This is a great goal for young children having this excited to help others that are in need.

C4T #4 Steve Wheeler

   In Mr. Wheelers blog post, Share Trading, he explains to us the meaning of sharing is changing in today's society. Kids view sharing as giving to others what they have or part of what they have. With social media growing and changing every day sharing could mean much more than that. Facebook and Twitter are the first to pop into my head when I think about sharing in this day in time. People all over the world can share: photos, videos, quotes and anything else they wish with someone 3,000 miles away.

My Comment: 
Mr. Wheeler,
My name is Alison Earley and I am a student in EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. To kids, sharing means giving someone else something that they have or even a part of it. In today's society sharing can mean so many different things. There are numerous social media networks that their purpose is for sharing. Facebook and Twitter are the main sources of social media that I personally use and there are many ways to share things: photos, quote, videos, etc. Thank you for posting! 

Technology and Teaching: My Philosophy

   Registering for this class I was a little skeptical, I've heard many horror stories that slightly terrified me. Knowing that I had to have this class to graduate and get the degree that I have always dreamed of, I went for it, and to be completely honest I am so glad I did. Yes, I must say it was a lot of work and it took up 99% of my time, but I learned so much about technology and ways of teaching that will help me in the long run with my future career. I was unaware of how many different kinds of technology tools were available and useful for educators. By taking this course, I've learned how useful it is to incorporate technology tools into the classroom. Incorporating technology into lessons gets students excited to get their school day started. Technology also gets students engaged and involved in their own learning process. Another aspect of this class that I really like was learning about project-based learning. If you would have asked me four months ago what PBL was I would have looked at you like you were speaking a different language, but after furthering my knowledge on PBL, I have found it quite interesting. PBL helps students LEARN. Usually, students are given a bunch of definitions and information to study (memorize) for a test and then that's it. With PBL it allows students to apply deeper thinking to real life problems and actually learn the material, not just memorize it for a test. Now that this class is coming to an end I am so grateful that it is a requirement for my degree. I have learned so much useful information that I plan to apply in my classroom and hopefully bring out the best in my students.

Blog Post #13

How will you as a teacher accommodate lessons for students with leaning disabilities in your classroom?
 

Start by watching and/or reading these 3 given materials and then answer the essential question in blog post form.

1. Watch Maureen Ostrander's, Inclusion Strategies for Students with Autism.
2. Watch Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities.  (6:67)
3. Read Common Modifications and Accommodations.

Blog Post:

   As for me as an elementary education major, I think learning how to accommodate lessons for students with disabilities is extremely important. In this day in time students with special needs are no longer separated from those without. Its important for teachers to be aware of how to modify and accommodate their lessons to make sure that those students understand the lessons that you teach. After watching Maureen Ostrander's Strategies for Students with Autism, I've learned that every student is different and not every method works for every individual. I want every one of my students to feel like a part of the classroom and don't want those student who have special needs or a learning disability to feel like they unaccepted. This task could be very challenging for teachers, not knowing the severity of their needs could be difficult when putting a lesson together. I think it's important to get to know all of your students so you know what you can and can not do with certain students.

   According to the author of Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities, there is a difference between accommodating and modifications. Accommodations are adjustments made to make sure all students have equal access to the curriculum to be successful. Meaning when you accommodate your lessons for students with disabilities they are still learning the same set of standards just in a different way. Modifications are changing your lessons a lot. Which means that it is changed so much that the students with disabilities aren't expected to learn the same content as the rest of the class.
Accommodations for Reading: Here are a few things that you can do to accommodate for students who have trouble reading: reading test or material to them, when available use books on tape, allow extended time to complete assignments, and/or use highlighters to highlight key concepts in books or in notes.
Accommodations for Writing and Spelling: Here are a few tips that you can do to accommodate for students who are having trouble with writing or spelling: let them record their tests rather than write them, supply them with a written assignment sheet rather then make them write it down, allow extended time or shorten the assignment to allow them enough time to finish, or allow students to use an electronic spell checker.
Accommodations for Mathematics: Here are a few tips that you can do to accommodate for students who are having trouble with math: allow students to use calculators, use graph paper for completing calculations, and read math problems aloud the the students.
Accommodations for Communication/Auditory/Visual: Here are a few tips to help accommodate for students with communication, auditory and visual disabilities: summarize lessons on a regular basis, keep instructions brief, allow students to use recorders to record lessons so they can go back and review, and provide pre-written notes.

There are many more different ways to accommodate lessons for students with disabilities. We, as teachers, have to get to know our students before we try and accommodate for those students.