Technology Overwhelm-ness

This week we were asked to post our Top 5 sites from a selected few. After looking through the list I recognized many but not all. It is for this reason that I love assignments like that. We were given a list of pre-vetted sites from our professor that we can trust to be useful to some capacity. I often find myself doing searches for certain sites or apps and it becomes overwhelming since there are so many. I loved the list and have downloaded it for further study once I have time to breath again.

The following site contains apps and websites and how they apply to Bloom's Taxonomy. It was shown to me by the awesome Naomi Perl - Bloom's Taxonomy Sites

We also had to respond to our classmates Group 1 post. I found their questions and articles very interesting. I often wonder why some teachers are so reluctant to use video games in the classroom. I understand that it is hard to assess using video games since many times they are not practicing one specific skill but hooking students into our teaching can be crucial. I many not use it as a sole activity to teach a concept but might present it to the students as a down-time activity or a part of a center rotation. The students at my school are Minecraft fanatics and hearing them during morning meeting leaves be astonished at the amount of knowledge they posses. They go out of their way to read wikis and watch screen-casts of people teaching them (though they usually contain inappropriate words). What are your thoughts about video games in the classroom (and I am not referring to Call of Duty, Assassins Creed or the like)?

Also, students are gone, finished cleaning my classroom and ONE WEEK LEFT BEFORE SUMMER!!!

SUMMER!!!

Summer is here!!! WOOT! This year has been especially difficult for me and I can't believe that it is over. Started the year fresh out of a very long and intense relationship, took on an extra class at work, started a new relationship, took a total of 5 grad classes, and stayed working with high school students everyday after school until 5:30. I am beyond ready to sit back, read a book, play on my PS3 (which I have not touched since last summer) and get back into shape.

This week we are narrowing down our research papers and I had a really hard time coming up with a topic. In fact, this is the first time that I seek out a professor's help to brainstorm ideas. I am still figuring it out and will have something chose by tomorrow. I have written so many research papers on so many different topics regarding technology and education that I find myself not knowing what else to do. I then come up with topics that are either too obvious and that there is tons of research already done OR pick a topic that is absolutely obscure that has little to  no research done. Finding that topic that a) interests me, b) is not riddled with papers on it already, and c) has enough research to write about, is actually quite hard. I sometimes wish that instead of asking us to write yet another research paper, that we would have a massive project. I would find that more interesting and relevant.

Now that summer has began, I hope that I will be able to handle the work load a bit more and not get so stressed. Here is to hoping...

Special Education with Technology

I have to admit that I never thought that I would work with students with disabilities. I went to school to major in education and decided to get the minor in special education because it would help me become a better teacher. After taking that minor, I completely changed my thinking and philosophies. All of the sudden, I wanted to work just with students with special needs. I wanted to use the information I learned in my minor and apply it. Unfortunately, a lot of the classes that I took did not revolve around proper technology integration. They showed us some cool techniques but nothing far too great. A lot of the learning happened in the classroom on a need-to-know basis. This has been a bit frustrating, but I enjoy the challenge and getting to learn new tricks.

Over the years I have come to love some programs/apps that I used daily with my students. Below is a list that have really made an impact on my students’ learning:

• Kidinspiration/Inspiration – This visual organizer allows students to create diagrams and visuals to help them chart and graph their thinking. It has been invaluable in science and the language arts. http://www.inspiration.com/Kidspiration/Whats-New
• NLVM – By far one of the best math sites for students with learning disabilities. They do a fantastic job with bringing abstract concepts into the physical world. There isn’t a week where I don’t use this site. Students are not independent on its use and can access it on their own. Math should be taught first with manipulatives and then remove them. NLVM is a great middle step between the two; it is still visual and there manipulatives but it is beginning to become more abstract. http://nlvm.usu.edu/
• IXL Math – This is a newly acquired tool so my students and I are still playing around with it. So far, it is a great way to practice math skills. This is a paid membership. http://www.ixl.com/math/
• Dragon Dictate – This has been either a hit or miss with me. For some students it is fantastic but other students who struggle with speech (and I have a few) it doesn’t record exactly what they say. It also misses when I speak due to my Spanish accent. When it word though, it is a huge time saver and allows the students to be independent. http://www.nuance.com/dragon/index.htm
• Raz-Kids – Great for reading. Small reading passages that can either be read independently or it can be read for them. At the end there are comprehension questions that will demonstrate understanding of the text. The teacher can log in and check to see progress. The range of text reaches almost all students. http://www.raz-kids.com/

For teachers there are great resources available to help students with learning disabilities. I know that when I started working with this population I used the following sites quite often:

• LDA – Learning Disabilities Association of America - http://ldaamerica.org/educators/
• NCLD – National  Center for Learning Disabilities - http://www.ncld.org/

I have found that assistive technology is a tool that helps even out the playing field for students with disabilities. It does not give them an advantage but a chance/resource to access the curriculum. I have gotten into plenty of debates/heated discussions with educators who think that assistive technology helps just a few students but not all. I am enraged with this type of thinking.

Below are some good websites/articles to read if you are new to assistive technology:

• http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education
• http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education/overview-assistive-technology
• http://www.readingrockets.org/article/33074

I know that this is a lot of information but it is good stuff! 

Week 2 (post 3)

5 days remaining of the school year! Students have little to do but teachers are planning, grading, finalizing, praying, writing, reading, posting, drinking, sleeping and crying/laughing. The end of the year always makes me a bit crazy. I found that as the days twinkle by, I have more things to do and have no idea where to start. From cleaning my classroom to finishing up grades, to writing report card comments, to creating awards and planning the last three days of school, everything seems to be happening all at once. On top of that, taking two grad classes is making time seem to completely evaporate. I am sure that all of us are a bit stressed.

I wonder, how do you deal with stress? What is the end of the year like for you? What do you do to make sure that you don't lose your mind?

On a side-note: I'm glad that I started working on school stuff early this week so that I could have some time to work on stuff for my school.

RSS Feed Success!

Huzzah! I put in an RSS feed with Kaelyn's blog on my page! Use the following site:

http://www.wikihow.com/Add-an-RSS-Feed-to-a-Blogger-Blog

 It is very clear and to the point!

First Post!

First time blogging! HERE WE GO!!! I imagined that setting up my first blog would be a bit complicated but it was actually quite simple. It took me a while to pick the template and was a bit saddened by the lack of options--but maybe there are more and I just have to download them? I am not sure. I will play around more with it later. I opted to go with a simple template that showed my love for books and reading. I am interested to see how this looks one I click "Publish." So far blogging feels like I am writing in a diary except everyone in the world can read it... so don't expect anything too exciting.

I could see how this type of collaborative tool can be useful. I can share absolutely anything I want with any audience willing to read my blog. They can send me messages or comment on my posts anytime. A major downside that I see (and I see this with LEO as well) but that can't be avoided is the fact that there will undoubtedly be a lag between conversations. I may not be able to go back to check my blog immediately so a person who might have a dire question may be waiting for a few hours or even days. I guess this is up to the keeper of the blogger (sounds like a cool book title!) to check periodically.