Shakespeare and his Editor - Uploaded Video Blog

I chose this video because I think the comedy will help make Shakespeare more interesting. Shakespeare is already (hate to admit this) boring enough, but if I can make personal connection with students interests then Shakespeare might have a chance of being somewhat fun.
I would probably use this video after a unit on Hamlet -- I think it is a great post-reading strategy.

Picassa

Picture #1: Adorable Maggie

Picture #2: My House

Picture #3: Love this face!

Picture #4: Cute Hubby

What:
We learned how to use Picassa.

So What:
Well, I was thinking about why this was significant in the classroom, because really I know and use this stuff all the time but never for school stuff. As I thought about it, I realized that for literary connections this could be pretty fun. I think it would a cool assignment to have my kids go and take pictures of maybe a house or a person or something that they make connections to in a novel we would be reading. Instead of the old fashioned "draw what you think blah blah blah looks like in the book whatsumacallit," I could have students do an entire character and plot sketch on what they might really see through their own world's eyes. Okay, Okay... I am getting really excited right now because this is probably one of my most favorite ideas that has developed through your class.

Now What:
Well I will definitely keep this in mind for my student teaching, because I think connection especially visual and world to world connections can make or break a students reading experience. I know it will be difficult to do an assignment like this because not all students have constant access to a digital camera, but I could have a couple cheap one on hand to loan out for a day at a time (of course I would have to give the class significant notice for an assignment like this, not because of its complexity but because of the digital camera usages).

Video:
I picked my own video because yours wasn't working.
Speaking of connections with stories, I picked a video that I think I could use as a cultural connection. I don't have a book or story in mind, but I really liked the video because it is so funny... in its own peculiar old fashioned way. Anyway I think high school kids would find the video interesting and a little funny, so I think it would make a great opening Cue to start class. I would use it as a connection of world to world of the 50's to present time.
Video:

What to do on a Date 1950s

PDP

What: PDP. Personal Development Profile

So What:
Well, I am a little technology squeamish... so this was a "be out of your comfort zone" kind of lesson.Actually, it was very good to see what I still need to develop. As any new teacher would be, I am equally nervous. I am worried about all the little things that might not work in lesson planning or could go wrong with this or that, but now I feel I have a pretty good understanding of how to better develop my technology profile. I liked that I had to chart my knowledge on UNI because I was able to see what I could improve (a little overwhelming because I could improve on almost everything).Also, the articles and movies were good tools to have to motivation to include more media driven instruction, but I didn't like the relatively low amount of examples of how to use media and technology in the classroom. I can be creative, but this is not my field of expertise and I need some example to get me thinking.

Now What:
After PDP I am going to be more aware and more proactive in planning lessons and units with technology. Student's need to know that cellphones and computers function for more than texting and chatting, and, really, our society is moving forward so we should be preparing our youth for that same movement.

My Beliefs

I do feel that in today's society that technology is unavoidable. To properly prepare the future generations of America, teachers need to be instructing youth to learn how to be productive part of the real life workforce. Instead of pushing against the changes and challenges of technology in the classroom that many educators feel are destructive, I will try to use an approach that might influence the better usage of it. I read a concept that had students using the cell phones for in class tasks. I find this approach really amazing, because instead of fighting the demon cellphone the teacher used it as a tool for teaching. Not only does this send the appropriate signal to students that cellphones really do have significant purpose, but that cellphones can do so much more than texting! I love these ingenious new perspectives, think how the students would react, "Okay class, take out your cellphones for your assignment today."

Learning should never stay in a box, I don't learn that way and most students don't, so why do we leave education in a box of passed down traditions from memorization to boring lectures. I do believe education should be proactive and student centered, but I have a lot of experience to achieve before I will adequately be able to master my own beliefs of teaching. I want to be so many things for my future students, but I know it takes time to become them... so I hope the guinea pig students of my first few year wont be too damaged by my inexperience.

Lessons Learned

Study: Teens See Disconnect Between Personal and School Writing

My favorite article of all of the was.... (look above for the bolded, big printed tittle). This article was right up my ally of English education. Really, I was amazed at the study's results. How is it that we are still teaching bad practicing habits... obviously these teen subjects in the study are not making the appropriate connections to writing in class and writing in the real world. We need to bridge the gap! I don't want to leave my student with this big black crack in their education, they need to know that both are fluid within the other. I think the biggest misconception among teens is that all writing is equal, that is not true. Some writing (scholarly, academic, etc) is above others (texting, communicating with yo hommies etc), therefore students should understand that different writing requires different qualities. If teachers are not teaching this simple fact, then all is lost!!! The American society should just start communicating however to whomever they please in whatever style they want... that is if we are to leave out the important part that requires authors to subjugate their written communication to the reasoned "audience."

TeacherTube

Amazingly, I did not know this site existed. I love it. For technology handicap teachers like myself, this is a godsend. The possiblities are endless (I hope!), just imagine one day I wanted to give a visual aid ... BOOM... easy (as long as it's on site)... got my create visual aid! As I explored the site, I found a lot of things I was really excited about. So much I could add to my curriculum and easy as pie to use. Although, I am sure there is not everything I want in the site, to which I will still have to make my own visual aids, movies, powerpoints etc. I am sure it is not the dream machine I imagine, but still great.

Strength and Weakness

Ultimately my major weakness is that I have little experience instructing with media. I love the idea of using technology in the classroom, but I feel that it is outside my realm of comfort. Through the UNI and NET I felt that I had little strengths in the context of technology, in fact, the only thing I felt that I would adequately use was word processing (obviously, I better be good at that because I am an English major!). Really I have a difficult time reading all the articles about technology in the classroom because I do feel it is important, but no one has shown me examples of how I CAN use it. I get frustrated because I want to be a great teacher that leaves no leaf unturned in learning... I want to be the all knowing and ever guiding teacher that students learn a whole new world from, but I feel very unprepared.

A lot of the competencies that UNI discusses are all things I have done or could do.... but show me! Show me how I can apply this stuff to daily lessons, show me how I can help students see the connections of technology in life by using it in the classroom. I have ideas, but I feel they are so small in comparison to the possibilities. Considering my slight panic to this subject (realizing I am student teaching in 2 months and I am not as prepared as I want to be) my first goal would be to buy the updated Microsoft Office. Actually, buy any of the Offices because I don't have nor use any.... at all. Really, English is an amazing subject and offers so much flexibility in learning, and I would love to incorporate great visual aids such as PowerPoint to stimulate their interests. I know there is so much more to offer my students than the typical and "done it already" English curriculum, and I know I can be a great teacher if I continue to keep an open mind about NEW instructing ideas.

Looking at possible mini-courses on UEN I found two I would really like to attend:
1. PowerPoint 2007 for Teachers:
I know, I know... we just finished PowerPoints in class, but really it's not know how to use it, but helping me develop further ideas for my core curriculum. The class sounds promising and I feel it could potentially give me great examples of how to apply PowerPoint ideas in English that aren't elementary in design.
2. PowerPoint 2007 for Teachers:
This is probably my worst weakness. I have really very little clue about spreadsheets. How I got to be 25 without knowing how to create a decent spreadsheet is beyond me (I blame that on teachers who need to refresh their own technology skills). I feel that knowing how to run a spreadsheet will really help me organize, atleast that's what I hear they are suppose to do. Either way, nothing is wrong with exploring something I know almost abosoluetly nothing about.
(Oh, I actaully would attend the Podcast class aswell... sound fun and interesting!)