Friday, November 21, 2008

Guided Reading Lesson Videos

I liked the way teachers conducted the lessons with students. They emphasized predictions by allowing students to predict what they thought the books were going to be about, and also by allowing students to make a connection between the text and their personal experiences. Choices were also important in the classroom as a way to engage them in reading the books they really enjoy, and learning whether the book is just right for their reading level. I liked the technique the second teacher gave the children by reading any page in the book and count how many mistakes they made, that was a good indicator of their reading level.

Monday, November 17, 2008

My Access Report Reaction

After reading information about all the things students are able to do with My Access I came to the conclusion that it is an excellent program to use. It provides them with opportunities to assess themselves, by using the scoring system, which provides instant feedback. It is an excellent tool that should be used in our schools because teachers can also rely on this system to assess student learning. Sometimes it is hard for us as teachers to grade all the paper work and submit it on time .
Our work would be easier if a system like this is implemented in our districts.
It is also important to mention that ESL students benefit greatly from the program because it encourages them to revise, and positively criticize their work . Online portfolios are also included in the program, where students, teachers, and administrators have unlimited access to assignments to monitor students progress. I would love to learn more about this program to use it in my classroom for specific assignments.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

My Access! Writing Program Video

This program is great. It allows students to register online and take advantage of this excellent tool. As the principal stated in the video, this invites students to learn in many different ways and at the same time it integrates more writing in the curriculum. Students can use self-assessment techniques, and like some of them said, the program is highly motivating, since children love to use computers. This program is a new tool for teachers to teach writing in a different way and engage students in a journey they will enjoy.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

iPod Article Article

My reaction to this article is positive. I think we should use technology in education because it is what students are being exposed to. In order to keep students interested and engage them in the lessons we teach, we should look for topics and things that they want to learn about and use. iPods are being used everywhere and I strongly feel that we as educators can give it a positive use. There are many skills that can be improved with the use of iPods such as reading and writing, being the last one mentioned by the author. Teachers need to prepare students for the era of technology and that means integrating new techniques and implementing new ways of teaching.
I think that teachers should look at specific activities children can work on while using their ipods, such as a group project. I also see it as a way for teachers to learn more about technology and the different activitities that can be done with technology.