Blog Post #3

Peer Editing:

I really enjoyed reading/watching the information on peer editing. It refreshed some old material and I learned some new! I love all the names given for the different types of editors; it was very cute! I think the best information I took from the information is that I need to be honest but in a sweet and caring way. I think that sometimes when people write a correction it comes across rude; even if it was not meant that way. I think the best way for that not to happen is to give positive with the negatives; such as, "The post was very informative and was very well written. But next time, make sure to check your spelling." I do not want to the Negative Nancy on someone's blog!  I tried these new techniques when I commented this week on Hayley's Bog. I tried to be as helpful as possible. She had no grammatical errors; so I did not comment on that. But I did try and tell her that all the new technology is not bad for younger children in school. It not only helps them learn technology at a younger age; but keep up with how fast it is moving! I hope I helped her understand that it is okay for kids to be apart of technology too!

Assistive Technology:

This is the best invention I have ever seen and I am so thankful it has been brought to my attention! I would only hope that if I had a blind student they would be able to have this to help them in my classroom. The Mountbatten, should be explained as a braille type writer for the blind. As someone types on it, the Mountbatten says the letter and produces braille on a sheet of paper. This machine can save, transfer, and receive files just like a desktop or laptop computer. The BEST feature is that when a student is typing it will display their words onto a screen for the class to see. This makes them more included in the classroom; it is absolutely AMAZING!

I am very impressed with the technology created for the blind! The mathematics tool is going to be very helpful as they advance through school. I think not only is it very easy to use but it also very practical for kids. It is not big which means it can be carried in a back pack and it will be easy for them to pick up and move from school to home. I think that is the most important factor when creating these tools. The iPad, of course, is astonishing! I think it will be an excellent tool for students to be able to get their reading done easier! Personally, I would hope they would get a more enthusiastic reader for younger children. There is nothing better than that! I would definitely try my hardest to obtain all of these for a child/children in my classroom. They would be used all day and would be very helpful to me and them while learning. I think the most effective for my classroom would be the mathematics board and the iPad. I want to teach younger children and those would be really helpful because they are learning basic information. I am so happy to be able to know about these helpful technologies!

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts:

This is a very impressive video to watch! I feel like this is the high school version of our EDM class! I love that she calls herself a "teacher-preneur". It really does explain her job well because she said she doesn't like to learn everything before but learning new things with her students. That is really GREAT! I think what she is doing is really great for her students because they are experiencing and learning new information every day. That makes every thing a lot more enjoyable when you can learn and accomplish something on your own.  I think the Digiteen site is very interesting for students to get involved in. I have never heard of the avatar world and I definitely didn't know it was a big as it was! I am very glad that these students are being exposed to everything in that classroom because it could potentially lead to a career or anything in the future!