Blog Post #7

I think it's hard to pinpoint what my strengths and weaknesses, so I may miss a few. I think my strengths are that I'm a pretty fast learner once everything clicks, I have a pretty open mind, and I am open to approaching a problem or a way of doing a task from a different angle. I think some of my weaknesses are that I could want to help my students too much and want to be a little to overbearing and controlling. I am not a teacher yet and haven't observed in a classroom yet, so I do not know what kind of teacher I would be. I think once I start going to classrooms, I will be able to more accurately pinpoint what my strengths and weaknesses are. I think I will also learn a lot from the classes I will be taking in the next two years. I will have to learn how to apply what I will be learning in classes in the classrooms I will be observing and teaching in.

The first video on the list was How to make an Audio QR Code. This video was very informative for me. I had no idea how to create a QR Code. Ms. Bennett's video was very easy to follow and understand, so that helped a lot.

The second video was iPad Reading Center. This video was informative because it taught me a different way of teaching reading. This way allows students to help teach themselves and help them become more observant. There are a couple different techniques that can be used to help students hear their errors when they are reading. There is this way, but I saw one on my second teacher's blog for my C4T. This tool is called a whisper phone. A whisper phone has the same look as a phone, however, it is made of PVC pipe pieces. This tool doesn't record like the iPad, although the two could be paired. Having them paired would allow a student to hear themselves more immediately with the help of the whisper phone, and after he or she is done reading, the student can listen to the recording of his or her reading. This way, the student can listen to the recording and further assess their mistakes.

The third video on the list was Poplet with Ginger Tuck. This video was very informative for me because I have never heard of Poplet before. It looks like a very useful tool and quite easy to use, and it is. I downloaded it on my iPhone and it is versatile, and it is pretty cool.

The fourth video was AVL and Kindergarten Students. This video covered the ways Alabama Virtual Library can be used for Kindergarteners. I have used AVL in the past and have found it to be very useful. I find it very interesting that kindergarteners are doing research at the age that they are at, but I think is is beneficial for them. AVL has pictures, a read aloud feature, and a definition or explanation of what that child is looking up. I had no idea AVL had a read a loud feature, and I imagine that helps the younger grades a lot. If they come across a word they do not know, they can listen to it so they know how to pronounce it, and look it up.

The fifth video was Tammy Shirley Discovery Education Board Builder Moon Project. I found it to be very informative. I have never heard of Discovery Education before, and appears to be very easy to use. It also looks like information is easy to access through it. The Moon Project was done well and informative about the Moon. I also enjoyed the student's story.

The sixth and seventh videos on the list were Mrs. Tassin 2nd Grade students share Board Builder Project and Mrs. Tassin students share Board Builder Project. These two videos are about the same kind of project, but by two different groups of students. The sixth video, Mrs. Tassin 2nd Grade students share Board Builder Project, talks about whales. They researched the internet to find all of the information the students needed and found pictures as well. They also uploaded the pictures they found into the project. Both projects were very well done and it shows me what 1st graders are capable of.

The eighth video on the list was Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten. I think it's amazing that kindergarten students can research and make iMovie Book Trailers. I had no idea that they could do that. The ability of students continue to amaze me.

The ninth and final video was We All Become Learners. This video covers that teachers teach their students, students teach other students, and students teach their teachers. Also, because many schools in today's day in age have iPads or laptops, everyone can teach each other which makes technology a great tool to utilize in classrooms.