Blog Assignment #3

Peer Editing

I learned a lot about Peer Editing after watching the assigned Peer Editing videos, slide, and reading Paige Ellis's blog. Let me be the fist to say that receiving constructive criticism is really hard. When I was an actor in plays constructive criticism was just standard, everyday practice. It was very difficult not to take it as a personal attack sometimes, especially when receiving it from my peers. After a while you just get used to it and learn who is trying to help you become better and who is just trying to tear you down. The most important thing to remember in Peer Editing is to stay positive. Constructive criticism is hard to take sometimes, especially when it is done so in a mean or offensive way. The first step in peer editing is to begin the criticism with compliments, pointing out the things they did well in their blog. The second step is to offer suggestions on ways your peer can make their blog better. And finally, make specific corrections to help make their blog better. Actually I would add a step four, end your editing on a positive note as well. This will reinforce the idea that you are only trying to help improve their writing.

I was assigned to read Samantha Wesson's Blog Assignment #2 for this post and I chose to give my constructive criticism publicly because I feel like if my suggestions were incorrect then maybe someone else, like Dr. Strange, could correct them. Sam's blog was written really well and my criticism was minor. Here is what I suggested:

Hi Samantha! I really enjoyed reading your blog post assignment #2. I thought it was very thought provoking. You brought up some really great points about technology in our classrooms. I agree that we as teachers need to keep up with the newest of technologies so we can grow and learn as educators to be the best we can be for our students. Technology is now and will always be in our classrooms. Overall I thought your blog post was written really well. I only noticed a few things that you could do to improve your blog and make it even better. Try to make your sentences a little shorter because long sentences can sometimes confuse the reader. Watch out for using the word "that" too much in your sentences. When I use "that" in a sentence I like to re-read the sentence out loud and see if "that" can be replaced with another word or just taken out altogether. In most cases it can be. And lastly I would try not to use contractions so much when writing. Most of my professors in the past have always told me to break down contractions when writing papers or when writing professionally because they are used mostly for informal everyday speech. Like I said, you are doing a great job on your blog. Keep it up! And good luck on your future coaching career. My younger brother has been coaching for two years now and he really enjoys it!

Assistive Technologies

The Mountbatten Braille Writer is an advanced form of technology that allows blind children to participate in classroom activities, discussions, and group collaborations with fellow students. This machine can also send and receive information and data from computers. I would definitely use this in my classroom for my students who are seeing impaired and also for my students who are not. I think it is a great way to teach children who are not blind how to read braille and use their sense of touch to read. It is our job as teachers to teach our children how to read and reading braille counts. I would love how to do it myself. I also think sign language should be taught in classrooms so our children will be prepared to communicate with those who are hearing impaired. I only know how to sign a few words but I can sign the alphabet so I do know how to communicate with the deaf and have had to several times at my job. I plan to learn how to sign words so I can teach sign language to my daughter and we can communicate with each other before she knows how to speak.

After watching Teaching Math to the Blind I am really surprised to know that a device like the one Art Karshmer is helping to create does not already exist. I would think as advanced as our technology is in 2013 we would have the capability of teaching math to the blind. They should not be limited in their education or careers because of a handicap. The video on iPad Usage for the Blind was really insightful as well. I think it is great that the iPad is user friendly for the seeing impaired. I think it is unfortunate that it costs so much because if it offers something as great as this it should be more affordable. I would love to have iPads in my classroom for my students because I think they are a great teaching tool. They make learning fun! And now that I know how user friendly they are for the seeing impaired I will definitely try to have at least one to help me communicate better with all my students.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Ms. Vicki Davis is a teacher in Georgia who is teaching her students exactly what we are learning in EDM 310. Her Cool Cat Teacher blog just won an award for best teacher blog in the world which is saying a lot about her. She teaches her students through every form of technology there is. I hope to one day teach my students as much through and about technology as Ms. Davis and Dr. Strange. I am learning a lot through this course already and I am hoping to learn a lot more. I want to help my students teach themselves about technology because I think that is the only way to really learn it.