OTEN Conference

I recently attended the OTEN Conference at Pacific University. Dr. Mike Charles presented the keynote: Technology and learning: putting together the total package in the classroom. I chose to attend the Stellarium and Podcasting sessions. Stellarium taught us how to bring starry nights into the classroom. It is a great program that lets you visually view the phases of the moon, constellations, and so much more. You can put in a time and location and view where the moon would be located. This is an amazing website that I would like to use in the classroom when I start my practicum. I also loved the podcasting session. The instructor showed us how she incorporates i pods and technology into the classroom. I liked the project that she did with endangered animals and i pods. I would like to do a similar project like this in the spring with my second graders when I teach them about the Rainforest.

My FAVORITE web 2.0 tools

Web 2.0 is pretty much one stop shopping. Web 2.0 gives you access to TONS of amazing tools such as Google Docs, social networking sites, photos/images, blogs, web pages and so much more. Since all of these resources are online, they are easily accessible. I can access these resources from any computer with internet access.

I've recently started using Google Docs and plan on using it when I start teaching. Its a great resource that allows you to access information from any computer. I can travel between home and school without worrying about losing information. Depending on the age level that I teach, I could have student write reports using Google Docs. I wouldn't have to carry around tons of paper to proofread or grade assignments. Students love social networking sites and communicating with one another online. As a teacher, I would love to have students create their own blog or to have a class blog. I think students will be more interested in writing/keeping a journal when they can make it their own online. It makes writing more interesting than just filling out a journal with paper and pencil. It also a great way to get them to take surveys and interact with one another. Some students have a harder time than others to talk out loud in class. This would give those students a chance to participate and have a voice in the classroom.

ED 550

Blogs can be amazing resources for teachers. I believe that its really important to have great communication with parents/families and blogs can open up the dialog. I would like to have a classroom blog to share classroom news and to show the families what activities the class is participating in and what their children are learning. In one of my classes, I learned that great teachers are thieves. I plan on checking out other teacher blogs to see what I can incorporate into my own classroom.

Refection 6.13

Multicultural Pavilion is created by Paul c. Gorski and EdChange. Paul C. Gorski is an assistant professor at George Mason University and founder of EdChange. The website is a great resource for anyone wanting to know more about diversity They are committed to creating more equitable schools and communities. Educators can find great information on curriculum, lesson plans, printable handouts, songs, essays, and more. Overall, the website has great information on multiculturalism, race, gender, disabilities, and more. However, when looking more into some of the sections such as songs and speeches I noticed that is is geared toward mostly African Americans. I did find a lot about Native Americans in the song section. Much of the information was geared toward the overall theme of Multiculturalism and was trying to sell t-shirts, bumper stickers and more. The also have links to workshops and seminars. It seems like the website is geared toward making money by having people puchase various items. The website supports anyone of diversity. The website focuses on some negative aspects of some white people. They are selling t-shirts that say "cracker" and "No (rich, white, English, upwalking) Child Left Behind. I think the website undermines Caucasians and could have talked about more cultures. I did not see much for Asians and Latinos. Mostly, I found information for African Americans.

http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/

Reflections 6.3

Arab Americans-0
Asian Americans-7 girls/10 boys/1 both sexes
African Americans-6 girls/8 boys/2 both sexes
Latino-9 girls/8 boys/1 both sexes
American Indian-0
White American-19 girls/23 boys/6 both sexes
Race/ethnicity Ambiguous-0
Mixed group-3 girls/5 boys/31 both sexes
Disabled American-0