Response to "AT session with Lori Bailey"

What were your general impressions?
- I thought this was a very cool and informative experience. It was great seeing that people with disabilities were able to combat that with technology. I think as the technology becomes greater we will see more and more individuals with special needs flourish beyond their expectations. As a future teacher I was thrilled to see these different types of assistant technologies and happy to know they exist and could possibility benefit a student I might come across.

What were the 3 devices that stood out for you?

3 devices that stood out to me were:

1. Clarity PC Mate

Clarity PC Mate is a portable high quality video magnification solution. It plugs right into a USB drive and gives a clear focused video magnified up to 60x. Clarity PC Mate benefits people with low vision. Anyone who has difficult seeing. It would be great for reading a newspaper or book or using it in class to magnify the board or the teacher.

2. Text to Speech Software

Text to Speech is software that gives people that cant speak a voice. they type on a computer and the computer will talk for them. Text to speech software is great for anyone who does not have a voice. The video that Lori Bailey showed us was a little girl with Cerebral Palsy and her speech was limited and very hard to understand. She used a form of Text to speech software that gave her a voice. Bailey also showed us a video of a French woman who became paralyzed from the next down and also could not speak. Her computer with Text to Speech allowed her to communicate with her husband.

3. Adaptive switches

There are a variety of Switches. The one in class was a switch that was activated by blowing onto it. There is also ones for biting or merely just tapping. Adaptive switches provide people with an individualized way of operating a computer, phone, or medical devices. It is adapted to what ever their needs are. Anyone who has an impairment would benefit from an adaptive switch. The French lady from the video Lori Bailey showed us, was paralyzed from the next down the only way she could use all her assisted technology was through the use of her adaptive switch. Instead of clicking a mouse she used her jaw muscle to click.

Tools and Strategies (updated)
- Ticker Tape in active studio
- Cooperative learning (Find Someone Who...)
- Polls - Gather information fast. (MisterPoll.com)
- Inspiration : application for easy brainstorming activities
- Text Rendering : Using Preview to highlight, circle or box important parts of text rather than all
- Classtools.net
- Online Timer - keeps track of time in class for Tests and group work
- Random Picker - Randomly picks a students name
- Atomic Learner - website that teaches you how to use programs
- Spread Sheets
- Google Docs
- Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) - Creative way of summarizing paragraphs. collage of words
- Screen Capture (command,shift,4) - Being able to share finished products
- Preview Mark-up Tools (application)
- Prezi- Online Presentation tool.
- JeopardyLabs.com - Easy to create a jeopardy game for reviewing lessons.
- Diigo - can be used to bookmark, highlight or post stickynotes on information you find important on websites
- OurStory - allows you to upload pictures to create a vivid storyline or timeline. I could use in a history class to show important events in wars or all through out
history
- StudyStack - allows you to put in information and use it to study with traditional flashcards or using games like hangman or scramble
- Amimoto - upload pictures and it makes a video with music for you
- Blabberize - Upload a picture and it allows you to make the mouth move and add audio
- Flickr - allows you to upload photos and do a number of things with them.
- Kerpoof -
- SurveyMonkey: Online survey tool that allows you to create up to a 10-question online survey and harvest the results. dhttp://www.surveymonkey.com
- Create a Graph - Enter data and create one of five types of graphs to print or export as a graphic. http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/
- Wikispaces - a personal blog.
- bubbl.us - interactive brainstorming tool
- spellingcity.com - spelling list online where students can practice spelling words while playing games
- engrade - online grade system, parents can see there kids progress
- storyboard - storymaking site
- pixton - allows you to make comic strips
- rubistar - allows you to easily create rubrics for any subject
- livemocha - helps you learn and practice a language through reading and writing
- hot chalk -
- voki - create avatars, use it to create birthday messages, use it to give your morning announcements, post it on blog,

Response to "Word Processing Ideas"

I agree with the article. Word processors and desktop publishing help aid students by giving them a visual. I am a visual students and I loved receiving handouts with graphs and maps on them because it kept me focused. Its important for students to have these skills beacuse as a future teacher I can for see myself having students create posters and newsletters for projects. It would be very helpful if my students knew out to use programs like AppleWorks, Works, and Word. As schools and business's move to the more environmental paperless policies. We well see less and less of Word Processed articles, brochures and other paper-based information. The Internet as surely put a lot of businesses into the ground. Print is out and Digital is in. The Hands on aspect of creating a posterboard is something that I found worthwhile and productive as a student.

Response to "Date-Driven Teachers"

How do you see yourself using data in your hypothetical classroom?

I see myself using the outcome data of my students to greatly influence my lessons. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of my students I can tailor my lessons to get the most desirable outcome for my students and myself. As I strive to perfect my pedagogy the use of Data-driven decision making and setting goals will be a new arrow in my quiver or a new tool in my tool box. Properly using all these teaching tools and strategies will greatly enhance the education I education I give to my students.
The essential concepts of DDDM are Good baseline data, measurable instructional goals, frequent formative assessment, professional learning communities, and focused instructional interventions. For the most part I believe that the teachers I've had throughout my educational career used data and results of tests to assess themselves.

Tools and Strategies
- Ticker Tape in active studio
- Cooperative learning (Find Someone Who...)
- Polls - Gather information fast. (MisterPoll.com)
- Inspiration : application for easy brainstorming activities
- Text Rendering : Using Preview to highlight, circle or box important parts of text rather than all
- Classtools.net
- Online Timer - keeps track of time in class for Tests and group work
- Random Picker - Randomly picks a students name
- Atomic Learner - website that teaches you how to use programs
- Spread Sheets
- Google Docs
- Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) - Creative way of summarizing paragraphs. collage of words
- Screen Capture (command,shift,4) - Being able to share finished products
- Preview Mark-up Tools (application)

Response to "Engage Me or Enrage Me"

Marc Prensky's article "Engage Me or Enrage Me" speaks to teachers about the importance of engaging students. What we as educators can and should do to get students more involved in class and turn them into the 1st type of student (The students who are truly self-motivated). How we do this is up to us. The article talks about bringing popculture into the classroom like video games and downloading music. Again by the time I am a teacher, everything might be different. I feel that I am still up to date with all the newest technology and popculture and I feel that I can definitely engage my students. But I do fear that one day I will become "old" and lose whatever connection I had with the new hip things in the world. I can also relate to the kids of today because I do all the same things they do. Video games being one of the big ones today. I play Xbox 360 and understand how engaging and addicting it can be. This article reminds me of the movie "Stand and Deliver". Its about a new teacher entering a class with a bunch of unmotivated Hispanic students, some are in gangs and most of them felt the school system was failing them. But the teacher Mr. Escalante engaged them. He mixed it up and did things that the students have never seen before. I can't wait for the day when I have a student(s) that challenge me into engaging them. I hope I am up for the challenge by then.

Response to "21st Century Classrooms Article"

This article wrapped up a thought that I have been having for years about teachers. The article basically said that "times are changing" and there changing fast. I've been in school all my life and have had many teachers. Some great, some mediocre and others were just flat horrible. The article listed many things that teachers are responsible for doing in their classroom and I can point out many that the bad teachers I've had didn't do. Teachers need to adapt to the rapidly changing world. They need to be up to date with technology, pop culture and new teaching methods to insure they can provide a positive learning environment and if they don't then they will fail and so will their student's because they wont receive the education they should be. The 21st century classroom will create a higher demand for more budget money to fill classrooms with up to date technology. and hopefully it will squeeze out any teachers who choose not to adapt and make room for new educators who are ready and willing to adapt and teach.

Today's classrooms are much different as I think back to my elementary school days. I remember students could just be engaged by the teacher reading them a story. Now it is a lot harder to grab students attention. There were no SmartBoards there were Caulk boards. The only computer in the classroom was a calculator and there were no cellphones to distract anyone.

Tools and Strategies
- Ticker Tape in active studio
- Cooperative learning (Find Someone Who...)
- Polls - Gather information fast. (MisterPoll.com)
- Inspiration : application for easy brainstorming activities
- Text Rendering : Using Preview to highlight, circle or box important parts of text rather than all