Module 6

Module 6:
Sherri McPherson (Fayette County Schools, Kentucky) offers a module in which students consider the question “What are the qualities of good reader and writer?” and argue for their answers after reading texts from Vladimir Nabokov, Stephen King, Francine Prose, and Sherman Alexie.

To create a good environment for students, the teacher uses Edmodo so the students have a good place to discuss and tell their ideas. The students read their reading texts and they share their idea about what the qualities of good writer are according to the texts they read. Then, they discuss their comments via Edmodo. While they have a good social learning network, they will learn lots of things about these writers. After they have a common idea about the writers, the teacher posts the other question: What is the qualities of good reader? Are they good readers and if yes, how they can prove it?

Then, the teacher wants them to create a short presentation with Photostory3 about what the qualities of good reader and writer are.

Goal:
-To enable students to learn with a different way
- To enable students to feel good while they are learning.

With this assesment, while the students will have a chance to use their creativity with Photostory3, they will have a chance also to use their information on the presentation. At the time, the students are preparing their short presentation, they will repeat what they learnt and the teacher will have a good way to assess the students.

Paper Blog!!

After reading the blog focusing on the use of “paper blogs” in order to introduce the concept of blogging into the classroom for primary education students, I really like the teacher's stragies to make more familiar students with blogs. Actually, it is a great way to use post it for students' comments. It is a good start for students. I am sure that the students really like it. One of my fieldworks, Mr. Cedeno also used some ways to make familiar students with blogs. The students were working on a paper which they were talking about their traditional customs,foods and music. This was an ESL class and students were very excited to complete this paper. I think the teacher's fisrt step to start the writing is also very effective. Fisrtly, she talked about the blogs and she explained why blogs are useful. There are few students who read blog and I am sure after this class, lots of students become more curious about the blogs. Also, at the first step, I are creating their paper blog and it is a very good way to increase their creativity. I really liked these ways and I am sure one day I'll use them.

Technology

What I find challenging about creating a technology infused unit is that the technology is not totally suitable for classrooms. Our education system is about to make all the changes for technology but it is not completed totally. So I felt a little bit different because we are learning a totally new way. However, I am sure that it will be very helpful for students. For example, smartboard is a very good way to use students' different intelligences. It increases the opportunity of students to use visual aids and Smartboard makes it very effectively. I think smartboard especially is very useful for Kindergartens and Elementary Schools because it makes enjoyable students' learning and increases the acquisition of them. For example, wikispace is also a good platform. Such teaching softwares make easier both students' and teachers' job. Especially, I really like edmodo. It is very creative environment for students' discussions. While students are discussing with their friend, they can have an idea about the topic. As a teacher, I really want to use edmodo for discussions.