Allison's+445+Wiki+Workspace

=** Update On ** Portfolio = I have worked on it some more, but because the rough draft for the Unit Plan is due soon, that received most of my attention today. I hope to work on it again more in depth this weekend.

=** Update On Portfolio **= Since we have a bunch of stuff due this week and next, I spent a lot of time working on those things instead on my Monday off. It was quite enjoyable, and I got a lot of things done. I will hopefully work on the EP during this week and next. :) =** Update On Portfolio **= I worked on it today, tried to figure out what I want all the tabs to be. I looked at other people's portfolios from previous years to get some ideas rolling. I looked at previous work of my own to help get some ideas for what I want to say on my portfolio. I have a decent amount of work to get done, but its coming along. Next to organize my thoughts into categories on the actual site itself. Once I do that, I think most of the work is done. = = =** Digital Video and Language Today Reflection **= My plan for the  portion of the the edTPA is to start off with having the camera in the room several times before hand so the students won't feel like the need to make silly faces. I will take several mini videos on either the classroom or random clips I will take and practice putting them on  several times. I will also collaborate with other student teachers on making sure my video works properly and they can provide help and feedback throughout the process. I really enjoy the idea of students creating reenactments of historic events with videos, like a short film. They would work in groups, and will be done either in school or out of school, depending on the students.I would use Language Today by having students reading the articles as. Its similar to current events, but instead it relates to current events in. I will then have one student every day give a brief explanation of their article they read for the class. I really would like my students to teach each other.

I love the idea of reenacting historic events through videos. I think this invites students to own the material as well as interpret the event just as historians do. You could even assign students the same event from different standpoints. I also think it'd cool to post these videos to a class website so they're  for students to review with. I like having students do their own research for Language Today and having them be a part of the process.

=**Action Portfolio Entry**= The three things I take away from the reading are spending a lot of time reflecting and revising it, having the and all other pages follow under a theme, and I  the theme I would like to maybe try and  would be Adventure It Out There, because being a teacher would be an adventure whee every day is different from the next. Teaching every student is its own unique adventure, and it would be a fun theme to use in my Portfolio or Toolkit. That and I love the movie Up. I feel like a Toolkit will be more for me, but until I start building one, I am not really sure which one to go with. Honestly. it will be whichever one is the most user friendly. I am strongly leaning towards Toolkit because the purpose of it so me is when I am teaching I reach in and pull something out so that I am always ready and prepared to teach a lesson. Categories for my toolkit will include hands on, Unit introductions, history simulations, class readings, independent work for differentiation, big picture projects, games, projects, tech tools, review strategies/games, critical thinking activities, and  lists. There will most likely be many more categories, and sub-categories for topic specific lessons or. I still really enjoy the Up theme because it is a great movie, but it also has travelling around the world as a part of theme, which for a SS teacher is the kind of adventure I want to enstil into my students.]

I like the category ideas you offer. One thing that I would suggest is to choose several main categories and use sub-categories under those main pages. I think if you had too many categories right off the bat it might be a little overwhelming, so really sitting down and organizing how you wanted to do that would be.

=**Initial Ideas About MSL Electronic Portfolio or Teaching Toolkit**= I am going to be honest I am still out Google cites, but I think it is what I am going to use for my Electronic Portfolio. I have had a lot of with it, even though I am still figuring some things out. that is difficult for me is not being distracted by adds when trying to read or look at a website. It drives me crazy when I am reading something for a own personal interest and adds are everywhere. Google doesn't have that problem for me, so that  me happy. I honestly do not know where to start when it comes to the Toolkit. I just want to compile I come across, and then go from there based on how well I understand it, how easy it is to use, and if I have clear ideas of what I would use it for. That way I will be able to just go into my pile and pick something out. The audience for a Toolkit will be myself, future employers, coworkers, and possibly parents, so it needs to be professional cause it will show people what kind of teacher I hope to become.

Hopefully you will have an easier time picking one after next session. I either one could really benefit you. Who is the audience you are targeting with the creation of this project? Who do you want to see it? What content and categories do you want to include in the product to represent yourself? What do you think would be ? Please add.

I plan on attending PGU 120 - edTPA, Responding to and Understanding Commentary on September 29th.

__Week 3's Reading Response__

The use of technology in the classroom is becoming more and more common. Some things I think are really amazing and helpful while other times I feel like it goes away from the of the  being taught. Which is why it so to teach preservice teachers how to  technology appropriately in the classroom. A reason that technology in the classroom is is because for the most part students enjoy  technology. It has become they are all interested in and take part in every day. If teachers start to use this technology in the classroom, they will then begin  to use it for educational purposes, and associate learning with something they enjoy. Students will be more engaged in what is being taught, and will continue to technology as a  tool as well as  uses. Students are collaborating with each other. It might not always be about school, but we as teachers should embrace that behavior by having students collaborating using technology on a regular basis. Collaboration, like technology, will be seen by students as a way of learning, which is super when it comes to teaching students. I really enjoyed the Instagram article because it is a way to get students really involved in the topics and the classroom community. The students in classroom would use it to showcase students works because it is a way to show students that they have succeeded in doing something well. It also teaches students to be proud of their work and will feel more comfortable sharing their and ideas. People everywhere struggle with sharing their, and this is a way to get them more comfortable with it and will make them more comfortable with it in the.

I think you definitely have the right about the purposes for  technology and collaboration. I also agree about using technology appropriately - if it is not enhancing student learning, then what's the point in using it? It seems like most of these ideas came from the Schoffner article. Please add some specific reflection on the Instagram and digital video  articles.

__ [|Online Personal Identity Presentaion] __

__Seminar 1 Prep Reading Response__

An Educator's  Guide

I struggle with the concept of a lot of. If I had my way, I would live like Ron Swanson. It honestly made me a little happy to see that it was hard to find me on the Internet. But I have realized recently that I am missing out on a huge opportunity. In the article, there was a Twitter Post that said " Reject isolation and celebrate together" referring to teaching. That really stuck with me, and I too like Aaron wish that I had seen twitter in this way. A big part of why I never Twitter was because I felt like nothing I had to say was really that. Aaron made it a point in his article to say that yes, what you have to say is and to deny the world of your wisdom is doing an injustice to myself and others. It was nice to know that other people have felt the same way I have about Twitter but has still a way to use it positively has given me hope that I too will be able to use in a positive way.

I like your personal reflection on your thoughts about Twitter the Ron Swanson reference, haha) and  they are valid, but I appreciate how you are willing to  at , like Twitter, in a  light in  to  them as an educational resource. I like the quote you pulled about rejecting isolation and celebrating together. I definitely  you will have a lot to share once you begin teaching and that there are thousands of teachers across the country and the world who have  , insights, and experiences that can benefit you. Have you  any individuals or groups to follow on Twitter that you could you could use as a resource during student teaching? Have you participated in any of the chats?

Find Place In Classroom

I found this article very interesting. It talked about how a lot of schools have blocks on certain websites in schools, and I remember how much teachers hated it. Youtube is a great resource for school, and some of my teachers would go so far as to hack into the site to use it for class. While there are things on youtube that are not appropriate for middle school students, the article also talked about finding a middle ground so that while some sites have no being in schools,  online  resources are needed to be embraced in the classroom. To block of them gives students the wrong about  the Internet  and  which is something educators need to make a positive learning experience, not hide it away like its bad. I would use YouTube in my classroom to analyze historical events and how they happened by showing them documentaries from all different points of view. While there is a issue with YouTube and students possible coming across inappropriate videos, I would attempt to handle it by showing the correct ways of YouTube, not just with education, but entertainment as well and teach how to search appropriately and what is considered ok to watch and what is not in school.

I think you make a great point about finding a middle ground and distinguishing what can benefit students and what can potentially be harmful. I also agree that hiding and social media from students in school, things they are constantly using outside of it, treats something that wildly interests them as a bad thing, and that can be dangerous. To make school relevant, we must use what students experience in their everyday lives in the classroom. What are some ways in which you plan on using these tools in your classroom? What are some lines you plan on drawing - things you are willing to use and things you are not? What are some challenges you think you will encounter? How do you plan on confronting those? Please add more detail.

Professional Online Identity Takeaway

It will be hard for me to get into social media outside of facebook and Instagram. I want to be like Ron Swanson. If I don't know you, to me you have no business being involved in my stuff. It is hard for me to get into the habit of. But I need to change that because in order for  employers to find me and see all the cool things I have done, then I need to  to do that. My partner and I found out that there are other Allison Stilwell's who are more popular on the Internet than I am. I would like to improve my notability so that I actually come up when you search me, and the things you find are things that are advocating myself, education, and the arts.

I totally empathize with the desire to be private, but you are right - our world is changing and not having an online identity as an educator can potentially make us look out of touch. Tell me more about how your online identity activity went. What did you and your partner find out about you during your search? What things came up? What perception do you think students, parents, and employers would have about you based on that initial search? What are some things you want to improve or change? How do you plan on doing that? Please add more detail.