Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Final PLN Report
Like I stated in my first PLN, the teachers I have commented from my C4T have become a major part of my personal learning network. They provide great insight on what we have forward to in our very own classroom. As well as insight, they also give great advice on what we could expect. Therefore adding them to my PLN was a must.
Not only do I include my C4T as a part of my PLN. I've also included some of the sites and tools that we have used in our class. I feel as though we were given these tools in class for a reason. I'm sure that if they would not be valuable for benefit, why would we be told to use them. We may not understand now, but I am sure that when we get our very own classroom we will be able to utilize every tool.
Not only do I include my C4T as a part of my PLN. I've also included some of the sites and tools that we have used in our class. I feel as though we were given these tools in class for a reason. I'm sure that if they would not be valuable for benefit, why would we be told to use them. We may not understand now, but I am sure that when we get our very own classroom we will be able to utilize every tool.
C4T #4
Hooking Them In Is An Art Form
This past two weeks, I was assigned to follow the blog of Heidi Siwak and comment on some of her post. The first post is entitled Hooking Them In Is An Art Form. In the post, she talks about how that week her students were studying the history of New France. Needless to say, the students were not very interested in the assignment. So instead of talking about that assignment she moved a forward and talked about the 1970s and the October Crisis. After switching to the new topic, the students were a lot more interested in this new topic. In my comment, I told her that I definitely agree what she was saying. Students really do have to be into their topics in order to really want to learn. It helps them learn easier and be more intuitive in their assignments.
The second post I commented on is Goodbye Mike Harris!. It was a basically Heidi Siwak describing her trip to the Ontario Public Supervisory Official's Association. She took 4 students to present in the conference. It seemed like a very informative trip for educators. In my comment, I told her that it appears this conference is a very good place to go for educators to get views and other insight from other educators.
This past two weeks, I was assigned to follow the blog of Heidi Siwak and comment on some of her post. The first post is entitled Hooking Them In Is An Art Form. In the post, she talks about how that week her students were studying the history of New France. Needless to say, the students were not very interested in the assignment. So instead of talking about that assignment she moved a forward and talked about the 1970s and the October Crisis. After switching to the new topic, the students were a lot more interested in this new topic. In my comment, I told her that I definitely agree what she was saying. Students really do have to be into their topics in order to really want to learn. It helps them learn easier and be more intuitive in their assignments.
The second post I commented on is Goodbye Mike Harris!. It was a basically Heidi Siwak describing her trip to the Ontario Public Supervisory Official's Association. She took 4 students to present in the conference. It seemed like a very informative trip for educators. In my comment, I told her that it appears this conference is a very good place to go for educators to get views and other insight from other educators.
Blog Post #13
Engage in E-Media Fast
For this assignment, we were assigned to go for 24 consecutive hours without using any type of electronic device.. We were not allowed to use cell phones, watch tv, or any electronic device that utilizes electricity or batteries as a power source. Needless to say this was a very hard task. I failed miserably. Without using these electronic devices, minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days. After three attempts, I went about 6 hours before I finally caved into the compelling need to use my cellphone. For those hours I was in complete and total misery. It also didn't help that my phone was over filling with text messages and "tweets" from Twitter. I would have turned it off completely but I left it on in the case of an emergency. Also, seeing my friends using their devices and checking Facebook was simply torture. Finally, my greatest enemy for this assignment was the television. It was painful having to sit there and just stare at my blank TV screen all day. It was as if I was staring into this deep dark abyss of nothingness. I cannot even explain the horrible feeling. From this assignment I learned that I rely a lot on technology usage. It consumes a huge majority of my day and it is a very important factor. I would imagine that the students in my future classroom will have this same feeling. Especially when it comes to sending text messages during class time. I expect this will be very troublesome to deal with. However, being able to understand how the students feel may make it a little easier.
For this assignment, we were assigned to go for 24 consecutive hours without using any type of electronic device.. We were not allowed to use cell phones, watch tv, or any electronic device that utilizes electricity or batteries as a power source. Needless to say this was a very hard task. I failed miserably. Without using these electronic devices, minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days. After three attempts, I went about 6 hours before I finally caved into the compelling need to use my cellphone. For those hours I was in complete and total misery. It also didn't help that my phone was over filling with text messages and "tweets" from Twitter. I would have turned it off completely but I left it on in the case of an emergency. Also, seeing my friends using their devices and checking Facebook was simply torture. Finally, my greatest enemy for this assignment was the television. It was painful having to sit there and just stare at my blank TV screen all day. It was as if I was staring into this deep dark abyss of nothingness. I cannot even explain the horrible feeling. From this assignment I learned that I rely a lot on technology usage. It consumes a huge majority of my day and it is a very important factor. I would imagine that the students in my future classroom will have this same feeling. Especially when it comes to sending text messages during class time. I expect this will be very troublesome to deal with. However, being able to understand how the students feel may make it a little easier.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
C4K Summary April
In the beginning of this month, our class took part in the World Blog Challenge. This means that for three weeks straight I was assigned to watch and comment on the blog of a student in Australia named Angie. The first of Angie's post that I commented on was her post entitled April Fools!. In this post, she describes her love of April Fool's Day. She says that part she loves the most is making people laugh and that it is the beginning of another month. In my comment on her post, I told her that I guess it is pretty safe to say April Fool's day is one of her most favorite days of the year and that people usually celebrate that day here in Alabama. I also asked her what are some other days of the year she enjoy. The second post I read by her was Easter!. In this post, Angie gives readers her interpretation of the story about Jesus Christ and how he arose from the dead. Once again Angie did a great job on her post. I made sure to tell her in my comments. Not only did she give her perspective, but she also did research to back up what she had to say. The final post I commented on was actually a post where she thanked me and a fellow EDM 310 student, Natasha Sprinkle for reading and commenting on her blog. Not only did she thank me but she also sent me an email thanking me and asking me questions as well. This is actually the first time that a student actually responded to my comments on their page. I would like to thank Angie and ask that everyone please check out her blog from time to time. She is really smart and a great write. Here is a link to her blog. Angie's Blog.
The second student I was assigned to comment on is a student named Tucker. This was actually a video of Tucker reading the words "Rules", "Responsibilities",and "Relationships". Not only did he read the words, he gave his very own definitions and examples of the words. In my comment, I applauded Tucker on his comprehension of the words and reading them. I suggest that everyone take a look at this video. It's really inspiring.
The second student I was assigned to comment on is a student named Tucker. This was actually a video of Tucker reading the words "Rules", "Responsibilities",and "Relationships". Not only did he read the words, he gave his very own definitions and examples of the words. In my comment, I applauded Tucker on his comprehension of the words and reading them. I suggest that everyone take a look at this video. It's really inspiring.
Progress Report on Final Project
Our group, The Grey Wardens, are just getting started on our project. We've been communicating mostly through email and Skype text chat, since not everyone in the group has a webcam to use. We've also used Delicious, the a bookmarking website, to share information with each other that we find on the internet about our topic.
We've also used Goggles, an app that you simply drag to your bookmarks bar. When you click it, you can write on the page, and anyone else who has the Goggles app will be able to click it and see the writing other people have left for them. So we've used Goggles to point out interesting stuff on the websites we share with each other.
Blog Post #12
Earlier in this semester we were assigned to look for an iPad app that would could use to help students with reading. An assignment I would have assigned is similar to that particular assignment. However, instead of find a reading app, I think that we should look for an app that fits our particular teaching field, (i.e. elementary education, English, Math, etc.) The steps would be as followed.
1) Go to the Apple in Education webpage.
2) Find an app that can be used in your expected field of teaching.
3) Write a brief summary on how you can use this app in your very own classroom.
An app I found that could be useful in my classroom is called Algebra Touch. This app allows students to learn how to perform algebra equations in an interactive way. It also gives step by step instructions in how to solve each equation. This way it will be easier to learn how to do simple equations an also learn independently. This method would also show that technology can be integrated into the class room without being harmful. This would actually help students.
Creativity and Curiosity: My Thought-Special Post #12A
In our last class meeting, we had a discussion about curiosity and creativity. During class, our professor, Dr. John Strange, challenged us with a series of questions based on this topic. The questions were:
1. Do schools in the United States systematically destroy (or inhibit) the development of curiosity and/or creativity in students? If yes, why does that happen? If no, how do you counter the argument of Sir Ken Robinson that schools do undermine the development of creativity in students?
2. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the curiosity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?
3. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the creativity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?
4. Can a teacher's actions increase the curiosity of students? If so, what would be those actions?
5. Can a teacher's actions increase the creativity of students? If so, what would be those actions?
6. What would help you become more creative? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process?
7. What would help you become more curious? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process?
In my opinion, schools in the United States do inhibit the development of curiosity and creativity in students. I do not blame specific educators for this. I think that the higher authorities of the education system inhibit these ideas. They primarily focus on test scores and results in order to evaluate how a school is doing. This method really only need students to briefly memorize information and repeat it back for an easy grade. They really won't have to learn anything. There is a curriculum, however, that can be used to increase the curiosity of students. One key component that this curriculum would need to have is topics and assignments that captures students attention and makes them eager to learn. If students are excited about what they are learning, they will be increasingly curious to learn more. Not only can a curriculum be developed to increase curiosity, it can also increase creativity. In order to do this, the curriculum would need to allow student to think outside of the box. Not only will this peak students curiosity, it also will get students more involved in the curriculum. This could also result in better grades and actually learning material better as well. Teachers also have the ability to increase students curiosity. In order to do so, it goes back to what I said about the curriculum increasing curiosity. If teachers challenge students with material that captures their attention then their curiosity is going to peak as well. As well, teachers can increase students creativity. They have to challenge students to use their minds and think outside the box. To help me be more creative and curious, I would have to use my mind more. By being challenged to do more creative things I could be more creative. Also, in order to be more curious, I would have to more interested in the topics. The role of a teacher would be as a challenger. Helping students get more into what they are learning but not doing it for them. The role of a students would be the person being challenged. To learn from being shown the direction but not having the work done for them. Instead, they learn from doing it on their own.
1. Do schools in the United States systematically destroy (or inhibit) the development of curiosity and/or creativity in students? If yes, why does that happen? If no, how do you counter the argument of Sir Ken Robinson that schools do undermine the development of creativity in students?
2. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the curiosity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?
3. Can a curriculum be developed that increases the creativity of students? If so, what would be the key components of such a curriculum?
4. Can a teacher's actions increase the curiosity of students? If so, what would be those actions?
5. Can a teacher's actions increase the creativity of students? If so, what would be those actions?
6. What would help you become more creative? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process?
7. What would help you become more curious? What role would teachers and/or schools have in that process?
In my opinion, schools in the United States do inhibit the development of curiosity and creativity in students. I do not blame specific educators for this. I think that the higher authorities of the education system inhibit these ideas. They primarily focus on test scores and results in order to evaluate how a school is doing. This method really only need students to briefly memorize information and repeat it back for an easy grade. They really won't have to learn anything. There is a curriculum, however, that can be used to increase the curiosity of students. One key component that this curriculum would need to have is topics and assignments that captures students attention and makes them eager to learn. If students are excited about what they are learning, they will be increasingly curious to learn more. Not only can a curriculum be developed to increase curiosity, it can also increase creativity. In order to do this, the curriculum would need to allow student to think outside of the box. Not only will this peak students curiosity, it also will get students more involved in the curriculum. This could also result in better grades and actually learning material better as well. Teachers also have the ability to increase students curiosity. In order to do so, it goes back to what I said about the curriculum increasing curiosity. If teachers challenge students with material that captures their attention then their curiosity is going to peak as well. As well, teachers can increase students creativity. They have to challenge students to use their minds and think outside the box. To help me be more creative and curious, I would have to use my mind more. By being challenged to do more creative things I could be more creative. Also, in order to be more curious, I would have to more interested in the topics. The role of a teacher would be as a challenger. Helping students get more into what they are learning but not doing it for them. The role of a students would be the person being challenged. To learn from being shown the direction but not having the work done for them. Instead, they learn from doing it on their own.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Blog Post #11
Little Kids...Big Potential
Little Kids...Big Potential is a video by Kathy Cassidy and the students in her classroom showing how they use technology in their everyday learning. The students use blogs, Nintendo DS systems, skype, and other tools that you would normally think would be harmful to the learning environment. This shows that technology in the classroom can actually be a good thing. The students said that their vocabulary, reading, and writing all improved with writing blog posts alone. Also, they are able to receive input from people all over the world who want to help them grow intellectually. The students also love being able to use these tools.
Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy
Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy is an interview with my professor, Dr. John Strange, and Kathy Cassidy. A first grade teacher in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. This interview is primarily focused on how Ms. Cassidy uses technology in her classroom. She feels like technology in the classroom is a great thing to have. She uses it as a direct portfolio to her students work. Parents can easily see how their kids are doing in class and not have to always schedule appointments to meet her. Also, the students are highly involved in doing their work because of the technology. One key statement she made is that technology is constantly growing and not changing nor going away. Educators have to get on board with this concept and try to master these tools. They can use them in order make the learning process more enjoyable. One of her techniques is maybe have a class blog and also have my students have student blogs. I plan on teaching math and I know that it can be one of the more difficult classes. Saying that, having those blogs could allow students to communicate with each other and with me for extra help. Also, I could post assignments and solutions on the class blogs. As well, I could maybe also post study guides, class syllabus, and other things. Benefits of these approaches are that it could make the learning process for students and educators alike so much easier. Students would have a direct link to the teacher at all times.
Little Kids...Big Potential is a video by Kathy Cassidy and the students in her classroom showing how they use technology in their everyday learning. The students use blogs, Nintendo DS systems, skype, and other tools that you would normally think would be harmful to the learning environment. This shows that technology in the classroom can actually be a good thing. The students said that their vocabulary, reading, and writing all improved with writing blog posts alone. Also, they are able to receive input from people all over the world who want to help them grow intellectually. The students also love being able to use these tools.
Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy
Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy is an interview with my professor, Dr. John Strange, and Kathy Cassidy. A first grade teacher in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. This interview is primarily focused on how Ms. Cassidy uses technology in her classroom. She feels like technology in the classroom is a great thing to have. She uses it as a direct portfolio to her students work. Parents can easily see how their kids are doing in class and not have to always schedule appointments to meet her. Also, the students are highly involved in doing their work because of the technology. One key statement she made is that technology is constantly growing and not changing nor going away. Educators have to get on board with this concept and try to master these tools. They can use them in order make the learning process more enjoyable. One of her techniques is maybe have a class blog and also have my students have student blogs. I plan on teaching math and I know that it can be one of the more difficult classes. Saying that, having those blogs could allow students to communicate with each other and with me for extra help. Also, I could post assignments and solutions on the class blogs. As well, I could maybe also post study guides, class syllabus, and other things. Benefits of these approaches are that it could make the learning process for students and educators alike so much easier. Students would have a direct link to the teacher at all times.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Blog Post #10
Do You Teach or Do You Educate?
This week I watched a video called Do You Teach or Do You Educate? It was a very insightful video. The video described a teacher as someone who basically shows or explains information and basically gives facts. However, an educator is a mentor and an adviser. Someone who helps students in every way they possibly can. This video really opened my mind to the differences of being a teacher and being an educator. The comparison between the two is definitely debatable.
As a future educator, I want to do more than just teach my students. I want my students to learn their materials, but also I want to have an influence on their lives. I want my students to feel like that what I teach them in my class they will keep with them the rest of their lives. I plan on doing this by getting students involved into our lessons. Also, I plan on building a healthy student-teacher relationship with students so they will feel comfortable to come to me as an educator whenever help is needed.
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home
This post is entitled Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home by Tom Spencer. It is a very humorous post reenacting a (possibly fictional)conversation between Mr. Spencer and the academic specialist at his school. The specialist barges into Mr. Spencer's office and urges him to stop allowing his students to take home pencils. He says that research shows that students or more likely to score lower test scores and are more like to play games like hangman than to actually use them to be beneficial to their education. Mr. Spencer argues that although he understands the research, he does not particularly agree with it. Mr. Spencer feels that students often only use the pencils as entertainment tools because they come from a place where the mentality is that the primary use for the pencils is entertainment. He argues that the pencils can be used for learning if given the chance and used correctly. He doesn't hold his students accountable for wanting to use the pencils solely for entertainment. That is why he tries to find projects to keep the students interested. He also said that students playing games and going on the pen pal networks may not be a bad idea because there could be learning happening that they don't know about about. After reading this post, I could not help but wonder if maybe the pencils could be a metaphor for technological tools like a laptop or an iPad. It seems like the specialist could have been arguing that maybe students should not be able to take these things home because they can not be monitored and would more than likely use them for something they are not suppose to. Also, students could play games on them instead of actually doing assignments and other things. Lastly, pen pal networks could be another way of saying social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Mr. Spencer could be arguing that technology should be given a chance and could be very beneficial. If students are given projects that keep them interested and focused, then they will not stray off into doing other things like play games. Even if they do play games or get on social networking sites, it does not mean learning is not taking place.
This week I watched a video called Do You Teach or Do You Educate? It was a very insightful video. The video described a teacher as someone who basically shows or explains information and basically gives facts. However, an educator is a mentor and an adviser. Someone who helps students in every way they possibly can. This video really opened my mind to the differences of being a teacher and being an educator. The comparison between the two is definitely debatable.
As a future educator, I want to do more than just teach my students. I want my students to learn their materials, but also I want to have an influence on their lives. I want my students to feel like that what I teach them in my class they will keep with them the rest of their lives. I plan on doing this by getting students involved into our lessons. Also, I plan on building a healthy student-teacher relationship with students so they will feel comfortable to come to me as an educator whenever help is needed.
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home
This post is entitled Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home by Tom Spencer. It is a very humorous post reenacting a (possibly fictional)conversation between Mr. Spencer and the academic specialist at his school. The specialist barges into Mr. Spencer's office and urges him to stop allowing his students to take home pencils. He says that research shows that students or more likely to score lower test scores and are more like to play games like hangman than to actually use them to be beneficial to their education. Mr. Spencer argues that although he understands the research, he does not particularly agree with it. Mr. Spencer feels that students often only use the pencils as entertainment tools because they come from a place where the mentality is that the primary use for the pencils is entertainment. He argues that the pencils can be used for learning if given the chance and used correctly. He doesn't hold his students accountable for wanting to use the pencils solely for entertainment. That is why he tries to find projects to keep the students interested. He also said that students playing games and going on the pen pal networks may not be a bad idea because there could be learning happening that they don't know about about. After reading this post, I could not help but wonder if maybe the pencils could be a metaphor for technological tools like a laptop or an iPad. It seems like the specialist could have been arguing that maybe students should not be able to take these things home because they can not be monitored and would more than likely use them for something they are not suppose to. Also, students could play games on them instead of actually doing assignments and other things. Lastly, pen pal networks could be another way of saying social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Mr. Spencer could be arguing that technology should be given a chance and could be very beneficial. If students are given projects that keep them interested and focused, then they will not stray off into doing other things like play games. Even if they do play games or get on social networking sites, it does not mean learning is not taking place.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Blog Post #9
At The Teacher's Desk
For this assignment, I was required to read two post by Mr. Joe McClung on his blog At The Teacher's Desk. His post are generally about what he learned at the each year. So far he has just concluded his third year of teaching therefore he has three posts about his experience. I decided it would probably be best to read the first post about what he learned after his first year. Also, I thought it would be best to read his most recent post to see how what he has learned so far. His first post was written on May 27, 2009 and is entitled What I Learned This Year. Seeing as this was Mr. McClung's first year, it is safe to say he learned a lot. I was extremely fascinated in reading this post. It was very insightful and gave me a positive outlook into my future as an educator. One piece of advice he offered is to remember that lessons are not just about teaching students but also for them to comprehend it. Remember to always make sure students comprehend what they are learning. Secondly, he said to be flexible everything is not going to always be perfect. Therefore, always be prepared for things to go wrong and handle it with a smile. Thirdly, communication is key. Communicating with fellow educators can help you become an even better educator. Other teachers can show you tools and tricks that they use and you can do the same. Lastly, never stop learning. It's never too late to change your way of learning, thinking, or style.
The second post I read is also entitled What I Learned This Year. It was written on June 23,2011. Once again this was a very insightful post. This time the advice he offered was don't expect others to be as excited about change as you are. Some people are going to be opposed to your ideas. Just remember do to embody your way of teaching and not allow others to influence you. Second piece of advice, don't be afraid of to be an outsider. It is okay to become more connected with your students than fellow teachers at times. Remember, it is the student who shall benefit from what they learn from you and building a great relationship with them is vital.
For this assignment, I was required to read two post by Mr. Joe McClung on his blog At The Teacher's Desk. His post are generally about what he learned at the each year. So far he has just concluded his third year of teaching therefore he has three posts about his experience. I decided it would probably be best to read the first post about what he learned after his first year. Also, I thought it would be best to read his most recent post to see how what he has learned so far. His first post was written on May 27, 2009 and is entitled What I Learned This Year. Seeing as this was Mr. McClung's first year, it is safe to say he learned a lot. I was extremely fascinated in reading this post. It was very insightful and gave me a positive outlook into my future as an educator. One piece of advice he offered is to remember that lessons are not just about teaching students but also for them to comprehend it. Remember to always make sure students comprehend what they are learning. Secondly, he said to be flexible everything is not going to always be perfect. Therefore, always be prepared for things to go wrong and handle it with a smile. Thirdly, communication is key. Communicating with fellow educators can help you become an even better educator. Other teachers can show you tools and tricks that they use and you can do the same. Lastly, never stop learning. It's never too late to change your way of learning, thinking, or style.
The second post I read is also entitled What I Learned This Year. It was written on June 23,2011. Once again this was a very insightful post. This time the advice he offered was don't expect others to be as excited about change as you are. Some people are going to be opposed to your ideas. Just remember do to embody your way of teaching and not allow others to influence you. Second piece of advice, don't be afraid of to be an outsider. It is okay to become more connected with your students than fellow teachers at times. Remember, it is the student who shall benefit from what they learn from you and building a great relationship with them is vital.
C4K Summary Post March
The student blog post I commented on for the month of March was The Wasp's Nest by a student named Dylan. This post was a short story about a wasp who was flying through the grass on a nice and sunny day. However, suddenly the wasp realize that he had gotten lost and landed on a piece of grass stranded and alone. All of a sudden, an angry snail scurried up the string of grass yelling at the wasp. It screamed "What are you doing on MY piece of grass?" This scared James and he was able to fly back home to his nest in the trees where his mom was waiting. After reading Dylan's story, I realize that he has a very creative mind and probably enjoys writing. If he continues to put his creativity to work in this way, it could become something he may want to pursue in the future.
C4T Summary #3
The Spicy Learning Blog
This week I was assigned to comment on The Spicy Learning Blog by Royan Lee. The first post I commented on is entitled Join us at #Nxnei. It is a flyer and information about an upcoming convention in June about technology, media, and the new trends in society. The main goal of this convention is to bring together educators and discuss the use of social media and online tools in school. Although this was simply a flyer, there were a lot of good details that I was able to capture that I included in my comment. One idea was that students these days are digital learners. They now have the capability to use such small powerful tools like cellphones and iPads in order to quickly find answers and even work collaboratively with other students.
The second post I commented on Mike Stories. In the post, Lee explains how his family uses "stream-of-consciousness" oral stories to help console his son from time to time. Mike Stories are a series of stories about his son whose name is not in fact Mike. The call the character Mike in order to help keep the illusion and in order to boost creativity from his son. In my comment, I applauded Lee for this idea. Lee said that he has seen an improvement in his kids vocabulary, understanding in narrative, and oral speaking skills. I added that this tool could also be effective in boosting creativity and imagination. This could be very useful in the classroom and getting students excited about learning.
This week I was assigned to comment on The Spicy Learning Blog by Royan Lee. The first post I commented on is entitled Join us at #Nxnei. It is a flyer and information about an upcoming convention in June about technology, media, and the new trends in society. The main goal of this convention is to bring together educators and discuss the use of social media and online tools in school. Although this was simply a flyer, there were a lot of good details that I was able to capture that I included in my comment. One idea was that students these days are digital learners. They now have the capability to use such small powerful tools like cellphones and iPads in order to quickly find answers and even work collaboratively with other students.
The second post I commented on Mike Stories. In the post, Lee explains how his family uses "stream-of-consciousness" oral stories to help console his son from time to time. Mike Stories are a series of stories about his son whose name is not in fact Mike. The call the character Mike in order to help keep the illusion and in order to boost creativity from his son. In my comment, I applauded Lee for this idea. Lee said that he has seen an improvement in his kids vocabulary, understanding in narrative, and oral speaking skills. I added that this tool could also be effective in boosting creativity and imagination. This could be very useful in the classroom and getting students excited about learning.
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