Blog Post #3

Peer Editing

I think giving or taking criticism is not anyone's favorite thing to do. However, as teachers, we will experience both often. It is definitely a skill worth cultivating. I remember doing peer reviews in high school. Overall, it was a positive experience. I'm sure I have forgotten a few things since then, so this was a good reminder. I think it can be helpful to read something twice, once for content, and once for errors. Sometimes you can get caught up looking for errors and miss out on what is positive. I was reminded to look past just the grammar and also focus on clarity and organization. I appreciated the examples of compliments such as "my favorite part was _____ because.....".

Though I would never wish to embarrass anyone, given the nature of this class I think it is more helpful to everyone if the critiques are given as a comment to the blog, as opposed to privately. We can all learn from each other. Mistakes happen. Take them as a teaching moment. My assigned classmate's blog had a spelling error, which Dr. Strange had already pointed out. Honestly, I posted my comment before reading the blog assignment, so I did not make suggestions for details, organization, etc. Instead I focused more on the content. Moving forward I will do both. I admit that I don't look forward to it, but I appreciate that this is a skill that I would do well to develop.

Mountbatten
To no surprise I had never heard of the Mountbatten. This device allows a vision impaired person to create braille while simultaneously hearing what they are typing. It has the ability to save data, as well as, send or receive data from a computer.  The Mountbatten can be used to bridge the gap when the teacher and/or peers do not know braille. I can see how this would be an invaluable device for inclusion. This would be particularly important for vision impaired students who did not have access to or the wish to go to a special school. I would welcome any technology into my classroom that would assist me in providing the best learning experience possible for my students.

Assistive Technologies
The assistive technologies that are available today are truly amazing. As a sighted person, who takes her sight for granted, it never occurred to me how difficult it might be to learn even basic math. Art Karshmer's grid design is amazing in it's simplicity. Frankly, I'm not sure why someone didn't come up with it sooner. I can see how his design will make it possible for vision impaired students to excel in math, therefore opening the door for careers that might have previously been out of reach. I had no idea the iPad had such capabilities. An iPad could have most everything that a student could need, sighted or not.

I believe that an inclusive classroom is becoming more of the norm every day, as well it should be. We should be prepared to assist our students in reaching their goals regardless of their challenges. One of the best ways we will be able to do this is through technology. It will be amazing to see how much more is available even by the time I am done with school. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts
Vicki Davis is truly an innovative teacher. She uses a wide range of technology to enhance her students' learning experience. Her goal is to teach her students how to learn. If her students don't know what something means she expects them to try and find the answer. She customizes her teaching approach to the students' strengths and interests. Even though she is in a rural setting she has opened up her students to new perspectives and possibilities. Her students are collaborating with others from around the world.

I think one of the most important things that Vicki Davis said was that " when you have only pencil and only paper, then only certain types of students are going to succeed". This is one of the best arguments for integrating technology into the classroom. All students do not learn in the same manner. Technology can and should be used to connect to every kind of student. Her students are having enriching experiences that definitely could not occur with the use of just pencil and paper.