EDUC 422c Blog 1

 Capturing Stories, Creating Lives

Blog 1

What: Describe in detail what this article is about. Who wrote it and what are their interests in this subject?

This article, written by David S. Jakes is called Capturing Stories, Capturing Lives: An introduction to Digital Storytelling is about Digital Storytelling and the learning experience it provides. Jakes explains digital storytelling as an author’s story or in this case, students story projected on a computer screen, using images, voice and music. Jakes breaks up this idea into 6 different steps to provide the total learning experience. 1. Writing 2. Script 3. Storyboard 4. Locating Multimedia 5. Creating the digital story and 6. Sharing that story. All of these steps involve the students creating, searching the internet, allowing them to explore themselves and what they can do using the web. 

So What: Of what significance is this article? What did you learn or did you gain new understandings? How has this impacted your learning? Are there parts you would like further explained?

This article is extremely significant because it is explaining to us, future educators about an idea that we can use with our students. The article is allowing us the chance to give our students an opportunity to be creative using a high quality learning experience. This idea of digital story telling gives students the chance to write, and then create a script off of what they wrote, find multimedia to match that script and then create their story digitally and share their work that they are proud of making. 

Now What:

I find this to be an amazing activity for students in my future classroom. It would have to be an activity used in the upper elementary grades and it would take a lot of time, but imagine all of the different learning skills that are being used and how engaged students will be. Saving this article will remind me of exactly what it means to create a digital storyboard and how to go about doing so in my classroom.  I agree with Jakes when he says that creating a digital story for students “provides one of the best learning experiences available to students” it keeps them engaged, focused and brings in many aspects of learning that are truly needed for every student. This creation will be something they remember forever. 

Jakes, D. S. (2006, December 29). Capturing Stories, Capturing Lives: An Introduction to Digital Storytelling. In JakesOnline. Retrieved November 9, 2012, from http://www.jakesonline.org/storytelling.htm

EDUC 422c Blog 2

Blog 2

 Beyond Words

What:  In the article Beyond Words: The Craftsmanship of Digital Products, written by Bernajean Porter we learn about how expressing effective technology allows for students to be successful in our day and age.  It is important for our students to have multimedia skills as well as narratives skills because digital skills combine images, text, sounds and communication. Digital storytelling allows students to use specific multimedia to really enjoy what they are reading. It is explained that in order for an author to have effective communication, he/she has to have something worth sharing. An author also, decides how to put together their thoughts by knowing the purpose of the content, understanding the audience that will be reading or listening to it and then putting together the content from that information. It is a known fact that people remember images better than any narrative they hear. It is more effective for a student to see something as compared to hearing it. The author states that “Visual literacy is the key” for students today. The author continues to talk about how important it is for each of the four pieces of digital skills to be put into place with thought and meaning. The most important quote the other states is “a digital product should be remembered for its soul, not the bells and whistles of the technology tools”(page 31). 

So What: I really enjoyed this article. I believe that this article is very significant for students, especially now in the 21^st century because incorporating digital learning is such a big part of their life. It is important that we provide all of the necessary tools for students to gain knowledge from and excel in all aspects of learning. Understanding that providing visuals for students learning will only benefit them and  increase their memory is something  every educator should understand. 

Now What: Using digital storytelling and multimedia resources in my classroom with be something I truly incorporate. It is important for students to learn through images, sounds, text and communication.  Providing students with all of the necessary materials to learn will only prompt their knowledge. I hope I always remember the quote from page 31 stating, a digital product should be remembered for its soul, not the bells and whistles of the technology tools” and that I can incorporate it into my classroom. 

Porter, B. (2006, May). Beyond Words: The Craftsmanship of Digital Products. Learning and Leading with Technology, 28-31. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from ISTE. www.ISTE.org 

  

EDUC 422c Blog 3

Blog 3

Migrant ESL High School Students Succeed Using Networked Laptops

What: This article, called Migrant ESL: High school Student’s Succeed Using Networked Laptops, written by Carolyn Knox and Lynne Anderson-Inman is about incorporating the use of technology for Spanish speaking students. Many families have begun to move from Mexico to Oregon in a means to find work. Within these families are children who are still eager to learn, however they do not speak the primary language of English which is taught in Oregon education systems. As a second language English learner a struggle really takes place in a school that teaches everything in a student’s second language. In order to meet the needs of these students, Oregon department of Education began an act called “Project in Time”. Within this act students were provided with a note taking/mentoring partner that took notes on key words and ideas for the students and translated those notes for the students to understand, providing the relationship of text to speech. Overall, the program provided five main results. These results provided support for 1. Student success in school: higher grades 2. Individual Migrant Student Lifestyles 3. Student Acquisition of Bilingual Literacy Skills 4. Teachers in the classroom and 5. Student Acquisition of Technology Skills. Overall, the act significantly helped the student throughout the curriculum and in the Oregon School setting and the teachers didn’t even have to change their daily routine. 

So What: This is significant because of the diverse area we live in today. In our education systems there are such a wide range of English Language Learners and knowing that something works in our education systems that can increasingly help their grades, help them to understand the curriculum and language in our classrooms and to allow them to succeed is such wonderful news. As an educator, you want to help all of your students succeed, including those who do not speak the same language as you or the rest of the class, it is my job to find ways to help that student and this act is a great way to do it. I would love to hear more about how we can incorporate this into our school systems. 

Now What: I would love to apply this reading and new knowledge into my school district by talking to other educators about it and letting people become more aware of the act Oregon applied to their school district. I would love to incorporate this idea of technology for EL’s and ESL’s in my classroom. I want to help students succeed and provide them with different ways to do so, and this is a great way for me to do so!

Knox, C., & Anderson-Inman, L. (2001, February). Migrant ESL High School Students Succeed Using Networked Laptops. Learning & Leading with Technology, 28(5), 18-21. Accessed November 12, 2012, from ISTE. WWW.ISTE.org

Sliderocket Presentation

Welcome Parents Newsletter Week #1

Dear Parents,

            I can’t tell you how excited I am to have your child and you as part of my class this year. From the start of the school year to the end I hope to make this experience an exciting time for both you and your child. I am here to provide you with the expectations and rules of the classroom so that your child can be successful and excel in all of the learning opportunities.

            Each day, I expect the students to come to class ready to learn. I can guarantee you that from the first day of school I will address the expectations of each class day for the students, so I ask that your child can get to class on time, ready to take on the tasks at hand and understanding exactly where to look to find those tasks.

            At the beginning of each day we will start our morning off with the morning message and the daily schedule, at this time the students will be greeted by me and their fellow students. I want my class to feel comfortable for your child and like a family. It is important for me to allow your child to feel welcomed into class and safe, in order to allow all students a chance to learn effectively and reach their full potential. During the morning message and daily agenda, the students and I will have discussions about what is expected of them that day, getting them ready to learn and knowing exactly what they will be doing all day, making transitions from subjects effective and quick.

            As you can imagine, your child will be learning a lot each day and will participate in different activities that ensure their full participation and attention. During this time, I will expect the students to clean up their areas where they are working and move proficiently to the next activity. Students also make many transitions throughout the day from class to recess, lunch and back to class for more learning. During these times I expect the students to walk the halls in a respectful manner, use the restroom and come back into the classroom ready to get back to work and continue learning. It is important that students can do this as well as understand where materials are in the classroom because the day will run smoothly, the environment in the classroom will be comfortable and learning will not be disrupted.

            I will be sending out a weekly progress report of your child’s progress that week that will be attached to a end of the week letter written by your child. This letter and progress report will be sent out on Fridays and expected to be signed and returned the following Monday. It is important that this is done because I want to know you understand what is going on in class as well as what progress your child is making throughout each week. It is important to me to have good communication with both you and your child, so each month I will be posting a schedule of what is coming up, student achievements and what is expected of your child that month on my blog for you to look at and in order to keep you up to date on classroom activities and assignments. Please feel free to always contact me with any concerns or questions via phone call or meeting. If you would like to set up a meeting with me, we can arrange a time on the phone or in person.

            It is important for me to set high expectations for your child because I know they can do amazing things. I look forward to a great year!

Sincerely,

Miss Harris

Evidence Report #5

Evidence Report #5

TC Name: Jamie Harris

RICA Domain: Domain 1 Planning reading instruction based on Assessment

RICA Competency: Competency 2 Planning Reading Instruction

Grade level: Third Grade

Additional Descriptors: Majority ELL, 4 EO students

INSTRUCTION

            I observed Mrs. S practicing Word Recognition Lists in her third grade classroom. The students are involved in WORD CLUB in her class. At the beginning of the year, the students start out in the 100’s club and begin at the 10’s words. For example, on, for, who, what…etc, Mrs. S puts together her word recognition list in a ring binder of flash cars with 10 words on each card and each card containing a different level and word club. Each word club is color coated and is a great visual for the students.

            During my tutor hours, I am the person who administers the word club assessments. One piece of paper I have in front of me is the student log containing where they are at on their levels in the word club. The second thing I have in front of me is the word club cards that contain the level of the card and the ten words on them. I call over each student one at a time and turn to the card that they last stopped on. In order for students to pass that one card, they must be able to recognize the word quickly and be able to correctly identify the word. In many cases this is where students begin to practice their knowledge of decoding words and use sound symbols in order to verbally state the correct word. Just recently Mrs. S added a third piece of paper to this activity and that paper is a sheet for the students. The paper has each card group of the word club that they are in and are trying to get passed. For example, if a student is in the 300’s club, the sheet has a section of the 210 words, the 220 words, the 230 words all the way up to 300, because this student is working on trying to pass the 300 words.

            While I am instructing the word club words I am listening for the knowledge of the child’s sight vocabulary and I am also listening to the child’s ability to use phonics in order to decode words. While they are reading each word, I am pointing at the word and listening for the correct word to be said. If the student struggles I remind them to look at the letters in the word and sound it out. I also remind them to use their background knowledge on specific words they might recognize inside the big word. For example, the student is trying to say the word “sometimes” so I remind them to break the word up some…times, activating back ground knowledge and allowing students to make connections through learning. Wherever a student gets stuck and has trouble with a word, we stop and make connections with that word, sound it out and repeat it, using repetition, and then we practice all of the words on that same card one more time and I cross off the specific cards they knew all of and hand them back that page in order for them to be able to practice the card they struggled on and the previous cards that they will be seeing next time I call them and I log it into my word club log. When a student completely passes I record PASS on their section off the log and they are done with word club.

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING

            The setting where this activity takes place is on a one to one basis with me and the student. We are in a section of the classroom at our very own table with the tools in front of us and the student reads out loud to me during this time while either I or the student are pointing at the words for the student to read. The other part of the class, the students are still working and doing other work, so sometime it can be kind of distracting, however I am pulling kids aside and it is quick and fast assessment and learning time. I assess the kids and help them decode the word, record where they got that session and let them know what they need to work on for the next session. I really like the idea of word club and the word club cards, especially now that Mrs. S has provided the students a take home sheet of the words for them to be able to study the upcoming words with. This makes the students aware of the words that are coming up and allows them time to practice. I think the students really enjoy this activity too; the like when I call them over and they enjoy being able to pass a specific section and especially being able to pass a word club level, in hopes that they are almost ready to pass level 500. I believe this is something I will implement into my class someday.