Due Date For Blog Due 6/26/09, Not on Calendar

Obviously, I haven't learned the lesson about being organized, that I mentioned in a previous blog. Shame on me! Dr. Wang is prepared and many of my classmates stay prepared. I must begin to plan ahead and stay ahead. I just hole-punched and bound all of the assignments and calendars. Finally! That cost me 4/5 points on the IT Categorizing assignment. I thought too, that I had missed the blog for 06-19-09 but I have one for 06-17-09. Yeah. I hope that they receipt all of the points allotted.

For yesterday's "Open Topic," I'm going to talk about the "Affordance Analysis." I finally catching on to how things are to be done. I just realized that I didn't do any "justifications" (examples from the handout) for the (3) or more group space responses and the (3) or more across the group ideas, for the Affordance Analysis, that I recently did. Oops, time to sign off and take care of my academic business. Do we have to? I'm going to do them, anyway!

IT: Reading of All Four Groups Data & Replies

I didn't see where any of my questions that I posted in the discussion room was answered, other than by Dr. Wang. I am follwing my three group members on their blogs. And I will learn how to invite them to follow my blog. I repied tothe inquiries from various classmates about "Failure Free" and "Paceware" software. I recently was layed off from an Alternative School for at-risk, juvenile deliquents. The school was their "get out of jail free card." The kids were tested using the the T.A.B.E. assessment (Pre-G.E.D.). Then according to their grade level scores they placed on Paceware (above forth grade reading level) or Failure Free (third or lower reading level). These kids were middle and high school students. Failure Free retested them, then pre-tested them, then auditorily read to them highlighted text, beginning at whatever K-3 grade reading level in which they tested. Before each story was read by the software, the teacher previewed the story and vocabulary with the student. After each story, the student was given comprehension worksheets to complete and master. After a set grade level of stories had been read, the student was given a Mastery Test. In between lessons, the student could practice spelling in the same manner (optional). Spelling could have been made mandatory, according to the student's needs and availability of staff. Once the student had mastered Failure Free or for those who had no need of it; they were moved on to Paceware. Paceware is awesome! It provides tutorials and drills and practice. It pretests the students in a subject matter than generates lessons based upon the gaps in their knowledge. For example in Reading a student may have to complete lessons 65, 66, 77, 81, 100, 101,120. Lessons were also available in the areas of Math (basic, intermediate, advance), Language Arts, and Life Skills, such as Employability. The students must fo through the lessons at their own "Pace" until they master it. After wach lesson they're given a "pre-test" in which they must score 90 or better, in order to take the mastery test. Each of these tests consist of ten randomly mixed questions and answers. Oftentimes, kids tried to zip through the lesson but just like our EDT 630 site and this blog, time, and correct responses are recorded by the system. For example if a lesson had 111 sections and the student only worked on that lesson for ten minutes and failed the pre-test several times, then that would alert the teachers, to either work with the student individually or remove him/her from the computer and let them copy notes and take the pre-test from a booklet on the same lesson. These two programs, helped students to work at their own pace in order to improve their reading, writing, and math skills; so that hopefully, they could go back to their former schools, get a G.E.D. or go to college or Job Corpe, etc., with better skills and high confidence. Teach a man to fish (read, write, do arithmatic) and you to him to feed himself for a lifetime; give him a fish sandwich (social promotion, uncaring educators) and you have to support him for the rest of his life.

Blog 2: I.T.

I plan to get back and more to this blog. I just read the I.T. posts from all four groups. I asked questions such as:

• Has the classroom technology been an asset to you and the students?
• Is there any data or test scores to support your reply?
• Is the technology a time saver? Tutor? Organizer? Assistant? Better Record Keeper?
• Does the technology benefit you as a teacher or is it a waste of time?
• Has time been allocated for the usage of the technology? Randomly? Scheduled consistently?
• Are students, really learning any different or better than our moms and grandmoms or you when you were in grade school?
• Have projectors, white/smart boards and laptops replaced chalkboards or oare they used as additional places to write data?
• I asked various groups to give me feedback as a "Top Five List" of technology that they'd recommend to me: a middle/high school teacher.
• To Dr. Wang: we still don't know how to send invitations to each other, at thie Blog.com site. Please teahe us.

I'm awaiting answers to some of these questions and then I'll write another blog. I want this assignment to help me as an educator. I want useful ideas and critiques about IT. I'm taking this class because I do feel as though technology has surpassed me :-(

Reflection: Learning Theories & School IT

I learned that it is best to do something as soon as your mind recalls it. Such as, once I printed the course objectives and assignments along with due dates, I should have immediately hole-punched the info and bound it in a binder. Then, I should have posted the due dates on my mirror or p.c.. Dah?! Can we have an extended grace period for our first blog. This is only my second one in my entire life. The first was was in your class on May 30, 2009; therefore I was anxious and relunctant to began, like many students are to new tasks. Please don't lower or deduct points from our first grade if we beat the 6-15-09 deadline. Please. I learned that I need to get and stay organized and punctual and that I desparately need to avoid hitting "ALT" button because I always lose my cursor and data and have to begin again, like I used to back in the 1980s. Yuk!

As far as "learning theories, " are concerned I combine "all" of them because various students have "different ways of learning," know as multiple "learning styles." So, I constntly adjust my teaching style in order to accomodate a wide range of learning styles. I don't demand nor teach as though all the kids learn the same way that I do. I try to mmet the needs of all of my students not just the ones that are similar to me. I don't sppon feed students as if they're empty glasses or baby birds and I must fill them. I use a combination of the learning styles. I do provide background knowledge and expereiences when possible once I've assessed that some students don't have the knowledge or foundation needed for scaffolding new info.. But I teach more like a guide-on-the-side, like a mentor/coach/tutor not like a lecturer. I believe that students (myself included) learn best by doing or applying info. and by learning how to find it and know it's purpose versus rote memorization. Students should be able to answer these questions:

• Why do I need to know this?
• Why can't I skip ahead to an advance step right now and skip some of this boring stuff?
• How can I find proven researched based information? Facts?
• How can I apply this information? Use it?

These questions are at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy. They involve: Evaluation (Conclusion, Decide, Interpretation, Justify, Predict, Select, Prioritize, Support). As, I stated earlier, I know that I do have to directly teach some facts/knowledge base info. and then check for comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis. I have to try to provide some of the gaps that are in the students' experience or lack thereof. I learned that this must be carried out in a "student repectful/centrered" manner. My philosophy is, "All kids are gifted, some just open their presents later than others." Patience and respect for each individual student is needed in order for students to take risks during their education. Cultural sensitivity is especially needed. All families do not resemble middle class, suburban families; yet family styles should be respected not dispised, ridiculed, nor ignored as if shameful or non-existent or as if only certain family structures are successful and others aren't. I learned that if students are made to feel inferior, embarrassed, or disrespected that the teacher could be Nationally Board Certified and Highly Qualified and still fail to be a good teacher. Teachers are hired to service children and their families and society not because of our degrees and g.p.a. (recent lay-offs prove this fact).

I also learned that I do not know how to cut and paste well enough, in order to have cut and pasted my orginal essay, at the EDT 630 site, tothis blog. Please teach me, soon! Thanks!

As far as IT is concerned, Ilearned that some schools and school districts possess more technology than others yet the "human teacher" is or should be the greatest asset in the classroom. Even "Distant Learning and Online" classes need an effective teacher. Thank-you, Mrs. Yu-mei Wang. Thanks, for your support. I need it. I will be "bugging" you, often.

Reflection: My Learning Theory & Classroom IT

So far, I have learned that I should have hole punched the classroom info/assignments that I printed from Blackboard.com immediately and placed them in a binder for easy access & memory jogging of due-dates. I also learned that I should have taped "all" due date to my p.c.. I also, learned that I am going to be penalized for this late entry. Can we have some "grace" in regards to this first blog since we didn't practice it in the "warm up?" Please! This is only my second blog in my life. The first occured in class a few weeks ago. Also, new learners are often anxious about even getting started on an unfamiliar task. More "grace" for this first blog, please.



During the "warm-up," I learned a little bit more about Blackboard.com, than in previous classes. Also, I learned I teach from a combination of "learning/teaching.

Dear Teacher and Classmates,
This was my second blog. I had technical problems and am now relieved to know that the system saved my data. My blog began after this one is the one that I want to be graded and viewed by the class.