Need to learn your ABC's?

Below is my Google Presentation of our photo scavenger hunt from class today, with help from my cohorts Lauren, Sandy, and Justin.

Enjoy!

Curiouser and Curiouser-My COLORFUL Digital Collection

Below is my digital collection assignment. The theme, as you can tell, is one of my favorite books-Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and just color in general. I had a little too much fun with this assignment-sometimes I wonder if graphic design might have been my path in life! However, I am terribly excited about using art in the classroom. I love the idea of making literature come to life using stunning images, and it is something I plan to bring into my class.

To Kill A....Google Doc?

I think every teacher knows the importance of proper planning. I'm not going to get into detail about all the pitfalls of unruly students or dysfunctional technology that occurs when lessons are thrown together on a whim.

I will, however, muse slightly on my recent experience with Google Docs while writing a lesson plan.

Pros: The file is easily shared with others. This is really great for teachers within the same school who want to do similar lessons. Also, the file is kept online and never lost even if your home computer crashes! Always a plus.

Cons: Google Docs is at this stage in its development, in my opinion, still a poor imitation of Microsoft Office. While it essentially performs the same actions, it takes the frustration one normally experiences when trying to format things in Word to a whole new level. For this reason, I will probably use Microsoft Office for final formatting of anything I wish to print even if I've worked on it in Google Docs.

And for those who are interested........
Here is Justin Lamb's and my recent Google Docs. lesson plan Photo Interpretations of To Kill a Mockingbird. Enjoy!!!

A call for better webquests

I am really interested in the potential that webquests have to offer for an English class. I see them as being great launching pads for research projects, or even better, as means to delve into a great piece of writing. Additionally, they not only get students exploring the context of literature, but engaging technology as well, which is a necessity in current society. The probability is high that I will use them when I teach.

However, I feel unsatisfied with many of the examples of webquests I've seen thus far. After searching the web and participating in the class evaluation of examples, most of them seem to be outdated, over-worked, or unnecessary. I feel a good webquest needs to be more than just a "see look, I'm using technology" approach to teaching. Not only does it need to be relevant, but it needs to accomplish something more than a worksheet with the same information printed on it could. For example, including videos or links to interactive websites justifies the use of a webquest. Oppositely, a project description with instructions does not.

Lastly, in regards to a good webquest....it doesn't hurt to have decent graphics either!

Hit or miss Shakespeare?

For a website evaluation activity, I wanted to look at websites dealing with the Bard because I will be teaching Romeo and Juliet this fall. In my quest, I found the site Shakespeare Online.



Shakespeare Online is a website owned and operated by a (assumed) Shakespeare Scholar who wanted to assist the general public in their struggles to read and appreciate Shakespearean Literature. It is very pro-Shakespeare and attempts to make his works accessible by equipping readers with the tools needed to get into that Elizabethan mindset.

This site has some pros and cons, which ultimately earn it an evaluation of "would recommend with reservations."

Pros: The best thing this site has going for it is that every Shakespeare work, including sonnets, are supplied in full text format. Quizzes are available to readers to check understanding. There are many articles that provide contextual information, such as the type of acting in Elizabethan theater or biographical knowledge of the man himself.

Cons: The website is authored and managed by one individual, who seems to have credentials BUT it is hard to actually verify this fact. Because there is no hard documentation of the author's education and work experience, any of her uncited articles should be trusted warily. Also, a few of the links are still under construction. Lastly, the site is sorely lacking in interesting graphics.

Don't be a fool......

While the Internet is amazing for finding information...and finding it fast.. it's really not always reliable. As educators, it's important that we know what websites are reliable to use in the classroom. Also, we need to educate our students to not trust everything Google pops up.

Speaking of Google...the following is a useful website I found using Google to search for website evaluation checklists. While I really don't think it is a good idea (or a sign of diligence) to trust the first item in a Google search, this one happened to really impress me.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/eval.html

The reason I like this website is that it provides in-depth checklists for every grade level, elementary, middle, and high school. Not only that, but what really impressed me is that it provides evaluation checklists for blogs, podcasts, and teacher websites. Lastly, it has links to many relevant articles at the bottom of the page. Enjoy and be wise with your www.coms!

Portfolios

During lunch today with my mentor teacher, the topic of portfolios actually came up in conversation. I was informed that not only are they encouraged, but at Farragut they are required. English instructors must have a portfolio to represent each student's completion of the assignments in the course. However, it is up to the individual teacher to choose whether or not that portfolio will serve as a form of assessment. Regardless, they are required as documentation.

So, this hits home the relevance of portfolios to us as teachers. They are indeed used out there and required. However, I would assert that most portfolios used in schools today are paper, not digital. I greatly hope this changes. Digital portfolios seem to me to be simply more practical, environmental, and secure. But I understand there are pitfalls; the main one being that projects (especially art related ones) that are more than typed documents may find themselves difficult to transfer into a digital format.

Great Expectations

As stated previously in my introduction post, I am pretty familiar with many common forms of technology. I've used Microsoft Office for school as long as I can remember, and I began surfing the Internet at age 8. However, I would be lying if I called myself an expert.

While blogging and social networking sites are comfortable for me, I really want to expand my horizons and learn about programs specifically related to education, and more specifically, English education. Also, I would like to explore some of the more "normal" technologies like social networking sites for their potential to be used in the classroom. I have many ideas already floating around in my head that could use some fleshing out, and I am positive this course will help with that!

I am a little concerned about how much technology will be available to me during my internship this fall. The English Department itself has little technology, so I will have to be creative with my plans, and look into utilizing resources from other parts of the school or create avenues for technology use that my students can interact with at home. Again, I hope this class will provide me with some pointers in this area.

Hello Class!

I am originally from Bristol, Tennessee, and I graduated from Tennessee High School in 2004. While in high school, I was involved in many extracurricular activities such as marching and concert band, swim team, track team, and academic societies. I attended UT for my undergraduate degree, and after a year of teaching at a local business/technical college, I am back to get licensed to teach high school English and to earn a Master's degree. I will be teaching freshman English at Farragut High School this fall, and I am super pumped about it. I love reading, and I want to encourage such a passion in my students. I also believe that the communication and critical thinking skills that an English education provides can equip students to succeed in any path in life.

As far as who I am personally is concerned, the following are the key significant facts. I am married, and have been for 3.5 years. My husband is humorously named Stephen King, just like the author, and we consistenly get jokes whenever we go out anywhere he uses his debit card. He graciously puts up with my two cats, Dottie and Myrtle. I am a Christian and I attend Cornerstone Church of Knoxville, and have been member for about 5 years. I am interested in just about any hobby, but the things I actually can make time for are reading, yoga, swimming, the gym, painting, photography, and watching classic movies (especially ones with Audrey Hepburn).

Concerning technology, I am familiar with the basics...texting, Google, Facebook, Itunes, etc. However, I am excited to learn how to use more complicated technologies in a high school setting.