Week Ten

Double Journal Entry #10


Quote- "We know now that dyslexia is about so much more than just mixing up letters — that many dyslexics have difficulty with rhythm and meter and word retrieval, that they struggle to recognize voices and sounds. It’s my profound hope that our schools can use findings like these to better teach children who struggle to read, to help them overcome their limitations, and to help them understand that it’s not their fault."


Answer- This quote makes me think about how I would handle a situation like this, or any other case in which a student suffers from a learning disability, and it makes me realize that every student is different. It's our job as teachers to embrace the different personalities and learning styles of each and every student, and learn the incorporate that into our lesson plans so that no one is left out. Every student should have an equal opportunity to learn, no matter what obstacles they may face.


Schultz, Philip. "Words Failed, Then Saved Me." New York Times 3 Sept. 2011: n. pag. NY Times. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.




Related Resource


Understanding Dyslexia


"Understanding Dyslexia ." KidsHealth - the Web's most visited site about children's health. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. <http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/>

Week Nine

Double Journal Entry #9

Quote: "Most psychological and human-computer interaction research focuses on two key differences between the internet and the other communication forms that evolved throughout history (telegraph, telephone, radio, television). First, internet users are relatively anonymous. Second, CMC is not face-to-face and therefore lacks the non-verbal features of communication such as tone of voice, facial expressions and other interpersonal features such as physical attractiveness."

I think this can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Online interaction is good because you can communicate with people you might not get to see very often, and you can keep in contact with old friends or family members in ways that might not be possible with a telephone or other forms of communication. However, it can be potentially dangerous to form new relationships via social networking sites and other forms of online communication. First, it's virtually impossible to know if the person you're interacting with is actually who they say they are. Anyone can go to Google Images, download and save a photo, and upload it and pretend it is their own. Also, even if you are communicating with someone you already know, it's impossible to judge their expression and the meaning behind the words they are using. There have been many times that I've been misunderstood or misunderstood someone else while chatting or even text messaging. All in all, communicating online can be fun and convenient, but it's still important to be cautious.

Owens, Laura. "Internet & Anti-Social Behavior Theory Unfounded: Facebook, MySpace, Online: Research Refutes Cyber Socializing Fears | Suite101.com." Laura Owens | Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. .

Related Resource:

Website Evaluation

Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

WHO...
Has someone taken responsibility for the content of this Web site?
-Yes, Lyle Zapato.

Can you contact the company or author through a real world postal address or phone number?
-Yes. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page, there is a link to Lyle Zapato's personal page, and his postal address is given there.

Are there any links to in-depth information about the author or organization?
-Yes. If you click on the link mentioned above, which takes you to zapatopi.net, and look under FAQ, there is a link that takes you to a page full of information about the author. It includes everything from the year he was born to his political and religious standpoints and so on.


WHAT...
Is emotion used as a means of persuasion?
-Definitely. The heading on the website reads, "Help Save The Endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus From Extinction!", with the words "endangered" and "extinction" in bold, red font and all caps. It's clear what his reason for making the site was, and what he wants you to do after reading the information.

Does the site clearly state the topics that it intends to address?
-Yes. The first four paragraphs on the homepage are all about the animal, with other sections telling the reader how the animal became extinct and how it can be helped.

Does the Web site offer a list of further in-depth resources or links to such resources?
-Yes. There are at least ten other sites listed.


WHERE...
Is it important that the information you're looking for be absolutely current?
-Not necessarily. Unless something drastic has been done, the animal is most likely still extinct. However, the information given is absolutely current, as the website was just updated today.

Is a reference date provided to show when the material was put online, or when it was last updated?
-Yes. The site was created on August 9, 2009, and was last updated today.

Do the links work?
-Yes.

Google Form

My Google Form

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDBrb0xUU0RtRUJsbkFlLW9YajE1Y2c6MQ

GameClassroom

The tool that I chose to use is GameClassroom. It's an online resource for parents, students, and teachers that is made up of educational games, worksheets, and videos that can be used for grades K-6, in the subjects of math and language arts. I plan to be a 6th grade social studies teacher, but I think that I could use this site in the classroom as a way to get students motivated to perfect their grammar and writing skills. No matter what subject matter you're learning, writing skills are always going to be important because you will be asked to do some form of writing in every class you have. It's important as a teacher to go through the writing skills and grammar games and double-check them for errors. If everything checks out and looks good, I think they could be used to prepare a 6th grade student for writing his/her first essay on a historical event.

http://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=GameClassroom

My Voki

As a teacher in the 21st century, it’s very important to integrate new technology into lesson plans, activities, and assignments. The world is becoming more fast-paced every day, and we as teachers must make sure that our students don’t fall behind. There are many ways in which students can learn from technology. For example, they can use online news sources to keep up on current events. They can use age-appropriate social networking sites, such as edmodo, to keep in contact with pen pals from all over the world. They can also use e Readers like the iPad, Kindle, or Nook to download a book for a book report, which is more efficient and environmentally friendly than buying a paper copy of a book. I plan to implement these ideas and others like them in my classroom.

Voki Lesson Plan

Magazine Cover

Week Seven

Double Journal Entry #7


Quote- "Educators face enormous challenges in preparing their students to be critical online readers. For the most part, the teaching of critical-thinking skills is not part of the regular curriculum, and printed text is still considered the mainstay of school reading."


Response- I really  wonder how much longer this will be the case. I already have had some classes that have opted for online texts over printed ones. I'm sure this trend will only continue to increase. Also, with devices like Kindles and Nooks that can download an entire book in a matter of minutes, paper texts might be a thing of the past sooner than we think.


David, Jane L.. "Teaching Media Literacy." Educational Leadership 66.6 (2009): n. pag. ASCD. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.




Related Resource


E-Texts in the Classroom


Hannon, Charles. "E-Texts in the Classroom." EDUCAUSE quarterly 31.1 (2008): 12-13.EQ. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.

Deconstructing Arnold

Photo 1

1. What do you see? How does he look? 

In this photo, Arnold is wearing a muscle shirt, gloves, and sunglasses. All of his clothing and accessories are shades of black, which give the impression that he is tough and a little mysterious. He also has a mean look on my face, which reiterates that he is a tough guy. The background is orange and red, which is very eye-catching. The cover also makes a lot of promises to get the reader looking fit quicker, which would probably be enticing for a lot of readers.

2.  How does he make you feel?

This photo makes me feel that Arnold is strong and maybe a little mean, and would probably beat the crap out of someone for looking at him wrong.

3. What do you think about this person now? How does he make you feel?

(Answered in question 2)

4. How does he look?  How do those "looks: influence how you feel?

He looks tan, muscular, and kind of intimidating.

5. What lifestyles, values, points of view are represented or omitted? 

This is definitely targetting young to middle-aged men (and maybe women) of all walks of life who want to pursue a lifestyle of athletics and body-building. I think it's portraying to readers that this is the best body for men to have, and all men should want to strive to look like this, which is definitely not the case in real life.

Photo 2

1. What do you see? How does he look?

In this photo, Arnold is dressed in red, white, and navy, with a lighter blue background, obviously trying to look patriotic. The cover tells us that he will be "the next Governor of California", so it's evident why he chose to dress this way. He has kind of a sneaky grin on his face and is pointing at the reader (Uncle Sam-esque), obviously trying to grab your attention.

2.  How does he make you feel?

I feel like he has a secret behind his seemingly fake smile... not unlike most politicians we see today. 

3. What do you think about this person now? How does he make you feel?

(Answered in question 2)

4. How does he look?  How do those "looks: influence how you feel?

His looks give me the impression that he wants to be viewed as a serious politician now and not just as a body builder or really buff actor. However, I personally don't really take him seriously just by looking at this photo.

5. What lifestyles, values, points of view are represented or omitted? 

I think it's obvious that this magazine is directed towards middle to upper class men, judging by the stories being portrayed, the picture of the scantily clad woman, and the language being used on the cover.

6. What are the differences between the two covers? What techniques are used to attract your attention? Pay attention to body language, clothing, camera angle, lighting, color, eye contact ect.

There are many differences between the two covers. In the first, he is wearing little clothing to show off his physique. In the second, he is dressed professionally and covered up. In the first, he looks carefree and we can't see his eyes behind his sunglasses. In the second, he is smirking and looking right at us, even pointing. The first photo is shot from below, making Arnold look even bigger and dominant than he really is. The second is taken from slightly above, making him look more vulnerable.