IEP Overview

Edu Blogging

For my individualized education project, I decided to report on the site I set up for the private school at which I teach. Last year, I single-handedly published the school newspaper. Though the students, parents, staff, and community members greatly appreciated the monthly publications, I knew I would not have the time to commit to such an undertaking this year. However, the students were inspired by the newspaper to excel and really enjoyed the reward of seeing their names in print, and the community members valued being able to stay current with what the students were learning. I knew I could not just pull the paper without replacing it with something of equal value. I began considering setting up and administering a school site where the students’ work would be featured. I also thought this would be an opportunity for the students to learn basic word processing and technological skills. Setting up and administering such a site would be completely new to me, and I relished the challenge. Because of the other programs I taught the students which they incorporated into their site pages, this IEP ended up much more expansive and involved than I imagined!


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Online Community Journey

The Search

In my search for a social web that would fulfill this assignment, I joined many online communities in an effort to find one where teachers actually interacted. I discovered that perhaps as a result of their intense schedules, many teachers will join a site, but never really check back to engage in any discussions.

The first site I joined seemed to have a largely Asian constituency whose members failed to login after their initial posting. Widening my scope, I joined the National Association for Down Syndrome Discussion Board since one of my students at my private school (who is also my youngest brother) is Downs, and since I also help with the special education students at the public school in which I'm presently interning. Though this site really didn’t provide any new ideas, it was helpful to read that others have gone through similar struggles and are in similar transitions. Using the name Pondskater, I was able to give them some ideas from my own experiences.

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Teens and Technology - A Good Match?

Overview

Technology has made amazing advances in promoting educational advantages in the classroom, such as Smart Boards and online grade viewers. However, with students spending increasing amounts of time hooked to a media gadget of one sort or another, psychologists and family awareness advocates are beginning to raise some questions. What affect does media immersion have on youth? How much time should be absorbed by media devices? Who should set the standards and establish guidelines? While alerting youth oversights to the risks of unsupervised media exposure, John Matuzsak's article establishes its validity when used wisely.


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“Thinking about Story” and “Applying Story Maps”

Overview:

In chapters 5 and 6 of his book entitled Digital Storytelling in the Classroom, Dr. Ohler discusses the 3-step process of writing a digital story: the story core, the story map, and storyboarding. A story core is comprised of a hero’s problem or challenge, a transformation, and a resolution. Concisely expressed, a story core is necessary for the flow and pacing of a story. Without a track to guide it, a story too easily derails. Even with a track, a story needs a map. Story maps integrate not only the plot information and story elements, but emotion and action as well, providing a more complete analysis of the story’s destination. Storyboarding, on the other hand, is not always necessary for every story. Providing an overall conception of flow and continuity by outlining story motion, storyboarding is a technique commonly used in the movie industry and of utmost help when forming a plan for digital stories.

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My Digital Story Saga

Researching

Writing and producing a digital story is an adventurous, rewarding process! Researching WWII in the Aleutians occupied several weeks. I wanted to provide more than just dry data strung together with a smattering of story. In order to "flesh out" the character of Jack, and even his Aleut friend Charlie to some extent, I needed to really dig into the lives of the real people involved in the action and capture their personalities. This was the part I enjoyed the most! It was difficult, but I did find sources who revealed their characters along with providing substantial data.

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3 Internet Resources

New York Times Impacts the Classroom

As a history teacher, I have found the emphasis of history books and materials to center around important past events and significant people who contributed to those events. While I believe that it is definitely necessary for the students to learn about the world they live in, the cultures that enrich it, and the times that have shaped it, I remember with great appreciation the history teacher of my high school days who began each history class with a synopsis of contemporary events. Of course, this was in the days of backwoods Alaska where she glued her ear to the static-ridden airwaves of a radio to jot down notes of the outside world.

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My Philosophy of Education Project

Reflection


As an educator, it is important for me to reflect on my educational philosophy, determining if I am meeting my goals. This project was key in ascertaining my position. My main obstacles were my dysfunctional laptop and malfunctioning internet, but it taught me patience and forbearance, both very necessary traits of caring, compassionate educators! I enjoyed the creativity involved in fulfilling this assignment. Deciding which photos to include was difficult at times! My only regret is that I do not have a program which has multiple audio tracks, so my narration prohibited background music.

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Assessment: "Orchestrating the Media Collage"

Overview

“Orchestrating the Media Collage” addresses the fundamentals of literacy, a term previously confined to one’s ability to read and write. Through the progression of time and the advancement of technology, literacy is no more relegated to the world of phonetics; in his essay, Dr. Ohler describes literacy as the “skills, expectations, and perspectives involved in living in a technological society.” He addresses integrating technological literacy into the classroom while discovering its usefulness in many varying applications.

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