Blog Assignment 3

Peer Editing Video / Peer Editing Slide Show

Peer is someone that is of equal status with another person with one belonging in the same age group, grade level, or status. Editing  is when you prepare something normally a written assignment for presentation or publication. When you combine the two you get that peer editing is when someone of your same status prepares your presentation for publication. There are three steps to completing a peer edit: Compliments, suggestions, and corrections . The main thing is you need to stay positive. Always make sure whatever you say is in the positive light and not negative. Be kind. Act just how you would want to be treated. Just think about how it would feel if someone said horrible things to you about your presentations.  Start your edit with compliments. Tell the author what he or she did well, what you liked, or what proper grammar they used. Then you make suggestions. Be specific. Tell the author directly what you want them to work on and what would make their presentation better. When you make suggestions think about their word choice. Did they use words to grab your attention? Think about did they give good detail about what they were talking about. Was their paper organized and not jumbled up? Can you understand how the presentation fits together? Then check for grammatical errors. But remember to always stay positive that is the main objective.

This video and slide show on peer editing was just a refresher of what proper etiquette is. I never really realized how important staying positive truly is. I know it would be very hurtful to say suggestions in the wrong way. It is so very important to say things in a nice friendly manner. I knew before this video that peer editing was about checking for grammatical errors but i skipped over the fact to leave compliments. It gave me a new perspective on how to write to my peers.

Writing Peer Review Top Ten Mistakes


A little girl is the newscaster and she gives some examples of how not to be when you peer edit. The first one is Picky Patty who is too picky when it comes to her editing. She says, "You have too many ands". Then there is Whatever William who just does not care. He shrugs his shoulders and just sighs. Social Sammy is the one that is in every-bodies business instead of doing his own work. Jean the Generalizer does not give you details about what you did wrong or right. She says, "Um, you didn't add a period." "Where?" "Everywhere." Mean Margret is rude to you and says awful things. She is the one that calls you mean names and degrades you. Loud Larry is the one that does not know what his library voice his. Pushy Paula likes to push her ideas on you until you have no choice but to cave in. She will push her view even if she is wrong. Off-Task Oliver does not know how to keep on track. He likes to veer off topic and talk about other things then the editing. Speedy Sandy tries to get the end of the project as fast as possible without spending much time on one thing for very long. Defensive Dave takes everything too personal. He thinks whatever you say is a personal attack against him. So these are the examples of what NOT do when you peer edit.


Technology in Special Education

This  video gives you a small idea about how technology has helped special education students. Lacey Cook talks about how technology has helped her students in the classroom. She believes that it is a major factor in facilitating classroom participation. She has used technology to send assignments through email, powerpoint presentations, and set up a website for the students to access. The video gives examples about how difficult their lives were without technology and how much technology helped change their lives. Corbin used to need an aid to read aloud to him. Now he can use an ipod and have it read to him. Kris is handiable and before technology he would use a laminated piece of paper with the alphabet on it to communicate with everyone. Now with technology he can use a computer to talk for him. One student has trouble seeing small print and with technology his computer enlarges the print so that he can read it. His computer has helped him do assignments quicker as well. Lacey Cook has made technology a main objective in her classroom. She believes it helps build relationships and communications that were not in place before technology. She feels like it also helps her students stay focused and that they learn more then when just using textbooks.

I am still uncertain about using technology in the classroom. I still feel that books can provide imagination, something that television and the internet does not provide. I feel like technology can help in many ways. It can help a student talk or read. I do feel that technology is only beneficial if you are doing things like projects. I don't feel like sitting a child in front of a television or computer is going to do them any good. I love how Corbin was able to use an ipod to help him read. I find that fascinating how technology can do so much. I think technology should definitely be in the classroom to assist handiable students. The technology can be used to assist students that cannot talk by speaking for them, students that have trouble seeing by speaking aloud what the messages say and what the pictures are, and so many other ways. I think technology will be nothing but beneficial for special needs children.

Apple Education Apps

I recently looked at the Apple Apps to see which would be good for special education. I found that i liked the App FirstWords: Feelings. I feel that learning about feelings is such an important thing. I try and teach my daughter so much about how she is feeling so that she understands what is okay and what is not. I think it is important for the students to know and learn to express their feelings in healthy way. I know that a lot of students that come into my classroom will not know how to express or understand their feelings. I think this app will be a great icebreaker to get them used to what they are feeling.

.Gary Hayes Social Media Count

Gary Hayes created a counter that counts per second in four different categories: social, mobile, games, and heritage. It describes medians from facebook to twitter to movies to music.He put together this flash player to show exactly how active and dynamic the world is.

 I found it interesting the number of people that went to an orchestra verses how many music downloads their are. It makes me feel like the world is losing touch with its' culture. I find it saddening that people don't go to orchestras or symphonies.  I like the fact that there are still more physical books being sold versus ebooks. It shows to me that at least people are holding on to some part of the "older times".

I have many mixed emotions and ideas about the counter.The media makes me think that it is very likely that the classroom setting will very likely become more online friendly. It is still hard to believe that one day the classrooms will be fully integrated with technology but with these statistics it shows that it is still more likely.

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

To say I have been challenged as a future teacher is an understatement. My mind has been blown away by this video. This video is empowered by students at Kansas State University and the video was created by Michael Wesch and his anthropology class. 200 students collaborated online and made 367 edits to bring to you the findings in this video. The results were shocking. What will students say when asked directly, "what are you thinking?". They answer the idea of what are students today. I am in a massive class but only some of my teacher even know my name. I buy the textbooks required of me but I do not even open them. I barely do half of the readings given to me and only some are relevant to my life. "I will read 8 books this year. 2,300 web pages. 1,281 facebook profiles." I will write a small amount of paper for your class but i will more then quadruple that amount in the emails I will create. The average students breaks up their time by  doing "7 hours of sleep, 1.5 hours watching T.V., 3.5 hours online, 2.5 hours listening to music, 2 hours on my cellphone, 3 hours in class, 2 hours eating, working 2 hours, and 3 hours studying" which totals to "26.5 hours a day." I will be in major debt when I graduate but there are those that are less fortunate then me that barely make ends meet. Standardize tests don't get me to the job in the future and won't help me deal with the problems I face day to day. "Some have suggested that technology can save us.... I facebook through most of my classes. I bring my laptop to class but i'm not working on class stuff." This video shows where me as a student stands as a number against every other student.

As a future teacher this video changed so much for me. It went along with some of my feelings I already had and changed some of my feelings that I didn't. My belief that technology is well attended but not always the best was justified by this video. Given their own free will most of the students chose to do other things during class via their technology. Though I do feel like the students are crying out for their classes to be more alive. This breath of life comes from technology. So it really is which is the lesser of two evils. As a student I feel their pain. I have been a number in the system not a name. As an elementary school teacher I feel like I can bring so much more to the table and awaken these young minds. If I were to be a professor I would be lost in the storm. I know that I can provide life skills and memorable lessons to the table. I know I can make a difference. The issues though comes from when technology takes over, consumes you. I feel as though too much technology is just as evil as no technology. I feel that left alone and unguided it can and will pose an issue in the classroom. If students are left unguided with their computers and cellphones then they use them however they see fit. Which more and likely means facebook usage. I feel like this video brought to  my attention how the students feel. I am really grateful it was a requirement for my class.