Reflection on Authentic Writing

A group in my EIT class presented to us about authentic writing. They asked us to reflect as they presented their project to us.

Question 1: How would I use voice thread in my classroom.
One of the writing assignments the students are required to write are family stories. II could also use voice thread for this project. Students could post a picture and then tell a story about that picture. They would need to include a beginning, middle, and end in their voice thread story. Other students could then go in and comment on other student's stories. This would give the author feedback without the whole class having to listen to the student mumble and then give comments. Often, having students share stories and give each other comments, takes a long time. Because it takes so long, other students often become disengaged. By using voice thread, the same goal would be accomplished in a more engaging way.

Question 2: Reflect on 21Classes.com
This would be wonderful to use as an alternative to student daily journals. I have a few students that hate writing because of their handwriting. These students often benefit from having an electronic journal. This would be a great way for the teacher to post comments and to help ensure the privacy of the student.

Blogging from e-mail

I am trying something new! I am blogging from my e-mail. I have even
taken a photo of myself using a mac. Not the best photo, but not bad
for an 8:00 class.
We've been exploring mobile tools like Google 411 and SMS.

Other Blogs

I was researching some other blogs today. I noticed that it is hard to find a blog through the generic google search. I wondered how people find others blogs. Then, I saw that my professor had a link to a google blog search.

I tried it out and was amazed at how much easier it was. I guess when you're a novice like me, simple things can be hard!


As I was enjoying all the blogs (I happened to search a generic "grade three") I noticed one that a teacher used to inform her parents. It was a lot like a weekly newsletter. This would prevent the stuffing of the papers in the bags by students and the parents never getting those papers! You would need to make sure that all families have access to a computer. I love how this teacher also used the blog as a calendar for the parents of upcoming events.

Grade Three Blog

First Posting

Well, this is completely new to me! Before this month, (and my diving into a master's program) I was not even sure what a Blog was. I think that my learning curve is going to be very sharp as I am immersed into technology.

I guess I will start with my first aha thought of the week:
As I was reading Pensky's article Engage Me or Enrage Me I wondered why I had never even considered kids need changed instruction. It is such a simple concept, yet I had never stopped to consider its implications. I know that kids today are different from when I was in school, yet we try to teach them the same things in the same way.
This concept is thrilling and terrifying at the same time. It is exciting and thrilling to think about what these kids will be capable of in the future, with the right instruction. It is terrifying to think about overhauling the education system. Change is always terrifying.

Anyway, I've rambled enough for my first posting.
-Angi