Who I'm following....

I am now blogging buddies with Sarah and Cara from Mrs. Kreb's class. They are keeping this blog to create poetry and other writings.
I also chose to follow Meet me at the Garden Gate blog. It is a blog designed for parents to allow them to see what their child did in school that day. I think this is an excellent and easily assesible site for both parents and teachers.

I comment on both Kirsti's blog as well as AMACK.

Edutopia - Nafiza!

I really enjoyed this video. I find that Nafiza is doing a great job at what she is doing. At first I was a bit taken back for it seemed as though all she did was play video games that were not educational, however, technology does have to be just for fun and not always for educational purposes. I can most certainly relate about her addiction to technology. My cell phone is used as myalarm clock, I do not in fact own an actual alarm clock. I also always have my iPod in, music is something I cannot go a day without, therefor having something such as my iPod is an essential and easily assesible item.




I found that the different games the Nafiza had that allows for teens to get a better understanding of what is happening in the world around us was an excellent thing. The news can be somewhat difficult to understand, especially for people of that age, by making something available to them that they are able to understand invites teens to be more involved and active in the world and the issues that may be occuring in other countries. I found like game about Darfur a bit disturbing at first because it was made into a game when in real like the situations occuring there are horrific, however, it made me see that it helps teens and young adults to grasp a better understanding of how life really is for those who live in places such as Darfur. I know that when watching the news or reading different ariticles I too do not always understand everything that is being said, so having a different means of media to help explain that helps me to have a deeper understanding of what is going on around the world.

Digital Youth Portfolio for Nafiza.

I believe Nafiza is doing a great job and using technology in an educational manner, as well as for entertainment value. She seems to be a great student with ideas to help other teens, like herself. She is not just using technology as a means to pass the timewhen she is out of school but she is using it to reach out to others and help.

Peek for a Week

Peek for a Week in Room 9.




Peek for a Week is an excellent education tool and technique that can greatly help and encourage children to learn in the classroom as well as outside the classroom. By using a variety of media outlets children have endless possibilities for learning. Means of technology allow for education to not be so dry and traditional, by using technology you are incorporating what kids are interested in with learning, it makes for a much smoother and exciting learning experience. Bringing technology into the classrooms steers way from what is considered traditional schooling, which I find to be a good thing. Children do not learn the way they once did, they do not even learn the way I did when I was in elementary school

I find that this would be a great thing for parents as well! Parents can visually see what their children are working on and this may allow for them to be more hands on and involved in their child's education. Additionally, they will be able to track their child's progess.

These types of techology weren't even available to me as a child in school. However, I do remember how exciting "lab" day was, where as a class we would visit the computer lab for about 45 minutes and have to choice to play different games that were available. I find that this media outlet is an incredible learning tool and experience for both the child and the teacher. I hope that I am able to teach in a school that allows for this type of learning. I would most certainly like to give my kids these opportunities to learn in ways that I did not. I want to be able to proive my students with these luxuries that can enrich their education greatly. We are living in such a technological time that we must take advantage of it in every asect possible.

Blogging Buddies!

I found this to be a very interesting a unique way for younger children to learn how to blog. It is a creative and fun activity students can enjoy while being able to use technology they way they would like. With students now days being so technologically driven and having such a strong want to play with computers using blogging as a teaching method is a great idea. The blogging buddies is an excellent resource for helping children to self correct such things as grammar and spelling. They are in some ways teaching themselves instead of being told what to do all the itme. Having the blogging buddies system is also a great thing for children because they have a mentor they can look up to and model. Kids now days need to be able to have good rolemodels and older students that they can look up to and resemble. I remember in elementary school we would have different high school students come in to our classroom and read with us. I thought it was the coolest thing. I loved being around older kids and I looked up to them a lot. I find that it's somewhat of the same concept and I think its a great idea for children, it also gives them something to really look foward. Kids do not always care much for reading and writing, so by making the subjects something they can look forward to they are more prone to putting forth more effort and actually enjoy what they are doing. I think this would be something I could use in my classroom. I hope that I am fortunate enough to teach in a school system that can afford the computers so that I too can set up a project similar to this one. Something like this would however be rather difficult for schools that cannot afford computers.

Cameron!

After watching the video about 11 year old Cameron, first of all, he is a stud! It's unreal even how much kids in a younger generation know so much about technology when I myself though I knew a lot. He seems like a very busy kid and its amazing he has time to do all that he does. Being a dance teacher I am around kids Cameron's age nearly everyday and it's amazing the things they have when it comes to technology. I have students that have cooler ipods and phones than I do. All my students, of every age it seems, have a facebook account with more friends than I have. It's a bit unreal how much technology is available to children now days. Cameron seems to use his knowledge of technology in a benecifal way not just for social networking but for education and for helping others as well. His technology habbits are also there to help him improve himself. If more students like Cameron could find a way to use their technology as more of an education purpose versus an social network they might be better off. I would love to be able to use videos such as the ones Cameron has created in order to give kids in my classroom a different outlook on subjects they are learning, especially math. Because the generation I will be teaching is so wrapped up in technology they will be more intuned to learning something via facebook than reading it out of a book. I believe the new style of teaching through technology is amazing, if done correctly. Our times have changed, there for the ways of learning must change too.

About Me! <3

My name is Kara-Don Thompson, most people call me Kara-Don or KD for short. I am 21 and a junior at UCO. I am an early childhood education major in hopes of becoming an 2nd grade teacher here in the Edmond School Discrict. I am a dance teacher at two different dance studios in Edmond. I have been dancing for 19 years and couldn't imagine my life without dance. I love watching American Idol and Keeping Up with The Kardashians. I like to spend time with my friends and boyfriend and have an awesome family. I look forward to this semester for after this I will only have a year left of school. I cannot wait to be a teacher. Being a teacher is the only thing I have ever imagined myself doing. I grew up with great teachers and had always hoped of being like them one day, so being a teacher only seems natural to me. I am a bit unsure of how to manage a classroom or in fact teach children something other than dance moves. I am nervous about this semseter because I am taking two math classes and I absolutly suck at math. That is all for now!!