Lesson Plans for Booktrack Classroom

I shared my lesson plans in Google Drive.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m1HZcIRj79ABh-x7lFRv7PHqdZBvSIriQsiq2bN6cxI/edit?usp=sharing

Bailey 10/21 Reading

Bailey refers to the technological disconnection teachers are experiencing in the classroom. This is due to the students constantly being up to date on the of the latest technologies. Students are always connected to technology- it may be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. They want to feel "connected" with in the classroom as well.
 I commend Carol Olson for doing the "work" in order to connect with her students on an technological level. Her use of music videos and video games in order to "hook" the students allowed the students to view her in a different light and made her more approachable.
I liked that she didn't give up on blending technology into her classroom but she worked through the process of integrating technology into the fiber of her lessons.

During my own personal experience working with special-education and English language learner I found that the students embraced technology. It was comforting to them to work with something that they were familiar with.  It built their confidence and brought them out of their shell. Once they felt comfortable we would introduce the intended lesson and allowed them to work through the process using various technologies.

In this day and age it would be naive to think that technology wouldn't be just as valuable in the classroom as pencil and paper.  Carol Olson exemplifies the type of educator who is constantly educating herself to benefit the student in their classroom.

The Road Not Taken 10/20/14

When I initially began working with WeVideo I found it to be simple and easy. The following is an excerpt from a blog post that I intended to publish.



 I choose to use WeVideo for my Digital Poetry Interpretation project. I've been out exploring the wilderness and was able to take many pictures and videos that I feel would fit neatly into the delivery of my poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.
I decided to begin my project by adding several photos from my Facebook account. The first thing I had to do was to give WeVideo permission to access my Facebook account in order to link the two. Next, I had to chose which Facebook folder and photos I wanted to download- a click and an ok to download the photos was all it took to add them to the "My media" folder of WeVideo.
I found the process simple enough to do. There are other platforms besides Facebook that are available to connect and download from. The following is the complete list of web services WeVideo offers a link to:

• Google Drive
• Instagram
• Flickr 
• Facebook
• Dropbox
• Picasa
• Box
• OneDrive
• Dailymotion
• and of course your computer   

It is after the downloading of the various media that my difficulties with WeVideo began.  I was able to insert the video and/or pictures I needed as well as the music with ease. When I wanted to edit the length of each slide I had to do so individually- this I found to be a pain. I also had trouble when it came to adding my voice as I read the poem.  I could visually see the files of the various readings but was not able to insert them into my video. If there was a way I wasn't able to find it. This caused me to lose time recording an audio track that I had already done. Even though I decided not to use a theme there were several cute ones to choose from. 

In the end I found it extremely difficult to align the music, slides, and my reading of the poem.  I experienced technical difficulties when I first initially played my video for the class as the music drowned out my voice.  I had to go back into the editing mode of WeVideo and change the volume to each, the music and my voice. Once I was able to balance them out I had to re-publish my video to view it before the class.  

I could go on and on about the pros and CONS of WeVideo but lets talk a little about the process of dissecting the poem in this platform. 

As much as I LIKED Frost's poem prior to start of this project I now LOVE it! This project forced me to slow down and really getting into the meat of Robert Frost's words.  I was able to look past the visual aesthetics created by the weaving of Frost's words and appreciate his ability to draw attention how the powerful choice has in influencing one's personal development.   This is not the "badass" poem that I once thought it to be. To me this poem defines the journey through life as being full of pathways of choice and understanding, trails lined acceptance and appreciation, and roads paved with ugliness and beauty. We are all a product of the roads we've taken, both good and bad, and they have shaped who we are today.  We have the power to take a different route and chose another destination, I know I have.

Night~ Elie Wiesel

A few years ago my middle son, Jonathan, read "Night" by Elie Wiesel for school. Jonathan would often come home and talk about horrible things that Mr. Wiesel had gone through and how he was able to overcome and live a good life despite everything. He would often encourage (nag) me to read "Night" but never really found the time to do so. I now know why Mr. Wiesel's story made such an impact on my son. It is a story of survival and of hope while surrounded by darkness and fear.

Although I was taken aback by many of the horrific and unimaginable events that Mr. Wiesel witnessed and experienced I was more impressed with his ability to remain "whole." I now understand why this book would be shared with high school students. This book is shocking and awful yet it exemplifies how the human spirit can overcome adversity, something students can relate to on various levels. 

I hate to say that I enjoyed reading "Night" because it's unimaginable to think of the events that unfolded, but I did. I take away hope, faith, and optimism from within the pages of "Night."  

LibriVox- Audiobook

      A few years ago, I noticed that whenever I would attempt to read a book I would become distracted. I was distracted by my boys, my furkids, the cars driving by my house, the neighbor weedeating, or the sound of my washing machine on spin cycle.  Almost anything and everything would cause me to lose my focus.  I've always been the girl who had a book in hand and not being able to concentrate was becoming increasingly frustrating.  I took to the internet in search of help and was happy when I stumbled across this little gem:  "LibriVox- Free public domain audiobooks."
      LibriVox is a totally free website which offers a variety of audiobooks from Walt Whitman to Hans Christian Anderson.  My first experience with LibriVox was with Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel, "The Jungle".  I was amazed how much easier it was to tune out the distractions around me and become engrossed with the story.  I also found it extremely helpful when I began my first ever reading of Shakespeare.  I soon as I was assigned to read Hamlet I could feel my anxiety take over. I had no idea how to pronounce half of the words on the page.  Thankfully I was able to utilize LibriVox as an educational tool.  I read through Hamlet the first time with the use of LibriVox and became familiar with the language of Shakespeare.  I was able to read through it a second time by reading it aloud to myself without the use of LibriVox.
      Although I am content reading aloud to myself the more daring reader can add to the audiobook library by reading for LibriVox. As it is purely by the voices of volunteers that LibriVox is powered.
       I know there are a lot of audiobook sites out there but I think LibriVox's mission objective
"to make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet" makes them stand out from the crowd. I hope you'll give LibriVox a try and that you'll enjoy it as much as I have.

The following is taken directly from the LibriVox "About" section of their website.

Our Fundamental Principles

• Librivox is a non-commercial, non-profit and ad-free project
• Librivox donates its recordings to the public domain
• Librivox is powered by volunteers
• Librivox maintains a loose and open structure
• Librivox welcomes all volunteers from across the globe, in all languages

Kajder~ Adolescent Literacy

Within Sara Kajder's 2010 book, "Adolescents and Digital Literacies: Learning Alongside Our Students",  she addresses several adolescent literacy myths and concerns.  Included within her words is a variety of ideas and solutions that teachers, school programs, and policymakers can utilize.

Kajder swiftly exposes the truth behind several adolescent literacy myths. The following are examples of such misconceptions-

• “Literacy refers only to reading.” - While literacy does include reading it also “encompasses …, writing, and a variety of social and intellectual practices that call upon the voice as well as the eye and hand.”
• “Students Learn everything about reading and writing in elementary school.” - Although a foundation of literacy learning is establish in elementary school “literacy learning is an ongoing and nonhierarchical process.”

As studies continue to show students struggling with literacy it is  important to discount myths such as these and move into a place where progress can be made.

In an early study it was found to be that a whopping  "40 percent of high school seniors never or rarely write a paper of three or more pages", this is an alarmingly high number.  As these students graduate many are unprepared for the expectations of college level writing. Kajder illustrates the following four “dimensions of adolescent literacy” and the changes needed to be made from within to allow for “effective adolescent literacy”.

1. “Shifting Literacy Demands”-  Proficiency begins as students engage with a subject matter is presented as being clearly presented.  When presented writing prompts students must be able to “reflect on their current understandings, questions, and learning processes (to) help improve content-area texts.”
2. “Multiple and Social Literacies”- It is important for teachers to help the students to bridge their “everyday literacy practices” with the many classroom literacy disciplines.  This includes utilizing electronic applications such as the Nook and iPad to create an interesting forum of which the student to work upon.
3. “Importance of Motivation”- It is important for adolescents to be motivated enough to want to explore different subjects, eras, and genres within literacy. By “allowing student choice in writing tasks and genres can improve motivation.”
4. “Value of Monocultural Perspectives” -  Introducing the students to the issues and challenges that various cultures and ethnicities face in a tangible and empathetic manner will help them “move between cultures and communities and develop transnational understanding and collaboration.”  This understanding will promote the student to step outside their comfort zone when deciding on the literature they will read.   

Essentially it’s the adolescents’ teachers, social programs, and policymakers that will determine the opportunity for student success by implementing modifications within traditional programs already established.  The change needed can slowly take root, creating a foundation for success that the student can fairly obtain, preparing the adolescent for college-level literacy that they can build upon.

Technology & Me!

This semester I would like to learn how to use the following five technologies. My goal is to be able to integrate this technology into the classroom for both regular education students, as well as, the students who have IEP and 504 Plans. _________________________________ 1. Smart Board Technology

2. Kurzweil

3. LORE

4. Video Editing Programs

5. Cloud Storage