Week 5: Wki, Personality, and Learning Styles

1. Personally I don't put much faith in Wikipedia. The fact that any person or persons can on here and post potentially false information about a subject and pass it off for truth should make anybody wary of using it. I'm no saying that everything on there is incorrect, I have found factual information on there before, but people should always double check. I would not let my students cite any information off of this site for this reason though, just like all of my professors won't allow me to use it in class.

2. The book seems to think that learning community conversing is helpful and while there are some that would agree with this, I also know that there those that would disagree. Personally, I believe that it would depend on a person's learning style. This is why a teacher needs to have a variety of teaching strategies in the classroom.

3. This is an interesting question. I don't believe that a person's learning style is dependant on their personality type. Rather, I believe they may be independent of each other. A person that is an EFSJ, like me for example, may do better in a learning community or they may do better in traditional teaching. They may possibly do well in both. I believe a persons learning style just depends on the individual.

Week 4: Spreadsheets

I have always liked using Excel. I have found it to be very easy to use and I think it can be very useful when used for any project where information needs to be mapped out. As a teacher, Excel would be very useful to store information like grades or to create any number of projects for students, like time lines. The advantage of a spreadsheet over a calculator is that the spreadsheet can calculate any numerical information to be related mathematically in any way a person wants.
Really, I use Excel only for the three primary functions: storing, calculating, and presenting information.

Week 3: Technology and Classroom Writing

1. I found the Inspiration software to be a fascinating addition to any classroom. I like how the program using visual and hands-on technique, combined with technology, to help students to think independently and work creatively on their research. On the website there were many different links for students, teacher and parents. Parents could go online and order packages for their home computers so that children could continue work they have in the classroom. As a teacher, this software could be very beneficial in helping students brainstorm ideas for any type of research paper for really any class.

2. Different types of writing would be able to use technology. Creative, collaborative, research writing are some examples.
A teacher could help students with revisions by having student-to-student feedback. Research has shown this type of feedback could actually be more effective than teacher-to-student feedback. This will also help lessen time teachers would have to make to give their own written feedback. In the book, they recommend using a program called SWoRD, which is a peer review system that helps students give peer reviews while ensuring validity and lack of bias in those reviews.

My thoughts on blogs

I am fine with blogs. I have blogged a few times before now and have found it to be a kind of journal for my thoughts and opinions. It's also a good outlet for stress relief.

I think that blogging would be beneficial when ised for educational purposes. A teacher that blogs regularly over content that was reviewed in class and any plans and goals they might have for the class is making that extra effort to help students and maintain contact with the parents. For students, blogging could be helpful in many ways. More students are spending more time on the internet so the fact that they could post homework assignments while they are already online could increase student participation. Also, for students that have difficulty asking questions in class or a student that might need to ask additional questions about a praticular assignment, would have easier access to contact their instructor without feeling vulnerable and not having to wait till the next day or two to ask their question.

As for blogging being a waste of time for some people, I'm inclined to think that maybe they haven't tried to blogging themselves. But then, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

Life of Sheena

My name is Sheena Meziere and I am a senior at Texas A&M University-Commerce. I am completing my Music Education degree and next semester I will begin student teaching. Music is a big influence in my life, I enjoy things like going to listen to the opera and symphony. I also enjoy other types of music. I recently went to see Metallica and Ozzy and thoroughly enjoyed that show.

Orignally from Louisiana, I moved to Texas when I was about 10 years old and have been here since. I travel often to other states like Florida, California, and New York to name a few. Every winter my family and I will go to Colorado or Utah for skiing. In the summer I spend a lot of time on the lake water skiing and swimming.

I'm what you might call a "non-traditional" student. I started my college education when I was 23 and I will almost be 28 when I graduate. In the years between high school and college I worked in a few different careers but just wasn't happy with any of them, so after much thought I decided to return to school.

That's about it for now, more to come later!