Blog Post 5

I learned so much from watching the conversations with Anthony Capps. It was very neat to hear from a 3rd grade teacher who is actually using all the things that we are using in this class. Every single one of the videos taught me something a little different, but most of them seemed to center around using technology in the classroom. You can use it in almost every aspect of teaching, and it really enhances how kids learn because you're incorporating things that they are already using.

In the first two videos I watched, Project Based Learning Part 1 and Part 2, it was very interesting to hear some examples of how he is actually using project based learning in his classroom. He is being recognized not just in his school but also all across the state, so obviously what he's doing is working! The fact that he could point out what to do when your projects don't go as planned like in the Afghanistan project, helped me to see how teachers have to constantly be ready for things to go wrong. He lists that quality of a teacher in the video Tips for Teachers as well, so it's obvious that that is a big part of what he does.

The other big thing that I learned through these videos is that these kids are running circles around us as far as technology is concerned. In the video Don't Teach Tech-Use it, he is talking about them easily using programs that I sometimes struggle to understand and often get frustrated with. This makes me really want to work harder to get the hang of all of it, and take advantage of things that I'm given access to like he does with things like Discovery Ed and iCurio. Overall, the information in all the videos not only taught me a lot about what life in the classroom is really like in today's world but also encouraged me that it is possible to incorporate these tings effectively.

Blog Post 3

I've never been a very big fan of peer reviews. Actually, I really hate peer reviews. I never like telling someone that the thing that they put a lot of work into has mistakes, and I definitely don't enjoy hearing it. After watching What Is Peer Editing? and reading Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, I do feel a little bit better about the whole process. I like the idea of putting a positive spin even on your criticism.

It can be difficult not to take personal offense to someone critiquing your work, but I think for the most part, they don't like saying it just as much as you don't like hearing it! After looking at those two resources, I had to take a step back and really think about the way I review and the way I take a review. The part that hit home the most with me was definitely in the video when she said not to take it personally. That's difficult for me, but it's something I fully intend to work on.

I think I've found myself in many of the position that were comically portrayed in Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes. I've experienced people who have no helpful feedback at all but still manage to make me feel incompetent, and I've had people give me great feedback in a very mean way. After watching that, I really will try to be much more intentional in my peer editing. Number one, I will be striving to do it in such a way that is helpful but doesn't make the person feel dumb. I'll also attempt to find the good in everything that I read. Because even when it really is bad, there is always something redeeming.