ENYA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrz_BawPMY&feature=related

Tim Tyson Video

I think the video really raises a good point, have your students work for more than just a grade.  It becomes more meaningful to them.  We have been discussing this isuue in Levy’s class.  Make writing more than a grade to your student.  Have another goal they can accomplish through writing.  In other words, give them the opportunity to earn a different type of reward such as sending the writing to a publication etc.  Tyson gives an example with Conrad that illustrates this concept.  As a future teacher I am trying to figure out what my teaching style will be like and how I plan to grade.  This is not easy for me because I want to write creatively with my students, but I do not want them to take advantage of my assignments.  Yet, I do not want to knock them if they really tried.  Oh the Dilema……….However, I do believe as Tyson illustrates in the video technology plays a role in student motivation.  I know if I want to reach my students and keep them engaged I will have to incorporate technology throughout the course.  From my observation when kids use technology they do not feel that they are restricted and they are able to be express their creativity.  As for me, I think I will be combining the feather cirlce idea with blogging.  I think the assignment we were given (the wordpress) can defintely be beneficial in the high school classroom.  If I get my student to make a blogging cite then they can publish their work for others in the classroom if they want.  In conclusion, there seems to be a need and want by the students to incoprate technology.  It is vital if we want to reach them and keep them motivated to connect with them on their level and relate the material to their day to day lives.

Wikipedia Refelctions

Wikipedia Reflection:

 

The Wikipedia Project was pretty easy once we got the hang of how to edit the page and insert the links.  I think our page would look better if we had a picture of the book with all of the publishing information, but we would have had to edit several pages in order to upload a picture.  Perhaps I’ll work on that in the future.  I do, however, have one gripe.  A few days after we posted our article, a Wikipedian came by and commented and flagged our page for several reasons.  He/she said that one of the reasons was that we needed to expand our article.  I then searched a bunch of other books, and I found that they were practically the same length as ours.  We added a little more to the plot summary, and we tried to make it objective.  My group all worked together extremely well.  It seemed as though we all took the initiative to do something.  I enjoyed the experience.

 

~ Lindsey Stetson

 

Wikipedia Reflection:

 

I’m glad I was introduced to Wikipedia.  I think I mentioned before I was unaware the average Joe (me) could edit and post on Wikipedia.  I felt intelligent.  However, the Wikipedian guy came by and took me off my pedal stool quit quickly when he flagged us.  Even though I think some of his points are valid, it still kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  Oh, and it’s really annoying we couldn’t upload our book’s cover.  Our group tried but it didn’t work out.  I’m glad this was a group project; we all had different ideas and were able to collaborate well together.  It was definitely an enlightening experience.    

 

Shannon Thompson

Personal Philosophy

Think Positive:

If you think you are beaten you are.

If you think you dare not , you don’t

Success begins with your own will….

It’s all in your state of mind.

Life’s battles are not always won byy those who are stronger or faster;

sooner or later the person who wins

Is the person who thinks he can!!!

RandJ again

Romeo and Juliet