Lesson Plan Presentations

The first group that went to present today was great! They were very well prepared, and were very proffesional. They pointed out many interesting things about Romeo and Juliet. And their lesson plans for their presentations seemed to me like they were right on target with the age level that they were teaching. Overall i thought they did a superb job with their presentation.

The second group that went today was also very good. they talked about a very controversial topic. RACISM. However, they presented this story of the kids who were killed outside of a church very well. They were also very prepared, and they even had a youtube video that had all of the real peoples name in it with a song. they had questions for us to answer and it was a great presentation.

The third group that went was by far the best. It was myself and Emily and we were awesome. Our presentation was really cool becasue everyone got involoved in it at their own computer. We definately deserve an A+ because we both worked very hard on the presentation. I thought the class enjoyed it as well

The last group that went today also did a tremendous job. I thought their lesson plans were fitting for a 3rd grade class, and they did a good job with the youtube video that discussed thair topic in a fun way for the 3rd graders. I Enjoyed their presentation. Especially when Big Gabe started singing. They also deserve an A+ just for that great effort.

Awesome class, I am going to miss it this next semester!

-Wes

- Please tell me how thing went and how you felt about the activities. Please feel free to give suggestions.
- How did you feel about creating a brochure this week?
- Is there any muddy point that you need to review?
- How do you feel about Desktop Publishing? We have created a brochure and a resume. What else do you think we can do with Desktop Publishing? If you have to create one thing for your classroom, what would you create by using Publishing and why?

I think everything went great! I loved the avtivities that we did in class, I dont think they could possibly be any better. What FUN!

I loved creating the brochure. there is nothing else that i can think of that i would rather do than create this brochure. It was alot of fun and cant wait to do it again!

I think that everything was clear as day. I do not think that i need to review anything.

Desktop Publishing was fun. I have used it in the past (ETEC 224) and i believe that it is a grewat tool for creating brochures, business cards, Resumes and other things of that nature. It is very easy to use and extremely self-explanatory. I believe that i will definately use it in the future for these purposes that i have listed. I would create a brochure for the students to take home to their parents if i had to create one thing on Publisher.

Powerpoint progress

Overall, i think that the powerpoint presentation is going great.  Blair and I work great together.  We have been preparing and gathering information for our presentation and Everything is Wonderful!  I just can not wait to present the presentation to the class, I believe they will be blown away by the job that Blair and I have done.  This is so much FUN!

-wes

Learning with Technology

How far should educators go in matching the technology used in instruction and classroom activities to the technology their students use?

They should definately go as far as technology will let them. In my opinion technology is very important because students will use technology wherever life takes them. So incorporating technology into classroom activities most definately will help them in the future.

Are online chats and instant messaging of value in the classroom? Do they add to student learning, or do they distract from “real” instruction?

they definatly add to student learning. If a student can learn and interact with other students via chatrooms and instant messaging it will only make their learning experience better.

Are there benefits to asynchronous, text-based communication over synchronous, face-to-face communication? In what situations?

yes because some students will never open up to other students in face to face meetings, Some students are just too shy to open up in front of their peers.

Does using podcasts with students really enhance learning, or is it simply a newer version of passively delivering information?

It is all the same to me, If a student is willing to learn......they will learn whether it is in the form of a podcast or in the classroom. With the convieniece of a podcast, studetns will be able to learn whenever they see fit.

Does videogame help develop your studying? Why or why not? Explain. What skills can you gain from it? Do you agree with the article? If you have children, would you let them play videogame every day? Why/why not?

I think a videogame would defiantely help with studying for most kids. Kids now a days love video games and play them almost as much as they watch tv. therefore, incorportating video games into learning is a GREAT IDEA! If i had children i would certainly let them participate in learning via video games.

Online Bookmarks

Wow! I never thought I would be able to use my bookmarks away from my desktop computer at home! Now there is online bookmarks, I dont know what I ever did without it. This is such a simple idea, but it took forever for someone to come up with it. I could definately use this tool in the future to share my favorite web sites to my co-workers and friends while i am away from my regular computer at home! Another great thing is that uou can share websites with more than one person because it is a multi-user database. All in all- this is a grea tool that I will definately be using from here on out. YAY!!!!!

-Wes

Personality types

what did I think abiout Wiki's?

I thought Wiki's Was a good web site for students and teachers both to use in the classroom. Wiki's could be used for just about anything from studying to preparing school work to business.



Do you believe that learning by conversing in learning communities can be more effective than traditional instruction? What evidence would we need to confirm (or reject) that belief?



I think that most people definately learn better in learning communities. It is for the most part more effective than traditional instruction. Most people perform better according to studies, in a environment in which they can contribute and participate. I believe that learning communites allows for this to happen.



Do you think that students have different learning styles because of their personality types? According to the test that you have just done, do you think it will help you know your students better? How?



I definately believe that different students have different learning styles. This is in large part to their peresonalities. People that are loners tend to work best when they are by themselves. Otherwise, Most people learn better with group work and community learning environments. Taking this test would help because it would give instructors the general personality types of their students. Therefore, it would give teachers an idea of how to teach and instruct students in their respective ways.



Im the best,

-Wes

Spreadsheet!!!!

OMG! I created my first material aid using Spreadsheet the other day! It was so useful! I would definately use it for instructional purposes in the future when i am education my students. It has so many advantages! For instance, Using a calculator to calculate some of the things that you might need when creating a gradebook can take HOURS! But now, using Spreadsheet eliminates the need for a calculator and can save you the trouble of using one. Plus, calculators are expensive nowadays! And we can all use some extra cash, (especially with gas prices as high as they are) I just think that spreadsheet can be used in so many ways like gradebooks, and lesson plans, as well as instructional tools that all kids can use. I am so exited right now. I think I am going to go run 6 1/2 miles! Thanks for reading, and until next time, Have a wonderful week!

-Wes

Inpiration Software

I found that this new software could be useful in a number of different subjects for students. Whether it is Language Arts, Social Studies, or Science, Inspiration could be helpful. Stuents Can copy just the information that they need over to a Word document for example to easily transfer information while completing a project. The Inspiration software may be hard to use at first, but with the free tutorial you could navigate throughout the software like a pro. I would definately use this in the future if it was available to me, I think it would be extremely helpful for students in the History field especially.

There are a number of writing activities that can be improved with the use of technology. For example, blogging is a great tool for student to use. After writing a response in a blog, the students classmates can respond to that blog with their own ideas and information in regard to that topic. This is very helpful for students to get feedback from their peers. This is just one way of how students can help eachother with their writings.

Blogs

Using Blogs is a convenient, and easy way to share with your friends whatever it is that you want to share with them. You can share your schedule of events for that day, you can let them know how you are doing, and also just keep in touch with them. Blogs could be used in a classroom for students to post questions and information about homework that was assigned. It would be a way for them to help each other at their own convenience. Some people would probably say that using blogs are stupid, and that couldnt be further from the truth. Blogs can be used in a number of ways and it is extremely easy to learn how to use. BLOGS ARE SO FREAKIN AWESOME! I JUST WANT TO BLOG MY LIFE AWAY!

Introduction

Hello, My name is Wes Chapman. I am 22 years old and currently attending Texas A&M University at Commerce. I am in my Junior year and majoring in Kinesiology. My family and friends are most important to me as I am a very family oriented person. I recently got engaged to my best friend Emily Alley. Music is something that I am very passionate about and is a big part of my life. I have been trying to learn how to play the guitar and drums, but im pretty sure that it is a never ending process.