Saturday, September 15, 2012

Blog Assignment 3

Peer Editing
Writing a review for someone is not always the easiest thing to accomplish. It is hard to establish the line between positively critiquing and negatively criticizing. In What is Peer Editing?, the Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial, and Writing A Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes students are given several tips on how to correctly peer edit what someone has written. We must learn how to effectively use peer editing to achieve progress on our writing. These three resources help reveal to us what we must do.

What is Peer Editing gives us the definition of peer and editing. This helps us fully understand what we are trying to accomplish when leaving comments. In the Peer Edit with Perfection Tutorial, students are given a three step process to guide us when peer editing. First you must compliment the student on what they have done well. Next, you give suggestions to better their writing. Lastly, you provide them with corrections
Picky Patty and another student discussing an essay
like grammar problems or spelling issues. Tim Bedley's class created the video Writing A Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes. They use cute examples like "Picky Patty" to show what not to do when critiquing someones work or how to react when someone is editing what you have written. Peer editing can be useful to better your work if done correctly.

Technology In Special Education
Technology, like computers, can be used to benefit special needs children as shown by Stephanie Tyler in Technology In Special Education. Children who cannot vocalize their thoughts or have trouble reading sometimes have trouble keeping up in their classes. Different devices can help diminish this and begin to excel. Some of these devices include specialized computers and iPod touches that can read to the kids. Students can now focus on learning instead of how to communicate with the teacher.

There are many students that are non verbal or have physical and cognitive complications that doctors may not be able to fix, but educators can make school a lot easier for them. For example, at one point children had to leave the classroom during silent reading if they needed help by having a teacher read to them. Now, iPod touches can read their books to them without having to bother other students in the process. Computers help tremendously in the education of special needs children. They can now type what they want to say instead of struggling to write or point out letters on a sheet of paper. Also due to all of this technology, students are more eager to learn which in turn is improving the lives of many children who would have never had the opportunity a few years earlier.

Assistive Chat
"Assistive Chat" is an app from Apple that helps people who have difficulty with or cannot speak to others have the capability to communicate. The student can type in what they want to say and the device reads it aloud for them. Sentences can be saved and words are predicted so that they do not have to type out all of the words every time they try to talk. You can even choose how you would like the voice to sound and the speed of the voice. This is a revolutionary idea that will be used for several years to come.
This app would allow these students to be able to have discussions in class and connect with other classmates. Some of these kids probably never thought they would have a chance to carry on an actual conversation. Now the teacher can receive actual responses from their students. Most of these kids are very intelligent, but cannot verbalize it. This would change that and allow them to feel normal for once.

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
In Vicki Davis' classroom, you will not see pencils or paper. She uses technology to teach her students how to learn on their own. Davis said that she does not know everything about technology and learns something new everyday. Davis proves to be very humble by admitting this. Technology is always being innovated to equip people with things to make life easier.

I liked how Davis made the students teach the class. When I was required to do this, it seemed like I was forced to learn something and it made it easier for me to remember. Her class seems to be set up a lot like our EDM 310 class. These students are able to learn from things they use everyday like Twitter, blogs, and even text messaging. Students are more likely to participate if these techniques are used.

2 comments:

  1. Hello Amanda,

    I thought your blog was well written. I loved your opening sentence where you played off of the difference between words criticize and critique. Your choice of special needs app was interesting. The line of apps designed to assist the vocally impaired are powerful tools.


    There were a few sentences that I had to reread to make sure I was understanding. In the technology for special needs section, you wrote the sentence: "Different devices can help diminish this and begin to excel." Maybe rewording this sentence and the one before it would make things clearer. The other sentences are in the last section. You wrote:"I liked how Davis made the students teach the class. When I was required to do this, it seemed like I was forced to learn something and it made it easier for me to remember." It sounds as if you like being forced to learn. The only other thing I see is that you forgot to put the length of the movie at the end of each movie link.


    Over all I really liked your post, and I look forward to reading more.

    ReplyDelete