TPTE 486

I can't even begin to describe how much I have learned in this class. Whats even more amazing is the relevance of the information. I can see myself using all of the information I learned for my future classroom. Everything is extremely useful, unlike the majority of information in most of my classes. The way the class was set-up and taught was also very beneficial. The amount of work assigned was extremely reasonable, and it was set-up in the most enriching way. I can't imagine people graduating without taking this class, whether they are Education majors or not. This class, without a doubt, was the most beneficial one I have ever taken at the University of Tennessee.

Classroom Website

I love the fact that we get to start creating our own website that we can use in the classroom. If I had not started it in this class, I probably never would have and that would have been a shame. I am so thankful that I know how to create and manage one now. I believe using a classroom website and blog is extremely beneficial, especially for deaf children. If I work at an Institution for the Deaf, most students live on campus and only see their families on the weekends. This makes it extremely difficult to know what all is going on in their child's education. Having an updated website and blog, will allow the parents to see what their children are doing and will be doing. It will also be a great way to post their projects up for their families to see! Also, if students do go home, and they have a computer, they can check up on assignments and the plan for instruction everyday.

My Movie: DPN (Deaf President Now)

I chose to do a movie on DPN because it is a piece of Deaf History that all people need to know, including the children I will be teaching. This is a fun and new way to present the information, to where they may retain the meaning better. Creating a movie was fun and educational. After doing this project, I want to do one on a ton of different subjects. I really believe students will respond to information this way, especially in this day and age, children are already so used to watching TV. It's about time we incorporated learning into it.

Spreadsheet

Spreatsheets can be used for so many things. I really enjoyed learning about them, but I dont feel that I will use them very much in my classroom. I think they are very beneficial, but since I will be doing elementary, and they take a while to make, I dont see myself using them very much. Being in Deaf Education, many of my students may be low functioning, and so I don't think that spreadsheets will particularly be extremely beneficial to my students. However, knowing how to use them will help me with basic things as a teacher such as, taking the roll, and keeping track of grades and assignments.

Inspiration: Life Cycle of a Butterfly



Inspiration is an extremely effective tool to use in the classroom, especially for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Something extremely visual will really grab their attention, and hopefully keep them focused more on the lesson. It is difficult to use tools in the classroom that the students are not used to, so I believe that I will be using Inspiration, if my school allows it.

Extra Credit: Animoto Video

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Scavenger Hunt

I absolutely loved doing this assignment. It allows the students to 'think outside the box' and get used to taking digital pictures and uploading them onto a computer. Its a fun assignment that students will enjoy doing as well as serving an educational purpose!

Webquest

I feel like the Webquest activity was very well set up. I dont think I would have understood it as well if you had just explained it yourself. I also like how we had specific characters that we had to keep in mind while viewing the Webquests. It was beneficial because every student is different and they prefer different things, so it helped show which kinds of Webquests tailor to different likings. I will definitely use a Webquest in my classroom.

Google Docs

I really enjoyed learning about Google Docs. It's great for easy sharing on the web. However, I am struggling on what I would use it for. It is so similar to a Wiki, and honestly I would prefer to use a Wiki, even though Wiki's dont have as many features as Google Docs. I still can't believe all of the technological tools out there that I had no idea existed. This class has been so beneficial already. It almost makes me wish I would do middle or high school instead of elementary so I would get to use all of these tools more often!

Digital Collection Slideshow

This project was very fun to do. It was so simplke but it taught me a lot of new things! Now I know how to acquire images from many different areas.

W-W-Wiki :)

I think Wiki is awesome! I can't believe I have never heard of it before this class. I think this tool is great for a very wide range of things. Working together to make a website would be extremely easy using Wiki, and it opens up the range of people who can be in your collaboration because you are not limited to one city and one time and place to meet to work on it.

Web 2.0 Tools

I loved the assignment given for Web 2.0 tools. It was great to pick just one and explore about it and then watch presentations of other students discuss it. I was also nice because it was a change, other than just having a teacher explain it. Also, if the teacher were to try and explain all of them in the amount of time that the students did, I dont think I would have personally got as much out of it.
The one tool I see myself using in the classroom would definitely be Google Earth. Since I will be in elementary, I dont think I could apply a lot of the other tools as much. With Google Earht, there are so many possibilities, and SO MANY lessons can be taught using it. It's easy to use and fun and interesting for the students!
Personally, just for fun I liked the tools Wordle, and Picnik!

Signing Time With Kids Website

http://www.signingtimekids.org/

This website is great because it allows students to not only practice their signing skills, but also to have fun playing games and working on different skills deaf students struggle with, without even knowing it. It also has sign language handouts for the teacher to use to give out to the students.
Deaf students never get to experience music and this website has a compilation of "deaf songs" that students can practice.
The website also has an adult section that provides lesson plans and allows you to learn more about the people who created the program!
However, I could not find any respectable citations or credibility for this website.
It would be a good practice website but I dont know that I would even use it in my classroom.

Website Evaluation

http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm

This website is extremely useful because it describes step-by-step which articles on the Web are useful to your research. I remember growing up in school, always having to write research papers. I always had an extremely difficult time finding sources that were usefull, relevant, and authentic. This website describes in detail, all of the things you need to look for in an article to be sure that it is beneficial to your research topic.

All About Me!

Hello!! My name is Rachel Simmons. I am from Knoxville and have lived here almost my entire life. I graduated from Bearden High School in 2007. I am a senior at UT. My major is Deaf Education. My ideal goal for a job would be to teach elementary students at Tennessee School for the Deaf. I absolutely love Tennessee football and can't wait for the season to start. Also, this summer I had the opportunity to go to Honduras on a mission trip to visit the deaf school in Tegucigalpa! It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to go back!