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!