The Half-Point Experience

We're about half way done with this term and I feel I've learned a lot of helpful information to use both inside and outside of the classroom. I wasn't sure what to expect on the first day of class. But along with learning ways to turn everyday pencil-and-paper assignments into technology-based classwork, I've also learned about lesson plans and other helpful tools: things I didn't know before since I'm not currently working in the educational field.

Before this class, I had no idea what a GLE was or how to interpret the oh-so-confusing NECAP scores. But at this point in the term, I already have a much better understanding of the "teaching language" and how to develop things like a rubric and a GLE tool list.

Tools I plan to use inside my classroom include Quizlet and Wordle. As a future middle school language arts teacher, Wordle can show my students what the true meaning is behind their essays and Quizlet can prepare them for a variety of tests and quizzes.

There are a few tools we learned that I have already used outside of this graduate class and outside of the educational field. Those would include: Google Doc's and iGoogle (which is currently my homepage on my computer). With my home computer being a Mac and my work computer being a PC, it's easy to create documents on Google Doc's so they are compatible with each other no matter what computer I'm on. There have been times I've thought I've saved documents correct, ending in .doc, but it won't open on a different computer. Google Doc's saves me the stress and worries, as I know it will open regardless of the program or computer I'm using.

The one thing I hope we can go over (or I can try to figure out) would be finding a way to keep the links and online handouts together so I can use them in my classroom one day. With this being my first term at SNHU, and graduation not happening until 2011, I don't want all the valuable tools, information and "goodie bag items" to just disappear.