leehillasedublog

So I have just submitted the final assignment for this course and another semester is officially over. This is by goodbye for now post…

I am hoping to continue my blogging journey should the mood arise, but I am looking forward to being able to blog for enjoyment instead of obligation. I hope that I have not bored my avid readers too much over the last few months, and hope that at least one of you has found something interesting within these pages!

I have thoroughly enjoyed having this online presence…and hope to pop up on here again one day (although I think I need a bit of a blogging holiday!)

That’s enough from me,

Over and out.

My prac school used a website called sunshine online for a lot of their IWB activities.

I found this really useful, especially as the activities are sorted by year group. In my setting it was a little off given the students were all working on ICPs with adjusted benchmarks but it was easy enough to find a level that was suitable!

The activities were easy to follow and the kids LOVED it (even though the IWB was broken and I had to follow their fingers with the mouse…ah well, we can’t have everything :P)

Later ‘gators

I stumbled across this idea from Saranna which included using powerpoint to create a quiz for students on the IWB!

What a brilliant idea! I have recently used PowerPoint to create a novel and publish it as an eBook with students in my prac class but had never thought about this possibility before. It’s so simple to set up and you could theme it however you like and use it to suit any topic. I’m thinking a who wants to be a millionaire theme!

I will definitely be giving this one a bit of a test drive before my next professional experience next term!!

During the course there was a rather eventful explosion on facebook…it acted to reinforce a lot of the teachings about being digital citizens!

I have stumbled across Simon’s take on the whole situation and found it to be an interesting read…I hope you enjoy it too!

A frustration I had whilst on prac was accessing a particular software program I needed to create aided language displays for my students each lesson. The only 3 computers in the school that had this program were in the staff room and perpetually occupied! I tried getting in early, staying late, lunch time and morning tea!

When I could eventually access one of these computers usually my break was about to end! Having so few of these resources in such a large school seemed like madness to me….until I heard how expensive the program was!! Then I very quickly stopped complaining!

Lucas seemed to have some similar issues relating to printing and accessing the network without his mentor…accessibility to resources seems to be a common issue!!

So I thought I had better put something on my blog about the wonderful students I had the pleasure of teaching and learning with on placement this semester! I had a special needs class of only 6 students with needs ranging from non-verbal wheelchair bound, to non-verbal ASD, to visually impaired, down syndrome, Intellectual impairments, anaphylactic allergies and life threatening seizure disorders!

At first the pressure of having to cater for all of these needs and keep these students safe was incredible overwhelming! I found myself exhausted by the time I walked in the door at home in the afternoon because in that setting you can not switch off even for a second!

What have I learnt though? These young people are INCREDIBLE! They are so full of live, energy and happiness! They love to learn even though it takes them a little longer to learn a lot less than you or I. I have found myself inspired by their strength and their spirit. Really makes me think I have made the right choice in choosing a special education major!!

There has been much talk throughout this course as to the value of these blogs that we write. I must admit, I find them time consuming and tedious (although quite valuable!). Purely from perusing other students blogs I have found insights that I had missed in course work, wonderful resources, many laughs and even some “Ah-hah!” moments where things finally just seem to sink in to place in my brain.

I have found it interesting to read some other people’s views on the blogging process here at Jenny’s blog. Happy reading!

I have found as this course has progressed, this blog has moved from mere reflection to a collection of experiences and resources that I would like to keep in one place! Wendy has found one such gem and mentioned it in her blog.

It is called Teacher Tube and a quick look has told me that I could very easily lose hours going through all of the inspiration that lies within…loving this PLN! I think it’s actually working! I shouldn’t be surprised, but the online community of teachers (pre-service or otherwise) is incredible generous with their knowledge and resources!!

Thanks 🙂

Just finished off my last assignment for the semester and to be honest I am feeling pretty terrible about it! Working full time and taking on a full study load including a prac subject may have been too much for me this time! Here’s hoping for a pass!!

At least I know I am not the only one…this post from Amanda has made me feel a little better and is helping me to stay motivated to do it all again in a few weeks time. Bring on semester 2….

After looking at the Connect.ed modules I am forced to rethink a lot of things I have known for years. I have grown up with my space and facebook and never really given a lot of thought to online safety.

I would not say that I am naïve about the topic, it’s just not something that I reflect on regularly. It is so easy to forget that children today, with all of their digital native, tech-savvy-ness may not know the basics about online security.

The few things that I would like to make sure all students who come through my classroom are equipped with are:

• Keep your profile private – change your privacy settings and only add people who are actually your friends (this does not include the kid who said hello to you once on the bus)
• Don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying directly to the person concerned face to face (my rule of thumb is if I wouldn’t say it to my Grandma then it’s probably not appropriate to go online)
• If someone is bothering you online, let someone know before it escalates…and remember you can block them from contacting you

Tess Wise also had some thoughts on this topic and you can see them at her blog here 🙂