Blog Post H

Concept Books:

Concept books are for beginning readers and English Language Learners that offer another opportunity for teachers and to use digital photography to promote literacy learning. Concept books are a prime for kindergarten and first grade teachers. The point of the books is to teach the basic concept when first attending school. For example, when a child is learning their colors, shapes, and numbers a parent or teacher can use concept books to make the process easier. I remember as a child when my mom would teach me the colors and she would always use concept books with food because I loved to eat. I was always focused enough on the book and learning both food and colors at the same time. I think another great way to extend the idea of concept books is to make it fun and give the books out with different games. I think the game will help bring the kids in with their parents and help everyone stay involved. Concept books are a pretty simple and easy way to make learning fun. There is not much confusion to what a concept book is or what their purpose is.

Alphabet books

Alphabet books are a way for students to practice spelling patterns, letter sounds, vocabulary words, and reading skills. Students can illustrate their own alphabet books to help them remember words and sounds the best way possible for them. Having the students make their own alphabet books is also beneficial because they will be able to make connections in their brains that the teachers cannot make for them. I have never thought about students making their own alphabet books before and I never made one in school, but I believe it is the most effective way for a student to learn their alphabet and the sound of letters. I would implement this in my classroom just like it is explained. There is not much to switch up about the idea of a student picking a word that makes them remember the letter and sound of each letter in the alphabet. I would print a picture of whatever it is that they chose and have them glue it to the page instead of drawing one to be more effective and clear for the parents.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a multimedia presentation software package and a standard feature on today’s computers. PowerPoint is a software that has so many qualities to it. PowerPoint is a presentation that is created by self and can implement just about anything into it. Using a digital projector, students, teachers, and even professionals can show their personal PowerPoint’s to large or small groups of people. PowerPoint is used in most schools from Elementary school through colleges. PowerPoint allows you to generate class discussions, promotions, presentations, and games. PowerPoint has been in every class of mine since the fourth grade that I can remember. The projectors had been released and every year after that it seemed that there was a new projector to have. With all the technology that has changed around it, PowerPoint has remained loyal and in good use to its users. I personally did not know that you can have games on PowerPoint and I see that I have been missing several opportunities to do so. I will use PowerPoint in my classroom because it is more appealing to the eye, engages the students, and definitely easier to put together. The work load to make a simple presentation is not hard and that is beneficial when time is not on your side as a teacher. 

PowerPoint example

Resources

 Concept Books: Big Ideas for Little People | Denver Public ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from https://www.denverlibrary.org/blog/abcs-and-123s 

Maloy, R. W. (2013). Transforming learning with new technologies (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

 Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 - Full Tutorial for Beginners ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQicwstinOA 

Digital Blog Post G

Adaptations For Classroom Learning With Technology

Adapting to a new environment such as a classroom with all new students can be extremely difficult for students and teachers. Adapting to make the learning beneficial and exciting can be a tough task to overcome but with the help of technology, it can be done. According to Robert Maloy, technology offers two main routes for designing the classroom so students with diverse learning needs can readily access key ideas and concepts. First, it supports changes in the classroom environment. Second, it supports changes in how the curriculum is delivered. There are low-tech, mid-tech, and high- tech digital accommodations.

Low- tech: refer to changes that are made easily, inexpensively, and without applying digital materials.

Mid- Tech: Involve substantive shifts in organization and delivery of curriculum that may include the use of digital materials.

High- Tech- Introduces changes associated with the integration of computers and other specialized technologies in the classroom.

Speech Recognition Software:

Speech- to- text is a software the displays a person’s spoken words on a computer screen (Maloy.2013). There a program called Dragon Naturally Speaking that reaches the expectations of the speech- to- text method. This program is something that is helpful to several types of students. Whether a student dyslexic and want to write a story without losing their train of thought seeing misspelled words, or a student impedes the idea of words in text, cursive or on a keyboard this software is beneficial. Speech- to- text is a program that learns the students voice and works according to only the voices it knows. Even though you are speaking into a microphone and everything is correctly spelled, the work still needs review from the teacher and student. Sometimes telling a story can result in talking how we speak to friends rather than proper and acceptable language for an assignment.

Interactive Electronic Storybooks and Storybook Apps

Interactive electronic storybooks also known as CD-ROM, storybooks, talking e-books, or digital talking books for children. Storybook apps bring fiction and nonfiction stories to tablet computers and smartphones (Maloy.2013). These both bring their own positives and negatives to the students.

The idea of making books more like video games and more interactive is amazing. Students and even parents can find reading more interesting. Although visual and audio elements engage the mood and reading comprehension skills and vocabulary improve, children may begin to rely on the computers. It is important to balance the amount of time spent in a text book and an interactive electronic book. The world is slowly becoming paperless but books with words only will always be around and students should not miss the opportunity to enjoy both.

Resources:

 Assistive Technology for Computer Access: Who needs it? How do you get it? (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://sci.washington.edu/info/newsletters/articles/04sp_at_computers.asp 

Maloy, R. W. (2013). Transforming learning with new technologies (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

 Post g by hollianne6 - ToonDoo - World's fastest way to create cartoons! Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/10503620

See Dragon NaturallySpeaking 13 in Action. Retrieved October 13, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImlKOA1MhlI