EDLA 615 Language Arts and Technology

The teacher that I interviewed does not use technology in her classroom to enhance her instruction. However, she does use many visual and hands-on activities to help meet the needs of her students. One way that I would change the teachers instruction with technology would be to have her use a smartboard. I think that having a large visual aid would be a big advantage to both the teacher and the students. This way the teacher can plan presentations in advance and show it to the students in large on the screen. In order to make this change the teacher needs to be familiar with how to use a smartboard. It is not too difficult to learn so if she has never used one before it shouldn't be too hard to teach her how to. The teacher would also have to approve it with the school before and see if they have the funds to pay for the installment of the device.  An idea for grouping students so that they each have a chance to use the technology tools would be to have centers where stu...

We live in a time where technology is a very big and important part of peoples lives. The educational world has also become very dependent on the use of technology, both in and out of the classroom. Therefore teachers must use new ICT's (Information and communication technologies) in their classrooms. New literacies is a tool that many teachers are not familiar with, however it is important that they learn the skills necessary since they need to teach their students how to properly use these tools. ICT's teach students reading writing skills in a new and different way. Students learn how to use technology in ways that will help develop their skills academically.

Hello again! I think that by now we all pretty much "know" each other, and I very much look forward to learning with all of you once again this semester! If I wrote a book about myself it would be called "Don't Worry Be Happy" because throughout life I have realized time and time again that there is just no point in worrying or being down - because there is always something to be thankful for. I am currently teaching a small pull-out class for students with learning difficulties. I love my job because it gives me a really rewarding feeling to know that I am helping students be the best that they can be. I am almost done the Masters program - just one semester left! Since this is my 5th semester in the early education program I have learned a lot about teaching ELA and new literacies - but I look forward to learning even more on both those topics! I don't have any big concerns about this course. I just hope that I will be able to manage to stay on track sinc...

The teacher I interviewed teaches students with reading disabilities. She has a small special education class that has many tools that can help the students learn on their own level despite their academic difficulties. The school does not allow technology in the classroom, however that does not limit the teacher in reaching the needs of the students. She explained to me that since her students are all visual learners she has many visual aids hung up all over the classroom. The teacher uses a specialized reading program which includes many pictures, stories, and exciting activities to help the students learn to read in a fun, visual, and exciting way. 

Reading: Students should gain comprehension skills by reading various texts and making connections to information that they already learned, or connect it to life experience. Students learn to pull out the main idea and details of the text. Writing: Students practice this skills by creating their own writing assignments and learning the proper steps like brainstorming, rough draft, editing, and final draft. Students practice various grammar and expressive skills. They also learn how to write for a specific cause such as a script, opinion article, research paper, debate etc. Speaking and Listening: Students learn many oral and expressive skills by making presentations and using their verbal skills to express themselves. Having students work in pairs or groups, or partake in a class discussion or debate. Language: Students learn proper grammar and punctuation skills. They learn new vocabulary words that they may not have known the meaning to before.

The Common Core standards ensure that all schools across the US and more have the same set of standards. This way all students in each grade are learning the same concepts. This way students are all prepared for the next grade, when students go to college in a different state, they don't have to worry that they are not prepared for the material that will be taught.  It also is a great guide for the teachers to help them keep focus on what they should be teaching their students. The CCS consists of four sections; Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language. Each of these sections covers all necessary standards for the specific subject and grade taught. Teachers should take advantage of the standards to help guide them and to make sure that they are covering all topics necessary in the grade that they teach.