My Professional Learning Network

I signed up today at The English Companion Ning



This website will be the perfect jumping off point for my PLN. Through my English Companion Ning I am apart of a network of English teachers posting and discussing new and innovative ways to teach Language Arts in modern society. There are several groups ranging from teaching Shakespeare to teaching fundamentals of writing. I joined the Teaching with Technology group and subscirbed to the RSS feed of the group using my iGoogle account.

Communication Workout

Through Google Groups we set up and designed a page over our tool. It just so happened that the tool my partner and I were assigned was Google Groups. We looked up different "how-to" videos, and walkthrough websites for how to use Google Groups. We discovered many advantages, and a few limitations, upon viewing these websites.

Google Groups is an interactive place online where members of a group can post open discussions and create accessible pages. The tool is a useful way to collaboratively discuss and work on almost any project.

In the English field one could use the Google Groups program for group projects and group brainstorming for paper topics. It could also be an accessible and easy-to-use tool for peer editing each other's work from home if there isn't enough time in class.

Content Exploration Blog Post

1. The Fly Pen tool is a fun and interactive way for students to learn how to write english and foreign languages. The tool requires a computer and a Fly Pen notebook for writing. In order to write one takes the Fly Pen and writes on a piece of paper that sends the image to the computer screen. The program then has an audio voice that reads whatever was written. There are several games and different applications for this tool. It can even be used as a Spanish Translator.

2. http://www.flyworld.com/ is where you can order different software for this program. Through it students can learn to do Algebra, Writing, Mulitplication and Division, etc.

3. http://www.leapfrog.com/etc/medialib/leapfrog/fly/ffls_37735.Par.40053.File.tmp/Users/na/Desktop/Parent%20Guides/FFLS_37735_PG.pdf This PDF file is a user guide on how to use the Fly Fusion Pentop. In a classroom I would use this tool to teach students how to edit work as they go and learn new languages. Although it is a very confusing application to use at first, once one is instructed on how to properly use it the tool becomes a fun and engaging exercise.

Examples

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/english/spelling_grammar/spelling/play.shtml

This is a game where prefixes are added to words and the person playing has to find a prefix that works with the given word.
The game helps not only in enhancement but also effectiveness. I teachs an important rule of building words and discovering their meanings, while at the same time it is a fun and engaging way for the students to learn.

http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/sc.cgi

The game is a spelling game in which it asks you to pick which of 4 words is misspelled and then spell it correctly.
It is very effective way of getting students to memorize spelling tricks like "i before e except after c" It is also efficient because it is in a format that is almost like a fun drill.

W200 Expectations

• I expect to learn about a wide variety of interesting technological tools for education.
• I expect to gain a basic knowledge, as well as several original ideas, of how to use technology in my future classrooms.
• *write more later*