Picky Wiki

This week, we created our first Wiki! I had never used a Wiki before, but I am continually amazed by the various tools that can be utilized on the internet.  There are many benefits of a Wiki which include creating a glossary, working on group projects, composing a study guide, peer editing, making a calendar, and organizing data.  I really enjoyed the All About Me Wiki through PBworks because it is an organized way to read information about the other students in class.  This would be a great way for students to introduce themselves in a class setting. You could also have students post on their Wiki page but present another student's Wiki so that they would become more familiar with the students in the class.

While there are many benefits to using Wikis, I do think that the site could be more user friendly.  It was more difficult for me to figure out how to set up my page initially than it was to use sites like GoogleDocs.  There are many tools that I do not think I would know how to use if my professor did not show us in class.  I enjoyed the KWLS chart because it allowed me to really process what I had learned about the activity and what I still had questions about.  The YouTube video that we watched called "Wikis in Plain English" was a great, concise summary of why Wikis are useful.

If I were to utilize a Wiki again in my classroom, I think I would create a glossary page and have students post various new vocabulary that they learned. For example, after a lesson on the parts of the cell, students could individually post the name of the organelle and its structure and function.  If a student sees that someone wrote something incorrect or lacks information, they can fix it for them.  Overall, I think Wikis can be very useful in the classroom, and I am looking forward to gaining more experience to boost my confidence with using them.

A Technological Journey

This semester I hope to become more comfortable and familiar with using technology personally and professionally.  I know that as I grow more confident using technology as a means of learning in my own life, the better I will be able to utilize it in my classroom.  I am especially excited to learn how to use software programs such as Excel to better organize my own information as well as create graphs and diagrams for students. Likewise, I am so interested to learn about Smartboards because they have become very popular in Deaf Schools being that they are so interactive.  I am looking forward to continually seeing the benefits with educational blogging as well as creating a website for students and their families.  I hope to learn about the advantages and disadvantages to using texting in the classroom and any success that teachers have seen with it.  I am curious to see the function of podcasts and web streaming in the classroom to connect students with skilled teachers and various lessons.  I feel most comfortable using Powerpoint, Word, and various online resources, but I know there is so much more of technology to be explored! I am thankful to be on the journey. 

Lets Talk About Me.

I am a senior at the University of Tennessee studying Deaf Education and Biology.  I was born and raised in Franklin, TN and am a graduate of Brentwood Academy. I love all the music, good restaurants, and coffee shops of Nashville and yet the small-town feel as well.  In elementary school, learning sign language became a fun hobby of mine, but over the years, it has grown into a deep admiration for the Deaf community.  I never would have thought that I would like Biology much less be passionate about teaching it.  Nevertheless, my freshman Biology courses revealed my desire to understand the processes and structures involved in everyday life. When it came to choosing a licensure area, I was hesitant to choose Science because of the rigor and difficulty I knew it would bring. However, I think it is so important to be passionate about what I will teach so I know the hard work and stress are completely worth it.  Next year, I will be interning at Tennessee School for the Deaf as well as the Deaf Education program at West High School. I am thrilled at the thought of the experiences and opportunities I will gain there and cannot wait to see my progress as an educator and always a student.